Overview
This Kathmandu UNESCO heritage tour with Dhulikhel and Panauti joins the valley's royal squares and great shrines to an unhurried drive through the hills to the south-east. Day one covers Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square and Pashupatinath. Day two takes in Patan and Bhaktapur before the drive up to Nagarkot at about 2,100 to 2,200 m. On day three you watch sunrise from Nagarkot, then drive to Namobuddha, a Buddhist pilgrimage hilltop at 1,750 m, and on to Dhulikhel, a Newar hill town at about 1,550 m, for the night. Day four visits Panauti, a medieval Newar town with a temple from 1294, before the drive back to Kathmandu. It suits travellers who want the main heritage sites and a gentle few days in the hills, with every transfer by private car.
The itinerary
- Start at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa west of the city known as the Monkey Temple
- Kathmandu Durbar Square: the Hanuman Dhoka palace, the Kumari's house and the rebuilt Kasthamandap
- After lunch, Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, watching from the east-bank terraces
- Back to your Kathmandu hotel for the night
- Patan Durbar Square, the stone Krishna Mandir and the Golden Temple
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square: the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola
- A pot of juju dhau, Bhaktapur's sweet curd, before leaving town
- Drive up to Nagarkot on the valley rim for sunset and an early night
- Sunrise from the Nagarkot ridge, weather allowing, then breakfast
- Drive with your guide to Namobuddha, the Buddhist pilgrimage hilltop at 1,750 m in Kavrepalanchok district
- Walk around the stupa that marks the story of the prince and the tigress, then up to the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery
- Drive on to Dhulikhel, check in, then a walk in the old quarter and the night
- Mountain view from Dhulikhel on clear days, then breakfast
- Short drive to Panauti, an old Newar town on the former salt-trade route
- Walk to the Indreshwar Mahadev temple, first built in 1294, and the Tribeni riverside ghats
- Drive back to Kathmandu and drop-off at your hotel
What the price covers
Standard | |
|---|---|
| Private vehicle with driver, all 4 days | ✓ Included |
| Licensed guide, all 4 days | ✓ Included |
| 3 nights in 3-star hotels with breakfast | ✓ Included |
| Indreshwar Mahadev temple ticket, Panauti | ✓ Included |
| Lunches, dinners and drinks | ✕ Not included |
| Travel insurance | ✕ Not included |
| Tips and personal expenses | ✕ Not included |
| UNESCO site entry fees (optional extra) | ✕ Not included |
Make it yours
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Things to carry
- Walking shoes or light boots with good grip
- Trekking poles for the steeper descents
- Warm layer for the Nagarkot morning
- Sun hat, sunscreen and at least two litres of water capacity
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees for temples
Good to know
Complete guide
This Kathmandu UNESCO heritage tour with Dhulikhel and Panauti is for travellers who want the valley's great heritage sites and an easy, unhurried journey into the hills to the south-east. Two days of royal squares and shrines lead to a night on the Nagarkot ridge, a visit to the Buddhist hilltop of Namobuddha, a night in Dhulikhel and a final morning in the old town of Panauti.
What the Kathmandu UNESCO heritage tour with Dhulikhel and Panauti covers
The Kathmandu Valley has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979 as seven monument zones. This tour visits five: Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square and Pashupatinath on day one, and Patan and Bhaktapur on day two. The other two, Boudhanath and Changu Narayan, are not part of this plan. We say that plainly so you know what you are booking. If seeing every site matters to you, our two-day 7 UNESCO sites tour with a night in Bhaktapur covers all of them, or we can add the missing two to this trip.
Day three is the Nagarkot sunrise and a drive to Namobuddha and Dhulikhel, and day four is Panauti and the drive home.
The heritage days
You start at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa west of the city known as the Monkey Temple. Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the old Hanuman Dhoka palace and the house of the Kumari, the living goddess. At Pashupatinath the main temple is open only to Hindus, so you watch the ghats and the evening aarati from the east bank of the Bagmati. Day two crosses to Patan, the city of craftsmen, with the stone Krishna Mandir from 1637, then on to Bhaktapur, the best preserved of the royal cities, with the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola from 1702. The day ends on the ridge at Nagarkot.
Nagarkot sunrise and the drive to Namobuddha
Nagarkot sits at about 2,100 to 2,200 m on the valley's eastern rim, and on a clear morning looks out over ranges from Annapurna and Manaslu to Langtang and the Everest range. After sunrise and breakfast you drive with your guide to Namobuddha, a Buddhist pilgrimage hilltop at 1,750 m (5,741 ft) in Kavrepalanchok district. By Buddhist tradition, this is where a prince, in an earlier life of the Buddha, gave his own body to feed a starving tigress and her cubs. A stupa marks the place, and the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery, founded in 1978, stands on the hill above it.
From Namobuddha it is a short drive on to Dhulikhel, a Newar hill town at about 1,550 m (5,085 ft), for the night. There is no long hike on this tour. You travel by private car, and the walking is around the stupa and monastery, the heritage squares and the old streets, at whatever pace suits you.
Dhulikhel and Panauti
Dhulikhel is about 30 km south-east of Kathmandu. Its old quarter has brick houses with carved wooden windows, and on clear days it looks across to Langtang and Ganesh Himal. On day four you drive a short way to Panauti, a Newar town at about 1,442 m (4,731 ft) that grew on the salt-trade route between Tibet and India. Its Indreshwar Mahadev temple was first built in 1294, and the historic core has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 1996. If you enjoy these hills, our Dhulikhel and Namobuddha tour gives Namobuddha and Dhulikhel more time.
Who it suits and when to go
This tour suits first-time visitors, couples, families and older travellers who want the main heritage sites and a gentle few days in the hills. There is no long hike, so it also works for anyone who would rather sightsee than spend a day on the trail. Late September to November is the best time, with dry paths and clear views. The monsoon from roughly June to September often hides the mountains, and spring can be hazy. We arrange your guide, private car and hotels; your visa and flights to Kathmandu are your own arrangements.
