Dog Festival Celebration 2025 - 7 Days

Welcome to Nepal! The dog festival officially starts with your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. The representative from the company comes to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel in a private vehicle. On your arrival, you will be welcomed with a flower garland or a khada (traditional ceremonial scarf).

After arriving at your hotel room, you can take a rest and relax before joining us in the evening for the Welcome dinner. It is hosted by Access Nepal Tour and Trekking in a traditional Nepali style, along with cultural performances.

We will also have a brief meeting regarding the trip. During the meeting, you can clear any confusion. We are looking forward to being part of your memories and life. We hope you will have a great time knowing and learning about Nepali culture and tradition through this Dog festival.

Included: Accommodation, Airport pick-up, and welcome dinner.

The first day of Tihar is called Kag Tihar. On this day, Nepalis worship and feed crows with the belief of warding off bad luck.

The day starts with breakfast, and we head to the rooftop to celebrate Kaag Tihar. On the tapari (leaf plates), we will put grains or rice and leave them on the rooftop or balconies.

After finishing the rituals, we leave the hotel for a Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage sightseeing tour on a private tourist vehicle. The places we are going to are Pashupatinath Temple, one of the holiest temples in Nepal. Built around the 5th century, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is built near the holy Bagmati River, where the fire cremation and Ganga aarati are also done.

Then, we move towards the Boudhanath Stupa. This stupa is the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal. Bouddha has many great Tibetan shops for souvenirs and food. You can have your lunch here in at peaceful setting

Once you are done with lunch, we head towards Patan Durbar Square, a beautiful ancient royal palace in Lalitpur. The temples and palace here are art, the architecture, historical significance, and culture here mesmerize the souls of culture, history, and architecture lovers.

Day two of the Dog Festival ends here. We head back to the hotel and rest for a night.

Included: Accommodation with breakfast and transportation.

Day three is the main highlight of the Dog festival. We celebrated Kukur Tihar early in the morning on an empty stomach. The ritual requires things like a marigold or a makhmali garland, a Tika, and dog treats.

If you have your own pet, then that’s perfect; otherwise, we will just observe families worshiping their pets, or we can also worship stray street dogs. We worship the dogs by putting Tikas, marigold flowers, and giving them food to eat.

Likewise, in the afternoon, we visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square for a sightseeing in private vehicles. This palace is one of the popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites known for having a 55-Window Palace and medieval temples.

On the way, we stop in Thimi, a traditional Newari town. This place is famous for pottery, where you can take part in it too. You can also observe the beautiful work of local artisans.

Included: Accommodation with breakfast and transportation.

The third day of Tihar is another day worth experiencing. The morning starts with the worship of cows, a sacred animal in Nepal. During Gai Tihar, families who have cows and those who don’t have visit cow farms to worship. They are worshipped by putting Tikkas, marigold garland, decorating their horn, putting colors on their bodies, and feeding them. Then, they tie the red thread worn since Nag Panchami (a few months before) on the cow’s tail.

After this, we head to Kathmandu Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka Palace). Here you can see the beautiful architecture, and the courtyard has lots of temples. One of the famous temples is Kumari Bahal, the house of the living goddess Kumari.

In the evening, there is Lakshmi Pooja (goddess of wealth). For Lakshmi Pooja, people deeply clean their houses, all brass, and copper utensils at home. They decorate the floor with rangolis, and the whole house is decorated with lights and oil lamps (Diyos) or candles. They worship the goddess Lakshmi in a traditional Hindu way.

We finish the day with the hike to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), a hilltop Buddhist stupa. From the top, you can see the panoramic city dazzling with Tihar lights. It feels like you are standing in front of a sea of lights.

Included: Accommodation with breakfast and transportation.

Today is the second last day of the dog festival package and the fourth day of the Tihar festival. On this day, people worship and honor the Ox for their hard work and role in agriculture.

The ritual starts early in the morning with feeding the Ox, putting Tikas, marigold garlands over the neck, and decorating their bodies and horns with flowers and colours.

After finishing the pooja, we are going to visit Chovar Gorge (Manjushree’s gorge), a deep canyon. It is believed that this gorge was cut by the legendary sage Manjushree to drain the ancient Kathmandu Valley lake, which led to the founding of Kathmandu Valley as it is today.

As we return, we stop by Taudaha, a freshwater lake which is well-known for its religious significance. Its name comes from the Newari words “Ta” (snake) and “Daha” (lake). This beautiful lake is a very famous spot for bird watching, as hundreds of migratory birds come to this wetland.

If we have enough time, then we will also explore around the Kirtipur area, an ancient district with lots of historical and reigious significance.

By evening, we return to our hotels for a Farewell dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Kathmandu, organized by Access Nepal Tours and Trekking.

Included: Accommodation with breakfast, farewell dinner, and transportation.

Today is the final day of the Tihar festival, another main highlight of the Dog festival package, which is Bhai Tika (celebrations of Brothers and Sisters). 

The ritual process of Bhiat Tika starts with the allotted auspicious time made by the jyotish using the Panchang. This Vedic astrological calendar is used to find out the positions of the Sun, Moon, and other planets.

Once the auspicious time arrives, the ritual starts with the sister cracking a walnut, and she throws it away without letting the brother know. The process of cracking walnut symblozies, getting rid of evil energies surrounding the brother. Then they offer sweet lime on a duna (leaves pate) to the god.

Then, the sister circles the brother three times, dropping holy water from a Karuwa and Mustard oil too. Afterwards, she applies the oil to the hair. Then, the sisters apply the seven-colored tika on their brothers’ foreheads and put a marigold garland over their necks. This process holds the meaning of a sister praying for a long life for her brother and protection.

Sister then puts a dhaka topi (cloth hat), gives traditional Tihar delicacies and gifts to the brother. Later, the brother also applies the seven colored tikas and malas to the sister. Likewise, the brother bows down and touches the feet of his sister with their forehead as a sign of respect and gives money. This completes the Bhai Tika celebration, and everyone gathers together for a hearty meal of Tihar delicacies.

In the evening, we gather for a farewell meal at one of the finest restaurants in Kathmandu. After the dinner, the night is yours; you can wander around the city, dazzled with colorful lights, candles, and oil lamps. You can also shop fr a souvenir since it’s your last day in Nepal.

Included: Accommodation with breakfast and farewell dinner.

Today is the final day of the Dog Festival. We wish you had the best experience celebrating the Dog Festival and Tihar with Access Nepal Tours and Trekking.

After having breakfast, we will transfer you to the Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight back home. For a more unique trip like this, or if you want to extend your stay in Nepal, just inform us. Safe Flight!

Included: Breakfast and drop off.