Nepal Temples and Pagodas Tour

- 5 Days

Upon your arrival in the Kathmandu airport (TIA) you will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier. After completing your custom formalities (Visa, etc) pick up your luggage and look for our representative with a Himalayan Glacier display board at the arrival gate. You will be then transferred to Hotel Yatri Suites & Spa  or a similar category hotel. After check in, you can take a rest or visit our office. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier at The Ship Restaurant Bar & Lounge. For dinner, you will be served excellent authentic Nepalese cuisine which will introduce you to the Nepalese food culture.

Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to four of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu valley: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhu, and Boudhnath.
Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the medieval Kings who ruled over the then Kathmandu Kingdom. Swayambhu meaning the “the self-existent” is one of the oldest Buddhist Stupas in the world. The stupa is also famous for being on the hilltop and is popular among the foreigners as the Monkey Temple owing to the large number of monkey population residing in the area. The Pashupatinath along with the Aryaghat or Funeral Site near the Bagmati River is one of the world’s most sacred places of worship for the Hindus. The Buddhists shrine of Bouddha Nath is one of the largest stupas in the world, and one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist destinations in Kathmandu.

We start our tour of some cultural and natural spots today after taking our breakfast. Patan, also nicknamed as “The City of Fine Arts” is full of ancient places, temples and shrines, noted for their exquisite carvings. Khokana village dates back from the medieval age, and the village has been nominated to be listed as a World Heritage Site, with its mustard-oil seed industrial heritage. Bungmati is another medieval sleepy little village with a beautiful temple in the village square and medieval houses hanging onions and red chilies from their windows. Then we head toward Nagarkot lying 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2,175m (7,136ft) above sea level. We stay overnight at Nagarkot to enjoy the magnificent sunrise and sunset views over the major peaks of eastern Nepal Himalayas including Mt  Everest. Overnight Nagarkot.

After enjoying the golden sunrise views over the Himalayas from Nagarkot and taking our breakfast, we head toward Changu Narayan, the oldest pagoda temple in the Kathmandu valley, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   The route to Changu Narayan passes through small villages and farmlands with farmers working in their fields. Similarly, the medieval town of Bhaktapur, or the Town of the Devotees, preserves medieval arts, architecture, culture, and lifestyle to this date. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the best preserved one of the Valley’s three Durbar Squares. The Durbar Square was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Monument Listed in 1979.  One is sure to feel like travelling back into the past while walking along the Bhaktapur thoroughfares, squares and streets. Overnight at Kathmandu.

Note: If you want to do a short hike (3-4 hours) from Nagarkot to Changu Narayan, it is also possible to organize on this day along with sightseeing in Bhaktapur thereafter.

The 5-day Nepal Temples & Pagodas Tour comes to an end today. There is nothing to do but trade emails with travel companions and organize the photos. If you have more time you can do some shopping or walking around in the streets of your hotel. A representative from Himalayan Glacier will take you to the airport approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight. We hope you enjoyed the tour with us, and we are sure you ‘ll be back making another trip somewhere in the Himalaya again.