Classic Nepal tour

We 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.

Our Nepal tour starts with an exciting Rickshaw ride through the backstreets of Thamel, to Durbar Square. We'll pass 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, where we'll have plenty of time to walk around and explore. After lunch at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the square, we drive to the important Swayambunath Stupa which sits on a hilltop overlooking the city, visible from miles around. Also known locally as the 'monkey temple', we'll see these nimble inhabitants scampering in and around the trees and temple.

This morning we drive out of the Kathmandu Valley and drive to Chitwan National Park in the lowland Terai region of Nepal that borders India (approx. 7-8 hours). This will be our first taste of rural Nepal, and we'll see terraced farmland, forested hills, and rushing rivers. An option is available today to spend a few hours white water rafting on the Trisuli river (requires advance booking). Those choosing this option will rejoin the group in Chitwan this evening). On arrival in Chitwan, we check into our lodge, and then take an early evening village walk to see how the local Tharu people live and work.

We spend the whole day today exploring Chitwan National Park in search of the endangered Asian one-horned rhino, which Chitwan is famous for protecting. If you're very lucky you may also see a leopard, wild elephant or sloth bear, or even an elusive Bengal tiger, while the rhino, deer, monkeys, sloth bears, wild boar and numerous different birdlife are common sightings. Activities included are a jungle walk, river canoe trip and jeep safari.

Early this morning you can take a walk outside the park dedicated mainly to bird watching. After breakfast we then leave Chitwan and the Terai and drive to the ancient hilltop Newari trading village of Bandipur. The centre of Bandipur has been restored, and is vehicle free, with some lovely old buildings. We'll have a short guided walking tour around the centre of Bandipur before you have free time this afternoon to relax, or take a walk or hike through the surrounding fields, villages and hills. Walks include a 2-hour downhill hike through fields and forest to Siddha Cave, one of the largest in Asia and full of impressive rock formations (bring a torch). You can hike back uphill to Bandipur from here or walk down to the highway for our vehicle to pick you up. A shorter walk from the town centre can take you uphill for around 30min to the Thani Mai Temple, which is well worth it for its views at sunset if the weather is clear. In fact the whole of Bandipur affords good mountain views.

We leave Bandipur early this morning and drive on to the lakeside town of Pokhara, which sits at the base of the Annapurna range of mountains and is the main access point for trekking and rafting in the area. We have an action packed afternoon ahead which will include visits to Devi Falls, the Tibetan Refugee Camp and the hilltop Peace Pagoda, which offers amazing views over Pokhara.

We drive through low hills and valleys via the village of Lumle to Nayapul. We start our trek through the Annapurna foothills here by walking to Birethanti (approx. 1-2 hours) before continuing on a path following the Modi Khola river which is fairly flat until you begin your long ascent from Shauli Bazaar to Ghandruk. The town of Ghandruk is an important settlement in the region and is the heart of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, as well as home to thousands of serving and retired Gurkha soldiers. The total trekking for today is approximately 5-6 hours.

The walk from Ghandruk to Tadapani passes through several types of forest, some with unusual trails of moss hanging down from the tree branches. The rhododendron forest here is considered one of the largest in the world, and is a spectacular sight in spring when the trees come into flower. Once you arrive in Tadapani you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare. The total trekking for today is approximately 4 hours, so you have plenty of time for photo stops and perhaps to visit the Old Gurung museum before you leave Ghandruk which displays traditional clothes and equipment used by the local Gurung people.

The trail between Tadapani and Ghorepani crosses several river valleys and winds its way through more rhododendron forests where monkeys are often seen. After leaving the mountain forests behind you can get some clearer views before arriving in Bantanthi. You have time to rest for a while in Bantanthi before climbing through forests and following a grass and pine covered ridge to Ghorepani. The total trekking for today is approximately 4-5 hours.

We start early today and climb up to Poon Hill for great views of the Annapurna Range and Macchapuchare in particular. The rising mists over the foothills of the Himalayas stretching into the distance away from you are also a beautiful sight. After returning to the lodge for breakfast, we walk down to Tirkhedunga through oak and rhododendron forests via Nangethanti, Banthanti and a steep stepped descent from Ulleri. Today's trekking time is approximately 5-6 hours.

We finish trekking today by walking from Tirkhedunga back to Naya Pul with some more steep descents and beautiful scenery. After driving back into Pokhara the rest of the day is free to relax, take a boat out on the lake, or enjoy a relaxing meal and drink at one of the Lakeside area's many restaurants while reflecting on your trek. Today's trekking time is approximately 3 hours.

We leave the Annapurna region behind this morning and take a tourist bus back to Kathmandu (approx. 7-8 hours). An upgrade to a domestic flight is available on request. The remainder of the day and evening is free to settle back into busy city life again!

This morning you have the option of taking a spectacular mountain viewing flight to see Everest and its surrounding peaks up close. Otherwise, the morning is free to check out the shops and markets in Kathmandu for some souvenirs. This afternoon we embark on a guided tour of Bhaktapur's ancient center. The centre of Bhaktapur has been designated a World Heritage Site, and hosts the best preserved ancient buildings and temples in the Kathmandu valley, with some great examples of traditional wooden architecture to be seen. Our tour here will really give you a taste for how life has been led in the valley for centuries, and you'll see several traditional crafts still taking place, including a whole square dedicated to pottery where you'll have the opportunity to join an included pottery class.

This morning we hope for spectacular sunrise views from Nagarkot before walking downhill through the Tilkot Forest Reserve and along a ridge with classic terraced farmland on either side to the regions oldest Temple - Changu Narayan. We drive back from here to Kathmandu, stopping en-route at two of the cities most important, and contrasting religious pilgrimage sites - Pasupatinath temple (Hindu) and Boudhanath stupa (Buddhist). The evening is free for you to explore Kathmandu and Thamel one last time and enjoy a farewell meal together.

You have some free time in Kathmandu today until we transfer you to the airport for departure. Extensions to the tour are available to add more trekking, white water rafting or to visit Bardia National Park (the best place in Nepal to see tigers). First thing this morning there is also another option to take a spectacular mountain viewing flight up to see Mt. Everest (requires an evening international flight departure).