Begin your half-day tour of Kathmandu with hotel pickup at 9am. Your guide will show you the highlights that this city has to offer.
The first stop will be at Boudhanath Stupa which boasts a huge whitewashed dome symbolizing a womb or creation. Follow the crowd in a clockwise direction as you admire the dome’s 108 small images and prayer wheels set around its base. At the top, see the 13 golden steps to Nirvana.
Move on to the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, the most popular Hindu God. Only Hindus are allowed in the main temple, but you will view the temple from a distance, allowing a good view of its golden roof and silver gate.
Take a moment to gather your thoughts on the bank of the holy Bagmati River, where you may see cremations and the bathing rituals of Hindus, who take deep baths on the banks to wash away their sins.
Next you will go to the island stupa of Swyambhunath, boasting breathtaking views of the city and a backdrop of snow-capped mountains on a clear day. Known as the Monkey Temple, due to its many resident monkeys, the stupa is dedicated to Lord Buddha.
Your final visit will be Kathmandu’s bustling Durbar Square, which literally translates as “Place of Palace. A riot of rickshaws and street vendors, explore some of the 50 temples that surround the square, including Shiva Parbati temple, Kumari Ghar (House of the Living Goddess), Hanuman Gate, and the wooden temple of Kasthamandap, built from a single tree.
At the end of your, you will be transferred back to your Kathmandu hotel at around 3pm.
