Nepal

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu

Assistance upon arrival at the International airport & transfer to hotel. The city of Kathmandu is located on a bluff at the confluence of the Bagmati and Vishnumati Rivers – an easily defended site with rich soil and a plentiful water supply.

Evening briefing on the day to day programme.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Local Sightseeing In Kathmandu

After breakfast leave for the sightseeing tour of Pashupainath Temple & Bouddhanath Stupa.

Pashupatinath: This is Nepal’s most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the subcontinent’s great Shiva sites. The supreme holiness of the site stems from the Shiva linga enshrined in its main temple and its location. It expresses the very essence of Hinduism as pilgrims, priests, devotes, temples, ashrams, images, inscriptions and cremation ghats intermingle with the rituals of daily life, all sprawled along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. The temple’s origins are obscure, an inscription dates from 477, but a shrine may have stood here for 1000 years before that.

Boudhanath: This great stupa is one of Nepal’s most distinctive monuments and one of the most important Buddhist sites in Nepal and, with a diameter of over 100 meters, amongst the largest in the world. There are a number of legends accounting for the stupa’s construction, but it is generally believed to date from the 5th century. All stupas contain holy relics and Boudha is said to contain the remains of the past Buddha Kasyapa.

Afternoon leave for the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square & Swayambhunath Stupa.

Kathmandu  Durbar  Square:  It  is in  the  heart  of old city  Kathmandu in  Basantapur. The founding of  the Royal Palace dates  back to Licchavi times. With considerable renovations by Malla  rulers & later  the Ranas,   construction  was   accomplished  progressively over  many  centuries. There are  around 50 temples in the vicinity.

In this tour,  we visit the 17th  Century Durbar complex and Hanuman Dhoka,  temple of Kumari (living goddess), Narayan Mandir, Maiju Dewal,  and Kasthmandap a wooden temple built from a single tree, Shiva Paravati temple, great  Bell and Drum, Bhairav  and Taleju Temple.

Swayambhunath: The most ancient and enigmatic of the Valley’s holy shrines the golden-spired stupa of Swayambhunath tops a wooded hillock. Records  of its history date  as far as the 5th century, but its origins are believed to be older.  It is the Kathmandu Valley’s most sacred Buddhist shrine and whilst its worshippers include the Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and  Tibet, Newari Buddhists are the most fervent devotees.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Kathmandu – Pokhara (210 Kms – 6 hrs. drive)

After breakfast drive to Pokhara which is approximately 210 km & 6 hours drive & transfer to hotel.

Pokhara is a place of remarkable natural beauty. The enchanting city has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panaromic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of the lakes and the magnificence of the Himalaya rising behind them create the ambience that has made Pokhara such a popular place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Tourism focuses on the districts of Damside and Lakeside (or Pardi and Baidam, in Nepali, respectively). These two areas, packed with hotels and restaurants, are a few kilometers southwest of the main Pokhara bazaar.

Afternoon free to stroll around Lake Fewa.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 04:  Local Sightseeing

Morning breakfast sightseeing tour of Davi’s fall, Gupteshwor Cave, Seti George & Bindebasini Temple.

Devi’s Fall: Locally known as Patale Chango (Hell’s Falls) also known as Devins and Davids is a lovely Waterfall is about 2 km south West of Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway. Legend has it that a trekker by the name of Davy, was washed away by the Padi Khola and mysteriously disappeared down into an underground passage beneath the fall.

Gupteswar Cave: Gupteswar Gupha, a sacred cave, lies 2 km from Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway leading southwest from the city. The entrance is right across from Devi’s Fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This cave holds special value for Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition it was discovered. Taking pictures inside the cave is prohibited.

Bindebasini Temple: Pokhara’s traditional bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse traders. In its temples and monuments can be seen ties to the old Newar Architecture of the Kathmandu valley, Located about 4 k.m from Lakeside, the market’s  original charm is still evident. This area is strewn with shops selling commodities ranging from edibles to and cloth to cosmetics and gold, is a pleasant and shady spot to stroll around.

Rest of the day free for boating on Lake Fewa.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 05: Pokhara – Kathmandu(210 Kms – 6 hrs. drive)

Morning after breakfast drive to Kathmandu. En-route visit cable car station (110 km & 3 hours drive from Pokhara). Take a cable car ride of approximately 12 minutes to visit famous Manokamana Temple.

Situated atop a 1300-meter hill, the Manakamana Devi temple is a highly venerated sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana is derived from two words, Mana, meaning heart and Kamana meaning wish. It is believed that the Goddess Bhagwati rewards those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine by granting their wishes.

Continue drive to Kathmandu (100 KM & 3 hours) & transfer to hotel.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Departure

Munch some delicious breakfast at the hotel. Later transfer to airport to board the flight for onward journey.