Optional Tours
Swoyambhunath:
Swoyambhunath Stupa or Monkey Temple, on the west side of Kathmandu gives a global view of whole Kathmandu valley from the top of a hillock. The huge Stupa is one of the holiest Buddhists’ sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu valley out of primordial Lake. UNESCO lists it in world heritage site.
Pashupatinath:
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world. The richly ornamented pagoda houses the sacred phallic symbol. Devotees can be seen taking ritual dips in the holy Bagmati River beside the temple. This is one of the most sacred Hindu cremation sites. UNESCO publishes it as a world heritage site.
Boudhanath:
Boudhanath is known as a Tibetan style of Buddhist Stupa. This is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist site in Kathmandu. It looms 36 meters high and presents one of the most fascinating specimens of Stupa design. It was constructed in the first century and is one of the largest Stupas in the world. All day long, the devotees walk around the Stupa, moving and unforgettable scenes. A great influence from Tibet can be experienced here. Boudhanath protected as a UNESCO world heritage site.
The palaces, courtyards and temples were built between 12th and 18th centuries during the ancient Malla and Shah Kings of Kathmandu. This large square is the historic seat of the Nepalese Royalty. A captivating piece here is the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages. The Durbar Square protected, as a UNESCO world heritage site is the social, religious and urban focal point of the city.
Patan Durbar Square:
Patan is another city next to Kathmandu about 5 kms far from city heart. It is also known as city of fine art. A two-story building with gilded roofs encloses the stone-paved courtyard. The woodcarvings on the roof struts are especially attractive. The palace is prepared with sacred images and other small shrines. The museum in the courtyard is a collection of masterpiece of ancient arts and history to express the religious and cultural lives then in Nepal. This are is also protected as UNESCO world heritage site.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square:
Bhaktapur and its Durbar Square, about 20 kms far from the city heart, one of the three Royal towns of Nepal, is now a model town for the country for its calm, cleanness and preservation of cultural heritages. The 15th century palace of 55 windows inspires admiration. The golden gate is a masterpiece in art and the National Art Gallery is also housed inside. In the east of Durbar Square, a narrow-paved lane leads to another big square with a towering five-roofed Nyatapol temple. The stairway leading up to the temple is flanked by stone figures of deities and mythical beasts, each considered ten times more powerful than the one immediately below.
Nagarkot:
Nagarkot, at around 2100m high, 35kms from city heart, provides the breathtaking panoramic view of the Himalayas: Mt. Everest (8848m), Mt. Lhotse (8516m), Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m), Mt. Makalu (8463m) and Mt. Manaslu (8163m) and Kanchenjunga (8585m) till the Annapurnas (8091m) on the west can be seen from here. It is regarded as one of the best viewpoints in Nepal. A breathtaking view of sunset and sunrise can be experienced staying overnight here.
Pokhara-Sarangkot:
A half-hour drive from Pokhara and another half-hour walk takes us to the top of Sarangkot hill (1500m). It is another best viewpoint in western Nepal famous for sunrise and a panoramic view of Mt. Annapurna (8091m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) and Mt. Machhapuchhre (6697m) known as Fishtail and other mountains. A small hike for two days can also be comprised for the hike lovers including this hill.
Lumbini: Lord Buddha's birthplace:
Lumbini, a world heritage site, is the sacred birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam, the Shakya Prince, the eventual Shakyamunu and the ultimate Buddha - the Enlightened One. It is the holiest pilgrimage site for Buddhists. The main attraction at Lumbini is the sacred Garden that is spread over 8 sq. km. and possesses all the treasures of the historic area. The Mayadevi temple is the main attraction for pilgrims and archeologists alike. To the south of the temple, we find the sacred pond - Puskarni - where Queen Mayadevi had taken a bath just before giving birth to the Buddha.
There are more than fifty monasteries around the area. A visit to different monasteries from different Buddhist school gives an important memory. Some of the monasteries are: Chinese monastery, Japanese monastery, Korean monastery, Tibetan monastery, Thai monastery, Srilankan monastery, Burmese (Myanmar) monastery, Indian and Nepalese monasteries.
Jungle Safaris
If you're passionate about wildlife, prepare to fall deeply in love.
Nepal has no fewer than 16 National Parks to choose from and one of the most impressive lists of species in the world. But, what you'll see won't be the only thing to exhilarate you. Led by professional rangers, you'll get the chance to follow tracks, learn how to recognize particular signs and identify sounds.
Getting around many of the National Parks will be an added attraction if you are the adventurous sort. Depending on where you visit, you'll have the option to journey by dugout canoe, jeep or in some cases, elephant.
Both located in the Terai region of Nepal, our Jungle Safaris explore the Bardia National Park and the Chitwan National Park. We've designed minimum of 2 night / 3-day packages to these National Parks. Should you wish to stay longer to really soak up the atmosphere, we will tailor your trip accordingly.
Please, don't forget to bring your binoculars.
- Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve:
Chitwan National Park and the contiguous Parsa Wildlife Reserve cover just over 1431 square kilometers. The Park includes a section of The Chure hills and the Rapti, Narayani and Reu Valleys. The park is home to the only significant number of one-horned rhinoceroses surviving in Nepal, and to other endangered species such as the royal Bengal tiger, the Gangetic dolphin and the Gharial crocodile. Altogether there are more than 43 species of large mammals and over 450 species of birds. There are no human communities living in the park.
- Bardia National Park:
This 968 square kilometers reserve is reminiscent in many ways of Chitwan National Park. Here is higher likelihood of seeing a royal Bengal tiger. The reserve is bordered to the north by Chure hills, but is predominantly flat and dominated by sal forests and grassland. As well as tigers, there are blue bulls, a variety of deer, a few wild elephant and a small heard of introduced rhinoceros. If you are lucky you might also see Gangetic dolphin in the river.
- Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve:
This 175 square kilometers wildlife reserve lies on the beautiful flood plain of the Sapta Koshi in eastern Nepal. The reserve is often flooded during the monsoon, although mostly shallow depths only. It is home to the last surviving group of wild buffalo and several species of deer. A total of 280 different species of birds-including many migratory birds-have been recorded.
- Sukla Phata National Park:
This 305 square kilometers reserve lies in the far southwestern corner of Nepal. It covers a riverine flood plain, dominated by sal forest, but like Bardia and Chitwan National Parks, there are also grasslands, which make it ideal for wildlife observation. Sukla Phata is one of the last strongholds of the endangered swamp deer, but there are also around 35 tigers and an estimated 45 wild elephants, as well as leopard and a variety of birds.
