Kathmandu City, Patan and Ason

Ancient Patan city also known as Lalitpur or the city of fine arts is about five Kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. The city is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments. The major tourist attraction of Patan is the Durbar Square situated in the heart of the city and constitutes the focus of the visitor’s attraction. The square is full of ancient palaces, temples and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings. The Patan Durbar consists of three main chowks or courtyards, the central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Chowk.

The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal Bath called Tushahity. Also visit, Krishna Mandir, built in the seventeenth century and dedicated to Lord Krishna. It holds a commanding position in the palace complex of Patan and is supposed to be the first specimen of its kind in Nepal having 21 spires and completely made of stone.

Later visit the Hiranya Verna Mahavihar (Golden Temple) located inside Kwabadehal. This Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha) was built in the twelfth century by King Bhaskar Verma. Inside the upper storey of the pagoda, are the golden image of Lord Buddha and a large prayer wheel.

Ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square with its many beautiful temples and shopping courtyards. As one crosses from the modern area of New Road into the Durbar Square, the onetime Freak Street, one is suddenly in the midst of Kathmandu’s famed medieval architecture.

The major tourist attractions on this tour includes a visit to the Hanuman Dhoka (Hanuman gate) which takes its name from the Monkey God, Hanuman from the epic, Ramayana The palace of the Malla Kings located in the Hanuman Dhoka is of the 14^th Century and it is still retained as a ceremonial palace of the present Shah dynasty. Important traditional Royal ceremonies including the coronation of the King of Nepal is still conducted at Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Near the Hanuman Dhoka is the house of the Living Goddess Kumari – Kumari Bahal. Two painted stone Lions stand guard at the entrance. Visitors may enter the courtyard to see the Living Goddess but are forbidden to take photographs.

After the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city we continue our walk through Asan Bazaar, the heart and soul of Kathmandu up to Thamel.

Asan is a ceremonial, market and residential square in central Kathmandu, the Capital of Nepal. It is one of the most well-known historical locations in the city and is famed for its bazaar, festival calendar and strategic location. Asan has been described as one of the fine Newari examples of traditional Asan Bazaar. The Tuladhar, Shrestha, Baijracharya and Shakya castes make up most of the population of Asan. Six streets converge on Asan giving the square a perpetual bustle. The bazaar at Asan attracts shoppers from all over Kathmandu because of the tremendous variety of merchandise sold here, ranging from foodstuffs, spices and textiles to electronics and bullions. Asan is also one of the popular tourist spots in the city because of its architectural sights and charming ambiance.

Upon arrival at Thamel board the waiting vehicle and drive to hotel.

Rest of the evening is free to relax or explore around the city.