Description
General Information
Tour Highlights
- Discover the beautiful medieval palaces and temples of Kathmandu
- Have an opportunity to experience the warm Nepali hospitality at a homestay in Panauti
- Hike through tribal villages in the Annapurna area
- Get to know about Patan’s rich tradition of craftsmanship
- Head to the once-thriving Newari town of Bandipur, now a peaceful retreat
Tour Details
Duration: 14 Days/ 13 Nights
Start/ End: Kathmandu / Kathmandu
Tour Route: Kathmandu – Panauti – Namobuddha – Pokhara – Bhumdi – Panchase Bhanjyang – Pokhara – Bandipur – Manakamana – Pokhara – Kathmandu
Tour Type: Tailor-made tour
Tour Customizable: Definitely! Tell us your interest
Vehicle: private air-conditioned vehicle and licensed driver
Guide Service: private English-speaking guide
Tour Departure: No fixed departure. Anytime you wish!
Brief Itinerary
Day 01: Kathmandu Arrival
Day 02: Discover Kathmandu
Day 03: Panauti Homestay
Day 04: Explore Panauti – Namobuddha
Day 05: Bhaktapur – Pokhara
Day 06: Discover Pokhara
Day 07: Trek to Bhumdi
Day 08: Bhumdi – Panchase Bhanjyang | Transfer to Pokhara
Day 09: Pokhara – Bandipur
Day 10: Discover Bandipur
Day 11: Cable Car to Manakamana – Transfer to Patan
Day 12: Craft Tour in Patan
Day 13: Discover Patan
Day 14: Kathmandu Departure
Full Itinerary
Day 01: Kathmandu Arrival
Upon arrival, our representative will be waiting to warmly greet you and then, you will be escorted to the hotel. Once you’ve settled in the hotel, relax at leisure as the rest of the day will be yours.
Later, in the evening, you may like to indulge yourself in a vibrant ambiance of the tourist hub in Kathmandu – Thamel.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 02: Discover Kathmandu
Today, we traverse to Swayambhunath. This site will surely give you impressive scenery across the city and it is also a particular sacred site for Nepal’s Tantric Buddhist. The Swayambhunath also called the Monkey Temple and you will soon discover the reason why.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 03: Panauti Homestay
After breakfast, we start driving to Panauti (roughly 2 hours) – a small town close to the Kathmandu Valley. The center of the Panauti town converges some of the well-preserved Newari architecture in the whole of Nepal.
Panauti converges a network of homestays run by local women. Thus, it is a good opportunity to stay in a well-equipped guest bedroom and learn about the typical life of the local. Your hostess will definitely take you for a tour strolling around the town as well as give you a Nepali cooking class in her own kitchen. It would be the best experience that you have on this tour.
Day 04: Explore Panauti – Namobuddha
Today, we will discover around Panauti by taking a drive up to Namobuddha which is a small town in the hills close to Panauti. Namobuddha is one of the most sacred Tibetan Buddhist sites in Nepal. We stop at the Namobuddha Resort for lunch. The resort has an organic kitchen garden and is also renowned for its amazing vegetarian food.
Day 05: Bhaktapur – Pokhara
Say goodbye to your homestay. After breakfast, we drive to Bhaktapur (1 hour) to visit the large squares in which traditional clay pots a taken place out in the sun to be dried and, dry some Juju dhau (king curd) which is a creamy yogurt that is said to be the very best in the country.
We will leave Bhaktapour, after lunch, for a flight to Pokhara.
Once you’ve settled in the hotel, enjoy a lake-side dinner as well as drinks.
Day 06: Discover Pokhara
Today, we spend our day getting into the calmer pursuits of Pokhara. We paddle on the quaint Phewa Lake in a small boat and have a massage at one of the spas in the town catering to all budgets. You can opt to enjoy a yoga class or some time to go swimming in a hotel pool.
Day 07: Trek to Bhumdi
Today, we board on a boat to the other side of Phewa Lake and hike up to the World Peace Pagoda, from where we can marvel at stunning views across the Annapurna Himalaya and down to Pokhara.
After making our way descending from the pagoda, the rest of the trek to the Bumdi village will be much more gentle up and down. Tonight, overnight at Bumdi and ready to learn about the local Brahmin and Magar people and understand the life of the locals living in the village and mountain.
Day 08: Bhumdi – Panchase Bhanjyang | Transfer to Pokhara
Today, our hike will take us through the forests with a rich variety of trees and birdlife. If you travel there in spring, be ready to be overwhelmed in the red, pink, purple blooms of rhododendron forest. The Annapurna range could be seen clearly there, including the three of the highest mountains in the world – Annapurna, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri.
Day 09: Pokhara – Bandipur
Today, we set off to Bandipur – a small town perched on a ridge at 1030 meters. The drive takes us 3 hours to get there from east of Pokhara. The center of the town is pedestrianized; thus, we can walk among the red-brick temples as well as traditional old homes without any stress of traffic.
Tonight, we stay at the Old Inn Bandipur which is a renovated red-brick Newari townhouse with a lot of little homely touches.
Day 10: Discover Bandipur
As you may know, Bandipur is an adorable place to relax on a sunny terrace with the mountain vistas as well as read a book. However, if you are up for something a little bit more active, there are still some short walks that you can take near the town. You can even opt to visit the Siddha Gufa Caves following a forest track. Make sure that you carry a flashlight.
Day 11: Cable Car to Manakamana – Transfer to Patan
Today, we take a drive back to Kathmandu. The trail we drive will run parallel to the Trishuli River and offer an incredible view upwards from the bottom of the valley.
Along the way, we stop and visit the Kuritar town and board on a cable car up to the Manakamana town which is a renowned temple. The cable car we take would be so much scenic which dangles above the river and paddy fields terraced into the hillsides. If there is a lovely day, the scenery of the Annapurna will appear.
In the late afternoon, we arrive in Patan and have an overnight stay there.
Day 12: Craft Tour in Patan
This morning, we take a craft tour of Patan allowing us to head to the workshops of woodcarvers as well as metal workers and painters. We can also get an insight into these traditions which are not only surviving in 21st-century Nepal but also literally flourishing.
Later, we head to the Patan Museum which is home to a wing of the renovated palace in the Patan Durbar Square. Also, the collection converges numerous holy artifacts as well as informative displays on Nepali art and architecture.
Day 13: Discover Patan
Today, we will get to know about the 2 religions of Nepal – Buddhism, and Hinduism by heading to the 2 iconic sites. Although the major religion of Nepal is Hindu, Buddhism also plays an essential role in Nepali culture and many locals following aspects of both religions.
This morning, we head to the Boudhanath Stupa which is considered the most sacred Tibetan Buddhist site. The surrounding area is a hub of Tibetan life as well as the culture in Nepal. Later, we have lunch and then, our journey keeps going on as we visit the Pashupatinath Temple – the holiest Hindu site in Nepal. Once there, you will be given a deep impression due to its somber yet celebratory ambiance as long with exquisite architecture.
Day 14: Kathmandu Departure
Time to say goodbye Nepal. Breakfast and morning at leisure until getting escorted to the airport for a flight coming home. The trip ends. Hope you had a fantastic vacation and wish that we could serve you next time in Nepal or other Asia tour packages.
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