Living Traditions Museum

Around the Kathmandu Valley


This well-curated museum, housed in a restored building south of Changu Narayan Temple, features over 400 exhibits covering artefacts and displays on ethnic groups from the Kathmandu Valley, the Terai, Middle Hills and the Himalayan Highlands. However, the site was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake and was still closed for restoration at the time of research.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Around the Kathmandu Valley attractions

1. Changu Narayan Temple

0.02 MILES

This temple is said to be the oldest Hindu temple still in use in the Kathmandu Valley. Built in the two-tiered pagoda style, the main shrine here is…

2. Changu Museum

0.07 MILES

The single brick-paved street in Changu village climbs from the car park and bus stand past the privately owned Changu Museum, which offers a quirky…

3. Indrayani Temple

2.93 MILES

Just outside Durbar Sq, head down the path near the hiti that leads down the stairs to this atmospheric Kali temple that was built around a gnarled pipal…

4. Gokarna Mahadev Temple

2.93 MILES

Dedicated to Shiva as Mahadeva (Great God), this handsome three-tiered temple is a fine example of Newari pagoda style. The main reason to come is to see…

5. Salan Ganesh Temple

2.94 MILES

On the north side of Tachupal Tole is an open area with a small temple dating from 1654. Backed by a large tank, Ganesh Pokhari, the open temple is…

6. Brass & Bronze Museum

2.96 MILES

Directly across from the Woodcarving Museum, in another old math (Hindu priest’s house) with similar lighting problems, this museum has some excellent…

7. Bhimsen Temple

2.96 MILES

At the western end of Tachupal Tole, this two-storey, 17th-century temple is sacred to Bhimsen, the god of commerce. The squat rectangular structure has…

8. Dattatreya Temple

2.97 MILES

At the east end of Tachupal Tole, the eye-catching Dattatreya Temple was originally built in 1427, supposedly using the timber from a single tree. The…

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