DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrive Kathmandu
It is a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. A representative and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The representative will help you check into your designated hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about your daily activities.

Day 2 Half-day Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley, Afternoon Transport to Nagarkot
You begin your Kathmandu sightseeing tour with visits to Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath and Pashupatinath temple, a very sacred Hindu pilgrimage site. After this religious journey, you head off for Bhaktapur which lies on the Eastern part of Kathmandu valley. Bhaktapur is an ancient city housing unique culture, tradition, art and finest craftsmanship. It is the only place in Nepal which still remains untouched by western culture. As you visit Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Art Gallery, Statue of King Bhupatindra, Nyatapola Temple, fifty-five windowed Malla Palace and other historical monuments, you gain invaluable insight into the rich Nepalese culture. You will then be driven to Nagarkot. On your 45-minutes drive to Nagarkot, you get breathtaking panoramic views of Mt. Everest, Manaslu and Gauri Shankar. Nagarkot accommodates finest of resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes. Tonight you will stay at one of the best resort or hotel in Nagarkot. Nagarkot is most popular for its magnificent sunset and sunrise views, along with its lovely weather.

Day 3 Transfer to Kathmandu and Sightseeing in Kathmandu
After basking in the fabulous sunrise view in Nagarkot, you return to Kathmandu. Thereafter, you resume your sightseeing tour in other exotic locales like Kathmandu Durbar Square and Kumari temple. Kumari is the Living Virgin Goddess of Hindu religion and is chosen from a Newari Shakya family after meeting all the criteria. Kumari temple lies in the vicinity of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Kathmandu Durbar Square showcases medieval culture of Nepal and architectural excellence.

Day 4 Half-day Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley
Patan is bound to Kathmandu Valley on the South-East by Bagmati River. It is 5km away from the centre of the Valley. As you explore Patan Durbar Square, Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple, etc, you will be completely immersed in the beauty and richness of Nepalese culture. You will further proceed towards Swoyambhunath. Stupa of Swoyambhunath is its attraction point and it epitomizes Buddhism for Buddhist sect. This place offers a majestic view of the entire Kathmandu valley. After Kathmandu sightseeing tour, you can spend the rest of the day by indulging in any kind of activities that you prefer.

Day 5 Depart Kathmandu
Our Nepalese support team will take you to the airport for your flight home. On the other hand, if you prefer to stay longer, you can go for short tours such as game drive at National parks, rafting, Muktinath Pilgrimage tour, etc. - ask us.

Contact us at
enquiry@explorehimalaya.com
for more information about this tour.

GENERAL INFORMATION

ACTIVITY: CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGES TOUR

TOUR GUIDE
We have a team of highly experienced and multilingual guides (guides who can speak your language – major languages only). They are professionally trained and are thoroughly versed in culture and history of each place in this itinerary.

TOUR AVAILABILITY
We operate Nepal cultural tours for private team of your friends and family of any size, so you can enjoy your private trip without having to deal and confront with other people who have different interests and attitude. City tour guide may not accompany you during your Nagarkot stay unless you request us in advance.

Nepal Cultural tours of four to eight days in duration are ideal for an extension trip if you have booked any longer trekking holidays in Nepal or tours/treks in Tibet.

ACCOMMODATION
Kathmandu & Nagarkot offer a wide range of accommodation facilities, from 5 star luxury hotels to budget-priced guest houses. Top hotels give you the high quality services. Whatever your requirements are, Nepal hotels can meet them all.

Explore Himalaya will assist you in hotel reservation. For more information, you can go through hotel booking page of Explore Himalaya’s website.

MEALS
Breakfast is included but Lunch and dinner are excluded in all our tour costs. There will be one hour lunch break during city sightseeing tour. Plenty of best and quality restaurants in town serve Nepali, oriental and continental dishes. We recommend the best one depending on your taste preference. A good continental lunch or dinner at a good restaurant costs approximately USD 6-10. Full board option is also available on request.

MEETING/AIRPORT TRANSFERS
In all our packaged tours, airport pick ups and drops are included. You need to pass on your International flight details to us for a “meeting and greeting” service at airport. You just pass on the Customs and come out of the Terminal building where you will see someone standing with a placard with either ‘Explore Himalaya’ or your name written on it. Our airport representative or tour officer will greet you and welcome you with a garland. You will then be escorted to your hotel where you will be briefed about your further activities in detail. You collect your flight tickets for reconfirmation and deliver them back later. After your trip is over you will be transferred back to the airport in time to catch your flight back home.

COST OF THE TRIP
The cost of each trip depends on various factors such as types of accommodation, type of vehicles with or without air-conditioner, group size (i.e. number of people in your team) etc. Our costs are usually categorized into standard package (based on 3 star hotels), superior package (combination of 3-4 star hotel) and deluxe package (5 star hotels with air conditioned vehicles). However, you can always upgrade your accommodation and use air conditioned car at extra charge though you have initially booked standard or superior package. We can customize any tour to suit your best interest and budget.

VEHICLE
We have a fleet of mostly Japanese made Toyota vehicles of all types and sizes, from small two-seater luxury cars to large capacity luxury tourist coaches. Size and type of vehicle depend on size of your group. We use two-seater car for 1-2 persons, micro luxury 6-seater van for 3-5 persons, 10-seater van for 6-9 persons and tourist coach or coaster for group size above 10 persons. Our drivers are specially trained to serve in the hospitality industry. The vehicles are checked carefully before assigning to your service.

TOUR TIMINGS
Duration of each city tour is six hours (full day tour) or three hours (half day tours). Durations and tour highlights are mentioned in all our detailed itineraries. Relevant tips/information will be briefed to you before you embark on any of our trips. Tour usually starts after your breakfast (9 am). Your half-day tour lasts till 1 pm and till 3 pm if it is full day. Late afternoon and evening can be used to explore the town on your own. Driving hours between Kathmandu and Nagarkot is approx 1 hr.

TIPPING
Tips are appreciated by your support team after the trip. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. Where restaurant meals are involved, the tipping is usually 10% of the bill.

ENTRANCE FEE
All fees to sightseeing places stated in tour package are included in our cost.

CLOTHING
Clothing requirement varies with the type of tour and season.
From April to the end of October, it is warm in Kathmandu. In Nepal clothing for traveling purpose should be comfortable and light. You can also wear longer shorts provided that it is weather- friendly. In the months of November to the end of March, days are usually warm and evenings are cool. Put on your summer clothes during the day time but in the evening and night it is advisable to carry a light jacket. Winter season starts from December to February. One must be equipped with sufficient winter wears like jackets, sweaters, trousers etc to stay protected from the cold. In accordance to Nepali weather you can have your clothes well-packed in your luggage or you can also purchase clothes of your choice and needs from the clothing stores in Nepal.
Nagarkot being located at high elevation (2100 meter) gets a little colder then in Kathmandu so you are suggested to pack some warm clothes.

BOOKING CONDITIONS
1) Your booking will be confirmed by email once we receive your deposit of USD 300 and the signed copy of booking form and contract.
The balance is due no later than two months prior to departure. If you book a tour less than 2 months prior to departure, you must send the full payment within 7 days of confirmation by us.

2) If you cancel, the following scale of charges will apply:
DATE OF CANCELLATION (CHARGE INCURRED)
2 months before departure – Loss of deposit (US$ 300)
29 days to 2 months before departure – 30% of total trip cost
10 to 28 days before departure – 60% of total trip cost
Less than 10 days before departure – 100% of total trip cost

BOOKING PROCEDURE
If you still have any questions regarding this trip, please feel free to contact us. We answer all enquiries within 24 hours. If you want to book a trip, you can e-mail us at enquiry@explorehimalaya.com or contact us directly by Phone: 977-1-4418100 or Fax: 977-1-4412888.