Buddhist Tour In Nepal - 8 Days

This eight-day journey starts out with a quick tour of Kathmandu on the first day. Swayambhunath Stupa will be our first stop. Around three kilometers from the city's center , the stupa is located on a hilltop in the city's western portion. The monkey temple is another name for it. Based on your itinerary, you'll travel in a private vehicle for the tour. We will drive you to the entrance of Swayambhunath. After that, you must ascend a 365-step stairway starting at the entrance. You will be greeted by a stunning stupa, as well as other temples, prayer wheels, and stunning views of the city.

We will travel to Kathmandu Durbar Square after touring the stupa and its sights. Swayambhu is only a short drive from Kathmandu Durbar Square. There are numerous Buddhist tourist attractions in the area. The three primary Buddhist sites in the plaza are Ananada Kuti Vihar, Jana Baha, and Aksheshowr Mahavihar. The Durbar Square is an old palace that serves as a historical landmark. The neighboring viharas are rich in history, culture, and the arts.

The statue of Seto Macchindranath is kept in the Buddhist monastery known as Jana Bahal. On the other hand, Aksehswor Mahavihar is a tranquil old monastery with a lovely design. Another Vihar, known as the Ananda Kuti Vihar, is situated close to Indra Chowk. It is a historical location that was created under Pratap Malla's rule a long time ago. These viharas are known for their intricate wood carvings.

After spending a full day exploring these attractions, we will head home. This will mark the end of day one of our eight-day tour.

Today, Baudhanath and Sankhu will be the two places we visit.

One of the town's hotspots that locals love is Baudhanath. Northeast of the town's center, it is located around 7 kilometers away and is swarmed with people. Tourists and residents of the area both enjoy the location. Additionally, there are numerous additional monasteries nearby, including a sizable Baudhanath monastery inside. With a thriving local economy circling it, the main monastery is located in the middle of the area. In this area, there are many cafes, restaurants, Tibetan antiquities, regional specialties, and street cuisine. If you're in Kathmandu, you should definitely stop by.

Other monasteries in the vicinity include Rangjung Yeshe Gomde, Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, and Shechen Monastery, in addition to the major Baudhanath stupa.

Following Baudhanath's visit, we'll move on to Sankhu, which is located outside of the valley. The well-known Bajrayogini temple is located there. Both Buddhist and Hindu visitors place a high value on the temple. Newari community’s settlement can be found in the vicinity, along with beautiful hiking trails. You will find markets where you may get native wares like crafts and souvenirs. Here, too, you may see historic Newari woodwork and architecture.

Day two's objective will be to visit these two locations. We will return to our hotel and call it a day after our trip is through.

All of the destinations for the day are outside of the Kathmandu Valley, so the journey today will be fascinating. We'll depart from Kathmandu early in the morning for Pharping. It is a short trip and is located about 16 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. The Guru Rinpoche cave , the Vajra Varahi temple , and the Pharping monastery are just a few of the Buddhist tourist attractions in Pharping.

The Pharping monastery is the main site for seeing important Buddhist rituals. The Pelgyi Ling Cave, commonly known as the Guru Rinpoche Cave, is peaceful. Many people think Guru Rinpoche pondered and attained spirituality in this location. Another place where the Tibetan goddess Vajra Varahi has a temple is the Vajra Varahi temple.

Our next stop will be 3 kilometers long journey to the Yangleshor temple from Pharping. It is a historic temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, a Hindu deity. The building's architecture and woodwork are intricate. Additionally, this area is home to the Seshnarayn temple, which has statues of Shiva and other Hindu deities.

Our next trip is to the Asura cave , which is after Yangleshwor Temple. It is a major location associated with Guru Rinpoche as well. Many people associate the temple, also known by the name Yangleshö, with Guru Rinpoche's awakening and the taming of regional deities.

Our next stop, the Vajrayogini temple , is only 11 km from here. It is a Tantric Hindu deity temple built in the traditional Newari style. The temple is situated in a beautiful area with adjacent Newari markets and communities. This will be our final location for a visit on day three. We will head back to our hotel in Kathmandu and call it a day.

On the fourth day of our Buddhist tour in Nepal, we will visit two significant sites. You'll have a tour of Patan or Bhaktapur and then visit the Manjushree cave. We'll pick one of the two places for the first half of today. Both offer fantastic tourist attractions as well as rich cultural and historical backgrounds.

Alternative 1 [Bhaktapur]

You will see the Bhaktapur Durbar Square if you decide to take a tour of Bhaktapur. It is another variation of a historic palace like the Durbar Square in Kathmandu. Similar woodwork, statues, pagoda-style buildings, temples, and courtyards may be found throughout its architecture. In the neighborhood is also the Nyatapola temple. It is a five-story, ancient temple dedicated to Siddhi Laxmi. Another well-liked location in the region is the Dattatreya temple. Bhaktapur also features a pottery plaza where you can purchase ceramic goods and take classes on how to make them.

Alternative 2 [Patan]

Patan Durbar Square will be your next alternative. In the area around it, there are a lot of impressive ancient and cultural landmarks. It is similar to the Durbar Squares of Bhaktapur and Basantapur. Here, you may explore the Bhimsen Mandir and the Krishna Mandir. This location also houses the well-known golden temple, the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar. A Patan museum houses various regional relics, sculptures, and works of antiquity. Here you can also find Buddhist sites like Mahaboudha Temple. The temple is composed of a distinctive terracotta brick building and contains numerous depictions of Buddha.

We will visit Manjushree Cave after our tour of one of these two locations. On the outskirts of Chobar town stands this ancient tourist destination. According to legend, Manjushree, a legendary warrior, cut a piece of Chobar's hill in order to drain a lake that once existed in what is now Kathmandu. Chobar's gorge is thought to be that chopped-up part of the hill. After our tour of the Manjushree cave is over, we shall go to go somewhere else.

On the other side of the town's end, Nagarkot will be our next stop. The Himalayas glow before dawn, and you can see some amazing sunsets. Nagarkot will be our stop to spend the night for the day. This will mark the end of day four.

Two significant destinations on the itinerary for today are close to Nagarkot. Today, we will travel to Panauti and Namobuddha. Namobuddha is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site. People think that Buddha may have resided in the area in a former life. This manifestation of Buddha is honored in Namobuddha's monastery, also known as Namobuddha Stupa. According to folklore, a Buddha reincarnation cut himself to feed a ravenous Tiger.

The Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery is another place to visit in Namobuddha. It is another Buddhist stupa that offers breathtaking views of the Namobuddha rural area. We will travel around 15 km to get to Panauti, our next stop, after finishing our tour of Namobuddha. Being an ancient Newari settlement, Panauti has many fascinating religious, historical, and cultural monuments.

Durbar Square is one of Panauti 's most well-known locations. It is largely an old royal residence similar to those in the Kathmandu Valley. There are many temples and courtyards, as well as traditional Newari artwork. Another historic location is the Indreshwar Mahadev temple. The temple honors the Hindu deity, Shiva. It also boasts a distinctive fusion of architectural design and beautiful woodwork. Aside from these two main objects of interest, the area's street is quite lovely. They exhibit themselves in the classic Newari manner. Along with historic temples, the winding, tiny alleyways are home to lovely Newari-style homes. It's really artistically attractive to stroll around the streets of Panauti.

Panauti will be the last stop of the day as we prepare to leave for Lumbini for day 6. We will head back to Kathmandu for the night.

Today we will leave Kathmandu to travel to the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini. The place is located in the southern plains of Nepal. You ought to travel around 272 kilometers from Kathmandu to reach Limbini. It is believed Lord Buddha was born in around 623 BC to a Shakya royal family in this region. The place houses several artifacts and pilgrimage sites significant to the Buddhist community.

Reaching Lumbini from Kathmandu will be an 8-hour long drive. We will leave Kathmandu early in the morning and take the route of the Prithvi highway. We will reach Chitwan within 5 hours of the drive and 3 more hours till Lumbini. The drive will take you through the hills of Nepal and slowly downwards towards the plainlands of the south. The temperature will get slightly higher as you travel further.

After a whole day's worth of road trip, Lumbini will welcome us. We will check into a hotel in the region and get well-needed rest after our travel. The next day will be awaiting us with fabulous to-visit sites and activities.

For today, we have several stops around Lumbini to visit. Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace, has several establishments commemorating Buddha. One of the first sites is the Maya Devi temple which is believed to be where Buddha was born. This temple is housed within the sacred Mayadevi Pond. Mayadevi is believed to be the name of Buddha’s mother. Another site within Lumbini is the Ashoka Pillar, which was erected by an Emperor named Ashoka. People believe he built it in 3 BC to commemorate Buddha’s birthplace as a pilgrimage site. You will also find a Museum at Lumbini with historical artifacts and various valuable displays related to Lord Buddha.

Another stop during our Lumbini tour will be the Kapilvastu Museum. It is located in Tilaurakot. It houses various archaeological discoveries from ancient Kapilvastu. You can understand and learn about the Shakya kingdom, the ones that birthed Prince Siddhartha, who we revere as Buddha. Tilaurakot is also another significant place that represents the ancient Shakya dynasty. It holds the ruins of the ancient city and shows you the unique lifestyle and architecture of Kapilvastu.

We will also visit Taulihawa , which is another significant historic place. It houses Gotihawa, which people believe to be the birthplace of Krakuchanda Buddha. This is believed to be one of the incarnations of Buddha before Siddhartha Gautam. The place has a stupa and a Bodhi tree pilgrims consider sacred. Another spot in Taulihawa is Niglihawa which is another archaeological location. People believe another incarnation of Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, was born here. Our last spot for the day will be Ram Gram , a nearby stupa. It consists of very important Buddha relics and is significant among Buddhist pilgrims.

After we are done with our Lumbini excursion on day 7, we will return to Kathmandu on day 8. It will be the same 8-hour-long drive back to Kathmandu. We will slowly ascend up through winding roads from inner Terai up to the hills of Kathmandu. Reaching Kathmandu marks the end of our 8-day-long journey. We will bid farewell to our Buddhist tour in Nepal today.