Itinerary
- Day 1
Kathmandu
You'll arrive in Kathmandu and get settled at your hotel. The afternoon is free, so you can walk around the city's narrow streets, take a rickshaw ride, or just get your bearings. That evening there's a meeting with your fellow travelers and a tour briefing where they'll collect copies of your passport, travel insurance, and passport photos.
Optional Activities
- Explore narrow winding streets of Kathmandu
- Rickshaw ride through the city
- Day 2
Kathmandu
Start the morning with a cycle rickshaw ride through Thamel and the Ason and Indra Chowk markets. After that, you'll head to Kathmandu Durbar Square to see the palaces, courtyards, and temples. Next is Boudhanath, Nepal's largest stupa, where a Buddhist Lama will give you a traditional blessing at a working monastery. By evening you'll reach Pashupatinath, the most sacred Hindu shrine, just in time for the evening Aarti ceremony on the Bagmati River.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cycle rickshaw ride through Thamel, Ason and Indra Chowk
- Walking exploration of Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Visit Boudhanath stupa
- Traditional blessing from a Buddhist Lama at working monastery
- Visit Pashupatinath Temple
- Evening Aarti ceremony at Bagmati River
Landmarks/POIs Kathmandu Durbar Square Kumari Bahal Jagannath Mandir Taleju Mandir Boudhanath Stupa Pashupatinath Temple - Day 3
Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park
You'll travel south to Chitwan National Park, which covers 930 square kilometers and is one of Asia's major wildlife reserves. Once you arrive, you'll get an orientation on what activities are available. In the afternoon, you'll take a cultural village walk with the Tharu people to learn about their traditional architecture and farming. As the day winds down, you'll watch the sunset from the riverbank and hear an educational talk about the park's ecology and wildlife.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Travel to Chitwan National Park
- Park orientation
- Village walk with Tharu people
- Sunset view from riverbank
- Educational presentation on park ecology and conservation
Landmarks/POIs Chitwan National Park - Day 4
Chitwan National Park
This day is all about park activities. You can go canoeing, take nature walks, do bird watching, or walk through the forest with naturalists while looking for tigers, leopards, and other wildlife. There's also an opportunity to see the native folk dances of the Terais region.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Wildlife spotting for tigers and leopards
- Canoeing
- Nature walks
- Bird watching
- Forest walks with naturalists
- Native Terai folk dances
Landmarks/POIs Chitwan National Park - Day 5
Chitwan to Pharping
You'll leave Chitwan and drive north through the mid-hill region and river valleys toward the Kathmandu Valley, passing through rural areas. You'll arrive in Pharping and check into the Neydo Hotel, which sits within an active Buddhist monastery. In the afternoon, you can watch a traditional monastic debate in the courtyard. Later comes the monastery's daily protection puja with drums, conch shells, and ceremonial horns. Dinner is at 7:00pm in the monastery's dining hall.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Served in the monastery's dining hall at 7:00pm)
Included Activities
- Travel through mid-hill region and rural Nepalese landscape
- Traditional monastic debate observation
- Daily protection puja ceremony
Landmarks/POIs Neydo Tashi Choeling Monastery - Day 6
Pharping to Patan
The day begins with morning prayers at the monastery with the monks, then breakfast. After that, you'll travel to Bungamati, a traditional Newari village with bamboo groves and woodcarving workshops. You'll walk across paddy fields to Khokana, where you can see locals operating traditional mustard oil presses. Later, you'll reach Patan (Lalitpur), the City of Beauty, and explore its Durbar Square with its temples, palaces, courtyards, shrines, and the Tibetan refugee center famous for handwoven carpets.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Morning prayers at Neydo Monastery
- Explore Bungamati village
- Walk across paddy fields to Khokana
- Visit Khokana settlement and Shree Rudrayani Temple
- Explore Patan Durbar Square
- Visit Tibetan refugee centre and carpet workshops
Landmarks/POIs Bungamati Rato Machhendranath Temple Khokana Shree Rudrayani Temple Patan Durbar Square - Day 7
Patan to Panauti
You'll drive to the historic town of Panauti, located where the Rosi and Punyamati rivers meet. You'll stay at a local women-led community homestay where you'll get warm hospitality and home-cooked meals. If you're interested, you can join your host family in the kitchen to learn about traditional Nepali cooking techniques and ingredients.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Home-cooked meal prepared by host family)
Included Activities
- Travel to Panauti
- Women-led community homestay experience
- Traditional Nepali cooking preparation
Landmarks/POIs Panauti - Day 8
Panauti
Spend this day exploring Panauti at your own pace. You can wander through the narrow lanes with traditional Newari houses, ancient temples, and community shrines. If you want to go further, bicycles are available to rent for exploring nearby villages and countryside. You could also do a 2-3-hour trek into the surrounding hills or help local farmers in their fields (activities change by season, from rice planting during monsoon to harvesting in October and November).
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Panauti heritage town
Optional Activities
- Bicycle hire to explore nearby villages and countryside
- 2-3-hour trek into surrounding hills
- Participate in rice planting (June to August)
- Participate in rice harvest (October to November)
Landmarks/POIs Panauti - Day 9
Panauti to Bhaktapur
You'll leave Panauti and drive to Namo Buddha Monastery, one of Nepal's most sacred Buddhist sites on a quiet hilltop. Then you'll stop at Dhulikhel View Tower for panoramic Himalayan views (assuming clear weather). From there, you'll arrive in Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the three main Kathmandu Valley cities. You'll explore Layaku main square with the 15th-century Palace of 55 Carved Windows, the intricately adorned Golden Gate, Lion Gate, the King Bhupatindra Malla statue, and the stone temple of Vatsala Devi. You'll also see the bronze bell known as the Bell of Barking Dogs, which was put up in 1737.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Namo Buddha Monastery
- Visit Dhulikhel View Tower
- Explore Bhaktapur Layaku main square
- Palace of 55 Carved Windows
- Explore Golden Gate and Lion Gate
- View King Bhupatindra Malla statue
- Visit Vatsala Devi temple
- See the Bell of Barking Dogs
Landmarks/POIs Namo Buddha Monastery Dhulikhel View Tower Bhaktapur Durbar Square Palace of 55 Carved Windows Golden Gate Lion Gate Vatsala Devi Temple Bell of Barking Dogs - Day 10
Bhaktapur to Kathmandu
After breakfast, your day is free until it's time to head to Kathmandu airport for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Leisure time in Bhaktapur
