Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, your local guide will greet you and transfer you to the hotel. We will have a short tour briefing at the hotel to go over the details and timing of each day’s events. You will have the rest of the day free to relax in your hotel or explore the local area on your own.
Meals:None
Accommodation:Overnight in Kathmandu
This morning we will check out of the hotel for a full day tour of the main sites of Kathmandu, including Patan Durbar (Royal Palace) Square, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath Temple, which are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites and crucially important in Nepalese culture. After a full day of visiting these beautiful sites, we will drive about 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of the city to Nagarkot to spend the night.
Meals:Breakfast
Accommodation:Overnight in Nagarkot
We will get an early start this morning so that we can view the spectacular sunrise over the panoramic view of some of the world’s highest mountain peaks. After a nice local breakfast, we will set out on a hiking adventure, taking around 3 and a half hours of walking through interesting local villages and beautiful natural landscapes to reach Changu Narayan. Changu Narayan is an ancient Hindu temple that is widely considered to be the oldest temple in all of Nepal. Originally constructed in 464 A.D. , the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu with intricate wood and stone carvings and artwork decorating the entire complex. From Changu Narayan we will head on to Bhaktapur, an ancient village notable for the best preserved palace courtyards and old city center in Nepal and its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone works of art. After exploring Bhaktapur, we we will travel back into Kathmandu to spend the night.
Meals:Breakfast
Accommodation:Overnight in Kathmandu
This morning after a nice local breakfast we will take you on a half-day sightseeing tour to see some of the other main sites of this historic city. First up will be a visit to Swayambhunath (another UNESCO World Heritage Site), which is a 1,500-year old religious complex of a stupa and a variety of shrines and temples that are revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. It is also sometimes referred to as the “Monkey Temple” due to the mobs of monkeys that inhabit the place. We will also visit Kathmandu Durbar Square (yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site) that is situated directly in front of the old royal palace of the ancient Kathmandu Kingdom. You will also have a chance to see Kumari - the Living Goddess of Kathmandu. This is an interesting attraction in the square consisting of a gilded cage that contains the Raj Kumari – a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga.
After this morning’s tour, you will have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to wander around and explore the ancient city of Kathmandu on your own.
Meals:Breakfast
Accommodation:Overnight in Kathmandu
You will have today free until we take you on to the Kathmandu airport for your flight on to your next destination.
Meals:Breakfast
Accommodation:None