Kathmandu-Pokhara –Chitwan –Lumbini Tour - 8 Days

Meet Nepal Trekking Path representative outside the terminal at the Tribhuvan International Airport. They will escort you to your hotel. If you arrive early, you may head out to explore the colorful market. Overnight stay at a cozy 3-star hotel.

Kathmandu is a must-see city with numerous landmarks. Today, we will check out four top destinations listed in UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites. Begin the day with a delicious breakfast then hop into the private jeep for full day excursion starting with Basantapur Durbar Square.

Basantapur Durbar Square: Commonly known as Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square has seen the rise and fall of few empires. Every day, the palace welcomes hundreds of visitors. Filled with original architecture, wood carving, and artwork, the palace has an aura of ancient charm. The palace has been renovated and expanded multiple times. Different monuments, temples, courtyards, and sculptures were constructed during different dynasty. The place is embellished by Shiv-Parvati Temple, Jagannath Temple, Taleju Temple, Kumari Bahal, Taleju temple, Kal Bhairav, Big Drums, Hanuman- dhoka, old palaces, and Kumari Ghar. The place is surrounded by small and large vendors selling various things including handicrafts.

Swayambhunath: Swayambhunath is the most revered and spiritual core of Nepali and Tibetan Buddhism. The holy shrine above the Kathmandu city stands as a symbol of peace and unity. The complex set amid the sparsely populated trees has multiple entrances. If you want to hike a bit, you may climb the 365 stairs leading to the top of the plaza otherwise enter form another gate. The large complex houses a number of ancient art craft.

Scattered around the complex are magnificent statues of Buddha, ponds, gardens, sculptures, viewpoints, shrines and temples. Delve into the serenity and witness the monks offering prayers and performing daily rituals. Roam around keeping an eye out for monkeys, snap pictures and enjoy the captivating view of Kathmandu city. After strolling around the plaza for a while, we will head to Pashupatinath.

Pashupatinath: Architecture masterpiece, Pashupatinath is believed to be constructed in 400 B.C. Kathmandu’s oldest temple, Pashupatinath is set on the bank of the holy river called Bagmati. The inner and outer courtyard of the plaza consists of 518 monuments and temples. The main temple is of Lord Shiva constructed in Pagoda style decorated with four finely carved silver doors. In the inner courtyard, we can see temples and shrines like Hanuman shrine, Budhanilakantha shrine, Surya Narayana Temple, Vasuki Nath Temple, 184 Sivalinga shrine etc. Outer courtyard is dotted with Ram Mandir, Guhyeshwari temple, Virat swaroop temple etc. The place is replete with devotees throughout the day.

Bouddhanath: Bouddhanath is one of the most sacred stupas in Nepal. Constructed in the 14th century, the plaza features the largest stupa in Nepal. After paying a certain entry charge, we will perform kora in the clockwise direction while checking out the local vendors selling Nepali and Tibetan crafts. The plaza houses gumbas, temples, shrines, and statues.

Relax while returning back to the hotel. Our Kathmandu sightseeing tour comes to an end with a hotel drop-off in the evening. Have dinner then take rest in a cozy hotel room.

Departure post breakfast from the hotel for a pleasant drive meandering through small villages, serpentine roads, and raging rivers. We will head to Thangkot, the exiting point of Kathmandu valley, leaving the city behind then drive on the downhill for around an hour to reach Naubise. A brief drive from here takes us to another small market called Malekhu. Follow the road meandering alongside the raging Trishuli river with the vistas of soaring mountains on the backdrop. The scenic drive of six hours gives us a glimpse of rustic Nepal and lifestyle of local people. Upon reaching Pokhara, check-in to the hotel, settle, freshen up then head out to explore the beautiful city. Stroll around the local market, chill in the lakeside, enjoy the boating in Fewa lake and explore Annapurna range and Mt. Macchapucchere. We will explore Barahi Temple, International Mountain Museum, Gupteshwar Gufa, and Gurkha Memorial Museum. Since we will be staying in the Lakeside, we can get a glimpse of sparkling mountains from our hotel room as well.

Wake up before the dawn, today we will head to Sarangkot to view the sunrise above the sparkling alps. It is half an hour drive on the gradual uphill. From Sarangkot, we will get a glimpse of soaring mountains above and the beautiful valley below. Enjoy the vista, sip coffee then head to Seti River Gorge. Explore Mahendra Cave, Bat Cave, Bindhya Basini Temple, Davis Falls, and World Peace Pagoda.

Adventure seekers have the option to indulge in several adrenaline-pumping sports including paragliding, bungee, rafting, mountain biking, ultralight flight, hand gliding, canyoning, kayaking, sky diving, stand up paddle-boarding etc. If you are looking forward to enjoying any of these sports, let us know in advance. After enjoying the beauty of this heavenly place, we will head to our hotel room.

Start the day early, have breakfast then hop into the jeep. Today, we will be driving to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. It will take us around four hours to reach Lumbini from Pokhara. We will drive through small hamlets, streams, terraced farms, green hills, and rivers. Lumbini is a perfect blend of nature, culture, and spiritualism. After checking in to the hotel, we will freshen up then head out to visit a sacred garden made of stupas, sacred pond, Ashoka pillar, marker stone, and Mayadevi temple. Explore Monastic zone housing diverse monasteries built by countries like Bhutan, India, Nepal, German, Korea, and China. Stroll around the Lumbini village, visit World Peace Pagoda and Crane Sanctuary.

On the second day of the Lumbini tour, we will explore Kapilvastu. We will drive for around an hour to reach Kapilvastu. In Kapilvastu, we will explore Tilaurakot, Kudan, Jagdishpur lake, Sagarahawa, Araurakot, Niglihawa, and Gotihawa. After spending a beautiful day in Kapilvastu, we will drive back to the hotel and take rest after a delicious dinner.

Today, we will head to Chitwan, so wake up early, have breakfast and pack your belongings. It is a 3 to 4 hours drive. Upon reaching Chitwan, check-in, freshen up, have lunch then head out to explore this heavenly place. Today, we will explore the Tharu village, learn about the history of National Park Visitors. Get a glimpse of a sunset from the bank of Rapti river. In the evening, enjoy Tharu cultural dance. End the day with a delicious dinner.

Have breakfast by seven o’clock then head out to explore Chitwan National Park. Take a canoe ride on the Rapti river while enjoying the vistas of diverse species of birds, rare crocodiles then enjoy elephant bathing. We will have lunch at 1 o’clock then head for Elephant Safari. It will be around three hours of ride offering vistas of some of the rare wildlife including one-horned rhinoceros and Royal Bengal Tiger. Enjoy Tharu cultural dance in the evening then have dinner.

After exploring Chitwan and the neighborhood, we will drive back to Kathmandu. It is a four to five hour drive through beautiful villages, terraced farms and green valleys.

Your Nepal tour has come to an end. Today you will depart for your onward journey.