Tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg "Monasteries and shrines of the Kathmandu Valley"

The price is valid until September 30, 2013.
Therapeutic tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg on the route: Kathmandu Patan Monasteries Boudhanath, Pullahari, Namo Buddha - Lumbini - Kathmandu. Visiting Buddhist stupas, living in monasteries.
Groups of 2 people. Departures from St. Petersburg are possible on any day of the week a day before the start of the program.
Attention! It is possible to take part in 7/10-day and 1-month meditation courses at the Kopan and Pullahari monasteries, as well as a 10-day Vipassana meditation course. Ask for the cost additionally!



The cost of the tour includes:


Accommodation in 2 local rooms in hotels under the program;
Accommodation in monasteries in 2-bed rooms with 3-time vegetarian meals:
Pullahari - 2 nights,
Namo Buddha - 2 nights;
Excursions according to the program with a Russian-speaking guide;
Russian speaking guide throughout the route;
All entrance fees during excursions;
All transfers by private vehicles according to the program;
National dinner and ethnic performance in a Nepalese restaurant.



The cost of the tour does not include:


International flight SPb – Kathmandu – SPb;
Air flight Kathmandu - Lamidara - Kathmandu, approximately $ 296 (cost can vary);
Airport tax on departure from Kathmandu is $30 per person. (Electronic tickets included);
The cost of a multiple-entry Nepalese visa (issued at Kathmandu airport on arrival): for a period of 15 days - $ 25 per person. ;
The cost of flying over the Himalayas is $210 per person. (Flight fares may change without prior warning)
All types of insurance;
Tips to the guide and driver (at the request of customers);
Personal expenses.

1 day of tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: SPB - KATMANDU.
Departure from St. Petersburg. Arrival at Kathmandu Airport (Nepal). Meeting at the airport, accommodation in a hotel at the foot of Swayabhunath hill, rest. After a short rest, you can climb to the sacred stupa by a staircase of 365 steps. By evening, the stupa has almost no visitors, and merchants turn off their benches. Meditation at the stupa holding the sacred lotus. The panorama of the city and valley at sunset is simply magnificent. Or you can stroll through the narrow winding streets of Asan - the old city center filled with shops with all sorts of things; inhale an unimaginable mixture of aromas emanating from exotic spices and spices, incense, dried fish and sourdough bamboo combined with the smell of dampness of short buildings, into which sunlight never penetrates. It is interesting to observe the mysterious rituals in the numerous temples, and just curious to look at the boiling life of the old city and its inhabitants in a hurry – women in magnificent saris, making even the most inconspicuous of them a queen, men in national Nepalese clothes, loud merchants playing children. And you can just walk around the tourist area of Tamel with its souvenir shops and shops with track and climbing equipment or sit in one of the tiny cozy cafes. Accommodation at the Kathmandu Hotel.


2 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Stupa Boudhanath - Temple Pashupatinath - Door Square.
After breakfast, visit the Buddhist Stupa of Boudhanath. Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world (listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site). The stupa was built in the 5th century AD and is considered the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. In the vicinity of Boudhanath there are many Buddhist monasteries belonging to various schools - Nyingma (Old School, or the sect of the Red Caps), Gelugpa (the sect of the Yellow Caps), Kagyu (the sect of the Black Caps), Sakya (the sect of colored caps), which can be visited during worship and see the rituals of Buddha worship, beautiful gilded sculptures of deities, amazing wall paintings.
Then we will visit the ancient temple complex Pashupatinath, the most sacred temple of Shiva for Hindus, and we will be able to observe some Hindu customs. Perhaps your visit will coincide with one of such big holidays as Maga Shivaratri or Teese. Here come to the god Shiva childless women. Near the temple on the banks of the sacred river Bagmati cremation of the dead. Here you can see many wandering ascetics, as well as snake tamers.
While visiting Kathmandu Palace Square, you can see the medieval palace of Nepalese kings, striking with exquisite wooden carvings. Near the palace is the house of the Living Virgin Goddess Kumari, where a girl lives, in whose body lives the soul of the Goddess Taleju, the patroness of royal dynasties. A little further away is Kastamandap - one of the oldest surviving buildings of Kathmandu, which is associated with the origin of the name of the Nepalese capital. Then you can go through the picturesque shopping streets of the old part of ancient Kathmandu, see numerous temples - Vishnu, Shiva, Bayraba, Ganesh, Machchendra, etc., hear amazing legends and stories associated with them.
Night at the Kathmandu Hotel.


3 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Patan Farping.
After breakfast excursion to the city of Patan we will visit its palace square and the royal palace. The existence of three capitals in the Kathmandu Valley is associated with the division of the valley in the late 15th century into three independent kingdoms. In Patana you can see and admire the art of artisans of the early Middle Ages, whose skill was embodied in the appearance of the temples of Krishna Mandir, the temple of Vishnu, the temple of Shiva Kumbeshvor, the temples of Buddha Hiranya Varna Magavihar and Magabuddha (the temple of a thousand Buddhas) and others.
A tireless 1-hour move will pass through a dense forest, past Nevar villages and peasant fields-terraces, stretching on the slopes of the hills. Along the way, we will visit the Chovar Gorge, which according to legend was cut through by the Bodhisattva Manjushri in order to drain the lake, which stretched in time immemorial on the site of the present fertile Kathmandu valley. Near the gorge is the temple of Dzal Binaek, built in the 17th century. and which is considered one of the four most important temples of Ganesh - the god of luck. Further along the way, we pass a small picturesque lake Taudah, at the bottom of which, according to ancient legend, Manjusri settled after draining the lake in the golden palace of the king of snakes Karkotaka - the keeper of the abundance and fertility of the valley. At the entrance to Farping under the overhanging rock is one of the four most important in the valley of Kathmandu temples Vishnu - Shesh Narayan temple. At the very foot of the rock there are sacred reservoirs connected by ducts. They are home to flocks of golden fish and mustache catfish, and in the crystal clear water you can see stone statues of Vishnu and Shiva. Near the temple is the sacredly guarded cave of Guru Padmasambhava and the Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma school.
After a few minutes drive, we arrive in Farping, where several Buddhist monasteries of the Nyingmapa school and a retreat center lie on the hillside. The monasteries were built next to the sacredly revered and protected caves in which the great Padmasambhava (an 8th century tantric teacher whose name is associated with the spread of Buddhism in Tibet) meditated during his journey to Tibet. It is on his teachings that the Nyingma tradition is based - the oldest of the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
Almost at the top of the hill is the main shrine of Farping – the Asura cave, in which Guru Rinpoche was engaged in tantric practices for a long time and was in meditation. He has reached a very high level of spiritual realization, the level of mahamudra, through the practice of Vishuddha Heruki combined with the practice of Vajrakilaya. It is believed that the cave has a great power of blessing. Near the cave there is a women's monastery and a retreat center, providing the necessary conditions for those in long seclusion. On the territory of one of the newly built monasteries there is a chorten dedicated to Jambala, the patron of welfare.
Many pilgrims come to the 21 Tara temple, where they worship the self-manifested image of Tara, the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, on a stone monolith. Nearby is a small pagoda temple with a gilded roof, built in the 17th century and dedicated to Vajra Yogini, one of the defenders of Buddhism, blessing and protecting from obstacles on the path of spiritual development.
Return to Kathmandu. Night at the Kathmandu Hotel.


4 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Stupa Boudhanath is the Pullahari Monastery.
After breakfast, visit the Buddhist Stupa of Boudhanath. Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world (listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site). The stupa was built in the 5th century AD and is considered the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. In the vicinity of Boudhanath there are many Buddhist monasteries belonging to various schools - Nyingma (Old School, or the sect of the Red Caps), Gelugpa (the sect of the Yellow Caps), Kagyu (the sect of the Black Caps), Sakya (the sect of colored caps), which can be visited during worship and see the rituals of Buddha worship, beautiful gilded sculptures of deities, amazing wall paintings.
Pullahari Monastery is located on the green slope of the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley and is surrounded by a picturesque lovingly manicured park. From here there is a grand view of the sacred stupa of Boudhanath and the entire valley of Kathmandu. The very blessed natural surroundings of the monastery favor the attainment of Buddhist dharma.
Overnight at Pullahari Monastery. Lunch and dinner at the monastery with the monks.


5 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Pullahari Monastery.
Breakfast at the monastery with the monks. Stay in Pullahari Monastery. Pullahari Monastery belongs to the school of Tibetan Buddhism Karma Kagyu and follows the traditions of Mahayana and Vajrayana. The technique of meditation is Samatha, Vipassana and Magamudra. The history of Pullahari Monastery began in 1986 as the site of a 3-year retreat of the Karma Kagyu school of monks. Later, the construction of a monastery began here, which was named “Pullahari” in honor of the Naropa monastery in India, where, according to legend, Lotsava Marpa, the Teacher of the Four Trends of Tantra, lived and practiced for many years. It was there that Naropa learned about Marpa’s spiritual disciple Milarepa (an 11th-century wandering poet, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the founders of the Kagyu school) and predicted the future of the Karma Kargyu lineage. The construction of Pullahari Monastery was completed in 1992 and its first abbot was Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche 3rd, having a direct succession from the Karmapa 17th. It is dedicated to the picturesque stupa-temple located on the territory of the monastery, blessing the whole place with the warmth of universal love. There are 200 monks living in Pullahari who protect the centuries-old traditions of Dharma teachings. The monastery is a center for the study of Buddhist philosophy and meditation for hundreds of followers of this faith from around the world. In the retreat center at the same time, 19 people have the opportunity to devote themselves in solitude to the spiritual practices of the 3-year-old retreat Magamudra. Training in the monastery is conducted in English and Tibetan, Tibetan language lessons and Buddhist scripts are provided.
Overnight at Pullahari Monastery. Lunch and dinner at the monastery with the monks.


6 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Pullahari Monastery is the Namobudd Monastery.
Breakfast, transfer to Namobudda Monastery (about 3 hours drive). The ancient legend of Namo Buddha says that once upon a time, countless ages ago, our Teacher, the Perfect Buddha himself, while still on the path of Knowledge in one of his previous lives in the form of a prince, found at this very place in a forest cave, a tigress and her cubs who died of hunger and weakness. Driven by the unending kindness of his heart and moved to tears by his sincere compassion for them, the prince decided that it would be unfair to deprive any other living creature of life to feed the tigress. Reasoning that he had already lived countless previous lives aimlessly and futilely – sometimes out of excessive desire, sometimes out of ignorance or misunderstanding – and desiring to show true nobility and use his body in the name of Dharma, the prince decided to donate his blood and flesh to save the dying tigress before his eyes. Without hesitation he made an incision on his arm and allowed the tigress to drink his blood, after which she, gaining strength, attacked the prince and tore him apart. For his magnanimous act, the prince received rebirth in the heavenly realms of existence, from where he, seeing the grief of his father, mother and brothers, instructed them to perform only noble deeds in consolation, so that in a new rebirth they would meet him in heaven. The remains of the prince’s body were buried near the cave in which he died, and a stupa was subsequently erected on this place, called Namo Buddha, which means “I find refuge in you, O Buddha.” It is said that on clear nights of full moons a tiger is often seen at the stupa.
Lunch and dinner at the monastery with the monks. Overnight at Namobuddha Monastery.


7 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Namobudd Monastery.
Breakfast at the monastery with the monks. Stay in the Namobuddha Monastery. The Namo Buddha Stupa is one of the three most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal along with the Swayambunath and Boudhanath stupas. As in past centuries, many great gurus and masters of various Buddhist schools and traditions have visited this sacred site. Namo Buddha is a fertile natural environment, purity, harmony, tranquility and solitude, amazing sunsets and sunrises against the background of a ridge of snowy Himalayan peaks, and therefore an ideal place for perfection in meditation and for the spiritual practices of samadhi. Currently, a monastery complex has been created in the vicinity of the stupa, including the Trangu Tashi Yangtse monastery of the Karma Kagyu tradition, a retreat center, the Amitab Buddha temple, a monastery school and college, a school of traditional Tibetan art, a clinic.
Lunch and dinner at the monastery with the monks. Overnight at Namobuddha Monastery.
 
 
8 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Namobudda-Bhaktapur-Katmandu.
Breakfast. In the afternoon we leave the Namo Buddha Monastery and return to Kathmandu. On the way we will stop in the city of Bhaktapur and make a fascinating excursion here. The amazing city of Bhaktapur in the Middle Ages was the capital city of the Kathmandu Valley and later was one of the three former capitals of the valley. The uniqueness of its architecture with strikingly elegant wooden carvings you can feel, passing the royal chambers of the Palace of 55 Windows, ancient streets and squares, as well as visiting the temples of Nyatapol, Bayravnat and the former main square of the city of Dyatatreya, where there are several Hindu monasteries of the 15th century. and the delightful carved Peacock Window. Exquisite wooden carvings decorated not only the temples of the city, but also ordinary residential buildings. During a walk around the city, you can observe the work of carvers, as well as artists creating sophisticated paintings of Tibetan Tankas. Bhaktapur still retains its medieval identity and leisurely way of life. Scenes of unpretentious life of citizens carry away to the almost forgotten past: potters, hand-mixing clay and sculpting pots, and other household utensils on rotating heavy wooden wheels; women spinning on hand spindles yarn; hand-looms in semi-dark workshops. Above the windows of the houses are hung for drying a bundle of corn, garlic and red pepper, and after harvesting the rice is dried and brewed right in the yards. It seems that modernity has not affected the way of life of the inhabitants of the city.
At the end of the tour, we will continue our journey to Kathmandu. Night at the Kathmandu Hotel.


9 days of tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Katmandu to Lumbini.
In the morning, after breakfast, we return to Lumbini, the birthplace of the great Buddha Shakyamuni.
Lumbini is a temple complex and the most important place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. This place is revered as the birthplace of Prince Siddarta Gautama, who later became known to the world as the great Buddha Shakyamuni - the founder of Buddhism (lived in 563-446 BC). The central part of the Lumbini complex is the Mayadevi Temple, dedicated to the Buddha’s mother. In the temple is a stone bas-relief depicting the birth of the Buddha. Around the temple is an archaeological area with the remains of structures of early Buddhism and the sacred Bodhi tree - a descendant of the tree under which the Buddha was born. Near the Mayadevi Temple stands the Ashoka Column, dating from 249 BC and confirming that this is the birthplace of Buddha. Not far from the temple is the sacred reservoir of Pushkarini, where Maya Devi performed ablution before the birth of her child. On the territory of the Lumbini Garden, the countries in which Buddhism is revered have built their monasteries, temples, pagodas and stupas. In the eastern part of the garden there are monasteries of the early Buddhist school of Teravada, in the western part there are monasteries of Mahayana and Vajrayana schools.
Accommodation at the Lumbini Hotel.


10 day tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Kapilavasta - Lumbini.
Breakfast. Moving to Kapilavasta - the capital of the principality, which was ruled by the father of the Buddha, the place where the Buddha spent his childhood and youth. Inspection of the remains of the ancient city, where the ruins of the palace of Prince Siddarta Gautama, who later became known to the world as Buddha Shakyamuni, are preserved. Moving to Lumbini (the journey time is about 4 hours) is the birthplace of Buddha Gautama Siddhartha. Visits to the religious complex, where you can see: the place where the Buddha was born, the column of King Ashoka (1896), the ruins of the temple of Maya Devi - the Mother of Buddha, the personification of the sacred feminine principle of the universe (the temple is 2500 years old), etc. Night at the Lumbini Hotel.


11th day of tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: Lumbini - Katmandu.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we leave Lumbini and return to Kathmandu.
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, accommodation in a hotel. In the evening, a farewell national dinner and ethnic performance in a Nepalese restaurant. Night at the Kathmandu Hotel.


12 day of tour to Nepal from St. Petersburg: KATMANDU - SPB.
Breakfast. Morning flight over the Himalayas (optional for an additional fee). Transfer to Kathmandu Airport (Nepal). Flight to St. Petersburg.