Kathmandu Valley Tour
Formerly City Highlights with Nagarkot Tour
4 Nights/5 Days in the Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley is home to seven World Heritage Sites, incredible mountain views, waterfalls, historic cities, ancient temples and a myriad of culture. Four nights/ five days is not enough to see the valley, but it is enough to give you a good taste of what this place has to offer.
DAY 1 – Arrival – You will arrive at Tribhuven International Airport where you will be greeted by our company's representative and taken directly to your hotel. Today is a day of resting, although some do choose to do some local sightseeing in and around their hotel. Kathmandu is a safe city with many people speaking English. Nepali culture loves visitors, and they will go out of their way to be helpful.
DAY 2 – Kathmandu, Patan and the Tibetan Cultural Centre – The morning will take you on a tour of Kathmandu where you will visit Durbar Square, one of the World Heritage sites. Durbar square is the ancient home of the Nepali kings. There are approximately 60 temples in Durbar square, an ancient palace as the home of the Kumari, the living goddess, who greets people from her balcony. The afternoon will visit the second largest city of the valley: Patan. Also called Lalitpur, it was once a royal city in the valley and features its own Durbar Square, noted for its Newari carvings and temples. Patan also has its own Kumari, and you can see her while in Patan. Patan is also one of the world heritage sites. There will also be a visit to Swayambhu Stupa, located on top of a high hill (only in Nepal do we call peaks without snow "hills") which will offer you an incredible view of the valley. Swayambhu, also called "Monkey temple" is a world heritage site. Unlike the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu and Patan, this one is Buddhist; the others are Hindu.
DAY 3 – Temples, Temples and One Fantastic View – There is no shortage of temples in the Kathmandu Valley. Today you will visit two more world heritage sites before traveling to the village of Nagarkot. Pashupatinath is the most sacred Hindu Temple in Nepal, bringing Pilgrims from all over the world. Boudhanath is one of the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world, and is not far from Pashupatinath. Following a tour of these religious sites, your tour will then ascend to the highest point overlooking the Kathmandu Valley – Nagarkot. Nagarkot is only known for one thing – great views of the Himalayas where you also witness sunrise and sunset over the mountains. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Everest in the east, the Annapurna Range to the west and the mountains of Tibet to the north. You will spend the night in Nagarkot, and if weather permits, see both a magnificent sunset and then an incredible sunrise over the Himalayas.
DAY 4 – Bhaktipur (Bhadgaon) – Bhaktipur is a world heritage site and was once also a royal city in the valley. The historic city features many temples, a royal palace, as well as a Kumari (living goddess). The city features craftsmen, great restaurants, thanka painters and much more. The Taleju Temple is one of the best examples of Pagoda-style structures in Nepal, and the old royal palace is famous for its 55 carved wooden windows in traditional Newari style. Return to Kathmandu for the night.
DAY 5 – Departure – After breakfast, it will be time to leave Kathmandu for home. As you travel to the airport, you will begin to realize just all you have missed on this trip. No problem, as there's always a return trip to Nepal. Be warned: Nepal is a place that gets into your blood, making you want to come back again and again and again!
