Cultural Adventure Tour – 17 Days
  • Duration17 Days
  • Trip DifficultyModerate
  • Best SeasonSpring / Autumn / Winter
  • Arrival CityKathmandu
  • Departure CityKathmandu
  • Altitude maximum3210 (Poon Hill)
  • AccomodationHotel / Lodge
  • MealsFull Board
  • HighlightsCulture, History, Mountain view

Overview

The Cultural Adventure Tour focused around cultural and adventurous elements of a country in their totality is always a thrilling experience, always a learning experience. If carefully and meaningfully designed, and aided by an experienced guide, it becomes a great story. The guide may help in weaving all the historical, religious, and cultural sites into a story. In fact, those sites themselves conspire to create one. It becomes all the more compelling in a country like Nepal which is one of the oldest nations with glorious history, never colonized. Everything is pure and original. In this matter, Kathmandu gives you a perfect commencement for a cultural tour.

Firstly, your tour will visit the Swoyambhunath, one of the oldest stupas in the Kathmandu Valley, which is situated on the top of a hill. This holy place considerably expands to include various secondary shrines, monastery, garden, and cafeteria. It is a grand and gracious structure as a whole. Next, your visit to Patan, the second largest town in the valley, will be an extraordinary experience, for it is a wonderful town with aesthetic and artistic antiquated monuments. It has several ancient temples and stupas. Every piece is a work of art and craft. More than anything, the Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a pure marvel. The Square displays numerous temples and historical structures. Patan’s other attractions are Patan Museum, Uku Bahal, Sundari Chowk, and Krishna Temple. Further, upon your arrival in Bhaktapur, one of the three cities in the valley, you will find it as equally fantastic to Patan. In fact, it is more but unique. It is known as the City of Devotees and City of Culture. Moreover, it is a Living Heritage. The Bhaktapur Durbar Square, like the Patan Durbar Square, is praised for ancient historical, religious, and cultural monuments and structures. Besides, you would not want to miss the 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple, Taumadhi Square, and Changunarayan Temple.
Beyond the Valley Tour, you will visit Nagarkot, a popular hill station that allows magnificent views of different mountain peaks. Thereupon, you will be driven to Kathmandu where you will visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath.

Then another leg of Cultural Adventure tour leads you to Pokhara, a tourist city also known as a tourism capital of Nepal where you visit a serene lake and some of the magnificent view points. What’s more, later on, you will be guided to one of the scenic treks of lower Annapurna region which provide you the experience of local culture, traditional way of living and unforgettable snow-capped Mountain View of Annapurna range.

Detailed Itinerary

You will be transferred to the Hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu with folk music and dances.
Overnight: Hotel

Start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa, Swoyambunath which is 10 minutes drive from Thamel followed by a visit to Patan to witness its incredible architecture from medieval period.

Swoyambunath is one of the oldest stupa of the Kathmandu Valley. It is situated on one of the highest hills in the valley. It watches over the Valley from the top of a hillock on its western side just three kilometers west of the city center. The stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. Swayambhu is also known as Samhengu and is recognized as a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the oldest and most glorious Buddhist shrines in the world which is said to be two thousand years. The four sides of the stupa are painted with the eyes of Lord Buddha.

Patan- the second largest town in the valley is situated to the south of Kathmandu. Patan’s great building boom took place under the Mallas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Numerous temples of widely diverse styles, as well as many Buddhist monasteries, are scattered around the fascinating town. Patan is famous for its crafts and metal works which are wonderful souvenirs. We visit Patan Museum as well.
Overnight: Hotel

Eearly morning drive to the Kathmandu airport to catch our panoramic flight to Everest region (mountain flight). It is about an hour flight with Buddha air. (Leading airlines in Nepal). After arriving back from our flight, we will drive back to our hotel and have breakfast then start our tour driving for about an hour to an ancient fort city called Kirtipur.  After exploring this fort city, we will drive to outskirt of Kathmandu valley to visit two traditional Newari villages called Bungamati and Khokana.

Kirtipur Originally a Newari foundation, Kirtipur is still a centre of Newari culture. It has been merged with surrounding villages to form the municipality of Kirtipur. It consists of many temples monasteries. The town which dates from 1099 A.D. straddles two hills and a large pond in between. It is a natural fortress

Bungamati – Situated beyond the southern belt of Ring Road, inside the valley, Bungamati is a small Newari village still abiding its tradition as their significant part of life. Very less influenced by the modern city, Bungamati exemplifies true beauty of the still living age old culture and civilization, your journey to Bungamati, starts with a vantage point where one can behold the entire village of Bungamati and Khokana. Walking down the lanes of Bungamati, you will pass through local Newari people busy working intricate designs in wood or stone on their way to creating many more beautiful artifacts keeping their talents running for the future generations to enjoy. Though, small in size, at least 100 people from the village earn their living through wood carving. The village was earlier, the origin of the precession of the chariot of Machindranath, one of the most important festivals of the Newari community.

Khokana – A traditional and tiny Newari village eight kilometers south of Kathmandu, (on the outskirts of Patan) which has its own history and has retained its tradition and culture It is a living museum and recalls medieval times. The farming community of Newars who live here are mostly dependent on agriculture and much of their daily activities take place outside of their dwellings.
There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. The village is famous for its unusual mustard oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. It is believed that a share system was used in the past here. This oil can be consumed if desired, but it can also be used for therapeutic massage. This was also the first village, indeed the first habitation, to be electrified, before Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel

Today we drive to the oldest parts of the Kathmandu valley. We drive for about an hour to visit an ancient city, Bhaktapur. We will spend the night at this ancient city which gives us more time to explore this fascinating city. This cultural city reminds you the true culture and living style of medieval period.

Bhaktapur- Located about 20 km east of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is known as the ‘City of Devotees’, the ‘City of Culture’, the ‘Living Heritage’, and ‘Nepal’s Cultural Gem’. It is one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley. We will visit four different squares in this city: Durbar Square (palace square), Tamaudi Square (public square), Pottery Square and Dattatrey Square.
Overnight: Hotel

We will have a short drive to Changunarayan, an ancient temple located on a high hill, followed an hour drive to Nagarkot through the winding road. It is a great place to escape from Kathmandu’s hustle bustle. We can explore the surrounding villages in the afternoon.

Changunarayan – is a fascinating place where you will see oldest Manu script found in Nepali history and some magnificent temples. The ancient temple of Changunarayan is located on a high hilltop that is also known as Changu or Dolagiri. The temple is surrounded by forest with champak tree and a small village, known as Changu Village. This hill is about 8 miles east of Kathmandu and a few miles north of Bhaktapur. The Manahara River flows beside the hill. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Visnu and held in especial reverence by the Hindu people. This temple is considered as the oldest temple in Nepal

Nagarkot – One of the most popular hill station / viewpoints close to Kathmandu valley. Several different mountain peaks of different regions including Mt. Shisapangma of Tibet can be seen. We can explore the surrounding villages and observe some local lifestyles.
Overnight: Hotel

We drive back to Kathmandu and visit a Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath and a Buddhist stupa called Boudhanath. We spend our night in a small guesthouse that runs by a Buddhist monastery nearby Boudhanath stupa. You can walk down to Boudhanath stupa in the evening to witness the Buddhist pilgrims’ Cora; a ritual where hundreds of people walk around the stupa praying with their mala.

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations for all the Hindus of the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the trinity and the guardian (patron) deity of Nepal. This is one of the oldest temples, situated on the banks of the Holy Bagmati River. It is a double–roofed golden temple with four triple silver doorways. Pashupatinath covers an area of 281 hectares, which is one of the biggest temple complexes in Nepal.

Bouddhanath Stupa lies about 6 km east of downtown Kathmandu and it is the largest stupa in the Valley and one of the largest in the world. It presents one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design with hundreds of prayer wheels and 108 small images of Buddha all around. Just like Swoyambhunath, this stupa has four sides with the watchful eyes of Lord Buddha. All the Buddhists throng to this stupa to take part in the sacred rituals during the Buddhist festivals.
Overnight: Hotel

We start our day driving to Narayanthan to visit an open air Hindu Temple called Budhanilkantha followed by a couple of hours trek through Shivapuri National park. We walk through the lush vegetation enjoying the sound of birds chirping. We may see different kind of butterflies and birds during our short hike. We will have a great view of Kathmandu valley throughout the whole hike. At the end, we will walk down to Kapan monastery and visit this magnificent Buddhist monastery. Then we will drive back to our hotel.

Budhanilkantha Temple, also known as the Narayanthan Temple, is a Hindu open air temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated below the Shivapuri Hill at the northern end of the Kathmandu valley and can be identified by a large reclining statue of the Lord Mahavishnu. Temple’s main statue of Budhanilkantha is considered the largest stone carving in Nepal. The main statue is a black stone structure carved from a single block of black basalt The statue stands 5 meters tall (around 16.4 feet) and is positioned in the middle of a recessed pool of water, which is 13 meters (42.65 feet) long. It depicts the deity reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Sheshna.

 

Shivapuri National Park is the ninth national park in Nepal and was established in 2002. It is located in the country’s mid-hills on the northern fringe of the Kathmandu valley and named after Shivapuri Peak of 2,732 m altitude. It covers an area of 159 km2 in the districts of Kathmandu, Nuwakot and Shinhupalchowk, adjoining 23 Village Development committees.

Kopan Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Boudhanath, on the outskirts of Kathmandu valley. It belongs to the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an international network of Gelugpa dharma centers, and once served as its headquarters.
Overnight: Hotel
Walking Time: 2 – 3 hours

We will have a scenic drive for about 4 hours to Kurintar then take a short cable car ride to visit one of the holiest places of Hindu called Manakamana temple. After visiting Manakamana temple, we will ride back to highway by the same cable car and continue our drive to Pokhara. Once we arrive in Pokhara, we can explore some part of the lake city in the late afternoon.

Manakamana temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagwati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.

 

Manakamana Cable Car is a gondola lift transportation system located in the district of Chitwan, Nepal and runs between Kurintar, Chitwan and Manakamana, Gorkha. The 2772.2 m line has two stations; the bottom station is located on the bank of the Trisuli River at Kurintar and top station is at one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, Manakamana temple, Gorkha. The commercial operation of the cable car started in November 24, 1998. The ride is about 10 minutes to Manakamana temple from the bottom station.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 7 hours

Start our adventure with about an hour drive to Nayapul where we begin our trek following a small stream to Tikhedunga which is fairly easy walk for about 4 hours. Then we cross over a suspension bridge and start climbing to Ulleri (STEEP CLIMB / ROCKY STEPS) which takes about 2 hours.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 1140m.

Today we have about 6 hours of walking via Nangethati. From Ulleri, we begin our journey with rocky STEPS to upper Ulleri then goes through one of the biggest rhododendron forests in the world.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 900m

 

Early morning hike to Poon Hill (3210m) to catch wonderful mountain scenery at sunrise, including Dhaulagiri( 8167m), Machhapuchhre (commonly called Fishtail(6993m), Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna II( 7939m), Annapurna III(7555m), Annapurna IV(7525m), Himchuli(6441m), Annapurna South(7219m), Tukuche Peak(6920m), and Lamjung Himal(6986m). Then we retrace our steps to Ghorepani. After our breakfast at the lodge, we continue our trek climbing a small hill leaving behind the view of Poon Hill then trail descends through dense mossy forest rich with bird life to Tadapani.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 to 7 hours
Difference in Elevation: – 270m

Our day starts with a steep descend from Tadapani through rhododendron forest. As we approach to Gurjung, trail ascends through paddy field and continues with gradual uphill to Chhomrong, where we get very close view of Annapurna and Fishtail.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: – 420m

The day starts with a fairly easy trail walking through lush vegetation and enjoying the view of the valley below. The trial goes through Gurjung and Kimrong danda and offers great view of the surroundings. Ghandruk is the biggest village in the region. The Mountain View from Ghandruk is superb. In the afternoon, we explore old part of the Ghandruk which still has traditional Gurung houses. We visit a Gurung museum as well.
Overnight: Lodge
walking time: 4 – 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: – 230m

On the final day of our trek, we descend to Sauli Bazaar and then we catch our vehicle and drive back to Pokhara.
Overnight: Hotel
Walking time: 2 hours
Driving Time: 1 1/2 hour
Difference in Elevation: – 1120m

Early morning drive to Kahun Danda also known as Kahu located on North-East of Pokhara valley, It’s about an hour drive on recently built winding road. The view from Kahun is majestic; with the magnificent view of the Pokhara city in the South-west and panoramic view of the Himalayas in North-east including the peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.

Then we drive back to our hotel, and after our breakfast, we continue our tour visiting Devi’s fall, a water fall that goes into a narrow canal, Gupteswori Cave; a natural cave then we drive for about 20 minutes and hike to World peace stupa which offers you the great view of the Pokhara city and Fewa Lake then we hike down to Fewa Lake and cross over by a boat.
Overnight: Hotel

We will have a scenic drive back to Kathmandu which takes about 7 hour.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 7 –8 hours

Transfer to the airport and departure.

Tour Price Includes

  • Transfers airport / hotel / airport.
  • Hotels in Kathmandu / Bhaktapur / Nagarkot / Pokhara on BB Basis
  • Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants
  • Transport, guided visits and entry of the monuments as mentioned on itinerary
  • Private vehicle Kathmandu – Pokhara – Kathmandu
  • Private vehicle Pokhara – Nayapul / Syauli Bazaar – Pokhara
  • Private vehicle during sightseeing
  • A professional English speaking Culture Guide for Kathmandu visits
  • A professional English speaking Trekking Guide for Trekking and Pokhara part
  • Porters for the trekking part
  • Full board for whole tour (AP / Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)
  • Accommodation in lodge during the trek
  • Drinks (Tea / Coffee only with breakfast)
  • Trekking permits: TIMS / ACAP
  • All necessary documents and government tax.
  • Insurance for staff

Tour Price Does Not Include:

  • International Flights to / from Kathmandu
  • Nepal entry visa fee ($ 50 for 30 Days, obtained upon arrival)
  • Travel Insurance (compulsory and we strongly advise you to take out to cover accident / repatriation helicopter / medical care)
  • Alternative / additional transportation (flights / vehicles), Food and Accommodation in case of bad weather, flood, landslide, heavy rain, strike, road blockade, flight cancellation etc.
  • Personal expenses such as snacks, cold drinks, mineral water, alcoholic drinks, telephone etc.
  • Tips for tour / trekking staff

Climate

Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.

Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year.  Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer.  Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C.  Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.

The summer/monsoon period – It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions “trans-Himalayan”, Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.

Autumn: mid September – mid December – Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.

In winter: mid-December – mid-February – Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to – 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.

Equipments

Luggage

  •         Travel Pack / Suit case
  •         Day pack

 Clothing

  •         Lightweight, low maintenance and versatile clothing
  •         Shirt/t-shirt(s)
  •         Convertible travel trousers
  •         Lightweight fleece
  •         Lightweight waterproof jacket
  •         Comfortable shoes/boots
  •         Sandals
  •         Hat (sun/warm hat)
  •         Warm clothes / Jackets / trousers (If travelling in early Spring / Autumn / Winter)

Accessories

  •         wallet
  •         Luggage locks
  •         Head light (torch)
  •         Wash bag
  •         Travel towel
  •         All purpose travel soap
  •         Small repair kit (needle and thread)
  •         First aid kit
  •         Accessory bags
  •         Guide book
  •         Electrical adaptor
  •         Insect repellent
  •         Sun cream

Document

  •         Valid passport
  •         Print out of Airline tickets
  •         Contact detail of Embassy / Tour agency
  •         Travel insurance