Where gods live (Swoyambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square & Pashupatinath). This interactive day tour immerses you in the essence of the spiritual and cultural existence of Kathmandu. It takes you to three of the valley's holiest and most historic sites: Swoyambhunath (Monkey Temple), Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Pashupatinath Temple. Each location contains a blend of divine energy, ancient legends, and exquisite architecture. Designed to last approximately 7 hours, this tour provides a chance to see where gods are believed to live and where stories of Kathmandu's past still echo through the stones and stupas.
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Meals: Lunch included
- Accommodation: Not included
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Duration: Approx. 7 hours
Details
Your day begins at 9:00 am when your local guide comes to meet you at your hotel to lead you on this sacred pilgrimage. Starting here, we move to our first destination, the Swoyambhunath Stupa, better known as the Monkey Temple. The hike begins from the west side parking lot. From this point, we take a fairly scenic loop with wonderful views of the Kathmandu Valley and distant Chandragiri Hills. The western path has the Saraswati Temple, a peaceful pond area, and smaller stupas and chaityas, all adding to the sanctity of the site. We then climb the famous staircase of 365 steps to the main stupa, Swoyambhunath.
This ancient monument is reputed to have emerged out of a lotus flower and is also accompanied by symbolic beacons such as the Bajra (thunderbolt), Anantapur and Pratappur temples, Harati Mata Temple, and a grouping of chaityas in the shape of a serene chaitya park.
We turn to walk clockwise around the central stupa and then descend the staircase to bid farewell to our vehicle to proceed towards Kathmandu Durbar Square. In the ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square, referred to as Hanuman Dhoka or Basantapur, you enter what is called the "Museum of Temples." Consisting of over 50 temples, the square is a living museum of Nepalese culture. Our tour starts off at the Kasthamandap, after which there are places such as Maru Ganesh, Shiva Narayan Temple, Kal Bhairav statue, the small replica of Pashupatinath, Taleju Bhagwati Temple, and Jagannath Temple—so renowned for its erotic wood carvings.
