Nepal
Extension: Nepal: The Best of the Kathmandu Valley
Program No. 22616RJ
Delve deeper into the ancient spaces and sacred places of Kathmandu! Explore sites of Hindu and Buddhist importance and hike to the town of Changu in search of views of the Himalaya.
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At a Glance
Venture into the Kathmandu Valley to continue your exploration of Nepal’s colorful villages and cultural treasures. With local experts, explore the capital city of Kathmandu, home to Durbar Square — a complex of 50 temples representing four kingdoms, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinah and the Buddhist stupas of Boudhanatha and Swoyambhunath. Enjoy a half-day hike through rural villages where you’ll gain insight into the lives of local residents and admire the Changunarayan temple in Changu. Throughout your journey, enjoy opportunities for breathtaking views of the Himalaya, weather permitting.
Program Extension
To take this extension, enroll in this main program first.
The Best of Bhutan: Hidden Treasures of a Himalayan Kingdom
Explore Bhutan, one of the world’s most isolated countries, with experts and locals who share their enduring culture, history and natural wonders.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Elevation in Kathmandu 4,600 feet, exploring temples on varied terrain with steps to enter temples. Hiking for up to five hours; elevations of 6,500 feet.
Micro Group
These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn about the importance of the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinah and the Buddhist Boudhanath Stupa, both UNESCO World Heritage Monuments.
- Hike through rural villages to the town of Changu for breathtaking views of the Himalaya when the weather is clear.
- Admire the glittering gold spires of the ancient Swayambhunath Stupa and explore the monuments and royal palace of Patan City.
General Notes
This program is an extension only to "The Best of Bhutan: Hidden Treasures of a Himalayan Kingdom" (#19634).
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Binaya Rana
Mr. Binaya Rana has worked for internationally renowned companies as a Group Leader for nearly 14 years. He has extensive experience leading groups in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. Mr. Rana has master’s degrees in Buddhist studies and anthropology and has taught “Introduction to Buddhism” at The University of Connecticut, Center for Continuing Studies in the United States and has also taught online classes for the same university.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Binaya Rana
View biography
Mr. Binaya Rana has worked for internationally renowned companies as a Group Leader for nearly 14 years. He has extensive experience leading groups in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. Mr. Rana has master’s degrees in Buddhist studies and anthropology and has taught “Introduction to Buddhism” at The University of Connecticut, Center for Continuing Studies in the United States and has also taught online classes for the same university.
Anup Tuladhar
View biography
Anup Tuladhar graduated from Kathmandu University with a degree in mathematics and computer science and also holds a degree from the Nepal Academy of Tourism. He has led trips in Nepal for many European operators and Road Scholar since 2007. Prior to becoming a group leader, he was a primary school math teacher and soon realized he had a passion for travel and an interest in learning about different cultures. He is passionate about his country and eager to share the Himalayas with visitors to Nepal.
Anup Shrestha
View biography
Anup Shrestha has worked as a group manager, trip leader and group leader for various UK, German and US-based companies since 2006. He has a bachelor's degree in commerce and has traveled to England, Thailand, India and Tibet. He enjoys spending time outside in nature and sharing his love of Nepal with visitors. He speaks Nepali, Newari, Hindi, English and German.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Extension: Nepal: The Best of the Kathmandu Valley
Program Number: 22616
Arresting God in Kathmandu
This collection of stories explores the nature of desire and spirituality in modern Nepali society.
In the Land of the Blue Poppies
Expert Tom Christopher presents excerpts from intrepid Kingdon-Ward's fascinating accounts of plant-hunting adventures in Tibet, Burma and the Himalayas in the early 20th century.
Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment
Bezruchka, a mountaineer and M.D., includes case studies, frequently asked questions and simple methods of diagnosis and treatment in this indispensable pocket guide.
Lonely Planet Nepal
With up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, this handy travel companion to Nepal features color maps and images, suggested itineraries and a listing of festival dates.
Lonely Planet Nepali Phrasebook
A palm-sized guide to pronunciation, grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Kathmandu
Drawing on his years of experience in the Himalayan fortress, Bell introduces readers to Kathmandu’s layered history, touching on gods and goddesses and the caste system as well as the present-day push toward modernization and the recent, devastating earthquake.
Mountain
This stunning celebration of the allure of climbing and the grandeur of great peaks features 350 black-and-white and color images by nature photographers and adventurers spanning two centuries, among them, Ansel Adams, Edmund Hillary, Bradford Washburn and Galen Rowell.
The Living Goddess: A Journey Into the Heart of Kathmandu
The product of 12 years of travel and research, this travel narrative delves into the esoteric and fascinating Nepalese tradition of choosing a Living Goddess, a girl as young as three chosen to become a central spiritual leader.
Snake Lake
A touching memoir by journalist Greenwald who returns to his old haunts in Kathmandu during the Maoist uprising. He struggles to balance his journeying with obligations to his depressed brother back home in the United States.
The Snow Leopard
The most perceptive, acutely observed and personal of all his books, Matthiessen's account of a five-week journey through Nepal with naturalist George Schaller combines their quest for the elusive cat with a moving introduction to Buddhism and the people and culture of the Himalayas.
Against a Peacock Sky, Two Years in the Life of a Nepalese Village
Connell tells about her experience in the Nepalese Himalayan village of Talphi where she lived for two years. The place was so remote, she writes, it was ten days’ walk from the nearest road.
Sherpas, Reflections on Change in Himalayan Nepal
A detailed study of the change that mountaineering brought to Sherpa society.
Walking the Himalayas
Explorer Levison Wood recounts his six-month, 1,700-mile trek through Afghanistan, Kashmir, Pakistan, India and into the foothills of the Himalayas, describing the landscapes, people and dangers that he meets along the way.
Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas
A pocket guide to 250 birds found from the foothills up to high elevations ranging from the Hindu Kush and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas. With brief descriptive information, maps and 260 full-color illustrations.
Fortress Monasteries of the Himalayas
This slim book recreates the dramatic and colorful fortifications of Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal and Bhutan, recounting their history through foreign incursions, religious conflicts and civil wars to the Tibetan uprising and flight of the Dalai Lama from Potala Palace in 1959.
Escape from Kathmandu
The four interconnected stories in this laugh-out-loud novel include the (mis)adventures of two young Americans with a Yeti, international espionage, mountain climbing of the highest sort and a quest for Shangri-La.