Essential Nepal Adventure - 13 Days

After arriving in the city of Kathmandu, make your own way to the hostel where you will meet your fellow travellers and tour leader for a welcome meeting on the rooftop at 6pm. Then consider heading to Durbar Square with the group to get a taste of delicious Nepalese food from one of the local restaurant before heading to the Thamal District to check some live music.

This morning there's an optional Everest sightseeing flight for early risers. Marvel at the sunrise over Everest, a truly stunning sight! We then re-group later in the morning to take in some of the highlights of Kathmandu, including the Swayambhunath Stupa Temple, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath Temple.

Kathmandu - Lalitpur - Nagarkot. Today, we depart from Kathmandu and head towards Nagarkot. Enroute, we make a stop at Lalitpur with an abundance of temples to visit -such as the Golden Temple and the Bangla Mukhi Temple. We also have the pleasure to meet a living goddess who lives in the area. We then resume the journey, arriving Nagarkot in time for lunch, with options aplenty. The rest of the afternoon and evening is for leisure. However, there's an optional 30-minute hike with the guide and group to a picturesque viewpoint to witness a magnificent sunset.

Nagrkot - Bhaktapur - Pharphing - Kathmandu. It's now back to Kathmandu, with a couple of stops enroute. In the morning we visit Bhaktapur, partaking in a morning walking tour of this city (UNESCO World Heritage Site). We continue onwards to Pharping, which houses a fantastic monastery for us to explore. In this monastery, we're amongst the local monks. Make sure to explore the cave which was home to the meditations of Great Master Padmanabhanagar. We then arrive back in Kathmandu, with a free evening for exploration or relaxation.

Kathmandu - Chitwan. Rise and shine! Today's early start begins our adventure to Chitwan. We stop for breakfast on the way, and reach Chitwan around midday with time for lunch. Once re-fuelled, we embark on a jeep safari! Spectate the wonderful abundance of wildlife this region offers - such as deers, monkeys, rhinos, sloth's, tigers, leopards and more. We then cruise along a river in a canoe, with many more sights to behold. After our canoe ride, we enjoy a cup of coffee with the sunset in the background. We finish the evening with a Tharu Cultural Show which will showcase traditional Nepalese songs and dances.

Chitwan - Lumbini. We travel onwards to Lumbini today, arriving in the early afternoon, where there's time to get lunch. We then enjoy a guided tour of the marvelous temples this area has to offer. We then spend the rest of the day exploring the Maya Devi Temple, which is the birthplace of Buddha! There's the opportunity to participate in meditation in the Ashok section of the temple grounds. We also visit a variety of other temples, built by Buddhists communities from various countries.

Lumbini - Pokhara. Today we travel to one of the most iconic cities in Nepal - Pokhara! Take some time in the afternoon to acclimatise before we enjoy a momo making class. Learn the traditional methods of Nepalese cooking, with chance to taste these iconic dumplings.

Today if free for you to explore Pokhara, with many laid back options such as local sightseeing, visiting the Mountain Museum, or relaxing by the lakeside. However, for tour-goers with action in mind, there are several optional activities which can be undertaken, such as - The Kushma bungee jump (second highest in the world!) or Paragliding.

We then gather mid-afternoon for a boat ride on beautiful Lake Phewa. This evening you can opt to join the group for a movie night at the nearby Movie Garden.

Pokhara - Ghorepani. The next three days offers one of the most amazing hikes in the Poon Hill region of the Himalayas. From Pokhara we head into the Himalayas embark into the Himalayas and start our hike with a largely uphill 2-3 hour trek through the jungle in Ghorepani village. Arriving in the evening, we stay in a local guesthouse for dinner and amazing sunset views.

Please Note: If you do not wish to partake in the 3 day Poon Hill Trek on days 9 - 11, you can opt to stay in Pokhara for a 3-day yoga retreat. Note - there is a surcharge for the yoga experience. If you choose to stay for the yoga experience, you can expect three days of restorative yoga practices, dance classes, tea ceremonies, candlelight meditations, and nature walks – interspersed with some leisure time for you to spend how you see fit.

Ghoerpani - Tadapani. On the Poon Hill trek wake up early and take an optional 1-hour hike to Poon Hill to watch an incredible sunrise with stunning panoramic views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. We then re-group and set off for our 6 hour hike, across varied terrain, mostly up hill, with a break for lunch. We arrive in Tadapani village for group dinner and more breath-taking views.

Tadapani - Pokhara. On the final day of our trek enjoy breakfast before a 3 hour hike through jungles and local villages. On this mostly flat path we eventually arrive at our end point, with a private transfer back to Pokhara. Arriving in the mid-afternoon we have free time for leisure. It might be a good idea to enjoy a foot massage after all that walking!

Pokhara - Bandipur. There's an early transfer today to Bandipur, the location of our final overnight stay. Arriving in the afternoon, partake in a walk through this preserved town with an abundance of charm. The evening is at leisure, and it is recommended that the group look to head into town for one final meal together.

Bandipur - Kathmandu. Today is our final day on the tour, however we have time to embark on one last thrilling activity - white water rafting! We'll spend a couple of hours enjoying the waters before we transfer back to Kathmandu, where our Nepal adventure tour comes to an end at approximately 6pm.