Kathmandu
Durbar Square of Kathmandu where over 50 monuments date back to 12th century but the majority of them belongs to 17th and 18th, circa Malla era. The square was designated a World Heritage site in 1979.
Kumari Bahal, where the Royal Kumari of the Living Goddess resides is another site to see.
Adjacent to the Royal Palace is a palace that belonged to Malla dynasty that also accommodates Nassal Chowk which hosted dramas and dance performances. The 14th century Jagannath Mandir is the oldest temple in the area.
Nearby is the Taleju Mandir considered to be one of the largest and finest temples in the Valley and is dedicated to the patron deity of the royal family, Taleju Bhawani (a wrathful form of Goddess Durga who once demanded human sacrifices)
Freak Street of Basantapur Square and once famous among hippies in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
Swayambhunath also humorously known as ‘Monkey Temple' some 5 kilometers west of the city center is a golden-spired stupa atop a hillock. This stupa dates back to 5th century but believed to be much older.
Pashupatinath some 5 kilometers east of the city Kathmandu is Nepal's most sacred Hindu shrine.
Shiva is rather worshiped as Pashupati, lord of the beasts than as Bhairab, god of destruction, another incarnation of the Lord Shiva according to Hindu religion.
The actual origin of the temple is bit obscure but an inscription suggests it could date back from 477, but it is estimated that it may have stood there for more than 1,000 years.
Boudhanath (Boudha), 100 meters in diameter and among the largest in the world dates back from the 5th century and is said to contain the remains of the skeleton of Siddhartha Gautam, the Lord Buddha.
Bhaktapur
Another World Heritage Site in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur also retains its medieval aura that was formed around the 12th century. Truly a Newari city that also served as a trade center between Tibet and India, it was once the capital of the whole Kathmandu valley and saw its apogee of power and economy in between 14th and 16th century.
Bhaktapur is adorned with three large squares teeming with the finest architecture in Nepal. The Palace was built in the 15th century by King Yaksha Malla.
Tachapal Tole is the original town center of the city that dates back to the 8th century. The famous ‘Peacock Window' is another attraction.