Buddhist Sites Tour

BUDDHIST SITES TOUR KATHMANDU-(KAPAN-PHARPING-SWYAMBHUNATH-BOUDHANATH)-NABOMUDDHA- LUMBINI-KATHMANDU

Overview
Besides the discovery of harmony of Buddhism and Hinduism in and around the Kathmandu Valley, you are granted a chance to trace back the life of the "Enlightened One" or Buddha, the founder of Buddhism in Lumbini, which is believed to be a birthplace of Buddha. The remains of stupa, monasteries as well as the important archeological sites make Limbini a scared pilgrimage site among Buddhists from around the world. There, you get to absorb a relaxing atmosphere of tranquility.
Buddha was born some 2500 years ago in Lumbini in the southern Nepal. Lumbini is the greatest pilgrimage site for all the Buddhists from all over the world. Lumbini today houses the pond where Buddha was bathed after he was born and a temple which has images of young Buddha with his mother. There is also a Stone pillar which is one of such many pillars put by the famous Indian emperor Ashoka to mark the important sites related to Buddha's life. In an excavation made few years ago more objets of historical importance were discovered which are in  display for all. Besides there are many stupas in Lumbini made by many Buddhist countries of the world Thailand, China Sri Lanka, Japan and Myanmar.
There are Buddhists all over Nepal and hence Buddhist monuments are all over Nepal. In Kathmandu valley we have 2000 years old impressive stupa of Swoyambhunath and world's biggest stupa at Bouddhanath.The Bouddhanath stupa is 1500 years old and is more popular among the many Tibetan refugees living in Kathmandu .Inside the Kathmandu valley the city of Patan is dominantly Buddhists and has places like Mahabouddha Temple and Hiranya Varna Mahavihar to show you.On the outskirt of Kathmandu in the hill is the stupa of Namobuddha, small but old, active and highly revered.
This tour will take you to these Buddhist sites and also too few more while travelling inside the city. Finally you will have free time to shop a great number of Buddhist objects which you may not find in your home country.

KATHMANDU VALLEY:
•    Swyambhunath
•    Bouddhanath
•    Pharping & Dhakshinkali
•    Kapan

NEAR KATHMANDU VALLEY:
•    Namobuddha

LUMBINI:
•    Tilaurakot
•    Birth place of Buddha
•    Ashoka Pillar

ITINERARY:

DAY 01:  ARRIVAL IN KATHMADNU
Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu. You are welcomed by a hospitable meeting and then taken to your hotel. The program will briefly be explained to you by our guide upon arrival at hotel. Stay overnight in the hotel.

DAY 02: FULL DAY SIGHTSEEING TOUR IN KATHMANDU VALLEY
We have full day for sight-seeing in Kathmandu valley which includes- Kathmandu Durbar Square, the place of the Malla and then the Shah Kings of Nepal, visit to Kumari Temple, house of the virgin goddess, visit to Swoyambhunath, a stupa on the top of hill - from where you can see the entire Kathmandu Valley. We then visit Bouddhanath, a famous city place. Stay overnight in the hotel.

DAY 03: FULL DAY SIGHTSEEING TOUR IN NEAR KATHMANDU VALLEY.
We have full day sightseeing tour in Kathmandu valley including: Pharping, Dhakshinkali & Kapan Monastries.

DAY 04: KATHMANDU – NAMOBUDDHA – KATHMANDU
It is about 40km away from the heart of Kathmandu city. It is in Kavre District in the southeast of the valley. If you take a local bus, it will take around 3 to 4 hours because there are several substations, but if you take a taxi from Kathmandu, it will take around 2 hours.
Namobuddha is a beautiful place. There is no need to exaggerate this. The place is very quiet and pure. Its environment is very clean, with no pollution, and the natural air is so fresh, cool and healthy. It is also the right place for meditation and practice. In the morning when you wake up, you can see a beautiful sunrise. In the evening you can see a wonderful sunset. You can enjoy snow-covered Himalayan ranges which look so amazing and pure. From the Buddhist point of view, Namo Buddha is one of the most important religious sites in Nepal. There are three major Buddhist pilgrimage sites: Boudha Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa and Namobuddha.

DAY 05: DRIVE OR FLY TO LUMBINI:
After breakfast, we travel overland from Kathmandu to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, renowned as place of holy pilgrimage. Lumbini has been included as a World Heritage Site by UNESC. If the time permits, we take you to visit Manakamana Temple, believed to be the wish fulfilling goddess. The distanced to the temple will be covered on a cable car.
Upon arrival in Lumbini, we take you to the hotel; check-in and then we go for a walk through the Sacred Lumbini Garden where Buddha was born. You get to see the Ashoka pillar, visit the Maya Devi Temple with its bas-relief sculpture depicting Maya Devi holding her right hand to a branch of pipal tree and giving birth to the infant Buddha who stood up on a lotus pedestal. Stay overnight in the hotel.

DAY 06:  FULL DAY SIGHTSEEING TOUR IN LUMBINI
After breakfast, we begin the trip by driving away, 27km west of Lumbini; visit the important archaeological site, Tilaurkot, the ancient palace of King Suddodha (Siddhartha Gautam's father), where Buddha spent his formative years as a Shakya Prince. Allow yourself a moment to wander around and soak the atmosphere. There's a museum nearby, The Kapilvastu Museum-where pottery, jewelry and ornaments are gathered in-house. End up the remarkable tour in Tilaurkot by visiting the shrines, monasteries and stupa near the sacred garden. Stay overnight in the hotel.

DAY 07: DRIVE OR FLY BACK TO KATHMANDU
After breakfast, we leave Lumbini by road and travel back to Kathmandu. Check-in at hotel, rest of the day is at your own leisure. Stay overnight in the hotel.
 
DAY 08:  FINAL DEPARTURE TO BACK HOME
After breakfast, rest of day is at your leisure until we pick you up at the hotel and then take you to airport for your next stop.
KAPAN MONASTERY:  Just north of the ancient Buddhist town of Boudhanath is the Kopan hill (pictured left), rising up out of the terraced fields of the Kathmandu valley and visible for miles. Dominated by a magnificent Bodhi tree, it was once the home of the astrologer to the king of Nepal. It was to this hill that these lamas came with their first Western students in 1969.
Kopan Monastery had its beginnings in the Solu-khumbu region of the Himalayan Mountains. In 1971 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, a yogi of the tiny hamlet of Lawudo, fulfilled the promise of the previous Lawudo Lama to start a monastic school for the local children. The school was called called it Mount Everest Center. Twenty five monks moved down from the mountain to Kopan in 1971 - prompted by the harsh climate at an altitude of 4000 am, which made study barely possible in winter.
Buddhsit holy side Pharping: Pharping lies about two hours by bus from Ratna Park outside of Kathmandu. For Hindus it’s a very sacred place too and well known, because of the Dakshin Kali temple that lies in the valley near Pharping. Tsoknyi Rinpoche said in one of his teachings, that for Vajrayana practitioner Pharping is as holy as Bodhgaya.
Swyambhunath (The Monkey Temple): Swoyambhu literally means 'Self-Existent One.' Swoyambhunath is believed to have been established more than 2,500 years ago. According to translations from an inscription dating back to 460 A.D., it was built by King Manadeva and by the 13th century, Swoyambhunath had developed into an important center of Buddhism. Legend has it that Swoyambhu was born out of a lotus flower that bloomed in the middle of the lake which the Kathmandu valley once was. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal was recently built on the western boundary of Swoyambhu. Behind the hilltop is a temple dedicated to Manjusri or Saraswati - the Goddess of learning. Chaityas, statues and shrines of Buddhist and Hindu deities fill the stupa complex. The base of the hill is almost entirely surrounded by prayer wheels that were recently installed. Devotees can be seen circumambulating the stupa at all times. The stupa sits atop the hill and the exceedingly steep stone steps leading up to the shrine is quite a challenge. However there is also a road going up almost to the top and you can drive up.
Boudhanath Stupa (or Bodnath Stupa):  It is the largest stupa in Southeast Asia as well as in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is located in the town of Boudha, on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu.

LUMBINI:
232 kms/145 miles away from Kathmandu, Lumbini is the birth place of Lord Buddha. The broken Ashoka Pillar, remnants of an old monastery, images of Buddha's mother Maya Devi are still preserved here. Lumbini can be reached by road from Kathmandu via Pokhara or the Chitwan National Park or by air till Bhairahawa and then by road.

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