This trip incorporates the best places of three of the most popular sightseeing places in Nepal, namely, Kathmandu, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel. This trip takes you to some exotic sites in Kathmandu like Pashupatinath temple, Boudhanath stupa and Swoyambhunath. From the Swoyambhunath, you get an amazing 360 degree view of the entire Kathmandu valley. This brief journey to the religious sites gives you an insight into the religious prospects in Nepal. Apart from getting a glimpse of Kathmandu’s highlights, you also get to bask in the splendors of cultural richness in Bhaktapur and Patan.
Thereafter, you will be taken to Nagarkot. At Nagarkot, you get to sight the most fascinating and mesmerizing view of the sunrise. After Nagarkot, Dhulikhel is your next destination. Treading along the unexplored trails of Dhulikhel can achieve a very exhilarating and enriching experience.
This is a short trip that lets you explore ancient temples and religious shrines of the three medieval kingdoms, namely Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan city. This trip takes you into a kind of mystical history where the past still remains alive in the present, tradition tirelessly repeats itself into a culture that remains seeped into an ancient history created by the kings of past generations and religious doctrines are strictly adhered till this very day.
Here we would like elaborate sightseeing tour of Patan and Bhaktapur city. Patan is believed to have been built in the third century B.C. by the Kirat dynasty later expanded and enriched by the Licchavi and the Malla rulers in the medieval period. Patan Durbar Square, like its counterpart in Kathmandu, is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former Royal palace complex is the centre of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a beautiful museum.
Bhaktapur city is also known as city of devotees, Bhaktapur is the home of medieval art and architecture. Lying 14 kilometres/9 miles east of Kathmandu City, this place was founded in the 9th Century and is shaped like a conch shell. In Bhadgaon, you will visit the Durbar Square with the Palace of 55 windows built by King Bhupatindra Malla.
In Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, you will be taken for a visit to the holiest of Hindu shrine “Pashupatinath”. Pashupatinath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the trinity and the guardian (patron) deity of the Hindus. As you approach cremation areas of the temple, you will witness Hindu’s ritual of cremating a corpse. Tour to Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath is other retreats that will be serviced to you. Another attractive prospect of this trip is cultural tour to the major cultural heritages and temples in Bhaktapur and Patan city.
Mustang lies behind Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and geographically forms part of the Tibetan plateau. It was only in 1992 that the Government of Nepal allowed tourists access to the area.
The people of Mustang, Lobas, boast a long and proud history, their independent state dating back to the 5th Century A.D. In the 7th Century, Songtsen Gampo, most famous of all Tibetan kings, incorporated the land of Lo into his empire. Mustang only reappeared as an independent kingdom in 1430 when Gyalpo, ‘Precious Ruler’, Ame Pal founded a dynasty whose descendants survive to this day.
Our trek begins with a flight to Jomsom via Pokhara. We start walking beside the KaliGandakiRiver and as we gradually gain height we pass salt mines, and hermit caves set in the cliffs above. Our route visits many villages on the way, including the rarely-seen settlements north of the square-walled city of Lo Manthang. We leave Mustang by a different route to add further interest.
A spectacular flight from Kathmandu to the lakeside town of Pokhara provides us with our first views of the incredible Himalayan Mountains. The Annapurna foothills provide tremendous trekking with delightful trails connecting villages and ridge tops. This picturesque trek winds through enchanting villages with ochre thatched houses, terraced rice fields and rhododendron forests, which are spectacular in the spring when whole hillsides are cloaked in colourful flowers.
The ridge top village of Ghorapani provides one of the finest viewpoints of the Annapurna Mountains with magnificent views of Annapurna, Lamjung, Dhaulagiri and Machapuchare with its fishtail summit. The highlight of this trip is ascending Poon Hill (3193m) for sunrise for a breathtaking panorama of wonderful snow-capped mountains. We return to Pokhara for a luxurious night at the famous Fishtail Lodge, in its idyllic location on Phewa Tal Lake. From the beautiful landscaped gardens we may catch a glimpse of the sun setting on the now distant Annapurna and Machapuchare Mountains.
Mount Kailash, 6,740m. is situated to the north of the Himalayan barrier, wholly within Tibet. It is the perfect mountain with awesome beauty, with 4 great faces. It is the spiritual enter for four great religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain religion and the pre-Buddhist animistic religion – Bonpo. To Tibetans it is known as Khang Rimpoche (Precious Jewel of Snow) and they see it as the navel of the world. It is said that a stream from the mountain pours into a nearby lake and from here rivers flow in the four cardinal directions. The River of the Lion Mouth to the North, the River of the Horse Mouth to the east, the River of the Peacock Mouth to the south and the River of the Elephant Mouth to the West. Strangely enough, four major rivers do indeed originate near Kailash, the Indus, the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), the Karnali and the Sutlej. Tibetans believe that it is the residence of Demchog, a fierce looking tantric deity who lives there with his consort, Dorje Phagmo. For the Tibetans also, it is a particularly special place in that their poet saint Milarepa, spent several years here meditating in a cave.
For the Hindus Mount Kailash is the earthly manifestation of Mt. Meru, their spiritual centre of the universe, described as a fantastic ‘world pillar’ 84,000 miles high, around which all else revolves, its roots in the lowest hell and its summit kissing the heavens. On the top live their most revered God, Shiva, and his consort Parvati. For the Jains, an Indian religious group, Kailash is the site where their first prophet achieved enlightenment. For the older, more ancient religion of Bon, it is the site where its founder Shanrab is said to have descended from heaven. It was formerly the spiritual centre of Zhang Zung, the ancient Bon Empire that once included all of western Tibet. Bon people walk around the mountain in a counter clockwise manner, unlike the other religions. Over the centuries pilgrims have constantly journeyed immense distances to achieve enlightenment or cleanse themselves of sin, braving enormous distances, particularly harsh weather and bandit attacks.
Your tour commences in Beijing, a city in Northern China. Beijing, an ancient capital and a bustling modern metropolis is a city of amazing contrasts. In Beijing some incredible historical sites awaits you. On a guided tour, you explore the Forbidden City, the Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China and the Temple of Heaven.
Leaving Beijing you embark on a train journey to Lhasa, aboard the world’s highest railway, the Qinghai-Tibet railway. As the train trundles along the high Tibetan plateau, picturesque scenes of Tibetan countryside whiz by. Owing to Tibet’s high altitude the train has been equipped with oxygen-supplying equipments. Oxygen masks are available for those who are prone to altitude sickness.
In the old city of Lhasa, you will be taken on a guided tour to all the city’s major attractions: Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, Norbulingka etc. Excursions to important Tibetan cities of Shigatse, Gyantse and Shegar are also included in your itinerary. On reaching Rongbuk, you get to view the world’s highest mountain Mount Everest. As you leave Zangmu and cross the Friendship Bridge you enter Nepal. There is a refreshing change in scenery, as verdant greenery replaces the dry and arid Tibetan landscape.
Paro beckons you with promises of breathtaking natural sights, cultural richness and good accommodation; you can view Mount Chomolhari from Drugyel dzong, capture Paro’s incredible landscapes from Ta-Dzong and visit indigenous hospital art and craft school, National library, Royal goldsmith workshop and handicraft centers.
Thimpu remains synonymous to its colourful festivals, legendary monasteries and coveted cultural sites. You can stroll around the local markets and see for yourself the everyday lives of Bhutanese people and their craftsmanship. At the end of the journey, you will be left with a feeling that you have truly seen the real Bhutan up close.
Discover the rich cultural heritage of Bhutan by taking this cultural tour. Visits to ancient dzongs (forts), monasteries, museums, cultural centers, and excursions to picturesque Bhutanese villages are all there in your itinerary.
Your journey starts from Paro, the only place in Bhutan low enough to have an air strip. You get to survey the ancient Drugyel Dzong in Paro and capture the awesome view of the entire valley from Ta-Dzong. A scenic drive to the capital city Thimphu, where you get to discover the rich Bhutanese heritage and culture. Gangtey, another stop in your itinerary, has the famous monastery, Gangtey Gompa. Gangtey Gompa, perched atop a small hill that rises from the valley floor and is the only Nyingmapa Monastery on the western side of the Black mountains. The monastery is surrounded by a large village inhabited mainly by the families of the 140 Gomchens (Lay Monks). Experience Bhutanese village life at Wangduephodrang, observe the traditional art of healing diseases at the Indigenous Hospital and learn more about the rich Bhutanese art and culture by visiting the Art & Craft School, National Library, Royal Goldsmith Workshop and Handicraft centers.
