This 7-day tour of Nepal gives travelers a great introduction to their time in Nepal.
We include an arrival airport transfer, a hotel in the tourist district of Thamel in Kathmandu, a walking tour to get a feel for the city, several iconic Hindu & Buddhist temples and stupas, public coach travel between cities for added local flavor and lower cost, wildlife safaris in Chitwan National Park including an elephant ride, jungle walk, boat trip, village walk, and time in the lakeside town of Pokhara at the foot of the Annapurna mountain range to finish.
The tour finishes in Pokhara which is the main base in Nepal for travellers to start trekking and rafting trips from. A range of additional bolt-on extras can be added for people wanting to do more. These can be booked in advance or while in Nepal.
Arrival location:
Kathmandu, Nepal
Departure Location:
Pokhara, Nepal
Included in your experience:
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary in clean and friendly hotels and lodges around the 2 star level
- All transfers, including 24-hour airport arrival transfer service vehicle transport
- All transport including public tourist coach from Kathmandu to Chitwan, and Chitwan to Pokhara. Local transport including jeeps (and elephants) in Chitwan
- Services of a local escort throughout the tour
- Specialist city guides and wildlife safari guides in Kathmandu and Chitwan
- All national park entry and activity fees
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (6 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners)
- All entrance fees to sites visited in the itinerary
Not included in your experience:
- International Flights
- Visa fees (see below)
- Travel Insurance (compulsory)
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Drinks, snacks and other personal expenses (e.g. laundry)
- Tips for guides, drivers & tour leader
- Any other items not mentioned above
DAY 1 Arrive into KathmanduWe greet you on your arrival in Kathmandu airport today and transfer you to your hotel in the Thamel tourist disctrict of the city. Our rep will help you settle in and familiarise you with the local area before the rest of your day is free. In the evening our rep will take you on an evening walk through Thamel to check out the numerous bars, restaurants and nightlife on offer. You may have your first taste of Nepal’s traditional dish tonight – Dal Bhat (rice and lentil curry).
OVERNIGHTKathmandu - 2* hotel
EXTRASExtra night - pre-tour
DAY 2 Kathmandu city tourOur tour starts with a guided walk from our hotel in Thamel through small back streets full of numerous tiny shops, workshops, temples, and stupas to Durbar Square with its array of wooden and stone carved temples and palaces. You’ll really get a feel for the bustle and chaos that is Kathmandu. After lunch at a rooftop restaurant overlooking Durbar Square, we visit the important and contrasting pilgrimage sites of Bouthanath Buddhist stupa and Pasupatinath Hindu temple. Boudhanath has a serene calm to it with many monasteries surrounding it and peaceful music playing. Pasupatinath however is more chaotic but equally important religiously and you will see the riverside ghats where bodies are cremated amidst prayers and rituals.
OVERNIGHTKathmandu - 2* hotel
MEALSBreakfast
EXTRASEverest Mountain Flight
DAY 3 Tourist coach and local transfer to Chitwan National Park. Evening village walkWe leave the Kathmandu Valley today and drive out on the main road to India through steep sided hills and valleys. You may well see white water rafters on the Trisuli River far below you. After a break and a total drive of 6-7 hours you arrive in the plains that border India and we take a local transfer to our lodge at Chitwan National Park. After settling in we take a village walk to learn more about the typical rural village life of the local Tharu people.
OVERNIGHTChitwan – Safari Lodge
MEALSBreakfast, Dinner
DAY 4 Chitwan National Park wildlife safariWe spend today exploring Chitwan National Park in search of, amongst others, tigers, rhino and wild elephant. In the morning we’ll take a walk through the jungle and enjoy a canoe trip. Later on in the afternoon we take an elephant safari into the park. You may also get a chance to bathe with the elephants in the river!
OVERNIGHTChitwan - Safari Lodge
MEALSBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5 Chitwan to PokharaThis morning we have a walk dedicated to bird watching, or you can take another elephant safari into the park (at extra cost) before taking a tourist bus to the lakeside town of Pokhara which sits at the foot of the mighty Annapurna range of mountains. After settling into our hotel, the rest of the day is free to relax and explore this picturesque lakeside town. Our rep will take you on a walk through the Lakeside area which teems with trekking equipment shops, restaurants and bars.
OVERNIGHTPokhara – 2* hotel
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 6 Sarangkot walk and free timeWe get up early this morning and take a taxi up to the top of the nearby viewpoint at the top of Sarangkot hill. Here you can get fantastic morning views of the Annapurna mountain range which may inspire you for some trekking to come. We walk downhill back to Pokhara for a couple of hours, stopping at tea shops and enjoying the views. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy Pokhara, perhaps taking a rowing boat out on the lake or enjoying an optional sightseeing tour.
OVERNIGHTPokhara - 2* hotel
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 7 Pokhara, tour endsYour introduction to Nepal finishes after breakfast this morning. Our local rep will be available to help you with any onward plans you may have, whether you want to return to Kathmandu, do some trekking in the mountains, try some fun white water rafting or just chill out some more in Pokhara.
OVERNIGHTN/A
MEALSBreakfast