HIMALAYAN JOURNEYS

As foretold, Manjushree, the patron deity of the Kathmandu Valley came upon a lake wherein lay a lotus bloom. Manjushree then struck the southern end of the lake with a sword, 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.

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 the 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 and 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 in this ancient land. A mountain sightseeing flight serves to cap off a visit to Nepal's mystical Capital.