You arrive at Kathmandu airport and meet your airport officer outside the Arrival Hall at the International Airport. The officer will be holding a placard, or signboard, with your name, making the arrival process clear after you exit the terminal.

After meeting the airport officer, you transfer to the city center. The rest of the day is free for you to spend on your own, with time to stroll around the local area and settle into the pace of Kathmandu at your own rhythm.

Kathmandu is Nepal’s capital and the main international gateway for travelers arriving in the country.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• Standard Package: Kantipur Village
• First Class Package: Ramada Encore by Wyndham Kathmandu Thamel
• Deluxe Package: Hotel Yak & Yeti

Your sightseeing begins after breakfast, when your guide meets you in the hotel lobby at 9:30 am. Start at Pashupatinath Temple on the bank of the Bagmati River, dedicated to Lord Shiva and known as the “abode of Shiva.” Only Hindus may enter the temple complex for worship, while others can view Hindu rituals and morning activities from the opposite side, including funeral ceremonies at the cremation ghats along the holy Bagmati.

Next, continue 3 kilometers to Boudhnath Stupa, also known as “Mini Tibet” and one of Nepal’s largest Buddhist stupas. The area is surrounded by Tibetan settlements and monasteries, with Buddhist rituals, prayer flags, and mane around the stupa. In the afternoon, drive to hilltop Swoyambhunath Stupa, the “Monkey Temple,” overlooking Kathmandu Valley and the Central Himalayan ranges. Continue to Patan Durbar Square to see Newari people, medieval royal architecture, Krishna Temple, Mahaboudhi Stupa, Golden Temple, narrow lanes, metalwork, and wood carvings.

Boudhnath Stupa is an important center of Tibetan Buddhist worship in Kathmandu Valley.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Package: Kantipur Village
• First Class Package: Ramada Encore by Wyndham Kathmandu Thamel
• Deluxe Package: Hotel Yak & Yeti

After breakfast, your guide meets you for the drive 14 kilometers east from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur, described as the best-preserved ancient city and a cultural hub of the Newari people. Many highly decorated buildings and shrines were destroyed in the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes, but the main square still contains temples and architectural showpieces, including the Lion Gate, the statue of Bhupatindra Malla, the Palace of 55 Windows, the Bell of the Barking Dogs, Nyatapola Temple, and the replica of Pashupatinath Temple.

In Bhaktapur, you observe Newari people in traditional and daily work, and the narrow lanes offer bargain prices for Thankas, described as oil painting on silk, which you can buy if interested. Your guide sees you off in Bhaktapur, then you continue with your driver to Nagarkot hill station, 38 kilometers from Kathmandu. At 2,100 meters, Nagarkot is known for sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas, with 8 of Nepal’s 13 Himalayan ranges visible. You have free time to stroll, relax with a sunset view, and, in very clear weather, see Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.

Thankas are traditional religious paintings associated with Himalayan Buddhist art.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Package: Hotel View Point
• First Class Package: The Fort Resort, Nagarkot
• Deluxe Package: Hotel Mystic Mountain

Your early morning is free to enjoy the sunrise before departure. Keep the standard 1200 Hrs check-out time in mind as you prepare for the final travel day and organize your schedule around the return journey.

After check-out, drive back to Kathmandu and transfer directly to Kathmandu airport. The transfer is planned to get you there in time to board your departure flight, completing the route from Nagarkot back to the capital.

Nagarkot is known for its hilltop setting east of Kathmandu, which gives it wide sunrise views over the surrounding mountain landscape.

Meals: Breakfast