NEPAL- IN THE SHADOW OF HIMALAYAS
- Day 01 : Arrival Kathmandu
- Day 02 : Kathmandu
- Day 03 : Kathmandu-Nagarkot
- Day 04 : Nagarkot-Kathmandu
- Day : 05 Kathmandu-Chitwan
- Day 06 : Chitwan
- Day 07 : Chitwan-Pokhara
- Day 08 : Pokhara
- Day 09 : Pokhara-Kathmandu
- Day 10 : Kathmandu-Abroad
Tour Highlights:
Tour Schedule - NEPAL- IN THE SHADOW OF HIMALAYAS
DAY 01: ARRIVAL KATHMANDU
- Arrival at the International Airport in Kathmandu , meeting and assistance by representative, transfer to hotel.
DAY 02: KATHMANDU
- After breakfast proceed for a full day sight seeing tour Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa.
- SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA: The Buddhist stupa of Swayambhunath is situated on the top of a hill west of the city. Swayambhunath literally means self originated god. This 2000 years old Stupa, is one of the most sacred Buddhist religious sites in Nepal. The huge symbolic representation of Buddhahood signifies five elements through which the living being are made up of – Air, Water, fire, Earth & Ether. The thirteen steps going up spirally are the steps of wisdom,rossing each spires successfully leads an individual towards the ultimate goal i.e. to attain enlightenment to liberate human kind from sufferings.
- PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE: Not only is Pashupatinath the most important Hindu temple in Nepal it’s one of the most important Shiva temple on the subcontinent and draws numerous devotees from all over India each year.
- The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva who is the destroyer and creator of the Hindu pantheon and appears in many forms. His terrible forms are probably best known, particularly his appearance in Nepal as the cruel and destructive Bhairabi, but he also has peaceful incarnations including those of Mahadev and Pashupatinath, the lord of the beasts.
- As the temple is located on the bank of the Bagmati River, which is considered to be the holy River, therefore Hindu people prefer to be cremated here- as such visiting this temple would enable our visitors to know the religious formalities that are being carried out before and after the cremation.
- BOUDHANATH: On the eastern side of Kathmandu, just north of the Airport stands a huge Stupa of Boudhanath, the largest Stupa in Nepal and one of the biggest in the world. It is a popular religious hub of considerable population of Tibetans many of these Tibetans are refugees who fled their country following the unsuccessful uprising against the Chinese invaders in 1959.They have been energetic and successful in the intervening years, as the large houses in and around Bodhnath Testify. This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan culture is both accessible and unhindered.
- Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 03: KATHMANDU-NAGARKOT
- After breakfast proceed for a full day sight seeing tour of Bungamati, Patan and drive to Nagarkot for overnight stay at hotel.
- BUNGAMATI VILLAGE: Is a classic Newari Village dating from the 16th century. It is perched on a spur of land overlooking the Bagmati River and it’s shaded by large trees and stands of bamboo. Fortunately, the village’s streets are too small hazardous for car.
- PATAN CITY: One of the three cities in Kathmandu Valley is separated from Kathmandu only by the Bagmati River and is the second largest town in the valley. It is sometimes referred to as Lalitpur,the city of beauty.
- PATAN DURBAR SQUARE: As in Kathmandu Patan also have the Royal Palace facing the Durbar Square but Patan’s Durbar Square is a concentrated mass of temples, undoubtedly the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen in Nepal. This square rose to its full glory during the Malla Period.
- BHIMSEN TEMPLE: Bhimsen Temple is dedicated to the god of trade and business, which possibly explains it’s well kept and prosperous look.
- VISHWANATH TEMPLE: The elaborately decorated two storey temple was built in 1627 and two large stone elephant guarding the front entrance. Shiva’s vehicle, the bull, is on the other side of the temple while inside is a large lingam which is denoted as Power or wisdom.
- KRISHNA TEMPLE: An attractive octagonal stone Krishna Temple, also known as the Chyasin Deval. The temple was built by king Vishnu Malla in 1723.
- GOLDEN TEMPLE: Also known as the Hiranya Varna Mahabihar. This unique Buddhist monastery is only a few minutes walk north of Durbar Square. Legends relate the monastery was founded in 12th century. The rectangular building has three roofs and a copper gilded facade. Inside the shrine are the images of the Buddha and Avalokitesvara and a stairway leads to the 1st floor where monks will show you the various Buddha images.
- MAHABOUDHA TEMPLE: Despite its height, the Temple of the Thousand Buddhas, or Mahaboudha Temple, is not immediately visible as it is tightly surrounded by other buildings. This shikhara – style temple is modeled after the original Temple at Bodhgaya in India. The temple takes its name from the terracotta tiles with which it is covered, each bearing an image of the Buddha.
- RUDRA VARNA MAHABIHAR: This Buddhist monastery near the Mahaboudha Temple is one of the best known in Patan. A large rectangular structure with two storey gilded roofs encloses a courtyard packed with interesting bits and pieces. There are dorjis, bells, banners, peacocks, elephants etc.
- NAGARKOT: Nagarkot was originally developed as an army post & tourist facilities came later with government encouragement. Discovering the hidden treasure that Nagarkot beholds for the nature lover, was not abstain by the tourism entrepreneurs to develop it as one of the most fascinating spots for having the breathtaking panoramic view of the majestic Himalayan ranges.
- Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 04: NAGARKOT-KATHMANDU
- After breakfast a beautiful moderate hike will lead our clients to Changunarayan Temple: The beautiful and historic Temple of Changu Narayan stands on a hill top at the eastern end of hill.
- Although the temple dates from 1702, when it was rebuilt after a fire, its origin go right back to 4th century and there are many images and stone sculptures dating from the Lichhavi Period. The roofed temple is dedicated to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan and is exceptionally beautiful with quite amazingly intricate roof struts depicting multi armed goddess. The temple is fronted by a figure of Garuda – human headed bird. Pick up from Changu Narayan and drive back to Kathmandu on the way half day sight seeing tour of Bhaktapur city.
- BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SQUARE: Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is much larger and more spacious than Kathmandu’s and much less crowded with temples than Patan’s. Victorian illustrations show the square packed with temples and buildings, but the disastrous earthquake of 1934 destroyed many of them and today empty plinths show where some of them once stood and have not bee rebuilt.
- VATSALA DURGA TEMPLE: This temple was built by King Jagat Prakash Malla in 1672. The Shikhara style temple has some similarities to the Krishna Mandir in Patan.
- ROYAL PALACE: The Palace of Bhaktapur was founded by Yaksha Malla and added to by successive kings, particularly Bhupatindra Malla. When it was first built, it had 99 courtyards out of which only seven remains this resulted due to the devastating earthquake in 1934. The Royal Palace of Bhaktapur is called Pachpan Jhyale Durbar (Palace of fifty five windows) this palace was constructed during the reign of the builder king Bhupatindra Malla, whose namasteing figure kneels on a stone pillar opposite.
- GOLDEN GATE: The magnificent Golden Gate is the entrance way to the 55 Window Palace. The Gate is generally agreed to be the single most important piece of art in the whole valley.
- NYATAPOLA TEMPLE: The five storeys, 30 meter height Nyatapola Temple is not only the highest temple in whole Kathmandu Valley, but also one of the best example of traditional Nepalese temple architecture. The temple was built during the reign of King Bhupatindra Malla in 1702.
- DATTATRAYA TEMPLE: Dattatraya temple is Bhaktapur’s oldest structure. The Temple was raised during the reign of Yaksha Malla the last kind to rule the valley from Bhaktapur.
- PUJARI MATH: One of a dozen priests’ quarters similar to Buddhist monastery, these math typically sheltered communities of Hindu devotees loyal to a single leader or sect and like Bahal.
- Overnight in hotel.
DAY 05: KATHMANDU-CHITWAN
- After breakfast Transfer to Airport to board your flight to Chitwan
- Arrive and transfer to Chitwan National Park.
- Here our clients will spend two overnights participating Jungle activities.
- On the day of arrival half day Jungle safari like Elephant Ride.
- Dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 06: CHITWAN
- Entire day will be at Resort participating jungle activities.
- All meals at the Resort at the Resort.
- Chitwan National Park: Chitwan is not only the name of the Park but also of the surrounding dun valley & administrative district. Literally Chitwan means “heart of the Jungle” as its name the pristine forest still serving faithfully to be the only home for Flora & Fauna that exists in the Park.
- In the early part of the century, the Chitwan was a center for the hunting exploits due to which in the intervening period the number of animals that existed started to decline, keeping this changing scenario and to maintain the ecosystem the Park was declared as a National Sanctuary in 1973, since then the animal population rebounded.
- Now park has around five hundred Rhinoceros, 100 Tigers which is a good number for a territorial animal like Tiger, quite apart from 50 other species of mammals and over 450 species of Birds.
- Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 07: CHITWAN-POKHARA
- After breakfast drive to Pokhara, Afternoon half day sightseeing tour of Pokhara city.
- Overnight at hotel.
DAY 08: POKHARA
- After breakfast drive to Sarangkot for sun rise viewing as well as to have the breathtaking view of Annapurna ranges.
- Drive back to Pokhara Breakfast at the hotel.
- Overnight at hotel.
- PLACES TO VISIT IN POKHARA
- PHEWA LAKE: Phewa Tal or Phewa Lake is the tourist center of Pokhara and the second largest Lake in Nepal. Only Rara Lake in the far west of the country is larger. If, legends is to be believed as per the local legends the origin of Phewa Lake capsules a very interesting story of beggar, who was scorned by the inhabitants except for a sympathetic woman, the beggar warned her of an Impending flood: as the woman and her family fled to higher ground, a torrent roared down from the mountains and submerged the town – the “beggar” having been none other than the goddess Barahi Bhagwati. In the intervening period the woman’s descendants settled beside the new lake and erected a temple dedicated to Barahi Bhagwati, which is located on the other side of the Lake.
- BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE: Pokhara’s main cultural attraction, a quiet temple complex more noteworthy for its sweeping mountain views than its collection of shrines. The featured deity, Bindhyabasini, is an incarnation of Kali the mother goddess in her blood thirsty aspect, who is represented by Saligram an auspicious stone as per the Hindu Mythology. Animal sacrifices are common at this Temple, particular on Saturday and on the ninth day of the biggest festival “Dashain” of Nepal.
- David’s Fall : Also known as Phadke, Devin’s or David’s Falls, this waterfall is about 2 km South – west of the Pokhara Airport on the main Siddhartha Highway and just before the Tashiling Tibetan Village. The Phardi Khola is the out flow from Phewa Tal and at Devi Falls it suddenly drops down into a hole in the ground and disappears. One of its alternate names comes from a tale that a tourist named David disappeared down the hole as well, taking his girlfriend with him.
- TIBETAN SETTLEMENTS: There are a number of Tibetans settlements around Pokhara and you see many Tibetans around the lake selling their crafts and artifacts. Among many Tibetan settlements that you visit is the Tashiling Tibetan Village where they weave Tibetan carpets
- Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 09: POKHARA-KATHMANDU
- After breakfast Fly back to Kathmandu,
- Rest of the day at leisure
- Overnight at hotel.
Day 10: KATHMANDU-ABROAD
- After Breakfast Departure transfer in time to board the International flight.
*Note: All flight details and timings are subject to change.
