October 15:
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be met by Manish and will be taken to Hotel Manaslu. Depends on your arrival time, we will have a leisurely afternoon walk around town.
October 16:
After breakfast, we will begin our exploration of Kathmandu by visiting the 2,000-year-old hilltop shrine of Swayambunath (Monkey Temple) where one of the oldest Stupas in the world presides over the entire Kathmandu Valley. The Stupa is an impressive white mound crowned by the astonishing all seeing eyes, which are symbolic of inevitable Karmic justice on each of the four sides of a golden cube. Above the rise, there is a tower of 13 diminishing golden disks symbolizing the 13 steps to enlightenment, then to a golden regal parasol topped by a bell-shaped crown. Prayer flags stream on cords from the tower’s pinnacle to the base, where prayer wheels ring the Stupa. We’ll continue our exploration of Kathmandu Valley by visiting its ancient city center called Durbar Square . It is in Durbar Square where the most historically significant temples and shrines of this timeless culture are located.
October 17:
Today we will see the historic city of Patan, seond major city in Kathmandu valley. Patan is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. This city is also known as Lalitpur which means city of beauty. Patan has long Buddhist history and is absolutely packed with temples and squares.
October 18:
Today, we will begin our day by visiting one of the world's largest Buddhist Stupas "Boudhanath", which is a site of great veneration for Buddhists. Around the Stupa have sprung up a number of monasteries of different sects of Tibetan Buddhism, including one on the west side of the Stupa, which houses an enormous seated statue of Maitreya Buddha splendidly adorned.
October 19:
We will visit Bhaktapur, one of the ancient cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Life is art and art is life in Bhaktapur. All winding street of Bhaktapur provide an avalanche of impressions. To walk the streets of Bhaktapur is to walk back in time. It's little wonder that many of the scenes shot for the epic movie "Little Buddha" were filmed in Bhaktapur. Exploring its multitude of squares and sloping streets, you'll find small neighborhood plazas filled with many sights, such as pottery drying in the sun, potters working at their hand-spun wheels, weavers at their looms, and wood carvers carving ornate window frames or doors (which virtually every house in Bhaktapur is adorned with). After lunch, we will drive up to the countryside to the hilltop resort of Nagarkot and spend the night at Club Himalaya Resort.
October 20:
After breakfast, we will start a pleasant 3-4 hour trek down to Changunarayan Temple. We will be walking through several villages and enjoying spectaular views. We will break for lunch before entering the temple. This temple has significant value in the history of the valley. It is the oldest temple in Kathmandu Valley, situated on a hilltop toward the north east side of the capital and offers artistic value, supplemented with green vegetation and natural bliss. After the tour, we will drive back to our Hotel Manaslu in Kathmandu.
October 21:
Today we will visit one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus in all over the world, Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is on a bank of the Bagmati river where Hindus are cremated after death. The Bagmati is a tributary of the Holy Ganges River. Therefore, to pass from the physical world at this locaion is an auspicious blessing to Hindus from all over the sub-continent. Astonishing and yet always fascinaing, sights and sounds will overwhelm your senses. After lunch, we will take a half hour flight to Pokhara, a quiet town situated at the banks of Phewa Lake, nestled right in the foothills of the towering Annapurna Himalayas. Phewa lake is the most famous lake in Nepal. Many beautiful birds can be spotted along the shore, including the majestic and stately egret. The sky line to the north of town is dominated by the Annapurna Range and the perfectly shaped peak of Machhapuchare, the fish-tail mountain. The Himalayas are much closer here than they are from Kathmandu, and there is no intermediate range between Pokhara and the towering snowcapped peaks. The Annapurna range rises abruptly from an altitude of 3000 feet in Pokhara to an altitude of over 25,000 feet.
October 22:
We will trek out of Pokahara. We will camp overnight.
October 23:
Another day of trekking and down to Pokhara. Canoe ride on Phewa
Lake and relax!
October 24:
After breakfast, we will set out for the overland journey to Chitwan National Park. The 4-5 hour drive will be a dramatic transformation as we leave the foothills below the towering Himalayas and enter the dense jungles of the southern Terai region of Nepal. Of all the world's remaining jungles, one of the most enchanting is Chitwan National Park in Nepal. At Chitwan National Park, you will discover a lost world of towering trees with twisting vines, pre-historic rhinos, lumbering elephants, crocodiles, pythons, deer, brilliantly colored birds, and the superb Royal Bengal Tiger (if we are fortunate enough). Only the sounds of nature disturb the peace of the jungle: the birdsong, rustle of deer in the bushes, or the trumpeting call of elephants. From the moment you wake at dawn to roam through the jungle on an elphant's back to the quiet talk around the campfire at day's end, Chitwan offers an unforgettable experience. Overnight at the resort in the jungle.
October 25:
Full day activities in the jungle. Activities include wildlife safaris on an elephant's back, bird watching, canoe rides, nature walks, traditional village dances, etc. Overnight in the resort.
October 26:
Morning activities in Chitwan and drive back to Kathmandu. Afternoon free for shopping and walking around Thamel.
October 27:
Continue your journey to India orThailand or return back to the
U.S.
