Nepal

Arrive in Kathmandu where you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel. Spend your days strolling down the stone paved lanes leading to centuries-old temples, courtyards, and stupas. Kathmandu Valley is perfect for culture vultures with its architectural offering and spiritual feel. Afternoons create a perfect setting for long walks enjoying the mélange of the traditional old city and modern buildings. During the winters, snowy peaks of the Himalayan range will glitter from behind the curtain of mountains, making morning views a treat for your eyes.
Accommodation: 2 nights in Kathmandu

Breakfast at hotel
Morning: Proceed for the visit to Kathmandu durbar Square
KATHMANDU DURBAR SQUARE
Durbar, which means palace, is where the kings were once crowned and where they ruled from.
Kathmandu has its Durbar Square at its heart and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The massive complex consists of three main squares, which is home to palaces, temples, and
courtyard. South of Basantapur square is a former Royal elephant stable, which today has souvenir stalls and leads to Freak Street (the lane still lives in the former glory of being the ultimate Hippie destination
during the Flower Power era). The temple of the Living Goddess, Kumari, is also on the southern end. Kumari is a young Shakya girl from Newar community, chosen through an ancient and mystical selection
to become the human incarnation of Hindu Goddess, Taleju. If you are lucky, you might get to get a glimpse of Kumari peeking out of an elaborately carved wooden window. The main Durbar Square is the
most affected area by the 2015 earthquake. Three main temples of the area, Kasthamandap, Narayan temple, Trilokya Mohan, and Krishna Temple has been completely destroyed, while others have been
partially damaged. On the Northeast side, the square consists of Hanuman Dhoka, the main entrance to the old royal palace. The Taleju Bhawani’s temple, the oldest of all the temples is situated in this area.
Even though the old royal palace has been partially damaged, restoration process is going on.
Later: visit SWAYAMBHUNATH
Perched on top of a conical hill is a white dome with glittering golden spire, visible from all sides of the valley for many miles. This most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu Valley,
Swayambhunath Stupa, is also known as the Monkey Temple. According to the historical records, the stupa is over 2,500 years old. The surrounding of the stupa consists of a variety of shrines and temples,
some dating back to the Licchavi period. This stupa too has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites list. This place offers an excellent view of the Valley. Though the temples around the stupa had
some minor destruction and one of the temples beside the stupa collapsed during the 2016 earthquake, the process of reconstruction is ongoing.
Afternoon: Proceed for the visit to Patan Durbar square
PATAN DURBAR SQUARE
Just 5 km south of Kathmandu is Patan, the city of artistry, which is one of the three Royal cities in the Valley. Connoisseurs of fine arts and architecture will be delighted with the city’s offering of various
Buddhist and Hindu temples and over 1000 monuments boasting of the finest wood and stone carvings.
The city is known for its rich tradition of arts and handicrafts such as metal statues and ornate architecture. The square is a mélange of old Royal palace, artistic courtyards, and pagoda temples. Other
main attractions are Krishna Temple, Bhimsen Temple and Golden Temple among others. Though Patan Durbar Square has faced destruction due to the earthquake, a full-fledged reconstruction process is
going on and one can find traditional artisans busy with the process at a Chowk within the Museum. (B)

Breakfast at hotel and depart for your drive to Pokhara.
Pokhara is the third largest city in Nepal. It is the starting point for most of the treks in the Annapurna area. Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty, situated at an altitude of 827m from the sea level
and 200km west of Kathmandu valley. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful place. This enchanting city has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panoramic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. Pokhara spans 8 km from north to south and 6 km from east to west but, unlike Kathmandu, it is quite loosely built up and still has much green space. The Seti Gandaki flowing through the city from north to south divides the city roughly in two halves. The city offers a combination of nature and culture and is mostly known as the gateway to the trekking route “Round Annapurna”.The major touristic attractions of Pokhara are its scenic views in and around town, Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa), Davi’s fall, Sarangkot, Gupteshwor cave, Mahendra cave, International Mountaineering Museum etc. (B)
Accommodation: 2 nights in Pokhara