Meet the Nepalese Shamans

Itinerary

• 01Namaste, welcome to Nepal Your arrival at Kathmandu airport where you will be met by an AIT representative and transfer to your hotel. In the late afternoon, your driver will take you to our office for a briefing.
  
  Meals: ****
  
• 02Sightseeing of Kathmandu & food safari Culture and food are on the program today! Cuisine is culture; it is part of the customs, history and traditions of a people. You will alternate between visits to monuments, local markets and sampling the favorite snacks of local people.
  
  Today, a guide who will introduce you not only to the history of the monuments but also the city’s past will accompany you.
  
  Visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal consecrated to Lord Shiva. The original core dates back to the 6th century AD and is known for its architecture in the shape of a pagoda. This place, also known as Little Benares, is located along the Bagmati River; here every day funeral ceremonies take place with the corpses being burned on pyres before the scattering of the ashes on the Bagmati River.
  Afterwards visit the huge Boudhanath Stupa, the most important Buddhist cultural center in Kathmandu since numerous refugees from Tibet have stopped there, creating more than 50 Gompas (Tibetan monasteries). Since 1979, Boudhanath has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  In the afternoon, visit another important Buddhist center, the stupa of Swayambhunath, known as the monkey temple because of the high number of monkeys living inside. This ancient religious complex is located atop a hill to the west in the Kathmandu Valley, and from here there are beautiful views of the city and the valley that surrounds it.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 03Drive to Bandipur Drive to Bandipur, an ancient Newari town perched on the hills of the Himalayas. It is a mixture of history, architecture, incredible views, impressive caves and unspoiled landscapes. From here, we have a panoramic view of the Annapurna range, up to the peaks of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Langtang.
  
  Meals: Breakfast.
  
• 04Pokhara, the city of lakes Bandipur is an open-air museum of Newari culture, a beautifully preserved village. Its winding streets. The winding streets are lined with traditional Newari houses. After the visit of this small wonder, drive to Pokhara.
  
  Visit Devi’s fall, a waterfall about 150 meters long, but part flows in an underground tunnel. After forming the waterfall and passing through the tunnel, the water flows into an adjacent cave, the Gupteshwor Mahadev . The cave is accessed by walking down an impressive flight of steps that is decorated with statues of Hindu gods, particularly Lord Ganesh who is the God who brings good luck. You will meet many Hindu worshippers who visit the cave, as it houses a shrine with a rock shaped by water and time that represents Lord Shiva.
  
  At sunset, go for a walk on the shores of Lake Phewa, the lakeside atmosphere is able to inspire inner peace and serenity. The reflections and colors of the many wooden boats moored along Its shores produce a distinctive ambience.You can take a boat and visit the Vahar Mandir temple, which is located on an island in the middle of the lake. This temple is the most revered in the city.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 05Pokhara sightseeing Depart at dawn for Sarangkot to see the sunrise over the Himalayas.
  
  Pokhara’s proximity to the Tibetan Plateau has made the city a place of refuge for numerous Tibetans who have come from the neighboring province. A district, located not far from the center, was built to accommodate them under the best conditions. Most of these people make a living from handicrafts such as weaving sheep wool carpet or carving religious objects. Another point of interest will be to visit one of the monasteries dedicated to Buddhist monks.
  
  Visit the Mountain Museum, which tells the history of the climbing of the main Himalayan peaks, from Everest to K2.
  
  At sunset, visit the Shanti Pagoda ( Stupa of Peace).The white stupa, of considerable size, was built by Buddhist monks. The temple is situated on the top of the hill that offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, the city of Pokhara and Lake Phewa. Return to Pokhara and the rest of the day will be free.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 06Flight to Kathmandu* - Patan Fly to Kathmandu and visit Patan which is an ancient capital of Nepal. If today it has more or less been swallowed by its neighbor Kathmandu, it was, a few centuries ago, a royal city where Buddhist teaching was particularly important. From an architectural point of view, the city preserves really a particular atmosphere, with many temples and statues rather impressive.
  
  * We try to limit domestic flights as much as possible, unfortunately the travel time is very long in Nepal. Unfortunately, travel times are very long in Nepal. To compensate for the carbon footprint of your flights, we commit to finance the planting of trees.
  
  Meals: Breakfast.
• 07Drive to Timal After breakfast we will drive to Timal (4/5 hours) passing through Dhulikhel with a panoramic view of the mountains, including Everest. Once there,we will meet with the locals and the shamans. In the afternoon you can explore the village.
  
  Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
  
• 08Meeting with the shamans Discover the different activities of the local shaman. It is a method of healing, a gateway to the world of It is a healing method, a gateway to the spirit world and an integral part of daily life.
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  
• 09Namobuddha Drive to Namobuddha, known as Tg-mo Lu-jin, an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination. Historic spot where the Buddha, in his early life, offered his body to a hungry tiger so that she could feed her cubs. Magical place located on a hill. You will have the opportunity to participate in prayer and meet the monks.
  
  You will stay at the Namobuddha Monastery
  
  Meals: Breakfast & dinner
  
• 10Bhaktapur - Kathmandu. Drive to Bhaktapur, an ancient Newari city located east of the Kathmandu Valley. It was founded in the 12th century by the Malla dynasty and, from the 16th century, it became an important transit center for caravans on the route between India and Tibet. Today, the site has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Magnificent is the Durbar Square where the 55- window palace is located. The whole historical part is in the Newari style and is dotted with several pagoda temples. For film lovers, Bakhtapur was one of the
  main locations for the film Bernardo Bertolucci’s film “Little Buddha” with Keanu Reeves. You will find the streets and temples seen in the film.
  
  The rest of the day will be at leisure for final shopping.
  
  Options: If you want to do more than taste Nepali food, you can participate in a cooking course classes by an NGO who will prepare traditional Nepalese dishes and at the same time fund the training of women in the hospitality industry.
  
  For fair shopping, we can recommend some places where women make all products here in Nepal and all profits are reinvested in women’s community projects.
  
  Meals: Breakfast.
• 11Goodbye Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
  
  Meals: Breakfast