Best tour of the year-Cost, Distance, Itinerary, In Nepal

When you fly into Kathmandu, you'll be treated to views of the valley, the Himalayas, and the terraced fields below. After clearing customs, a representative will meet you outside the airport and accompany you to your accommodation, guiding you through the cultural shock of Kathmandu's small, winding streets.

After you've settled in, go exploring in the city. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is an excellent site to begin your trip, as it leads you through narrow passageways lined with modest stores, ancient temples, and local restaurants. Swayambhunath, the white stupa standing above the valley, is a great place to stretch your legs and watch the sunset over the valley.

The tourist hub of Thamel is a good site to eat your first meal in the evening, with a selection of eateries serving both Western and indigenous Nepali cuisine

After breakfast, an English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel for a full-day tour of the Kathmandu Valley, including visits to three sacred sites: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square.

This day packs a lot in, which is great for making the most of your time in Kathmandu, but it doesn't overwhelm you with too many sights. You can spend as much time as you want at each temple (this is a private trip for you), although usually visitors spend around an hour there. You'll eat lunch at one of our recommended neighborhood eateries.

In the late afternoon, return to your accommodation in Kathmandu and meet your trekking guide, who will go over the details of tomorrow's excursion.

After breakfast, you'll be picked up and driven to the domestic airport for your trip to Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city, which takes 30 minutes. This is a breathtaking half-hour trip along with the Himalayan range, with views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu, and Shishapangma, four of the world's fourteen major mountains over 8,000 meters.

A driver will be waiting for you when you arrive at the airport to take you to your hotel. You have the remainder of the day to explore or simply relax by the lake. Expats and adventurous travelers will find plenty of fantastic cafés, restaurants, eccentric boutiques, and yoga studios in Pokhara.

You'll have the entire day in Pokhara to relax or participate in a range of activities. You might wish to go shopping, browse the cafés and restaurants, or try something more exciting like paragliding or mountain biking.

You'll be welcomed by your trekking guide and transported to Lumle, the trek's beginning site, after an early breakfast. Please feel free to request that the driver make a photo stop along the way.

The village of Chandrakot, at 1,580 meters, is an hour's walk from Lumle. You can see Annapurna South and Machapuchare, the sacred and unclimbed Fishtail Mountain, from here. After there, the trail leads you through a forest for another 45 minutes to your overnight lodging.

You have free time after lunch to visit the nearby villages of Tanchowk, Majgaon, and Patlekhet.

Set out on the way to Landruk after breakfast. On the route, the trail passes through ancient rhododendron forests and small Gurung villages. After three to four hours of walking, you will arrive in Landruk, a lovely village. Spend the rest of the day as you wish, perhaps visiting a local Gurung hamlet after lunch at the resort.

With breakfast in Landruk, savor the last minutes of your higher elevation views. The trail then begins with a sharp fall for approximately an hour to the Modi Khola (river), followed by a strong ascent for 2-3 hours via dispersed settlements to Ghandruk, with spectacular views of the Himalayas along the way.

You'll eventually arrive in Ghandruk, one of the most populous Gurung settlements in western Nepal. You'll have plenty of time to take in the scenery and snow-capped peaks of Gangapura, Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), and Mount Annapurna after you arrive.

Visit the Annapurna Mountain Conservation Area Project (ACAP) headquarters if time allows. The ACAP is Nepal's first conservation area and the country's largest protected area. Over 1,000 kinds of blooming plants, animals, amphibians, and birds can be found in the area, which is rich in biodiversity. You can learn about tourist management (and its impact on the environment) as well as community-oriented activities.

Enjoy magnificent views of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), Annapurna South, and the Hiunchuli peaks while having breakfast at Ghandruk.

Continue on the trail higher via Deurali and through deep rhododendron trees from here. This blossom is Nepal's national flower, and during the spring months, when the trees are in full bloom, the forests transform into vivid gardens that are especially stunning against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

After crossing a minor pass, you'll arrive in Tadapani, where you'll be able to take in even more of those breathtaking vistas. The settlement is home to many friendly Tibetans who will most likely be out and about selling trekkers goods to take home as mementos.

The walk today is a little longer, lasting 5-6 hours. It's a steep ascent through meadows and pastures, followed by rhododendron and oak woodlands. Ghorepani was once a horse watering station, but it is now a major crossroads for trekkers and mule caravans traveling the Jomson-Pokhara route. It's also where the Poon Hill ascent begins and ends the next morning.

Start early in the morning for a one-hour climb up to Poon Hill (3,200 m) to catch the first rays of the sun on Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), the world's seventh highest mountain. Because of the excellent views, Poon Hill is a popular site, so anticipate enjoying the experience with a large number of other eager hikers. Don't forget to bring some cash for a cup of tea at the top.

Breakfast is served at the resort after the descent to Ghorepani. Then proceed down to Ulleri, where a car will be waiting to pick you up and return you to Pokhara.

After breakfast, you will go to Nepal's famous Terai region in your own private vehicle. The terrain and culture are completely different from what you've seen so far, as well as the Himalayan range's high, alpine regions. The word 'Terai' refers to the vast plains in Nepal's south—this territory is the northernmost extension of India's huge Gangetic plains, land that has been won and lost over decades of struggle and bears both Indian and Nepali traits and culture.

In time for a late lunch, you'll travel through tight winding gorges and deep river valleys, through terraced fields tilled by generations of family members before arriving at the huge plains and vivid rainforest of the Chitwan National Park. This is a beautiful overland drive, and you'll be able to relax and enjoy the breathtaking vistas of this unique country from the comfort of your car.

You'll arrive in Chitwan early in the afternoon, check into your resort, and meet with a representative to go through your itinerary for the next few days.

This morning, get up early and follow the elephants into the grasslands beside the river, where the mahouts cut and harvest grass for the elephants to consume during the day. Enjoy a steaming cup of traditional Nepali tea while witnessing the lovely sight of elephants grazing in the early mist. You can even try your hand at cutting and tying the grass—not it's as easy as the mahouts make it seem!

After breakfast, return to the Elephant Camp, where you will spend the night. Spend the rest of the morning learning how to care for elephants from the mahouts. Lunch will be ready around noon, and during the hot midday hours, you may want to relax and be lazy (just like the elephants).

Go for a walk in the jungle with the elephants and their mahouts in the late afternoon when the weather is nice. You'll be wandering alongside the elephants, observing how they move, what they eat, and listening to their rumbling and trumpeting communication. As you travel with the elephants through the rainforest, grassland, and wetlands, the naturalist will explain everything you need to know about the surrounding ecosystem. Depending on the route you follow, you may see tiger footprints, deer, various bird species, and even a rhino or two.

You will be surrounded by elephants living in a large, chain-free environment as an overnight guest at the Elephant Camp. You'll be immersed in the elephants' daily lives all day, and you'll sense their presence through their spoken and infrasonic conversations even after dark.

Today, you can participate in a range of activities or simply rest and explore on your own. A full day of jungle safari activities, such as spending time with Nepal's majestic elephants in the dense forest in search of wildlife or enjoying a river safari in traditional carved-out wooden canoes to view wildlife and birds along the river banks, may make the most of your day.

The bigger one-horned rhinoceros, spotted deer, hog deer, sambar deer, and barking deer, as well as a diverse range of birds, can all be found in Chitwan. With luck, you might see a leopard, sloth bear, or Royal Bengal tiger (while spotting a tiger these days is extremely unusual, recent sightings have occurred!).

Following breakfast in Chitwan, you will be taken to Bharatpur airport for your trip back to Kathmandu.

When you arrive in Kathmandu, you'll be taken to your hotel and have the rest of the day to yourself. Explore the city's streets by foot, bicycle, or rickshaw, perhaps for souvenirs or to discover what you missed at the start of your journey.

Kathmandu has a unique aura in the early morning hours when the city is slowly but steadily waking up. It's a fantastic time to go for a walk and explore the streets, or to relax with a cup of chai while looking out over one of the local courtyards or durbar squares.

Following breakfast, you have a variety of options for how to spend your day, considering the several notable landmarks in the Kathmandu Valley. You can either use today as a free day or we can arrange for a local English-speaking tour who is familiar with the city and can explain the history and significance of the sights (along with a private jeep to take you around).

Later in the evening, go out to one of the city's famous restaurants for dinner, or have your specialist organize a home-cooked meal with a local family.

It's time to bid Nepal farewell. Enjoy a final breakfast at a café, a final wander around the narrow alleys and temples, and some last-minute gift shopping in Kathmandu. You will be met at your hotel by a driver who will transport you to the airport for your return trip home. It's ideal to be at the airport at least two hours before your flight.