KATHMANDU TOUR – Nepalese Art, Culture and History

After entering the border of Nepal, you will be able to witness the view of the magnificent Himalayas, green forests, and beautiful paddy fields. Before landing on the Tribhuvan International airport you can enjoy the aerial view of Kathmandu Valley which is quite breath-taking. At the airport, our representative will welcome you and provide you with a warm Nepali welcome and then will escort you to your hotel.

In the evening we will be providing you a welcome dinner in a local Nepali restaurant where you will be able to enjoy some authentic Nepali cuisine as well as some cultural show which displays the diversity of caste and creed present in Nepal.

Driving a couple of kilometers from the hotel we arrive at Swayambhunath- locals believe it to self emerged stupa however archeological findings suggest the monastery was built in the seventh century. The monastery on a hill 70m above Kathmandu overlooks the valley and is well-known as Monkey Temple. Witness the thriving culture of Tibetan Buddhism at Swayambhunath. Our second destination will be Patan Durbar Square, the richest courtyard culturally and historically amongst the other durbar squares of the valley offers picturesque artistic delights in every corner. Famous Krishna Temple, Ashoka Pillars and the manifestation of sex in an intriguing way throughout small and big monuments are worthwhile exploration at Patan Durbar Square. We drive back to Kathmandu Durbar Square at Kathmandu. Kathmandu Durbar Square, an ancient courtyard is an exemplary craftsmanship designed and executed by local artists of the medieval age. The stone-paved streets, pagoda-style monuments and the religious monuments inclusive of different Living Goddess Kumari and other deities are the cultural displays at the site. Travel to the past at Kathmandu Durbar Square. We will be finishing our sightseeing than by walk to the local market of Asaan which will be crowded with local customers and vendors selling local products giving you an idea about the lifestyle of local people.

After breakfast, our destination for today will be Kritipur, a historic town that still holds the traditional values so strongly. The city known as an anti-monarchy town for ages due to bitter history with Shah kings played an important role to overthrow monarchy in 2006. This historic town holds several temples and Buddhist monasteries. BaghBhairav Temple, Chilancho Stupa, Uma Maheshwar Temple and Shree Kriti Bihar are interesting sites to visit at Kirtipur. We will explore as many places as possible at Kirtipur After the sightseeing, we will be visiting the Khokana Bungmati, a small village in Kathmandu Valley famous for its religious value. Machindranath Temple, Hangriyava Bhairab, De Phukhu, etc are some major sites where a lot of Hindu Myths surrounds.

Our 1-hour drive to the east of Kathmandu will take us to Bhaktapur, our destination for the night.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, “City of Devotees” is a perfect place to experience the glorified ancient days of the kingdom of Bhaktapur. The entrance to the Durbar Square is through a golden gate, which is decorated by carvings dedicated to various Hindu Gods. Bhaktapur has myriad medieval monuments like the Nyatapola, which is a five-storied temple. After visiting Bhaktapur, we drive to Changunarayan. The temple dedicated to Lord Bishnu is also the major Hindu Temple of the Valley and the oldest in Nepal. After the day’s tour, we drive to Nagarkot, beautiful Hilltop 15 kilometers northeast of Bhaktapur. On the drive back to Kathmandu, we will be visiting the most popular Hindu Temple of Nepal, Pashupatinath. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the most sacred place in Nepal to cremate the departed ones. Explore the temple and understand Hinduism at Pashupatinath. Then a few minutes’ walks will bring you to Boudhnath, which the biggest Buddhist stupa in Nepal. A large domed shaped Buddhist stupa, Boudhanath holds huge religious significance among the Tibetan Buddhists of Nepal. A major shrine on ancient Indo-China trade route Boudhanath offered blessings to traders and scholars for a safe journey through the high Himalayan passes to Tibet. Saffron robed monks circumambulating Boudhanath, colorful prayer flags touching the skyline from the dome pinnacle to the base of the large monument and the and outlets selling Tibetan souvenirs make this place a true Tibet outside Tibet.

In the evening, a representative from Access Nepal will meet you in the hotel to accompany you on the farewell dinner. Share your stories, give us your feedback and most of all enjoy the night.

Three hours prior to the scheduled flight time, you will be escorted to Tribhuvan International Airport. Despite being a small country, Nepal has so much different experience to share among the travel lovers, so we hope to meet you again in your next adventure with different taste and different delight.