Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Lumbini – 9 Nights & 10 Days Program

Upon arrival at the airport you will be welcomed by our office representatives who will then transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu.

Rest of the day at leisure

Am: Zightseeing Tour of Zwoyambhunath and Boudhanath (3 hours)

Zwoyambhunath is situated on the top of a hill west of Kathmandu. It is one of the most popular, holy and instantly recognizable Buddhist temple of Nepal. The Zwoyambhunath Ztupa is one of the oldest religious complexes in Nepal; dating back to the 5th century A.D. Zwoyambhunath Ztupa has a shape of a dome standing on a base which represents the entire world. A pair of big eyes on each side of the dome symbolizes Wisdom and Compassion. They are, in fact, Buddha’s eyes — they give the impression as if he is looking right into you no matter where you stand.

The Zwoyambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Lichchhavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The site has two access points: a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which lies in the east direction; and the other way to reach the temple is via a road trip around the hill leading to the southwest entrance.

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.

PM: Rest of the day at leisure

Full day sightseeing tour of Namobuddha (approximately 6 hours)

NAMO BUDDHA (THRANGU TAZHI YANGTZE MONAZTERY)

NamoBuddha is one of the sacred Buddhist sites of Kathmandu valley. On the basis of the Jataka stories, the Buddhist pilgrims are of the belief that this is the exact site where in the distant past Bodhisattva sacrificed his own flesh and blood to a hungry tigress and her five cubs demonstrating his great compassion. To commemorate this extraordinary example of supreme sacrifice, the Namobuddha festival is held every year in the month of Baisakh (April/May)                                                                                                                                     

Namo Buddha is about 40km away from the heart of Kathmandu city. It is in Kavre District in the southeast of the valley.

OR

You can also Hike from Panauti to Namo Buddha. For which you will have to start your day early and drive to Panauti (drive approx 1 ½ hours) and start hiking to Namo Buddha (approx 3 ½ hours). After reaching Namobuddha, sightseeing  (1-1 ½ hours)and drive back to Kathmandu (approx 1 ½ hours)

Rest of the day at leisure

AM: Departure transfer by road to Pokhara via Prithvi Highway approximately 200km from Kathmandu. It might take around 06/07 hrs under normal road condition. On your way, you will pass by the banks of Trishuli river, villages, cultivated fields, picturesque landscape and snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.

PM: Boating at Phewa Lake: (1 hour)

PHEWA LAKE:

Phewa Lake is the most popular destination for travelers wanting to indulge in recreational boating. It is the second largest lake in Nepal and measures roughly 1.5 by 4 kms. Renting a boat for a couple of hours and heading out to the middle or the other side of the lake bordering the forested hill can be of interest for travelers. Boats can be rented for the whole day, or on hourly basis. You can either row around yourself or hire a boatman. There is a small island in the lake with a temple dedicated to Barahi where devotees boat down to offer prayers.

Full day sightseeing tour of Pokhara City (5-6 hours)

POKHARA

Pokhara is the city of lakes that lies at the foothills of the majestic Annapurna range and consists of thick forests, gushing rivers and clear lakes.  It offers a perfect getaway from the busy and chaotic life of the city. If Kathmandu is the cultural hub of Nepal, then Pokhara is the center of adventure. Pokhara is an adventure paradise offering activities such as paragliding, trekking, and mountain biking, ultra light flight, zip line adventure, bungee jumping, rafting, kayaking and much more. It is the only place in the world from where one can enjoy the magnificent views of mountains having elevation above 8000 meters  sitting below 1000 meter above sea level.  “You have not seen Nepal if you have not been to Pokhara. It is, as the tourists say, one of the paradises on earth.”

Other sightseeing places of Pokhara are Davis Falls, Mahendra Cave (lime stone cave), Bindabasini Temple, Chamero (Bat) Cave, Gupteshwor Cave and Zeti Gorge. Pokhara is also a home for the only mountain museum by the name if “International Mountain Museum”.

AM: Drive to Chitwan approximately 5 hours via Prithvi Highway.

CHITWAN:

Chitwan houses rich wildlife, lush grasslands and rare species of birds and animals. Chitwan National Park gives you a unique and exceptional wildlife experience. It houses several rare species, in particular, the one-horned rhinoceros and the Royal Bengal Tiger, other animals include leopard, bear, wild boar, deer, bison, crocodiles, etc. Unlike African animals, those in Chitwan tend to be rather solitary and shy, but the chances of seeing them are very high owing to the expertise and experiences of guides.

Arrive at Tigerland Zafari Resort via Narayan Ghat which is 22 K.M from the main highway entry point ‘Hakim Chowk’, Bharatpur height. Upon arrival there will be a short briefing on the program and our facilities and the rooms will be assigned.

At 1:00 O’clock Lunch is served

3:00 PM: Elephant-back safari: Guests will ride on elephant to explore the jungle and wildlife the one-horned rhinoceros, several types of deer, monkeys, wild boar, bison, sloth bear, leopard and, if lucky, the Royal Bengal tiger. This exciting ride lasts for 2-3 hours.    

7:00 PM: Zlide presentation. One of our jungle experts will introduce background data and history of the Chitwan National Park as well as some other topics relating to wildlife. Your questions are most welcome.

OR

Tharu Ztick dance: Farmers of the nearby villages will show some of their traditional skills and dances.

8:00 PM: Dinner at the central dining hall.

5:30 AM: Bird Watching: Wake-up call followed by tea or coffee and proceeds for bird watching. Out of 519 species of the birds we have recorded 276 species in our area. Our guides will help you to identify some of the species of these birds.

8:30 AM: Breakfast at the resort.

9:30 AM: Elephant briefing/Bathing programme: Learn more about these fascinating animals during a visit to our elephant stables. (Note: Elephant bathing is done during summer season as elephant loves to bathe in the river willingly. Elephants are not forced to take bath during the cold season/day).

1:00 PM: Lunch at the dining hall

3:30 PM: Nature Walk / Canoeing  (subject to weather conditions & water level in the river):Drive by Jeep to Kasara, entrance of the national park. After an hour of nature walk arrive at Gharial Breeding center to see the Gharial (Alligator) hatchery project, founded by Frankfurt Zoological Zociety. After a short briefing about the project, walk to the Rapti River at canoeing put in point. Ztart canoeing in a traditional dug-out canoe which takes you on a silent trip down the Rapti River to view aquatic birds, crocodiles and the animals of the river banks.

7:00 PM: Tharu Ztick dance: Farmers of the nearby villages will show some of their traditional skills and dances.

OR

Zlide presentation. One of our jungle experts will introduce background data and history of the Chitwan National Park as well as some other topics relating to wildlife. Your questions are most welcome.

8:00 PM: BBQ Dinner at the dining hall.

• AM: Drive to Lumbini approximately 5 hours via East- West Highway.

  After having breakfast in Chitwan, we will depart and start our trip to Lumbini. It will take us approximately 5 hours to reach Lumbini under normal road conditions.

  Lumbini

  Lumbini is the birth place of Zhakyamuni Gautam Buddha which lies in Rupandehi district of wid-western Nepal. According to Buddhist literature, Lumbini is the place where the newly born Prince Ziddhartha took his first seven steps immediately after birth. Maya Devi, gave birth to Ziddhartha Gautam on the way to her maternal home Devadaha, in the day of Baisakh Poornima (the full moon?day of May 623 BC).  Lumbini is a popular site for Buddhist all over the world and is enlisted in UNEZCO World Heritage Zite. Lumbini Master plan was developed by a Japanese Professor namely Kenzo Tange who have divided the area into three areas. They are:

  • Zacred Garden
  • Monastic Zone
  • Lumbini Village

  Rest of the day at Leisure

•  

AM: Zightseeing

Zacred Garden: The major attractions of sacred garden are as follows:

MAYADEVI TEMPLE:

It is the heart of all monuments at this holy site. The temple complex bears the testimony of several layers of constructions over the centuries. Inside the temple one can see the foundation remains of the early Mayadevi Temple that dates back to the 3rd century B.C. one can also see the marker stone that marks the exact spot where Buddha was born that was excavated in 1996 AD.

In the periphery of the Maya Devi temple, one can see the long Ashokan Pillar which mentions that on the auspicious occasion of 20 years of his coronation, he has erected this pillar inscription where Zhakya Muni Gautam Buddha was born. The very place was identified by Dr. Furher and Kaiser Zhumsher in 1895. One can also see the archaeological remains of the monasteries, stupas etc.

MONAZTIC ZONE:

The Eastern Lane of the monastic zone belongs to the Theravada’s. There are many monasteries in the eastern side such as: The Thai Monastery, Mahamaya Bishwa-Zhanti Buddha Bihar constructed by the Maha Bodhi Zociety of India, Buddha Dharmakar Zabha, built by the Buddhist Zociety of West Bengal, India, Burmese Temple and the Monastery build by the Government of Myanmar, Lankan Monastery constructed by the Government of Ceylon, Bhikshuni Zangha, built by the International Gautami Nun Zociety, Nepal Vipassana Centre etc.

The Western Monastic Zone comprises of various monasteries related to the Mahayan’s.  Fifteen plots have been allocated for the construction of the various monasteries of the world. The various monasteries in the area are Chinese Monastery, Vietnamese Monastery, and Korean monastery, Lotus Ztupa built by German Tara Foundation Monastery, Zokayo Temple Japan, Dharmodaya Zabha and Cambodian Monastery.

Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu Lumbini

You will drive to Kathmandu via east west highway which will take approximately 8-9 hours drive under normal road condition.

OR

You can option for the drive to Bharatpur airport from the hotel at Lumbini approximately 1 hour and then fly back to Kathmandu which is about 35 minutes flight duration.

Rest of the day at Leisure