Buddhist Heritage Tour

Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
  • Destination: Nepal

Highlights of Buddhist Heritage Tour

  • Buddhist cultural sites of Kathmandu Valley
  • The birthplace of Lord Buddha and other important landmarks
  • The largest monastery of Khumbu region, Tengboche Monastery
  • Yeti Scalp in Khumjung Monastery
  • Scenic flight to Lukla
  • Sherpa lifestyle, Culture and tradition of Everest region

Buddhist Heritage Tour takes you through three distinct geographical locations in Nepal. You begin the journey from Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha in Tarai plains. From there, you will come to Swayambhunath, Bauddhanath and Kapan Monastery in Kathmandu in the hilly region.

Finally, you will go to Tengboche Monastery high up in the mountains. These locations carry important religious and spiritual significance. Visiting these Buddhist landmarks, you can also explore the lifestyle of Nepali people in three distinct geographical divisions.

In Lumbini, you will see how a prince eventually became The Buddha – his birth, early beginnings and determination to figure out the meaning of life. You will also understand how after years of meditation and wandering, he finally attained enlightenment and became the epitome of inner peace. Here, you will visit many other sites that justify the attainment of peace of mind and the soul.

Along with the birthplace of Lord Buddha, you have many more to explore in this town. Peace Pagoda, Lumbini Garden, Maya Devi Temple, Tara Foundation, World China Temple, Thai Monastery, Burmese (Myanmar) Temple, Nepal Buddha Temple and Dharmaswami Buddhist monastery are some of the important sites to visit further.

The next leg of your journey takes you to Bauddhanath, Swayambhunath and Kapan Monastery in the Kathmandu Valley. The stupa of Bauddhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. Lying in the eastern part of the city, it is the center of Buddhist culture in Kathmandu.

Swayambhunath Stupa, perched atop a hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley is Kathmandu’s most important Buddhist shrine. The all-seeing eyes of Buddha stare out into the city, watching over its inhabitants.

Swayambhunath Stupa

Apart from these two monasteries, you have Kapan Monastery located at the outskirts of the city. The shrine was established in 1969 on top of Kapan Hillock by the Foundation of the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).

The Kapan Nunnery inside the monastery premises was established in 1979. This is popular for teaching the western foreigners about Buddhist culture and tradition. Only on Saturdays, the monastery is open that thousands of domestic and international tourists throng into the shrine. In other days of the week, it remains close for the visitors.

Towards the end of the journey, you will go to visit the Buddhist Cultural site of the Khumbu region. Here, you have a few Buddhist shrines built hundreds of years ago to mark the influence of Tibetan Buddhist influence in the region. Tenboche Monastery (3,867m) is the largest one in Khumbu. Built in 1916, it is located within Sagarmatha National Park and provides a wonderful panorama of the Himalayas. If you make this trip between October and November, you can observe Mani Rimdu Festival. This festival is the greatest festival of the Sherpa ethnic group living in this region.

Another cultural site of Buddhism is the 400 years old Khumjung Monastery. You can reach Khumjung village from Namche Bazaar in 1 hour by walking along the uphill and downhill trail. You can also visit the meditation cave of Padmasambhava, the Guru Rinpoche. Padmasambhava is the founder of the Tibetan Buddhist religion and is believed to have meditated in this cave.

The most significant thing to see in this village is the Yeti Scalp in Khumjung Monastery. Nobody has ever proved whether or not the yeti really existed but even Sir Edmund Hillary has talked about this remaining of the abominable man in his book and many interviews as well.

There are some local monasteries and chortens in Lukla, Phakding and Namche Bazaar as well. You can visit these shrines decorated highly by the prayer flags and wheels. Visiting these sacred places gives you the true sense of peace and tranquil.

Orbit Alpine Adventure has prepared Buddhist Pilgrimage tour for 12 days. You can cut short or extend Buddha Pilgrimage itinerary. You can contact us via email, phone call, WhatsApp or online booking services.

FAQs:

1. What is Buddhist Cultural Tour?

Buddhist Cultural Tour is one of the popular tour packages of Nepal. As it is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, here are many such shrines dedicated to Lord Buddha. Mainly, this tour includes the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, Kathamndu and Everest region. While visiting the Buddhist shrines of Everest region, you can also have the breathtaking view of Mt. Everest and other snowy peaks.

Apart from the Buddhist Cultural sites, you can also see the lifestyle, culture and tradition of the three physical divisions of Nepal. Lumbini lies in Terai region; Kathmandu in Hilly and Everest region is in Mountain region. This tour helps you realize the true sense of peace of mind and the soul.

2. How long is Buddhist Cultural Tour?

Generally, Buddhist Cultural tour takes you around the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Kathmandu and Everest region. Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha can be reach in an hour from Kathmandu. You need another day to explore the major Buddhist sites of Kathmandu. On the third day, you can reach Everest region. You can visit Tengboche Monastery and Khmjung Monastery in another two days. As a whole, you can complete this tour in 5 days after all. If you want to do this Buddhist pilgrimage tour leisurely, you need to book the itinerary longer than that. For more details, contact www.orbitalpineadventure.com.

3. How costly is Buddhist Cultural Tour?

It is obvious that cost of any tour or trek package is determined by different factors. Some of them are duration, facilities you want to have, vacation you have and mode of transportation you want to use. Orbit Alpine Adventure has been helping its clients to get 100% satisfaction by providing the best package at the reasonable cost. For more information about the Buddhist Cultural Tour cost, visit www.orbitalpineadventure.com.

Day to Day Itinerary

OPEN ALL DAYS Outline Itinerary

On the arrival day, our office representative meets you at the Kathmandu Airport. And he transfers to the hotel somewhere around Thamel. After refreshment, complete the official formalities. The tour guide gives you briefing about the package and rest of the day free for your own leisure. 

  • Meals: Welcome Dinner
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Kathmandu
  • Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft

After breakfast, you meet the guide; drive to domestic airport and fly to Lumbini (Birth place of Lord Buddha). Alternatively, you can also drive to Lumbini via Mugling-Narayangarh Highway. It takes nearly 7 hours to complete the roadway trip by having the amazing view of the Himalayas and diverse landscapes. After reaching there, you will be transferred to the hotel. Be refresh and rest of the day free for personal activities.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Lumbini
  • Altitude: 105m/345ft
  • Time: 35 Mins + 30 Mins

At your hotel in Lumbini after breakfast, you meet the guide and drive to tour destination of Lumbini (Birth place of Lord Buddha). Full day guided sightseeing tour around the most important site of Buddhist Cultural Tour. Particularly, you will visit the most popular Peace Pagoda, Lumbini Garden, Maya Devi Temple, Tara Foundation, World China Temple, Thai Monastery, Burmese (Myanmar) Temple, Nepal Buddha Temple and Dharmaswami Buddhist monastery.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Lumbini
  • Altitude: 105m/345ft

Today, after having breakfast, you go on a half day guided sightseeing around Limbini. You visit rest of the popular shrines of Lumbini. Then, you will be transferred to the airport and fly back to Kathmandu. After landing at the Kathmandu Airport, the crewmember transfers you to the hotel. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Kathmandu
  • Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft
  • Time: 35 Mins

Today, the tour guide takes you for full day guided sightseeing around Kathmandu’s Buddhist landmarks. You will visit Bauddhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa and Kapan Monastery. These are the must-visit Buddhist Cultural Heritage Sites of the Capital City. In the remaining time, you can also visit the historical Durbar Square areas. 

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Kathmandu
  • Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft

After having breakfast, you will drive to the Kathmandu Airport in a private jeep. You cathc a domestic flight to Lukla, the gateway to Everest Base Camp trek. You will have the aerial view of the Himalayas and wonderful landscapes during the flight. From Lukla, you will commence the trekking up to Phakding (2,610m) and after 3 hours easy walking overnight at teahouse lodge. 

  • Meals: Bfreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse
  • Place: Phakding
  • Altitude: 2,610m/8,563ft
  • Time: 30 Mins + 3 Hrs

About 4-5 hour hiking via the Dudh Koshi river bank and ascending of Namche Hill, you will reach Namche Bazaar. It is the remarkable town of Sherpa land as the largest and most prosperous settlement in the Khumbu valley. It is also a main trading centre of the region- foods, salt, clothes and other stuffs are shopped by locals.

In the afternoon, you hike to Khumjung Village to observe the 400 years old Khumjung Monastery. It takes nearly 1 hour to reach Khumjung village from Namche Bazaar by walking along the uphill and downhill trail. Here, you can visit the meditation cave of Padmasambhava, the Guru Rinpoche. Padmasambhava is the founder of the Tibetan Buddhist religion. Similarly, you can see the Yeti Scalp in Khumjung Monastery. It is still mysterious whether or not the yeti really existed but even Sir Edmund Hillary has talked about this remaining of the abominable man in his book as well. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse
  • Place: Namche Bazaar
  • Altitude: 3,440m/10,958ft
  • Time: 6 Hours

From Namche Bazaar the trail climbs up and down to Sanasa and the trail descends gradually to Teshinga. Then, it drops steeply to Phunki Thanga and crosses the Dudh Koshi river. After climbing two hour from Phunki Thanga you will reach at Tengboche.

Tengboche is a religious place for the Sherpa people of the entire Solukhumbu area. Here you will visit the Tengboche Monastery, which is the biggest Buddhist cultural sites of the region. During the full moon day in November, the monastery celebrates famous Mani Rimdu festival. This is the most colourful festival of the people residing in this region. It is celebrated for 19 days at the premises of Tengboche Monastery in front of the Guru Rinpoche. If you don’t visit this monastery, your Buddhist pilgrimage tour in Nepal remains incomplete. For your overnight stay there at teahouse lodge. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse
  • Place: Tengboche
  • Altitude: 3,860m/14,469ft
  • Time: 5 Hours

The trail again drops to Namche Bazar and have a short tea/coffee stop and continue descending via same route and on the way stop for the lunch break an hour at Jorsale Village. Walking along the dense pine, oak and rhododendron woodlands of Sagarmatha National Park, you arrive Phakding for the night stay. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse
  • Place: Phakding
  • Altitude: 2,610m/8,563ft
  • Time: 7 Hours

After having breakfast, you continue the retreat journey towards Lukla. You follow the same route you used a couple of days earlier. By walking along the Dudh Koshi River Valley and crossing some suspension bridges, you descend further. Having the glimpses of wild animals and birds of Sagarmatha National Park, you arrive Lukla. This is the last day of trekking and remaining in Everest region. Therefore, enjoy as much as you can to make this tour more memorable.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse
  • Place: Lukla
  • Altitude: 2,860m/9,383ft
  • Time: 3 Hours

Don’t forget to enjoy the sunrise view of the Great Himalayas while having breakfast. Then, you fly back from Lukla to Kathmandu. After landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the representative of Orbit Alpine Adventure relocates you to the hotel.

In the afternoon, you can spend the time by taking rest or engage in personal activities. You can take a round of Thamel to buy the necessary stuffs like relics and garments. In the evening, the company invites you to farewell dinner with culture show at Nepalese Traditional Kitchen. Here, you will enjoy very authentic way of Nepalese hospitalities.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
  • Accommodation: Three Star Hotel
  • Place: Kathmandu
  • Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft
  • Time: 30 Mins

In such a way, you have come to the end of Buddhist Cultural tour 12 days’ package. For final departure, the representative takes you to the Kathmandu Airport as per the flight schedule. On the other hand, you can proceed for onward program if you have still some more days to spend in Nepal.

  • Meals: Breakfast

Useful Info

Please contact us for the price and other details.