Nepal Exploration Tour focused around classic elements of a country in their totality is always a thrilling experience, always a learning experience. If carefully and meaningfully designed, and aided by an experienced guide, it becomes a great story. The guide may help in weaving all the historical, religious, and cultural sites into a story. In fact, those sites themselves conspire to create one. It becomes all the more compelling in a country like Nepal which is one of the oldest nations with glorious history, never colonized. Everything is pure and original. In this matter, Kathmandu gives you a perfect commencement for a cultural exploration tour.
Firstly, your Nepal Exploration Tour will visit the Swoyambhunath, one of the oldest stupas in the Kathmandu Valley, which is situated on the top of a hill. This holy place considerably expands to include various secondary shrines, monastery, garden, and cafeteria. It is a grand and gracious structure as a whole. Next, your visit to Patan, the second largest town in the valley, will be an extraordinary experience, for it is a wonderful town with aesthetic and artistic antiquated monuments. It has several ancient temples and stupas. Every piece is a work of art and craft. More than anything, the Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a pure marvel. The Square displays numerous temples and historical structures. Patan’s other attractions are Patan Museum, Uku Bahal, Sundari Chowk, and Krishna Temple. Further, upon your arrival in Bhaktapur, one of the three cities in the valley, you will find it as equally fantastic to Patan. In fact, it is more but unique. It is known as the City of Devotees and City of Culture. Moreover, it is a Living Heritage. The Bhaktapur Durbar Square, like the Patan Durbar Square, is praised for ancient historical, religious, and cultural monuments and structures. Besides, you would not want to miss the 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple, Taumadhi Square, and Changunarayan Temple.
Beyond the Valley Tour, you will visit Nagarkot, a popular hill station that allows magnificent views of different mountain peaks. Thereupon, you will be driven to Kathmandu where you will visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath. What’s more, later on, you will take a scenic drive to Bandipur, a historical trading town of medieval period via Gorkha. Then another leg of journey takes you to Pokhara, a tourist city also known as a tourism capital of Nepal where you visit Sedi Bagar and Astham which provide you the experience of local culture and traditional way of living. The tour will be fantastically concluded with a visit to the Chitwan National Park. You will do jungle safari and watch exotic wild animals.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu – Welcome dinner
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath / Child Haven / Patan & Patan Museum
Day 03: Visit Kirtipur / Bungamati / Khokana
Day 04: Drive Kathmandu to Bhaktapur via Panauti
Day 05: Drive Bhaktapur to Nagarkot: hike around the village
Day 06: Drive Nagarkot to Kathmandu via Changunarayan (hike from Telkot)
Day 07: Visit Pashupatinath / Bouddanath & Women Foundation Nepal
Day 08: Drive Kathmandu to Bandipur via Gorkha
Day 09: Drive Bandipur to Sedi Bagar via Pokhara
Day 10: Yoga then drive Sedi Bagar to Astham
Day 11: Drive Astham to Pokhara – Cooking class / cycling
Day 12: Visit Kahun danda / Devi's fall /Gupteswori Cave / World Peace stupa / Boating on Fewa Lake
Day 13: Drive Pokhara to Chitwan
Day 14: Chitwan Jungle Safari
Day 15: Drive Chitwan to Kathmandu
Day 16: Departure
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu - Welcome Dinner: You will be transferred to the Hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu with folk music and dances.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath, Child Haven, Patan and Patan museum: Start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa, Swoyambunath which is 10 minutes drive from Thamel followed by a visit of an organization called Child Haven then we drive to Patan to witness its incredible architecture from medieval period.
Swoyambunath is one of the oldest stupa of the Kathmandu Valley. It is situated on one of the highest hills in the valley. It watches over the Valley from the top of a hillock on its western side just three kilometers west of the city center. The stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. Swayambhu is also known as Samhengu and is recognized as a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the oldest and most glorious Buddhist shrines in the world which is said to be two thousand years. The four sides of the stupa are painted with the eyes of Lord Buddha.
Child Haven International is an organization assisting children and women in Nepal, who are in need of food, education, health care, shelter and clothing, emotional and moral support. It has a shelter for children and women to accommodate and a school to educate them. So, we visit their home / shelter and school and interact with the kids and women.
Patan- the second largest town in the valley is situated to the south of Kathmandu. Patan's great building boom took place under the Mallas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Numerous temples of widely diverse styles, as well as many Buddhist monasteries, are scattered around the fascinating town. Patan is famous for its crafts and metal works which are wonderful souvenirs. We visit Patan Museum as well.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 03: Visit Kirtipur, Bungamati and Khokana: Start our day driving for about an hour to an ancient fort city called Kirtipur. After exploring this fort city, we will drive to outskirt of Kathmandu valley to visit two traditional Newari villages called Bungamati and Khokana.
Kirtipur - Originally a Newari foundation, Kirtipur is still a centre of Newari culture. It has been merged with surrounding villages to form the municipality of Kirtipur. It consists of many temples monasteries. The town which dates from 1099 A.D. straddles two hills and a large pond in between. It is a natural fortress.
Bungamati - Situated beyond the southern belt of Ring Road, inside the valley, Bungamati is a small Newari village still abiding its tradition as their significant part of life. Very less influenced by the modern city, Bungamati exemplifies true beauty of the still living age old culture and civilization, your journey to Bungamati, starts with a vantage point where one can behold the entire village of Bungamati and Khokana. Walking down the lanes of Bungamati, you will pass through local Newari people busy working intricate designs in wood or stone on their way to creating many more beautiful artifacts keeping their talents running for the future generations to enjoy. Though, small in size, at least 100 people from the village earn their living through wood carving. The village was earlier, the origin of the precession of the chariot of Machindranath, one of the most important festivals of the Newari community.
Khokana - A traditional and tiny Newari village eight kilometers south of Kathmandu, (on the outskirts of Patan) which has its own history and has retained its tradition and culture It is a living museum and recalls medieval times. The farming community of Newars who live here are mostly dependent on agriculture and much of their daily activities take place outside of their dwellings.
There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. The village is famous for its unusual mustard oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. It is believed that a share system was used in the past here. This oil can be consumed if desired, but it can also be used for therapeutic massage. This was also the first village, indeed the first habitation, to be electrified, before Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 04: Drive Kathmandu to Bhaktapur via Panauti: Today we drive to the oldest parts of the Kathmandu valley. We drive for about 2 hours to visit a traditional Newari village called Panauti, just at the outskirt of the valley then we drive back to the highway and continue to visit an ancient city, Bhaktapur. We will spend the night at this ancient city which gives us more time to explore this fascinating city. This cultural city reminds you the true culture and living style of medieval period.
Panauti is one of the oldest towns in Nepal, consisting of many temples that are still present till this day dating back to the 15th Century or earlier. It has been debated that Panauti was founded by Ananda Malla (1274-1310BC), others believe that there is a golden scripture dated 1385, which is located within the Indreswor temple stating that King Harisingh Dev founded the town.
Bhaktapur- Located about 20 km east of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is known as the 'City of Devotees', the 'City of Culture', the 'Living Heritage', and 'Nepal's Cultural Gem'. It is one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley. We will visit four different squares in this city: Durbar Square (palace square), Tamaudi Square (public square), Pottery Square and Dattatrey Square.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 05: Drive Bhaktapur to Nagarkot: We will have an exciting drive for about an hour to Nagarkot through the winding road. It is a great place to escape from Kathmandu’s hustle bustle. We can explore the surrounding villages in the afternoon.
Nagarkot – One of the most popular hill station / viewpoints close to Kathmandu valley. Several different mountain peaks of different regions including Mt. Shisapangma of Tibet can be seen. We can explore the surrounding villages and observe some local lifestyles.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 06: Drive Nagarkot to Telkot and trek to Changunarayan then drive back to Kathmandu: We drive down to Telkot where we start our hike for Changunarayan. It is about 2 hour’s trek following recently built dirt track. We will visit Changunarayan temple then drive back to Kathmandu. We spend our night in a small guesthouse that runs by a Buddhist monastery nearby Boudhanath stupa. You can walk down to Boudhanath stupa in the evening to witness the Buddhist pilgrims' Cora; a ritual where hundreds of people walk around the stupa praying with their mala.
Changunarayan - is a fascinating place where you will see oldest Manu script found in Nepali history and some magnificent temples. The ancient temple of Changunarayan is located on a high hilltop that is also known as Changu or Dolagiri. The temple is surrounded by forest with champak tree and a small village, known as Changu Village. This hill is about 8 miles east of Kathmandu and a few miles north of Bhaktapur. The Manahara River flows beside the hill. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Visnu and held in especial reverence by the Hindu people. This temple is considered as the oldest temple in Nepal.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 07: Visit Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Women Foundation Nepal: We start our day visiting Pashupatinath; a Hindu temple situated at the bank of the Bagmati River followed by visit of Bouddhanath; one of the largest Buddhist stupas. In the late afternoon, we visit another organization called Women Foundation Nepal.
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations for all the Hindus of the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the trinity and the guardian (patron) deity of Nepal. This is one of the oldest temples, situated on the banks of the Holy Bagmati River. It is a double–roofed golden temple with four triple silver doorways. Pashupatinath covers an area of 281 hectares, which is one of the biggest temple complexes in Nepal.
Bouddhanath Stupa lies about 6 km east of downtown Kathmandu and it is the largest stupa in the Valley and one of the largest in the world. It presents one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design with hundreds of prayer wheels and 108 small images of Buddha all around. Just like Swoyambhunath, this stupa has four sides with the watchful eyes of Lord Buddha. All the Buddhists throng to this stupa to take part in the sacred rituals during the Buddhist festivals.
Women’s Foundation Nepal (WFN) is working towards violence–free society by helping women and children in Nepal who are victims of violence, abuse and poverty. WFN provides women and children with safe shelter home and covers all their needs including educational opportunities, skill training and ultimately a proper job.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 08: Drive Kathmandu to Bandipur via Gorkha: We will have scenic drive for about 7 hours including the detour of Gorkha. We will visit the town of Gorkha including historical Gorkha palace and Gorkha museum. Gorkha palace is being rebuilt as it was struck badly by the earthquake of 2015. Then we drive back to highway and continue our drive to Bandipur which is also situated on a scenic hill.
Gorkha is a scenic hill- town with great historical significance Situated on a small hillock at an attitude of about 1000 m; Gorkha offers panoramic view of snow-fed mountain. Gorkha is the birthplace of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, the founder of modern Nepal. Situated on a hill overlooking the snowy peaks of the Himalaya is a beautiful old palace known as Gorkha Durbar. There are two attractive Temples of Gorakhnath and Kali inside the palace precinct.
Bandipur is a picturesque town nestled in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, a land as famous for its natural beauty as for the hospitality of its people. Bandipur is situated midway between the capital Kathmandu and Pokhara, another popular tourist destination. Bandipur was once a prosperous trading center, and its charming buildings, with their neoclassical facades and shuttered windows, bespeaks its past glory. Originally a simple Magar village, it was settled in the early nineteenth century by Newars from Bhaktapur, who took advantage of its malaria-free location to develop it into an important stop on the India-Tibet trade route. Along with their trading skills, the Newars brought with them their rich cultural heritage and architecture, which still defines the look and feel of today's Bandipur.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 09: Drive Bandipur to Sedi Bagar via Pokhara: We drive back to Prithibi highway and continue to Sedi Bagar driving through Pokhara city followed by a short hike to Hidden Paradise; a family running guest house at the outskirt of Pokhara city.
Overnight: Family Guest House
Day 10: Yoga class then drive Sedi Bagar to Astham: We will have a short Yoga class early in the morning at the garden of Hidden Paradise. Then after our breakfast, we drive for about an hour to Milan chock followed by half an hour rough road drive on recently built dirt track to Annapurna Eco Lodge, Astham.
Annapurna Eco Village is family running farm house which offers traditional home stay and farming / gardening. We can participate in farming / gardening with the family members or explore the Astham village. It also offers great view of Annapurna mountain range.
Overnight: Family Farm House
Day 11: Drive Astham to Pokhara (820m) – Cooking class, cycling: We drive back to Pokhara and settle in at one of the hotels in Lakeside. We will have a Nepali cooking class in the late morning. We will cook Nepali food such as Momo (a type of dumpling stuffed with vegetables or meat) and Nepali set meal (Daal Bhat).
We can go for a bicycle ride around the lake in the afternoon (optional).
Overnight: Hotel
Day 12: Visit Kahun danda (1444 m), Devi's fall, Gupteshwori Cave, World Peace Stupa , Boating on Fewa Lake: Early morning drive to Kahun Danda also known as Kahu located on North-East of Pokhara valley, It’s about an hour drive on recently built winding road. The view from Kahun is majestic; with the magnificent view of the Pokhara city in the South-west and panoramic view of the Himalayas in North-east including the peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.
Then we drive back to our hotel, and after our breakfast, we continue our tour visiting Devi's fall, a water fall that goes into a narrow canal, Gupteswori Cave; a natural cave then we drive for about 20 minutes and hike to World peace stupa which offers you the great view of the Pokhara city and Fewa Lake then we hike down to Fewa Lake and cross over by a boat. We can go for a boating trip for about an hour in the afternoon.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 13: Drive Pokhara to Chitwan (415m)
Five hour scenic drive to Chitwan. Arrival at Wild Life Camp and a welcome drink
14:00: Lunch, then two hours free time.
16:00: Tour to the Tharu village and museum.
19:00: Dinner
Overnight: Hotel
Day 14: Chitwan Jungle Safari
07:00: Breakfast, then head out for our canoe rides on the Rapti River, followed by a short jungle walk.
12:00: Lunch
13:00: Jeep Safari for about 3 hour: an opportunity to see: four different kind of deer; rhinoceros; wild boars; monkeys; sloth bear etc. You may also encounter many other smaller mammals that have made Chitwan their home.
19:00: Dinner
20:00: Tharu culture program
Overnight: Hotel
Day 15: Drive Chitwan to Kathmandu (1334m)
7:00: Breakfast
7:30: Elephant breeding centre
9:00: Drive back to Kathmandu: a scenic drive for about 6 hours to Kathmandu by our private vehicle.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 16: Transfer to the airport for departure.
Weather Report
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
“JUST arrived back from Manaslu Trek, Nepal (this was our 5th trip to Nepal), And visit MERANGDING and ANGPANG villages […]
“I had such a great time while in Nepal. Chandra definitely made enjoyable environment for our such an extremely diverse […]
