Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour

Spend the day with your guide at four of the valley’s World Heritage monuments. Start at Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old royal quarter of pagoda temples, carved windows and the house of the Kumari, the living goddess. Climb to the hilltop stupa of Swayambhunath for views across the city. In the afternoon, visit Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River, Nepal’s holiest Hindu temple, observing the rituals from the eastern bank. End at Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world, where monks and pilgrims circle the dome spinning prayer wheels as evening falls.

Leave Kathmandu after breakfast on the Prithvi Highway, around 200 km of winding road that follows the Trisuli and Marsyangdi rivers through terraced hills and busy highway towns. There are stops for tea and lunch, and the drive usually takes most of the day. On arrival in Pokhara, check in near Lakeside and head out for a relaxed walk along Phewa Lake. If the sky is clear, the Annapurna range and the pointed summit of Machhapuchhre rise above the town. If you prefer, a 25-minute flight can replace the drive for an extra fare.

Drive up to Sarangkot before dawn and walk the last short stretch to the viewpoint at about 1,600 m. As the sun rises, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna massif turn pink and then gold. After breakfast back in town, your guide takes you to Davis Falls, where the stream vanishes underground, and the limestone Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave with its Shiva shrine. Row across Phewa Lake to the island temple of Tal Barahi, then drive up to the World Peace Pagoda on the ridge above the lake for a final panorama of Pokhara and the mountains.

After breakfast, drive south out of the hills towards the Terai lowlands, following the river valleys down to Sauraha on the northern edge of Chitwan National Park. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours. Your jungle resort welcomes you with lunch and a short briefing from the naturalist who will lead your activities. Late in the afternoon, take a guided walk through a nearby Tharu village to learn about the indigenous people of the Terai, then watch the sun set over the Rapti River. Dinner is at the resort.

A full day in the park with your naturalist guide. In the morning, glide down the Rapti River in a traditional dugout canoe, watching for gharial and mugger crocodiles and kingfishers along the banks, followed by a short guided jungle walk. After lunch, head deeper into the park on a jeep safari through grassland and sal forest, the best chance to spot the greater one-horned rhinoceros, several species of deer, wild boar and, with great luck, a sloth bear or Bengal tiger. You may also visit the Elephant Breeding Centre. In the evening, enjoy a Tharu cultural show featuring the famous stick dance.

Wake early for bird watching around the resort, when the forest is at its liveliest, then have breakfast and begin the drive back to Kathmandu. The route climbs out of the Terai and follows the Trisuli River back to the valley, taking roughly 5 to 7 hours depending on traffic. After checking in, the evening is free for souvenir shopping in Thamel or a farewell Nepali dinner. A short flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu can be arranged instead of the drive for an extra fare.

Your Nepal tour ends today. Enjoy breakfast and, if your flight leaves later in the day, a final wander through the city, a coffee in one of Thamel’s garden cafés or a last round of souvenir shopping for tea, pashmina or handmade paper. Our team transfers you to Tribhuvan International Airport in good time, around three hours before an international flight. If you would like to extend your stay, we can arrange a short trek in the Annapurna foothills, a mountain flight, or a few more days in Pokhara.