Kathmandu Valley Photography Tour

Capturing the best of ancient religious valley into your cameras- Kathmandu Valley Photography Tour

An ancient Hindu manuscript describes Kathmandu, Nepal as the “Land of Gods surrounded by beautiful mountains”. The capital of modern Nepal is nestled in the middle of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains, in a valley surrounded by gentle, green terraced hills, ancient temples, shrines and red tiled-roofed houses. Every day, award-winning photographer David H. Wells will work side by side with you to understand the most important elements of photography, composition and aesthetics in order to help you achieve your photographic goals.

While we are going to have group discussions and presentations this is not going to be a traditional workshop with classes and lectures. It’s rather going to be a visual journey where participants will work on developing a personal style through their images; therefore it’s perfect for all level of photographic skill. David is used to and prefers working with groups with wide skill levels since diversity of app. The Kathmandu valley hosts three districts that were previously part of different empires. Bhaktapur is the “City of Devotees”, filled with ancient Hindu and Buddhist religious sites; Patan or Lalitpur is the “City of Beauty”, famous for its wood and stone carvings and bas-reliefs; Kathmandu is the “City of Temples” – with its famous Durbar Square, which is the social, religious and urban focal point of the city, filled with exquisite monuments, sculptures and temples. We’ll be there during the festival of Maha Shivaratri, one of the most important Hindu celebrations, where the Hindu faithful praise and worship Lord Shiva, the Supreme Lord.

The temple of Pashupatinath, located on the banks of the Bagmati River, is a temple of Lord Shiva and is considered one of the holiest shrines for Hindus. We’ll spend the day and the evening around the temple photographing thousands of people coming from all over Nepal and India to worship Lord Shiva. The festival will give us endless photographic opportunities: devotees taking ritual baths in the Bagmati River, making offerings of bael leaves, fruit, rice to Shiva, chanting prayers and hymns, lighting of bonfires, incense sticks and cotton-made wicks and oil lamps. Join us for this unforgettable and enchanted adventure in Nepal where we’ll explore exotic cities and villages of great historic, artistic and cultural interest scattered around the Kathmandu Valley, home to seven amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites.roaches makes the group that much more interesting.

Outline Itinerary

  • Day 01 Arrive to Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
  • Day 02 Photography tour of Thimi, Bhaktapur, transfer to Nagarkot
  • Day 03 Sunrise photography at Nagarkot, photography tour of Boudhanath
  • Day 04 Photography tour of Swayambhunath and Patan Durbar Square
  • Day 05 Mahashivratri festival photography tour at Pashupatinath
  • Day 06 Rest day
  • Day 07 Photography tour of Bungmati and Khokana
  • Day 08 AM photography tour of Chovar and Kirtipur, PM photography tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square
  • Day 09 Depart Kathmandu

Price includes

  • Accommodation and breakfasts for the whole tour (7 nights in Kathmandu, 1 night in Nagarkot)
  • Photography Instructor’s Fee
  • Airport transfers and tour transfers by private vehicle
  • All entry fees and permits
  • Photography tours with guide and entry fees
  • Welcome and Farewell dinner
  • One bottle of  Mineral water per member each day

Price Excludes

  • International Flights to Nepal
  • Entry Visa Fee to Nepal (you can get the Visa at the airport upon your arrival – we can help with the procedures and get it ahead of time, in order to save time at the airport)
  • Personal gears and equipment
  • Any expenses incurred for emergency evacuation due to any unforeseen reason
  • Insurance or Medical expenses
  • Tips or Gratuities for guides, porter, drivers, local staff
  • Personal expenses like, laundry, internet, telephone, bar bills, table drinks on lunch/dinner, snacks etc.
  • Any other tours and services other than mentioned above

Detailed Itinerary

  • Day 01

    Arrive to Kathmandu, transfer to hotel

    Arrival in Kathmandu, Upon your arrival in Kathmandu one of our representatives will pick you up at the Airport and transfer you at the hotel. In the evening we’ll have an introduction dinner and presentation of the tour..

  • Day 02

    Photography tour of Thimi, Bhaktapur, transfer to Nagarkot

    After breakfast we drive to Bhaktapur, the city of Devotees. Along the way we stop in Thimi, one of the ancient, cultural and historical places along the trade route from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur, famous for its pottery and paper mache masks. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a cluster of prehistoric temples, shrines, and sculptures: the Golden Gate, 55 Windows Palace, Big Bell, Dog Barking Bell, Taleju Temple, Vatshala Temple, Statue of Bhupatindra Malla etc. are scattered all over the site. We also visit Changu Narayan Temple, the oldest Hindu Temple in Nepal, built between the 3rd and the 4th century AD. Late in the day we arrive at the small village of Nagarkot, one of the most scenic and picturesque spots in the valley where we are going to spend the night..

  • Day 03

    Sunrise photography at Nagarkot, photography tour of Boudhanath

    We get up early today to witness and photograph the stunning sunrise over the Himalaya Range, including Mount Everest. From here we’ll have a 360 degree view of the valley and the impressive and magnificent mountain range. Later on we visit Boudhanath, home of one of the holiest Buddhist shrines in Nepal, with its immense Stupa that dominates the skyline..

  • Day 04

    Photography tour of Swayambhunath and Patan Durbar Square

    Today we are going to photograph two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the morning we’ll visit the great Buddhist temple of Swayambhunath, known also as the “Monkey Temple” because of the monkeys that guards the hill where it lays. After spending a few hours at the hotel to review our photos, we head to Patan and its beautiful Durbar Square in the late afternoon. Best known for its artistic heritage, Patan is full of ancient Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and exquisite carvings..

  • Day 05

    Mahashivratri festival photography tour at Pashupatinath

    Today is National holiday in Nepal as Hindus celebrate Lord Shiva. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to photograph devotees around the city and the temple of Pashupatinath..

  • Day 06

    Rest day

    Today we spend part of the day to review the photographs we have taken so far. Rest of the day and evening you will spend your free time on your own..

  • Day 07

    Photography tour of Bungmati and Khokana

    After breakfast we drive to Khokana, a traditional, tiny and picturesque Newari village. It is famous for its unusual mustard-oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. From Khokana we start a walking photo tour to Bungmati. The village dates back to the 16th century and is situated on an elevated land overlooking the Bagmati River. Traditional houses made out of mud and brick with tiled roofs, stone paved streets, old temples, people working and carving wood in the streets, provide a glimpse of medieval era..

  • Day 08

    AM photography tour of Chovar and Kirtipur, PM photography tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square

    Kirtipur is one of the oldest settlements in the Kathmandu Valley. This small town is recorded as an ancient capital of Nepal and it’s nested strategically on top of a narrow mountain ridge. Before going to back to Kathmandu we’ll stop at Chovar. Carved out of a hillside, the Chovar gorge is the only outlet for all the waters of the valley. There is a small but picturesque temple of Adinath on the top of the hill with a magnificent view of snow-capped peaks. Just beyond the gorge is a temple of lord Ganesh where the main shrine is carved in a massive rock. We spend the rest of the day in Kathmandu Durbar Square, the social, religious and urban focal point of the Capital City, a cluster of ancient temples, palaces, courtyards and streets that dates back to the 12th and 18th century..

  • Day 09

    Depart Kathmandu

    Our support team will drive you to the airport. .


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Happy Explorers

The meeting and handling was very good and on time. We were provided lots useful tips about the Kathmandu and trek. During trek our trekking staffs were very helpful. Lodges were good with warm welcome every time. Itinerary was good and flexible and adapted to our needs.

- Eva Aksahin, Hungary Read Testimonials | Submit Your Testimonial

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