Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kathmandu (must see)

Hanuman Dhoka Palace is the historic royal residence of Nepal's monarchs and the centerpiece of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Rather than a single building, it is a sprawling five-acre complex comprising royal palaces, courtyards, temples, and towers, including Taleju Temple, Hanuman Gate, the Panch Mukhi Hanuman Temple, and Basantapur Tower. The palace takes its name from the vermilion-covered statue of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman that has guarded its main entrance since 1672; "Hanuman" refers to the deity, while dhoka means "door" or "gate" in Nepali.

From here, the Malla kings and, after the unification of Nepal in the 18th century, the Shah dynasty ruled the kingdom, received foreign dignitaries, and held lavish state ceremonies. Even after the royal court moved to Narayanhiti Palace in the late 19th century, Hanuman Dhoka remained the traditional venue for royal coronations.

The oldest surviving section is the eastern wing and its courtyards, built in the mid-16th century and expanded about a century later by King Pratap Malla, while the main palace towers were added around 1768–1770. Enter through the main gate beneath Hanuman's watchful gaze and explore a series of interconnected courtyards, each reflecting a different chapter of Nepalese royal history. The most impressive is Nasal Chowk, where Nepal's kings were crowned. Nearby, Mohan Chowk served as the royal family's private residence. Throughout the complex, admire the intricately carved wooden balconies, ornate windows, brick façades, and gilded doorways.

On the west-facing exterior wall of the palace, look for the remarkable stone drinking fountain inscribed in 15 scripts. According to local legend, anyone who can understand every inscription will see milk, rather than water, flow from its spout. Also noteworthy is the 1673 stone sculpture of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, located inside Nasal Chowk. Today, the palace houses several museums, including the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum, the Tribhuvan Museum, and the King Mahendra Memorial Museum, whose collections range from royal thrones and weapons to coins, jewels, manuscripts, and historic artifacts illustrating the history of Nepal and the Shah dynasty.