Ancient Kathmandu Valley

Welcome to the Himalaya Country of Nepal, Upon arrival at Kathmandu Airport, meet our representative and transfer to Hotel by private car. Complete the check-in formalities and spend the rest of the day at leisure, relaxing at the hotel or exploring the nearby surroundings.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: None

Kathmandu Durbar Square: The buildings of the Kathmandu Durbar Square mostly date to the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, but the white, European style Gaddi Durbar Palace was built in 1908. Unfortunately, the Kathmandu Durbar Square was extensively damaged during the earthquake of 2015. The ancient Kasthamandap temple--from which Kathmandu derives its name--completely collapsed. However, it is still worth visiting as a number of important buildings remain, and the overall atmosphere--with old men sitting chatting in the shadows, and children chasing pigeons--is as ironically Kathmandu as it always was.

Swayambhunath: One of the oldest Buddhist monuments of the valley, Swayambhu ,also called a Monkey Temple, is UNESCO World Heritage site and an iconography for both Buddhist and Hindu. The gleaming white dome soaring atop a hill is capped by a gilded spire painted with the eyes of lord Buddha overlooking the Kathmandu valley in all the directions. Devotees are seen making a ritual circumnavigating of the base of the hill, spinning the prayer wheels.

Patan Durbar Square: Patan Durbar Square is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Paved with red bricks and oddles of bahals (courtyards) and temples mustered around, Patan Durbar Square showcases astonishing ancient architecture and centuries old palace of Malla kings. The square boasts three main courtyards. MulChok- the central courtyard is the largest of three chowks. Vidya temple and Taleju temple stand around this courtyard. The other two are SundariChok and Keshav Narayan Chok. Krishna Mandir is the major attraction of the square. It is a Hindu temple built in the Shikhara style, entirely of stones, structured like a mountain peak. This architecture was built in 1637 by King Siddhi Narasimha Malla. The first floor pillar carvings notably narrate the events of the Mahabharat, while on the second floor there are visual carvings from Ramayan.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

Pashupatinath: Pashupatinath is Nepal’s holiest Hindu site. It is a collection of Shiva temples on the banks of the Bagmati River, and bathing and cremation ghats (steps). Many Nepali and Indian pilgrims come here, especially during Shivaratri, a festival in March that honors the Hindu Lord Shiva (and the only two days of the year in which marijuana is legal in Nepal!) The site has been holy since around the third century BCE, but the large golden-roofed pagoda dates from the seventeenth century. Only Hindus can go inside the temples themselves. Boudhanath: Boudhanath dates from the fifth century, and is one of the largest stupas in the world. It is the most important Tibetan Buddhist siteoutside of Tibet. Boudha was on the main Tibet-Kathmandu trade route for many centuries. In the 1950s, many Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu settled in Boudha. Nowadays, the town around the stupa is a thriving centre of Tibetan life.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square: The third major Durbar Square of the Kathmandu Valley is in Bhaktapur, east of central Kathmandu. Visitors often say that it feels more like a museum than a lived-in space or centre of commerce, like Patan’s or Kathmandu’s Durbar Squares. But it is the place to come for an introduction to fine Newari crafts. The wood, stone and metal carvings around the temples and the traditional clay pots drying in the courtyards in the sun are beautiful attractions of Bhaktapur.

• Sightseeing Tour: By local English speaking guide
• Transfer: By private a/c vehicle
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

After breakfast, transfer to the international airport to connect onward flight

• Transfer: By private a/c vehicle
• Meals: Breakfast at the hotel