Temple Run | 1 DAYS
PRICE : $150| £120 p/p
Tour runs every day. Tour must be booked at least 2 days in advance. Locally guided City tours. Guaranteed departure. No extra hidden costs.
Itinerary
Swyambhunath ( Monkey Temple )
Boudhanath
Pashupatinath ( Lord Shiva Temple )
Overview
The single day Temple Run tour focuses on the four most prolific Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal. Covering Swayambunath, Budhanilkantha, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath, this intriguing and informative whirlwind tour is the perfect way to witness the melting pot of religious and spiritual divinity in Kathmandu, the city of Temples.
Swayambhunath Temple ( Monkey temple )
Starting early, we will visit the Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Swayambhunath. Perched on a hilltop above the city and mobbed by monkeys, this sacred site is arguably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The complex holds the 1,500 years old stupa painted with Buddha’s eyes and eyebrows, a variety of shrines and temples dating back to the Licchavi Period, a museum, a Tibetan monastery, and a library.
365 steps will lead you to the main platform of the temple, from where you can see Buddha’s eyes looking out from the vast, white dome, into the valley below. A spiritually uplifting and culturally important holy site, Swayambhunath is a fascinating place to witness the jumble of Buddhist and Hindu Iconography.
Boudhanath Temple
Our third temple will be Boudhanath, the most sacred pilgrimage site for those who practice Tibetean Buddhism. This UNESCO world heritage site is said to have the remains of Kasspa Buddha, the twenty-seventh of the twenty-nine named Buddhas. It was also one of the largest ancient Buddhist stupa’s in the world. Sadly, the earthquake of 2015 badly damaged the stupa, severely cracking the spine and resulting in the whole structure needing to be removed before the reconstruction process. Nevertheless, the spiritual and vibrant site which is circled by prayer wheels, artists’ workshops, LhaKhang monastery and café’s is still considered a must see due to its spiritual, religious and picturesque setting. Fluttering prayer flags and teeming with the natter of local lives, Boudhanath offers spiritual serenity to all who venture here.
Pashupatinath Temple ( Lord Shiva )
The last stop on your temple run experience is the famous 5th century Hindu temple of Pashupatinath. Dedicated to the revered national deity Pashupatinath, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, this UNESCO world heritage site set along the sacred Bagmati river, depicts the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. Pashupatinath is Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. One of the significant pilgrimage sites for those who practice Hinduism, during the major Hindu festival MahaShivaratri, Pashupati is host to 700,000 devotees! Even the kings of Nepal used to come here to ask for a blessing from Pashupati before commencing on any important journeys. On the outside of this sprawling complex lies a bustling market of religious stalls and paraphernalia, the main temple courtyard with access to smaller temples, shrines and the holy river. The inside premises, unfortunately prohibited to non-Hindus, holds copious temples, including Lord Pashupatinath’s temple, ashrams, images and inscriptions.
We hope you can join us on this one-day excursion into the meaningful, sacred sites set within the city of temples that is Kathmandu.