It won’t be easy to find a place more picturesque than Kirtipur, one of the oldest settlements founded by the Newars.
Kirtipur is one of my favorite cities in Nepal. Often overlooked and ignored by tourists, Kirtipur is undoubtedly one of the best places to experience the authentic Newari way of life. This is also where my husband, Krishna, used to live when he came back to Nepal after his studies in India.
Kirtipur (‘Kipoo’ in Nepali) is known as the city of glory (‘Kirti’ means ‘glory’ and ‘pur’ means ‘city’). Charming and quaint, it is no wonder that Kirtipur has become one of the getaways of choice for Kathmanduites. Located southwest of Kathmandu, atop a hill near the Tribhuvan university, Kirtipur is a remarkable microcosm not to be missed.
Here’s my travel guide (including a one-day itinerary) to one of the most beautiful and authentic cities in Nepal.
Table of Contents
Watch our Kirtipur Video
A Brief History of Kirtipur
Originally a Newar foundation, Kirtipur is one of the oldest settlements in the Kathmandu Valley. I was quite surprised to learn that Kirtipur wasn’t listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kathmandu Valley (even though the city is listed as a UNESCO tentative site since 2008).
Kirtipur dates back to 1099 A.D. It was a small independent town under the reign of the Malla Kings and you’ll notice that most of the temples (in Kirtipur but also Kathmandu) date back from this period.
It took 8 years for the Gorkhas to invade Kirtipur. After winning the battle against Nuwakot in 1744, the Gorkhali forces of King Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked the walled city of Kirtipur in 1757 but failed. In 1764, the Gorkhas tried to take Kirtipur again but were beaten by the locals. In 1767, after two defeats, the Gorkhas eventually conquered Kirtipur with the help of an insider traitor who let the Gorkhas into the city during the night. 1/3 of the people of Kirtipur were killed during the last battle. After the city surrendered, the Gorkhas cut off the noses of all the survivors who were above 13 years old.
The battle of Kirtipur was the start of a long series of battles with the victory of the Gurkhas over Kathmandu and Lalitpur in 1768, and the final battle over Bhaktapur in 1769 which eventually led Prithvi Narayan Shah to control the entire Kathmandu Valley, and establish the Kingdom of Nepal.
These events resulted to the unification of Nepal, the fall of the Malla dynasty and the establishment of the Shah dynasty from 1769 until the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
One Day in Kirtipur: Detailed Itinerary
Unlike Bhaktapur or Patan, Kirtipur is totally free to enter.
Here’s my self-guided Kirtipur itinerary. So that you can spend less time planning and more time enjoying your best travel experience in Kirtipur.
One Day in Kirtipur: The Map
Step 1- Kirtipur Viewpoint
First and foremost, I would suggest downloading the Pathao app so you can enjoy fair fixed taxi rates (bike or car).
Your visit starts at Kirtipur Viewpoint. Ask your car/ bike to stop near the main Kirtipur Gate, at Naya Bazar, at the foot of Kirtipur (where there is the bus park). Of course, you can also take the microbus from Ratna Park (Microbus 21 ~ be careful in Nepali it would look like 29, look out for this: ‘२९’); this bus will also stop at the bus park near the main gate (at the Kirtipur viewpoint). There is also a Yellow Bus leaving from Lagankhel (Patan) to Kirtipur every 15 minutes.
Go to the football field and get your camera on. This spot is famous for its picturesque and colorful houses.
And as you can notice, my photo is quite terrible and I didn’t get the ‘red rectangle’ quite right…
Step 2- Nagar Mandap Shree Kirti Bihar
Head to the hall in front of you and turn left on Kirtipur ring road. Do not take the flat road but follow the path going up. Stairs leading to the beautiful Thai Buddhist temple will be on your left.
Nagar Mandap Shree Kirti Bihar, also known Kirtipur Thai Bihar, is a Theravada temple and monastery built in the traditional Thai architectural style. Kirtipur Thai Bihar was inaugurated by the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand in 1995. It is the only Thai wat in Kathmandu.
Step 3- Chilancho Stupa
Head back to the main road and continue up to the platform-viewpoint; there, you’ll get a wonderful view of Nagar Mandap Shree Kirti Bihar from above.
So unfortunately, from there, Google Maps here won’t show you the (best) right way to access Chilancho Stupa. You might need to download MAPS.ME to get it right. Watching our video above will also help a lot.
You have to cross Kirtipur King road and take the stairs in front of you. On top, you will see a Kirtipur gate on your left, continue straight and turn left on the stairs. Once atop of these stairs, turn immediately left. Continue straight. You will cross many small temples and chaityas. You have (at one point) to turn right. You’ll see a stone temple with two lion guardians (this is the Sakya Muni Boudha Mandir).
In front of this temple, you’ll find a series of steep stairs. This is where you need to go. Take the stairs, you’ll cross a courtyard, you have to keep up to the top, and you’ll finally arrive at Chilancho stupa.
Chilancho stupa is probably the most gorgeous place in Kirtipur and one of the most beautiful in the Kathmandu Valley.
Chilancho (meaning ‘Immortal god on the hill’ in Nepali language) is the oldest monument in Kirtipur. We don’t know the exact age of this monument but it is believed to have been built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE; this means Chilancho might be 2,300 years old. Inscriptions with the Nepali date ‘635’ were found on the stupa. There are also evidences of restauration works dating back to 1533 and 1668.
Chilancho stupa is about 10 meters high and has the same structure as the Swayambhunath stupa (with also a Vajra thunderbolt in front of it as well). There are four smaller stupas at each corner of the Chilancho stupa’s base.
Chilancho is both venerated by Buddhists and Hindus.
You’ll find a Buddhist monastery (Jagat Pal Mahavihar) at the western side of the stupa.
Step 4- Lohan Dega (Lodegal)
Take back the stairs and turn left (where there is a huge pipal tree shrine). You’ll cross a beautiful large courtyard with a small chaitya at its center (Taanani chaitya).
Turn left and then you’ll see Lohan Dega in front of you.
Lohan Dega, also known as Lodegal or Lon Degah, is a Shikhara-style temple (Buddhist temple) dedicated to the Triratna (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha). Lohan Dega means ‘stone temple’. It was built in 1664 (under the reign of the Mallas).
Step 5- Yuddha Park
This park was under construction last time we went to Kirtipur (September 2021). We had to jump above a wall to reach the park (because we didn’t know the right directions at that time).
This park is right behind the famous Bagh Bhairab temple and accessible with stairs. Don’t worry, you won’t need to jump above a wall.
Note: You can skip this part if you plan to visit before 2022. Yuddha Park is going to be a park with many stone sculptures.
Step 6- Bagh Bhairab temple
We can access the Bagh Bhairab temple from Yuddha Park but it is easily reachable from Lodegal as well (just continue straight up from Lodegal temple until you reach a large pond; the main entrance of the temple will be on the left).
The Bagh Bhairab temple is one of the most important and famous Hindu temples in Kirtipur. The 3-storey temple is dedicated to Bagh Bhairab, guardian of Kirtipur. Bharaib is the fearful form of Lord Shiva. It is the only temple in the Kathmandu Valley to be dedicated to the tiger form of Bhairav (in Nepali, ‘Bagh’ means ‘tiger’), not to be mistaken with Kaal Bhairav, Sweta Bhairav or Akash Bhairav in Kathmandu, …
The legend says that a group of young girls were grazing their sheep. One day, they were molding a tiger idol out of clay and left into the jungle to search for a special leaf to use as the tiger’s tongue. When they came back, their sheep were not there anymore; however, bones were scattered on the floor and the tiger idol was covered with blood. They believed that Bhairab had taken refuge inside the idol to eat the sheep. It is said that the tiger idol, tongueless, is now located inside the temple and worshipped by the Hindus.
The Bagh Bhairab temple in Kirtipur dates back to the 16th century but some of the shrines around the temple date back to the 3rd century. The swords used by the Gorkhali forces of King Prithvi Narayan Shah during the Kirtipur battle still hang on the upper roof of the Bagh Bhairab temple.
Step 7- Narayan Temple & Dey Pukhu
When you’ll exit the Bagh Bhairab temple from the south main entrance, you’ll see a large courtyard with a very large pond and a white temple in front of it.
The white Moughal-style temple is the Narayan temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The large pond, Dey Pukhu, was the historical water reservoir of Kirtipur. Dey Pukhu means country’s pond. The water from the pond is still used today for washing clothes. The Pond is dung in stone and has no drills or pumps. Rainwater is the only source of the Pond.
Step 8- Traditional Newari Food
One of the best restaurants (if not the best!) I’ve been in Nepal is Newa Lahana (put link). The atmosphere is traditional and authentic, the people charming and the food so unique and delicious.
You cannot visit Kirtipur without trying its fabulous Newari food. It is an experience at itself. Do not miss it!
There are two traditional restaurants in Kirtipur: Sasa: The Newa Restaurant and Newa Lahana.
The most famous Newari dishes they offer are the Samay Bhaji, Wo Bara, chatamari, Yomari, chhoila and of course, the alcoholic beverage Aila. Sapu micha (bone marrow) is also a must-try delicacy.
If you’re an adventurous eater (like us), try the extreme food offered: spinal cord, ears, brain, tongue, eye, khago (intestines), jhuku (blood sausage), …
Watch our video below for an authentic immersive food experience. In this video, we also had the chance to go “behind the scenes” and see how the chefs prepare the Newari cuisine.
Step 9- Uma Maheshwor temple
When you exit Newa Lahana, turn right to go back to the main street. Turn left and follow the street going uphill. Continue straight and you’ll begin to see the top of the temple. Turn right, the steep stairs leading to the temple will be on your left.
The other famous (and impressive) temple in Kirtipur is the Uma Maheswhor temple, also known as Bhavani Shankar. Built in 1655 (Malla period), Uma Maheshwor is a three-story temple with many Kama Sutra carvings. This beautiful temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati.
From there, you can enjoy the 360-degree panoramic views over the Kathmandu Valley.
Step 10- Saraswati temple
When you exit Uma Maheshwor, turn left and continue straight. You’ll arrive at the Saraswati temple.
The Saraswati temple is dedicated to Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom and learning.
Less visited, the Saraswati temple also offers fine views over Kathmandu.
Step 11- Indrayani Devi
Follow the small path behind the temple. Turn left. Continue straight and turn right at the end of the street. Turn left and you’ll find Indrayani Devi.
Indrayani Devi is dedicated to Goddess Indrayani, one of the Ajimas protecting the Kathmandu Valley. Every year, In November – December, there is a festival dedicated to Goddess Indrayani.
Step 12- The Suspension Bridge
One of the most famous attractions in Kirtipur is the suspension bridge.
When you exit Indrayani Devi, turn right and follow the path going down. There will be two ways splitting at one point: the left path goes to the restaurants and the right one goes to the suspension bridge.
This long suspension links Kirtipur with Tinthana / Chandragiri. The scenery is really amazing. Surrounded by nature with the Balkhu Khola flowing below you, it won’t feel like you’re in Kathmandu anymore.
Extra option in Kirtipur – Chobhar
You should definitely visit the other parts of Kirtipur: Chobhar and Panga (but that cannot be done with this walking tour as it is quite far ~ unless you take a taxi and finish your visit there).
In Chobhar, visit the unique temples (Aadinath temple and Jal Binayak temple), the Gorge and the Manjushree park. For the more adventurous, experience speleology inside the Chobhar caves (the caves are the second largest caves in Nepal but only 350m are opened to visitors). You can end your Chobhar visit at the Taudaha lake.
Panga is also another hidden gem to discover in Kirtipur.
Main Festivals in Kirtipur
Bagh Bhairab Jatra
The Bagh Bhairab Jatra is a festival celebrated at the Bagh Bhairab temple in Kirtipur.
Bagh Bhairab is the tiger form of Bhairab, the fearful form of Lord Shiva. The festival is very important for the local residents of Kirtipur as ‘Bagh Bhairab’ is the guardian of Kirtipur.
The festival is celebrated on the 1st day of Bhadra in the Nepali calendar, which usually falls in August. On this day, the residents of Kirtipur worship their guardian. The legend says that if you circumambulate the Bagh Bhairab temple for 108 times on this day, you’ll be blessed with good health and success.
Gai Jatra
Like Mexico, Nepal also has its ‘Day of the Dead’, except that it lasts for 8 days. Gai Jatra, also known as the festival of cows (‘Gai’ means ‘cow’ in Nepali), commemorates the death of loved ones during the year.
Families who lost someone parade in the town with photos of their loved ones in a chariot; and a parade with many chariots can be seen all over the town. The children parade in the streets dressed as Cows, Gods, or Yogis wearing a mustache. Many dance, and comedy and satire shows (Dey Guthi) are performed in the streets. The festival is celebrated during the month Bhadra on the Nepali calendar (which usually falls in August – September) and lasts for 8 days.
Indrayani Jatra
The Indrayani Jatra is a chariot festival dedicated to Indrayani, one of the Ajimas protecting the Kathmandu Valley. The 3-day festival usually takes place in November or December.
How to get to Kirtipur?
The easiest ways to reach Bhaktapur are:
- By taxi (around 800NPR from Thamel).
- By bus from Ratna Park (Microbus Route 21). There is a bus every 5 minutes. Be careful because number 21 in Nepali looks like number 29, look out for this: ‘२९’. There is also a Yellow Bus leaving from Lagankhel (Patan) to Kirtipur every 15 minutes.
- By Tootle, a Nepali app that allows you to get an easy ride inside Kathmandu by matching you with bikers who are on your way.
- By Pathao, same kind of app as above but working with cars as well.
For more travel inspiration in Nepal, visit my Instagram account: paris_kathmandu
Very useful and informative.
Thank you for your guide.