Visiting Places
Kathmandu Valley
Changu Narayan
Nepal's oldest temple — a hilltop Vishnu shrine and one of the valley's seven UNESCO zones.
Kathmandu ValleyBagmati Province
Changu Narayan is widely held to be the oldest Hindu temple still in use in Nepal, crowning a ridge above Bhaktapur. The double-roofed Vishnu shrine is ringed by centuries of stone, metal and wood sculpture, including a 5th-century Licchavi pillar inscription — the oldest dated stone record in the country. It is one of the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO site.
Known for
- Oldest temple in Nepal
- hilltop Vishnu shrine
- UNESCO monument zone
At a glance
- Region
- Kathmandu Valley
- Province
- Bagmati
- Getting there
- On a ridge about 6 km north of Bhaktapur; reached by taxi, often paired with a Bhaktapur visit.
- Best time
- October–March for clear days; mornings are quietest before tour groups arrive.
Things to see & do
- The ancient double-roofed Changu Narayan temple to Vishnu
- The 5th-century Licchavi stone pillar, Nepal's oldest dated inscription
- A small living museum village and ridge views over the valley