Family Vacation in Nepal

Your Family Vacation in Nepal beings after arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu. One of the representatives from Aarya Village Travel shall meet, assist and transfer you to the respective hotel. As you may enjoy the welcome drinks, you shall be briefed about Nepal Family Vacation program. The rest of the day shall be at your leisure.

After Breakfast start sightseeing at UESCO Heritage Sites. Sightseeing at Patan Durbar Square- a distinct place for arts and architecture that is reflected on each temple, monument and palace building that were mostly built during the Malla period between the 16th, 17th and 18th century.
We will explore its unique Durbar Squares. In every corner & alley of Patan, you can see Thangka painters, filling color to ancient Gods and Goddess on canvases, fine metal shops that offer Buddha's exotic, handmade brass sculpture at very reasonable prices. You can taste local cuisine as well in Patan's alleys.

From there, the tour is directed towards Swayambhunath, a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine which has stood as a hallmark of faith and harmony for both the Buddhists and the Hindus from all over the world. Also known as the "Monkey Temple," this is a 2500 years old stupa believed to be self-evolved out of a lotus flower that bloomed in the middle of a lake that once spread across the Kathmandu Valley once was. The stupa is situated on a hillock about 77 m above the ground level and overlooking Katmandu valley.

Today we drive (for around 5-6 hours ) to a Newar Cultural Village called Bandipur. Bandipur offers a heavy mix of history, architecture, unbelievable views, splendid caves and pristine landscapes. You can view the beautiful chain of mountains Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Langtang, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal from Tundikhel (if weather permits). In the evening take a walk and admire the beautiful vistas, chat with the friendly local people, and witness their simple local way of life.

In the morning we will take a short exploration of Bandipur then we will drive to Pokhara. Located 210 km west of Kathmandu, this beautiful lakeside city is a prime tourism destination in Nepal offering with spellbinding and hypnotic natural beauty, stunning panoramic views of Himalayan peaks. The drive on the way itself is going to be amazingly unique experience as you travel besides the mighty river with some strong current almost throughout your journey with scenic greenery on both sides of the road along with human settlements thick and thin at different places. After reaching Pokhara you check in to your hotel, get yourself refreshed and have some rest.

We then head out for some sightseeing to Bindhyabasini temple, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. Rituals and pujas are performed on different occasions to please goddess Bhagwati. We then head to Devi's Fall, a waterfall that flows directly into a narrow and deep canal which has no end. It is known as Patale Chango, which means underworld waterfall. Gupteshwor cave is recognized as one of the longest caves in Nepal with a length that exceeds 2000 meters and the cave interior consists of deposition of calcium carbonate and surrounding limestone

Boating at Barahi Temple - Today try out some boating at Phewa Lake for about an hour, visit Tal Barahi temple while boating. Tal Barahi Temple, situated in the middle of the lake on an island on the south east section, also known as Lake Temple, is a two-story pagoda temple located in the Kaski District of the Gandaki Zone in western Nepal. It is a Hindu temple of the Goddess Durga.

Today we will drive to World Peace Pagoda which takes 25 minutes. Enjoy beautiful views of Pokhara city, Sarangkot hills and the Himalayas from Stupa. Shanti Stupa, as it is also known, was built as a symbol of peace. It is the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal. The pagoda is 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter. The white pagoda has two tiers for tourists and religious visitors to circumambulate.

After a short excursion at Peace Pagoda, we start hiking to Kalabang. The quaint location offers an alternative to the crowded viewpoint at Sarangkot, with spectacular panoramic views of the Annapurna Range. Phewa Taal's waters stretch out disappearing into the surrounding hills. On certain seasons the horizon is blurred between the sky and the lake.

Here we will have lunch hosted by a local family and later, escorted by a local, we will visit Pumdi village. Drive to lakeside. Rest of the day free on your own.

Your tour to Nepal continues with early morning breakfast and drive to Chitwan for around 4-5 hours. After checking in to the hotel and getting refreshed you will be briefed about full nature programs by our naturalist guide. Then we head on for activities,
• Guided tour to Tharu village (around an hour or depends on your interest)
• Sunset view from bank of Rapti river
• Tharu cultural dance performance by villagers (one hour)

Wakeup call with cup of hot tea/coffee. After breakfast on your choice go for
• Bird watching with naturalist guide (around an hour or depends on your interest)
• Canoe ride (half an hour), an opportunity to see 2 rare species of crocodiles; the Marsh Mugger and the only fish eating Gharial (optional depending on the season)
• Jeep safari at National Park/Community forest (3-4 hours), you will have an opportunity to see four different kinds of deer, rhinoceros, monkeys, leopard, sloth bear, and the Royal Bengal Tiger
• Nature walk to see different floras and faunas in National Park (around an hour or depends on your interest)
• Elephant bath and feeding. (optional depending on the season)

After Breakfast drive to Bharatpur airport and fly to Kathmandu. It is 20 minutes flight for Bharatpur airport. Upon we arrived at Kathmandu airport, we will drive to Bhaktapur, a medieval town also known as the "City of devotees" for an hour.

Sightseeing at medieval town Bhaktapur, Bhaktapur a living museum of medieval art and architecture, is a unique old town famously known as the "city of devotees" as this landmark has a great influence over religion, culture and tantrism. It is a collection of pagoda and shikhara-style temples assembled around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The durbar square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces.

Pottery: Enjoy a leisurely guided walk at the Pottery square, where handicrafts are still made in a traditional way. Clay pots are spun and fired in the ancient ways preserving Bhaktapur's thriving trade-craft. You can indulge and fashion a clay pot and learn about this fascinating process.

After Breakfast drive back to Kathmandu and experience and discover Kathmandu and its culture like a local on a Rickshaw ride. Our guide will meet you to begin your rickshaw tour through the busy streets of the Thamel area. We will pass through handicraft shops selling pashmina shawls, Nepali carpets etc. The streets merge onto a market area full of local shops called Ason Bazaar, a popular vegetable and spice market and the oldest in Kathmandu, around 1000 years old. Later we arrive at Durbar Square, filled with centuries-old temples, palaces and shrines that are sure to enchant you.

Walk the square on foot and at around 4 O'clock our guide will take you to Kumari Ghar, a house of living goddess. It's a right time to see the goddess and get the blessing from her. At the same time our guide will also explain about the wood carving & architectural design of this house. Here you will also explore one of the hippie-era streets known as Freak Street. After exploring the area, we will ride back to your hotel on the Rickshaw by way of Indrachowk a popular local shopping is where you can drink a cold and fresh Lassi.

Evening we will go for Typical Nepali Dinner with live cultural show by different ethnic group. It continues for 3 hours.

Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight a representative from Aarya Village Travel will transfer you to the airport for final departure to your home country. Thus we conclude your perfect family vacation in Nepal.