Bhaktapur is the Kathmandu Valley’s best-preserved old city, and it’s at its most beautiful early in the morning. Before the day-trippers arrive, residents are already at the temples with offerings, potters are laying out clay to dry in the squares and the smell of fresh bread drifts from small bakeries.
My favourite morning route
- Start in Durbar Square while it’s still quiet.
- Walk to Taumadhi Square and its tall five-roofed temple.
- Wander down to the potters’ square and watch the wheels spin.
- Finish with “juju dhau” — the famous king curd — served in a clay pot.
Stay for lunch, then leave before the afternoon crowds. Or better still, spend a night in the old town and do it all again the next morning.
