Kathmandu Photography Tour

You will meet our office representative at the Kathmandu Airport. You will easily recognize him as he will be carrying “Nepal Hiking Team” placard. He will then escort you to your trip Hotel in a private vehicle.

At the hotel, after you have check-in and got freshened up, we will conduct a small briefing session regarding your tour. After the meeting, we do not have scheduled any plans for the rest of the day. So, you can enjoy the rest of the day doing anything you would like.

Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu.

On the first day of the Kathmandu Photography Tour, you'll visit two of the most popular heritage sites — Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath Stupa.

After a hearty breakfast, you'll drive to the historic royal courtyard of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Dating back to the third century, this heritage site is home to ancient temples, statues, monuments, fountains, ponds, and a series of courtyards. It is a pivotal site for religious festivals, holy ceremonies, and royal events.

The inner complex of Kathmandu Durbar Square is the site of the ancient Royal Palaces, which is now turned into a museum. The outer complex of the square consists of several pagoda-style temples, including Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple, Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, Jagannath Temple, and Taleju Temple. The most peculiar site of this historical site is the Kumari Bahal which houses the living embodiment of the Hindu mother goddess.

As one of the most buzzing locations in the valley, Kathmandu Durbar Square makes a perfect hub for photographers. You can walk around the premises of Durbar Square and photograph the city's ancient structures, people, cultures, and regular bustle.

After lunch, you'll head over to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple). Located at the western hillocks of the valley, Swayambhunath Stupa is a sacred pilgrimage site to both Buddhists and Hindus. This heritage site includes a domed stupa along with several shrines and temples. The iconic stupa is decorated with hundreds of colorful prayer flags, making the environment more serene. You can also relish the panoramic view of Kathmandu valley from the top of the hill. Since Swayambhunath is known for having hundreds of holy monkeys, you might come across a few readily posing for the cameras.

Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu.

On the second day, you'll be visiting two of the most sacred sites in Kathmandu — Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa.

On the first half of the day, you'll be exploring and photographing around Pashupatinath Temple. This two-storied golden temple is one of the oldest and holiest Hindu shrines in Kathmandu. Since tourists aren't allowed to enter the inner premises, you'll be exploring the outer section of the temple.

Regardless, the outer premises consist of centuries-old temples, inscriptions, Shiva Lingams, and ashrams. You can even witness the open cremation on the funeral pyres along the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Along the walk, you most likely will come across a few sadhus living in the vicinity of the temple. You can photograph some of these religious ascetics with their consent. But keep in mind that some sadhus may end up asking for a small tip for each photograph.

On the second half of the day, you'll be visiting Boudhanath Stupa. This meditative monument is one of the world's largest and oldest spherical Buddhist stupas. The structure consists of a giant whitewashed dome, on top of which sits a gilded pyramid tower painted with Buddha's all-seeing eyes.

In the evening, you can even join the pilgrims on their koras (circumambulations) to experience serenity. Here, you'll have the opportunity to photograph monks and devotees making the circumambulations.

Surrounding the stupa are colorful homes and a few Buddhist monasteries. You can find a number of cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, souvenir shops, and craft shops. You can even head over to one of the rooftop cafes for a coffee and enjoy the atmosphere.

Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu.

On this day, you'll take an hour-long drive and head over to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, 13 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Along the way, you'll make a stopover at the ancient Newari town, Thimi.

At Thimi, you'll get to witness and capture the blend of Newari culture, art, tradition, and architecture. It has numerous temples dedicated to gods and goddesses, including Balkumari Temple, Lokeshwor Temple, Siddhi Kali Temple, and Mahalaxmi Temple.

Another noteworthy place of this town is the ancient Thimi Durbar or Layaku. Besides that, you'll also be visiting the popular Pottery Square at Thimi. You can watch the entire molding process where the local potters turn compressed clay into beautiful pots.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is simply a cluster of prehistoric monuments, temples, courtyards, shrines, and sculptures. Since Bhaktapur is among the most intact ancient cities, it resembles medieval Nepal. The narrow alleys, courtyards, and buildings of this city bring great opportunities for photographers. Some popular sites of Bhaktapur Durbar Square are National Art Museum, Bhandarkhal Chowk, The Golden Gate, 55 Window Palace, Taleju Temple, Lunhiti Chowk, Lapandegal, Kumari House.

In the evening, you'll take a walk to the eastern elevation of Durbar Square towards Taumadhi Square. This bustling square of Bhaktapur houses Nepal's tallest pagoda-style temple, Nyatapola Temple.

Overnight at Hotel in Bhaktapur.

In the morning, you'll once again walk around the squares and small alleyways of Bhaktapur to capture photographs during the golden hour. After breakfast, you'll be driving to the northern hill station of Bhaktapur to arrive at Changu Narayan Temple. It is crowned as Nepal's oldest temple, which beholds the history, art, and architecture of the Licchavi Kingdom.

The main structure of this sacred place is a two-storeyed pagoda-style temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The four entrance doors of the structure are guarded by a pair of lions, elephants, griffins, and sarabhas. The premises of Changu Narayan Temple also includes Chinnamasta Temple and Kileshwor Mahadev Temple, along with the sculptures of Chanda Narayan, Sridhar Vishnu, Vishworup, Narasimha, and Vishnu Vikrant. You can also see the historical pillar erected in 464 C.E. by King Manadeva.

In the afternoon, you'll be transferred to Nagarkot, the most popular hill town in Nepal. Just 32 kilometers from Kathmandu, Nagarkot is the highest elevation point of Bhaktapur at 2,175 meters. In clear weather, you can relish eight out of thirteen Himalayan ranges from the comfort of your hotel. In the evening, you have the opportunity to take photographs of mesmerizing sunset over the Himalayas.

Overnight at Hotel in Nagarkot.

You'll start the final day of your Kathmandu Photography Tour by visiting the popular Nagarkot View Tower. On a clear day, this small, peaceful space offers a glorious sunrise over the Himalayas. After enjoying the sunrise view and taking a few photographs, you'll drive back to Kathmandu. Here, you'll have a brief photo review and discussion session with your lead photographer.

In the afternoon, you'll be exploring two of the most traditional and picturesque Newari towns — Khokana and Bungmati. These rustic Newari towns give you the perfect opportunity to learn about ancient cultures and traditions. It makes a perfect destination to photograph lifestyle, culture, and historical monuments.

Bungmati makes an attractive spot for photographers with beautiful mountain settings and ancient temples. You'll also visit the woodcarving showrooms to see the local craftsmen at work. At Khokana, you'll be visiting the Shekala Mai Temple. This photography tour also takes you to the heart of this Newari village to observe the rustic lifestyle and religious practices.

Later in the evening, you'll be exploring Patan Durbar Square, located at the center of Lalitpur city. Once a royal palace, Patan Durbar Square is the true symbol of Newar architecture. In this royal courtyard, you'll notice a concentrated mass of ancient temples, monuments, and statues. As a religious center to both Hindus and Buddhists, Patan Durbar Square has a total of 55 temples and 136 courtyards. Some of the important monuments of this square are Krishna Mandir, Taleju Bhawani Temple, Bhimsen Temple, and Vishwanath Temple.

Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu.

Bid goodbye to Kathmandu and head to the airport. You will be transferred to the international airport well on time to catch your flight. If you want to extend your stay, you can let us know, and we will help you further plan for you to Nepal.