The Makers of Patan
Photo: Suraj Belbase, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About
Patan has been the city of craftsmen for centuries. Its Newar metalworkers cast the bronze Buddhas and gods found in temples from Tibet to Japan, using the lost-wax method that has hardly changed in hundreds of years. This walk goes to the people who still make things: small casting workshops in the lanes north of Durbar Square, the Golden Temple and the Mahabouddha temple of a thousand Buddhas, woodcarvers at work, and the Tibetan refugee weavers of Jawalakhel at their carpet looms. A day about hands and skill, not shopping.
A private tour
Your own day, at your own pace
Namaste, and welcome. This is not a group tour; it is your day. Just you and the people you came with, and me as your guide. We start when you are ready, stop wherever something catches your eye, and sit in a courtyard for as long as you like. No one is waiting at a bus, and there is no list we have to finish. I would like you to leave feeling you met the city, not that you rushed through it.
- Your own start
- I meet you at your hotel at the time you choose.
- The plan can change
- If you want longer somewhere, we stay.
- No shopping stops
- We go to shops only when you ask.
- We start when you like
- Early for the quiet squares and the morning prayers, or after a slow breakfast. I pick you up at your hotel.
- Time for every question
- The gods on the temple struts, the festival in the street, the food on the corner. There is time for every answer.
- Space to just be there
- A cup of tea while the square wakes up. Often the best moments of a day are the ones nobody planned.
- The plan bends to you
- Tired, or curious about something else? We leave a place out, or stay longer.
- Only the shops you ask for
- We stop at a shop only if you want to.
With warmth, Rujan Neupane
Along the way
What this day is known for.
- Bronze casting by the lost-wax method
- The Golden Temple of Kwa Bahal
- Mahabouddha, the temple of a thousand Buddhas
- Woodcarvers at work
- Tibetan carpet weaving at Jawalakhel
- Patan Durbar Square
The day, stop by stop
Times move with traffic and with you.-
9:00
Patan Durbar Square
A short look at the square and its temples, the finest work of Patan's makers.
- Patan Durbar Square
-
9:45
The Golden Temple
Kwa Bahal, the Golden Temple, a Buddhist monastery of gilded metal and carved wood.
- Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal)
-
10:30
Metal workshops
Into the lanes where families model in wax, cast in bronze, and chase and gild the figures.
- Patan
-
11:30
Mahabouddha
The tall terracotta temple covered in small Buddhas, and the metal shops around it.
- Mahabouddha
-
12:15
Lunch
A slow Newar lunch in the old town.
- Patan
-
13:15
Jawalakhel
The Tibetan refugee handicraft centre: wool spun, dyed and woven into carpets on big looms; then back.
- Jawalakhel Handicraft Centre
Is this tour for you?
Walking, steps, heat and access, honestly.Not sure? Tell me who is coming, and I'll tell you honestly. Write to me
The honest downsides
What I'd want to know before booking.- Workshops are working places: some days they are closed, or busy and not open to visitors.
- Any workshop also sells; you never have to buy.
- Patan's entry fee for foreign visitors is high.
- The weaving centre may be closed on Saturdays and holidays.
Photos from this tour
More about this tour
Best time to go
Good all year; October to April is most pleasant.- BestJAN
- BestFEB
- GoodMAR
- HazyAPR
- HazyMAY
- RainJUN
- RainJUL
- RainAUG
- GoodSEP
- BestOCT
- BestNOV
- BestDEC
From late March to May, and on some winter days, the valley is hazy and the mountains are hidden. In the monsoon (June to September) mornings are often clear and afternoons wet.
Time of day
Festivals worth planning for
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year; I confirm the date when you ask.
Before you go
The small practical things.Visiting with respect
These are living places of worship, not museums.- Walk around stupas, monasteries and temples clockwise.
- Ask before photographing people at prayer, or inside temples; some do not allow it.
- Take off your shoes where others do, and dress with shoulders and knees covered at holy places.
- In the parks, keep quiet and keep your distance from animals; follow the nature guide.
- In workshops, ask before touching or photographing.
Where your money goes
Every amount, and who receives it. I charge only my guide fee; the rest is paid at cost.| What | Who receives it | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guide fee | Rujan Neupane | My day rate × 1 day | For your whole private group |
| Entry tickets | Paid at the gate | Official price | See Entrance fees |
| Car and driver | The driver | Agreed before the day | Paid at cost |
| Anything you choose to buy | The makers | Their price | Paid to them; I take nothing |
| Lunch and tea | The restaurants and tea shops | What they charge | You pay directly |
I don't sell packages. I guide, and I help you arrange the rest (rooms, transport, permits) at what it actually costs. If you would like it all put together as one package, ask me: I make one only on your request, and we confirm it by email.
Photo notes
From a guide who is also a photographer.The places in detail
The history and stories behind what you will see.Patan, the city of makers
Patan, or Lalitpur, is one of the three old royal cities of the Kathmandu Valley and part of its World Heritage Site. For centuries its Newar families have worked metal, stone and wood. Bronze figures are still made by the lost-wax method: a figure is modelled in wax, covered in clay, the wax melted out, and the metal poured in; then it is chased, polished and often gilded.
The places
Kwa Bahal, the Golden Temple, is a Buddhist monastery north of Durbar Square. Mahabouddha is a tall temple covered in terracotta tiles, each with a small Buddha. At Jawalakhel, Tibetan refugees who came to Nepal after 1959 set up a handicraft centre where carpets are still woven by hand.
Entry tickets and park fees are at the official price: see entrance fees in Nepal.
My promises
Written down, so you can hold me to them.- No pressureAsk me anything. Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing, and I will never rush your decision.
- Nothing hiddenEvery cost is written down before you pay anything, and nothing is added later without your agreement.
- Your day, your paceWe stay longer where you want to, and skip what doesn't interest you.
- Reviews as writtenEvery review here is published as the guest wrote it. I don't edit reviews or remove critical ones.
Before you go
What I would read first, from my own guides and tours.Guides to read first
Frequently asked questions
Is it a shopping tour?
No. We watch people make things; you buy only if you want, and I take no commission.
Can we see casting?
Often, but not every day; each step takes days, so we see what is happening that day.
Is there an entry fee?
Yes, Patan's fee for foreign visitors.
Is the guide fee for each person?
No. One rate for your whole private group of 1 to 5 people.
Can we add the Patan Museum?
Yes, it makes a fuller day.
When is best?
Any time; mornings are best for workshops.
Reviews from guests who toured with me are published automatically, exactly as they wrote them. Reviews sent through the open form are checked for spam only.
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- +977 984-3808583
- Phone
- +977 984-3808583
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More than 5 of you? Write to me. I guide up to 5 people at one rate. For a bigger group we can talk it through by email. I reply myself, usually within a day. On the trail there is often no network, so it can take a few days.
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