Custom Discovery Tour – 14 Days
  • Duration14 Days
  • Trip DifficultyEasy
  • Best SeasonSpring / Autumn / Winter
  • Arrival CityKathmandu
  • Departure CityKathmandu
  • TransportVehicle / Flight
  • AccomodationHotel
  • MealsFull Board
  • HighlightsCulture, History, Mountain view

Overview

The 14 days Custom Discovery tour offers you to discover the top historical cultural and religious places. Nepal is a small and beautiful country. People are peace-loving. Due to its multi-ethnicity and three distinct land features, namely, Himalaya, Hill, and Terai, it is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-religious country. And hence it has a plethora of customs and traditions, each so rich and distinctive.

What’s more, they are well reflected in the country’s arts, architecture, historical and cultural monuments. The custom discovery tour is impeccably designed and planned to satiate your thirst for custom discovery.

Custom Discovery tour will take you across historical and cultural sites of Kathmandu Valley, Nagarkot, Pokhara, Tansen, and Lumbini. Each place is pretty different from another; obviously so in people’s customs and traditions. In addition to it, these places are culturally rich, and they have historical significance. It is splendidly displayed in their monuments, temples, and several cultural and historical sites. For instance, the Swoyambhunath Stupa has an exciting myth for how it came to be. It is linked to the creation of Kathmandu Valley out of the primordial lake. The Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Pathan Durbar Square, and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square will tell you the history of three different medieval states co-existing in the Valley. Upon visiting different places and sites in the Valley, you will get to know the social practices of aboriginals as well as immigrants. Interestingly, Bhaktapur is called the ‘city of culture’. It is a living heritage. Besides, the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu is the holiest pilgrim site for the Hindus all over the world. Furthermore, the Kopan Monastery and the Boudhanath Stupa are unmissable.

Unlike Kathmandu Valley, the city of Pokhara is adored for its natural beauty such as Fewa Lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, views of several mountain peaks, Devi’s fall, Gupteshwori Cave, Mahendra Cave, World Peace Stupa. A 5-hour scenic drive from Pokhara will take you to Tansen, a culturally rich spot. It is an ancient town that will offer you the view of spectacular mountain peaks like, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu. You will be further driven to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. It is a fantastic place with a lot of monuments, monasteries, stupas, and antiquities related to Gautam Buddha.

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.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m

Start our tour with the magnificent Swoyambhunath which is 10 minutes drive from Thamel. Then a short drive to one of the oldest cities of Kathmandu valley which is called Patan to witness its incredible architecture from medieval period.

Swoyambhunath is one of the oldest stupas 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.
Overnight: Hotel

Today we drive to the oldest part of the Kathmandu valley, a quick stop at old Thimi and observe some traditional farming and old alleys of Thimi village. Then finally we go to visit an ancient city called Bhaktapur. This fascinating 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 visit four different squares in this city: Durbar Square (palace square), Tamaudi Square (public square), Pottery Square and Dattatrey Square.
Overnight: Hotel

Drive to one of the oldest temples of the valley, Changunarayan before we head to Nagarkot. It is a fascinating place where you can see oldest Manu script found in Nepali history and some magnificent temples. Another exciting drive for an hour on winding road takes us to Nagarkot. It is a great place to escape from Kathmandu’s hustle bustle.

Nagarkot – One of the most popular hill station / viewpoints close to Kathmandu valley, reward would be the panoramic view of 33 different mountain peaks of different ranges including Mt. Shisapangma of Tibet.
Overnight: Hotel

On our way back from Nagarkot, we will visit Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath.

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

A scenic flight to Pokhara for about 30 minutes then drive for about half an hour to Milan chock followed by another half an hour rough road drive to Astham. We will participate in gardening and farming with Adhikari family in the afternoon then will go to explore the Astham village, school and interact with the locals and students.
Overnight: Farm House

We will drive back to Pokhara valley and continue to  Sedi Bagar followed by a short walk to Thapa family home which offers magnificent view of the lake and surroundings. You will have free afternoon to explore this lake city.
Overnight: Family Guest House

We will drive back to Pokhara and after our hotel check in process completed we will continue our tour visiting Devi’s fall; a water fall that goes deep into a canal, a cave; Gupteswori Cave, a natural cave then a short drive to World Peace stupa which offers a great view of the Pokhara city and Fewa Lake.
Overnight: Hotel

Early morning drive for about an hour to Sarangkot. The view from Sarangkot is superb. Several different peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, including the two highest peaks in the world,-Annapurna I (8091m) and Dhaulagiri (8167m) can be seen. Then we will drive back to Pokhara.

After our breakfast at the hotel, we continue our tour visiting Mountaineering museum where we can learn about the history of Nepal mountaineering and witness true mountaineering culture. Then we will have a boating trip on Fewa lake for about an hour.
Overnight: Hotel

A scenic drive for about 5 hours to Tansen, Palpa. We drive through several small traditional towns and the view of the mountain peaks from some of the hills on the way are superb. We arrive in Tansen by early afternoon. We drive through the winding narrow road of Tansen Bazaar to get to our hotel, which is situated right on the top of the village with a magnificent view of the mountain ranges. In the afternoon we visit Tansen Bazaar, Tansen Durbar (Palace) and other surrounding temples.

Tansen is a small ancient hill town situated 1090 meters above sea level. It is located in Palpa district of western region of Nepal. The highlights of the Tansen are its’ ancient culture, excellent mountain views, serene atmosphere and friendly people. Tansen is really popular for its pleasant weather so it is considered good place to visit in any season. The spectacular view of the mountain peaks including Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu and other peaks can be seen from Tansen.
Overnight: Hotel

Start our day with 20 minutes walk to Srinagar hill to catch sunrise over the magnificent mountain ranges. Then, quick breakfast and explore surrounding areas (if you are interested). Then we drive for about 3 hours to Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha.

In the afternoon, visit Maya Devi Temple; exact birth place of Gautam Buddha. Maya Devi temple is built right on the place of his birth. The temple is built in modern design, however inside the temple; they have preserved exact structure of the place/stone where he was born.

According to the legend, his mother; queen of Kapilbastu was on her way to her parental house to visit her parents and all of sudden, she was struck with labor pain and she asked her servants / care takers to take her back to the palace but pain was unbearable so she decided to rest on the shade of the banyan tree nearby, where she gave birth Gautam Buddha.

We also visit some of the temples and stupas built by different nations dedicated to Lord Buddha in the Lumbini garden.
Overnight: Hotel

Start our tour early in the morning driving about 28 km west of Lumbini to visit the palace of Shakya dynasty. Gautam Buddha spent 29 years of his life with his family in this palace as a prince. Even though he was a prince of the kingdom, he was different than rest of the royals and he was curious about the real world, which scared his family and his father, the king of Kapilbastu. King wanted his son to become future king and rule the country so he wanted to train his son as a future king so king arranged all the physical luxury possible in the world right inside the palace so his son wouldn’t know about the poorness and cruelty of the real world outside of palace.
In the afternoon, we visit rest of the temples in Lumbini garden.
Overnight: Hotel

We drive for about an hour to Bhairawa followed by a  scenic flight back to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel

Transfer to the airport and departure.

Tour Price Includes

  • Transfers airport / hotel / airport.
  • Accommodations in Kathmandu / Bhaktapur / Nagarkot / Pokhara / Tansen / Lumbini on twin sharing BB Basis
  • Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants
  • Transport, guided visits and entry of the monuments
  • Domestic flight (Kathmandu – Pokhara / Bhairawa – Kathmandu) as per itinerary
  • A professional English speaking tour guide
  • Private vehicle for whole sightseeing
  • Full board during whole tour
  • Drinks (Tea and Coffee only)
  • All necessary documents and government tax
  • Insurance for staff

Tour Price Does Not Include:

  • International Flights to / from Kathmandu
  • Nepal Entry Visa Fee ($ 30 for 15 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, heavy rain, flood, landslide, strike, road blockade etc
  • Personal expenses such as snacks, cold drinks, mineral water, alcoholic drinks, telephone etc.
  • Tips for tour staff or car / van / bus driver.

NOTE: The price of the tour will be adjusted according to the group size.

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