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Patan is one of the oldest and the most beautiful royal city of Nepal. Situated on the South side of the Bagmati River, this city is home to 1, 66,000 people. The total area of the city is 16 sq. km. It is the fourth largest city of Nepal. The city area is divided into 22 wards. Numerous Buddha Vihars and Hindu temples can be found here. The best way to go to Patan by bike, auto-rickshaw, and tempo. 

The ancient name of Patan is Lalitpur. The historical background of the city can be traced back to the 3^rd century B.C. An interesting aspect of this city is that it is built in the shape of the Buddhist Dharma Chakra (The wheel of Religion). According to the history, the great Mauryan Empire Ashoka visited this city with his daughter, Charumati in 250 B.C. During his visit, he erected five stupas in this area.

Agriculture and cottage industry are the two major sources of livelihood of the people of Patan. Many famous craftsmen were born in this city. If you want to get a glimpse of the flourishing cottage industry of Patan, then you should visit the Industrial Estate. This estate contains around dozen factories and showrooms. Wool products and woolen carpets, wooden statues, gems, waxed statues and a wide range of handicrafts can be found here. Prices of these products are fixed but reasonable.

The Durbar square of Patan is another fascinating tourist spot. Listed on UNESCO’s world heritage site, the Durbar square of Patan was once the resident of the Malla rulers. Now, this place is converted into a museum. The Durbar square is divided into three blocks: the central chowk, Sundari chowk and Keshav Narayan chowk. Among these three chowks, the Sundari chowk contains many beautiful stone architecture and Tushahity, the royal bath.

Patan has twelve hundred Buddhist temples. A good number of Hindu temples are also situated here. Hiranya Varna Mahavihara, Kumbheshwar, Jagat Narayan, Mahaboudba, Rudra Varna Mahavihara, Machchhendranath, and the five stupas of Ashokas are some of the major tourist sites of Patan.

Among other tourist attractions: the Patan museum, the mountain of Phulchowki, the Royal Botanical Garden, and a park name Bajrabarahi can be found in Patan.