Kathmandu and Pokhara Tour

Detailed itinerary

• day 01
  Arrival and Swayambhunath

  Your guide meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Thamel. After checking in, you head straight to Swayambhunath.

  The hilltop stupa is about 30 minutes from the airport and best visited in the late afternoon before the crowds leave. Your guide covers the symbolism of the Buddha eyes painted on the tower, the prayer wheel circuit, and why this site has been a Buddhist pilgrimage destination for over 2,500 years. The views across Kathmandu Valley from the top are the best introduction to the scale of the city you just landed in.

  Welcome dinner in Kathmandu in the evening.

  • Accommodation: Hotel in Kathmandu
  • Meal: Welcome dinner
• day 02
  Pashupatinath, Bhaktapur, and Boudhanath

  A full day covering three of the valley’s most important UNESCO sites.

  Morning at Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most sacred Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati River. Non-Hindus cannot enter the inner sanctum but the ghats and surrounding shrine complex are worth 90 minutes. Arrive early and you catch the morning puja activity before the day heats up.

  After lunch, you drive to Bhaktapur. The medieval Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square with its five-storey Nyatapola Temple, and the active pottery workshops are all within walking distance of each other. Bhaktapur is the best-preserved of the three valley cities and your guide walks you through the full circuit.

  Late afternoon at Boudhanath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. The kora (circumambulation) path around the base, the butter lamps at dusk, and the Tibetan monastery balconies surrounding the stupa are worth staying for.

  • Accommodation: Hotel
  • Meal: Breakfast
• day 03
  Prithvi Highway Drive to Pokhara

  An early departure for Pokhara. The Prithvi Highway takes around seven hours with stops.

  The drive itself is one of the more scenic road journeys in Nepal. The first section follows the Trishuli River through a gorge with whitewater rafting rapids below the road. The valley gradually opens as you climb through terraced hillsides and small market towns. On a clear day the Ganesh Himal and Manaslu ranges appear to the north long before you reach Pokhara.

  Flexible stops for lunch and photos along the way. You arrive at the lakeside in the afternoon.

  • Accommodation: Lakeside hotel in Pokhara
  • Meal: Breakfast
• day 04
  Pokhara Sightseeing

  A full day in Pokhara covering the main attractions.

  Morning visit to Bindabashani Temple, the main Hindu temple in Pokhara and a good starting point for the old bazaar area. From there, your guide takes you through Old Pokhara and down to the Seti River Gorge, where the river has carved a narrow slot canyon directly beneath the city. The drop is visible from street-level bridges and surprises most visitors who are not expecting it.

  Afternoon at Phewa Lake. The lake reflects the Annapurna range on clear mornings but the light in the afternoon catches the surrounding hills differently. A short boat ride takes you to Tal Barahi Temple on a small island in the middle of the lake. The lakeside promenade is good for a walk at sunset.

  • Accommodation: Lakeside hotel in Pokhara
  • Meal: Breakfast
• day 05
  World Peace Pagoda, Tibetan Refugee Camp, Gupteshwor Cave

  An early start for the World Peace Pagoda. The white stupa sits on a ridge south of Phewa Lake and the view from the top takes in the full sweep of the Annapurna range from Dhaulagiri to Manaslu, with Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Mountain) directly in the foreground. It is the best unobstructed mountain view of the entire trip.

  After breakfast, you visit the Tibetan Refugee Camp at Tashiling or Tashi Palkhiel. The settlement has been here since the 1960s and residents still produce traditional Tibetan carpets, singing bowls, and thangka paintings. Your guide introduces the context and you can visit the workshops at your own pace.

  Afternoon at Gupteshwor Cave, a sacred Hindu cave with a significant natural waterfall chamber inside, and Davis Fall (locally called Patale Chhango), where the Pardi Khola river drops into an underground channel.

  Traditional Thakali dinner in Pokhara in the evening.

  • Accommodation: Hotel
  • Meal: Breakfast & traditional Thakali dinner
• day 06
  Drive Back to Kathmandu and Farewell Dinner

  Return drive to Kathmandu along the same highway, with stops as needed. You arrive in the afternoon with time to rest before a farewell dinner with a cultural performance in the evening.

  • Accommodation: Hotel in Kathmandu
  • Meal: Breakfast
• day 07
  Final Departure

  Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport.

  • Meal: Breakfast