Culture Safari Tour – 10 Days
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Culture Safari Tour – 10 Days

  • Duration10 Days
  • Trip DifficultyEasy
  • Best Season Spring / Autumn / Winter
  • Arrival CityKathmandu
  • Departure CityKathmandu
  • Altitude maximum2195m (Nagarkot)
  • TransportVehicle / Flight
  • AccomodationHotel / Jungle Resort
  • HighlightsCulture / History / Jungle Safari

Overview

Culture Safari Tour offers some of the well-known cultural sites of Kathmandu valley and best wildlife safari in Bardia National park. Your tour in the Kathmandu Valley will provide you a true experience of the medieval period. It is full of ancient temples, monasteries, monuments and durbar squares.

Making a visit to the Swoyambhunath Stupa will be great at the beginning of the tour. It is the holiest and one of the oldest stupas in the valley. Likewise, other important attractions are Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Thamel. Thamel is one of the most popular and crowded commercial hubs targeted to tourists. It has a good number of bookstores, clothes stores, musical instrument shops, handicrafts, and curio stores. It is a pretty vibrant area. And, located about 5 km south of Kathmandu in the Valley, Patan, once a kingdom is filled with objects and structures of wood and stone carvings. The city, known for its rich tradition of arts and handicrafts, has over 1200 monuments. Patan Durbar Square, Patan Museum, Uku Bahal, Sundari Chowk, Rato Machhendranath Temple, Bhimsen Temple, and Kumbeshwar Temple are some of the most amazing historically and culturally important sites. Similarly, Bhaktapur is a fantastic city. In fact, it is culturally and traditionally more vibrant than Kathmandu and Patan in the valley. It is the home to traditional arts and architecture, historical monuments and handicrafts, pottery and weaving industries, rites, rituals, and festivals. The city has a plethora of festivals to observe. There is almost always one or the other round the year. Some of its landmarks are 55 windows palace, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nyatapola Temple, Taumadhi Square, Changu Narayan Temple, and Siddha Pokhari.

Then next leg of your Culture Safari Tour takes you to western part of Nepal where you will visit the less-explored and authentic part of the Nepal and do Jungle safari in Bardia national park that can amaze you with its’ diverse flora and fauna.

Detailed Itinerary

You will be met by one our representatives at the Kathmandu airport and transfer you to the Hotel.

After our lunch, we will complete the hotel check in process then start our tour with a short drive to the Kathmandu Durbar Square. It is about 10 minutes’ drive from our hotel. On our way back from the Kathmandu Durbar Square, we will take a Riksa ride for about 15 minutes to Thamel, a tourist town through the traditional Nepali market followed by a short walk to our hotel.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah Kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square also surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. The square is presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, near the entrance of the palace. The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484-1520) the palaces in the square became the royal palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he also favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah Kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.

One of the most visited sites in the square is the house of the Kumari (a living goddess who is the reincarnation of Kali).
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m

Start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa, Swoyambunath which is 10 minutes drive from Thamel followed by a visit of 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

We start our day driving to the oldest part of the Kathmandu valley to visit an ancient city called Bhakatapur. This fascinating city reminds you the true culture and living style of medieval period. After visiting Bhaktapur, we will take a short detour to visit a temple situated on a high hill called Changu. It is a fascinating place where you can see oldest Manu script found in Nepali history and some magnificent temples. Then, finally we will drive to Nagarkot following a narrow road for about an hour.

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.

Changunarayan – 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

On our way back from Nagarkot, we visit Pashupatinath and Bouddhnath. In the evening, we participate on Buddhist puja ceremony and blessing by a Buddhist monk at Sheichan Bairoling monastery, Tinchuli. We will walk down to Boudhnath stupa in the evening to witness the Buddhist pilgrims’ Cora; a ritual where hundreds of people walk around the stupa praying with their mala. Then finally, we will drive back to our hotel.

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.

Bouddhnath 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 will have a scenic flight for about 45 minutes to Nepalgunj followed by 2 hours’ drive to Bardia national park. After arriving in Thakurdwara (Bardia National Park) check in at the Racy shade resort. Then in the afternoon, we will visit the temple area, the Bazaar and the Tharu village to experience the local culture and lifestyle.
Overnight: Jungle Resort 
Flight Time: 55 minutes
Driving Time: 2 hour (70 km / Highway)

After our early breakfast, we will go in the national park by a 4×4 Jeep. This is a good excursion to discover the geography of the park and the different ecosystems. In some areas we can step down from the vehicle and have short jungle walk. There are good possibilities to see one horned rhino, wild Asian elephants or Bengal tiger among other animals.

After lunch, we can go for additional safari to explore the surroundings and see more wildlife.
Overnight: Jungle Resort

We will have short drive for an hour to Chisapani (Karnali Bridge) where we explore the surroundings and have a typical lunch (with local fish) in a typical Nepali restaurant. After lunch we begin the floating safari (on raft). There are no big rapids on the river and this excursion offers great opportunity to see the several different birds and animals. We will camp (tent) on a sandy beach across the river (just outside of National Park) and we will explore the very remote and authentic Tharu village where we see the Tharu cultural program (Dance).
Dinner – at the tented camp by the river
Overnight: Tented camp (Camping)

We will have picnic breakfast on our tented camp; then cross the river and explore the national park on foot with a Nature Guide and a porter. We will encounter several different smaller animals and different birds. We will have a picnic lunch for this afternoon as well.
Overnight: Jungle Resort

We will drive for about 2 hours to Nepalgunj followed by a scenic flight to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 2 hours
Flight Time: 55 minutes

Transfer to the airport for departure.

Tour Price Includes

  • Transfers airport / hotel / airport.
  • Hotels in Kathmandu / Nagarkot (Based on double occupancy. If you would like a single room, this can be arranged for an additional fee / single supplement)
  • Accommodation in Bardia – standard jungle resort and tented camp (based on double occupancy)
  • Welcome dinner (Nepali meal set) at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants
  • Transport, guided visits and entry of the monuments as mentioned on itinerary
  • Private vehicle during sightseeing in Kathmandu
  • 4×4 Jeep during Bardia Jungle Safari
  • Flight tickets: Kathmandu – Nepalgunj – Kathmandu
  • A professional English speaking Culture Guide for Kathmandu visits
  • A professional Nature guide for Bardia national park safari
  • Full Board for whole tour (AP Basis – Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)
  • Drinks (Tea / Coffee and water only)
  • All activities during Bardia National park Safari
  • All necessary documents and government tax.
  • Insurance for staff

Tour Price Does Not Include:

  • International Flights to and from Kathmandu
  • Nepal Entry Tourist Visa ($30 for 15 days, obtained upon arrival)
  • Personal expenses such as snacks, cold drinks, alcoholic drinks, telephone, WiFi/internet access, laundry service, medications or medical care, etc.
  • Travel Insurance (This is required. We strongly advise that your coverage include accidents, repatriation, helicopter evacuation and medical care.)
  • Alternative/additional transportation (flights/vehicles), food and accommodation in case of bad weather, flood, landslide, heavy rain, strike, road blockade, political unrest, flight cancellation etc.

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

Culture Safari Tour – 10 Days Gallery

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