Specialty
Bhaktapur is referred to as the Living Heritage, City of Culture, An Open Museum and Nepal’s Cultural Gem. Bhaktapur is renowned for its colorful festivals, craftsmanship of its locales, beautiful monuments and brilliant handicrafts. The handicrafts found in Bhaktapur include paubha scroll paintings, papier mache masks, jewelry, ceramic products, woodcarvings, and metalwork. Bhaktapur is best known for Bhaad Gaule Topi (a special type of cap), ju-ju dhau (yoghurt, ju-ju dhau literally means the king of all yoghurt varieties) and the home spun haku-patasi (black sari). Foreigners and SAARC nationals have to pay an entry fee to enter this city.
Heritages and Temples
Tachupal Tole is located in the older east end of Bhaktapur while Taumadhi Tole and Durbar Square dominate the west end. Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changunarayan Temple of Bhaktapur district are the two monuments enlisted by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites
Some of the other important Hindu and Buddhist temples and shrines in Bhaktapur are the Nyatopola Temple, Bhairabnath Temple, Peacock Window, Big Bell, Lokeswor Mahavihar, Prassannasheel Mahavihar, Chattu Brahma Mahavihar, Jaya Kirti Mahavihar, Sukra – varna Mahavihar and Dipanker Mahavihar.
Festivals
Some of the important festivals of Bhaktapur are Gai Jatra (July or August), Bisket Jatra (April) and the tantrically inspired Nava Durga Dance during the Dasain festival (October or November).
Places to Eat
Some of the popular restaurants of Bhaktapur are Bhaktapur Gate Restaurant, Café de Peacock, Café Nyatopola, Durbar Square Restaurant, Marco Polo Restaurant, Nyatopola Restaurant and Rooftop Café.
Transportation
There are buses that leave for Bhaktapur from Bagbazaar. These buses will drop you off at Taumadhi Square. You can also board a Dhulikhel bound bus or a Nagarkot bound bus and get off at Thimi. There are minibuses that leave for Bhaktapur from the City Bus Park, Kathmandu. These minibuses drop you at Sidha Pokhari, which is a five minute walk west of Durbar Square.