Nepal

Day to Day Program (10 Nights / 11 Days)

DAY 01: Arrival in Kathmandu Airport. Meet and greet. Transfer to Hotel, Check In. Free time for rest and leisure. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel. .

DAY 02: Kathmandu Sightseeing – Swoyambhunath, Kathmandu City Durbar Square & Patan.

• Swoyambhunath the golden spire of the 5th-century Swoyambhunath stupa is adorned with a colorful fluttering of prayer flags; it crowns a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley and offers fantastic views over the city of Kathmandu. Swoyambhunath is one of the most recognizable symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha watch all who ascend the worn stone steps.
   
• Patan - Also known as Lalitpur. Lalitpur is fragmented from other cities due to its substantive architectural ancient masterpieces. Patan's central Durbar Square is absolutely packed with temples.
   
• Kathmandu’s City Durbar Square – It is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century.

DAY 03:  Kathmandu - Pokhara

Breakfast in the Hotel. Drive to Pokhara through the beautiful landscapes. On the way to Pokhara, we shall stop to visit Goddess Manakamana Temple (Goddess of Wish) on a cable car, which is situated atop hill in Gorkha. Inside the temple area, you can see Hindu and Buddhist devotees queuing to worship the Goddess and seek her blessings. You can also see animal sacrifice offered to the Goddess by side of the temple. After returning from the temple, we can have lunch at a restaurant in the highway and continue our drive to Pokhara.

• Pokhara, sub metropolitan city located at 198 kilometer west of Kathmandu. After Kathmandu and Biratnagr, it is the third largest city of Nepal. Pokhara is very famous for its natural beauty. Number of lakes, temple, and Buddhist stupas are herein Pokhara. This city is fully tourist oriented. Hotels and Restaurants are many on the lake sides and other every place. About half of all tourists visiting Pokhara are there for the start or end of a trek to the Annapurna Base camp and Mustang. Even from Pokhara, one can have a good view of snowcapped Himalayas.

After reaching Pokhara, you will be transferred to hotel. We will have free time for rest and leisure. Overnight at hotel. BB basis.

 DAY 04: Pokhara

Wake early in the morning for drive uphill to Sarangkot for best view of Sunrise over the Himalayan range. Return to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we begin our Pokhara city tour. The tour includes;

• Devi's Fall: Locally known Patale Chhango in the southern flank of the Pokhara valley is where the stream flowing from Fewa lake collapses and surges down the rock into a deep gorge, leaping through several potholes.
   
• Caves: (i) Mahendra Cave - Lies at the north of the Pokhara valley. It is a large limest  one cave which is one of the few stalagmites stalactite caves found in Nepal. (ii) Gupteshwar Cave - Gupteswar Cave is a sacred cave, lies 2 km from Pokhara airport. The entrance is right across from Devi's fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This cave holds special value for Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition it was discovered.
   
• Boating at Phewa Lake: Situated at an altitude of 800meters above sea level, it is the second largest lake in the kingdom. With Barahi island Temple in the middle of the lake it is the most important religious monument in Pokhara. Built almost in the middle of Phewa Lake, this two-storied pagoda is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protector’s deity representing the female force Shakti. The reflection of Mt. Machhapuchhare & Annapurna can be seen in its serene water. Thick forest lies on the adjoining southern slopes of the lake.
   
• Peace Stupa: Standing on top of the Ananda hill, Shanti (Peace) Stupa adds more beauty to Pokhara Valley. It is a perfect holiday place providing a clear view of the Himalayan range, Fewa Lake and Pokhara city. The hilltop provides a splendid view of sunrise and sunset too.

After the sightseeing, we return to the hotel for rest.

Overnight at the hotel. BB basis.

DAY 05: Pokhara – Chitwan

Breakfast in the Hotel. Get ready for 4 hours’ drive to Chitwan. Upon arrival at a resort in Chitwan, check in and lunch will be served. After some rest, our local guide will take us to Tharu village tour. Tharus are ethnic group indigenous to Terai region, the southern foothills of Himalayas in Nepal. The surrounding farmland and villages has a pulse of its own, giving it a sense of timelessness. There is also an option for Bird watching.

• Chitwan is famous for the National Park, and long been one the country' treasures of natural wonders. The park is situated in south central Nepal, covering 932 sq. km. in the subtropical lowlands of the inner TERAI. The Chitwan valley consists of tropical and subtropical forests. Sal forests cover 70 percent of the park. Sal leaves are used locally for plates in festivals and religious offering. Grassland covers 20%  of the park area. There are more than 50 different types of grasses, including the elephant grass (Saccharum spp.), renowned for its immense height. It can grow up to 8meter. The shorter grasses (Imperata spp.) are used for roof thatching, and mats, rope and paper making purpose. The park is home for more than 50 mammal species, over 525 birds, and 55 amphibians and reptiles. The endangered fauna are also found in the park area.

Dinner at the resort. Overnight. FB basis.

DAY 06: Chitwan

Early breakfast in the resort. There are different activities to be done in this day, such as;

• Elephant Safari for close view of one horned Rhinos, and different animals inside the National Park. If lucky, you can also see Bengal tigers inside the forest. You can also enjoy and experience Elephant bathing, which is one of the highlights of the tour.
  
• Short brief on elephants by the local naturalist.
   
• Canoe ride to experience close view of crocodile in the river.
   
• Short walk to “Gharial Breeding Centre”, home of “Marsh Mugger” and number of turtles.
   
• In the evening, you can also enjoy some cultural shows presented by Tharus.

Lunch and Dinner at the resort. Overnight. FB basis.

DAY 07: Chitwan - Lumbini

Drive to Lumbini to visit birth place of Lord Gautam Buddha. The spiritual heart of Lumbini is Maya Devi Temple, which marks the spot where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama. In the adjoining sacred garden you’ll find the pillar of Ashoka, ancient ruins of stupas, and maroon- and saffron-robed monks congregating under a sprawling Bodhi (pipal) fig decorated with prayer flags. Maya Devi Temple is set in the middle of the large 4km by 2.5km park grounds known as the Lumbini Development Zone. It comprises landscaped lakes and numerous monasteries that have been constructed by Buddhist communities from around the world. You could easily spend one or two days exploring the zone and its monasteries, and soaking up the peaceful atmosphere.

Day 08: Lumbini

Breakfast in the Hotel. Spend one more day in Lumbini by visiting Buddhist temples constructed by different countries.

Day 09: Lumbini – Kathmandu

Breakfast in the Hotel. We shall get ready for drive back to Kathmandu, enjoying the nice view along the highway. Lunch at a local restaurant on the way. After reaching Kathmandu, transfer to hotel for rest and personal activities. Overnight at the hotel. BB basis.

Day 10: Kathmandu: Sightseeing

• Bhaktapur:

 Bhaktapur is situated at an altitude of 1,401M. Bhaktapur covers an area of four square miles. Bhaktapur also known as "the City of Devotees" still retains the medieval charm, and visitors to this ancient town are treated with myriad wonders of cultural and artistic achievements. The past glory of the Malla rulers continue to be reflected at the Durbar Square. Pottery and weaving are its traditional industries. The city lies about 14 km east of Kathmandu. The city is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments. The diversity of the medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has left a rich legacy of impressive sightseeing in this city for today's visitors.

• Bhaktapur Durbar Square:

The main square of the city contains innumerable temples and other architectural showpieces like the Lion Gate, the Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, the Picture Gallery, the Batsala Temple, etc. A magnificent statue of King Bhupatindra Malla in the act of worship is placed on a column facing the palace of the 55 windows.

The Golden Gate is the entrance to the main courtyard of the Palace of 55 Windows. Built by King Ranjit Malla, the Gate is one of the most beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind in the entire world. This gate is embellished with deities and monsters with marvelous intricacy.

• Nyatapola Temple

This five-storey pagoda was built in 1702 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. It stands on a five-terraced platform. On each of the terraces squat a pair of figures. This is one of the tallest pagodas and is famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship.

• Bhairav Temple

Bhairavnath Temple Located inside, Kwabadehal, this three storey golden pagoda of Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha) was built in the twelfth century by King Bhaskar Verma. Inside the upper storey of the pagoda, are the gold- en image of Lord Buddha and a large prayer wheel.

• Dattatraya Temple

Built in 1427 A.D., this temple is said to have been built from the trunk of a single tree. Near this temple is a monastery with exquisitely carved peacock window.

• Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the biggest Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple served as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath.

• Bouddhanath

Bouddhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many of them decided to live around Bouddhanath and constructed many Monasteries around the stupa

Day 11: Departure:

On time transfer to the airport for onward flight

End of Tour in Nepal