Nepal Photography Tours - 18 days

Flying to the country of Mountains is a wonderful experience in itself. On a clear day, the views of snowcapped mountain peaks will take your breath. Your flight lands at Tribhuvan International Airport which is located in Kathmandu. Kathmandu is a small town and the capital of the country surrounded by the hills from all sides. It is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal. The capital of modern Nepal is nestled in the middle of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains, in a valley surrounded by gentle, green terraced hills, ancient temples, shrines and red tiled-roofed houses. Proceed for the customs and luggage’s clearance and then exist from the Airport Departure lounge. As soon as you exist you can see number of peoples outside holding a placard. Among them one of the representative of Nature Trail Travels & Tours, Trekking & Expedition will be holing a placard with your name in it. So, closely look at them. He will then escort you to your respective hotels. Or else, you can visit our office and after full description about your trip, you will be driven to your hotel.

The distinctive cultural and historical identities of the Kathmandu Valley make it an extraordinary place to photograph. With your camera in hand, discover the enchanting cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Swayambhunath. Early morning, we visit Swayambhunath to witness the rituals of monks, pilgrims and worshippers. Swayambhunath is known as “Monkey Temple” since you can see numbers of monkeys around the surrounding areas of the temple. Keeping in this mind, small swimming pool has been made for monkeys to cool themselves in the escorting heat of summer. After strolling around the area and clicking some pictures of Stupas, temples, monuments and of course monkeys, we drive towards Kathmandu Durbar Square. Kathmandu Durbar Square is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. But construction has already been started and efforts have been made for its restoration. Further, we drive to another historical town of Patan. Patan Durbar Square is regarded as the culturally and historically richest Durbar Square among three Durbar Squares. It is also listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Patan, the city of Artists, offers many visual treats for your camera.

Work on portraiture and capturing scenes from everyday life during a fantastic photography tour today. Today’s program will include: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple and a must visit site for the Hindus devotee. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is also listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Afterwards, we will visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world. In this UNESCO World Heritage Sites, we can observe Buddhist monks absorbed in prayer surrounding the Stupa. Further, we drive east of Kathmandu towards Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur town is an ancient Newari town and is a cluster of prehistoric temple.

After breakfast at hotel and we drive towards Daman via Kulekhani Dam Site. We ride through the pine forest and pass by many small villages. Kulekhani Dam was completed in 1982 and is the first reservoir Hydropower system of Nepal which is enormous. It is a peaceful place where the beauty of the water reservoir adds up even more beauty to the area. This picturesque lake side is a paradise for a photographer. Capture these magical vistas and wonderful landscapes in your camera. Then we drive towards Daman through Markhu village. The turning for Markhu and the Kulekhani Reservoir appears on the left 4 kilometer past Tistung. Further drive for about 5 kilometer, takes us to the Newari village of Palung, which is situated at the height of 1745 meter. From Palung, we drive further 12 kilometer in order to reach Daman, a beautiful hill-station. Daman is a village in the central part of Nepal, located in the district of Makwanpur in Thaha Municipality. 2322 meter above sea level, Daman offers unimpeded views of the entire range from Dhaulagiri to Mt Everest stretching from west to east. From Daman eight of the ten world highest mountain can be seen in the 360 Degree panoramic view from the View Tower.  For photographer, this place is ideal for Mountainous views as well as important for cultural belief. One can click photos of some of the tallest peaks of Nepal like Annapurna I, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Lang tang, Dorje Lakpa, Gaurishankar, Cho Oyu and Mt Everest This place is also famous for Mountain Botanical Garden which comprises over 78 hectares of forest. February to March is the best time to visit this place, when varieties of rhododendrons (the national flower of Nepal) are in bloom. During winter season, snow falls here which welcomes more domestic as well as international tourist here. Since the village lies on the outskirts of Kathmandu, it provides a great opportunity for the people residing in Kathmandu to observe its beauty and use it for means of recreation. Individual can also fly to this place since one of the resort (Panorama Resort) has helipad on its surrounding.

Early in the morning wake up and proceed for a short hike 1 kilometer south of village towards Risheshwor Temple. About an hour walk through forests leads you to this temple. This temple has a faces shaped carved in a stone. People worship this stone as Lord Shiva. Unlike various Shiva Temple, this temple does not have Shiva Linga but a face of the God Shiva. People from various countries and state visit this temple in a belief that their wish comes true. There is a very small pond where people worship and throw the coins on its hole making their wish. According to the locals, during the great festival of “Thulo Ekadashi”, there is a light enlightened automatically during mid-night above the Shiva’s statue. So, on this day there is a huge festival in this place and is crowded with the devotees offering their prayers. On the way to the temple, you can see many prayer flags which makes the environment a peaceful .You can also see a Tibetan Monastery where Lamas practice meditation for several years. This little Gompa is situated in glade of trees draped with thousands of prayer flags. Enroute, there is a sleeping stone where it is believed that whoever sleeps here for a moment won’t have any back pain problems. Along with religious and cultural belief, Daman is famous for its View Tower fitted with long range telescopes from where one can see widest panoramic views of the Himalayas. It has a great view of the mountains from Dhaulagiri to Mt Everest. For the view of the Breath taking grandeur of the world’s highest peaks extending in one glittering are from far-east of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) there is no better place than Daman. After short sightseeing around this place, we travel overland from Daman towards Royal Chitwan National Park. You will enjoy the views of enormous plains of the Terai region while driving towards Chitwan. Chitwan National Park is declared as World Heritage Site under the category of Natural Sites by UNESCO. Chitwan is one of Asia’s best’s wildlife – viewing spots and the place to don your safari togs, clamber atop a lumbering elephant and head into the dawn mist in search of rhinos and tiger. 8% of the world bird species, rare mammals including one horned rhinoceros and the Bengal tiger makes it exclusive. Once reaching your destination, you will be briefed about the elephant activities and Jungle Safari. You can later enjoy the sunset in Rapti River, elephant back safari and stroll around the Tharu villages. Once the night falls down, we entertain you with cultural performances (Tharu stick dance, peacock dance) including bonfire before getting in bed.

With a wakeup call along with tea or coffee, we have the great time to witness the wildlife and click some amazing pictures at its best in Royal Chitwan National Park. This includes Elephant Safari, Canoeing, visit to elephant breeding center and cultural show. Sal forest, open grassland and riverine jungle will accompany you during elephant safari. The ride is far from ‘smooth’ but there are plenty of photo ops as long as you communicate to the mahout (elephant driver) that you want to make a photo. We’ll be traveling through dense elephant grass that can grow up to 18-20 ft. in height and is the favorite habitat for rhinoceros and other animals. The elevated vantage point is a great advantage and provides a good safety margin in case a Bengal tiger shows up. After doing elephant safari, your delicious breakfasts will be waiting for you. We will then head to the grasslands and forests near the Narayani River. If you are lucky, you will see many amazing creatures that you spend most time to looking for; rhinoceroses, Chitwan’s royal Bengal tigers, leopards, monkeys, many types of deer and reptiles. Check your camera gear – preferably with a telephoto lens and you will not miss any shots. In later afternoon, a traditional dug-out canoe takes you on a silent trip down the Rapti River to view aquatic birds and the crocodile along the river banks. We then head towards the elephant breeding center to see them being raised to re-populate their dwindling numbers and disperse them over various regions where they have a chance for survival, to see these majestic animals and understand how they live and what they do. You can click cute pictures of newly born calf. We will also go to the observation tower, then later in the evening head back to the resort for dinner. We hope that this day will be the finest day for those who loves wildlife photography.

Early in the morning, we wake up and proceed for Nature walk and bird watching. Don’t forget to bring your camera as you will have a marvelous opportunity to click various species of birds today. Among those, some of these birds are migrating birds, which have flown thousands of miles and sheltered in this national park. Our guides will help you identify some species of birds, plants and other wildlife that you may encounter. Getting back to the hotel, we take breakfast and then drive to Pokhara, another beautiful town and a center of tourist attraction. Pokhara is a striking scenic lake town where nature is amplified with the views of majestic peaks, sparkling water lakes with boating and canoeing thrills will add on a greater value to your photographic tour. Witnessing some natural wonders of nature in waterfalls and gorges and magical dawns that light up the sky and the snowy Himalayan spires in hues of the rising sun and capturing these magical vistas and wonderful landscapes in your camera will obviously fulfill the expectations of an ideal Photographic tour. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the respective hotel where you get refreshed and proceed for an hour boat ride in Phewa Lake and visit Tal Barahi Temple, a famous temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.

Rest day sightseeing & photography tours in Pokhara city Early in the morning we will drive to Sarangkot hill for viewing and clicking some snaps of sunrise and stunning snowcapped mountain ranges. There’s a non-descript village just before the view point. The village is located on Sarangkot mountain at an altitude of 1600m and is renowned for its panoramic Himalayan views: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu as well as down on the city of Pokhara and Phewa lake. In recent years, Sarangkot has become a hotspot for Paragliding, Zip-flyer, Ultra-light, Bungee jump etc. While you are in Sarangkot, you can enjoy these activities. After sunrise view, we proceed for the sightseeing tour of some famous places of Pokhara; Davi’s fall, Gupteswor cave, Mahendra Cave, Bats Cave, Bindhyabasini Temple, Barahi Temple and Seti George. Davi’s fall is a waterfall. On 31 July 1961, a Swiss couple Davi went swimming but the woman drowned in a pit because of the overflow. Her body was recovered 3 days later in river Phusre with great effort. Her father wished to name it “Davi’s falls” after her. Its Nepali name is Patale Chango, which means “underworld waterfall”. The waterfall during the monsoon season provides you with a natural effect which makes each photograph amazing. Gupteswor Cave is a city shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a world-famous pilgrim site. It is a limestone cave discovered some time ago and has a number of scenic spots around. The main attraction is the gigantic Shiva Linga which is said to be increasing in size. Gupteswor cave is special for the underground water. It is really worth seeing. It is a natural cave with Stalagmites. One has to reach the end to view the superb scene. The shrine is called “Gupteswor” which means the “Hidden God”. It is so named because it was lying hidden in the cave for a very long period. People suffering from incurable diseases come here to worship the God and remain here for months in the hope of getting cured. You might need some focus light while capturing pictures of this cave. Mahendra Cave is a cave located close to the Seti River. It is a rare example of a cave system in Nepal containing stalagmites and stalactites. A statue of Hindu lord Shiva can be found inside the cave. The cave gets its name from former King, Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. This cave was discovered in the late 1950s by young shepherds of Pokhara. Since then it has remained one of the most visited places in Pokhara. The canal is completely dark with continuously dripping water overhead. The cave is full of limestone, which falls to the ground and continuously forms electrical sparks. Due to the darkness, artificial lighting is provided inside the cave but this light won’t be sufficient for taking pictures. Bat Cave, which is also known as the natural habitat of bats, is also worth of visiting, and is, located a ten-minute walk away from Mahendra Cave. It is 150 m long and 25 ft. high. The main entrance of this cave is quite narrow but the inner part is wide enough. The main specialty of this cave is that there are more than 15 thousand bats of different species. Images of elephant tusks, gods, and goddesses can be observed in the inner walls of the cave. Here, you can click pictures of various species of Bat under one cave. Bindhyabasini temple is the center of religious activity situated in the small hill-lock in between the main old bazaar and Bagar area at an elevation of 3000 feet above sea level. It is one of the oldest temples in the Pokhara valley and has an immense cultural value dedicated to Goddess Bhagawati. This temple is considered as one of the main and foremost Shaktipiths of western Nepal. It is heard to have been expressed that one can materialize the wishes whatever one wishes by worshiping the Devi. Built in a Shikhar Shailee (Shikhar style) the temple has an Idol of Bhagawati having 8 Bhujas (hands). Seti George is also known as Seti Khola, where “Seti” means “White” and “Khola” means “River”. This is the holiest river of western Nepal, which is fed by snow of Machapuchare and Annapurna mountains. It rises from the base of the Annapurna massive, and passes through the limestone gorge of beautiful Pokhara valley and Damauli to join the Trishuli River near Devghat. It makes more excitement for those who look down to the Seti George from the top of the cliff. It is also famous for rafting and has unspoiled greenish jungle scenery, excellent bird watching site, local cultural heritage and beautiful clean beaches, many small and undemanding rapids. This is one of the additional sites that makes natural environment of Nepal more beautiful. White water running down this George makes you click random shots. After sightseeing tour of these famous places of Pokhara, transfer to the hotel for overnight stay.

On the following day, we will have few hours hiking in the beautiful village of Dhampus after an hour drive to Phedi. We walk through sparse villages, farm terraces and forests. A close face to face view of a long range of Annapurna and other mountains greets us on reaching Dhampus. Besides the breathtaking mountain views, Dhampus will  also offer you  an opportunity to experience the peace and beauty of Nepalese countryside , watch the daily lives of the villagers , see them work on the farms and interact with local people . Dhampus is a gateway to Annapurna Conservation Area so this place is full of trekkers. This village is settled by mid hill tribe Gurung. Gurungs are the well-known Gorkha soldiers in the Indian, British & Nepalese Army, yet back home in the high hills, they are shepherd and farmers. From Dhampus one can also clutch the outstanding view of Pokhara valley with all its natural loveliness Fewa Lake and word peace Stupa. The landscape gets even better as the sun sets and you will have a chance to click this amazing moment.

Wake up early for the glorious sunrise view. The first rays of sun striking the top of the snowcapped peaks of Dhaulagiri and Machapuchare are worth capturing. After sunrise view, you can stroll down the village and click some pictures with the local people. They are neither camera-shy, nor camera-weary and they will be glad if you take some of their snaps. This place has the natural beauty, ancient traditions and friendly people unlike other places. You can see the real Nepalese’s life style far untouched by western civilization. After breakfast, we will hike towards Sarangkot and then drive to Pokhara.

Early in the morning, transfer to airport for the Pokhara / Jomsom flight. It is a scenic flight which passes through massive Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ridge. The flights from and to Jomsom usually takes off before noon since there blows a strong wind in Jomsom during noon and flying over during this period is very risky. So, a few numbers of flights only takes place in this route. Thus, we recommend you to book your flight in advance. Or else we could also drive to Jomsom via Beni which usually takes about 8 to 9 hours to reach there. Upon your arrival at Jomsom, you will meet some of our other team members who will assist you as a porter. Our trekking guide will fly with you from Pokhara. After assembling your stuff and having breakfast, we will have a short walk to the charming town of Marpha. Upon your arrival at Marpha, you will be amazed by its geographical structure. Marpha huddles behind a ridge for protection from the up-valley wind, and exhibits typical Thak Khola architecture of flat roofs and narrow paved alleys. The low rainfall in this region makes these flat roofs practical; they also serve as a drying place for grains and vegetables. There are lots of photogenic landscapes here. On this day, we could directly hike to Jomsom but as our tour’s aim is to provide you with the ample of photogenic landscape of Nepal, this town serves to be one of them.

Our journey today will be in the Mustang Kingdom where the landscape presents ever changing views of the Annapurna and their peaks. The trail is better suited to mountain trekkers than photographers, but once you reach there, you will forget the entire hard trail walk behind. Once we arrive in Kagbeni we’ll have some stunning sunrise opportunities, colorful vistas and a Tibetan monastery to photograph. This village is so peaceful that you will find an inner peace here. This place will provide you an opportunity to capture awesome beauties of enticing peaks and virgin surroundings.

With a beautiful sunrise view beside the mountains, we will continue our trek to Muktinath, a religious site for both Hindu and Buddhist devotee. This sacred temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is famous for its 108 spouts fashioned in the shape of bull heads. People from various countries visit this pilgrimage area in a belief that they will get salvation and get rid of miseries and sorrows once they take a holy bath in all these spouts and two holy Kunda which is located in front of the temple. There are also various places which can be visited around the surrounding areas. These sites have their own historic importance and an ideal spot to click some photographs.

Local villages can be visited which are situated below Muktinath. You can enjoy the delicious foods along with the famous apple wine made by the locals. Local people found here have their own tradition and hospitality. Though the entire Nepal has become a democratic country but in this place the local still follows the order given by their King. So, this place is still known as the majestic kingdom. They are far from the modernization.

Instead of driving, you could fly from Jomsom to Pokhara. But while you are flying you won’t be able to capture the rural part of this area. Thus, we have designed this itinerary so that on one way you could fly in with the scenic mountainous views and on the way back you could click some rural areas which are far beyond the present modernization. We will be hiring a private jeep so that we could stop in different spot to do some amazing photo-shoot. In this way, you can also closely observe the rural part of Nepal. Upon arrival at Pokhara, transfer to hotel and take some rest.    

You will have to make a decision for today’s journey. Either you could fly out of Pokhara or take a road transport to Kathmandu. Both of these journeys are equally adventurous. We would like to recommend you to drive from Pokhara as en route you could enjoy the rafting service in Trishuli River. The drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu usually takes about 6/7 hours whereas by flight it only takes 30 minutes to reach Kathmandu from Pokhara. The choice is yours.

This day is kept as a free day for your personal shopping. You might want to buy some token of love from Nepal to your loved and near ones. So, this day is the opportunity to do some shopping. If not then upon your request, we could add some sightseeing tour in some other important sites of Nepal. Some of which are: Sanga (World’s tallest Lord Shiva Statue), Namobuddha (Famous Stupa), Kirtipur (Ancient Newari Town), Dakshinkali (Temple of Goddess Kali), Godavari (Botanical Garden), Changunarayan (Oldest temple of Nepal), etc.

Your 17 days photography tour will end today. We hope this tour will be a life time memory and you have been able to learn some exciting things from Nepal. We will be expecting to see you back in future. We believe that you had a good time in Nepal, discovering the wonders of Nepal – a country blessed with natural beauty and rich cultural history.