Stop At: Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu
We will pick you up from the hotel or your pick-up point and drive you to Swayambhunath Stupa. The stupa is located on top of a hill with many trees covering the land. Many monkeys are roaming around freely. So, be aware of the monkeys around you. After reaching the bottom of the hill, we will climb up to the stupa. You can see a large white dome with many Hindu deities surrounding the stupa at the center of the hills. There are places to sit and admire the city of Kathmandu from the top of the hill. You can see a thunderbolt scepter at the entrance gate on top of the hill. Along with the temples, and stupa, there is a monastery and water fountain on top of the hill. After we explore the area, we will descend to an amazing park at the next end of the Hill.
The park is called Amideva Buddha Park. There are three statues of Shakyamuni Buddha in the park with a beautiful garden. The statues are above 60 feet tall posing different mudras and dhayan. After that, we will move towards the next location of this day's tour.
- Distance: approx. 4km from Thamel
- Highest Altitude: 1406m/4613ft
- Duration: 1 hrs
Stop At: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Kathmandu
The next location is a royal courtyard in Kathmandu City. The Basantapur Durbar Square or Kathmandu Durbar Square is the oldest royal palace courtyard with a royal palace that is renovated as a museum. There are many historical monuments like Kasthamandap, a statue of Hanuman at Hanuman Dhoka, and Kumari Ghar in the region. Along with many temples and statues of deities like Kal Bhairav, Sweta Bhairav, Vishnu Temple, Indrapur Temple, Ashok Vinayak Mandir, Taleju Temple, and Kotilingeshwara Mahadev Temple in the region. The living goddess of Nepal, Kumari is in Kathmandu Durbar Square. As we finish exploring all the sites in durbar square, we will ride our private vehicle 5 km northeast of Kathmandu.
- Distance: approx. 3.3km
- Highest Altitude: 1305m/4281ft
- Duration: 1 hrs 30 min
Stop At: Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu
Pashupatinath temple is a temple complex that is a pilgrimage site for Hindu worshippers and especially Lord Shiva worshippers. After we leave Kathmandu Durbar Square, it will take us 45 minutes at the max to reach the temple. The temple complex is built on the banks of the Bagmati River, a holy river in Nepal, as many rites and rituals are conducted on the banks. You can see normal puja ceremonies and cremation ceremonies taking place in the region. You can also find many monkeys in the temple complex as in Swayambhunath. Many sadhus are roaming around the temple areas and vendors sell puja materials. Many pagoda-style structures can be seen around the temple housing different gods. The main temple of Pashupatinath has a large bronze bull at the front entrance. The temple is pagoda style with wood carvings and golden-painted roofs. There is a Shiva Lingam in the center of the temple with pujaris (Hindu priests) stationed inside the temple. After we explore the temple complex, we will move to our final destination.
- Distance: 16.5km
- Highest Altitude: 1317m/4321ft
- Duration: 1 hrs 30 min
Stop At: Bouddhanath Stupa, Kathmandu
Our final destination for this UNESCO World Heritage Tour in Kathmandu City is Bouddhanath Stupa. As the Pashupatinath temple is a pilgrimage site for Hindus, similarly the Bouddhanath Stupa is a pilgrimage abode for the Buddhist religion. As we enter the premise of the stupa, we can observe a large dome-shaped white structure. The stupa is about 36 meters tall with large eyes painted on the four sides at the top. The stupa is covered with linings of prayer flags and it is surrounded by prayer wheels and Buddha images. It is believed to have the remains of Kassapa Buddha. The area of the stupa has many shops and restaurants as many local and foreign tourists visit the region. Finally, as we approach the end of the tour in Kathmandu, we will drop you at your original departure point.
- Distance: 3km
- Highest Altitude: 1331m/4367ft
- Duration: 1 hrs
