Kathmandu City Sightseeing Tour

Overview

Highlights: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Swyambhunath, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nagarkot

This 5 day tour is a great sampler of some of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, with fine temples and old architecture, all within easy reach of Kathmandu. You’ll have plenty of free time as well, to explore areas of personal interest, go shopping or just relax.

Itinerary Detail

Kathmandu City Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Kathmandu
Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, a representative from WildPath Adventure will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. After lunch, enjoy a sight-seeing walk to Swayambunth or the Monkey Temple, as it is commonly known. This magnificent and ancient Buddhist and Hindu temple sits atop a hill and is guarded by a large number of friendly and talented monkeys.

The Monkey Temple is also a great place to sit and people watch and on a clear day, there are excellent views of Kathmandu and the valley below. You’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore Thamel or perhaps enjoy a much needed massage. We will meet for a welcome dinner, where you will be treated to a traditional Nepali meal and dancing.  

Day 2: Patan/Nagarkot

After breakfast, we will head out for Nagarkot, a lovely, hilltop resort village. Along the way we will stop first for a visit to the Chovar Gorge, where there is a fine, small temple and where you will get your first real views of the snow-capped Himalayas. From there we will head to Patan, also known as the City of Beauty. This city dates back more than 2000 years and contains over 600 stupas. Most of the buildings were created by the Malla kings during the 16th to 18th centuries. The Patan Museum is well worth a visit and the Durbar Square is a must for those interested in traditional Newari architecture.

After completing our tour of Patan, we will drive to Nagarkot, which is located about 30 km east of Kathmandu, at an altitude of 2175m. With clear skies, you will see a fantastic sunset over the Himalaya including Mt Everest, far to the east.

Day 3: Nagarkot/Bhaktapur

Waking up early in Nagarkot, you will be treated to the early morning sunrise over the Himalaya, which is a sight you will always remember. After breakfast, we will drive to the Changu Narayan Temple, which is thought to date back to the 3rd century and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

From here we will drive to the ancient town of Bhaktapur, also known as the “Town of the Devotees”. The town was probably founded in the 9th century and ruled Nepal until the late 1400’s. Bhaktapur is a treasure to explore on foot, as there are many fine old temples, palaces and buildings to view : and no cars! Walking thru the old streets one gets a feel for what Kathmandu must have been like in earlier and quieter times.

We will then drive back to Kathmandu, where you will have a free evening for shopping, additional sightseeing or just relaxing.

Day 4: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Durbar Square

After breakfast, there will be a morning tour of Pashupatinath and Boudhanath, two other UNESCO World Heritage sites that areimportant religious sites in Kathmandu. Pashupatinath, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, is sometime likened to Varanasi as cremations are a common sight here. It is certainly the most important Hindu temple in Nepal and contains many fine buildings, some of which can only be viewed from the outside by non-Hindus. However, for many visitors, the riveting sight of a cremation is what they will remember from this holy place.

From here we will visit Boudhanath, which is one of the world’s largest stupas. It is located on one of the old trade routes to Tibet and is considered to be the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside of Tibet. Boudhanath is an important religious centre for Tibetan exiles (there are more than 45 monasteries on the area) and here you will also find many Tibetans running the restaurants and shops that line the area.

We will have lunch at a traditional Nepali restaurant and then spend the afternoon exploring Durbar Square, which is the traditional heart of old Kathmandu. This square, which is actually 3 squares loosely linked, offers some of the best of ancient Newari Architecture, as the oldest temples date back to the 12th century. The palace was once the home of the kings of Nepal and today one can still find the Kumari : the Living Goddess : living in one of the old buildings. If you are very lucky, she may make an appearance at the window while you are in the courtyard.

That evening we will have a farewell dinner, which includes traditional Nepali food and dancing.

Day 5: Final Departure
Depending on your flight time, there should be free time in Thamel for shopping until transfer to the airport for departure. We will say goodbye and Namaste until the next time.

 After checking out from your hotel, transfer to airport or next destination. We will say Namaste and look forward to seeing you next time.

Cast Info

Cost Include:

• Airport transfer (Airport : Hotel : Airport)
• 3 Nights of 3-star hotel Kathmandu
• 1 Night hotel in Nagarkot
• 1 Tour Guide
• All breakfasts
• Welcome and farewell dinner
• All the city tours by car/van/bus including Government tax.
• Office charge.

Cost Exclude:

• Entrance fees.
• Drinking water
• All the bar bills
• Lunch and dinners, except as noted
• Donation and tips

Remark: 

The above quote is for 3-star hotel in Kathmandu and Standard hotel in Nagarkot.
If you need a 4 or 5-star hotel, please inform us. The price is subject to change according to the hotel grade.