10 Day Kathmandu & Nepal Exploration Tour

Upon your arrival at the Kathmandu airport, your local tour guide will greet you and to escort you to your private car for transportation to your downtown Kathmandu hotel. You will have the rest of this day free to rest and relax in your hotel or explore the local area on your own. There will be a Nepalese welcome dinner in the evening for the group.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Kathmandu

After breakfast at your hotel, we will begin to explore Kathmandu and its surrounding areas. First up will be a visit to the Boudhanath Stupa, one of the world’s largest Buddhist shrines and a history dating back around 1,600 years. From there we will move on to visit the Royal City of Bhaktapur and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the site of an ancient royal palace. Bhaktapur is an ancient village notable for the best preserved palace courtyards and old city center in Nepal and its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone works of art. After visiting these UNESCO World Heritage Sites, we will return to the hotel to spend the night.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Kathmandu

This morning after breakfast we will head south out of Kathmandu for about 23 kilometers (14 miles) to reach Pharping, a small town that hosts numerous Buddhist pilgrimage sites as well as Hindu temples. Along the way we will have the opportunity to explore the Swayambunath Temple (also known as the Monkey Temple), a 1,500-year old religious complex of a stupa and a variety of shrines and temples that are revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.

We will have a unique overnight experience as we spend the night in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery guesthouse at Neydo Tashi Chöling Monastery, which offers comfortable accommodations in a peaceful setting with balconies and private, western-style bathrooms. This large monastery hosts about 200 monks and was established in 2006. The income from the guesthouse directly supports the monastery.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Pharping

This morning we will do some exploring around the Neydo Tashi Choling Monastery before we depart for Kurintar on a 3-1/2 to 4-hour drive through 125 kilometers (78 miles) of some of Nepal’s beautiful forest scenery along the way. We will spend the night in a remote lodge situated on a ridge amongst the hills and overlooking sandy beaches lining a picturesque river. This remote lodge is only accessible on foot, so we will need to hike around 30 to 45 minutes to reach it. We will have porters to carry our bags, but please pack only what you will need for the overnight stay as we will leave our larger bags in the vehicle.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Kurintar

This morning after breakfast we will hike back down to our vehicle to travel on for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours to Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP), the oldest national park in Nepal, where we will spend 3 days and 2 nights exploring this national treasure. This park was established in 1973 and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. RCNP is home to at least 45 species of amphibians and reptiles, 450 species of birds, and at least 43 species of mammals including monkeys, tigers and langurs. We will have the opportunity for a boat excursion today to better explore the park.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight at Chitwan National Park

Today we will spend an exciting day exploring Chitwan National Park with our expert local guides. The exact activities will depend on the weather and the season, but typical excursions include village walks, boating, nature walks, and jeep safaris looking for rhinos, leopards, wild elephants, monkeys and crocodiles. We will also see a presentation on the Nepal Tiger Trust, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the preservation of tigers in Nepal. A local tiger expert will join us on a jeep safari through tiger habitat so that we can learn about how tigers are tracked, protected and monitored with the help of the local communities. And if we are very lucky, we may be able to spot one of these beautiful creatures in the wild.

After a full day of exploring the park, we will return to the lodge for a Tharu cultural dance program presented by the local villagers.

Today’s trip notes:

1) The jeep safaris are often prohibited from running during the monsoon season by park authorities. Monsoon season runs from June to September and it can sometimes last until October. If the park is inaccessible, we can still explore the unfenced surrounding forest where it is just as likely to see wild animals.

2) Boat trips are also subject to water levels and local conditions on the Rapti River.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight at Chitwan National Park

We will depart Chitwan National Park this morning after breakfast for the 5 to 6-hour drive on to Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal that lies on the once vibrant trade route between India and Tibet. Even today, mule trains can be observed bringing goods from remote regions of the Himalayas. Pokhara has several beautiful lakes and offers fantastic panoramic views of three of the ten highest mountain peaks in the world. There are also numerous Buddhist and Hindu temples throughout the area, some of which are combined temples where devoted members of the different religions worship together in peace.

After our travel and a bit of time exploring the city, we will check into our local accommodations for the night.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Pokhara

Early this morning we will hike up to the village of Sarangkot for a spectacular sunrise over the sweeping Himalyan mountain peaks. From there we will hike on to the World Peace Pagoda, a beautiful monument built by Buddhist monks from Japan. We can also visit a Tibetan refugee settlement camp to learn more about this refugee community by viewing their photo gallery and enjoying a Tibetan-style lunch. In the afternoon, you will have the option to try paragliding or enjoy a boat ride on Phewa Lake.

Today’s trip notes:

1) The hike up to the World Peace Pagoda is fairly strenuous so if you are not feeling up to it, please let your guide know and you may find something else to do instead.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Pokhara

This morning we will take you to the Pokhara airport for the short one-hour flight back to Kathmandu. You will have the rest of the day free for exploring Kathmandu, so you may want to visit Pashuptinath or return to Swayambhunath to see some places you may have missed before. There is no shortage of interesting places to visit in the “City of Temples”, so you may just want to wander around the fascinating city to see what you may find.

Meals：None

Accommodation：Overnight in Kathmandu

Today is free for you until it is time for you to go to the Kathmandu airport for your departing flight. The hotel checkout time is 12 p.m. today.

Meals：None

Accommodation：None