Nepal – Kathmandu and Pokhara

Breakfast: In the Hotel

AM: Half day sightseeing tour of Swayambhunath and Kathmandu City followed by Rickshaw ride in Thamel

PM: Half day sightseeing tour of Bouddhanath with Lama Interaction and Pashupatinath Temple + interaction with Sadhu and enjoy the evening Aarti at Pashupatinath  

Swayambhunath: The most ancient and enigmatic of the Valley’s holy shrines the golden-spired stupa of Swayambhunath tops a wooded hillock. Records of its history date as far as the 5th century, but its origins are believed to be older. It is the Kathmandu Valley’s most sacred Buddhist shrine and whilst its worshippers include the Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and Tibet, Newari Buddhists are the most fervent devotees.  

Kathmandu Durbar Square: Kathmandu’s number one tourist attraction swarms with life. Though a few of the square’s 50-plus monuments date from the 12th century, most are from the time of the Malla Kings. Probably the most famous building here is the Kumari Bahal, a building richly decorated with beautiful woodcarvings, which is home to the Royal Kumari, the Living Goddess, a manifestation of the great goddess Durga. Nearby the former Royal Palace is a Mall Dynasty dwelling, once considerably more extensive than today. Within, the courtyard Nassal Chowk, originally hosted dramatic dance performances, now it is the coronation site of the Shah kings and contains some of the finest wood carvings you will see anywhere in the kingdom.

Rickshaw Ride at Thamel: Discover Kathmandu like a local as you explore the city on an evening rickshaw ride. Start the tour from Kathmandu Durbar Square and pass buzzing bazaars and market squares as you head to the colourful tourist hub Thamel, where you'll spend time exploring by the different angels of Nepalese lifestyle, markets and many more. Sit back, relax and be enchanted as you take in views of the sunset, silhouetted temples and Kathmandu’s lively evening.  

Visit Monastery for interaction with Lama in Bouddhanath. The Blessing includes the following:

• House/Land Blessing - This is a blessing to promote the health, peacefulness, and productivity of house and land.
• Blessing of Children-This is a blessing that promotes the safety, health and auspicious development of children.
• Anniversary Blessing - This is a blessing to commemorate an event or special occasion.
• Pet Blessing - This a blessing for the sentient beings that people adopt as a loving part of their lives.

Pashupatinath: This is Nepal’s most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the subcontinent’s great Shiva sites. The supreme holiness of the site stems from the Shiva linga enshrined in its main temple and its location. It expresses the very essence of Hinduism as pilgrims, priests, devotes, temples, ashrams, images, inscriptions and cremation Ghats intermingle with the rituals of daily life, all sprawled along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. The temple’s origins are obscure, an inscription dates from 477, but a shrine may have stood here for 1000 years before that. Sadhus in Hinduism are wandering holy men or monks revered for being good. Many Sadhus are also Yogis who are practitioners of meditation. They have chosen a life away from or at least on the edges of normal society to focus on their own spiritual practice. Talking with a Sadhu is said to either be wildly confusing or deeply insightful. Either way being able to speak Hindi is a huge advantage in deciphering what they are saying. However a few Sadhus do understand more English than you might at first have guessed. Sadhus are peaceful and do not have any possessions.  

Later enjoy the beautiful Aarti ceremony at the bank of Bagmati.

Pashupatinath Temple is regarded as one of the holiest shrines of Hindus across the world. Priests and devotees perform daily ritual worships and offer prayers at the temple in the morning, day and evening time. The evening ‘Aarti’ at the banks of Bagmati River on the eastern side of the temple draws people in hordes. This evening rituals with a band singing hymns in praise of god, playing of classical instruments, chanting of Vedic mantras, ringing of bells, burning of incense, and lighting of oil lamps, keep the people spellbound throughout. The ritual makes the evening environment dazzling. The Aarati is performed at 6 pm every day. The attendees experience a blissful moment.  

Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu

Breakfast: In hotel

After breakfast drive to Pokhara which is approximately 210 km and 5 – 6 hours drive.  

Pokhara is a place of remarkable natural beauty. The enchanting city has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panoramic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of the lakes and the magnificence of the Himalaya rising behind them create the ambience that has made Pokhara such a popular place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Tourism focuses on the districts of Dam-side and Lakeside (or Pardi and Baidam, in Nepali, respectively). These two areas, packed with hotels and restaurants, are a few kilometers southwest of the main Pokhara bazaar.  

Rest of the day at Leisure

  Overnight at hotel in Pokhara

Breakfast: In hotel

Early morning excursion trip to Sarangkot to view sunrise over Himalaya (Subject to weather condition)

From Pokhara, Sarangkot is the most popular tourist destination from where the tourist can enjoy the great view of the Pokhara valley and the magnificent view of the mountains. Sarangkot is only 5 km from Lake Side. Sarangkot is the highest view point for a sunrise and it is just 1592m high. Sarangkot is 5 degrees cooler than Pokhara.  

PM: Half day sightseeing tour of Pokhara city  

Devi’s fall: Locally known as Patale Chango (Hell’s fall) also known as Devin’s and David’s is a lovely Waterfall is about 2 km south West of Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway. Legend has it that a trekker by the name of Davy was washed away by the Padi Khola and mysteriously disappeared down into an underground passage beneath the fall.    

Gupteshwor Cave: Gupteshwor Gupha, a sacred cave, lies 2 km from Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway leading southwest from the city. The entrance is right across from Devi's fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This cave holds special value for Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition it was discovered. An entrance fee of Rs. 5 is charged and taking pictures inside the cave is prohibited.

The Old Bazaar + Bindyabasini Temple: Pokhara's traditional bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse traders. In its temples and monuments can be seen ties to the old Newar Architecture of the Kathmandu valley, Located about 4 km from Lakeside, the market S original charm is still evident. This area is strewn with shops selling commodities ranging from edibles to and cloth to cosmetics and gold is a pleasant and shady spot to stroll around.     The old Bazaar is also home to one of Pokhara’s most important shrines. Locally called the Bindyabasini Mandir, this white dome- like structure dominates a spacious stone – paved courtyard built atop a shady hillock. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagawati, yet another manifestation of Shakti. The park – like grounds offers a fine picnic area, and on Saturdays, and Tuesdays when devotees flock there to offer sacrifices, it takes on a festive flavor.  

Overnight at hotel in Pokhara

Breakfast: In hotel

After breakfast drive back to Kathmandu which is approximately 210 km and 6 – 7 hours drive.   After arrival in Kathmandu, you will be transfer to the hotel.  

Rest of the day at Leisure  

Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu

Breakfast at hotel Free till departure

On time transfer to International airport to connect onwards flight.