Kathmandu Valley Tour – 5 Days
  • Duration5 Days
  • Best SeasonSpring, Autumn & Winter
  • Arrival CityKathmandu
  • Departure CityKathmandu
  • Altitude maximum2195m (Nagarkot)
  • TransportVehicle
  • AccomodationHotel
  • MealsFull Board
  • HighlightsHistory, Culture, mountain view

Overview

Kathmandu Valley Tour will begin with a visit to an ancient palace square, Kathmandu Durbar Square. Kathmandu Durbar Square is a marvel at a different level. The square has several temples, ancient cultural and historical monuments. They are artistically rich and architecturally distinctive. The next leg of the tour starts with the visit of a magnificent stupa called the Swoyambunath, followed by a drive to Patan that will bring you a medieval period through arts, crafts, and monuments. Further, you will travel to Nagarkot, a popular hill station, that will give you a magnificent view of 33 different mountain peaks. Before we head to Nagarkot, we will drive through a culturally amazing city, Bhaktapur. It is also called Living Heritage and the City of Culture. You will also visit Changunarayan to see the oldest manuscript in the history of Nepal, and some beautiful temples.

With a huge white dome stupa surrounded by beautiful prayer wheels, the Boudhanath is spectacular and extensive. It is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrim sites in the Valley. Moreover, Pashupatinath Temple, a holiest Hindu pilgrimage is another attraction of Kathmandu.

Your Tour guide will help in weaving all the historical, religious, and cultural sites into a story of this culturally very rich valley. 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 classic Nepal tour.

This Kathmandu valley tour is packed richly with wonder; it offers much more wonder and awe than mentioned. It cannot be truly expressed, so we would like to help you discover it.

Detailed Itinerary

You will be transferred to the Hotel by one of our representatives. After having some rest, we will start our tour visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square; an ancient palace square which is about 25 minutes walk from our hotel. In the evening, we will have welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu with folk music and dances.

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 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

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

We drive back to Kathmandu and visit a Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath and a Buddhist stupa called Boudhanath. You will have some free time in the afternoon for shopping or more exploration in touristic town of Thamel.

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

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)
  • Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants
  • Transport, guided visits and entry of the monuments mentioned on itinerary
  • Private vehicle for whole tour
  • A professional English speaking Culture Guide for whole tour
  • Full board for whole tour (AP / Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)
  • Drinks (Tea / coffee only with meals)
  • 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, 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 staff / car driver.

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