Kathmandu Valley Vishnu circuit
Char Narayan
The four traditional Narayan (Vishnu) shrines of the Kathmandu Valley: Changu Narayan, Ichangu Narayan, Bisankhu Narayan, and Shesh Narayan.
04
Circuit shrines
04
Published pages
Keep the count precise
Budhanilkantha is a major reclining-Vishnu shrine north of Kathmandu, but it is surfaced separately because it is not one of the four Char Narayan temples.
The four shrines
A valley-wide Vishnu circuit
Visit order depends on your starting point and road conditions. Use the individual site pages for current access, etiquette, and location details.
01Changu Narayan Temple
The oldest temple in the Kathmandu Valley, home to Nepal's earliest dated inscription — and traditionally remembered as spared by the 1349 invasion.
02Ichangu Narayan Temple
One of the four sacred Narayan (Vishnu) temples of the Kathmandu Valley, set on a peaceful hillock west of Swayambhunath with ancient Licchavi-era stone carvings and far fewer visitors than its famous siblings.
03Bisankhu Narayan Temple
One of the four sacred Narayan (Vishnu) temples of the Kathmandu Valley — the Char Narayan — set on a rocky hillside above Godawari in southern Lalitpur, where the deity is worshipped as a natural rock and pilgrims squeeze through a narrow rock fissure said to test their sins.
04Shesh Narayan Temple
One of the four sacred Narayan (Vishnu) temples of the Kathmandu Valley, built into a limestone cliff face in Pharping with natural spring water and exquisite Licchavi-era stone carvings.
Map
Four points across the Valley
Markers follow the same numbered order as the shrine list. This is a geography view, not a road-routing guarantee.
Companion shrine
Major Vishnu worship at Budhanilkantha
Budhanilkantha is included as a major Narayan (Vishnu) shrine, but it is not one of the four Char Narayan temples.
Budhanilkantha Temple
Home to the largest stone carving in Nepal — a magnificent 5-meter reclining Vishnu sculpture from the 7th century, lying in a recessed water tank.