JOIN ISHTAR IN NEPAL

October 12-18 2016 (7 days)

Optional extra to India tour or you may join this tour only

Continue on with us from our India tour and soak in the birthplace of the Buddha and join with us in meditation and ceremony in this ancient land that aligns us to your Buddhic nature. Walk with us on this path to join in prayer with the heart of humanity and open your mind and heart to receive a deep connection to the Universal Mind of Oneness. 

NEPAL 2016 ITINERARY

OCT 12 DAY 1:  ARRIVAL IN KATHMANDU

Accommodation in Kathmandu: Hotel Malla

From Delhi: Transfer to the airport for flight to Kathmandu.

Flight 9W 264 departs 06:50am and arrives at 08:50am

OR

Flight 6E31 departs 11:05am and arrives 13:05

(Depending on our number booked in the group this flight will be determined)

Need to be at airport: 2½  Hours prior to flight

Upon arriving at immigration in Kathmandu, you will be met by a representative of the travel agency who will assist you through immigration.  After collecting your luggage and completing custom formalities, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel.

TBA:  Meet for trip orientation, briefing and introduction of guide and lunch.

3pm: Visit Boudhanath. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Boudhanath Stupa  is built on a massive three level mandala style platform and is the largest in the world. The base of the stupa is adorned with 108 small images of the Dhyani Amitabha Buddha and inset with prayer wheels. Thousands of pilgrims circle the stupa in a clockwise direction each day spinning the prayer wheels. We will hang a prayer flag and light a butter lamp in the stupa.

Dinner: Local restaurant.

After dinner: Session with Ishtar in conference hall.

OCT 13 DAY 2: KATHMANDU

Accommodation: Hotel Malla

7-8am: Meditation with Ishtar

8.30am: Breakfast at the hotel.

9.30am: Drive one hour to Kopan Monastery.

Meeting with monks, discussion on Buddhism and Q&A (subject to availability). 

12.30pm: Drive to Bhaktapur 45 minutes-1 hour. 

13.15: Lunch at selected local restaurant in Bhaktapur 

14.30-17.00: Sightseeing tour in Bhaktapur aka Bhadgaon, literally the ‘City of Devotees', is still untouched by rapid urbanization and has managed to retain its brick paved roads, charming red brick houses and a way of life that goes back to medieval times. Tour includes Durbar Square, Nyatapole Temple and Pottery Square. 

17.00: Drive approx 15 minutes to Thamel for dinner at Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams

Return to hotel. Those who wish, may walk back to the hotel at your leisure (10-15 min walk), giving independent time to browse shops and general exploration of the lively Thamel neighborhood. 

After dinner: Session with Ishtar

OCT 14 DAY 3: KATHMANDU

Accommodation: Hotel Malla

7-8am: Meditation with Ishtar

8.30am: Breakfast at the hotel.  

9.30am: Pick up from hotel and drive for full day tour. 

We start with a visit to Swayambhunath. Perched on a hilltop, Swayambhunath Stupa is an ancient sacred Buddhist shrine that holds utmost importance in the Buddhist community. It is also known as the Monkey Temple and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This stupa is perhaps the most enigmatic of all holy shrines in Kathmandu.

 You can see some rituals, which are performed only in the morning, as well as see the devotees circumambulating around the stupa. 

13:00-14:00: Lunch at selected local restaurant. 

14:15: Kathmandu City and Patan 

Drive to Kathmandu City, the main of the three ancient cities of Kathmandu Valley, is the political as well as the cultural capital of the country.  Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, Kathmandu is adorned with ornate palaces, superbly crafted pagodas and monumental stupas. 

Next visit Patan City. Patan also known as Lalitpur, the city of artisans is a paradise of fine arts. Located 5 miles southeast of Kathmandu City, Patan is best known for its rich cultural heritage. It is a city of Buddhist monuments, Hindu temples and fine woodcarvings. Patan Durbar Square is one of seven monument zones in the Kathmandu Valley that together have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also visit Patan crafts area and see artisans at work.

19:00:  Dinner 

After dinner: Session with Ishtar

OCT 15 DAY 4: FLY TO POKHARA

Accommodation: Waterfront Resort 

7-8am:  Meditation with Ishtar  

8am: Breakfast at the hotel. 

9am: Transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Pokhara, departing 10.30am. 

Pokhara’s bewitching beauty has been the subject of many travel writers. Its pristine air, spectacular backdrop of snowy peaks, serene lakes and surrounding greenery make it ‘the jewel in the Himalaya’, a place of remarkable natural beauty. It is the second largest city in Nepal and sits high on the list of ‘must visit’ places in Nepal.

11.30am: Arrive Pokhara and drive 30 minutes to World Peace Pagoda (Stupa). On arrival to the parking lot, it is approx 15 min walk up stairs to reach the pagoda on top of the hill. You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the Annapurna Himalaya ranges, Phewa Lake and Pokhara city. World Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa built by the Buddhist monks of the Japanese Nipponzan Fujii organization at a narrow ridge above the Phewa Taal.

13:00: Drive 30 minutes to local restaurant for lunch. 

13:30-14:30: Lunch  

14:45: Drive to hotel and check in. 

15:00: In Pokhara visit Barahi Temple and Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. 

The two-story pagoda of the Barahi Temple is situated in a small island in the Phewa Lake surrounded by marvelous views. This Hindu temple in Nepal is dedicated to Goddess Ajima in the form of a boar called Barahi to pierce her evil enemies with her pointed tusks. Barahi is pictured with the face of a boar with a cup in one hand and fish in the other. Barahi Temple is a very important center of worship for the Hindu devotees and locals as well as tourists constantly visit the temple.

Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, across the Devis Fall, is one of the longest caves in Nepal. The cave contains a huge stalagmite worshiped as a Shiva lingam that looks like snake's head and a tortoise body.

17:00: End sightseeing and drive back to hotel. 

Dinner: At hotel. 

After dinner: Session with Ishtar.

OCT 16 DAY 5: DRIVE TO LUMBINI

Accommodation: Buddhamaya Garden Resort. 

6.30am: Breakfast at the hotel. 

7am: Depart hotel for drive to Lumbini (approx. 206km/6 hrs. drive).  

Lumbini, in the Terai planes of Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and is one of the greatest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture) and holds immense archeological and religious importance.

13:00: Arrive Lumbini and check in at the hotel. 

13:30-14:30: Lunch at hotel. 

14:30: Start your tour of Lumbini Garden. 

In Lumbini Garden there are several monuments, monasteries and archeological sites. 

There are more than 60 archaeological sites scattered around Lumbini, all bearing significance to the life and enlightenment of the Buddha. A famous landmark is the Ashoka Pillar raised by the great Emperor who converted to Buddhism. To the north of the Sacred Garden are monastic zones where different countries have built temples and monasteries depicting different sects of Buddhism.

The Myanmar Temple (Lokamani Cula Pagoda) is a shiny gold and white structure that resembles the Shwe-dagon Pagoda of Yangon while the International Gautami Nuns Temple is a replica of the Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu. The China Temple, built by the Buddhist Association of China, is a complex of pagodas, prayer rooms and meditation cells. Across the road is the Dae Sung Suk Ga Sa Korean Temple. The Japan Peace Stupa, built by Nippon Jon Kyohoji of Japan, is a 41-m tall structure with four different Buddha statues set into the stupa’s dome facing the four cardinal directions.

18:30: Return to hotel. 

Dinner: At hotel. 

After dinner: Session with Ishtar. 

OCT 17 DAY 6: LUMBINI AND FLY TO KATHMANDU

Accommodation: Hotel Malla

7-8am: Meditation with Ishtar

8.30am: Breakfast at the hotel. 

9am: Additional touring of Lumbini Garden 

Drive to Tilaurakot. The ancient capital of Sakya, Kapilvastu, has now been identified with Tilaurakot, a site in ruins located 25 km west of Lumbini. The five periods of habitation of this walled city begin from 8th - 7th B.C. and end in 2nd century A.D. Excavations have revealed the foundations of a citadel with defense wall, gateways, monasteries and stupas.

13:30: Arrive back to hotel for lunch. 

14:30-15:30: Independent time 

15:45: Transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Kathmandu, departs 17:30, arrives 17:55. 

On arrival, transfer to the hotel and check in.

Dinner: At hotel. 

After dinner: Session with Ishtar.

OCT 18 DAY 7: Last day

8am: Breakfast

9am: Closing Ceremony wiht Ishtar

Transfer to the airport for international flight home