Luxury 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.

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.

Everest mountain flight always takes off early in the morning to maximise your chances of getting clear views of the mountains before cloud build up later in the day. This means a pick up from your hotel around 5.30am and once through the busy domestic terminal you should be airborne by 6.30am

Later in the morning you are driven by 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 of 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 Bandipur is peaceful place as vehicles are not allowed to enter into the main square.

After breakfast you continue your drive to Pokhara and to your hotel. There are superb views from Pokhara to the Himalayan peaks including Annapurnas. In the afternoon you can either relax at the resort around the swimming pool 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 Barahi Jungle Lodge.

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 Barahi Jungle Lodge in Chitwan National Park:

Upon arrival at Barahi Jungle 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 at Barahi Jungle Resort 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:

1:00pm Lunch will be served at Banyan Café or by pool area.

3:00pm: Tharu Village Visit: Proceed for a short walk from the lodge to Jitpur village. Your naturalist guide will brief you about the social and cultural aspect of the villagers and their lifestyle. The main ethnic residents are Tharus, Danwar ‘Kumal’ Darai & Bote. After the visit you will ride on a bullock cart to come back to the lodge.

7:00pm Slide Presentation: one of the lodge’s naturalists will introduce background data and history of the Chitwan National Park as well as some other topics relating to wildlife.

8:00pm Dinner in the central dining hall or outside by the pool area.

6:00am: Jeep Safari: after wakeup call followed by tea or coffee you start the jeep safari by crossing Rapti River in a boat to Bhimle post. There are three choices of routes available which our naturalists will pick from their experience on current sightings and animal movement.

Route 1: Bhimle post - Sukhibhar post towards Kasara (park headquarter)

Route 2: Bhimle post - Reu River- Surung Khola

Route 3: Bhimle Post - Reu River- Tiger Tops - towards Khoria Muhan Post

The jeep safari starts through open grassland and then enters riverine forest. After crossing Reu River you enter the National Park and into dense Sal Forest where you may see different wildlife around oxbow lakes (Devi Tal, Lamo Tal, Kamal Tal), aquatic birds and if you are lucky the marsh mugger crocodiles. Breakfast will be served during the safari in a scenic spot chosen by the naturalist. The other jeep routes will be towards Sukhibhar post and Park HQ, Kasara and Reu River-Surung Khola. You should get back to Barahi Jungle Lodge by 11.00-11.30 am.

Please Note: Jeep Safari is prohibited during monsoon season by the park authorities September and in some season it can prolong till October.

12:00pm: Elephant briefing/Feeding Session: Learn more about the elephants during a visit to their stables followed by elephant feeding session. The chance to join in with elephant bathing is only offered in summer season.

1:00pm: Lunch at Banyan Café or outside around pool area.

3:30pm: Boat Safari: you start from the lodge in a traditional patella boat on Rapti River and this float takes about 45 minutes. Along the way you may see aquatic birds, crocodiles, Gharials and other animals along the river banks. After the boat safari you drive back to the lodge. 

7:00 PM: Tharu Cultural dance: Farmers of the nearby villages will show some of their traditional skills and dances. 

6:00am: Bird Watching: after wake-up call followed by tea or coffee you then head off for a bird watching trip around the lodge taking about two hours. The naturalist guides will help you to identify the name of these birds.

8.30am: Breakfast at Banyan Café.

10:00am: Walking safari inside the National Park (with packed lunch): After breakfast, proceed towards the Rapti River just in front of our resort in boat put in point and cross the river on a patela boat. After crossing the river you start the walking safari inside the Chitwan National park. You will explore the oxbow lakes like Devi Tal, Munda Tal, Lamo Tal or Kamal Tal to have a chance of viewing the Marsh Mugger crocodile and bird species. Around 1:00pm, you will have lunch in the safe chosen spot by the guide. After lunch you continue the walk and come back to the resort crossing the Rapti River before the sunset around 5.00-5.30pm.

7.00pm: Evening program of either Tharu cultural dance or power point presentation.

8:00pm: Dinner at Banyan Café or by pool area.

6:00am: Boat Safari: after wakeup call followed by tea or coffee start the boat safari near the lodge in a traditional patela boat following the Rapti river for about 45 minutes.

8:30am: Breakfast at Banyan Café or outside around pool area.

Today you 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 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.