This morning, arrive Kathmandu, the beautiful capital city of Kingdom of Nepal. Upon clearing airport formalities, transfer to your hotel, take some rest and freshen up.

This afternoon, visit Swayambhunath Stupa, one of the world’s oldest Buddhist chaityas, acclaimed to be more than 2500 years old. Situated on a hillock, 3 kms west of Kathmandu this is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal.

After breakfast, visit Boudhanath Stupa, meaning the ‘Lord of Wisdom’. This Tibetan Buddhist monument is the largest stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in the world

Also visit Pashupatinath Temple, a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world, on the banks of Bagmati River. Although only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, visitors can clearly see the temple and the activities performed inside, from the eastern bank of Bagmati River.

This afternoon visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, the historic seat of Nepalese royalty built between the 12 - 18 centuries. The Durbar square is famous for its exquisite architecture, museums, temples and artistic embellishments. You also get an opportunity to buy some interesting souvenirs here.

Early this morning, drive to the village of Panauti (1.5Hr).

From here, commence your trek to the holy stupa Namobuddha, which means 'Hail to the Buddha'. The stupa is one of the most important pilgrim sites in the valley, particularly for Tibetan Buddhists. The many flags and pilgrims dressed in colourful robes form a vibrant display around the bright white dome of the stupa. Today is the longest day of trekking on this route with some steep climbs.

Leaving the urban landscapes behind, we commence our trek to Dhulikel, passing through fields, small villages and forests. Dhulikel is a beautifully preserved Newari town featuring traditional stone houses reaching 4-5 storeys high. Traditionally, such houses are home to large families with often as many as 50 relatives all living under one roof! Dhulikel offers magnificent views of snowy Himalayas.

Overnight at lodge / teahouse.

Today, we trek to Nagarkot, the highest point in Kathmandu Valley. Today’s trek is a scenic walk of about 5 - 6 hours through green terraced fields and if the weather is clear enough, fantastic views of the mountains.

Nagarkot, which lies to the north-east of Bhaktapur and approx 30km to the east of Kathmandu, was once a military post but is now a popular destination for walkers and cyclists. The village has a great panoramic vista of the Himalayas. The view is particularly memorable at the end of the day, when the sun slowly sets beyond the horizon and the mountains glow in the evening light or early morning at dawn.

Today’s trek is downhill to Bhaktapur, passing through green fields and farmland.

After about 3 - 4 hours trekking we reach Bhaktapur. Here, you can have a drink and rest your feet on one of the many rooftop terraces the look out across Durbar Square before setting out to explore the town. Bhaktapur was the former capital of the valley, and was once a flourishing city on the trade route to Tibet. Today, Bhaktapur is like an open air museum with large areas open to pedestrian access - it is a store house of mediaeval art and architecture. Interesting places to explore include the renowned Durbar square, Golden Gate at the Palace of 55 Windows, Potters square which houses the elephant headed Lord Ganesha temple who is believed to be the patron of potters in Nepal. Bhaktapur houses a variety of Hindu and Buddhist temples including Nepal’s largest Shiva Linga. You may also see artisans engaged in Bhaktapur’s traditional crafts of pottery and weaving