Tihar: Festival of Lights

Kathmandu Valley

Highlights

• Nepal's most photogenic festival — five days of oil lamps, rangoli patterns, and devotion to crows, dogs, cows, and the goddess Laxmi.
• Festival Tour · 5 Days
• Small group, guide-led

Day-by-day itinerary

1. D1

   Kag Tihar & Crow Worship

   Arrive in Kathmandu on the first day of Tihar. Join locals in preparing sweets for crows on rooftops — a ritual acknowledging these messengers between worlds. Evening walk through Thamel to see shops beginning their decorations.

   Kathmandu Valley As per plan

2. D2

   Kukur Tihar: Day of the Dogs

   The most beloved day for animal lovers. Walk through neighborhoods where every dog — from street mutts to pedigree pets — wears marigold garlands and red tika on their foreheads. Visit an animal shelter participating in the celebrations. Evening storytelling about Yama, the god of death, and his two canine guardians.

   Kathmandu Valley As per plan

3. D3

   Gai Tihar & Laxmi Puja

   Morning cow worship at a local dairy. Evening Laxmi Puja in a traditional Newar home — help create intricate rangoli (mandalas of colored powder and flower petals) at the entrance, light dozens of butter lamps, and watch the family perform rituals to invite wealth and prosperity. Walk through pitch-dark streets illuminated only by countless diyas.

   Kathmandu Valley As per plan

4. D4

   Govardhan Puja & Mha Puja

   Morning visit to a Govardhan Puja ceremony where cow dung is molded into mountain shapes symbolizing Krishna's lifting of Mount Govardhan. For Newar families, this is also Mha Puja — worship of the self. Participate in this unique ritual where one's own body is honored as a divine vessel.

   Kathmandu Valley As per plan

5. D5

   Bhai Tika & Departure

   The final day celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Witness sisters applying seven-colored tika to their brothers' foreheads and tying sacred threads. Receive your own blessing tika. Final shopping for Tihar sweets and departure.

   Kathmandu Valley As per plan

Price includes

• Local storyteller guide
• Stays as per itinerary
• Daily breakfast
• All ground transfers

Make it yours (upsells)

Everything apart from the trip itself is an upsell — tick what you want.