Must-See Kathmandu: A Customizable Tour Package for Your Nepal Trip

Nepal is a country rich in ancient cultures, natural wonders, and eight of the world’s highest mountains. A tour of the nation's bustling capital, Kathmandu, takes you to the country's major attractions and gives you a chance to participate in sightseeing and its rich heritage.

What do you want to experience in Kathmandu? The rich history of Kings, Ranas, architecture, and the Newari culture. Living goddesses in Nepal have a unique culture unlike ever before. The Kathmandu sightseeing tour offers you attractions, locations, and an amazing time to seek blessings from the Pashupatinath Temple, one of the most holy Hindu shrines located in Nepal.

Here is what the Kathmandu Tour Package is All About

The Kathmandu tour package explores the seven monumental UNESCO World Heritage sites scattered across the Kathmandu Valley. Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest spherical stupas, holds the Buddhist philosophy, a sign of peace and non-violence in Nepal.

The historic Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur are the pillars and historic remnants of the rich archaeology of Newari architecture. Visiting Swayambhunath Stupa, another magical sacred site of Hindus and Buddhists, gives you an iconic view of the valley.

Walking by the commercial street of Thamel, you find a neo-renaissance palace garden, The Garden of Dreams, inside the Kaiser Library, where history preserves its beauty. Or, you can just go to the highest hill station near Kathmandu via the Chandragiri Cable Car to have an exceptional view of the surrounding landscapes and mountains.

Kathmandu Tour Package: Major Attractions inside the Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu tour package is an excursion trip that takes you to Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Garden of Dreams, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, and many other attractions inside the valley.

Kathmandu Valley has spiritual sanctuaries, like Budhanilkantha Temple, the ISKCON temple nearby, and a Vipassana meditation center. One can choose the Kathmandu Valley for yoga and spiritual tours. Also, Kathmandu is where you can visit must-see places like Dakshinkali Temple and Phulchowki Hill.

1. Swayambhunath Stupa

Swayambhunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple, is located on the hilltop of the Kathmandu Valley. The 5th century AD stupa is home to a large community of monkeys, with temples, monasteries, and centers placed in a dome-shaped structure with 13 rings. By spinning the prayer wheels, reciting mantras and prayers, and visiting the temple and stupa area.

Harati Temple- where we workshop Ajima, the Haratimata, the healer of children, as believed in Newari society, is also located here. Once a Yakshini, the Mata now blesses children with good health.

The stupa is a popular destination for both tourists and pilgrims and is a symbol of the rich cultural and religious heritage of Nepal. The significant Buddhist pilgrimage site, aka UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one to visit in the Kathmandu tour package.

2. The Pashupatinath Temple

The Pashupatinath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal. It has a live cremation area, where you can learn about the life and death cycle.

Pashupatinath temple’s holy fact is that it has the first Chaturmukha linga (Four Faced Linga). Its four faces have a unique name, Tatpurusha (east face), Aghora (south face), Sadyojata (west face), and Vamadeva (north face).

The temple is particularly busy during the annual Shivaratri festival, which celebrates Lord Shiva and is one of the most important Hindu festivals in Nepal. There are Sandhya Aarati prayers at dawn on the bank of Bagmati. It is also religiously celebrated by the Hindu community with great devotion.

3. The Bouddha Stupa

The Bouddha Stupa, also known as the Boudhanath Stupa, is also one of the biggest stupas in Nepal. It is believed to have been built in the 14th century as a significant sanctuary for Tibetan Buddhists. Thangkas and the mandala-like formation of the stupa worship Buddha. The place where the stupa is located is also known as Bouddha, in respect to the stupa. Particularly during Buddha Jayanti, the stupa is hugely crowded.

4. Basantapur Durbar Square

Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, or Basantapur Durbar, is the other name of Kathmandu’s center and old Durbar Square. There are 50 temples in the vicinity of Durbar Square, starting with the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, and Shiva-Parvati Temple. Enter, you enter toward the Hanuman Dhoka, the main palace and museum, and also have a sight of the Kal Bhairav temple, which embodies Shiva's fierce form.

There are tantric practices done in the Taleju Bhawani Temple, where the Kumari is selected. Also, celebrations like the Indra Jatra are quite prominent in this area, this festivity is also one of the chariot-pulling ceremonies by the Newar community, demonstrating how Indra, the god of rain, arrived in Nepal.

You can visit Durbar from the Asan Indrachowk entry point or New Road gate and walk in the commercial street until you find a fresh, breathing, quaint space of Durbar, where the maze of courtyards and temples gives you glimpses of the residence of the Malla Kings, who ruled Kathmandu from the 12th to the 18th centuries in Nepal.

The Nasal Chowk courtyard in Basantapur was a coronation place for the Rana regime. The Narsingha Statue of Lord Vishnu is also situated in Durbar Square. Additionally, the Bhairav avatar of Siva is celebrated in the Swet Bhairav temple and Kal Bhairav statue.

5. The Garden of Dreams

The Garden of Dreams is a neo-classical planned garden inside the Kaiser Mahal in the Kanti Marga. It was built in the 1920s and to date, its well-maintained greenery, fountains, ancient-style Durbar, pagodas, and ever-blooming flowers make it quite an attractive destination.

The Garden of Dreams is open daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 p.m., and the entrance fee is NPR 200 for adults and NPR 50 for children under 10 years old. The peaceful oasis was restored in 2007 with the help of the Austrian government and the Ministry of Education, Nepal. Since then, it has been the perfect place for enjoying nature, even for couples.

6. Chandragiri Hills Cable Car

The Chandragiri Hills Cable Car is a popular tourist attraction in Kathmandu, Nepal, with Bhaleshwor Mahadev temple. It takes a 10-minute ride on the cable car to reach the temple arena.

The cable car accommodates 8 passengers at a time and takes you to an elevation of 2,550 meters. From the famous Chandragiri hill station, you can have amazing views from the southwest of Kathmandu Valley. In addition, one can view the Annapurna massif, Chitlang Valley, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and Langtang Lirung views, even with binoculars, from the view tower in Chandragiri.

The cable car station in Chandragiri is 14 km away from the center of Kathmandu. The cable car operates every day from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 6 pm on weekends, as many people visit it on holidays as one of the finest attractions in the valley.

7. Hiking around Kathmandu

Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by several hill stations, making it a popular hiking destination. In the northwest of the valley rests Nagarjun Hill, whose hike starts from the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park gate.

Even so, you can hike to another hill, 12 kilometers north of Kathmandu, in Shivapuri National Park, for amazing valley views and the beauty of the Himalayas. Champa devi hiking, sundarijal hiking, and sightseeing at popular destinations near Kathmandu can help you have adventure and nature advantage at the same time.

8. Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture, featuring various temples, a 55-window palace, wooden windows, and the royal residence of the Malla Period with exceptional architectural walls.

Siddhapokhari, the prominent Nyatapola temple, the five-story pagoda-style Siddhi Lakshmi temple, and four of the major squares: Taumadhi Square, Durbar Square, Pottery Square and Dattatreya Square.

9. Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square is located in Patan city, with Keshav Narayan (Krishna) Temple, a three-story temple built in Shikara style called Granthakuta, as early as 1601 AD. It has Keshav Narayan Chowk, Mul Chowk, and Sundari Chowk as its main layout.

Patan Museum is situated in the north, and its center temple, with beautiful courtyards with traditional architecture and carvings, gives it its name. The periphery of Patan has the Golden Temple, Banglamukhi Temple, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, and Taleju Bhawani Temple.

10. Seto Machindranath Temple

Seto Machindranath Temple is also known as the White Machindranath Temple or Janabaha Dyo. In the Janabahal, this form of the Hindu god Shiva is celebrated in both famous Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Inside Basantapur Square, this 17th-century temple is one of the oldest and most revered temples made of wood, brick, intricate carvings, and Newari-style architecture.

The annual chariot procession festival of Seto Machindranath is held in the lunar month of Chaitra. The main deity of the temple is a large, white, wooden statue of Machindranath, which history tells us was brought from the neighboring country of Tibet.

11. Waterfalls near Kathmandu

If you are near Kathmandu, visiting nearby sunrise viewpoints like Nagarkot and the waterfall there in Nagarkot can be a refreshing time out into nature. Similar is the adventure that takes you to Jhor Waterfall, located in Tokha, 11 km north of Samakhusi.

The Kathmandu tour packages can be customized based on what you are eager to see. The Tindhara Waterfall, located in the Kafal Dandha area in Kavre, 65 km east of Kathmandu, is also a worthy place to visit, renowned for its Bollywood movie "Bahubali, "like natural scenery.

Mohani Jharna from Markhu, Kulekhani, 33 km from Kathmandu, is an ideal spot beneath the Chitlang organic village. If you are a spiritual practitioner or swimmer, relaxing in a water pool gives you divine cleansing. So, explore, the Simba Falls (Manikhel Jharana), and others, near Kathmandu that also take you to exhilarating cold water.

12. Phulchowki

Phulchowki, located in the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, is the highest hill station in the Kathmandu Valley, at an elevation of 2,762 meters (9,058 feet) above sea level. The 'hill of flowers' is known for its abundant biodiversity, boasting diverse avian, insect, and plant species along its forested slopes. Godawari Botanical Garden is also located in its intricate ecosystems.

The hike starts from the garden, at the base of the hill, and may take you 4 to 5 hours on average to have 360-degree views of the Annapurna Range, Langtang Range, and Ganesh Himal Peak. The shrines and statues of Phulchowki Mai are the protectors of this area. No doubt, it is also a wonderful destination for birdwatching tours in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Conclusion

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, provides you with the adventure of your interest. Except for all the cultural exploration and historic learning as above, you get to taste the Newari cuisines, see their cultural performances, and make the most of the natural serenity.

Mountain biking in the nearby foothills and cycling trail. A luxury golf tour at Gokarna Forest Resort can also be an activity to keep on your bucket list. But before that, let's remind you, that the Nature Trail team, has the anticipated adventure for you on your customizable package, as the best tour agency in Nepal.