Nepal Tour: 7 Nights 8 Days

Meet and assist by our representative at the airport and transfer to hotel. Then visit Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar square, Pashupatinath Temple and Kumari House, Boudhanath stupa. 
Swayambhunath Stupa is a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site. Legend has it that when Kathmandu Valley was a lake 2000 years ago, a single lotus flower grew at the center of the lake. When Saint Manjushree, the Bodhisatva drained the lake with a single slash of his sword, the lotus settled on top of a hill and magically turned into a stupa. Hence, Swayambhunath is also known as a Self-Created stupa.
This ancient stupa is the most sacred Buddhist shrines of Nepal. The area surrounding the stupa is filled with smaller chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects. There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams and a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics.
Kathmandu, the largest city of Nepal is the political as well as the cultural capital of the country. Like any big city, Kathmandu has rapidly expanded over the last decade but despite the hustle and bustle of the city, its people have remained as friendly as ever.

Vegetable & spice markets: We visit the vegetable & spice market in Ason, and see its many courtyards and bustling bazaars.

Durbar Square: ‘Durbar’ means ‘palace’, and takes its name from the old Royal Palace. This is the center of the old city, and there are a number of interesting temples including Kasthamandap, the House of Wood, which gives the city its name. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Temple of the Living Goddess: Kathmandu is blessed by a living goddess. The Kumari Devi is the most important of several living goddesses in Nepal.. She is seen on the temple’s balcony regularly. A mere sight of her is considered very auspicious by throngs of devotees that seek her blessings.
The magnificent Pashupatinath temple with its astonishing architectural beauty is situated on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River.Dedicated to the Hindu God of Destruction, Lord Shiva, this temple is regarded as the most scared of all Lord Shiva temples. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple comprises of a richly ornamented pagoda that houses the sacred linga or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva.
Every year thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple. Non-Hindu visitors are strictly prohibited to enter the temple however; they are permitted to view the temple from the east banks of the River Bagmati.
Pashupatinath is also Nepal's most renowned Hindu cremation site. In the Hindu Culture, after a person is dead, his/her body is wrapped in cloth, placed on bamboo litters and brought to the cremation site where the eldest son in the family burns the body. The ashes from the dead body are collected and swept into the River Bagmati that eventually joins the Holy Ganges. AryaGhat, is of special importance because it is here the members of the royal family were cremated. The main cremation site is BhasmeshvarGhat, which is the most-used cremation site in the Kathmandu Valley.
Boudhanath Stupais one of the most imposing landmarks of Kathmandu and is a center of Tibetan Buddhism. The stupa is built on a massive three level mandala style platform and is 36 meters (118 feet) in height. The base of the stupa is adorned with 108 small images of the DhyaniAmitabha Buddha and inset with prayer wheels. Thousands of pilgrims circle the stupa in a clockwise direction each day spinning the prayer wheels. It is said that each spin of a prayer wheel is the equivalent of reciting the mantra. The stupa’s massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. The ancient stupa is one of the largest in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet that enters the Kathmandu Valley by the village of Sankhu in the northeast corner. Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Boudhanath. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of a Buddhist sage, perhaps parts of the Buddha’s body (bones, teeth), or sacred texts and other ceremonial objects.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Chitwan which takes around 25 min. Check in at hotel and we will do all the jungle activities as per the package of the hotel.
Chitwan literally means “Heart of the jungle”. The Chitwan National Park is located in the lush valley of the Chitwan District, 75 miles south west of Kathmandu, in the foothills of the Churia Ranges. Formerly known as The Royal Chitwan National Park, Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 and is the first national park in Nepal. It was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Natural) in 1984.
The Chitwan National Park is rich in flora and fauna with different species of birds, mammals, butterflies etc. and is an ideal place for nature lovers. The park is renowned for its variety of wildlife like various types of deer, monkeys, leopards, bear, crocodiles and particularly the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros and the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. Exploring the park is made easy through several jungle activities like elephant back rides, jungle walks, jeep safari, canoeing, bird watching etc. which provides great opportunity to get closer to the diverse ecosystem of the forests of Nepal. 

After breakfast drive to Lumbini which takes around 4 hours. Visit Monasteries of Lumbini.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, in the Terai plains of Nepal is one of the greatest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. Prince Siddhartha Gautama who later became Buddha, the ‘Enlightened One’ was born in the Sacred Garden of Lumbini in 623 BC. More than 400,000 devout Buddhists and non-Buddhists visit Lumbini every year, some to admire multitude of architecturally beautiful temples, stupas and monasteries built by various international Buddhist communities and some arrive to pay homage at the Sacred Garden. Lumbini is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture) and holds immense archeological and religious importance.
There are 62 archaeological sites scattered around Lumbini, all bearing significance to the life and enlightenment of the Buddha. A famous landmark is the Ashoka Pillar raised by the great Emperor who converted to Buddhism. To the north of the Sacred Garden are monastic zones where different countries have built temples and monasteries depicting different sects of Buddhism. The Myanmar Temple (Lokamani Cula Pagoda) is a shiny gold and white structure that resembles the Shwe-dagon Pagoda of Yangon while the International Gautami Nuns Temple is a replica of the Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu. The China Temple, built by the Buddhist Association of China, is a complex of pagodas, prayer rooms and meditation cells. Across the road is the Dae Sung Suk Ga Sa Korean Temple. The Japan Peace Stupa, built by Nippon Jon Kyohoji of Japan, is a 41-m tall structure with four different Buddha statues set into the stupa’s dome facing the four cardinal directions.
There are other beautiful monuments and temples that have been built by Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, France, Germany and Sri Lanka.

After breakfast, drive to Pokhara which takes around 5 hours. Visit Phewa Lake, Davis fall, Gupteshwor Mahadev cave, World Peace Pagoda.
Pokhara offers a variety of places to be explored such as the enchanting Phewa Taal or Phewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal. The lake is stream fed but a dam regulates the water reserve, therefore, it is classifies as semi-natural freshwater lake. The lake offers boating services to enjoy the beauty and serenity Pokhara has to offer. Wooden boats can be rented along the shoreline. The north shore of the lake has developed into a lakeside tourist hub with a number of souvenir stores, bookshops, hotels, restaurants and bars catering to tourists.
The Devis fall is a lovely waterfall that marks the point where a stream from Phewa Lake vanishes underground through a natural tunnel. The site is named after a Swiss tourist who was unexpectedly swept away while swimming at the Phewa Lake in 1961. The body of the tourist was never recovered.
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, across the Devis Fall, is one of the longest caves in Nepal.
The cave contains a huge stalagmite worshiped as a Shiva lingam that looks like snake's head and a tortoise body.
World Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa built by the Buddhist monks of the Japanese Nipponzan Fujii organization at a narrow ridge above the Phewa Taal.

Today you will be free for your own activities.

After breakfast, transfer to airport for your flight to Kathmandu. Then visit Patan and drive to Bhaktapur.

Patan also known as Lalitpur is the city of artisans and a paradise of fine arts. It is home to Kathmandu Valley’s finest craftsmen who have preserved such ancient techniques and lost wax process used to produce exquisite sculptures.Best known for its cultural heritage, the city retains much of its old charm with its narrow streets, brick houses and multitude of well-preserved Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries (vihars) and monuments.
In the heart of Patan, amidst the hustle and bustle of the marketplace is the Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exquisite works of religious art and architecture, ancient palaces, pagoda temples, Hindu and Buddhist shrines adorn this place. Located in the square is the Patan Museum, formerly a Malla palace, which houses bronze statues and religious objects, some dating back to the 11th century.
Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, translates as the ‘City of Devotees’. Still untouched by rapid urbanization, Bhaktapur retains its charm by its brick paved roads, red brick houses and a way of life that goes back to medieval times. Famous for pottery and woodcarving, the squares in the city display ample wood carved windows.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the extraordinary Bhaktapur Durbar Square has monuments that reflect the glory days of the Malla Dynasty when art and architecture thrived in the three cities of the Kathmandu valley.
There are various monuments to see in Bhaktapur. The unique Nyatapola temple built in 1702, is the tallest pagoda temple in Nepal. Rising five stories above the ground and is a remarkable landmark. Standing adjacent to it is the Bhairavnath Temple that denotes artistic grandeur, also built in pagoda style. The Golden Gate is a masterpiece and the entrance to the 15th century Palace of 55 carved windows.

Today you will be free for your own activities.

Transfer to airport for your onward destination