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Day 01:
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Kathmandu.
Arrival at
Tribhuwan
International
Airport in
Kathmandu. A
traditional
warm welcome
by our
airport
representative.
Briefing
about the
package in
the hotel.
Rest time at
Leisure.
Evening
typical
welcome
dinner.
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Day 02:
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Kathmandu-Dhulikhel.
We start our
pilgrimage
tour with a
visit to
Swoyambhunath
Stupa one of
the most
important
centers of
Buddhist
learning in
Nepal. The
stupa is
located on
top of a
hill
overlooking
Kathmandu
valley. From
here we
visit
Bodhnath
stupa,
possibly the
largest
stupa in the
world and
the center
of Tibetan
Buddhism in
Nepal.
In the
afternoon we
take a 45
minute drive
to
Namobuddha,
situated
atop a hill
near the old
town of
Dhulikhel.
This place
is
celebrated
as the
meditation
site of Nama
Buddha, a
Buddha
incarnate of
ancient
times. There
is also a
legend that
the
incarnate
offered a
starving
tigress
about to
devour a
helpless
child his
own limbs so
that both
the tigress
and the
child might
be saved.
Overnight at
Dhulikhel. |
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Day 03:
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Dhulikhel-Kathmandu.
After
breakfast we
drive to
Patan famous
for its arts
and crafts.
Pilgrimage
highlights
are Hiranya
Varna
Mahavihar, a
beautiful
monastery
and
Mahaboudha,
a replica of
the
Mahabodhi
temple in
Bodhgaya.
From here we
visit the
Tibetan
cultural
center first
founded by
the Tibetan
refugees of
the late
fifties and
now an
exhibition-cum-shopping
complex of
carpets,
jewelery and
many
interesting
souvenirs.
Come back to
hotel in
Kathmandu.
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Day 04:
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Kathmandu-Bhairahawa-Lumbini.
We take the
flight to
the southern
border city
of
Bhairahawa.
Here we''ll
be met by
our guides
and driven
21 km. (13
miles) to
the west to
Lumbini, the
birthplace
of Lord
Buddha. We
then take
our
pilgrimage
tour of
Lumbini
Gardens
where Lord
Buddha was
born. Temple
of Maya
Devi,
Buddha''s
mother
depicting
the nativity
scene of
Buddha and
the Ashoka
Pillar,
built by the
Mauryan
Emperor
Ashoka to
mark his
pilgrimage
to Lumbini
in 240 B.C.
are the
highlights
here. |
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Day 05: |
Lumbini-Tilaurakot-Lumbini.
Today we
take an
excursion to
Tilaurakot
(27 kms or
17 miles) to
the west,
the ancient
capital of
Kapilavastu,
the kingdom
of the Sakya
dynasty in
which family
Lord Buddha
was born.
The ruin of
a palace is
found here
which
clearly
shows the
gate through
which Lord
Buddha
walked out
of his
palace
renouncing
all worldly
possessions
in the quest
for
Niravana. We
return to
Lumbini/Bhairahawa
after the
full-day
excursion
and spend
the night
hotel in
Lumbini.
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Day 06: |
Lumbini-Kathmandu.
We drive to
Bhairahawa
after
breakfast
and catch
the flight
back to
Kathmandu.
We have the
rest of the
day free for
shopping and
walking
around the
interesting
streets of
Kathmandu.
Evening
farewell
dinner. We
spend the
night in
Kathmandu at
a hotel.
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Day 07: |
Kathmandu
Departure.
We are free
until our
transfer to
the airport
for our
departure
flight.
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