Journey to explore cultural, nature, and wildlife
Trip Facts
Duration
8 Days
Trek Duration
0 Days
Activity
Tour
Mode of Trek
Hotel
DIFFICULTY
Easy
TRANSPORTATION
Car/Bus/Plane
Overview
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal. The city showcases a blend of tradition, history, culture, religion, medieval art and architecture, and modern technology. Popularly known as the city of ancient temples, Kathmandu is one of the rare places in the world where Buddhism and Hinduism coexist harmoniously. Technically, Kathmandu refers to one of the three districts in the valley along with Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. However, the entire valley is popularly known as the Kathmandu valley. Kathmandu derived its name from “Kasthamandap,” a popular wooden temple erected in the city center.
In the medieval era, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur were three separate kingdoms with powerful Kings. Today, all the palaces (durbar squares) of these districts are popular tourist sites known for their medieval art and architecture. Alongside Boudhanath, Swoyambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Changunarayan, all three durbar squares are UNESCO World Heritage sites located within the valley.
Kathmandu also showcases the tradition of worshiping Living Goddess known as Kumari, a rare tradition existing in the world. Similarly, it also entertains visitors with vibrant and colorful festivals celebrated by different communities throughout the year.
Pokhara
Pokhara is the second most popular city in Nepal, nestled at the foothills of the Annapurna mountain range and Fishtail. It serves as the gateway to popular trekking destinations such as the Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Ghorepani Poon-Hill, and many other areas in the Annapurna Region. While Kathmandu showcases history, culture and, art, Pokhara showcases its natural beauty and serenity.
Pokhara boasts the beautiful Phewa Lake, green forested hills, and stunning reflection of snow-capped mountains on the lake, all contributing to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a must-visit destination on everyone’s bucket list. In addition to Phewa Lake, Pokhara also hosts other lakes like Begnas Taal and Rupa Taal, providing visitors with peaceful vacation spots.
There are numerous hill stations surrounding the city where visitors can hike to enjoy sunrise and majestic mountain views. Similarly, it also offers visitors various adventure activities such as paragliding, ultra-light flights, zip-lining, and bungee jumping.
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the best-known wildlife conservation area not only in Nepal but also in south Asia. Established in 1973, it was the country’s first national park. Unlike Kathmandu and Pokhara, which showcase their cultural and natural attractions respectively, Chitwan National Park showcases rich wildlife diversity.
Located at an elevation between 100 to 850 meters, the park spans four districts in southern Nepal. It comprises dense forests, grasslands, and wetlands that provide a suitable habitat for diverse flora and fauna, including the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bear, Asian elephant, and 544 species of birds. It also boasts the third largest concentration of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world, following India and Bangladesh.
Visitors to Chitwan National Park can engage in various activities such as jeep safaris, jungle walks, boating, canoeing, bird watching, and village walks. The park offers world-class luxury hotels and resorts where visitors can enjoy a luxurious vacation experience amidst the wilderness.
Special Features of the Tour
- Explore a blend of culture, history, religion, medieval art and architecture, and ancient temples of Kathmandu valley.
- Explore natural beauty of Pokhara city with boating on Phewa Lake.
- Explore Chitwan National Park, the premier wildlife conservation area in Nepal.
Detail Itinerary
Accommodation
Hotel
WELCOME TO NEPAL, the land of the Himalayas!
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will receive a warm welcome from the company representatives of Osprey Adventure, who will assist you with your luggage and guide you to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, the company representative will provide you with a comprehensive briefing about your upcoming trip, including inclusions and exclusions, safety precautions, cultural norms and other important information that will be useful during your stay in Nepal.
Accommodation
Hotel
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Your city tour guide will arrive promptly at the hotel with a private vehicle and driver. After breakfast, you will process to visit the following religious and historical sites, all of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979 AD.
Swayambhunath is situated atop an elevated hill station in the heart of Kathmandu city, standing 77 meters above the city’s level, providing panoramic views of the entire Kathmandu valley. It is also famously known as “Monkey Temple” among tourists due to the abundance of monkeys found on the site. While primarily a Buddhist pilgrimage site, you can also find a Hindu temple harmoniously coexisting alongside the main temple of Swayambhunath.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, situated in the heart of Kathmandu, is the former Royal Palace of Nepal. “Durbar” translates to ‘palace’ in Nepali. It stands out as one of three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley. Today, it serves as a key attraction for tourists, renowned as the center of medieval art and architecture.
Within the Durbar Square, your tour will encompass visits to several historical landmarks, including the ancient palace museum, the temple of Kumari (the living goddess of Nepal), Hanuman Dhoka, the Kasthamandap Temple, and the statue of Kal Bhairav.
Boudhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal, situated 11km northeast from the heart of Kathmandu city. Its magnificent size and mesmerizing shape are sure to leave you stunned. Historically, it is believed to have been built in the early 5th century and now stands as a beacon of Buddhist belief. Surrounding the stupa, there are many terrace restaurants where you can enjoy a lunch break.
Pashupatinath Temple stands as one of the largest and most revered shrines for Hindus worldwide. Situated on the western bank of the holy Bagmati River, which flows through the center of the Kathmandu valley, it also serves as a popular cremation site for Hindus. The majority of Hindus who pass away in the Kathmandu valley are brought to Pashupati for cremation, so it is highly likely that you will observe open-air cremations during your visit. Entrance to the main temple is restricted to Hindus only. However, even if you are non-Hindu, you can still observe the main temple from the eastern bank of the river.
Drive Distance
205 km
Drive Duration
6 hours
Accommodation
Hotel in Pokhara
The journey begins right after an early breakfast at the hotel. You will walk or drive to the tourist bus station and travel by tourist bus towards Pokhara along Prithivi Highway. After an hour, you will start following the Marshyangdi River and Trishuli River until halfway. After the lunch break, you will continue journeying through the foothills of the Himalayas, passing through villages and terraced fields. Upon reaching Pokhara, you will be transferred to a hotel at Lakeside. If you have enough time, you can walk and explore the area around Phewa Lake and the markets on your own.
Accommodation
Hotel
You will drive to Sarangkot (1600m), the nearest hill station, early in the morning. It is situated 5 km to the north of Pokhara and takes a 45-minute drive to reach. Sarangkot offers stunning sunrise views of the Annapurna mountain range and Fishtail. After spending about half an hour there, you will return to hotel, visiting Bindhyabashini Temple on the way.
After breakfast, you will cross Phewa Lake by boat and hike to World Peace Stupa, which takes about one and a half hours. The stupa offers stunning views of Pokhara city and Phewa Lake, with the reflection of the surrounding snow-capped mountains on the lake. From there, you will drive to Chhorepatan to visit Davis Fall and Gupteshwor Cave.
After lunch, you will drive to visit the International Mountain Museum. After spending a couple of hours in the museum, you will return to the hotel.
Drive Distance
171 km
Drive Duration
5 hours
Accommodation
Resort
After breakfast, you will drive to the Pokhara Tourist bus station by car or taxi. From Pokhara, you will retrace the journey towards Kathmandu. Once you reach Muglin, which is close to halfway to Kathmandu, you will diverge from the highway to Kathmandu and head south following the Trishuli River. Muglin is more than halfway to Chitwan from Pokhara. As you get closer to the destination, the temperature begins to rise.
Lunch will be served upon your arrival in Chitwan, before embarking on a cultural walk to a Tharu village. If time permits, you will then proceed to enjoy a riverside sunset view. In the evening, you will observe a Tharu cultural stick dance performed by local people.
Accommodation
Resort
You will receive a wake-up call early in the morning. After breakfast, you will proceed with bird watching, canoeing, a jungle walk, and a visit to the crocodile breeding center. Lunch will be served before embarking on a three-hour jeep drive in the national park.
Air Distance
91 km
Flight Duration
25 minutes
Accommodation
Hotel
After breakfast, you will drive to Bharatpur Airport. The flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu takes 25 minutes. Once you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be picked up by a private car and driven to the hotel.
Today marks your final day in Nepal. We will drive you to Kathmandu International Airport three hours before your flight time.
Note: If you would like to spend more time in Nepal, you can join our leisure or adventure extension trips such as City Sightseeing, White-water Rafting, Jungle Safari, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping etc.
Cost Includes
- 3 nights’ accommodation in a tourist category hotel in Kathmandu in BB meal plan.
- 2 nights’ accommodation in a tourist category hotel in Kathmandu in BB meal plan.
- 2 nights’ accommodation in a tourist category resort in Chitwan in full-board meal plan.
- Kathmandu – Pokhara – Chitwan drive by regular schedule Tourist Bus.
- Chitwan – Kathmandu flight by regular schedule fixed-wing aircraft.
- Airport/ bus station pick-up & drop and other necessary ground transportation for sightseeing in Kathmandu and Pokhara by private A/C vehicle (car/ jeep/ Hiace/ bus as per group size).
- Pick up from Chitwan bus station and drop to Bharatpur Airport by group sharing vehicle operated by the hotel/ resort in Chitwan.
- Group Jeep drive and necessary jungle activities mentioned in the itinerary.
- 1 Experienced, license holder, multi-lingual tour guide for the entire tour.
- Experienced safari guide for the sightseeing in the Chitwan National Park.
- Entry fees in the cultural historical and other sites (where applicable) for the sightseeing in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
- Chitwan National Park entry permit fees.
- Staff insurance fees.
- Government Taxes and Service Charges.
Cost Excludes
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
- Extra beverage, mineral water and bar bill during the trek.
- Emergency rescue evacuation charges.
- Additional charges borne by any natural calamities or political strikes.
- Personal insurance fees.
- Personal medical charges.
- Tips for the guide and driver.
