8 Days Pilgrimage Tour In Nepal: You all know that Nepal is the country where the Buddha was born long back to enlighten the whole world. It is the Buddha who has put Nepal on the map of the Earth other than Mount Everest. Buddhism started and blossomed from the land of Nepal. Every year thousands of Buddhist pilgrimages like to see the birth land of Lord Buddha. Not only the Buddhist but the people following different religions also head to Nepal to learn and explore the various Buddhist Pilgrimage sites of Nepal.
The blessings and wisdom of Buddha have spread all over Nepal. Every place you go around Nepal, you’ll find a Buddhist site once in a while. To the point, Nepal has other places too than just Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. This country is dotted with numerous Buddhist stupas, gompas, monasteries, shrines, mani walls, Chortens. Lumbini as mentioned earlier is the most visited and a must place for every Buddhism or Non-Buddhism followers.
Likewise, you may have heard of monasteries like the Tengboche Monastery of the Everest region, Namo Buddha Monastery of Dhulikhel. Likes of Swaymbhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple) and Boudhanath Temple of Kathmandu Valley are the places where every Nepal’s arrival visits once. Nepal is like a country full of the footsteps of Buddha. The explanation will take time and too many words if all the important sites have to be listed in this paragraph.
Instead, let’s talk about the most popular 8 Days Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal which revolves around the must-visit Buddhist sites of Nepal. This tour is wholly dedicated to wanderers who want to explore not all but important Buddhist religious sites located in Nepal. Though it seems like a tour package for Buddhism followers only, we must tell you this itinerary is popular among people of other religions also.
Basically, it’s a tour package that takes you around the corners of Nepal from where the peace and wiseness of Lord Buddha evolved. The plan of this package enables you to visit places like Lumbini and Tilaurakot along with the most popular monasteries and stupas of Nepal. And the best part of this tour is you can do it any time of a year. So, whenever you feel like it’s a call from Lord Buddha to experience peace and calmness, make the plan to do this 8 Days Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal.
Highlights of 8 Days Pilgrimage tour in Nepal
- Make arrival at the city of Temples, Kathmandu.
- Experience the art, heritage, and surrounding of the two iconic stupas, Bouddhanath Stupa and Swayambhunath Stupa(Monkey Temple).
- Head towards Pharphing to know about the scenic Pharping Monastery.
- A visit to two hill stations monasteries of Nepal, Kapan, and Namo Buddha Monastery.
- Grasp the views of Nepal’s terrains and mountains from the yards of monasteries.
- Get the chance to know more about Nepal and its people’s cultures, traditions, and lifestyles.
- Fall upon the surrounding of Lumbini near the Buddha’s birthplace and to visit numerous monasteries and stupas of that place.
- Explore the 2500 years old Tilaurakot Place and its remains.
- Make your way to home after being around the calmest places in the world and having mental wellbeing.
Temperatures of Pilgrimage tour’s main destinations in all seasons
Autumn
Autumn in Nepal makes the arrival at the start of September and stays until late November. This season is considered as the ideal season for outdoor activities in Nepal because of its stable and pleasant weather. Kathmandu(1,400m), the place where half of this tour occurs, has a temperature of around 28°C to 8°C throughout Autumn. Likewise, Lumbini(150m), the other spot of this tour which lies in the southern lowlands, has a temperature of around 31°C to 17°C during Autumn. However, the first month of Autumn i.e. September gets rainfall but then it decreases as October and November arrive.
Spring
Spring, the time of flowers, is also the finest season for excursions in Nepal.
March, April, and May are the months of Spring when skies are clear and the sun is all day long. For activities like trekking and mountaineering, Autumn is the peak season like the former Autumn. Talking about the temperatures of places near Kathmandu in this season, it can vary from 9°C to 29°C. Similarly, Lumbini’s temperature can range from 16°C to 39°C.
Winter
This is the most freezing season of all which starts in December and remains until the end of February. Higher areas get exceptionally cold during this season and heavy snowfall also occurs. But, you do not need to worry as your stops of the tour lie in the lower areas. Kathmandu and Lumbini, the two stations of the tour are not as cold as the higher ones and you can bear the cold quite easily. For Kathmandu, the temperature can range from 3°C to 24°C. And Lumbini’s temperature rotates around 11°C to 26°C. The numbers are not that high to start worrying. With cozy clothing, you can hit the road.
Monsoon
This might be the most not desired time of a year for outdoor activities. Monsoon, the wettest season of all enters Nepal in June and leaves only after Late-August or Early September. Because of the rainfall in this season, most people like to stay inside the room. But, if you want to do the tour in Monsoon, you can do it as there will be big problems as of rainfall. With enough rain gear, the tour is possible if you wish to come for the tour in Monsoon. The temperature is humid before rainfalls and slightly cool after water showers. In areas around Kathmandu, the temperature stays 19.5°C to 28.1°C. Lumbini is much hotter than Kathmandu that is around 24°C to 37°C.
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Best Time for 8 Days Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal
Pilgrimage Tour is possible throughout a year. Yes, you heard it right, this tour is one of the easiest things to do in Nepal as a traveler. No specific best time is there for this tour, you can do it any time you want. If it has to be a trek then there might be time restrictions. But it’s a simple tour to easily accessible places of Nepal to fulfill religious longings. You can attend this tour even in the coldest or wettest days of the year.
The best thing about this tour is that you don’t need to check the calendar. If you have free time, you can just head off to Nepal for the tour. However, Autumn and Spring months are most favorable to do this tour. Those are times when the weather of Nepal remains most stable. If you don’t like to travel in cold or wet weather, Autumn and Spring will be the best. Otherwise, you can do it any season you like. Yet, Autumn and Spring are also the most crowded travel season in Nepal compared to Winter and Monsoon. If the crowd bothers you very much, you still have time in Winter and Monsoon.
For clothing, Autumn and Spring do not require many clothes, the simple light and slightly warm clothes are okay. But, Monsoon in Nepal demands extra rainproof clothes and Winter is difficult without warm clothes. So, first, make sure on which season you are doing this tour and then pack accordingly.
Detailed Itinerary of 8 Days Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to a hotel
Welcome to the land of Buddha and Mt. Everest. You will be warmly welcomed and greeted by the representatives of Great Adventure Treks at Kathmandu’s Airport. After that, you will get an airport escape straight to your staying hotel. Then you’ll make check-in for the rest and refreshment after a long and hectic flight. If you wish then the team can arrange for you an evening tour to most happening places of Kathmandu for hangouts. Overnight at Kathmandu.
Day 02: Tour of Boudhanath Stupa and Swaymbhunath Stupa before heading for Pharping’s stupas visit.
This is when you’ll head out from your hotel after breakfast to explore the two most iconic and famous stupas of Kathmandu. Boudhanath Stupa and Swaymbhunath Stupa(Monkey Temple), are the Buddhist sites which are also enlisted in the UNESCO world heritage sites. Both of the stupas visits will give you a brief knowledge about Nepali stupas architecture. There you’ll meet and exchange talks with long staying monks of those stupas.
From there, you’ll head towards Pharping to see Stupas there. Pharping is a little away from Kathmandu so you’ll take a jeep ride to the place. It’s a drive of 50 minutes( 20km) to reach the place. Pharping is an important but less frequented Buddhist site. There are Buddhist pilgrimage places like Yanglesho Cave, Asura Cave, and monasteries like Neydo Tashi Choling Monastery, Palyul Smaten Osel Ling, etc. You can say Pharphing is a place full of religious sites. You’ll tour around to cover most of the sites before the nightfall. After that, you’ll drive back to Kathmandu to your hotel for the night rest.
Day 03: Visit Kapan Monastery and Namo Buddha
On your 3rd day, you’ll go out to explore Kapan and Namo Buddha Monastery. These are the other two important Buddhist pilgrimage sites near Kathmandu. As both of the sites lie in separate areas, you’ll reach Kapan Monastery at first. The monastery which is home for 360 monks, teachers, lamas has become a place to visit for international pilgrimage. This place lies very near i.e only 7.5km from Kathmandu. You’ll get enlightened and blessed from the surrounding of the monastery.
After that, you will swift towards the Namo Buddha(1,755m), a hill station known for panoramic terrain views, and Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery. This place is located 40 KM southeast of Kathmandu. There, you’ll be bestowed with blessed vibes and scenic views. The monastery is big in size and width so it will take a while to explore the entire area. You’ll also get to do a short hike to reach and leave Namo Buddha. Then, you’ll return to Kathmandu for a restful night.
Day 04: Fly from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa and transfer to Lumbini.
Finally, it’s time to leave Kathmandu for Lumbini. After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll head towards Kathmandu airport’s local terminal. From there you’ll fly to Bhairawa airport, it will be a flight of around 30 minutes. The airtime will make you see Nepal’s landscape from the air. Mountains to the north and lowlands to the south, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the time. Then you’ll land at Bhairawa airport from where you’ll find a way to reach Lumbini.
You’ll get to your hotel in Lumbini for refreshment and getting ready for the day tour.
And then starts the religious voyage of the Lumbini area, the birthplace of Buddha. This will be the 1st of a few days in Lumbini. So on this day, you’ll try to visit around Theravada Monastic Zone, Lumbini Zone, and some other pilgrimage sites near there. You’ll also get to walk on a peaceful evening around Lumbini in the day. Overnight at the hotel in Lumbini.
Day 05: Sightseeing at Lumbini
This is a day entirely dedicated to inspecting the large heritage area which is also popular as Lumbini Circuit. The circuit covers numerous monasteries and temples made by the various countries of the world as a symbol of unity and peace. Each of the monasteries and temples is identical to the architecture of the building country. Namely, countries like Thailand, China, Burma, Srilanka, Germany, France, Korea, Japan, and several others have built.
Amongst all, the Mayadevi Temple is the heart of this entire tour. On this day, you’ll visit this very holy place too. The temple is believed as the exact birthplace of Buddha and has protected the historical remains of Buddha’s times. Alongside the temple, there is a holy pond and a sacred garden. So, you’ll walk around all of the places including the Mayadevi Temple. You’ll feel blessed and glad that you made it to one of the hoist places in the world. After the blissful day around the birthplace of Buddha, you’ll pave your way back to the hotel in Lumbini.
Day 06: Visit Tilaurakot’s historical Place
Lumbini’s tour is not finished yet. Not probably without being in the palace where Buddha spent 29 years of his life. Tilaurakot, a village 27 km away from Lumbini, is the place where the 2500 years old remains of the Buddha’s palace. This is the same place where Buddha lived king size before leaving everything for enlightenment. There is nothing like a palace in the very place now but the remaining old palace’s foundation can take you a long back.
You’ll spend time around this peaceful and historical place to find enlightenment for yourself. Then if time is left, you’ll visit the other historical Buddhist Pilgrimage site, Gotihawa- the birthplace of Kakusandha Buddha. Gotihawa is 10 km away from Tilaurakot. Thereafter, you’ll return to your hotel for rest after the whole day of exploring.
Day 07: Fly Back to Kathmandu from Bhairahawa and explore the city.
After the two wonderful days in Lumbini, you’ll ride a flight to reach Kathmandu. The return flight to the capital of Nepal will take around a half-hour to land. Then you’ll get to the hotel for a short rest before Kathmandu’s sightseeing. There are several places that are worth touring around.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Bhaktapur Durbar Square are some of the quick goings in Kathmandu. All of the sites are listed as world heritage sites. You’ll love being there amid the architecture of those sites. Touring as much as possible, you’ll return back to your hotel for the night rest before your departure.
Day 08: Final Departure to next destination
And, then after having a week and so doing a Pilgrimage tour in Nepal, you’ll start packing for your return. The team will provide you the hasslefree and timely airport drop before your flight schedule. Until this point, you’ll have a lot of memories and learn to talk along with you to your country. Plus, your religious wish to see the birthplace of Buddha will also be accomplished by now. And your 8 Days Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal ends here.
Major Attractions of 8 Days Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal
Swaymbhunath Stupa
This is one of the holiest Buddhist stupas in the world resting at a hillock near Kathmandu. It is popular as the Monkey Temple among travelers. Swayambhunath stupa, a stupa believed to be built in the 13th century by King Manadeva is an important place for Buddhism followers. The hillock allows one to catch the glimpses of the entire Kathmandu valley and cornering mountains and hills. The important monuments to see around this area are The Buddha Statue, The Sleeping Budhha, a monastery, and a temple of Harati. Swayambhunath stupa is situated very near Kathmandu that every Buddhist Pilgrimage tour in Nepal starts from here.
Bouddhanath Stupa
Bouddhanath Stupa, another world heritage site is the most iconic architecture in the whole Kathmandu. It’s easily sightable up from the Sky before the landing at Kathmandu airport. This Buddhist stupa is a place to be for everyone who loves getting good things in the backdrop. The Mandala design makes it the best landmark in Kathmandu. Built long back Lichchavi rulers of Kathmandu maintained it around the 8th century and the process has been like this since then. The stupa and its surroundings give the true vibes of Tibetan culture.
Kapan Monastery
Kapan Monastery of Kathmandu is among the most popular monasteries in Nepal. The number of foreign visitors to this monastery is increasing every year mainly for learning and meditation purposes. Moreover, there are various sides of the Monastery where people can get lost like a museum and library and one big garden. So, whichever purpose you have while going to this monastery, all things will fall together to make it happen. The monastery also provides a great view of the city area of Kathmandu valley also.
Namo Buddha
This place is surely not to miss out on Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Kathmandu. Located in a hillock some 40 km southeast of Kathmandu lies this most prominent monastery in Nepal called Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery. It’s not good for religious viewpoints but also for natural scenery.
An appealing panorama of hills and mountains is approachable from the yard of the monastery. This monastery has a long history on its own and the Gautam Buddha is also a part of history. It was Buddha who named this place Namo Buddha. Around 250 monks home, Namo Buddha Monastery is a place that every Buddhist followers must visit while in Nepal.
Lumbini
Lumbini, the world heritage site which is the birthplace of Buddha has become an ultimate destination for each Buddhist attendant. A Buddhist Pilgrimage tour in Nepal is impossible without this place. The tour of this part of Nepal makes you encounter the best Buddhist heritages including Maya Devi Temple, Ashoka Pillar, Buddha’s exact birthplace, and numerous stupas, Bihars, monasteries, gompas made by various countries of the world. You’ll have abundant times when you will be surrounded in the peaceful and religious time in Lumbini. This place surely becomes special to every visitor as they encounter peace at its best.
Tilaurakot Palace
Tilaurakot Palace is the old remains of Buddha’s palace where he lived for 29 years.
It is believed that the palace was big and built by the father of Buddha who was king of that time for his son. The sole reason for building this palace was to keep Buddha i.e. Siddhartha Gautam away from all of the worries and tragedies of life. But Buddha was not longing for richness and luxury but for enlightenment and learning. So he left this palace at the age of 29 and this Palace became a memorial place for history that has lived around ever since then. The old foundation and walls are still there protected so that followers of Buddha can follow his footprints through this place also.
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