Kathmandu City (Includes 4 of 10 World Heritage Sites):
Kathmandu valley is well-known as "The city of temples" as well as "The cultural hub of Nepal". It is situated in a bowl shaped valley, surounded by 10,000 feet high mountains. It is the capital of the kingdom of Nepal. It is said that the valley was once a big lake, which was created by Manjushree, who cut open the southern hill of Chovar to drain all the water. According to one of the legend, it is said that the valley was named after "Kastha-Mandap" (kastha means wood and Mandap means temple in Sanskrit) an imposing pagoda near Hanuman Dhoka palace, which was built out of a single tree in 1596 by King Laxmi Narshingha Malla.

The valley is full of historic, artistic and cultural interests with the visibility of the peaks of majestic Himalaya from several parts. You can find uncountable numbers of ancient golden pagoda temples and shrines throughout the valley with lots of inspiring Hindu and Buddhist dieties. Here you can find four out of the total ten world heritage sites in Nepal, which are as Pashupatinath temple (one of the most sacred hindu temple in the world), Kathmandu Durbar Square and two of the most sacred Buddhist monastries in the world as; Swyambhunath Stupa and Boudhanath Stupa (Asia's one of the biggest).

The city is the most advanced one in Nepal, and is full of comforts and joy. With better medical services and cheaper transportations, you can also find numbers of luxury hotels, bars, restaurants, cashinos and shopping sites in the capital. Shopping could be one of the quite good experience for those who like unusual antique souvenirs along with the bronze casting and metal works, thanka paintings, hand made rugs, wooden crafts, Nepali paper (Lokta, Khosta and rice) prints and crafts and readymade garments.

Patan (Lalitpur) City (Includes 1 of 10 World Heritage Sites):
Patan is also known as "the city of fine arts", which was founded by King Veer Deva in 299 A.D. The history records it as the oldest of all three cities inside the Kathmandu valley. The ancient city with diverse medieval culture also has several older names as; Yupagram, Manigal, Yala (named after king Yalamber by himself) and Lalitpatan. With the vast majority of Newar ethinics and mixed up religions (Hinduism and Buddhism), the city offers you one of the most impressive sight seeings inside the valley.

The historic city is located at the distance of 5 km south-east of the capital (Kathmandu). The main tourist attraction of this place is the ancient Patan Durbar Square which is remarked as the world heritage site by UNESCO. Some of the attractions here are as; ancient Patan Durbar, Krishna Mandir (made up of stones), Mahaboudha, Hiranya Verna Mahavihar, Kumbheshwor Jagatnarayan Temple, Rudra Varna Mahavihar, Ashokan Stupas, Acchheswor Mahavihar Temple of Machhendranath and Minnath, Mangal Bazaar (shopping area), the Zoo, Patan Industrial Estate, Bajra Barahi Godavari and Phulchowki .

Bhaktapur(Bhadgoan)(Includes 2 of 10 World Heritage Sites:)
Bhaktapur is also known as "the city of Devotees". It is located at a distance of 14 km east of the capital. The ancient city covers an area of four square miles, which still retains the medieval charms and treats it's visitors with many wonders of historical, cultural and artistic achievements. The historic city was the capital of Kathmandu Valley between the 14th and 16th centuries. Much of the town’s great architecture dates from the end of the 17th century during the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla before the valley was divided into three smaller kingdoms (Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu).

The major tourist attractions of the Bhaktapur are as; Bhaktapur Durbar Square (a world heritage site), Taumadhi Square, Nyatapola Temple, Dattatraya Square and Pottery Square. You can still notice the past glory of the Malla rulers at the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Pashupatinath Temple (A World Heritage Site):
Lord Shiva is known by many different names and Pashupatinath is the one of them. Breaking down the words; Pashu means animal or leaving being, and Pati means master. In other words Pashupatinath means the master of all living beings of the universe. The Pashupati linga or Jyotirlinga has four faces and a fifth invisible one, which is said to be on top of the others.

Pashupatinath Temple is considered as one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world. The richly-ornamented pagoda structure lies 5 km east of the city center and is situated amidst many other temples on the right bank of the holy river Bagmati. It is a double–roofed golden temple with four triple silver doorways. This holiest temple covers an area of 281 hectares, which is one of the biggest temple complexes in Nepal.

The date of construction of this temple is unknown. However, it is

believed to be built by the Licchavi King Supuspadeva in the 6th Century. It was renovated by King Jyoti Malla in 1416 A.D. King Bhupatindra Malla reconstructed it in 1697.

Non–Hindus are not allowed inside the main temple. They can have a good view of the temple complex from the other side of the holy river Bagmati. There are lots of cremation places (ghats) along the right bank of the river. Hindus still believe that to die and get cremated here will release one from the cycle of repeated birth and death.

All the visitors are requested not to go near to the cremation areas since it can disturb the ritual activities and are advised to take the photos from far.

Boudhanath Stupa (A World Heritage Site):
Bouddhanath Stupa lies about 6 km to the east of the city center and is one of the largest stupa in South Asia. It looms 36 meters high and presents as one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design, which was renovated by Licchavi rulers in the eighth century. The stupa is also known as Khasti and the mandala design on it's base is a copy of the one in Gyangtse in Tibet. There are more than 45 Buddhist monasteries in the area, which has become one of the major tourist attraction of Nepal. This hemi-spherical dome that symbolizes the emptiness is remarked as one of the ten world heritage site in Nepal by the UNESCO.

There are many legands about the establishment of the stupa. According to one of the legend it says, during the rulling of king Vrishadev there was a severe draught in his land. He got very conscious about this problem and consulted his astrologers for the solution, who advised him to find a man with 32 auspicious marks and sacrifice him to propitiate the gods of the rain. The king then summoned his son, Mandev, to wake up early before the dawn and sever the head of the person, whom he would find sleeping at a certain place. Mandev did exactly what his father was asking him for and as soon as he was done with that, the rain-fall started. So he got excited to tell this good news to his father, but he was horrified to discover that he had slained his own father. After then, in his misery, the prince started praying infront of the goddess "Bajrayogini". The goddess got present and by releasing a bird, she commanded him to build a stupa at the spot where the bird lands. This is how this great stupa was established.

Swyambhunath Stupa (A World Heritage Site):
Swyambhunath lies about 3 km west of the city center, and is one of the major tourist attraction sites inside the Kathmandu valley. Located on the top of a small hill, the stupa commands a magnificient view of Kathmandu valley as well as the breathtaking panorama of the north-eastern Himalayan range. The stupa is believed to be built back in 250 B.C., is one of the holiest Buddhist shrines in Nepal, and is remarked as another world heritage sites by UNESCO.

The holy structure with a thirteen tiered golden spire in conical

shape surmounted over the big white dome which represents the spotless pure jewel of Nirvana stands over a typically stylized lotus mandala base is believed to be originated from a primordial lake whose establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley. The stupa has four faces with a pair of seeing eyes of Buddha painted on each. There are hundreds of shrines and other historical monuments built in and around this stupa.

There are two different ways to reach for this site. One is from the west side which is relatively a short cut and another is from the east side where it leads to the main entrance with 360 steps leading all the way to the top.

Changunarayan Temple (A World Heritage Site):
Changu Narayan is a pagoda-style Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan. It is one of the oldest temples in Nepal, but because it is a bit off the beaten track, it is seldom visited by tourists. Originally built in the early 4th century during the Licchavi dynasty, Changu Narayan was rebuilt around 1700 after the temple was destroyed by a fire.All of the stone carvings in the temple courtyard were done between the 5th and 13th century, which makes this one of the single-greatest concentrations of ancient art in Nepal.

Though the temple is quite beautiful, especially the repoussé doors and front facade, Changu Narayan is not known for its temple but for the stone statues, bas-relief carvings, and inscriptions that are scattered around the temple courtyard.

At the bottom of the stone, Vishnu is shown reclining on a bed of snakes, the same pose that is depicted in the large statue of Budhanilkantha. Above this, a 10-headed standing Vishnu is depicted. The detail in this 5th- or 6th-century stone carving is amazing.

Near the famous double Vishnu is a stone depicting another incarnation of Vishnu, the half-man, half-lion Narsimha. In the northeast corner of the courtyard is an important bas-relief that you might recognize. It depicts Vishnu riding on the back of Garuda and is the model for the image on the back of the Nepali 10-rupee note.

Nagarkot:
Nagarkot, located 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu, is one of the most scenic spots in Bhaktapur district and is renowned for its spectacular sunrise view of the Himalaya when the weather is clear. Visitors often travel to Nagarkot from Kathmandu to spend the night so that they can be there for the breathtaking sunrise. Nagarkot has acquired famous as one of the best spots to view Mount Everest as well as other snow topped peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. It also offers an excellent view of the Indrawati river valley to the east.

With an elevation of 2195 meters, Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the Valley and is described by visitors as a place whose beauty endures year round. Many visitors prefer to visit Nagarkot in the spring when surrounding valleys break out in a rich kaleidoscope of different colored flowers. The flowers are beautiful against the serene backdrop of the snow covered mountains.

Ever popular among the tourists are the short treks and picnics which Nagarkot offers. Treks from Nagarkot are unique and delightful. For anyone who wants to have an adventure without exerting much efforts, a hike to Nagarkot surrounding areas would be a good option. One can traverse short distances on trekking trails and come close to nature’s wonders such as the outer of verdant forests, flower covered covered meadows and unusual rock formations.

Kirtipur:
Kirtipur is situated on a ridge 10 Km southwest of Kathmandu. The ancient Newar township is a natural fortress and has a proud and courageous history. The Chilamchu stupa and the temple of Bagh Bhairab are major sights here. Kirtipur offer quaint streets lined with artistic houses and temple squares. The people are known for their skill in building and weaving.

Dakshinkali:
The temple of Dakshinkali is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali and is one of the most popular places of worship in Kathmandu. Located 22 Km from the city center on the southern rim of the Valley, the shrine is especially crowded on Tuesdays and Saturdays when animal sacrifices are offered to the deity.

Chobhar:
Situated nine-kilometer southwest of Kathmandu, this place is famous for its gorge. All the water of the valley drain through it. There is a small but picturesque temple of Adinath on the top of a hill. From this top one can have a panoramic view of snow capped mountain peaks. On the way back, stop at Chobhar gorge. The narrow gash in the hills was made by Lord Manjushree to drain out the lake, which once covered the Kathmandu Valley.