- Destination:Nepal
- Trip Grade:Easy
- Max Elevation:1350 m
- Total Duration:5 Days
- Geography:Mountain/ Countryside
- Religions:Hinduism and Buddhism
- Ethnic People:Newar/ Brahman/ Chhetri
- Transportation:Tourist Bus/Private Vehicle
- Minimum Pax:2
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is one of the famous touristic destinations. It is popular among the tourists who love to explore culture, art, and architecture. Home to the Newari ethnic group, Kathmandu valley is always vibrant with different festivities and events. One can find people from all parts of Nepal, in the Valley, which has helped immensely in the exchange of various cultures and rituals around the country. Kathmandu Valley is a beautiful amalgamation of history and urbanization. Not too far from the crowded city areas, we can find ourselves amidst the amazing nature as we gaze into the Himalayan ranges on the horizon.
During your five-day-long Kathmandu Valley tour, we will visit seven UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites, namely, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Changu Narayan. The World Heritage Sites, to this present day, carry gracefully the craftsmanship of the people from the yesteryears.
The three palaces—Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square—are proofs of the culturally and creatively lavish lifestyle of the Lichhavi (450-750 CE) and Malla (1201-1769 AD) Dynasties that ruled in the ancient Kathmandu Valley. Some of these old palaces have been converted now to museums where different pictures, inscriptions, arts, and artifacts have been displayed. Besides the courtyards and palaces, we can also interact with the local Newari communities and taste their ethnic food. Kathmandu Valley is also a land of temples.
The ancient temples like Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan are famous among the Hindu pilgrims. Similarly, Swayambhunath (the Monkey temple) and Boudhanath temple are the holy shrines for the Buddhist pilgrims. The structures of the stupas differ from that of the temples as they are dome-shaped with Buddha eyes on all four sides. In each of these places, we can experience various cultures and cuisines.
A recent addition to the list of museums in the Narayanhiti Royal Palace (1963 AD) which belonged to the last monarchy of Nepal, the Shah Dynasty (1768-2008 AD). There, we can visit the spot where the Royal Massacre (2001AD) took place. If you visit Kathmandu during the festivals like Indra Jatra (September), you will get to see the chariots of Kumari—the Living Goddess, along with Bhairav and Ganesh. Other festivals like Seto Macchindranath Jatra (April), Rato Macchindranath Jatra (June), Bhoto Jatra (October), etc. also the major attractions of a Kathmandu Valley Tour. On clear winter days, you can witness the Himalayas like Ganesh (7429m) and Langtang (7234m) from most parts of the valley.
Independent Trekking Guides Cooperative has been operating the Kathmandu Valley Tour since many years. Our ultimate goal is client satisfaction by providing them with unquestionable service. We do not compromise with your safety concerns. We provide you with an experienced and well-mannered tour guide who has ample knowledge about the places, the culture, and the people. It is our responsibility to make your stay a pleasant experience.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Upon arrival and completing visa formalities at the Tribhuvan International Airport, you will meet our representative and they will escort you to the hotel. Freshen up in the hotel and the local guide will brief you about the tour for the next day. If you have leisure time, you can take a short walk around the local market or just stay in the hotel and rest. In the evening Independent Trekking Guides Cooperative will organize induction program with welcome dinner. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 02: Sightseeing tour of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, and Swayambhunath:
After breakfast, our tour guide will pick you up from the hotel and then drive you to the Swayambhunath temple located on a western hill of Kathmandu. Apart from a lot of monkeys and small idols, you will also get a good view of the valley on a clear weather from the Stupa on the top. We will spend some time around the stupa and then drive to reach Pashupatinath towards the east.
It will take about 30 minutes depending on the traffic. Although we are not allowed to enter the main temple area, we can go to the east side of the temple crossing the holy Bagmati River where you will see cremation taking place.
After that, we will drive you towards the north to Boudhanath which will take about 15 minutes to reach. It is the biggest stupa here in the valley. The smell of the incense will purify your soul and you can also light a butter lamp in the monastery and make a wish. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03: Sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square, Narayanhiti Royal Palace, and Patan Durbar Square:
After breakfast, we will drive you to take around the Kathmandu Durbar Square area. We will visit the idol of Kal Bhairab, Taleju temple, Kumari Ghar, Kasthamandap temple, big bell and drums, Shiva-Parvati temple, and the nine-story building. You can also do shopping here. After spending few hours here, we will drive you to Narayanhiti Royal Palace. After that, we will head towards the north of the valley to Patan. In Patan, we will visit Patan Museum, Krishna Mandir, Golden temple, Taleju temple and Sundari Chowk. After that, we will return back to our hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 04: Sightseeing tour of Changu Narayan Temple and Bhaktapur Durbar Square
After breakfast, we will drive towards the east of the valley to Changu Narayan temple. We will look at the architecture of the temple and also visit the Newari Museum. After that, we will drive to Bhaktapur. It is one of the smallest city here in the valley. The monuments like temples, courtyards, ponds, palaces, and alleys of this UNESCO World Heritage Site are well preserved in their original formation. We will have typical Newari lunch in Bhaktapur and will spend some time around Siddhapokhari. After sightseeing, we will return back to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 05: Final Departure:
After breakfast and pack up, we will check out from the hotel and we will escort you back to the airport to connect you with your flight.
Our trip to Nepal such a memorable one
I am part of a group of 4 girls who coordinated with Jagat for our 'mini' version of the Annapurna Circuit in early September 2017. We wanted to do the circuit badly but did not have enough time. Jagat and his team came up with a customized itinerary for us to start the trek from Jagat and end at Jomsom which we then flew to Pokhara to take a bus back to Kathmandu. The whole itinerary was very flexible and day to day arrangements can be altered by just communicating with our guide, Gopi. He will come up with the best plan to accommodate our wants and needs.
From the moment we landed at the airport in Kathmandu to the moment we flew out of Nepal, everything was extremely well taken care of by Jagat and his team. Our guide, Gopi and porters, Raju and Tej (whom we call Dada) were like family to us during the entire trek. They were always checking on us to see if we have enough to eat, enough drinking water or can we cope with the trek. They even offered to carry our day packs when they saw us struggling. In fact, I think at most times, if not all, our interests were placed above theirs. They will go all the way out just to help you if there is anything you need at all on the trek.
I don't think we'll be able to find another more patient, caring, trustworthy and detailed team of guides and porters. It was our pleasure to be able to trek with them. They had made our trip to Nepal such a memorable one that all of us didn't want the trip to end. Thank you for the great hospitality. I really look forward to visiting and trekking in Nepal again.
I would readily recommend Jagat and his team to anyone planning to trek in Nepal.
Love from Malaysia,
WanLing
This was my third trip to Nepal and most enjoyable.
I recently had the great pleasure of climbing Island Peak in the Khumbu, Nepal. Jagat Lama was a passionate and dependable resource for trekking and mountaineering in Nepal. He was on the spot as far as preparation for the trip. This was my third trip to Nepal and most enjoyable. Hiring a light and independent team allowed for a cost-effective, flexible and efficient way to climb in Nepal. His assistance was with me from the airport arrival through to departure. He took care of my every need and allowed me to focus on my goal of the summit of Island Peak. My climbing guide, his brother Lal, was competent, caring and successful. I left Nepal with new friendships. I readily endorse his services and would encourage anybody to go with the Independent Trekking Guides. They are honest, caring and willing to make your holiday the most memorable you have ever had. Please, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my experiences in Nepal.
It was my dream trip come true. 2010
I am 66 years old and have done a lot of hiking in the USA as well as climbing Mt. Fuji, Orizaba and Iztaacchuatl volcanoes in Mexico. We have hiked to the bottom and back of the Grand Canyon at least 25 times on most of the various trails to the bottom. For me, the crowning trek was to hike in the Himalayan range. We contacted Jagat Lama in Kathmandu, Nepal and signed up for our adventure to hike for two weeks with porters and guides. Our group of friends included three men and three women aged from 60 to 75. I'm sure this would be a daunting task for Jagat and his guides.
We all hiked from Lukla to Namche which was Bill's goal (he's the 75-year-old). One of the guides stayed with Bill, and we continued with the two outstanding guides, Chet and Chandra. These two guides did everything for us; got all of our bags from the porters and put in our rooms, took our menu selections to the cooks, and discussed the plans for the following day. The guides made allowances for some who were having some altitude adjustment issues and gave positive feedback to everyone. They were very patient with all of us and really tried hard to ensure we stayed healthy and happy. I can honestly say that these were two of the best guides weÃve ever had. On our hikes, the guides had to work around some of us who liked to take pictures but needed to do some additional acclimation at higher altitude. As a result three of us were able to hike all the way to Mt. Everest base camp. It was like a moonscape. We met the Korean team that was going to climb Everest as soon as the weather looked better. The base camp is awesome with tents all over the place with prayer flags, and ice towers and rocks everywhere.At 5:00 am we were going to climb Kalapathar (5545m.) When we went out it was snowing and foggy. The weather in the valley is usually clear in the morning, foggy in the afternoon, and big clouds in the later afternoon. Chandra said we should start for Kalapathar as he felt it would clear up - and sure enough, the snow stopped and the sun came out. We made it to the summit in snow and ice.
From this mountain, we took fantastic views of Mt. Everest and Lhotse. We saw an avalanche and heard the cracking sounds coming from the Khumbu glacier. The valley we hiked was very interesting. It surpassed my expectations. I had no idea how many memorials there would be erected for the Everest climbers. It's a sight to see. There were many stupas and monasteries. There are many rock faces that have a Buddha painted or adorned with prayer flags and the rows of prayer wheels to spin. The landscape goes from lush vegetation to flower trees, to pine trees and then the tree line to tundra and almost a moonscape. The children were fun to play with and photograph. As we headed down the valley to Lukla, my wife became sick and we saw that she couldn't hike all the way down. Our great guides arranged for a horse for her to ride so we wouldn't miss our plane. At Lukla, I took my wife to a new, wonderful hospital where she was treated and given medicine. When we reached Kathmandu, there was a strike by the Maoist Communist Party that closed all of the businesses. Jagat again came to our rescue by getting a van and getting us to the airport. He, Chet and Chandra babysat us to make sure we got through the security hassle and on to the right plane. I can't imagine anyone doing anything more or better that Jagat, Chet, and Chandra could have done to make this a wonderful experience that exceeded our expectations. I recommend his services to you if you're planning to go anywhere in Nepal or Tibet. It was my dream trip come true.
Dreams of trekking in the Himalaya.May 2010
In April/May 2010 I was part of a group of nine individuals who used Jagat Lama to coordinate our trek to Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp. From taking care of obtaining our TIMS cards on the first day all the way through to seeing us off to the airport in Kathmandu when our trip was finished, Jagat took care of everything. Trust me when I say that there are a lot of details that need tending to in between the two above events. Jagat and his crew exceeded all expectations and made our trip stress free. This fact allows one to concentrate of the arduous task of getting to Base Camp while trusting Jagat and his crew to care of the daily details such as obtaining food and shelter. I highly recommend that you do as I did and have Jagat and his crew work with you to meet your Nepali dreams of trekking in the Himalaya.
