Kathmandu Valley Photography Tour

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Our support team will drive you to the airport.