Classic Nepal (Small Group Tours)

Details

This comprehensive tour of Nepal takes you on a journey across one of the most spectacularly beautiful countries in the world. Amazing mountain scenery mixed with lush, wildlife rich jungles, ancient hilltop villages stand in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.

Our 15-day tour begins with a walking tour of Kathmandu before we drive to Chitwan National Park in the lowland Terai region of Nepal, close to the Indian border. There's an option available today to do an afternoon of exciting white water rafting on the Trisuli river, en-route to the park. We have two nights at a wildlife lodge at Chitwan, and enjoy a range of activities in the park, including a jungle walk, traditional river canoe trip and jeep safari. Outside the park we'll take a rural village walk to see how the local Tharu people live, and an early morning bird watching walk is also available for those keen. Chitwan is famous for its population of Asian rhinos, and there are also numerous other animals and birds to see including several species of deer and monkeys, wild boar, sloth bear, elephants, gharial and mugger crocodiles, and if you're very lucky you may catch a glimpse of a tiger too.

Next we head to the hilltop Newari town of Bandipur, the centre of which has been carefully restored and is well worth exploring. After some great mountain views from here we head to the lakeside town of Pokhara at the foot of the Annapurna range before starting a 5-day trek through the Himalayan foothills to the spectacular viewpoint of Poon Hill. We stay in locally owned trekking lodges and experienced guides and porters will accompany you on the trek. This is a moderate trek with a couple of long days and plenty of up and down, but you certainly don't need to be super-fit. You'll walk through a wide variety of landscapes and countryside including riverside trails, rhododendron forests, terraced farmland and grassy ridges, always enjoying different views of the mighty Annapurna range above you.

After a little free time to relax in Pokhara after the trek we return to Kathmandu and spend a night at the village of Nagarkot, perched on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley. After a morning sunrise and hopefully stunning views of the Himalayas, including Mount Everest in the far distance, we return to Kathmandu via Bhaktapur, where we take time to enjoy the wonderful, intricately carved, wooden architecture of the traditional Hindu temples and surrounding buildings. The tour then ends back in Kathmandu.

For those looking for a less active tour of Nepal, you may consider our Nepal Exposed tour, which follows a similar itinerary, but without the 5-day trek.

Private tour option
If our scheduled departure dates don't work for you, or you would prefer not to travel with a group, then we can also run this tour privately for you. Please contact us for more information and prices.