9 Days Nepal Tour: Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini, Pokhara & Nagarkot Highlights

Detail itinerary

Day 1: Arrival | Welcome to Nepal

Welcome to Kathmandu international airport. On your arrival at the airport, you will be relieved of any travel stress as our representative will welcome you, take care of your luggage and transfer you to hotel on a private car

After hotel check-in your tour manager will conduct a short program briefing over welcome drinks. 

Tips to Tailor-make your tour

Are you worried about jet lag? We suggest you have a proper rest in your hotel to help you adjust with climate and new environment. 

If you have extra bit of energy and enthusiasm you may spend strolling around nearby local market. Let us know in advance so we can arrange it accordingly. Just send us your preferences. 

Note: Dinner will be at your own expenses. 

Day 2: Kathmandu sightseeing tour

The Kathmandu sightseeing tour begins at 9.30am when tour guide will pick you up and take you to following places:

• Asan, spice and vegetable market
• Indrachowk, ancient trade center
• Kathmandu Durbar Square 
• Freek Street

At about 1.30pm, you will have lunch in Patan Durbar Square enjoying a good view of surrounding durbar squares. After lunch we will continue sightseeing.

• Patan Durbar Square
• Pashupatinath
• Boudhanth

After completing sightseeing, in the evening, we will go to a local restaurant for traditional dinner while enjoying cultural dance performances.

• Dinner program traditional restaurant in Thamel

Day 3: Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park

Early morning you will drive to Sarangkot for sunrise and mountain views. Afterwards you will go down to Phewa Lake for one-hour boating and return to hotel to have warm breakfast.

At 8 am, start drive to Chitwan from Pokahra. 

145km road journey from Pokhara to Chitwan takes about 5 hrs. upon arrival at your hotel in Chtiwan, hotel will welcome you by warm lunch. 

Optional route | Fly to Chitwan National park | 25 minutes | USD 117

Do you want to avoid tedious 5hrs. + road journey to Chitwan from Kathmandu? If yes, then catch the 25 minutes scenic and quick flight to Chitwan from Kathmandu. 

After a short refreshment break, the tour guide will brief about the upcoming tour activities. The tour of Chitwan starts immediately thereafter. 

1. Tharu Village Visit: Visit Tharu village nearby the hotel to observe about Tharu culture and lifestyle.
2. Nature Walk: Take a stroll along the outskirts of the national park to view wildlife.
3. Sunset view: March to the Rapti river bank to enjoy sunset view

Return hotel after the tour. After a short while dinner will be served in the hotel dining hall. 

Travel tips: Medication recommended for those who feel motion sickness while travelling on vehicle for long hours. 

Day 4: Jungle activities in Chitwan National Park

After early morning breakfast your guide will pick you up from hotel and take you for following jungle activities.

• Canoe ride: The traditional dugout canoe ride along the Budhi Rapti river is a chance to take close view of crocodiles and other wild animals.
• Bird watching: Bird watching tour gives is a best opportunity to see some beautiful migrant and local birds.
• Jungle walk: Jungle walk tour is the best opportunity to observe and understand the flora and fauna of the Chitwan National park
• Visit to Elephant breeding center: Visit the Elephant breeding center and learn about their history, food, habit and habitants. You have best chance to see the baby elephant at the center.
• Elephant bathing: Play with elephant and have bath in nearby Rapti River.

Back to hotel after the morning session jungle activities. Have a warm delicious lunch followed by rest.

In afternoon at about 3pm, we will pick you up for the Elephant back safari.

Elephant back safari in Chitwan National park offers the breathtaking experience of riding on gigantic land mammals in the world. This jungle excursion offers you to view one horn Rhino, Royal Bengal tiger, sloth bear, forest deer, sambar deer and wild boar etc.. Come back to hotel after the safari.

Alternatively, you can choose a jeep safari instead of elephant back.

Dinner will be ready by 7pm. Post dinner you will participate in Tharu Cultural dance program organized by local Tharu youth club. 

Day 5: Chitwan National park to Lumbini.

After the breakfast, start 180km drive to Lumbini along East west highway. The journey takes about 6 hours including short visit at Shaswat Dham at Nawalparashi district.

You will arrive in Lumbini by lunch time. Check in hotel and followed by lunch break and relaxation.

Later in afternoon, pick up from your hotel and visit

1. Mayadevi Temple – Buddhas birth place
2. Ashoka pillar
3. Puskarni pond
4. Sacred garden
5. Peace flame
6. You will have short meditation practice near Mayadevi temple.

Return back to hotel after the tour followed by dinner and relaxation.

• Shaswat Dham: Shaswat Dham is a newly built spiritual center in Nawalparasi district in southern Terai region of Nepal under the blessing Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji. Spread over 12 acres area, Shaswat Dham is a learning center for ancient vedic knowledge and eastern philosophy including yogic practices.  The center also hosts Samskriti The Heritage Store, Annapurna Satvik pure veg restaurant, Sri Sri Center for Meditation and Yogic Sciences, Museum along with residential retreats. 
• Lumbini: Lumbini is the historic birthplace of Buddha. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lumbini is one of the most important sites for Buddhist Pilgrimage and a mecca for spiritual quest. Lumbini presents a rich repository of archaeological and religious treasures such as Mayadevi Temple, nativity stone, Ashoka pillar, Puskarni pond etc

Day 6: Lumbini to Pokhara

Early morning, you will have tour around the monastric zone. You will be visiting some famous monasteries builded by different Buddhist community for research and development of Buddhism such as German Monastry, Korean Monastery, Chinese Monastry, Myanmar Monastry, Sri Lankan Monastry, Thai Monastry and Japanese temple.

Note: Rishwo for monastery tour is at your own cost.

Back to hotel afer the monastery tour followed by breakfast.

At 9.30pm, drive to Pokhara via Palpa along Siddaartha highway. The drive from Lumbini to Pokhara takes about 9 hrs. and passes through the historic town of Palpa. You will have your lunch here in Palpa followed by short local sightseeing tour.

Optional route | Fly to Pokhara | 25 minute | USD 120

After the Palpa visit, continue the drive to Pokhara along Siddartha highway. The highway cuts through green hills and knife edge curves yet offering beautiful mountain views. After arriving in Pokhara, check in hotel and relax. Evening is at your disposal for free time.

Note: Lunch is taken in Nanglo restaurant along the way. Both lunch and dinner to be covered at your own expense.

Day 7: Pokhara full day tour

Early morning you will drive to Sarangkot for sunrise and mountain views. Later you will go down to Phewa Lake for one hour boating and then return to hotel to have warm breakfast. 

Why not try to have extra fun and excitement by participating in following activities

Optional Tour 1: Paragliding tour | USD120 per person | with Photo and Video | 30 min max

Paragliding is a popular adventure activity in Pokhara. You can do paragliding from Sarangkot to enjoy aerial view of Phewa Lake, Pokhara city and beautiful Himalayan ranges. The package includes pick up and drop off services from and to your hotel. 

Optional Tour 2: Zip Line tour | USD84 per person | without Photo and video 

The Zipline in Pokhara is one of the fastest in the world with a speed of 120km+ per hour. The Zipline itself is 1.8km long and 600m vertical and provides amazing views of the mountains. 

Optional Tour 3: Ultralight | USD115 for 15 min | USD200 for 30 min

Ultralight is a small motorized 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. It is the fastest and affordable way to experience travelling in air and enjoying great views of landscape of Pokhara Valley and snowcapped mountains from above. With ultralight you can make the nearest approach to the mountains and almost feel it with your hands. 

Optional Tour 4: Helicopter tour to Annapurna Base camp | USD 350 per person

Enjoy the comfort of helicopter to visit Annapurna Base Camp at an altitude of 4200m. It takes 20 minutes to reach the base camp from Pokhara airport, a journey of 5 days on foot. The base camp is the only place that offers a 360 degree view of Annapurna ranges. One can enjoy snowfall in the base camp during winter. 

Please feel free to contact us for the pre-arrangement for optional tours while keeping intact the main tours on this itinerary. 

Late afternoon, about 3pm, we will pick you up from your hotel and visit following places: 

1. Davis Fall
2. Mahadev Cave
3. World Peace Pagoda

In the evening visit a local restaurant on the lakeside for dinner. Those who want to change their clothes can take a quick trip back to hotel and then join others in restaurant. Kindly consult with the tour guide. 

Trip note: Those who are not going for optional tour can utilize their time doing shopping, spa etc

Day 8: Pokhara to Kathmandu

We will leave Pokhara for Kathmandu right after breakfast at 7.30am. The 210km road journey takes about 7 hrs. Capture the scenic views of villages, local lifestyle, rivers, green hills and mountain peaks along the journey. We will have our lunch at a local highway restaurant. 

On the way to Kathmandu you can also visit Manakamana Temple, the wish fulfilling temple by a cable car at your own expense. Please let us know in advance if you are interested so we can make prior arrangement. 

Instead of driving to Kathmandu directly, you can enjoy some extra side trip.

Side Trip 1: Visit Begnas Lake | USD10 per person

Begnas is the second largest lake situated 9 km north of Pokhara- Kathmandu highway. Those interested in visiting Begnas Lake kindly inform your tour guide in advance. 

Side Trip 2: Visit Bandipur | USD10 per person

Located some 10km off Dumre along Pokhara-Kathmandu highway, Bandipur is a Newari town popular for medieval houses, Newari architecture and culture and mountain views. 

Check-in hotel after arriving in Kathmandu. You will be free to do what you feel for the rest of the evening.

Optional route: Take a 25 minutes flight to Kathmandu from Pokhara.

Are you bored over 7 hours + road journey to Kathmandu? Then take 25 minutes scenic and easy flight Kathmandu. Rest of the time, you can spend on your own.

Day 9: Departure

Have your breakfast at your own pace since there is no special program today. Feel free to go shopping or spa or anything you wish to do

Note 1: Note that we will pick you up from your hotel 3 hrs. before the flight departure time. Usually the checkout time in Nepali hotels is before noon (12.00pm). 

Optional Tour | Nagarkot Sunrise and Bhaktapur Sightseeing tour | USD 60 Per person

Want to enjoy the beautiful sunrise view and Panoramic Himalayan peaks including Mt. Everest? 

Early morning, take an hour drive to Nagarkot to enjoy the beautiful sunrise and amazing views of Himalaya. 

On your way back to Kathmandu, you will have sightseeing tour of medieval city of Bhaktapur which is also known as living museum of Newari art and architecture.

If your flight is sooner, we will directly drop you off at Kathmandu international airport from Bhaktapur

Or

If you are departing late in the evening, we will drive back to Kathmandu where you can spend some time shopping and relaxing. We will drive you to international airport for your departure flight as per your flight schedule