Overview
Kathmandu at Glance Tour-5 Days
This short 5 days Kathmandu at Glance tour gives you the glimpses view of what the country has to offer. During the tour we will be visiting six world heritage sites inside Kathmandu valley including Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swoyambhunath Stupa, Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
Besides the cultural sites inside Kathmandu valley, you will also have chance to have glance of the country side from the popular view point at Nagarkot hill station along with Sunset & Sunrise views. Drive to Nagarkot is thrilling country side drive which is 31 km from Kathmandu with beautiful views of terraced farmland, pine forest etc.
Finally once we are back in Kathmandu valley, we will also visit to Budhanilkantha Temple (large Bishnu statue sleeping in the middle of a small pond on an serpent). This place holy for both Hindus and Buddhists pilgrims.
At a Glance
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Day 1 |
Arrival |
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Day 2 |
In Kathmandu |
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Day 3 |
Drive Kathmandu-Nagarkot (32 km. 1.5 hrs drive) |
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Day 4 |
Drive back to Kathmandu |
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Day 5 |
Departure |
Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive Kathmandu, upon arrival meet, assist and transfer to the hotel.
Rest of the day at leisure
Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu
Day 2: In Kathmandu
Morning after breakfast at your hotel, proceed for sightseeing tour of Kathmandu City, Swoyambhunath Stupa & Patan City
AM: Sightseeing tour of Kathmandu City & Swoyambhunath Stupa
Listed as one of the eight Cultural World Heritage site by UNESCO, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a cluster of ancient temples, palaces, courtyards and streets that date back to the 12th and 18th centuries. The square is known to be the social, religious and urban focal point of the Capital City.
The Palace Complex was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and is the site of important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels an. It houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum.
Swoyambhu literally means ‘Self-Existent One.’ Swoyambhunath is believed to have been established more than 2,500 years ago. An inscription dated 460 A.D. states that the construction was carried out by King Manadeva. By the thirteenth century Swoyambhunath had developed into an important Buddhist learning site.
The history of Kathmandu Valley is said to have started with the beginning of Swoyambhu. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal is in a monastery next to the stupa. Behind the hilltop is a temple dedicated to Manjusri of Saraswati – the goddess of learning. Statues and shrines of Buddhist and Hindu deities dot the stupa complex.
PM: Sightseeing of Patan City
Patan Durbar Square This ancient city of Patan also Known as Lalitpur or the city of fine arts is about five kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. It is fragmented from other cities due to its substantive architectural ancient masterpieces. Patan Durbar Square is a concentrated mass of temples, the most stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen in Nepal. Listed in World Heritage Site, the former Royal Palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. The Square has been described as one of the most picturesque collection of buildings that have been set up so small a place by the piety of oriental man.
Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu
Day 3: Drive Kathmandu-Nagarkot (32 km. 1.5 hrs drive)
Morning after breakfast at your hotel, proceed for sightseeing tour of Pashupatinath & Boudhanath Stupa.
AM: Sightseeing tour of Pashupatinath & Boudhanath Stupa
Pashupatinath: Pashupatinath, dedicated to Shiva the Destroyer, is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage destination in Nepal. A gold-plated roof, four silver doors, and wood carvings of the finest quality decorate the pagoda temple of Pashupatinath. Temples dedicated to several other Hindu and Buddhist deities surround the temple of Pashupatinath. Behind the temple is the River Bagmati. On the banks of Bagmati are raised platforms used as cremation sites for Hindus. Only Hindus are allowed inside the Pashupatinath courtyard.
Boudhanath Stupa (or Bodnath Stupa): is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is located in the town of Boudha, on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu. After the arrival of thousands of Tibetans following the 1959 Chinese invasion, the temple has become one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism. Today it remains an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepalis, as well as a popular tourist site.
Continue drive to Nagarkot
Nagarkot is one of the popular hill station located close to Kathmandu. Nagarkot is famous for incrediable sunrise and sunset view over Hialayas. On clear day even Mt. Everest can be seen from here.
Overnight at Hotel in Nagarkot
Day 4: Drive back to Kathmandu
Early morning Sunrise over the Himalayas. After breakfast drive back to Kathmandu, en-route visit Bhaktapur City.
PM: Sightseeing tour of Bhaktapur City
Bhaktapur City (or City of Devotees): 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. The others are Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and Patan. Bhaktapur is filled with monuments, most terra-cotta with carved wood columns, palaces and temples with elaborate carvings, gilded roofs,open courtyards. The city is dotted with pagodas and religious shrines. Lying along the ancient trade route between India and Tibet, Bhaktapur is surrounded by mountains and provides a magnificent view of the Himalayas.
PM: Visit Budhanilkantha Temple
Budhanilkantha Temple located at the base of Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu valley is on the northern side. It is also known as mystical Budhanilkantha temple or Narayanthan temple .Budhanilkantha literally means “Old Blue Throat”. is only nine kilometer away from the main city. It is a deity of Lord Vishnu; Lord Vishnu is also known as Narayan and also called Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayan lying on Ananta Sesa, in the cosmic ocean. The deity is about thousand years old. Lord Vishnu is about five meter (Seventeen fits) long and lying in a thirteen meter (forty three fits) long tank, as if floating with his legs crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta and his 11 hooded head.His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu, the Shankha as conch shell, Chakra as disc, Gadha as club and Padma as lotusflower. It is believe that the deity was carved in the seventh or eighth century during the Licchavi period.
Rest of the day at leisure
Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu
Day 5: Departure
Morning after breakfast at your hotel, free time till departure
Transfer to international airport to connect flight to onward destination
Value Added
We are ready to welcome you with all the necessary safety measures (Post -19 Pandemic Halt). Hence we assure you of safety and security by following the optimal precautions.
Safety Assurance from Us (Tour/Trekking Operator)
- Vehicles fully cleaned and disinfected
- Foot bath mat available at entrance
- Extra masks available (if required)
- Safe distancing
- We carry limited number of passengers
- Our crew wear full PPE while disinfecting the vehicle
- Temperature screening available
- Our crew tested fit to travel
- Sanitizers available
- We carry additional deep wipe down cleaning of high touched areas
- Hygiene kit available for sale
- Our crew wear face mask and face shield
Safety Rules for Travelers (You)
- Namaste over handshake
- Do not travel if unwell
- Wear face mask all the time
- Maintain safe distancing
- Use foot mat while boarding
- Undertake temperature screening
- Ventilators over air conditioning
- Avoid unnecessary surface touching
- Wash/Sanitize hands regularly
- Follow sneeze etiquette
- Follow safety instructions (from local authority)
- Carry your personal hygiene all the time
Where can i see and feel the Himalayan snow in Nepal?
Dear Pascal,
Thank you for your query. Please note although Nepal is Himalayan destination to see snow (specially during Summer time) you need to go to mountainous region which can be reached by several days trekking (due to lack of proper transportation service). However during Winter season, Kathmandu-the capital city and surrounding hills also gets occasional snowfall. The popular snowfall destinations around Kathmandu are Phulchoki, Chandragiri, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Dahachowk, Tistung (Daman), Kalinchowk, Gosainkunda, Jomsom (Muktinath) etc.
Thanks,
Navaraj
Can we see Mount Everest From Nagarkot?
Dear Melaine, Thank you for your query. Nagarkot is the nearby hill station to Kathmandu (Capital city of Nepal) famous for Sunrise/Sunset Views and the Mountain Views. The mountains that can be seen from Nagarkot are likely Manaslu range, Ganesh Himal Range, Langtang, Jugal Range, Rolwaling Range, Everest Range and Numbur Range from here. However Mount Everest in particular can be viewed in a very clear weather day.