In Depth Tour of Nepal
Nepal

A driver will be sent to collect you on arrival at Kathmandu airport and to bring you back to the hotel. Please provide travel plans on booking and we will arrange the pick-up and transfer. A full tour briefing will be given in the afternoon.

This is a one day guided sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu Valley visiting three out of the seven World Heritage Sites. You will start off by visiting Patan Durbar Square then drive to the Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath followed by the last stop of the day at the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath. The tour is likely to finish around 4pm and the rest of the day is free to further explore Kathmandu.

Three major towns are located in the valley, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each having a great artistic and architectural tradition. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city in the country. Patan, the second largest is separated from Kathmandu by a river. Bhaktapur, the third largest, is towards the eastern end of the valley and its relative isolation is reflected in its slower pace and more distinctly mediaeval atmosphere.

In the Valley the landscape is dramatically sculpted by the contours of the paddy fields. The towns and villages are alive with the colours of farm produce, ranging from pyramids of golden grain to the vivid reds of chilli peppers laid out on mats to dry in the sun. In the streets and towns there is a constant bustle of activity, especially in the bazaars and markets where the farmers sell their vegetables and fruit.

In the morning you will be driven in a private vehicle to Bandipur. This small town is located on a ridge above the Kathmandu to Pokhara road and has superb views of the Himalayan peaks to the north including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal.

Bandipur has been considerately developed for tourists where some of the old houses have been carefully converted to hotels and there are thankfully few concrete buildings like elsewhere in Nepal. Compared to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu the small town of Bandipur is peaceful place as vehicles are not allowed to enter into the main square.

After breakfast you drive to the lakeside town of Pokhara where there are superb views to the snowy Himalayan peaks including Machapuchare and Annapurnas. In the afternoon you can either relax at the hotel or explore the town of Pokhara. 

After breakfast you take a boat trip across Phewa Lake then walk to Shanti Peace stupa above the lake. The mountain views from stupa are that at their best in the morning. For the rest of the day you can explore Pokhara around Lakeside.

After breakfast you will be driven to Chitwan National Park located 90km from Pokhara where you check into Jungle Villa Resort.

About Chitwan National Park:

Chitwan is located on the plains to the south of the Himalaya range on near the border with Nepal and India. This area is one of the few remaining undisturbed parts of the Terai and has a rich flora and fauna including Bengal tiger, single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros, wild elephants, leopards, sloth bear and the rare gangetic dolphin. Chitwan is also a superb bird habitat with over 300 species recorded.

The latest surveys indicate there is currently 125 tigers and 500 rhinos in Chitwan National Park showing a healthy increase in numbers over the last thirty years. The size of Chitwan National Park is 932 square km plus a buffer zone of 766 km2 comprised mainly of sal forest, water marshes and grassland. There is a high diversity of ecosystems from the flood plains of the Rapti and Narayani rivers with their ox-bow lakes and rising up to 800m in the hills to the east. Chitwan National Park was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Activities at Jungle Villa Resort in Chitwan National Park:

Upon arrival at Jungle Villa Resort in Chitwan you will be served a welcome drink and after a short briefing on the program and about their facilities you will be taken to your room. The final program for your stay will be given to you on arrival however we have written the proposed program below. Please note the activities will be adjusted according to the length of your stay, the season and present weather conditions. The following is an outline program for the rest of the day:

3:30pm Jeep Safari: a driver along with a naturalist guide will take you into the core area of Chitwan National Park. Crossing the savannahs and entering into the dense jungle you will get the chances to spot various birds and animals in their natural habitat.

6:30pm Slide Presentation: one of the resort’s jungle experts will introduce background data and history of the Chitwan National Park as well as some other topics relating to wildlife

7:30pm Dinner in the central dining hall.

The following is the program for the day:

5:30am Wake-up call: followed by tea or coffee.

6:00am Canoeing: A traditional dug-out canoe takes you on a silent trip down the Rapti river to view aquatic birds and the animals on the river banks.

8:30am Breakfast.

10:00am Elephant stable visit and bathing: Learn more about these fascinating animals during a visit to the elephant stables. Bathing with the elephants in the river will follow although not in winter months.

1.00pm Lunch.

3:00pm Nature walk with visit to Crocodile Breeding Farm Visit: this trip is on foot through Sal forest, open grassland and riverine jungle. The naturalist guides will identify the species of birds, plants and other wildlife that you may see along the way. At Crocodile Breeding Farm you will see the endangered Gharial Crocodile, Marsh Mugger Crocodile and Tortoises.

6:30pm Tharu Stick Dance: Farmers of the nearby villages will show their traditional skills and dances.

7:30pm Dinner in the central dining hall.

The following is the program for the day:

5:30am Wake-up call: followed by tea or coffee.

6:30am Bird watching: time spent with naturalist guide on bank of River Rapti watching and identifying birds.

8:30am Breakfast.

9:00am Tharu Village Visit: we proceed for a short walk to visit the native Tharu Village. The naturalist guide will brief you about the social and cultural aspect of the villagers and their lifestyle.

1.00pm Lunch.

3:00pm Jeep Safari: a driver along with a naturalist guide will take you for a second jeep safari into Chitwan National Park.

7:30pm Dinner in the central dining hall.

Today you will drive to Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddga, in the south of Nepal near border with India. In 1997, Lumbini was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site and the traditional birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, who was born in the 7th or 6th century BC. According to Buddhist tradition, Maya Devi gave birth to the Buddha on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha in the month of May in the year 642 BC. Monasteries and temples were built at Lumbini until the 9th century, but Buddhism declined in the area after the arrival of Islam and later Hinduism. The site was rediscovered in 1895, when a German archaeologist came upon Ashoka's Pillar, identified by its inscription.

The most important temple at Lumbini is the Maya Devi Temple, which enshrines the site of the Buddha's birth. The current temple stands on the site of earlier temples and stupas, including the stupa built by Ashoka.

The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone in which only monasteries can be built, no shops, hotels or restaurants. It is separated into an eastern and western monastic zone, the eastern having Theravadin monasteries and the western having Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries.

After breakfast, you drive to Lumbini airport for the flight back to Kathmandu. On arrival there is a short drive to Namo Buddha on the rim of the Kathmandu valley where there is a superb mountain panorama from the Namo Buddha Resort.

Today you have the option to walk to Dhulikhel or to drive by car. If you decide to walk the trail takes you through traditional villages with mountain views.

In morning you drive to Bhaktapur for sightseeing this is an ancient Newar town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley and is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artwork. The main places to see are:

Layaku (Durbar Square):  Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around the 55-window palace of brick and wood.

Nyatapola Temple: This five-storeyed pagoda was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1702 A.D. It stands on five terraces, on each of which squat a pair of figures: two famous wrestlers, two elephants, two lions, two griffins, and Baghini and Singhini — the tiger and the lion goddesses.

Bhairab Nath Temple: This is another pagoda temple of lord Bhairab, the dreadful aspect of Shiva.

Dattatraya Temple: Consecrated by King Yakshya Malla in 1427 A.D., this temple, according to popular belief, was built out of the trunk of a single tree

Transfer to Kathmandu airport for your flight back home.  End of trip.