After the breakfast in the morning, the Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing starts. Transfer to sightseeing places by private vehicle.

Swyambunath Stupa:

Perched atop a forested hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley, Swyambunath Stupa is Kathmandu's most important Buddhist shrine. The sleepy, all-seeing Buddha's eyes that stares out from the top of this hemispherical shrine have become the quintessential symbol of Nepal. The pilgrim's route to the Swyambunath Stupa is a steep stone staircase of more than 300 steps, often claimed as 365. Leading up to the Swayambunath gate are walls into which are set dozens of copper prayer wheels, inside of which are thousands of Tibetan Buddhist prayers.

Buddhists gain a better standing in their next life by saying as many prayers or mantras as possible, and it is believed that when each prayer wheel is spun, all the prayers inside are recited and sent heavenward. Swayambunath is also known as the Monkey Temple, and as you start up the hill, you will likely see the monkeys that lend the stupa this alternate name.

Patan:

Patan is also known as the paradise of fine arts. The city lies only 5 km from Kathmandu. It is a city of Buddhist monuments, Hindu temples and fine wood carvings. Lalitpur is the other name of this city which means “the city of beauty”. Like the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur, the Patan Durbar Square is also a World Heritage Site. It has many famous sites and unique architecture. Krishna Mandi, Bhimsen temple, Hiranya Varna Mahabhihar are just a few among the temples offering you a variety of paintings, wood and metal carvings.

One of the most interesting temples in Patan is Mahabouddha Temple. The temple is dedicated to Gautam Buddha. The temple was built by Pandit Abhaya Raj, a Buddhist architect, and an even more interesting thing about the temple is that every single brick has Buddha engraved in it. There are nearly one thousand bricks of Buddha in the temple! The Golden Temple in Patan is a pagoda which has many images of Lord Buddha as well as large prayer wheels. The pagoda is also known as Kwa Bahal or SuwarnaMahavihar.

Have lunch in one of the restaurants around the square and keep enjoying the view. Transport to Kathmandu Durbar Square where you can enjoy the walk between the temples.

Kathmandu Durbar Square:

This is a durbar of history and arts. One can see artistic monuments, find the house of the living goddess Kumari, learn about the Kal-Bhairam temple, red monkey god, and hundreds of erotic wood carvings. The Kastmandap rest house located within the durbar square is said to have been built from a single tree. It is from this house that Kathmandu valley (Valley of the Gods) got its name.

Walk around Thamel and enjoy the touristic area, many options to have dinner, coffee, bakeries, souvenirs and to do some shopping you may need during your trip.

Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

We continue sightseeing in Kathmandu valley with more world heritage sites to explore and get acquainted with. 

Pashupatinath:

The temple of Pashupatinath, or Pashupati, is located in Deopatan, a little town 3 km northwest of Kathmandu. It is a Hindu temple, dedicated to a manifestation of Shiva called Pashupati (Lord of Animals). It attracts thousands of pilgrims each year and has become well known far beyond the Kathmandu Valley.

The temple is barred to non-Hindus, but a good view of the temple compound's inner courtyard can be had from Shleshmantak hill on the opposite (eastern) bank of the Bagmati River. The Bagmati River, which runs next to Pashaputinath Temple, has highly sacred properties, thus the banks are lined with many ghats (bathing spots) for use by pilgrims.

Boudanath Stupa:

Boudanath Stupa (or Buddnath Stupa) is the largest stupa in Nepal. It is also the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism and sacred importance. The stupa is located in the town of Buddha on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu.

The Stupa looms 36 metres high and presents one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design with hundreds of prayer wheels and 108 small images of Buddha all around. Just like the Swyambhunath, the stupa here also has four sides with the watchful eyes of Lord Buddha.

The main entrance to the upper platform of Buddnath Stupa is on the north side. Here Amoghasiddhi, progenitor of the future Buddha, presides. Below Amoghasiddhi is the Buddha Maitreya, the future Buddha.

Surrounding Buddhanath Stupa are streets and narrow alleys lined with colorful homes, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries that can be visited: Shechen Monastery (red), Ka-Nying Monastery (white), and street vendors.

Have some lunch in one of the restaurant’s terraces and contemplate the stupa and feel the unique atmosphere of the place.

Early morning drive to Pokhara. It’s a 6 hours drive to Pokhara from Kathmandu.

Pokhara:

Pokhara is a tranquil and picturesque town situated in the geographical centre of Nepal. It offers a magnificent view of the Central Himalayas from an extremely close range. At least three 8-thousand metre peaks can be viewed from Pokhara: Dhaulagiri (8167m), Manaslu (8156m) and Annapurna I (8091m). However, Machhapucchare (6997m) “the fish-tailed mountain” pleasantly dominates the Himalayan panorama.

The lakeside area of Pokhara is a vibrant area where you will find yourself enjoying the many restaurants, shops, book-stores and more.

On arriving in Pokhara, check-in at the hotel and have lunch in one of the many restaurants with a lake view. After lunch you can take a boat ride in the Phewa Tal (lake) and enjoy the ride from one hour to all afternoon, visiting the temples, combining the boating with some hiking in the mountain, or just enjoying the sights and the sunshine.

Enjoy dinner in the lakeside area. Overnight stay in hotel

Approximately 1 ½ hours drive to Birethanti. The trek begins from this point. It is approx. 3 hours slow and easy hike to Tikhedhunga.

It is another easy day of hiking to Ulleri with approx. 3 hours hike. Overnight at Teahouse in Ulleri.

This day has an extraordinarily beautiful trek to Poonhill. We leave behind the cozy village of Ulleri at sunrise and head uphill towards Ghorepani, which is located at the elevation of 2750 metres and it differs from other towns with the distinctive blue roofs of houses. It is also a gateway to the most important point of the trek - Poonhill (around 3200 metres above sea level) which offers a spectacular, 360 degree view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Especially stunning in March/April when all the wild rhododendrons blossom and cover the mountainous valleys in bright red colours.

We walk to Poonhill which will take about 45 minutes. We hike up to the top before dawn. From there, we will enjoy the beautiful sunrise. The orange coloured appearance of the mountains and sky due to the sunrise is alluring and is well worth trekking for 5 days.

After spending around 45 mins on top, we will descend to Ghorepani. Following breakfast in Ghorepani, we will pack our bags and hike down to Tadapani (2630m). Since we are descending, hiking will be a bit easier and we will cover the distance quite fast.

The route from Ghorepani to Tadapani is fascinating. We will spot small cascades, different species of birds and beautiful orange orchards on the route. We will also taste oranges from local orchards. After hiking for nearly 4 hours from Ghorepani we will reach Tadapani, where we will stay overnight in a tea house.

We hike towards Ghandruk (2010m), a beautiful Gurung village located at the northwest of the Pokhara. From Tadapani, we will hike downhill through a scenic route. On the way the views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna I are fantastic. We will also see mustard fields and orange orchards on the way. The freshly plucked oranges are very tasty; we will taste some.

Ghandruk is 6 kms away from Tadapani, which we will cover in 3 hours. The mountain views from Ghandruk is amazing.

After our arrival in Ghandruk, we will stroll around the village and spend time with locals. We will explore different indigenous groups like Dhiki, Jato, and Theki who have their own significance. We will also have a close encounter with the unique cultures and tradition of Gurungs of Ghandruk. After enjoying the evening with locals, we will spend our night in a tea house in Ghandruk.

Today is the last day of our trek. The early morning views from Ghandruk are splendid. Following breakfast, we will visit the local markets for an opportunity to buy souvenirs as mementos of your Poonhill trek.

We continue our trekking journey to Nayapool. The beautiful hills and meadows on the side of roads will make our trek to Nayapool most picturesque.

After that, we drive back to Pokhara via a scenic route for nearly 1.5 hours.

Early wake up (around 5:30am) to go to Sarangkot, a short drive up to the hill. The earlier you arrived the better the spot you will get! The energy that is created surrounded by the mountains

combined with the wait for the first sunlight that crosses the natural Rockwall is worth every minute without sleep. Have some tea and enjoy the scenery.

We return to the lakeside for breakfast and be ready for another day of excitement. For the more adventurous there are more activities like paragliding, horseback riding, kayaking and rafting.

Visit the Santi Stupa, a massive Buddhist stupa which is situated on top of a hill on the southern shore of Phewa Lake in Pokhara. Besides being an impressive sight in itself, the scene is a great vantage point which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, holy Mount Macchapuchare (Fishtail Mountain) and Pokhara city.

You may also like to visit Bindebasini Temple. This is one of the oldest temples in Pokhara, which was a part of the Kaski Kingdom. The the main deity of the temple is the Goddess Durga. Sightseeing continues on to Devi's fall, also known as PataleChango, which is an awesome waterfall lying 2 km southwest of Pokhara. Just opposite of Devi's fall, on the other side of the road, there is Gupteshwor Cave.

Free day in Pokhara. You can explore around or embark in various adventure sports activities that Pokhara has to offer like paragliding, bungee jumping, zip flyer, cycling etc.

We drive (6-7 hours drive) back to Kathmandu leaving behind Pokhara, enjoying the countryside view throughout the ride. You can fly by domestic air (35minutes flight) too at your own extra cost.

Later in the evening a farewell dinner will be held.

Depending on the time of departure a Himalayan Rock Trekking and Expedition representative will transport you to the international airport.