Nepal Grand Culture Circuit Tour-17 days

Nepal has documented history from 5th Century, but mythologies & some Chronicles explains that there was life in 1500 BC in Kathmandu. In this tour, you can experience about heritage, Nepalese history, ancient culture, art & architectures. You would visit three other important touristic hubs of Nepal Chitwan, Pokhara & Lumbini. There are good views of the Annapurna Range from this area of Pokhara & Naudanda. Visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha and old village of Tansen. you’ ll get chance for the walk across temples, witness breathtaking views of the Himalayas and see Nepal beautiful natural surroundings. Nepal Grand Culture Circuit Tour of Nepal provides an opportunity to visit the villages of different ethnics groups and interact with the friendly locals and witness their daily life as Nepal is considered one of the few countries having so many diversifications in the small country like Nepal.
You would enjoy the stay in the resorts of Chitwan National park, doing the activities like elephant ride, dug out canoeing, Tharu cultural dances & so on.

Outline Itinerary

  • Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
  • Day 2: Kathmandu Sigthseeing
  • Day 3: Kathmandu
  • Day 4: Kathmandu
  • Day 5: Kathmandu-ChanguNarayan-Nagarkot
  • Day 6: Nagarkot-Dhulikhel
  • Day 7: Dhulikhel-Namobuddha-Dhulikhel
  • Day 8: Kathmandu-Chitwan
  • Day 9: Chitwan
  • Day 10: Chitwan-Lumbini
  • Day 11: Lumbini-Tansen
  • Day 12: Tansen- Pokhara
  • Day 13: Pokhara-Naudanda
  • Day 14: Naudanda-Bandipur
  • Day 15: Bandipur-Kurintar
  • Day 16: Kurintar-Kathmandu
  • Day 17: Departure
View Detail Itinerary

Detail Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
Meet & greet at the airport and transfer to Hotel. Enjoy Nepali welcome dinner with traditional dance performances. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 2: Kathmandu Sigthseeing
Today, Full day Sightseeing tours of Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. Swayambhunath Stupa: From here you can watches over the valley from a height of 75 m from the average level of Kathmandu. It is one of the world most glorious Buddhist Stupa, it is said to be 2000 years old. Visitors often call it Monkey Temple. Pashupatinath Temple with its astonishing architectural beauty, stands as a symbol of faith, religion, culture and tradition, also being the temple of Lord Shiva possessed its two-storied golden roof and silver doors and is famous for its superb architecture, on the banks of sacred Bagmati River. Hindu pilgrims can enter the premises of the temple which Pashupatinath Temple stands. Chronicles indicate the existence of the shrine prior to 400 AD. The Bagamti River banks also serve as cremation sites to Hindus. You can also have the picture of them. Boudhanath Stupa:It is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. Overnight at Kathmandu Hotel.
Day 3: Kathmandu
After having breakfast,we drive to main town Bhaktapur, the city of devotees,Ancient Dattatraya temple, five storied Nyatapola temple, Pottery Square and of course, historical Durbar square are the eye-catching highlights of the town. After then we drive to Patan Durbar square, it is the oldest city among 3 cities of Kathmandu valley. It is also called as Lalitpur, the city of beauty. This city supposed to be founded in 3rd century BC as Emperor Ashoka visited this city to promote Buddhism in the Kathmandu valley. Emperor Ashoka visit was marked in the city by erecting Ashok Stupas in the four cardinal direction of the city. The square is full of ancient places, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings There are three main courtyards or chowks, so named central MulChowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk in the square. The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity. You will visit the Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the important historic and tourist destinations in Nepal. It is a complex of palace, courtyards and temples built between 12th and 18th centuries, used to be the seat of mediaeval Malla Kings of Kathmandu. It also knows as Hanuman Dhoka Square. Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex consists of a huge Royal Square exposing a tremendous variety of temples dedicated to different Hindu gods and goddess. This is an UNESCO protected world heritage site. The Durbar Square is surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 4: Kathmandu
Today, you will visit Bungmati & Khokana. The village is only about 10 kilometers south from downtown Kathmandu so it is not far away at all. There are suspicions that Bungmati existed as early as the 7th century under the name Bugayumi. However, its official founding date falls somewhere in the 16th century. Bungamati special fact is that, it is a traditional Newari village a place where not much has changed over the last couple of centuries. As you walk the streets, you will find hundreds of masterful wood carvers and sculptors offering you excellently hand-crafted items at bargain prices. Most of them work from home and they may even offer you other articles for sale on the side. Khokana is just in 20-30 minutes walking distance from Bungmati another Newar village. The village begins with a narrow cobbled street and in the middle of the main street lies the temple of Shekali Mai a local mother Goddess. Khokana is famous village where there is a traditional mile to crush the mustard producing cooking oil. Return back to Kathmandu. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 5: Kathmandu-ChanguNarayan-Nagarkot
After breakfast, we will pack up and proceed to visit the ChanguNarayan Temple. This Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was built in the 4th century and has a stone inscription which is the first recorded history of Nepal. The temple of ChanguNarayan-with views of Sankhu village to the right and Bhaktapur to the left. ChanguNarayan is Nepal oldest living monument dating back to 5th century. It is an UNESCO world heritage site. Then drive to Nagarkot. Nagarkot is the nearest view point of the middle range of the Himalayas from Kathmandu & famous for sun rise & sun set views, in clear days,You can see beautiful scenes of mountains like GauriShankar, Langtang and the Everest which will be your memorable experience. The other ranges you will see are the Langtang, Dorje Lakpa and the Gaurishankar ranges. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 6: Nagarkot-Dhulikhel
Early in the morning you can go to the Nagarkot tower to see sun rise and you will have a beautiful view of mountains from there. After Breakfast start trek to Dhulikhel. The trail is filled with exotic forest and offers glamorous views of Himalayas and traditional hamlets. Dhulikhel is another popular tourist destinations of Kavre District. Dhulikhel carries with it a majestic beauty of nature and numerous cultural and natural heritages. The scenic view of beautiful mountains, hills filled with green vegetation, open landscapes etc make it a most admirable tourist destination. The different vantage point of Dhulikhel offers breathtaking view of Himalayas including Mt. Annapurna (8091 m), Mt. Ganesh Himal (7429 m), Mt. Langtang (7234 m), Mt. Phuribichyachu (6637 m), Mt. Gaurishanker (7134 m), Mt. Lhotse (8516 m) and many others. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 7: Dhulikhel-Namobuddha-Dhulikhel
We drive you to Namobuddha. If you feel like trekking again for the second day you can. For trekking, you will start walking through pine forest. The trail climbs for about 120 m to the ridge with a village temple of goddess and then gradually passes through village for about 1 and half hours. We will finally meet the dirt road with occasional motorbikes and cars plying on. It will take about 1 more hrs to get to NamoBuddha. NamoBuddha is one of the important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. This is where one of the Bodhisattva (Buddha to be) sacrificed himself to feed nourishing tigress. A stupa has been built with his relic. NamoBuddha is a spiritually filled center for Buddhists where you can rest your soul for sometimes away from noisy crowd to seek for a minute silence. This can make your body & mind feel like contended. There are monasteries & Hotels for monks & nuns. If you like to spend more days you are welcome to do so. NamoBuddha offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas, valleys & terraced fields. From the 1,750 m hill top; one can see long stretch of the central Himalayas. It is the place where Supreme Being, Buddha meditated. It is said that Buddha offered his blood without a second hesitation to a starving tigress when he found that tigress was almost dying. It is center great compassion today for the Buddhist monks who come here & stay in the monastery for the special blessing . Return Back to Dhulikhel and overnight at Hotel.
Day 8: Kathmandu-Chitwan
After breakfast, you will drive to Chitwan National Park. You will drive along the mountainous road, winding, snaking and switching back. You will pass by villages, farmlands and terraces of hills before arriving Chitwan. It is lies in the southern Terai belt of Nepal, 160 km from Kathmandu. Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the most famous games parks in Asia . After having lunch, you will go for short walk tour to the villages of Tharu Tribal people, most probably with a Tharu guide. In the evening, there will be slides shows or cultural dance presentation.
Day 9: Chitwan
Today you will be kept busy in jungle safari activities like Elephant Riding, Bird Watching, and Canoeing etc. Overnight in bungalows or camps. Overnight at Lodge.
Day 10: Chitwan-Lumbini
After breakfast, you will drive to Lumbini. Reaching Lumbini, we explore some of the major landmarks and monuments in Lumbini such as: Mayadevi Temple the exact site where Buddha was born, Ashoka’s Pillar, erected by Emperor Ashoka (249 BC), and various other temples & monasteries founded by the devotees from different countries: Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and Burmese, Korean, etc . Overnight at Hotel.
Day 11: Lumbini-Tansen
Today you will transfer to Tansen,which is a colourful hill town, situated at an altitude of 1,450m. It is the most popular place in western Nepal on account of its location and climate. You can visit the Shreenagar Hill: It has the most extensive views of the country’s chief attraction the Himalaya; from Dhaulagiri in the west to Gaurishankar in the north east. You can explore aroundand taste the natural scenic beauty of tansen. Visit Tansen Durbar: The durbar is a grand imposing palace in the heart of the town. Tansen Bazar and snow covered mountain view are other attraction of Tansen. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 12: Tansen- Pokhara
Nepal Grand Culture Circuit Tour Plan Holiodays travel and tours We drive to Pokhara 120 km north-east from Tansen which takes for about 6-7 hours. we drive further west into the mountains and marsyangdi River valley, following the rivers for much of the day. Pokhara, also nicknamed as the Lake City, is not only Nepal’s but one of the most beautiful places on earth. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 13: Pokhara-Naudanda
After Breakfast, we make a sightseeing trip around Pokhara valley like as Devit Falls, Gupteswor Cave, World Peace Stupa, Tal Barahi Temple Drive 28 km further to Naudanda. Overnight at Hotel Himalayan Deurali.
Day 14: Naudanda-Bandipur
Enjoy the views in the morning, you can see the stunning Annapurna Massif just in front of you, you can see the view of the Phewa Lake & Pokhara valley. It is the foothill of Annapurna range. After enjoying the views, you will drive 2-3 hours to Bandipur. Bandipur is new tourist destination , because of its preserved,& old time cultural atmosphere. The Newari houses are lined up in two sides of stone & Brick paved street, Bandipur offers excellent for viewing of the Hiamalayas: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang Himal, the Marshyangdi valley, Mount Manakamana and Gorkha. You can also see the preserved Newari architecture of its buildings, which have not been replaced by modern types found in many other towns of Nepal. Sorathi and Chukta dances are also very popular. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 15: Bandipur-Kurintar
After having breakfast, drive to Kurintar. On the way you can explore the views of natural beauty. You can visit the Manakamana Temple which is situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, mana meaning heart and kamana meaning wish. Here you are able to experience the cable car ride. Rest of the day you will enjoy walking to the near by villages. Overnight at Hotel. Optional activities: You can raft for a day in Trishuli river.
Day 16: Kurintar-Kathmandu
Drive to Kathmandu and transfer to the Hotel. Enjoy the farewell dinner and share the experience. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 17: Departure
Transfer to Airport for departure. Its hard to see you off, we say goodbye until next visit in Nepal.

Price Includes

  • Accommodations in twin sharing basis on Bed & breakfast in Kathmandu rest in Half board except full board in
  • Chitwan in middle ranged hotels (3 star)
  • All transportations by a private air-conditioned vehicle
  • English speaking tour guide
  • All entrance fees of the monument
  • Mineral water (Only at sightseeing tour)
  • Farewell Nepali dinner with traditional dance performances
  • Plan Holidays t-shirt and cap During a Tour
  • All government and local taxes

Price Excludes

  • International flights
  • Internal flights
  • Visa fees
  • Insurances
  • Meals other than mentioned above
  • Tipping
  • Beverages & alcoholic drinks
  • Personal natured expenses (Telephone, Laundry, Shopping etc)
You can choose your dates at the time of booking. Thanks!

Simply put “WOW”.

Simply put "WOW". I have never met more responsible people in my life. They made sure every step of the way was taken care of from the drivers, tour guides, trek guides, porters and hotel accommodations. I highly recommend this company for its hard working, responsible and friendly people. The people make a company. Special thanks to: Anuja "the planner", Chitiz & Ashmir "the ultimate trekking guides" and finally Robin "the enthusiastic jungle bird watcher".
Nick-Devincenzo
Nick Devincenzo,
San Diego, California

Plan Holidays did a fantastic job on our whole trip!

Plan Holidays did a fantastic job on our whole trip! We did the trip that included time in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan National Park and a 5-day trek around Annapurna. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we had guides showing us around and everything was perfectly planned for us. Maila, our trekking guide was amazing and had so much knowledge! It was a great trip!
Autumn-Wonderlich
‎Autumn Wonderlich,
Boston, Massachusetts

Incredibly well organized

This company was amazing. Incredibly well organized. I felt safe and spoiled. Our airport transports were always early and waiting for us. All of our reservations for our accommodations and busses were perfect. The temple tour we took was super fun and educational. Some of our luggage got stuck in our layover country and between this travel agency and our hotel they were able to get it for us and deliver it the next day. We also had a 10month old traveling with us and they made sure that our accommodation and travel plans were safe for him. During our 5 days of trekking, we had THE BEST guide/sherpa. I would positively let them plan another trip for us. Thank you!!!!
Karen-Graves
Karen Graves,
California

A wonderful trip

Thank you so much!!!! We had a wonderful trip!!! And you were always there to help or guide us as needed! I hope we can have fun together again!!!!!
Janet Spencer,
West Jordan, Utah

Nice trip to Nepal

Nice trip in Nepal organized by Plan Holidays Travel! Guide and Porter were great.  
Michael Worcestar,

Plan Holidays is the best company

Plan Holidays is the best company with wonderful staff members and Guide was incredible an genuinely cared for our welfare. It was such a pleasure to meet all the friendly and humorous people of Nepal. All of my thanks to Managing Director Mr. Kala Dhar Baral and the professional team members of Plan Holidays.  
Samuel idas,

Great Job

Plan Holidays did a great job on the organization of this wonderful journey! We all had a great time, it was such a pleasure to meet all the friendly and humorous people of Nepal.
Aleksandra Perr/Peter Babivskiy,

I had a wonderful experience

I recently booked a tour with Plan Holidays, and I had a wonderful experience. Anuja scheduled the tour, and it was comforting to have our trip covered without any concerns. Our guide Shiva took us through Kathmandu, and showed all us the highlights of the city and provided us with the cultural and historical background. We also did the Poon Hill Trek with guides Chitiz and Ashmir, who provided a peaceful hike through the Himalayas. On our last two days, we spent time in Chitwan National Park, where our guide, Robin, took us on adventures where we saw crocodiles and rhinos. The entire package was affordable, and our guides met our every need; they went out of their way for us on many occasions. It was comforting to get off the bus and see our guides waiting for us with our name tags. I would highly encourage anyone to book a trip through this company. I promise that you will have an amazing experience--five stars!
Brendan-Praniewicz
Brendan Praniewicz,
San Diego, California

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