8 DAYS NEPAL AND BHUTAN

Day 01, 23 May 2015, Saturday:    Arrive Kathmandu

Meet and assist by our representative at airport and transfer to Hotel. Welcome drinks will be served upon our arrival and escorted to our luxurious room.  Spend rest of the day to relax in the hotel or explore the surroundings on your own.

Overnight at Dwarika’s Hotel. [-/-/-]

Day 02, 24 May 2015, Sunday:      In Kathmandu

Morning Optional Mountain flight tour and later sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swoyambhunath stupa and Bhaktapur City.

Early morning transfer to the domestic airport for an hour scenic mountain flight.

The Mountain Flight offers this rare, fascinating opportunity to embrace the legendary Himalayas and discover the ineffable beauty that is guaranteed to be one of the most mesmerizing experiences ever.    

The flights are operated every morning from Kathmandu airport and fly at an average altitude of 6,500 -­‐   7,000 meters. It gives the best opportunity to get the closest and the best view of Mount Everest (8,850mts) & other mountains such as; Shisa Pangma (8,013m), Gauri Shanker (7,134m), Melungtse (7,023m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Pumori (8,171m), Nuptse (7,855m), Lhotse (8,516m) & Amadablam (6,856m). Circling Mount Amadablam to enter the Khumbu valley, we take the passengers almost five nautical miles from the highest peak in the world -­‐   Mt. Everest (weather permitting). This flight usually lasts for about an hour. We provide each passenger with individual window seats (guaranteed) during the entire flight. Moreover, all our passengers are invited to the cockpit from where they can take some spectacular pictures of the world’s tallest mountains

After returning from the scenic flight, drive back to your hotel. Breakfast will be served at the hotel.

After breakfast we will start our sightseeing tour by visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swoyambhunath stupa and Bhaktapur City.

 

 Kathmandu, the largest city of Nepal, is the political as well as the cultural capital of the country. Like any big city, Kathmandu has seen rapid expansion in the last decade, but despite the hustle and bustle so typical of metropolitan cities, its people remain as refreshingly friendly as ever. Retaining its ancient traditions, Kathmandu is blessed by a Living Goddess and is enriched by endless ceremonial processions and events that take to the streets every now and then with throngs of devotees seeking blessings. These religious festivals are steeped in legend and are quite a spectacle with chariot processions and masked dancers often possessed by the spirits of deities.

Vegetable & spice markets: We visit the vegetable & spice market in Ason, and see its many courtyards and bustling bazaars.

The Temple of the Living Goddess: The Kumari Devi is the most important of several living goddesses in Nepal. She is seen on the temple’s balcony regularly.

Durbar Square: ‘Durbar’ means ‘palace’, and takes its name from the old Royal Palace. This is the centre of the old city, and there are a number of interesting temples including Kasthamandap, the House of Wood, which gives the city its name.

Swyambhunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple is a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site. It rests on a hillock 3 km towards the western edge of Kathmandu and is one of the most important and the most sacred Buddhist shrines of Nepal. Legend has it that when Kathmandu Valley was a lake 2000 years ago, a single lotus flower grew at the center of the lake. When Saint Manjushree, the Bodhisatva drained the lake with a single slash of his sword, the lotus settled on top of a hill and magically turned into a stupa. Thus Swyambhunath is also known as a Self-Created stupa.

This stupa is the most ancient and the perhaps the most enigmatic of all holy shrines in Kathmandu. The area surrounding the stupa is filled with smaller chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects. There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams and a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics.

 Afterwards, transfer to medieval ancient city of Bhaktapur.

Bhaktapur: Perched on a hill at an altitude of 1,401 m, Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, literally the ‘City of Devotees’ is a major tourist destination that takes visitors back in time. Bhaktapur lies 12 km east of Kathmandu city on the Arniko Highway that leads to the Chinese border. Bhaktapur is still untouched by rapid urbanization and has managed to retain its brick paved roads, charming red brick houses and a way of life that goes back to medieval times. This ancient city is also famous for pottery and woodcarving amply displayed on the squares and windows respectively.

The extraordinary Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its monuments reflect the glory days of the Malla Dynasty.

Among the three durbar squares, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is by far the most elegant with its large open space facing south. The extraordinary Durbar Square with its extraordinary monuments reflects the glory days of the Malla dynasty when art and architecture thrived in the three cities of the valley.

Walking around pottery square and witnessing the craftsmanship of locals creating clay pots from clay soil represents treasured legacy that still survives in the ancient city of Bhaktapur.

 Later transfer to Hotel for overnight.

Overnight at Dwarika’s Hotel. [B/-/-]

 Day 03, 25 May 2015, Monday:     In Kathmandu        

Today, we will continue our sightseeing tour of Kathmandu by visiting Pashupatinath temple, Boudhanath Stupa and Patan city with our guide.

The magnificent Pashupatinath temple with its astonishing architectural beauty is situated on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River. Dedicated to the Hindu God of Destruction, Lord Shiva, this temple is regarded as the most scared of all Lord Shiva temples. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple comprises of a richly ornamented pagoda that houses the sacred linga or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva.

Every year thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple. Non-Hindu visitors are strictly prohibited to enter the temple however; they are permitted to view the temple from the east banks of the River Bagmati.

Pashupatinath is also Nepal's most renowned Hindu cremation site. In the Hindu Culture, after a person is dead, his/her body is wrapped in cloth, placed on bamboo litters and brought to the cremation site where the eldest son in the family burns the body. The ashes from the dead body are collected and swept into the River Bagmati that eventually joins the Holy Ganges. Arya Ghat, is of special importance because it is here the members of the royal family were cremated. The main cremation site is Bhasmeshvar Ghat, which is the most-used cremation site in the Kathmandu Valley.

Final stop of a day will be Bouddhanath stupa, the largest spherical stupa of Nepal.

Boudhanath Stupa is one of the most imposing landmarks of Kathmandu and is a center of Tibetan Buddhism. The stupa is built on a massive three level mandala style platform and is 36 meters (118 feet) in height. The base of the stupa is adorned with 108 small images of the Dhyani Amitabha Buddha and inset with prayer wheels. Thousands of pilgrims circle the stupa in a clockwise direction each day spinning the prayer wheels. It is said that each spin of a prayer wheel is the equivalent of reciting the mantra. The stupa’s massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. The ancient stupa is one of the largest in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet that enters the Kathmandu Valley by the village of Sankhu in the northeast corner. Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Boudhanath. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of a Buddhist sage, perhaps parts of the Buddha’s body (bones, teeth), or sacred texts and other ceremonial objects.

Afterwards, we will visit artistic city of Patan.

 Patan also known as Lalitpur, the city of artisans is a paradise of fine arts and one of the three cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Located 5 miles southeast from the Kathmandu City, Patan is best known for its rich cultural heritage. It is home to the valley’s finest craftsmen who have preserved such ancient techniques as the repoussé and lost wax process used to produce exquisite sculptures. The city retains much of its old charm with its narrow streets, brick houses and multitude of well-preserved Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries (vihars) and monuments. The predominant sound in Patan is that of the tinkering of craftsmen bent over the statuettes they are shaping. As in Kathmandu, Hinduism and Buddhism have co-existed here for ages, influencing each other, and the religious harmony is exemplary.

 The city of Patan offers visitors the chance to see an abundance of exquisite works of religious art and architecture. Patan is enclosed within four stupas, built in the 3rd century AD by Emperor Ashoka. Each stupa is symbolic of the Buddhist Wheel of Righteousness (‘Dharma Chakra’). In the heart of Patan, amidst the Patan marketplace lays the Patan Durbar Square, an area filled with ancient palaces, pagoda temples, stone baths, Hindu and Buddhist statues, engravings and bronze cravings. The Palace of the Malla Kings is one of the highlights of Patan. The palace complex lays the stone temple of Lord Krishna, which was built in the 16th century A.D. The Royal Bath (known as 'Tushahity') is another showpiece of fine stone and bronze carving in the palace complex.

Patan Durbar Square is one of seven monument zones in the Kathmandu Valley that together have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also located in the square is the Patan Museum, formerly a Malla palace, which houses bronze statues and religious objects, some dating back to the 11th century.

Transfer to Hotel for Overnight.

Overnight at Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu. [B/-/-]

Day 04, 26 May 2015, Tuesday:     Fly to Paro & drive to Thimpu

Kathmandu – Paro :  KB 401         ETD 0825hrs             ETA 0940hrs

After sumptuous breakfast at hotel, meet Ms. Alison at Hotel then you will be transferred to airport by our representative to fly to Paro. Arriving at the Paro International Airport, our representative will receive you and drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The drive takes you through the winding road with lots of beautiful hamlets. In Simtokha, visit the Simtokha Dzong built in 1629 and now it houses the Institute of Language & Cultural Studies. On reaching Thimphu, check-in at the hotel.

Simtokha Dzong: According to a legend, this dzong was constructed to subdue an evil spirit that was harassing the people in the region and guard the place. Hence, Simtokha translates as ‘Atop a Demon’. Simtokha is believed to be the first dzong built in Bhutan and is the gateway to Thimphu Valley.

It is the first structure to incorporate both monastic and administrative facilities. Since 1961 it has been the home of the Rigney School for Dzongkha and monastic studies. Its students are both monks and ordinary people. The Dzong’s antique murals are renowned for their historic and artistic value and the frescoes and images are among the finest in the country.

Overnight at Taj Tashi [-/-/D]

Day 05, 27 May 2015, Wednesday:           In Thimpu

After breakfast we will visit Memorial Chorten, the National library of Bhutan, Folk Heritage Museum and Tashichho Dzong.

The Memorial Chorten, also known as the Thimphu Chorten is a large Tibetan-style Buddhist Monastery with golden spires and bells. It is a popular landmark and one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu.  

It was built in 1974 to honor the memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The chorten is richly carved and contains statues and a shrine dedicated to the king. The king’s photo in a ceremonial dress adorns a hall in the ground floor. The king when alive wanted to build ‘a chorten to represent the mind of the Buddha’.

The National Library of Bhutan is a four-storied eight-cornered traditional building, which looks like the central tower temple of a Bhutanese Dzong. It was initially housed and established in 1967 within the central tower of Tashichho Dzong. Later, due to its growing collection, it was moved to its current location and inaugurated in 1984. The building that initially had a small collection of precious texts now holds an archive responsible for collecting and preserving important past, present and future documents on Bhutan for future generations. The library also has a representative collection of English and western language books mainly related to the Himalayas, Bhutan and Buddhism.

The Folk Heritage Museum is set inside a 19th century three-storied traditional building and was established in 2001. The museum houses different tools, materials, objects, equipments and artifacts from rural Bhutanese households and gives a good insight of the traditional Bhutanese lifestyle. 

To showcase the authenticity of the country, the museum preserves a rural setting with paddy, wheat and millet fields, a traditional water-mill with mill stones more than 150 years old, traditional style kitchen gardens with vegetables that were grown over the past 100 years and the famous traditional hot stone bath. Native trees and plants that had domestic uses in Bhutanese rural household are being grown here in an effort to keep indigenous knowledge about the use of natural resources alive.

Visit the Tashichho dzong. This dzong is an impressive building also known as ‘the fortress of the Dharma Raja’. It has traditionally been the seat of the Druk Desi, the head of the Bhutan’s civil government.

The dzong has suffered several damages in the past. The original dzong was destroyed in the 1771 fire and again twice since then. Later the dzong was damaged in an earthquake in 1897 and was rebuilt in 1902. When King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck moved his capital to Thimphu in 1952, he started a five-year project that completely redesigned, enlarged and redesigned the dzong without using any nails or written plans.

Overnight at Taj Tashi [B/L/D]

Day 06, 28 May 2015, Thursday:               Drive to Paro & Sightseeing

After breakfast we will drive back to Paro. Upon arrival visit The National Museum of Bhutan, Paro Dzong and Kyichu Monastery.

Visit the National Museum of Bhutan, a unique circular building also known as Ta-dzong which is an ancient watchtower above the Paro Dzong. This unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell. The original building was constructed in 1656 but the building was converted into a museum in 1968.

The building houses some of the finest specimens of Bhutanese art, including masterpieces of bronze statues and paintings gathered from different parts of the country with cultural heritage of more than 1500 years. The National Museum has in its possession over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, rich holdings of various creative traditions and disciplines that represent a remarkable blend of the past with the present.

Visit Paro Dzong, also known as Ringpung Dzong means ‘Fortress on a heap of jewels’. This impressive dzong is the finest example of Bhutanese architecture and is one of the most popular and well known dzongs in Bhutan. It is the administrative seat of the district of Paro. The dzong was built in the 16th century on the foundation of a monastery built by Guru Rinpoche. In the past, this dzong was used on numerous occasions to defend the Paro Valley from invasions by Tibet.

Unlike most of the other dzongs in Bhutan that suffered severe damage, the Paro Dzong survived the massive earthquake of 1897. However, it was almost burnt to the ground by a fire in 1907. All-important relics were lost to the fire and nothing could be salvaged except for the Thongdrol, a 20x20 meter-wide Thangka. The Thangka is displayed annually during a ceremony called Paro Tshechu. The Dzong was however rebuilt the following year.

Later visit the Kyichu monastery. Located close to the Paro Airport, the Kyichu Lhakhang is an important Himalayan Buddhist Temple. Built in the 7th century, this is one of Bhutan’s oldest religious sites in Bhutan. The temple is one of 108 built by Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo to subdue a demoness who prevented the spread of Buddhism. Temples were built across the Himalayas to pin her body down. Kyichu Lhakhang pins down her left foot and Jamba Lhakhang in Bumthang her left knee.

Guru Rimpoche visited this temple in the 8th century and concealed many spiritual treasures here. The fine statues of the Bodhisattvas and the Buddha in this temple are national treasures. The wooden floor of the sanctum is inlaid with turquoise and coral gemstones offered by pilgrims.

Overnight at Uma Paro [B/L/D]

 Day 07, 29 May 2015, Friday:         In Paro

Hike to Taktsang Monastery and later visit Drukgyel Dzong.

Drive to Satsam Chorten and hike to Taktsang Monastery.  Perched on the side of a vertical cliff at 3000 m altitude north of Paro, the beautiful Taktsang Monastery also known the ‘Tiger’s Nest’ is the most famous and an unofficial symbol of Bhutan. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava) flew to this location from Khenpajong, Tibet on the back of a tigress and subdued a demon. He then meditated in a cave here for three months and emerged in eight incarnated forms (manifestations) and blessed the place. Guru Padmasambhava is known for introducing Buddhism to Bhutan. Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of the thirteen caves in which Guru Padmasambhava meditated.

Taktsang Monastery is a pilgrimage site for both tourists and locals. The journey up to the monastery is filled with spiritual bliss. Keeping this spiritual side aside, the journey up to Taktsang Monastery is also a hiker’s delight. An hour hike up to a small wooden teahouse called Cafeteria provides close view of the monastery. A further and a rather challenging hike lead you to the glorious Taktsang Monastery.

Later visit the Drukgyel Dzong, an administrative centre till 1951 when a fire caused by a butter lamp engulfed the Dzong and completely destroyed it. All that remains of the Dzong now are tokens of a haunted house, still robust walls and charred remains of gigantic wooden posts and beams.

The Drukgyel Dzong was originally built as one of the four principal Dra Dzongs (defense fortress). It was built in 1649 to commemorate the victory of the Bhutanese over the allied Tibet-Mongol forces. Drukgyel means ‘the fortress of victory’. The Dzong sits on a trail that leads to the Paro Valley from Tibet. It was once a major trade route between Bhutan and the Tibetan town of Phari.

As a defense fortress, Drukgyel Dzong is said to have housed the finest armory in the country, which was located in a room overlooking the southern valley. While most were burnt in the fire some that were saved from the fire are now kept in Rinpung Dzong.

Overnight at Uma Paro [B/L/D]

Day 08, 30 May 2015, Saturday:    Departure Transfer

Transfer to Paro airport to catch a flight to Bangkok KB 130 departing at 1115hrs and arriving Bangkok at 1620hrs

 

============================TOUR ENDS=====================================

The cost includes:

Nepal Portion:

• Necessary arrival/ departure transfers with private transfers and representative.
• 03 Night hotel accommodation at Dwarika’s Hotel [Heritage Deluxe Room] – Kathmandu on twin sharing basis on bed and breakfast plan for parents.
• Sightseeing tour with an English speaking guide in private vehicle.
• All the monument entrance fees during sightseeing tour.

Bhutan Portion:

• All the necessary arrival/departure transfers as per itinerary in a private vehicle with an English speaking local guide.
• 2 Night accommodation at Hotel Taj Tashi (Deluxe Room) at Thimpu with all meals.
• 2 Night accommodation at Uma Paro (Valley View Room) at Thimpu with all meals.
• All the sightseeing tour as per itinerary in a private vehicle with an English speaking local guide.
• Entrance fees during sightseeing tour.
• Bhutan visa fee.
• Bhutan Tourism Development fees.

 

The cost that does not include:

• Nepal entry visa fee
• Mountain flight cost – As quoted separately
• International airfare and taxes [Quoted separately and is subject to change if revised].
• Meals which are not mentioned in the above program
• Refreshments, bottled drinks.
• Tipping.
• Insurance and rescue of any form.
• Cost arising out of flight cancellation/road blockades/landslides/riots and events beyond our control.
• Expenses of personal nature and any other expenses not mentioned in the above cost.
• Photography charges in the monasteries and monuments.