Nepal Tour - 18 days

Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. After the clearance of customs and luggage’s, exist from the Airport Departure lounge and 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 transfer 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. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

After breakfast proceed for half day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath stupa. Back to hotel have rest and in the afternoon start half day sightseeing tour of Bhaktapur city.

Today after breakfast, you will have a private vehicle and a professional tour guide at your disposal. The distinctive cultural and historical identity of the Kathmandu Valley makes it an extraordinary place to explore. With your camera in hand, discover the enchanting cities of Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath stupa and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. 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 Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a collection of pagoda and Shikhara – style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The Square contains innumerable temples and other architectural showpieces like the Lion Gate, the statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, the Picture Gallery, the Golden Gate, the palaces of 55 windows, the Batsala temple and the bell of barking dog etc. After sightseeing, return back to the hotel and then take some rest. Overnight at hotel.

Early in the morning transfer to airport for Mountain flight to have the magnificent view of highest mountains on earth including Mt. Everest. In the afternoon start half day sightseeing tour of Patan city.

Today, you will be transferred to airport for the scenic Mount Everest flight. For those who are restricted by time from going trekking can get panoramic view of the Himalayas in just an hour. You can have the world’s highest mountain view i.e. Mount Everest (8848 m) along with other mountains. After an hour of Mountain flight, transfer to hotel have your breakfast and then proceed for the sightseeing tour of Patan Durbar Square. Patan Durbar Square is regarded as the culturally and historically richest Durbar Square among three Durbar Squares (Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square). It is also listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Patan, the city of Artists, offers many visual treats for your study which will be practical. After half day sightseeing, you will be transferred to your respective hotel for overnight stay in Kathmandu or Patan, the choice is yours.

After breakfast, we will drive towards another old town called Bandipur. The drive is just 150 kilometer and takes about 5 hours’ drive from Kathmandu via Prithvi Highway. Bandipur is a picturesque Newar town that still retains much of its centuries-old appeal. Bandipur bazaar is situated on a ridge above the highway town of Dumre, and presents sightseers with a heady mix of history, architecture, incredible views, awesome caves and unspoiled landscapes. Bandipur has been described as a natural view tower, providing a spectacular panorama of the entire Annapurna Range plus the peaks of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Lang tang to the Marsyangdi valley which is below 500 m. Apart from the stunning views of the Himalaya and the Marsyangdi Valley, a visit to the town is an opportunity to get a close look at Newar cultural life that reflects the refined civilization of the Kathmandu Valley. Bandipur is also a great place for adventure sports like paragliding, caving, rock climbing, rafting and hiking.

After breakfast, stroll around the town and hike up to the hilltop for observing peaks. You can also visit the largest cave in Nepal, Siddha Gufa. Also visit Martyrs Memorial, Patali Dwar (aka the Gateway to Heaven), nearby Magar villages, Tundikhel, etc. According to Hindu legends, the different types of fig trees represent different gods – the fig trees at Tundikhel represent Vishnu, Brahma and Hanuman. There are breathtaking views of the Himalayan from the hilltop and they range from Lang tang peak in the east to Dhaulagiri in the west. Also, one can see as far as Manakamana and Gorkha to east the great Chitwan plains to the south, among others. Himalayas are best seen in the afternoons and before sunset and until dusk. The morning fog from the nearby valleys blurs the views over the Himalayas, but makes the scenery fairy-tale like.

Moving from Bandipur, we drive towards Pokhara which is just 3 hours’ drive covering the distance of 80 kilometer. Pokhara, another beautiful town of Nepal full of lakes and an ideal spot for travelers is a must visit place for all travelers. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the respective hotel where you get refreshed. After refreshment, stroll around the town by your own. Stay overnight at hotel in Pokhara.

After breakfast proceed for half day sightseeing tour of Pokhara city including Devi’s fall, Gupteshwor Mahadev cave, Seti River, Bindhyabasini temple and Barahi temple. Rest of the day free for personal activities.

Today, you have a lot of places for your sightseeing. Pokhara provides its visitors to enjoy its natural and cultural beauty. After breakfast, we will start our sightseeing tour of Davi’s fall, Gupteswor cave, Mahendra Cave, Bats Cave, Bindyabasini 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”.

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.

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. Another great cave called Bat Cave can also be visited by travelling in the trail path just beneath the hills within ten minutes by foot

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.

Bindyabasini 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

Seti River 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 Machhapuchhre 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.

Tal Barahi Temple, also known as Lake Temple or Barahi Temple is a two story pagoda temple located in Kaski District in western Nepal. There stands Tal Barahi Temple in the middle of Phewa Lake, as an island. A colorful boat at Barahi Ghat is a means of transport to reach to the temple. The Temple is a small pagoda-style temple devoted to the deity Tal Barahi and is surrounded by the crystal clear waters of Phewa Lake. The roof of the temple is of copper sheets and the Gajur (pinnacle) is made of Pittal (brass with gold coated). A stone idol of Barahi Devi is placed inside the temple. The original structure of the temple is made of stone and has a thatched roof. This temple is flooded by the visitors throughout the year to worship the deity or just to enjoy the beauty of the location as the dramatic location attracts the visitors itself. But there is no authentic historical source to prove this legend. With a view to conserve the temple, the Barahi conservation committee is in existence since 2053 B.S. This committee looks after the day-to day Puja and the conservation of the temple. The temple has guthi land for its conservation and maintenance.

The legend has it that many years ago a deity named “Barahi” came here to see the local people. Barahi Devi located on the top of Phew Lake (i.e. Sharan) was filled with debris due to which the lake was converted into a solid land. The Devi gave a gesture to Kulamandan Shah (King of Kaski) that that she had a keen interest to stay in the middle of the lake. Kulamandan Shah being a true devotee of the Devi shifted her temple to this place and hence Tal Barahi was established since then. But there is no authentic historical source to prove this legend. Thus, the Barahi Devi is considered as the protector Deity representing the female force.

Early in the morning we will drive to Sarangkot hill for viewing 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.

Afterwards, drive to Tansen (130 km) which will take around 4/5 hours from Pokhara. Approach roads are mostly good but winding. Tansen is an old western Newari city with an amazing history and some marvelous Newari architecture. It is a wonderful “hill station” in development with great views of the Himals and very interesting Palpali culture and history. Like most hill stations Tansen lies on the side of a hill so walking at times is invigorating.

On the following day, we will have a full day sightseeing tour around Tansen and surrounding areas. Below are the places, you can visit in Tansen.

Amar Narayan Temple: This temple is a traditional three-tiered pagoda-style temple built in 1806. It has well carved doors and has some intricate woodwork. It has erotic figures on the roof struts. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful temples outside of Kathmandu Valley. The temple was built by Amar Singh Thapa, who annexed Tansen to become part of Nepal.

Bhagwati Temple: This temple, near the Tansen Durbar was originally built in 1815 to commemorate the victory over the British at Butwal. It was renovated in 1935 and 1974 after earthquakes. In the area there are small temples dedicated by Ganesh, Saraswati and Siva.

Tansen Durbar / Palace: In the center of the town lies a 64 room Palace, a representation of arts and crafts of the ancient Palpa. Sadly, of the morning of the 31st of January 2006, Maoist’s launched attacks in Tansen. They fought with local authorities and bombarded many ancient buildings including the Palace which had housed government offices. Many historical buildings including the Tansen palace was destroyed.

Palpa Ranighat: Visit the old ruins of a palace set on a massive rock bed at the bank of the Kali Gandaki river for viewing palace garden, stone walls, and a small shrine. This palace was built in 1892 by Governor Khadka Shamser in memory of his wife Tej Kumari, and is often called the Taj Mahal of Nepal. It is a 2-5 hour hike one way down from Srinagar Park. The path is well marked, the way/walking isnot difficult and of course has wonderful forest and village sceneries and chances for wildlife/bird viewing. You can spend the night at a small guesthouse, 100Rp per bed, in Ranighat. On the way back following the river there are a few nice natural pools excellent for a little swim. The total trek there and back is 23km.

Bhairabsthan Or Kal Bhairab: is an easy trek of 6 miles from Tansen, brings you to a beautiful spot, the Bhairabsthan temple. From here you can view Himalayas including Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhare and witness cultural attractions. The temple has a large Trishul (Trident), and it receives a large number of visitors on every Saturday and Tuesday. People sacrifice animals and offer grains, and fruits to please the Hindu God Bhairab, whose figure is believed to be kept hidden under the floor of the temple and the figure is identically to the Kal Bhairab status of Kathmandu, located at Durbar Square. Kal Bhairab is the Nepalese God of Destruction. Temples dedicated to him are located in many parts of Nepal.

Today’s drive is only 55 kilometers and takes about a couple of hours to reach Lumbini, birth place of Gautam Buddha which has been reserved as the place of holy pilgrimage. Lumbini has been included as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This pilgrimage site in southwest Nepal attracts devout Buddhists from around the world, who arrive to pay homage at the Sacred Garden where the ‘Enlightened One’ was born. A famous landmark is the Ashoka Pillar raised by the great Emperor who converted to Buddhism. Today Lumbini has been enlivened by the multitude of architecturally beautiful temples, stupa and monasteries built by various international Buddhist communities.

Sightseeing tour in Lumbini will be done by rickshaw today since other transportations are not allowed in those sites. Lumbini being the birth place of Buddha is also an important architectural and historical site of the world civilization.The places of interest today are: Tilaurakot, Gotihawa, Kudan, Niglihara and Sagarhawa. Kudan was where Buddha was received by his father after his access to enlightenment. King Suddhodana specially built the Kudan (Nigrodharma Park) for the accommodation of the Buddha and his followers. Gotihawa is the birth place of Krakuchanda Buddha. Niglihawa is where Kanakmuni Buddha was born. Sagarhawa is the archaeological findings as “place of the massacre of the Shakyas”.

We also walkthrough the Sacred Lumbini Garden where the Buddha was born converges on the Ashoka pillar, visit the Maya Devi Temple with its bas-relief sculpture depicting Maya Devi holding on with her right hand to a branch of pipal tree and giving birth to the infant Buddha who stand up on a lotus pedestal.The Ashoka pillar is said to have been erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC and bears an inscription confirming this as the birth place of the Buddha. A stone image of Maya Devi giving birth to Lord Buddha as she holds onto a branch is seen in the Maya Devi temple.There’s a museum nearby, The Kapilvastu Museum; the pottery, jewelry and ornaments are gathered in-house. End up the remarkable tour in Tilaurakot by visiting the shrines, monasteries and stupa near the sacred garden. Tilaurakot is the ancient palace of King Suddodhan (Siddhartha Gautama’s father), where the Buddha spent his formative years as a Shakya Prince. The remains of many ancient stupas and monasteries can be found in the surroundings of Lumbini.

We travel overland from Lumbini towards Royal Chitwan National Park which takes about 3 hours. 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 including bonfire before getting in bed. Overnight in resort in Chitwan.

With a wakeup call along with tea or coffee, we have the great time to witness the wildlife at its best in Royal National Park. This includes Bird watching, Nature Walk, Elephant Safari, Canoeing, visit to elephant breeding center and cultural show. You can see different species of birds migrating from the different country and place. After doing bird watching activities 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. Elephant briefing: to learn more about the life of these fascinating animals during a visit to our elephant stables. We will also go to the observation tower, then later in the evening head back to the resort for dinner.

We will have breakfast at hotel and then drive towards Daman via Tistung. Daman is a village in the central part of Nepal, located in the district of Makwanpur.  From Daman eight of the ten world highest mountain can be seen in the in 360 Degree panoramic view.  During winter season, snow falls here which welcomes more domestic as well as international tourist here. So, in this time period the hotels and lodges of the places are usually sold out. Rock climbing, cycling, horse riding, hiking etc. are few of the many activities possible here.

Sunrise view from Resort early in the morning then visit Risheshwor Temple and nearby monastery. Drive to Chitwan – 4 hrs. drive

Early in the morning wake up and proceed for a short hike towards Risheshwor Temple. About an hour walk from Daman 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. 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.</p>

<p>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 including bonfire before getting in bed. Overnight in resort in Chitwan.

Wake up to see the glorious sunrise view. After breakfast, drive to Kathmandu. The drive is only about three hours. Upon arrival, take a leisurely walk around Thamel Bazaar in Kathmandu. Stay overnight at hotel in Kathmandu

This day is kept free so that you can enjoy shopping around the town and buy some souvenirs for your loved and dear ones.

Depending upon you flight schedule, transfer to airport for departure. With the beautiful and a lifelong memory you will take your flight to your hometown. We wish to see you back again in future.