Kathmandu City Tour- 3 days

The Kathmandu Valley Tour, also known as the Kathmandu City Tour, offers a unique cultural experience within the Kathmandu Valley. This tour focuses on five major UNESCO-listed heritage sites, including Kathmandu Durbar Square (also known as Basantapur Durbar Square), Swayambhunath, and Pashupatinath which are situated in Kathmandu. Additionally, Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Square is situated in Lalitpur (Patan).

On the first day of your trip, you will visit Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple to tourists. It is situated atop a hill and offers a breathtaking view of the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding hills. Swayambhunath is a complex that comprises a shrine, temple, and stupa that dates back to the Lichihavi period. It offers a unique blend of Buddhism, as it is a place of worship for both Newar Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. Hindus also cherish it, and ‘Swayambhu’ is a Hindu name.

During the second part of the Day One tour, you will head towards the center of Kathmandu to visit the Kathmandu Durbar Square or Basantapur Durbar Square. This is one of the three Durbar Squares (royal palaces) located in the Kathmandu Valley. The buildings there are decorated with intricately carved facades that are typical of Newar architecture. The central square is surrounded by palace complexes that were built during the Malla and Shah periods. It’s also home to the living goddess “Kumari.”

On the second day of your trip, you will embark on a scenic journey. Early in the morning, you will visit Pashupatinath, which is one of the oldest and most important Hindu temples in Nepal. The temple is built in the Nepali pagoda style of architecture and its exact date of construction is unknown. However, the present structure was built in 1692 CE and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the three holy trinity gods in Hindu mythology. The ornamented pagoda contains the linga of Shiva. The sacrosanctum, which is the main idol, is a stone Mukhalinga with a silver yoni base bound by a silver serpent. Only four priests are allowed to touch the idol. The daily rituals of Pashupatinath are carried out by two groups of priests: the Bhatta and the Rajbhandari. It is also famous for cremating people according to Hindu culture and tradition

Your tour will continue with a 30-minute ride to our second destination of the day, Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It was formerly the royal palace of the Malla kings of Nepal from the 14th to 15th century and the kings of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur from the 15th to late 18th century. The square originally contained 99 courtyards, but only 15 remain today due to frequent earthquakes. The Durbar Square is divided into three parts based on its location: lower palace, middle palace, and upper palace.