Legends abound in Kathmandu. From the mythical beginnings of the valley in which Manjushree, the patron deity of the Kathmandu Valley coming upon a lake wherein lay a lotus bloom, struck its southern end, cleaving the rock and draining the lake to reveal what is today the valley of Kathmandu. The spot where the lotus bloom once stood is marked now by the Stupa of Swoyambhunath, the oldest of its kind in the world and a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.
But more than legends it is the stark reality that greets you wherever you go in Nepal in the form of the mighty Himalaya that never fails to inspire and instils a sense of awe in you.
This short tour involves up to three half day sightseeing tours and will take you through the Kathmandu Durbar Square – whose temples are some of the finest specimen of Nepalese architecture; the Patan Durbar Square – noteworthy for its fine art and craft in addition to traditional Newari building styles; and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square - probably the best preserved specimen of all the old palace squares in Nepal. In addition, the tour will also take you to the Pashupatinath Temple – one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world and an important pilgrimage stop for Hindus; the Boudhanath Stupa – the largest Stupa of its kind in the world with it’s all-seeing eyes of the Buddha looking to the four cardinal directions; the Swoyambhunath Stupa – 2000 plus years old and located on a hillock over-looking Kathmandu, surrounded by many temples and pagodas of both the Buddhist as well as the Hindu faiths is a prime example of how Hindus and Buddhists have mixed and mingled and lived in harmony with each other for many centuries . The tour finishes with a visit to Nagarkot, a charming village on the northeastern rim of the Kathmandu valley from where you will have unobstructed views of the Eastern and Central Himalaya including Mt. Everest (8850 m), the highest point on earth.
A mountain sightseeing flight serves to cap off a visit to Nepal's mystical Capital.
LEVEL: Easy |
These trips are good for families with children as well as for senior citizens. |