Best of Kathmandu Valley

Upon your arrival at the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport today, your local guide and driver will pick you up from the airport and then transfer you to the selected hotel in the downtown area. The distance from airport to hotel is about 7 kilometers and it will take around 15 to 20 minutes. After the hotel check-in, the remaining time of the day is free for you to have a good rest, or you could walk around the Thamel market to experience the local life.

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, your private Kathmandu tour will start with a visit to the distinctive Kathmandu Durbar Square, which was built in 17th-18th centuries as the formal palace and residence of the Nepal Royal families. The construction is a mixture of the eastern and western styles with an unbelievable 50 temples lying within the vicinity. The square never fails to impress either first-time or return visitors with its intricate wood carvings and rich history. We will visit the three-storey Kumari Temple, also called "Temple of the Living Goddess", and have a photo stop at two Hindu temples: the Taleju Temple and the Kal Bhairav.

In the afternoon, we will continue the tour to the Pashupatinath Temple, an important religious site in Asia for devotees of Shiva. It is also the largest temple complex in Nepal, and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River which is considered holy by the Hindus. After that, visit the Boudhanath Stupa, which is believed to be the biggest circular Buddhist pagoda in the world. The Stupa is 38 meters high and has a circumference of 100 meters. Every day, there are many Buddhists circling the big stupa to pray for blessings in a clockwise direction.

To know more about a country, an unforgettable dining experience of the local food is also a good way to start. This evening, you will be feasted to a traditional Nepali Dinner with cultural dance and folk music performances.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, your guide and driver will transfer you to visit the Patan Durbar Square. Large numbers of stunning ancient buildings and structures were intensively built on and around the square, giving this place the reputation as an open-air museum. Here you will be guided to visit the Golden Temple. As its name indicates, the Golden Temple is glittering and dazzling under brilliant sunshine due to the golden appearance.

Afterwards, we will head to the Bhaktapur Durbar Square with a comfortable car ride. Here, elegant pagodas, carvings and architecture dot every street and lane. You can see the Nyatapola Temple, the tallest temple of Nepal. Then, the Hindu Dattatreya Temple guarded by two vigorous Vishnus in its front awaits your visit. Finally, you will go to visit the Changu Narayan Temple, a magnificent and historic temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, which comprises the exquisite carvings from the 4th to the 9th century. When today's sightseeing tour is completed, your guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel in Kathmandu.

Meals: Breakfast

Today you will first visit the Swayambhunath Stupa, which is a magnificent Buddhist pagoda standing quietly on the hilltop in west Kathmandu for over 2,000 years. After climbing more than 300 stone steps to get there, you can get a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu Valley. Both sides of the steps are habitats for monkeys. Hence, the temple is also known as the Monkey Temple. While climbing the steps, you can see a lot of monkeys playing with each other and getting food from visitors.

Here comes to the end of your vacation. Your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport and see you off there. We hope you have a nice journey home!

Meals: Breakfast