Explore Kathmandu Valley Tour

Boudhanath

The base of the stupa takes the shape of a mandala (symbolising earth): on this four tiered base sits the dome (symbolising water): then comes the spire (symbolizing fire): the umbrella (symploising air); and the pinnacle (symbolising ether). The Buddha's watchful eyes gaze out in four directions from the square base of two normal eyes and the 'nose' is not a nose at all but the Nepali number one, signifying the oneness of all life. The spire is made up of 13 steps, representing the 13 stages on the journey to Nirvana.

Pashupati Nath

The most important Hindu temple in Nepal, Pashupatinath is one of the most important Shiva temples in this subcontinent and draws numerous devotees from all over India, including many colourgful sadhus, those wandering ascetic Hindu holy men. Shiva is the destroyer and creator of the Hindu Pantheon and appears in many forms.

This 'temple' forms are probably best known, particularly his appearances in Nepal as the cruel and destructive Bhairabs, but he also has peaceful incarantion including those of Mahadev and Pashupati, the lord of the beasts. As the shepherd of both animals and humans, Shiva as Pashupati shows its most pleasant and creative side.

Swayambunath

The Buddhist temple of Swayambunath, situated on the top of a hill west of the city, is one of the most popular and instantly recognizable symbols of Nepal. The temple is colloquially known as the 'monkey temple' after the large tribe of handsome monkeys which guards the hill and amuses visitors and devotees with tricks, including sliding gracefully down the double banisters of the main stairway to the temple. Geologists believe that the Kathmandu valley was once a lake and legends relate that the hill one which Swaymabhunath stands was an island in that lake. It is said that emperor Ashoka paid a visit to the site over 2000 years ago. An inscription indicates that King Manadeva ordered work done on the site in 460 CE and by the 1200s it was an important Buddhist center. In 1346 Mughal invaders from Bengal broke open the stupa to search for gold under the Malla Kings. Various improvements were made and the great stairway to the stupa was construcked by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Durbar is Nepali word for 'palace' in English; and Durbars are irrected in Patan and Bhaktapur, as well as Kathmandu. There are Durbar squares in front of the old palaces. The King no longer lives in the old Royal Palace in Kathmandu: the palace was moved north to Narayanhiti about a century ago. At that time, it was on the edge of the city, now it's close to the popular tourist area of Thamel.

Clustered around the central Durbar Square and the old Royal Palace (Hanuman Dhoka), are numerous interesting temples, like the Kumari Chowk or Kumari Bahal (House of the Living Goddess) and Kasthamandap (House of wood). It's easy to spend hours wandering around Durbar Square and the adjoining Basantapur Square. This is very the center of old Kathmandu and watching they would go by from the terraced platforms of the towering Maju Deval is a wonderful way to get a feel for the city. Although many of the buildings around the square are very old, the great earthquake of 1934 caused a great deal of damage and many were rebuilt, not always in their original form.

Thimi

Thimi is the fourth largest town in the valley outranked only by Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. It's a typical Newari town and its capable people operate successful cottage industries, producing pottery and paper-made masks. They also grow vegetables for the markets of Kathmandu.

Changu Narayan

The beautiful and historic temple of Changu Naraya stands on a hilltop at the eastern end of the valley, about 4 km north of Bhaktapur. Although the temple dates from 1702, when it was rebuilt after a fire, its origins go right back to the 4th century and there many important stone images and sculptures dating from the Lichhavi period.

Bhaktapur

After Kathmandu and Patan Bkaktput is the third, of the valley's ancient cities with equally long history. It has an impressive number of artistic treasures: it is rightly called "a living museum" as well as the most medieval city of the valley.

The oldest part of the town is around Tachupal Tole (Dattatraya Square), to the east. Bhaktapur was the capital of the whole valley during the 14th to 16th centuries and during that time the focus of the town-shifted west, to the Durbar Square area. Much of the town's great architecture dates from the end of the 17th century during the rule of King Bhupatendra Malla.

Patan Durbar Square

Patan has been separated from Kathmandu only by the Bagmati River and is the second largest town in valley. It is sometimes referred to as Lalitpur, which means 'city of beauty' Patan has a long Buddhist history and the four-comers of the city are marked by stupas said to have been erected by the great Buddhist emperor Ashoka around 250 B.C. Later inscriptions refer to palaces in the 5th century B.C. although Patan's great building boom took place under the Mallas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Patan's central Durbar Square is absolutely packed with temples: it's an architectural feast with a far greater concentration of temples per sq. meter than in Kathmandu or Bhaktpur. Numerous other temples of widely diverse style as well as many bahals (Buddhist monasteries) are scattered around this fascinating town.

Kirtipur

Situated along a ridge south- west of Kathmandu, the small town of Kirtipur is a relatively neglected and timeless backwater despite its proximity to the capital. At one time, it was under the reign of Patan and then became a mini-kingdom in its own right. During the 1768 conquest of the valley by Gorkha's King Prithivi Narayan Shah, Kirtipur was superbly defensible hilltop Position, would be the key to defeating the Mall kingdoms. So it was here the Gorkha king struck first and hardest, Kirtipur's ridge is actually two hills, with a lower saddle between them. The Chilanchu Vihara tops the southern hill and has a central stupa with four smaller stupas, numerous statues and bells and Buddhist monastery buildings around it.

Chobhar

The little village of Chobar is located on the top of the hilock overlooking the Bagmati River, where it flows through the Chobar Gorge. Although the gorge is a regularly visited attraction, far fewer people come to Chobar itself. Perhaps they're put off by the steep hill. The views of Himalaya and town are outstanding from Chovar.