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07:00 hrs: Pick up from the hotel and drive to Boudhanath stupa.
The driver will be at the hotel to receive you 10 minutes earlier to begin the tour. Have your breakfast done at the hotel or either get it packed and meet the driver at the lobby. First, we will drive to Boudhanath, also known as Khasti Mahachaitya, 8kms away from Kathmandu. This stupa is believed to have been established in the fifth century by the King to protect the kingdom from a 2 years long drought. The stupa allowed restoration of water in the kingdom and ended the drought. This cultural heritage site is very sacred and famous among Buddhists and it receives a lot of visitors each year.
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08:30 hrs: Drive to Pashupatinath temple and witness the glory of Hinduism in Nepal.
Pasupatinath is regarded as the head of all the religious temples of Lord Shiva, the savior according to Hinduism. The temple is believed to have been established since the early fifth century when the Shivalinga was found underneath the ground where a cow used to shower its milk each day during noon. Various renovations and reforms have been done to the temple in the course of time. Pasupatinath temple is surrounded by various other temples, rest houses for pilgrimages, shops, forest, Bagmati river that all adds to the significance of the heritage. Many sages have devoted their life to shiva and have been living in the temple premises. Thousands of visitors visit here during major festivals like Maha shivaratri, Teej, Mondays of the month of Shrawan, etc.
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11:00 hrs: Drive to Bhaktapur durbar square and explore the ancient city of Khwopa.
The Bhaktapur durbar square is 13 kms East of Kathmandu and was once the capital of the ancient city Khwopa, also known as Bhadgaon. The durbar square was begun to construct by Jita mitra malla and was later completed by king Bhupatindra malla. The durbar square is a combined form of four squares namely Durbar square, Taumadi square, Dattatreya aquare, and Pottery square. The major attractions here are Vatsala temple, Statue of king Bhupatindra malla, Nyatapola temple (Highest temple of Nepal), Bhairabnath temple, Golden gate, Lion’s gate, Pasupatinath temple, the temple of erotic Elephants, Ugrachandi and Ugrabhairab temple, Rameshor, Badrinath, Gopinath, kedarnath and Hanuman temple. The monuments and the temples depict the richness in art, culture, architecture and history of the ancient Khwopa.
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13:30 hrs: Enjoy a traditional newari lunch in Bhaktapur.
After exploring the durbar square, we’ll enjoy a traditional newari lunch in the nearby restaurant.
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14:00 hrs: Drive to Patan durbar square and spot the richness of ancient architecture.
Patan, the ancient city of Lalitpur is famous for its durbar square commonly known as Patan durbar square, which is 9kms South east of Kathmandu. The durbar square began its establishment in the 15th century and many kings contributed till its completion. The major contributors to the accomplishment of this heritage goes to King Siddhi Narsingh Malla, his son Shrinivasa Sukriti, King Purandarasimha, King Sivasimha Malla and King Yogendra Malla. The durbar square centers both Hinduism and Buddhism together and its art and architecture depicts so. The durbar square is divided into Keshav Narayan chowk, Mul chowk and Sundari chowk. The most famous monuments include the famous Krishna temple of Patan, taleju bhawani temple, vishwanath temple and Bhimsen temple.
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15:30 hrs: Drive to swayambhunath, view the valley from an elevation.
After patan, we’ll drive to a hilltop stupa of Swayambhunath towards the west of Kathmandu. It is also famous as the Monkey temple. The stupa is believed to be built by King Mandev during the fifth century in the spot where Manjushree from Tibet came to worship the self sprung lotus, which is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Swayambhunath after draining out the water out from the valley. The current form was given by King Pratap Malla during the 17th century. The main stupa is reached after a 350 steps high staircase, where you’ll see stone sculptures showcasing the mix of ancient Buddhist and Hindu arts. The Stupa has a dome base with a cubical top with Buddha’s eyes painted on it in all directions. Being a hilltop, it offers spectacular views from the top. The forest, the prayer flags, the monasteries around, Harmony lake and museums preserving and showcasing the ancient Buddhist treasures are the major attractions.
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17:30 hrs: Drive to Basantapur durbar square and explore the tradition, Nepalese history and the local market.
Basantapur durbar square, the former home to the Nepalese Royals is centrally located. It is also known as Hanuman Dhoka durbar square as the entrance has the statue of Lord Hanuman. It is believed that King Ratna Malla started to build this durbar square after Kathmandu became an independent state in the 15th century. Later King Pratap Malla and the Shah Kings also contributed to the prevailing glory of the durbar square. This durbar square has the most significant role in Nepalese history as this Durbar square was the Royal residence of the Shah dynasty until 1886 A.D. One can witness the greatness in architecture, cultural beliefs and the traditions of the durbar square. The Major attractions are Kumari temple (Temple of the living god), the statue of Kaal Bhairab, Gaddhi Baithak, Jaganath temple, Kotilingeshwara Mahadev temple, Mahendreswara temple, Taleju temple, Shiva Parbati temple, Maru Ganesh temple, Bhagawati temple, Saraswati temple, etc. the Hanuman dhoka gaddhi baithak is established in the neoclassical style which blends the western and the ancient newari architecture to give a more distinguished beautiful look to the durbar square.
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19:00 hrs: Drive back to the hotel.
After completing the tour of Hanuman Dhoka durbar square, we’ll drive back to our hotel.
