Kathmandu – Nagarkot (B)

Breakfast at Hotel. Full day sightseeing tour to covering of Pashupatinath, Boudhnath and Bhaktapur

Pashupatinath Temple

Dedicated to Lord Shiva it is one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world. It lies 5 km. east of the city on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River. Thousands of pilgrims visit this temple every year during Shivaratri, the birthday of Lord Shiva. Entrance to the temple precinct is forbidden to non-Hindus. The Large, gilded triple-roofed temple was built in 1696 A.D. though 300 years earlier this was a structure on this site. Hindus are cremated on the cremation ghats here and their ashes scattered in the sacred river. One can usually see a cremation in progress

Boudhanath

This is the largest stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in the world located east of the valley. It was built by the Lichchhavi King Mana Dev in the 5th century A.D. The Rinpoches who reside here have established Boudhanath as one of the most flourishing centers of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. The colossal ancient stupa is 36 meters high.

Bhaktapur Durnbar Square

A former capital of the valley, it was once a flourishing city on the trade route to Tibet. It has preserved its traditional character better than the other two cities, due to its more isolated location. It is regarded today as a classic showcase of medieval Nepalese town life. It is situated in the east of Kathmandu valley about 14 km. away. It today retains much of its beauty in ornate woodcarvings and in the famed Golden Gate.

Drive to Nagarkot

is a popular and romantic tourist spot of Nepal. It is situated 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175 Mts. above the sea level. The panorama of the major peaks of eastern Nepal Himalayas including Mt. Everest, can be seen from here. And also good view for Sun rise and Sun Set.

Overnight at hotel.

Nagarkot - Lumbimi

Early Morning Sunrise View. Breakfast at Hotel and Drive to Lumbini (330.Kilometer 6 hours drive) . Over night at Hotel in Lumbini.

Lumbini

Breakfast at hotel and start sight seen.

Lumbini

The birthplace of Lord Buddha, in the Terai plains of Nepal is one of the greatest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. More than 400,000 Buddhists and non Buddhists visit Lumbini every year. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture) and holds immense archeological and religious importance.

Sacred Garden

It was here in the gardens of Lumbini that Prince Siddhartha Gautam, who later became the Buddha, was born in 623 BC. The nativity site is marked by a commemorative pillar erected by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka of India during his pilgrimage to the holy site in 249 BC. The inscription on the Ashoka Pillar indentifies the Sacred Garden - spread over 9 sq. km – as the spot where the Enlightened One was born. A large number of Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit Lumbini to pray at the Mayadevi Temple where excavations have revealed the “marker stone” showing the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautam Buddha was born. The sacred Puskarni Pond where Queen Mayadevi had taken a bath before the birth of Buddha lies to the south of the pillar. It was also in this pond that the infant Buddha was given his first bath.

Monuments

To the north of the Sacred Garden are monastic zones where different countries have built temples and monasteries depicting different sects of Buddhism. The Myanmar Temple (Lokamani Cula Pagoda) is a shiny gold and white structure that resembles the Shwe-dagon Pagoda of Yangon while the International Gautami Nuns Temple is a replica of the Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu. The China Temple, built by the Buddhist Association of China, is a complex of pagodas, prayer rooms and meditation cells. Across the road is the Dae Sung Suk Ga Sa Korean Temple. The Japan Peace Stupa, built by Nippon Jon Kyohoji of Japan, is a 41-m tall structure with four different Buddha statues set into the stupa’s dome facing the four cardinal directions. Other beautiful monuments and temples have been built by Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, France, Germany and Sri Lanka.

Lumbini To Kathmandu

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Kathmandu and over night in Hotel.

Departure

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to airport for your onward flight and wish you safe journey back home