A Compass India Inc. representative will meet you at Kathmandu International Airport and assist with your hotel transfer.
The fertile Kathmandu Valley has always been a coveted prize for the Himalayan dynasties, changing hands from the Lichchhavis to the Mallas and finally to the Shah Kings who ruled initially as absolute and later as constitutional monarchs of Nepal until as late as 2006. Nestled between the southern low lying Mahabharat Range and the dizzying northern snow peaks of the Great Himalaya Range, Kathmandu Valley is a fertile saucer-shaped tract of land of unbelievable richness, both literal as well as figurative, with a dazzling cultural tradition of art, music and architecture. The pagoda design, ubiquitous in Asia, is Nepal’s cultural legacy to the world, its blueprint carried to the Chinese Emperor’s Court in the 13th Century by Newari virtuoso architect Arniko. Each of the three cities of Kathmandu Valley - Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan - are treasure troves of sculptures, woodwork, palaces, temples and stupas and are home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The capital of modern Nepal, Kathmandu City evolved around a single wooden structure used as a rest stop by travelers plying the ancient trade route between India and Tibet. The wooden pavilion or kastha mandap that lends the city its name still stands in Kathmandu’s expansive Durbar Square. A prominent destination on the hippy trail, Kathmandu has been highly popular with tourists for decades and on its busy streets, buzzing cafes, pizzerias, pubs, book shops, sushi bars, music stores and camera sellers jostle for space with exotic centuries-old temples, residential houses and stupas. As a gateway to the great Himalayan peaks of Everest, Annapurna and Kanchenjunga, Kathmandu is one of the world’s most important mountaineering hubs and it’s common to, before climbing season, to run into legends of the mountaineering world across the table from you in a coffee shop.
Kathmandu Durbar Square in the center of the city, has been the center of Nepali social, cultural and political life for centuries. The entrance to the Royal Palace is through the ornate Hanuman Dhoka (Hanuman Gate) which gives the palace its colloquial name of Hanuman Dhoka Royal Palace.
In the evening, experience a traditional dance recital followed by an authentic Nepali meal.
Overnight will be at Kathmandu.
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Later, proceed for sightseeing.
Pasupatinath is one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world and part of the Panchkedar, the five holiest temples to Shiva. The majestic two tiered pagoda structure of the temple is embellished with gold and silver. Shiva’s bull, a six feet tall black stone Nandi guards the entrance which is restricted to Hindus only, although the goings-on in the temple can be observed quite clearly from the vantage point across the Bagmati River.
The magnificent Swayambhunath Stupa stands on a hill gazing down benignly at the valley below through its benevolent Buddha eyes. The high winds on the hill cause the maze of prayer flags around it to flutter noisily as devotees turn the prayer wheels, light candles and butter lamps, while circumambulating the stupa. Erroneously and flippantly called Monkey Temple owing to the large simian population in the wooded hillside, Swayambhunath is among the oldest structures in the Valley, and according to legend, not built by the hands of men.
On the outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupendous Boudhanath is the largest stupa in the world. There is a maelstrom of activity around the stupa at all times of day. Devotees walk around it, children play on it, curio stores blare Buddhist chants set to electronica, ceremonial drums beat in nearby monasteries and the heady smell of incense and butter lamps hand heavy in the air. Above them all, the stupa’s giant Buddha eyes keep watch.
Overnight will be at Kathmandu.
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Later, proceed for a full day’s visit to Patan and Bhaktapur.
Across the Bagmati River, lies Patan, the second largest city of Kathmandu Valley and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A spacious, busy Durbar Square - crowded with locals who gather there to relax on the temple steps or catch up on the gossip - yields to numerous narrow winding alleyways snaking out in every possible direction. Some lead to tucked away temples, others to Malla-era houses still in use, while still others might lead to workshops where artisans are engrossed in making fearsome traditional masks or exquisite thangkas. In Patan, there is something surprising and magical around every corner.
A little further South lies Jwalakhel with Nepal’s only zoo.
Bhaktapur, the “City of Devotees” stands on a hilltop a few miles east of Kathmandu. One of the four Malla Era capitals of Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur retains much of its medieval charm and way of living and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A treat for the eyes, Bhaktapur is full to the brim with exquisite shrines, palaces, sculptures, temples, columns and lakes, with practically every visible square inch of the city teeming with elaborate and intricate stone- or woodwork. Fittingly, Bhaktapur served as the backdrop for much of filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci’s stunning “Little Buddha.”
Overnight at Kathmandu.
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Later, proceed to airport to board the flight to Delhi. Afterwards, the Compass team will escort you to New Delhi International Airport for your onward journey.