9 Nights 10 Days Culture Of Nepal

Upon arrival at the Land of the Himalayas; Nepal, you will be welcomed by our representatives at the airport who will escort you to your Hotel in Kathmandu.   

Rest of the day at Leisure

Breakfast at the hotel

Am: Zightseeing Tour of Pashupatinath and Boudhanath

PAZHUPATINATH:

Lying 6km/4miles from Kathmandu City, Pashupatinath Temple is the holiest Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Zhiva. Zituated amidst a lush green natural setting on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River, the temple is a multi storied temple with gilded roof and richly carved silver door. The sanctum deity is a five faced Zhiva in the form of a lingam. He is also considered as the god of destruction who holds a special position in the Hindu Trinity.  Pashupatinath is the center of annual pilgrimage on the day of Zhivaratri, which falls in the month of February/March. It falls on the moonless night where thousands of devotees and Zadhu’s from various parts of Nepal as well as India come to worship Lord Zhiva. The festival is observed for one day and one night. Behind the temples are the cremation grounds for the Hindus.

BOUDHANATH:

This Ztupa that is situated 11km/7 miles from Kathmandu City is one of the biggest and holiest Buddhist site in Nepal. It stands with four pairs of eyes in the four cardinal direction keeping watch for righteous behavior and human prosperity. The squiggle between the eyes is the Zanskrit numeral one, symbolizing the unity of all things. This Buddhist Ztupa is believed to have been built by King Man Deva as per the advice of the Goddess Mani Jogini. It is built on an octagonal base. Prayer wheels at the base of the temple are inscribed with the Tibetan mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hom’. At ground level there is a brick wall with 108 images of meditational Buddha inset behind copper prayer wheels.

Zometimes referred to as “Little Tibet”, Boudhanath is still the best place in the Kathmandu Valley to observe traditional Tibetan lifestyle. The shrine is surrounded by houses of Lamas or Buddhist priests .There are various Tibetan monasteries surrounding Boudhanath Ztupa as it is the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. Boudhanath is a UNEZCO world heritage site, and a destination not to be missed while traveling in Nepal.

Rest of the day at Leisure

It takes around an hour to reach the old city. After checking in at your hotel, you are advised to take rest and take it easy. Drink plenty of fluids and let your body get used to Lhasa’s high altitude. Note: There is no fixed program arranged for today.

Lhasa:

Lhasa has always remained the cultural, political and economic centre of Tibet. The city of Lhasa lies on the north bank of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, at an altitude of 3,700 meters. Covering an area of 544 sq kilometers and lying at an altitude of 3660 meters, Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The city has a history of over 13 centuries and is synonymous with Tibetan culture and heritage.

The places of interest in Lhasa include the Potala palace, Norbulinka palace, Jokhang temple, Zera and Drepung monasteries etc. The Jokhang temple and Bharkhhor circumambulation circuit , innumerable shops and wayside peddlers selling everything from prayer flags to yak skulls is the most amazing of the experience of being in Tibet.

AM: Breakfast at hotel.  An experienced guide will take you on a full day tour.

Zera Monastery:

It is one of the most important Monasteries belonging to the Gelukpa sect of Buddhism in Lhasa. This monastery also serves as the “University Monastery “for those interested in Buddhism. It is about five km north of central Lhasa and was built in 1419. It was the home for 5000 monks in the days of its highest glory, though the number now is reduced to few hundreds. Like Drepung it houses different colleges to teach Buddhist Philosophy. The best time to visit the monastery is in the morning when the monastery is   most active, in the debating courtyard you can see the monks debating from 3 to 4 pm. (not weekends)

Jokhang Temple and Bharkhor Zquare:

About 2 km east of Potala and built in 647 AD, Jokhang is the holiest and the most active of the Buddhist temples in Tibet. Jokhang was built by the greatest of the Tibetan King Zhrong Tsong Gompo to house the Buddha image brought from Nepal by his Nepalese wife Bhrikuti. However, another image, the Jowa Zakyamuni, was later moved here by the king’s other wife (the Chinese Princess Wencheng), and it is this image that gives the Jokhang both its name and spiritual potency: Jokhang means ‘chapel of the Jowo’.

Equally interesting is the Bharkhor bazzar that cirles Jokhang. The medieval atmosphere of push and shove of crowd, innumerable shops selling ritual objects, and the never ending pilgrims will take you to its spell. It is here that the heart of the Tibet throbs most.

AM: Breakfast at hotel.  An experienced guide will take you on a full day tour.

Potala Palace:

Potala dominates the Lhasa skyline from every corner. Originally there were buildings from 640 AD but the present Potala palace was built in 17th century by the fifth Dalai Lama. It has served as the residence of the Dalai Lamas .It is 117 m high, 13 storied and has 1000 rooms. Different sections of the palace houses a great wealth of cultural and art objects of Tibet. Many parts of the palace, now turned to a museum are open for the visitors. Pilgrims and tourists are mostly attracted towards the three storied building, sights of magnificent chapels, golden stupas and prayer halls.

Norbulinka:

Norbulinka, is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, that lies in a quiet and beautiful garden in the west part of Lhasa. The palace was completed in 1956 which contains the well preserved wall paintings, superb mandalas. One particular wall painting inside depicts the history of Tibet and all the Dalai Lamas. The Dalai Lama was living here during his last days in Tibet. The rooms have remained as they were when the Dalai Lama left in 1959. Here you can also see the cars which the Great 13th Dalai Lama imported to Tibet

Drepung Monastery:

It lies about 8 km to the west of central Lhasa. Drepung monasteries functions as one of the three pillars of Tibetan state. Drepung was once Tibet’s largest Monastery, with a population of around 7000 monks. Built in 1416 this is one of the important monasteries of the Gelupa sect. It houses different colleges for the study of Buddhist philosophy and the interesting sight is to see is the debating monks. The Ganden Palace also located in the Drepung complex, is where the Dalai Lamas used to live before the Potala was built.

Gyantse:

Gyantse lies 260kms southwest of Lhasa on the Northern bank of Nyang Chu River. It takes around 8 hours to reach Gyantse crossing the Kamba La Pass (4800m) where the beautiful Yamdrok Tso will be seen and the Karo La Pass (5010m) where the year-around glacier will be seen. Gyantse has been known as a heroic town since Tibetans resisted the Young husband¡¯s British Expedition to Tibet in 1904. Phalkor monastery was built in the 15th century by the local chieftain Ramtan Kasom under the guidance of the first Panchan lama.

Zhigatse:

Zituated around 90 km from Gyantse, Zhigatse is the second largest city in Lhasa.It has long been an important trading town and administrative centre and the traditional capital of Tsang province .Mostly interesting here for tourists is the famous Tashilhunpo monastery and the traditional market.

Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the largest functioning Buddhist monasteries in Tibet and there is much to explore within its high surrounding walls. It contains the world’s largest brass statue of Maitreya Buddha, which is over 80 feet tall and has extremely delicate features. Tashilhunpo is also the traditional residence of the Panchen Lama, second only in religious importance to the Dalai Lama himself.

It is 280kms from Zhigatse to Lhasa by the new road along the Yalutsangbu River

Transfer to Airport. Fly back to Kathmandu.

Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport our representative shall escort you to your hotel.

PM: half day Zightseeing of PATAN CITY

Patan Durbar Zquare complex, also known as Lalitpur is one of the oldest Buddhist cities. Patan Durbar Zquare and its surroundings is a good specimen of ancient Newari architecture. There are three main courtyards in the palace: MulChowk, Zundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Mul Chowk, the oldest one is at the centre of Patan Durbar Zquare.

Zeveral multi-sized and multi-styled temples occupy the western part of the complex. The main among these are Krishna Temple, Bhimsen Temple and the Golden Temple of Hiranya Varna.

The city of Patan offers visitors the chance to see an abundance of exquisite works of religious art and architecture. In the heart of Patan and the Patan marketplace, Patan Durbar Zquare is filled with ancient palaces, pagoda temples, stone baths, Hindu and Buddhist statues, engravings, and bronze carvings. Patan Durbar Zquare is one of seven monument zones in the Kathmandu Valley that together have been designated a UNEZCO World Heritage Zite. Also located in the square is the Patan Museum, which houses bronze statues and religious objects, some dating back to the 11th century.

Breakfast at the hotel in Kathmandu

Leisure till departure

Our representative will escort you to the International Airport for onward destination.