Legends of the Valley (7 nights/8 days)

Day 01 Kathmandu
Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu we are met and assisted by MARCO POLO staff and transferred to your hotel.

Day 02 Kathmandu Breakfast/Dinner
We start our sight-seeing tour with a visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square, the palace of the Malla and then the Shah kings of Nepal. Places of interest here are the Kasthamandup, a medieval rest house said to give Kathmandu its name, Kumari Temple, abode of the virgin goddess. From here we visit Swoyambhunath stupa, on top of a hill overlooking Kathmandu valley. In the evening we have a Nepalese cultural show accompanied by a typical local meal.

Day 03 Kathmandu Breakfast
We visit Patan famous for itsarts and crafts. Tour highlights are the Shikara-style Krishna temple, Patandurbar with the royal baths, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, a Buddhist monastery. 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, jewelry and many interesting souvenirs. The nearby Patan Industrial Estate also houses many factories producing wood and metal works, carpets and jewelry. We are free in the afternoon.

Day 04 Kathmandu Breakfast, lunch
The full day excursion to the southern end of the valley is a rewarding experience. The Chobar Gorge is through which the mythical valley lake was drained out by the sword of Manjushree, the legendary founder of the valley. The old town of Kirtipur is famous both as a typical Newari town dating back to the middle ages and also as the town most resilient to Gurkha attacks during the unification of Nepal.Dakshinkali, the temple devoted to the Hindu deity Kali, isa favored spot for pilgrims wishing to offer animalsacrifices to the goddess. After our sight-seeing tour we take a short detour on the main road up a steep hill to Haatiban, pine-forested hilltop offering excellent panoramic views of the Kathmandu valley and the Himalayan mountain in the backdrop. Here we stop for lunch at the excellent Haatiban Resort. After lunch we continue on the ring road to Budanilkanth, a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu in reclining position, dating back to 4th century A.D. Licchavi period.

Day 05 Kathmandu Breakfast, lunch
Today we take a morning excursion to Godavari, a tranquil hamlet on the foothills of Phulchowki peak, the highest peak surrounding the valley. The pleasant drive passes through several old farming villages before reaching Godavari itself. The Royal Botanical Gardens is the main attraction here. Nearby is St. Xavier's school founded by the Jesuits in 1950. We stop for lunch at Godavari Village Resort, a new establishment catering to an increasing number of visitors to this place. We are free in the afternoon.

Day 06 Kathmandu - Nagarkot Breakfast, lunch
In the morning we visit two very important religious centers: Pashupatinath temple of the Hindus, nearby along the banks of the river Bagmati is the cremation area for the dead. Bodhnath is possibly the largest stupa in the world and a center for Tibetan school of Buddhism. We then drive on to Bhaktapur the medieval city of devotees and the best preserved of all the old cities of Kathmandu Valley. We shall then be on time for lunch in Nagarkot, the valley's most famous hill resort, which offers panoramic views of the Himalayan mountains from Ganesh Himal to the east to Mt. Everest in the north. Rest of the afternoon we spend in our resort hotel viewing the Himalayan sunset and relaxing. We spend the night in the resort.

Day 07 Nagarkot Breakfast, lunch
After breakfast we take a leisurely 4-5 hours trek, mostly downhill, to Changunarayan temple. Considered to be the oldest temple extant in Kathmandu valley, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and built during the Licchavi period in the 4th century. It has survived the ravages of time and an Islamic invasion from Bengal. We have a picnic lunch in the vicinity of the temple. After lunch we drive to Sankhu village, one of the oldest settlements lying in the trade route between China and Nepal. We return to our resort hotel in Nagarkot for our last night in Kathmandu.

Day 08 Nagarkot
Airport Breakfast We are free until our departure transfer to the airport.

Bon Voyage

Package Prices
Valid from 01 July 2009 - 30 September 2010

Per person sharing twin room quoted in US Dollar

Package Name	Service Category	2-3 Pax	4-6 Pax	7-10 Pax	11-20 Pax	21-34 Pax	Single Supplement
Legends of the Valley	Deluxe Private Vehicle	743	730	698	684	634	400
	Superior Private Vehicle	655	643	610	596	585	357
	StandardPrivate Vehicle	476	463	431	417	406	186