Namaste and welcome to Nepal - one of the most enchanting travel destinations in the world - a heady mixture of unique culture proudly preserved, mind boggling adventure and remarkable natural beauty.
Located between India and Tibet, Nepal offers a fantastic array of attractions for tourists. It is best known as the
home of the Mt. Everest but there is much more to the country than just one mountain. Nepal has a diverse ancient
cultural heritage. The name Nepal is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age, the era that founded Hinduism, the
country's predominant religion. Nepal was the world's last Hindu monarchy. Siddharta Gautama, the founder of
Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal. The main minorities are Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims, Kiratans,
and Christians. Established in the 18th century, the early modern Kingdom of Nepal was led by the Shah dynasty,
after Prithvi Narayan Shah unified many principalities in the region. Nepal is one of the few Asian countries which
was never colonized.
Arrival in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu is the largest city and the capital & heart of Nepal. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and the largest
metropolitan city, the other two sister cities are Patan or Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. The short form of Kathmandu is
KTM, in terms of area Kathmandu valley is only slightly smaller than Singapore. Kathmandu is surrounded by four
major mountains, namely: Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri, the city stands at an elevation of
approximately, 1,400 meters in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal. The total population of Kathmandu is
949,486 people. Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal but also the
headquarters of the Central Region among the five development regions constituted by the 14 administrative zones
of Nepal located at the central part of the country. The central region has three zones, Bagmati, Narayani, and
Janakpur. Kathmandu falls in the Bagmati Zone.
Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day is free.
Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
Early morning, possibility of Scenic Mountain flight. The popular one hour Everest experience flight is a sparkling clear journey across the world’s highest peaks, Mt. Everest - world’s highest peak (8,848m) and other ranges of Himalayas – Gauri Shankar (7,134m) Nuptse (7,855m), Lhotse (8,516m), Amadablam (6,812m), Chamlang (7,319m), Makalu (8,463m), Cho Oyu (8,201m) to name a few including the Roof of the World - Tibetan Plateau.
Later, sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square &
Swoyambhunath Stupa
Kathmandu Durbar Square is located in the heart of old city Kathmandu.
The founding of the Durbar (Royal Palace) dates back to Licchavi times.
Kathmandu Durbar Square ( "UNESCO World Heritage Site") also known
as Hanuman Dhoka square is one of the major attractions in Kathmandu
Valley. Most of the cultural centers of Nepal are concentrated around the
Kathmandu valley; among those cultural sites, the important one is the
Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square. The name Hanuman-dhoka Durbar
came from the statue of Hanuman established by the King Pratap Malla at
the entrance of the royal palace in 1672 A.D. storeyed residence built by
King Prithvi Narayan shah in 1770,is called Basantapur Durbar(palace).
The whole complex is also known as Kathmandu Durbar Square. Located
at the heart of ancient city in Kathmandu it is srounding both Hindu and Buddhist temple.
Atop a green hillock west of Kathmandu stands the great stupa of Swoyambhunath, a site over 2,500 years old
marking the point where the legendary patriarch Manjushri discovered the lotus of the ancient Valley lake.
Swoyambhunath offers a bird’s eye view of the Kathmandu city. Swayambhunath temple Kathmandu Nepal is
known as monkey Temple of Nepal. Swayambhunath is the most glorious Buddhist Stupa. Swayambhunath is the
best place to observe the religious harmony in Nepal and it is also known as monkey temple is the most ancient in
this part of the world and its worshippers are diverse from Newar nuns, Tibetan monks and Brahman priests to lay
Buddhist and Hindus. Located on a lovely little rock hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the most fascinating
architectural jewels of the world. Swayambhunath temple Kathmandu Nepal is a World Heritage Site.
Afternoon, sightseeing tour of Patan Durbar Square
Patan is also known as Lalitpur or the "city of fine arts" and is the oldest
city in the valley. Patan, the oldest of all the three cities of Kathmandu
valley. It is the best known for its artistic heritage. It is probably one of
the oldest Buddhist City in the world. The city is situated on a plateau
across Bagmati River. Another name of Patan, is Lalitpur. The city is
surrounded by 4Stupas as 4 corners of Patan, one at each corner of its
cardinal points. These stupas are said to have been built by the famous
Emperor Ashoka. This is one of the most elegant architectural treasures
of which Patan is very proud. About the beauty of Patan, a western lady
writer has to say this - "Patan means eternity itself and Patan Durbar
Square is the spectacular sight of Asia indeed". Really it is full of Hindu
temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings and many
visitors come here to see the these monuments.
Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
After breakfast, drive to Pokhara town.
Transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is free.
The Pokhara Valley, a land of spectacular beauty crowned by
the majestic Himalayas, conjures visions of calm but vibrant
green hills. Loaded with luxuriant vegetation and dotted with
shimmering lakes, the valley offers awesome vistas.
Magnificent image of Mount Machhapuchhare reflected in
the clear waters of the Lake Phewa leaves everyone
spellbound. One of the Nepal’s adventure hubs, it has
reputation of being the second home for the tourists
worldwide. Pokhara is situated at an altitude of 730 meters to 1030 meters. Its rich topographical
conditions are responsible for the profusion of flora and fauna. The geographical location has made
Pokhara one of the biggest valleys in Nepal. The valley is encircled by lush green hills ranging in height
from 1077 meters in the South East of 2738 meters in the North East. Snow clad mountains add a
special radiance to the valley. They also form snow-fed rivers that run through the heart of the valley.
Over Night Stay At The Hotel.
After Breakfast Sightseeing of Pokhara Starts
Hiking tour to World Peace Stupa.
World Peace Pagoda, a massive Buddhist stupa is situated on the top of a hill
on the southern shore of Phewa Lake. Shanti Stupa in Pokhara was built by
Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the
guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji. Shanti is a
Sanskrit word meaning peace, also widely used in Nepali and Hindi language, and Shanti Stupa means
Peace Pagoda. Shanti Stupa is the shrine build as symbol of peace.
Hike down, and return to the hotel after one hour boatride on Phewa lake. Phewa Lake is the largest lake in Pokhara valley, measuring 1.5 by 4km. lake is best situated for boating and Bird watching and especially photographing the scenic mountains. Boat trip in the lovely Phewa Lake is the foremost attraction of Pokhara. Paddling out into the middle of the lake is a nice way to spend a quite afternoon. Phewa lake is the largest lake in Pokhara valley and the second largest lake in Nepal. Encircled by Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills, the lake holds a pagoda-style temple. Another attraction is the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range on the crystal clear water of the lake. While boating in Phewa Lake, you can see several varitiies of fish.
Afternoon, visit Pokhara including Devi’s fall, the old Bazaar and Bindyabasini Temple.
Locally known as Patale Chhahgo, Davi’s fall is an awesome
waterfall lying about 2km south-west of the center on the highway
to Tansen. Located close to Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave on the other
side of the World Peace Stupa Davis Falls is a small waterfall that
runs though the aforementioned cave. The waterfall has a length of
500 meters and depth of 100 feet. Though the waterfall flows all
year round it is best viewed from June to September. An interesting
note about the waterfall is that it runs down some rocks before
disappearing into an underground tunnel leading to Gupteshwor
Mahadev Cave. The waterfalls modern name is constantly debated.
It's official name is Patale Chhango.
Overnight at the hotel in Pokhara.
After breakfast, drive to Bandipur.
Transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is free.
Bandipur bazaar is situated on a ridge above the highway town of
Dumre, and presents sightseers with a heady mix of history,
architecture, incredible views, awesome caves and unspoiled
landscapes. Located at an altitude of 1,030 m, Bandipur has been
described as a natural view tower, providing a spectacular panorama of
the entire Annapurna Range plus the peaks of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Langtang to the Marsyangdi
valley which is below 500 m. Apart from the stunning views of the Himalaya and the Marsyangdi Valley, a
visit to the town is an opportunity to get a close look at Newar cultural life that reflects the refined
civilization of the Kathmandu Valley.Bandipur is also a great place for adventure sports like paragliding,
caving, rock climbing, rafting and hiking.
Over Night Stay At Hotel at Bandipur.
After Breakfast, hiking at Bandipur Bazar and Sightseeing Bandipur.
History
Bandipur was once a prosperous trading centre, as its charming building with their neoclassical facades and shuttered windows, will attest. Originally a simple Magar village, Newars from Bhaktapur settled here in the early nineteenth century, taking advantage of its malaria-free location to develop it into an important stop on the India-Tibet trade route.
Climate
Temperatures in the summer (March-July) hover between maximum
of 32-33 degree Celsius and a minimum of 12-13 degree Celsius. In
the winter (October-February), the temperature fluctuates between 18-21 and 2-3 degree Celsius. The
clear sky over Bandipour at the time of the year provides magnificent views of the mountains. Heavy
downpours mark the rainy season from June to August.
Dinner and Overnight Stay at Hotel.
After breakfast, Drive to Chitwan National Park
Full day jungle activities such as jungle/nature walks, dugout
canoe ride and visit to tribal villages.
Our experienced naturalists will accompany you to the more
specialized habitats of wild animals. This is the ideal
opportunity to explore and experience at closer quarters the
beauty of the flora and fauna. There are number of watch towers
on the route in which you may climb to get a better view of the
surroundings.
During the canoe trip on the Rapti River, you will be able to view an array of nature’s beautiful riverside
scenery including different types of birds, two types of crocodile – Gharial and Mugger basking on the
river bank, and other aquatic creatures.
Evening slideshow presentation on Nepalese wildlife or a Tharu tribal dance programme.
Dinner and overnight at the resort in Chitwan.
Morning, drive back to Kathmandu retracing the Prithivi highway back.
Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.