Tour Grade: Moderate
Duration: 15 Days ex Kathmandu
Tour style: Small group or private departures escorted by an experienced Nepali guide. This is primarily a cultural tour staying in good hotels with private facilities.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Flying into Kathmandu is an unforgettable experience with the Himalaya spread out before you. You will be met at the airport on arrival and transferred to your hotel.
Days 2-3: A sightseeing program that includes the major historic, cultural and religious sights of the three Newari cities of the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Each city is centered around its Durbar Square where museums, temples, courtyards and squares reveal the best of traditional art, crafts and architecture. Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is a constant, teeming mass of life.
With over 50 monuments, some dating back to the 12th century, the most famous are the remains of the old Royal Palace and the Kumari Bahal, residence of the living goddess. Patan’s museum is particularly impressive whilst in Bhaktapur the essence of the medieval town can still be felt as the city preserves its own unique identity. The ancient and enigmatic Swayambhunath Stupa is the most sacred of the Valley’s Buddhist shrines whilst Pashupatinath is the largest temple complex in Nepal and one of the most sacred places dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in the whole subcontinent.
The stupa of Boudhanath attracts pilgrims, particularly Tibetans, from throughout the Buddhist Himalaya. Bhaktapur, founded in 889, was once capital of the whole Valley. As well as an impressive Durbar Square and numerous temples, Bhaktapur is famous for its pottery – whole streets are filled with pieces of all shapes and sizes set in the sun to dry.
Day 4: Namobuddha is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Valley, particularly significant to Tibetan Buddhists. It is associated with one of the Jataka Tales, which recount the previous lives of the Buddha. Colorful prayer flags and pilgrims surround the white stupa and a carved stone slab recounts the tale. The 2-hour walk through fields, plantations and small villages is extremely pleasant and offers an excellent glimpse of rural life. There is also time to visit the lovely nearby Newari village of Panauti.
Day 5: Get up early for a Himalayan sunrise, before the drive to Pokhara - a place of remarkable natural beauty. The enchanting city has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panoramic views of Himalayan peaks - creating the ambience that has made it such a popular place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Pokhara lies on a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet. To this day, mule trains can be seen camped on the outskirts of the town, bringing goods to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya.
Day 6: The early morning flight to Jomson is followed by a short trek (approx 2 hours) along the Kali Gandaki which reveals the life of the Thakhali who make this area their home. From Kagbeni peek north towards the long-forbidden Kingdom of Mustang. Accommodation here is in a typical tea-house lodge.
Days 7-8: Intersperse relaxing at the Jomson Mountain Resort with excursions into the surrounding villages. Here houses are flat-roofed in the Tibetan style and it is not uncommon to fine ammonite fossils along the river.
Day 9: Fly back to Pokhara with time to continue exploring the city or relax by the lakes.
Days 10-11: Royal Chitwan National Park is home to the royal Bengal tiger, one-horned rhino, sloth bear, langur monkeys, wild boar, numerous species of deer, leopard and other jungle cats. Elephant back is a fantastic way to explore the jungle and offers the possibility of close-up views of rhinos in their natural habitat as well as many of the park's other inhabitants.
With over 400 species as either permanent residents or migratory visitors Chitwan's bird life is generally viewed on foot as you walk through jungle and open grasslands. Boat along the Narayani River on the park's western boundary - it shelters a quarter of the world's remaining gharial population. This fish eating crocodile has long been hunted for the supposed aphrodisiac qualities of its snout.
Days 12-13: Situated in the Terai of southern Nepal, Lumbini is the place where Siddhartha Gautam, Buddha of this era, was born in 623 BC. This sacred place is marked by a stone pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka of India in 249 BC, is listed as a World Heritage Site and is being developed as a place of pilgrimage and symbol of world peace. Many countries have built shrines and monasteries here reflecting the architectural traditions of their respective cultures.
Day 14: Return to Kathmandu.
Day 15: Departure.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Trek cost: USD 599 p/p excluding flights
Flight Costs: Pokhara-Jomson return USD 138.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Nepal
Cultural Journey
Hiking & Trekking
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