Tallo Durbar — the Lower Palace — stands at the base of the hill below the main Gorkha Durbar complex, once serving as a secondary royal residence and administrative building. The structure is far less visited than the fortress above, which means you often have it almost to yourself. The architecture blends traditional Newari-influenced wooden craftsmanship with hill-fort practicalities: thick stone walls, carved wooden screens, and a shaded courtyard that feels pleasantly cool on hot afternoons.
The palace suffered significant damage in the 2015 earthquake and restoration work is ongoing. It provides an interesting contrast to the more formidable complex on the hilltop — more intimate, more domestic, and giving a clearer sense of daily royal life before Prithvi Narayan Shah moved his court to Kathmandu.