Kathmandu UNESCO Tour Introduction

Kathmandu UNESCO Tour

Kathmandu, the “UNESCO home” featuring the Kathmandu UNESCO Tour, allows you to see four of the major UNESCO historical sites in what is now Nepal’s capital. While Kathmandu has 7 UNESCO sites total, in the area, they are all within 30Km of each other and offer the most UNESCO sites all in ONE place. Each historical site is also important for historical, mythological, & architectural significance, most of the sites were built for other reasons, AND have their own key history!

This will be a full, fun, and active day visiting, exploring, and mousing around the old historic monuments and sites in the “City of Art & Architecture”, “City of Temples“, “City of Gods”, “Housing the Living Goddess”. With the new UNESCO World Heritage Site Tour of Kathmandu, there is a world of cultural and historical legacy. We will visit all the old temples, beautifully carved Palaces, the ancient stupas, and all of the historically important Buddhist stupas and Nepal’s oldest structures, so that you will achieve a full understanding of the spiritual hub of Nepal and intermingle between the two cultures and legacies of Buddhism and Hinduism.

The city tour/sightseeing will be 5 – 6 hours, but as noted above, this may not be the case as it depends on the amount of time and how interesting the stops we visit are! As mentioned above, we will always use qualified tour guides or leaders, and as noted, we will be able to flex our time at the stops when we do the city tours/sightseeing!

Top Kathmandu UNESCO Tour Sites

1. Pashupatinath Temple

Regarded as one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, a sacred pilgrimage site oddly associating life and death. When you go to Pashupatinath Temple, you will stand on the banks of the Bagmati River and it is a spiritual experience to view lively cremation ceremonies as a demonstration of Hindu concepts of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

2. Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple)

Swayambhunath Stupa(arguably the oldest stupa in the world), which sits above the Kathmandu Valley and is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus. The stupa has prayer flags, prayer wheels, aspects of Buddhas all-seeing eye markings and all present calm in a quiet moment, some playful mischief (with the monkeys!), and a very understated feeling that all that is present now has not been wiped out, but rather taken and absorbed over the last 2,500 years of existence.

3. Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square is the center of royal legitimacy in “old Kathmandu”. As a landmark site it is singular, but it can also be seen as a place at which the art, culture, or living tradition of the Newars is negotiated. Some of the sites next to this landmark include: the kumar (the palace of the living goddess), Taleju Temple, and Hanuman Dhoka Palace among others.

4. Changunarayan Temple

Changunarayan Temple is the oldest active Hindu temple in the Kathmandu Valley, located at the ridge top east of the city. It is named after the deity lord Vishnu. Changunarayan Temple can be considered to have finer examples of stone, wooden and metal carving more than any deitiy icon/temple examples. Changunarayan Temple has a unique/bizarre pillared entrance way and important statues, and arts.

5. Patan Durbar Square

This square is in the city of Lalitpur, and at any place where there were any great reservations, it was just admiration of what is recognized as one of the finest examples of Newar architecture and urbanism in the valley. The highlights of Patan Durbar Square include, not only Kritshen Mandir, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple), but also many royal courts.

6. Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath is the largest spherical stupa in the world. People walk inside, monks, nuns, and pilgrims pass by all around the stupa as hums of mantras surround them and prayer wheels twirl and squeak with rhythmic dissonance.

7. Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur is one of the three ancient royal cities in the valley. Ultimately, Bhaktapur is the best preserve and provides the opportunity to understand all three. It includes – but is not limit to -55-Window Palace, Vatsala Temple, Nyatapola Temple, artisans in the square etc. Bhaktapur nicely provides visitors with an opportunity to be in a medieval resort city like such, without modernity.

Conclusion

The Kathmandu UNESCO Tour is a cultural, religious, and architectural experience that links different generations of culture all in one tour, and in just a few hours you will have a truly meaningful experience, and you will never wonder what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is or how and where you should visit it. You will be able to truly appreciate Nepal’s unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist spirituality. an architecture, cultural exploration, and spiritual seekers, the Kathmandu UNESCO Tour is an essential experience, do not miss out. To know more, you can click on this link .

FAQs

1. How long is the Kathmandu UNESCO Tour?

Usually, the tour is between 5 to 6 hours in duration. Traveling to the seven UNESCO sites will depend on how long you visit the site and your preferences but travelers at a slow pace, will have plenty of time to explore, as well as take photos and experience Nepalese culture and customs.

2. Who is my transportation provider?

Yes, many of the operators of the Kathmandu UNESCO Tour provide a private transportation service with a driver. This transportation service connects the seven Nepalese UNESCO sites in the Kathmandu Valley, making traveling between sites simple and comfortable.

4. Are entrance fees include in the tour price?

Some tour operators will build entrance fees into their tour package and some will not. Please clarify with your tour operator for each tour you are considering booking. Entrance fees vary from below a few hundred NPR for some sites to NPR 1500 for others.

5. What is appropriate clothing?

You will want to wear discreet clothing when visiting, particularly as you will be visiting active religious sites. Keep in mind that comfortable walking shoes are important. You may also want to bring hat or scarf with you for head/face covering for different sites.

6. Can this tour be done in one day?

Yes, this tour is a one-day cultural experience tour. Many tourists are short on time in Kathmandu. You can absolutely extend your time at each site. explore more of each site over two days.