Meals included: (B)

Today we will start the day with a pre-trek briefing, gear check and final preparations. After any last-minute shopping and lunch, we will stretch our legs as we walk through Thamel, the tourist area of Kathmandu and on through Asan Bazaar, then Kathmandu Durbar Square before heading to Swayambhunath Stupa to walk a kora with local pilgrims as they perform their early evening prayers.

Asan is the historical, cultural, and commercial centre of Kathmandu and where you are able to experience the real everyday life of Kathmanduites as they shop and go about their daily lives. This ancient bazaar has a myriad of alleyways interspersed with temples and monasteries and is the heart of the Kathmandu Newar community. The bustling, narrow streets are filled with tiny shops selling everything from spices, to kitchenware, hardware, plants, seeds, clothes, vegetables, meat, dried beans, fish, homemade pickle, delicious snacks, festival essentials and much, much more. A wander through these ancient streets is always a feast for the eyes and senses. We will arrive in Kathmandu Durbar Square, a dense cluster of old palaces, courtyards and beautifully carved temples that once hosted royal ceremonies and daily life in the old kingdom. Hanuman Dhoka Palace, the Kumari Ghar and a mix of pagoda-style shrines keep the square buzzing with heritage, worship and movement.

Swayambhunath or the Monkey Temple, is one of Nepal’s most iconic and easily recognised temples with its fluttering prayer flags and unforgettable eyes of wisdom painted high on the central stupa. Sat majestically on top of a hill to the west of the city, this ancient and beautiful Buddhist temple sees a constant stream of locals and pilgrims walking in a clockwise kora and climbing the steps to worship at the many shrines surrounding the great stupa. From its hilltop location, Swayambhunath also offers some of the finest views across Kathmandu and the valley.