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Itinerary in Detail
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Day 01 : |
Full day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city. You
stay overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.
Known as Kantipur, Kathmandu is the capital of
the Kingdom of Nepal. Here you will visit the
temple of the Living Goddess who acknowledges
the greetings of the devotees from the balcony
of her temple residence. Kashtamandap - the
source of the name Kathmandu and supposed to be
made from the timber of a single tree and the
Durbar Square are with its array of temples
overlooked by the Hanuman Dhoka Palace, the
ancient place of the Nepalese Royalty.
This day you will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square,
Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath.
Though there are other places worth to be
visited such as Machchendranath Temple, Akash
Bhairab Temple, Kumari Temple, Ashok Vinayak,
Jaishi Dewal, Tundikhel, Marty’r Memorial,
Bhadrakali Temple, Singha Darbar, Narayanhiti
Darbar, Kaiser Library, Budhanilkantha, Balaju
Water Gardens, the National Museum, Guheswari
Temple, Chabahil and Chandra Vinayak.
Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the most
popular tourist destination is enlisted in World
Heritage Sites. Clustered around the central
Durbar Square are the old Royal Palace (Hanuman
Dhoka), numerous interesting temples, the Kumari
Chowk or Kumari Bahal (House of the Living
Goddess) and the Kasthamandap (House of Wood)
from which Kathmandu derived its present name.
An inquisitive exploration in the Durbar Square
reveals the ancient art and architecture of
Nepal which has proved to be a masterpiece to
everyone accepting its genuineness.
Swayambhunath is located approximately 4 kms./2.5
miles and this Buddhist Stupa is said to be 2000
years old. The Stupa which forms the main
structure is composed of a solid hemisphere of
brick and earth supporting a lofty conical spire
capped by a pinnacle of copper gilt. Painted on
the four sided base of the spire are the all
seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. This hill is a
mosaic of small Chaityas and Pagoda temples.
Boudhanath Stupa is 8 kms east of Kathmandu City
and is one of the biggest in the world of its
kind. It stands with four pairs of eyes in the
four cardinal direction keeping watch for
righteous behavior and human prosperity. This
Buddhist Stupa was built by King Man Deva at the
advice of the Goddess Mani Jogini. It is built
on an octagonal base inset with prayer wheels.
The shrine is ringed by houses of Lamas or
Buddhist priest.
Situated 5 kms east of Kathmandu City,
Pashupatinath temple is one of the holiest
temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Situated amidst
a lush green natural setting on the bank of the
sacred Bagmati river, the temple built in pagoda
style has jilted roof and richly carved silver
doors. Visitors will be permitted to view the
temple from the east bank of Bagmati River,
entrance in the temple being strictly forbidden
to all non Hindus. Pashupatinath is the centre
of annual pilgrimage on the day of shivaratri
which falls in the month of February/March.
Behind the temple are the cremation grounds.
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Day 02 : |
Sightseeing tour of Patan and Bhaktapur and
drive back to Kathmandu. You stay overnight at
hotel in Kathmandu.
The ancient city of Patan, lying 5 km southeast
of Kathmandu, is known as Lalitpur or the city
of fine arts. The city is full of Hindu temples
and Buddhist monuments. The diversity of
medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and
Buddhism to flourish has left a rich legacy of
impressive sightseeing in this city. At Patan
you explore Patan Durbar Square, Mahaboudha
Temple, Kumbeshwor temple, Krishna Temple,
Golden Temple and many other places of Patan,
you feel as if Patan has been unveiled before
you as an open museum showcasing intricately
carved windows, intrinsic roof struts, statues
of gods and goddesses, temples designed in
pagoda style with erotic carvings and repose
metalwork facades and many other exquisite
facets. You will also get to see handicraft
centre in Patan.
Durbar Square, like its counterpart in Kathmandu,
is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings,
artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples.
Listed as a World Heritage Site, the former
royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s
religious and social life, and houses a museum
containing an array of bronze statues and
religious objects. One remarkable monument here
is a 17th-century temple dedicated to the Hindu
god Krishna, built entirely of stone.
Bhaktapur (1,401m) covers an area of four square
miles. Bhaktapur or the city of devotees still
retains a medieval charm and visitors to this
ancient town are treated to myriad wonders of
cultural and artistic achievements. The past
glory of the Malla rules continues to be
reflected at the Darbar Square. Pottery and
waving are its traditional industries. Bhaktapur
is famous for woodcarving and the traditional
topi or cap. The city lies about 14 km east of
Kathmandu. The places of interest include
Bhaktapur Darbar Square, the National Are
Gallery, Nyatapola Temple, Bhairavnath Temple,
Dattatreya Temple and Dattatreya Square.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square: The main square of the
city contains innumerable temples and other
architectural showpieces such as lion gate, the
golden gate, the statue of King Bhupatindra
Malla, Dattatraya Temple etc.
A magnificent statue of King Bhupatindra Malla
in the act of worship is placed on a column
facing the palace. It was listed in the UNESCO
world Heritage Monument List in 1979.
Palace of 55 Windows: Being built by King Yaksha
Mall in 1427 A.D. and remodeled by King
Bhupatindra Malla in 17th Century, the balcony
and the windows are intricately carved, is a
masterpiece of wood carving.
Nyatapola Temple: This five storied Pagoda Style
temple was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in
1708 A.D. well known for its massive structure
and subtle workmanship. It is the tallest pagoda
structure in the Kathmandu valley.
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Day 03 : |
Drive from Kathmandu to Lumbini. You stay
overnight at hotel in Lumbini.
In the evening you can enjoy half day tour of
Lumbini. 232 kms/145 miles away from Kathmandu,
Lumbini is the birth place of Lord Buddha. The
broken Ashoka Pillar, remnants of old monastery,
images of Buddha's mother Maya Devi, are still
preserved here. The Buddha himself proclaimed
Lumbini as one of the foremost pilgrimage sites
among the famous Chatumahasthana (the four great
places of Birth, Enlightenment, Sermon and
Mahaparinirvana).
Lumbini hosts variety of religious groups of
people. It is home of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims
and Christians. The Lumbini area is located in
southwest of Rupandehi. The population of
Lumbini is segmented in several cultural
communities. The major cultures here are
Bhojpuri and Tharu.
The major cultural sub groups are Biraha, Tharu,
Jhumada and segmented Bhojpuri culture as well.
The cultural communities follow their own
tradition of costume, make up, entertainment
performance and also their own language.
Lumbini can be reached by road from Kathmandu
via Pokhara or Royal Chitwan National Park or by
air till Bhairahawa and then by road. You stay
overnight at hotel in Lumbini.
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Day 04 : |
Sightseeing tour of Lumbini. You stay overnight
at hotel in Lumbini.
The main attraction is the Sacred Garden spread
over 8sq km and possessing all the treasure of
the historic area. The Sacred Garden where
Buddha was born converges on the Ashoka pillar,
which carries an inscription identifying the
spot as the birthplace of Buddha. Maya Devi,
mother of Buddha, was on her way to her parent's
home in Devadaha. While taking rest in Lumbini
under a Sal tree and admiring the beauty of the
region, she felt labor pains. She gave birth to
the child while holding a drooping branch of a
Sal tree.
The Mayadevi temple is the main attraction for
pilgrims. The temple of Maya Devi contains a
stone relief depicting the birth scene of Lord
Buddha. The bas-relief shows Maya Devi
supporting herself by holding on to a branch of
a sal tree, and the newborn infant Buddha
standing upright on a lotus pedestal. Two
celestial figures are engaged in the act of
pouring water and lotuses from the heaven,
indicated in the sculpture by a delineation of
clouds. The Maya Devi shrine has been worshipped
by both Hindus and Buddhists since the beginning
of the Christian era and is believed to have
been built over the foundation of at least one
earlier temple or stupa.
Lumbini is so important that the world
community, particularly the United Nations and
the Government of Nepal, has launched a master
plan for the maintenance and preservation of
Lumbini.
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Day 05 : |
Sight seeing tour of Lumbini and drive from
Lumbini to Chitwan. You stay overnight at hotel
in Chitwan. You drive to Chitwan National park
visiting Buddhist places like Ramgram and Dev
Daha enroute. Ramagrama is a brick mound on the
bank of the Jharahi River. It is a 7 meter high
brick stupa containing one of the eight Astha
Dhatu (relics) of Lord Buddha. The king of
Ramagrama, the eighth king to obtain the
Buddha's relics, built the stupa. History says
that Emperor Ashoka wanted to open it to
multiply into eight four thousand stupa.
However, the Dragon King of Ramagrama stupa did
not permit.
Devadaha, 54 km east of Lumbini across the
Rohini River, is the ancient capital of the
Koliya kingdom. It is the maternal hometown of
Queen Maya Devi, Prince Siddhartha's mother,
Prajapati Gautam, his stepmother, and Princess
Yasodhara, his consort. This is where Prince
Siddhartha spent his childhood. Seven years
after his Enlightenment, Lord Buddha visited
Devdaha and ordained the followers of Jain Sadhu
Nirgrantha Nathputra. There are several other
sites around Devdaha such as Kumarbarti,
Khayardanda, Bairimai / Kanyamai, Bhabanipur /
Devidamar, Mathagadi (ancient weapons).
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Day 06-07: |
Enjoy jungle activities in Chitwan. You stay
overnight at hotel in Chitwan.
The National Chitwan Park is widely acknowledged
as one of the best national parks in Asia, it
lies in the Terai region of southern Nepal.
Diverse combination of nature is found here in
Royal National Chitwan Park providing a perfect
habitat of wildlife. It harbors many globally
threatened species including the Royal Bengal
Tiger, great one-horned Rhino, Gharial
crocodile, Asian Elephant, Sloth bear, Leopard
etc.
During your stay in National Chitwan Park you
are going to come through various nature and
cultural program such as: Canoe Trip: You can
enjoy canoe trip on either The Rapti River or
The Budhi Rapti River which border the National
Park. You can see two types of crocodiles, the
Gharial and Mugger basking on the river bank.
Bird Watching: For the bird watchers, it is
Paradise Island with over 450 species of exotic
birds of domestic as well as migratory birds.
Many are threatened, e.g. the Great pied
hornbill, Bengal Florican, Peregrine falcon,
lesser adjutant storks, etc. A bird watching
trip will be a memorable experience.
Jungle Drive: A tour by four wheel drive in the
less distributed areas of the park to track the
rarer species. You will visit Ox-bow Lake and
museum of historic interest relating to the
park. However during this period we will visit
20,000 areas which afford a varied experience of
birds and mammals.
Nature Walk: Our experienced naturalists will
accompany you to the more specialized habitats.
This is the ideal opportunity to explore and
experience at closer quarters and beauty of the
flora and fauna. The authority of the naturalist
must be closely observed to obviate any risks
from wildlife attacks.
Elephant Breeding Centre: This is the first
Elephant breeding centre in Asia. You can see
baby elephants socializing with their parents
and other babies. This centre is government
owned and its purpose is to raise the young
elephants, and to train them to convey tourist
around the region.
Village tour: Excursion in Tharu village will
grant you an exhilarating experience. Tharus are
the indigenous inhabitant of the Terai. We offer
guided cultural tours to meet the people and
experience their traditional self-sufficient way
of life.
Cultural Program: In the evening you will get an
opportunity to be a part of Tharu folk dance.
The drummers and symbolic stick dancers perform
traditional movements and invite guests to join
them in this rhythmic display. Such cultural
shows performed by Tharus will be an
unforgettable experience. The Tharus in
traditional colorful costumes, unique in their
disparity with the common mode of dress all over
Nepal, are sure to captivate you.
Elephant safari: On elephant back you can view
the wild life of the area in their natural
habitat.
Elephant Bathing: Your guide will take you to
the specific place where you can observe
elephant bathing.
Crocodile Walk: One more option is to go for
crocodile walk. It goes through grassland and
forest along the bank of Rapti / Narayani river.
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Day 08 : |
Drive from Chitwan to Kathmandu. You stay
overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.
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Day 09 : |
Free day in Kathmandu for shopping and
recreation. You stay overnight at hotel in
Kathmandu.
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