Highlights of Nepal

Upon arrival into Kathmandu, you'll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

 

The remainder of the day is free to relax and enjoy the hotel or take a walk in the Gokarna Forest Resort.  Visit Gokarna Mahadev temple on the banks of the Bagmati River.  This Shiva temple was built in 1582.  Each year on Gokarna Aunsi Day (the new moon day around late August and early September), devotees come to this temple to bathe and make offerings in honor of their fathers, living or dead. 

“Stop the World Now. Open the window in the center of your chest and let the spirits fly in and out.” Rumi

 

Take off on your spectacular early morning sightseeing flight to view Mount Everest!  (Weather permitting)

 

After breakfast, visit Boudhanath which is one of the largest spherical stupas (akin to a mausoleum) in the world with a massive mandala.  The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, the numeral one (in Devanagari script) is painted in the fashion of a nose. Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area.

 

Around Boudhanath, there are 50 gompas (Tibetan monasteries or temples) serving the large population of Tibet refugees. Walk through the nearby settlements, browse the galleries of Tibetan art and snack on traditional momos (a type of South Asian dumpling).

 

Let’s visit the Swayambhu complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees'. Swayambhu is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudha.

 

The Swayambhu complex consists of a stupa and a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period (400 to 750 CE). A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access points: a long stairway with 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a road around the hill from the south leading to the south-west entrance. The first sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the Vajra, a symbolic and ritual tool meaning both a thunderbolt and a diamond.

 

Much of Swayambhu's iconography comes from the Vajrayana tradition of Newar Buddhism. However, the complex is also an important site for Buddhists of many schools, and is also revered by Hindus.

 

Breakfast

Drive to Bhaktapur to learn about Buddhist and Hindu architecture.

 

Visit Bhaktapur, one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley.  It was the capital city of the Greater Malla Kingdom until the 15th century and was an independent kingdom from then until the 18th century.  Lying along the ancient trade route between India and Tibet, Bhaktapur is surrounded by mountains and offers a magnificent view of the Himalayas.

 

Bhaktapur is filled with Hindu and Buddhist religious sites, pagodas and religious shrines. Although the population is primarily Hindu, there are nineteen Buddhist monasteries (Vihars).  In addition, Bhaktapur is filled with monuments, palaces and temples with terra-cotta art, elaborately carved wood columns, gilded roofs and open courtyards.

 

Durbar (Royal) Square is a UNESCO site.  No cars are allowed in Durbar Square making it a perfect place to stroll and soak in the ancient beauty.  Check out the 55 window Palace, Golden Gate, Royal Bath with its Golden Faucet, and the Big Bell.

 

For modern day artistry and handicrafts, watch potters create works of art in the Pottery Square. Indigenous (Newar) handicrafts include paubha scroll paintings, papier-mâché masks, cotton cloth, woodcarvings, metalwork, jewelry and ceramic products, haku-patasi (black sari) and black caps.

 

After lunch, visit Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.  Hindus from all over the world come here for a pilgrimage.  Many exotic carvings can be seen on its ornate wooden roof struts.

 

This evening, enjoy your farewell dinner and cultural dance performance.

 

Breakfast       Farewell Dinner

Enjoy your breakfast, then your driver will take you to Kathmandu airport for your departure flight to your next international airport destination.

 

Breakfast