Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu
You will be greeted by our representative at the arrival area and provided hotel transfer. Free time until dinner. In the evening, we will visit a traditional Nepalese restaurant for a fine meal accompanied by folk music and a cultural program.
Day 02: Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing Tour
Guided tour of Kathmandu valley’s main attractions including UNESCO World Heritage Sites of historical and religious importance. The tour includes Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambunath (The Monkey Temple) and Boudddhanath, one of the largest Buddhist shrines in the world and a major pilgrimage destination.
Day 03: Drive to Chitwan
Take an early morning breakfast before a drive to Chitwan. Hotel check in and refreshments before an introduction to the park and its wildlife. After the briefing visit an elephant breeding center and take a village walk before an evening dinner with cultural program.
Day 04: Wildlife Safari
Another early morning breakfast before our jungle excursion on the back of an elephant ! Later we enjoy the sights for a canoe ride and then complete the experience with a jungle walk. Overnight at hotel.
Day 05: Morning activities and drive to Lumbini
Early morning bird watching tour and then breakfast followed by departure drive to Lumbini. We will visit the sacred location where Princess Maya Devi gave birth to Buddha and various exquisitely built, international monasteries.
Day 06: Lumbini Exploration
Lumbini and its surroundings are dotted with archeological sites related with Lord Buddha. There are over 60 excavation sites among which some of them are popular Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
Ruins of Tilaurakot palace has been discovered 27 km west of Lumbini. Tilaurakot is ancient capital of Sakya kingdom (Kapilavastu) where Siddhartha lived his early 29 years as a prince. Along with other structures, one can still observe the remains of the eastern gate through which Prince Siddhartha took great renunciation.
Ramgram Stupa is the only Stupa which still retains Buddha relic in its intact form. When Buddha attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’, his body was cremated. The mortal relic was divided among the 8 claimants. While other Stupas were later excavated by Emperor Ashoka or distorted in conflict, the relic remained intact until the date in the Ramagram Stupa.
Kudan (Nigrodharma) has the stupa remains, where King Suddhodhana (father of Buddha) met Lord Buddha after he attained enlightenment.
Gotihawa was ancient Khemavati the birth place of Krakucchanda Buddha. Niglihawa is the birthplace of Kanakmuni Buddha. Emperor Ashoka visited both places and erected pillars with inscriptions. The pillars are broken in both places.
Sagarhawa is the place where Sakyas were massacred by King Virudhaka out of vengeance. About 70,000 Sakyas were killed in the massacre. The sakyas didn’t strike back as they believed in non-violence.
Day 07: Drive to Tansen
Experience the early morning alms rounds of the monks and prayer ceremonies before breakfast and drive to Tansen in Palapa district. In the past Tansen was on the trade route between the plains and the hills. The former capital of the Magar Kingdom of Tanahun is a romantic medieval hill town, perched high above the Kali Gandaki River. It’s narrow, winding streets are full of Newari shop-houses and temples and most of the centre is too steep for vehicles making it a pleasant places to explore for a few hours.
Day 08: Morning Activities and drive to Pokhara
After breakfast we depart to Pokhara by way of a scenic river valley. Evening explore the surrounding lakeside and shopping areas. In the evening (or the following morning) we can drive to the ridge top of village of Sarangkot. The village offers an unsurpassed panorama of the Himalaya and Pokhara Valley. Take in the unforgettable sunset with views of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), the Annapurna Range and Hiuchuli.
Day 09: Pokhara Tour
Enjoy the sunrise views from Sarangkot and hike down to Pokhara for a full day sightseeing ahead including the Seti Gorge and Devi’s Falls, Gupteshwor Cave and Tibetan Refugee Camps. We will boat on Phewa Lake, the second largest lake of Nepal. An hour’s walk up the other side of the lake is the World Peace Pagoda.
Day 10: Morning drive to Bandipur
After breakfast, drive to Bandipur – a hilltop town situated on Mahabharat range some 85 km east of Pokhara. This picturesque town is renowned for its preserved old time cultural atmosphere, provincial architecture, interesting walks, astounding views, and warm and amazingly friendly people. Bandipur and its hinterland offer a glimpse into village life and a chance to partake in the typical laid-back lifestyle of the middle hills of Nepal.
Day 11: Morning drive to Nagarkot via Kathmandu
Depart for Kathmandu after breakfast and enjoy views of the Marsyangdi and Trisuli rivers and splendid scenery of the countryside and terraced farmland. From Kathmandu, we drive further for about an hour to reach Nagarkot just in time to savor the spectacular sunset panorama.
Day 12: Morning activities, Bhaktapur and Patan Tour and drive to Kathmandu
Dawn start to enjoy the mountain views from Nagarkot. After breakfast we will travel by private vehicle to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a World Heritage Site with an extraordinary array of temples, statues and artwork with exquisite carvings. Lunch at Bhaktapur before transferring to the ancient Patan Durbar Square which shares some similarities to Bhaktapur Durbar Square though slightly smaller. It’s a beautiful place to be in the late afternoon as locals congregate on the steps of the temples to meet and chat about the days.
Day 13: Final Departure
We hope that you enjoyed your journey! Our representative will transfer you to the airport approximately 3 hours ahead of your flight time. We bid you farewell and hope to see you in Nepal again, soon. Or get ready for the next adventure.
