What to do and what to see in Nepal in a 7 days trip? So this is an example of a itinerary that includes the most important things to visit
in Nepal during the first time trip in this wonderful country. So,
enjoy Nepal ! In a seven days itinerary you can focus in some of the
principal attractions of Kathmandu Valley, in some typical villages and
then you can move towards non touristic places or towards Pokhara to see
the Himalaya Range .
If you like caos, lights, city life, compulsive shopping, night life
you can stop in Kathmandu , in Thamel, the touristic area of the
capital:
if you prefer the local life, if you like quite places, nature, rural
life you can stay in Bhaktapur, the third ancient capital of Nepal ,
connected with the new Araniko Highway in 15 minutes by car/bus to
Kathmandu city centre:
If it’s your first time in Nepal there’re some places that you have
to visit absolutely because they will help you to better understand the
Himalayan culture and history.
This is an itinerary that you can take as an example for a seven days trip:
1- keep a taxi or a car with driver and go, in around half an hour of
trip, to Boudhanilkantha, a village situated at the entry of Shivapuri
National Park , close to the capital.
This sacred site is very important and particular because is
venerated by Buddhist and Hindu. Every day in the early morning the
pilgrims of both religions come to be part of an ancient rite. The monks
white dressed take care of the big statue of Vishnu lied on a snakes
bed in the sacred waters. They clean the statue with milk and covered
with flowers, while some Brahmans play ancient music to keep Vishnu
asleep. Everybody believe that if Vishnu will wake up there’ll be a
terrible earthquake and he will destroy everything. So be careful ;-)
From here you can go to the nuns Tibetan Monastery of Kopan, where
you can see the puja and if you’re lucky the religious debates in the
country yard. You can go haed to the top of the hill where’s situated
the big Monastery of Kopan. Here there’s also a veg restaurant where you
can have a meal. This monastery has a peaceful garden on the back of
the big Gompa. The Gompa is new but, this doesn’t compromise the quite
and spiritual atmosphere that reign here. You can take a look at the
monks school and assists to the lessons. It’s also possible to sleep
inside the Monastery and experiment the real monastic life.
You can go by taxi to Pashupathinath, on the Bagmathi river’s banks, by taxi/car.
this place is also know as Crematory, but it’s one of the most
important temple dedicated to Shiva in all the Hindu world. Here you can
meet may Sadhu, holy men, some of them seems to be only tourist
attractions but the ones live in the caves close to the old people’s
home, are really holy man ;-). From here you can cross the river bridge
and have a walk towards the park you’ll have in front of you. This park
is full of little temple dedicated to Shiva Lingham. You’ll arrive at
the end of the Pasupathinath Temple area and after crossing a Tibetan
Bridge you can take the road in front of you and reach the village of
Bouddhanath . This village is famous for the round square where is
located the most important Stupa of Nepal, the yellow one of
Bouddhanath. This village is full of Tibetan pilgrims and refugees. You
can see them walk following the sacred Khora around the Stupa. Here you
can participate to the Tibetan Puja (the prayers in the Gompa). There
are several king of Gompa in this village that you can easily visit. In
this area you can also visit many Tangka school, where people learns to
paint sacred painting following the Buddhism Teaching.
You can go back with taxi to Kathmandu city centre and visit Durbar Square or relax.
2- Go to visit Patan (Lalitpur) the second ancient Capital of Nepal.
This city has the most beautiful Durbar Square of Nepal and also
precious temples as Golden Temple and 10.000 Buddha temple. If you are
interested on local traditional handcraft, inside the Golden Temple , on
the opposite site of the entrance on the left you’ll find a little open
door. Outside there’s a courtyard where you’ll find two shops, the
first one is a jewellery. Here has been cut the crown jewels of Nepal
old Queen’s. There are marvellous things to see. The next one is a
singing bowls shop. The owner, a little man, forges with his hands these
precious singing bowls mixing together 8 different kind of metals. He
will also tell many legends about these religious instruments.
Then you can move to visit the village of Bungamati, one of the most beautiful of the Valley, to see how is the local life.
You can go back in Kathmandu , take a coffee in Thamel or staying
relaxed on the top of one of the roof restaurants or pagoda to take a
look down people life in Capital.
3- You can take a taxi to Bhaktapur and visit the most beautiful city
of Nepal . Bhaktapur is the third ancient Capital of Nepal, protected
by UNESCO. In the city centre is not allowed go by car (there’re some
motorbikes, but here there’s not traffic like in other cities of Nepal
). Here you can loose yourself following childs playing in the ancient
streets. The city is divided in district: there’s the carvers ones, the
potters ones, the weavers one and many others, in Dattatrya Square you
can visit a small workplace where they make recycled paper, on the right
side of the Square main Temple, and close to this shop, on the left
you’ll find the most precious carved window of Nepal: the peacock
window. It has been carved in 1400 by Araniko, the most important and
famous architect of Nepal. The most characteristic square is Taumadi
Tole, where is located the highest pagoda of Nepal , the Nyatapola, that
is close to the Bhairab Temple . Here you can have rest in a coffee or
walk easily to Durbar Square . In this Square there’s the Royal Palace,
the Golden Gate , and it has been the location chosen by Bertolucci’s
for the main historic scenes of the film “Little Buddha”.
In the evening have a walk with a torch in the city following the candles lights of the temples. It’s a fantastic experience.
4- Go to the North Gate of Bhaktapur and take the local bus to Changu Narayan Village .
This Newari Village is located on the top of a hill, around half an
hor of bus from Bhaktapur. Here you’ll find the most ancient temple of
Nepal dedicated to Narayan. This temple is protected by UNESCO and has a
wonderful legend that you can read inside the little local museum.
After your visit, you can go to the opposite side of the main entrance
and walk down the hill descending to reach Bhaktapur in one hour and
half, crossing the rural villages, the rice fields and seeing the real
nepali life.
From the 5th days you can choose to go to Pokhara to see Annapurna
range or stay in the Valley to visit something out of the beaten tracks.
Valley Option:
5- If you decide to stay in the Valley you can go to Dhulihkel, a
newari village in the top of a hill on the street directed toward
Tibetan border. Here there’s a wonderful landscape and view of the
Himalayan Range . From here you can go to visit the Monastery of
Namabouddha, that is famous because a legend tells that here the Lord
Buddha stayed in meditation under a Pipal tree and an hungry tiger let
him alive because understood he was a God.
You can have a walk down to Balthali Village , a non touristic area
where the landscape is really marvellous and stay in the night there.
6- Go to visit the temples area of Panauti in the early morning and then go back to Kathmandu
7- free day for shopping in Thamel of adding more sightseeing in the Valley (for example Dakshinkali)
Pokhara Option:
5- If you decide to go to Pokhara take a morning flight and reach
this touristic city that lays in front of the Pewa lake, where you can
see all the Annapurna range reflected on the water. In the afternoon you
can reach the hill of Sarangkot to see the sunset in the Huimalaya and
have a dinner there.
6- go back to Kathmandu .
7- free day for shopping in Thamel of adding more sightseeing in the Valley (for example Dakshinkali)
If you have days more to add, you can consider to do 3 days in the
south visiting Chitwan National Park or the out of the beaten traks
Bardhia National Park. In these places you can do elephant ride, bird
wathcing, jungle safari and stay in full imersion in the wonderful
nature of Nepal.
