Nepal Cultural Tour: Discover Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lumbini

Our first day is a walking tour around Kathmandu Durbar Square. When we say a walking tour, we mean a compilation of adventures and explorations. We won’t just be traveling to the highlights of Durbar Square like Basantapur Square, Hanuman Dhoka Museum, and Freak Street but places like Pyaphal Tole, Ason, Bangemuda, and Tahiti Tole where the people of the Newar community reflect their cultural essence through everything they do. From little shops to restaurants, culture is the essence of these places and Kathmandu city can be reflected by this day itself.

Today we will visit a temple that holds immense cultural and religious value to Nepalese. To get there before anyone, we will leave as the sun rises and arrive at another historic temple of Lord Shiva, Gokarna Mahadev Temple. Standing tall from the 16th century, this temple represents the faith Nepalese have in their religion and culture. Thereafter, we will leave for Boudha and head to the main Boudhanath Stupa. We know you will be most attracted by the giant prayer wheels of the stupa and we will fully enjoy the moment of serenity there. We can feel Buddhist culture pouring down on us as we enter the Shechen Monastery. We won’t stay there for long, but we will spend some insightful moments with the monks there. Located near the monastery is an art school called “Tsering Art School Shop” where we will get a brief orientation on Buddhist Thangka Paintings by professional artists.

By this moment, we would already have seen the vast depth of art and culture of Kathmandu, and to make it vivid, we will travel to one of the most important temples of Hindus, Pashupatinath Temple. From the main temple to its surroundings, everything smells of rich culture and history. The environment itself is an art! We will spend some time there, learning about the place and a river that flows in between the temple, and the Bagmati river, and thereafter, we will visit the Kopan monastery. Kopan monastery is one of the centers for Buddhist monks and it holds great value to people in Kathmandu. Near this place, Buddhanilkantha is situated. Budhanilkantha is where a floating statue of Lord Bishnu is located. We will go there, offer our prayers and hop in our vehicle to reach our destination for the next day, Patan.

Patan will be waiting for us to wake up. And, from the moment we open our eyes, exploration starts. All of our destinations in Patan come under or near Patan Durbar Square. First, we will visit the palace of Patan Durbar. Thereafter, the two most historic courtyards of Patan, Mul Chowk, and Sundari Chowk will be our destinations. As we come to the end of our exploration, we will visit the Patan museum to get a clear idea of what has been shaping Patan over the years. From Patan, by boarding a vehicle, we will leave for Dakshinkali Temple, spend some time there looking at the devotion of people there and leave for Kirtipur. Exploring Kirtipur requires days, however, we will only go to a few important places like Chilancho Stupa, Lohan Dega, Bagh Bhairab Temple, Narayan Temple, and the Suspension Bridge.

From there, for our next day’s destination, we will leave for Namo Buddha, which is located on the outskirts of the Kathmandu valley. We will spend our night there.

Namo Buddha’s culture is its faith in the Almighty. You will wake up to the sounds of religious chanting and we will join the monks and people doing the chanting. By the end of the chanting, we would be feeling divine and light in our hearts, and to keep up with it, we will visit the Chandeshwori Temple of Banepa. As the sun starts to rest, we will enter the valley again and visit the Changu Narayan Temple of Bhaktapur. The temple has a magnificent golden gate with intricate carvings of Garuda, Goddess Laxmi, and Lord Vishnu. This temple is popular amongst Buddhist pilgrims because the temple also houses Hariharihari Vahana Lokeshvara, the primary deity of Buddhists.

Under the cultural radiance of Bhaktapur, we will spend our night.

Bhaktapur’s major highlights are the four squares, the Changu Narayan Temple, and Juju Dhau. While the squares and the temple reflect the culture of the place, Juju Dhau acts as the mirror that lets us see ourselves merging with the culture of Bhaktapur. Juju Dhau is a special type of curd made by the locals of Bhaktapur, and we will devour it. Moreover, every alley of Bhaktapur is special for the food it cooks and the products it sells – from toys to paintings to clothes, everything about Bhaktapur is culture and tradition.

Thereafter, we will travel to Swayambhu, climb the 365 stone stairs and visit the Buddhist Museum. Other places that we will cover before it gets dark are Dallu and Dollu Neyudo Choling Ichangu Narayan. Both of these places are epitomes of Kathmandu’s culture and religious faith. Later to rest and prepare for the flight on the next day.

We will take the earliest flight to Bhairahawa, and begin our cultural exploration shortly. After giving our bodies some rest after the travel exhaustion, we will ride to Lumbini. We will start by exploring some monasteries like the German and Vietnam monastery. Later as it gets chilled outside, we will set off to explore the rural side of Lumbini. We will ride Rickshaws, talk to the locals, and know how culturally rich Lumbini is. 

Today we will discover the reason that backs Lumbini’s rich cultural enigma. By visiting Maya Devi Temple, we will start the day. The first thing we will do is meditate under the Bodhi Tree that is located inside the temple’s periphery. From there, we will go to Tilaurakot. As magnificent its archeology is, the richer its historic significance is. We will talk to the people nearby and know more about Lumbini which will allow us to connect the dots of religious and cultural dominance in the city. 

Early in the morning, we drive to Bhairahawa and take off to Pokhara from there. The rest of the day you will rest and prepare for the exploration that awaits in the coming days. Later in the evening, you will get an ayurvedic massage that will cleanse your body and mind thoroughly. 

Before sunrise, we will hike up to Sarangkot and witness one of the most majestic scenarios one can experience in Nepal. As the sun rises, Sarangkot blazes in joy and getting to witness this moment adds the cherry on top of the cake of our trip to Pokhara. Later, we will explore different sites that hold cultural and religious values like Choeling Gompa, Peace Pagoda, Shree Bindhyabasini Temple, Tal Barahi, and Matepani Gumpa. 

Exploring culture isn’t complete without merging with the locals, therefore, today we will begin our journey to know what has been keeping Pokhara alive. We will travel to Sirubari, explore the nearby places and stay in a local’s place. Eating the food they prepare, knowing about them as we eat, this day will let you witness the gorgeous history of the place.

Today too, we will explore Sirubari and know the stories of the locals. We will explore their culture, wear their traditional dresses and feel their faith flowing inside of us. We will contribute to the community by participating in local activities and spending the day as a local. 

After having lunch, we will ride back to Pokhara. In the evening, we will visit some museums and monasteries and rest at the Lakeside to prepare for the flight the next day.

We will depart for Kathmandu, and do some last-minute shopping. You can stroll around the streets of Thamel, and visit Kathmandu Durbar Square for sightseeing. Later, to mark your wonderful journey, we will offer you a farewell dinne

With tons of memories and an eagerness to explore more, we will bid you goodbye.