Nepal Cultural and Yoga tour is a unique opportunity for those who are interested in learning about the new culture and intensifying both the body and mind. Himalayan Trail Finder arranges 11 days cultural and yoga tour for travelers to provide you with an opportunity to experience the combination of culture and nature in this trip. You will be visiting many cultural places in Kathmandu, and conduct yoga practices in the beautiful lands of Nepal, and discover all the beauty that Nepal can offer you.
Major Places You Will Be Visiting On This Trip: UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Chitwan and Namo Buddha
Getting to Kathmandu is an exciting and memorable experience, the panoramic view of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains can be immediately seen upon your arrival. There will be our staff waiting for you at the airport. You will transfer to the hotel for check-in. After taking a rest, you will visit the cultural heritage sites in the city: Today, you will be visiting Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu and walk back to Thamel, through the most authentic Indra Chowk and Ason Chowk of Kathmandu, accompanied by a guide.
Overnight Stay: Kathmandu Guest House
In the morning, you will have a yoga practice with the yoga teacher. After the yoga class and having breakfast, you will be spending the rest of the day by visiting historical and cultural places inside the Kathmandu with a guide. You will be visiting four major places: Monkey Temple which is located in Swoyambhu and is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhist, Pashupatinath which is one of the four most important religious sites in Asia for devotees of Shiva, worshipped mostly by the Hindus, Patan which is the oldest of all the three cities of Kathmandu Valley, best known for its artistic heritage and lastly Boudhanath which is the largest stupa in Nepal and one of the holiest places for the Buddhist people. Today, you will be staying overnight in Boudhanath.
Overnight Stay: Tibet International or Similar in Boudha
In the morning, you will have a yoga practice with the yoga teacher. After the yoga class and having breakfast, you will be heading to Bandipur from Boudhanath. The journey normally takes about 4 hours’ drive from Boudhanath. Bandipur is one of Nepal’s most charming towns. It is a living museum of Newari Culture, a beautifully preserved village with a main street lined with traditional row houses. It’s located in a very peaceful area with great scenery and mountain views, and a perfect place for relaxation, meditation, and yoga practice. If you wish, then you can have 1-hour yoga class in the evening as well.
Overnight Stay: Bandipur Mountain Resort
Like every early morning, today also you will have a yoga practice with the yoga teacher. After the yoga class and having breakfast, you will be heading to Sarangkot and the journey takes about 3 to 3 and ½ hours’ drive from Bandipur. Sarangkot is the most popular tourist destination from where you can enjoy the great view of Pokhara Valley, Phewa Lake and the magnificent view of the mountains such as Annapurna Massif, Fishtail Mountain, Dhaulagiri Range and Manaslu. It is the highest viewpoint at 1592 m for Sunrise. Paragliding can also be done from Sarangkot if you are interested.
Overnight Stay: Hotel Himalayan Front
Sarangkot is a lovely place to watch the sunrise. Every morning, there will be a crowd of people waiting to watch the beautiful sunrise. After watching the sunrise, you will go back to the hotel and have a yoga session. After the yoga session, you will be having breakfast, and then drive to Pokhara which takes about half an hour drive. Upon reaching in Pokhara, you can have some rest and go to Lake Side where you can see the beautiful Phewa Lake. If you wish then you can also do some water activities such as Boating and Kayaking. Also, if you have some leisure time then you can visit the World Peace Stupa which was built by Japan and also some caves.
Overnight Stay: Hotel Lake Front
Today, early morning, as usual, you will doing the yoga session. Then, after breakfast, you will be heading towards Chitwan, which is 86 km far away from Pokhara. The journey will take about 4 – 6 hours’ drive. When you reach in Chitwan, you will check in Maruni Sanctuary Lodge.
Overnight: Maruni Sanctuary Lodge
Today, early morning, as usual, you will do the yoga session and will be spending your time in Chitwan. There are lots of activities that you can do over here. You can visit the Chitwan National Park, which is a world heritage listed property. It is one of the best national parks for viewing wildlife in Asia. You will get a chance to see one-horned rhinos, deer, monkey and some of the more than 500 species birds. If you get lucky, then you can also spot leopard and Bengal tiger. Some of the highlighted activities that can be found here are – Elephant Riding/Safari, Bath with Elephant, Bish Hajaar Tal Trip and Jungle Walk in National Park.
Overnight: Maruni Sanctuary Lodge
Today, after having the yoga class and breakfast, you will be driving back to Kathmandu which will take about 4 hours. Upon arriving in Kathmandu and taking rest for a while, you will move in the beautiful town of Bhaktapur, where you will visit the famous Durbar Square and you can admire the famous palace with 55 windows built in 1754, the Sunko Dhoka and beautiful Hindu temples.
Overnight: Hotel Paradise
Today, after having yoga class and breakfast, you will drive towards Namo Buddha which will take about 1 hours’ drive. Namo Buddha is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal. It is located in a peaceful village. This is the place where Lord Buddha in his previous life as a prince offered his body to a tigress and cubs tormented by starvation. You can visit the Tibetan Monastery built by Thrangu Rimpoche. There are like two major spots in Namo Buddha which is related to Lord Buddha previous life. From the monastery, you need to walk upstairs for about 20 minutes, then you will find the statue of Buddha and the tigress. It is the exact spot where Buddha in his previous life offered his body to the tigress.
Overnight: Monastery
As usual, you will be having yoga class early morning. Today, after breakfast, you will be driving back to Kathmandu which will take about 2 hours. Upon reaching in Kathmandu and having some rest, you can walk around in Thamel and do some shopping.
Overnight: Hotel
Your safety is of paramount concern while traveling with Himalayan Trailfinder. Please note that your leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary; However, as this is adventure travel in remote mountain regions, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions, health condition of a member, unexpected natural disasters etc, can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.
