Nepal Festival & Culture Experience
Seven days through the living heart of the Kathmandu Valley — the three royal cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur — where masked dances, chariot festivals, temple courtyards and centuries-old craft guilds aren't performed for tourists but carried on because they always have been.
Three cities, one valley, a culture still very much alive
The Kathmandu Valley holds three former royal city-states within a 20-kilometre radius — Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur — each with its own Durbar Square, its own guild of woodcarvers and metalworkers, and its own calendar of jatras (chariot festivals) that has run, largely unchanged, for centuries. This seven-day trip is built around that living culture rather than a checklist of monuments.
You'll walk all three Durbar Squares in the company of a guide who can read the carvings, watch Newari craftspeople at work in Patan's metal and thanka-painting workshops, see Bhaktapur's potters shaping clay by hand at Pottery Square, and — timing depending — take in whichever seasonal festivity the lunar calendar has placed in your travel window, from a neighbourhood jatra to a temple rite. Evenings are built around real Newari food: a home-style thali, and where possible a taste of the communal feast known as bhoj.
Airport transfers, centrally located accommodation, daily breakfast and guided sightseeing are arranged throughout. Want it slower, private, or timed deliberately around a named festival like Indra Jatra or Bisket Jatra? Tell us your dates and we'll build the itinerary around what's actually happening in the valley that week.
What makes this valley different
Three UNESCO Durbar Squares
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur each ruled themselves as separate kingdoms until the 18th century, and each built a royal square to prove it. Walking all three in one trip is the fastest way to see how differently Newari architecture, stone and wood carving developed just a few kilometres apart.
Living jatras, not staged shows
The valley's chariot festivals — Indra Jatra in Kathmandu, Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur, and dozens of neighbourhood jatras between — are religious events run by local guthi communities, not tourist performances. If your dates align with one, you'll see it as it actually happens; if not, we build the week around whichever smaller festivities, temple rites or seasonal rituals are on the local calendar.
Bhaktapur's working pottery square
At Pottery Square, potters of the Prajapati caste still throw and dry clay wares on open courtyards exactly as they have for generations — the same workshops that fire the traditional mud bowls used to serve Bhaktapur's famous king curd, Juju Dhau.
Real Newari food, not a tourist thali
Beyond the standard set menu, you'll try genuine Newari dishes — beaten rice, choila, yomari where the season allows — the food eaten at home and at community feasts, guided by someone who can explain what's on the plate and why it's there.
Your 7-day itinerary
A steady rhythm across the valley's three historic cities, with breakfast daily and all listed transfers included. Sightseeing is sequenced to flex around whatever local festivities fall in your travel week.
You're met at Tribhuvan International Airport and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Settle in, then take an easy first evening around Thamel or Kathmandu Durbar Square, adjusting to the altitude and the sound of the city before the week's sightseeing begins.
A guided morning through Kathmandu Durbar Square, once the seat of the Malla and Shah kings — Hanuman Dhoka Palace, the temples of Kala Bhairav and Taleju, and Kumari Ghar, home of the living goddess Kumari, focal point of the Indra Jatra procession each September. The afternoon takes in Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa overlooking the valley, followed by Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Kathmandu's Tibetan Buddhist community.
A morning at Pashupatinath Temple, the most sacred Hindu site in Nepal, on the banks of the Bagmati River — observing daily rituals from the respectful public viewpoints across the water. Depending on your dates, the afternoon or evening is set aside for whichever seasonal rite, neighbourhood jatra or temple procession the local calendar has that week; your guide will confirm what's on before you travel.
A short transfer across the Bagmati into Patan (Lalitpur), long known as the valley's centre of fine metalwork and craft. Explore Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum, then visit a working metal or thanka-painting workshop to see the guild traditions — repoussé bronze, lost-wax casting, mineral-pigment painting — that still support Newari families here today.
A full day in Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the valley's three royal cities. Walk Durbar Square and the 55-Window Palace, climb the five-tiered Nyatapola Temple at Taumadhi Square, and spend time at Pottery Square watching potters shape and sun-dry clay by hand. Sample king curd, Juju Dhau, from the very bowls made a few streets away.
A relaxed day built around food and craft: a hands-on introduction to Newari cuisine — beaten rice, choila, and, if the season allows, yomari — plus free time to shop for pashmina, singing bowls or thanka paintings, or to simply revisit a square that caught your eye earlier in the week. Optional: an evening bhoj-style feast, seating and availability confirmed locally.
A final breakfast and, depending on your flight, some free time for last-minute shopping before transfer to the airport for your onward journey. Want to extend into the Himalaya or the lowlands? We can link this trip to a Pokhara stay, a Chitwan wildlife add-on, or a short trek.
Indicative itinerary. The exact order of sightseeing and transfer times is confirmed at the time of booking and may adapt to flight schedules, opening hours, local festivities and weather. [[CONFIRM]] Named festivals such as Indra Jatra and Bisket Jatra follow the lunar calendar and move year to year — we do not promise a specific festival will fall within any given travel window, and will confirm the live festival calendar against your dates before booking.
What's included — and what's not
Clear from the start, so there are no surprises when you travel.
Included
- Accommodation for 6 nights
- Daily breakfast
- Airport transfers (arrival & departure)
- Intercity transfers where applicable
- Sightseeing as listed in the itinerary
- Selected entrance fees
- Local assistance throughout
Not included
- International flights (unless stated)
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Meals not stated in the itinerary (incl. optional bhoj feast)
- Optional activities & hotel upgrades
- Tips & gratuities
Before you go
Best time to visit
Kathmandu Valley is pleasant most of the year at its ~1,400m elevation, with a wetter monsoon roughly June to August. Autumn (Sept–Nov) and spring (Mar–Apr) are the most popular windows and also coincide with several of the valley's biggest jatras.
Currency
The Nepalese Rupee (NPR). Cards are accepted in Kathmandu's hotels and larger shops; carry cash for temple donations, Durbar Square entry, markets and small vendors in Patan and Bhaktapur.
Festivals move with the lunar calendar
Indra Jatra, Bisket Jatra, Yomari Punhi and most other jatras follow the Nepal Sambat lunar calendar, so their dates shift year to year — sometimes by weeks. We check the calendar against your travel dates and build the itinerary around whatever is actually happening that week, rather than promising a specific festival in advance.
Dress & conduct at temples
Kathmandu Valley's temples and Durbar Squares are active religious sites, not museums. Modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered), removing shoes where indicated, and asking before photographing rituals or the Kumari go a long way.
What to pack
Comfortable walking shoes for cobbled squares, layers (mornings and evenings can be cool even in warmer months), a light rain layer in monsoon season, and modest clothing for temple visits.
Visas & documents
Most nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport for a fee, though requirements and eligible nationalities vary. Please verify based on your own passport before you travel — we're happy to point you to the right official source.
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, up close
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Good to have answered
Is the US$899 price per person? What does it cover?
Yes — that's a starting price, per person, for the 7-day itinerary based on twin-share accommodation. It covers your hotels, daily breakfast, airport and listed transfers, the sightseeing in the itinerary, selected entrance fees and local assistance. The final figure depends on your travel dates, hotel choice, group size and whether you'd like it private, so we confirm an exact quote when you enquire.
Will I see a specific festival like Indra Jatra or Bisket Jatra?
Only if your dates happen to align — these festivals run on the lunar Nepal Sambat calendar, so their dates move every year and we can't promise one will fall in your travel window. If you'd like to specifically target Indra Jatra (around September) or Bisket Jatra (around April), tell us and we'll check the confirmed dates for your travel year and build the trip around them. Otherwise, the itinerary flexes to whatever seasonal culture — smaller jatras, temple rites, craft calendars — is genuinely happening that week.
Are international flights included?
No — international flights aren't included unless we've specifically stated so in your quote. Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport is well connected via major Asian and Middle Eastern hubs; we can advise on convenient routings and arrange your airport transfers to match your flights.
Can this itinerary be customised or run privately?
Absolutely — this is a template, not a fixed package. Run it fully private, add nights in any of the three cities, upgrade the hotels, add a hands-on craft workshop, or extend into Pokhara or Chitwan. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll shape it around you.
How much walking is involved, and is it suitable for families?
It's an easy-to-moderate trip — mostly flat walking on cobbled squares and old-town streets, with some crowds and narrow lanes, particularly during festivals. It suits families, couples and first-time visitors well; let us know if you're travelling with young children or anyone with mobility considerations and we'll adjust the pace.
Do I need a visa for Nepal?
Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport for a fee, but requirements and eligible nationalities vary and do change. Please verify based on your own passport before you travel — we're glad to point you to the right official source.
How do I book or get a quote?
Send us an enquiry with your rough dates and traveller numbers and we'll come back with a tailored quote and next steps — including a check of what's on the local festival calendar for your dates. There's no obligation, and no payment needed to get a proposal.
Let's plan your Nepal culture trip
Tell us your dates and who's travelling. We'll check what's happening in the valley that week and send back a tailored itinerary with a clear, all-in quote.