Essential Nepal

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · KathmanduKathmandu

   

   You'll meet your trip leader and group at 2 pm in Kathmandu. If you arrive early, consider visiting Swayambhunath Stupa, the city's most important Buddhist shrine, or Bhaktapur. Dinner with your group or a nearby bar will help you settle in.

2. 2
   Day 2 · KathmanduTrisuli River

   

   Drive over the Kathmandu Valley rim for views of the Ganesh and Lantang ranges, then whitewater raft the Trisuli River—Nepal's most popular rafting spot. You'll navigate rapids with names like Ladies Delight, Rock Garden and Snell's Nose through nearby gorges.

3. 3
   Day 3 · TrisuliTrisuli River - Pokhara

   

   More rafting this morning on the Trisuli, tackling the Monsoon and Upset rapids, followed by lunch in Kurintar. Then drive to Pokhara for an afternoon walk with your leader around the city and Phewa Lake, with evening free at lakeside restaurants or bars.

4. 4
   Day 4 · PokharaGhandruk (1950m / 6397ft)

   

   Drive to Shyauli Bazaar where your trek begins. The uphill hike takes you through dirt tracks to Birethanti and Shyauli villages, then stone stairs to Kimche for lunch with mountain views, finishing at Ghandruk where you'll stay in your first Nepalese teahouse.

5. 5
   Day 5 · LandrukTolkha (1700m / 5577ft)

   Start with breakfast overlooking Landruk and the Modi Kola River 600 metres below. Trek towards Tolkha, passing diverse scenery of river, mountains and wild landscape, with the Annapurna range providing views throughout the day.

6. 6
   Day 6 · TolkaHemjakot (1530m / 5019ft)

   Trek from Tolkha to Hemjakot through pink and purple rhododendrons on a remote trail from Dhampus that sees few other walkers. You'll stay with a local family in a traditional stone-built Himalayan home, a style largely absent from Nepal's bigger cities.

7. 7
   Day 7 · HemjaPokhara

   Short descent from Hemjakot to Phedi, then transfer to Pokhara for lunch. Free afternoon to rowboat on Phewa Lake or visit the free Tal Barahi Temple and Shree Bindhyabasini Temple if skies are clear for mountain views.

8. 8
   Day 8 · PokharaKathmandu

   Long bus ride back to Kathmandu—bring snacks, games and a book. Arrive in time to grab a banana lassi and explore Kathmandu's nightlife to celebrate your trek.

9. 9
   Day 9 · KathmanduKathmandu

   Your trip ends after breakfast. No further activities are planned, though you can arrange to stay longer by contacting your booking agent beforehand.

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
• Meals: 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
• Transport: Whether a flight forms part of your itinerary is, offered as an alternative means to a long road journey, included as a scenic experience, or becomes necessary in an emergency, it’s important to be aware of the unique aviation context in Nepal. Nepalese air carriers are currently not permitted to operate within UK or European airspace, often referred to as being on the 'banned list' due to regulatory differences. However, we want to reassure you that your safety is our top priority. Intrepid is one of only a small number of tour operators that independently audits Nepalese air carriers each year, carrying out rigorous third‑party air safety assessments. We only work with airlines and helicopter operators that meet our strict internal safety standards and approval criteria. We strongly encourage you to review your government’s travel advice and to consider this information carefully when making your travel decisions, confident that we are taking every possible step to ensure your wellbeing., ROAD TRAVEL IN NEPAL: Roadworks and infrastructure projects can cause significant delays on major roads within cities and highways between destinations. Road travel can also be disrupted due to demonstrations and bandhs (strikes) without warning. Major roadworks are currently ongoing in Nepal. Delays, heavy traffic, poor road conditions and dust are a reality of road travel in Nepal. TRAVEL BETWEEN KATHMANDU : & POKHARA: If your itinerary includes road travel between these destinations, past travellers have often decided to fly this route independently to avoid the long overland journey (200km, approx 6+ hours). The flight takes around 35mins. Should you decide to fly, this will be at your own expense with no refunds for road travel available. MONSOON: The monsoon season is from June to September and weather conditions can disrupt travel during this time due to flooding and landslides. Disruption of air travel and airport closures are also possible. Be prepared that the itinerary may need to change at short notice. Auto-rickshaw, Local bus, Whitewater raft, Private vehicle
• Accommodation: TEAHOUSES: Accommodation at local lodges - better known as teahouses - are simple but comfortable. Toilets and washing facilities are shared and rudimentary, and the food is plain and filling. In a teahouse, travellers are provided with small twin share rooms with twin beds, mattresses and pillows. At times, in high seasons, and in places where there are limited number of teahouses, travellers may have to make do with dormitories. In some places, teahouses don't have access to electricity, depending on solar powered lighting instead. In more remote regions, teahouses don't have running water and toilets can mean just a hole in the ground. Hot shower facilities are available in some teahouses for a price but occasionally a hot shower means a bucket of hot water, enough to wash your body. Electricity to charge devices as well as WiFi is usually for an additional fee when available. Hotel (4 nights), Tea House (2 nights), Resort (1 night), Homestay (1 night)

How travellers rate it

Your free day in Kathmandu

Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Kathmandu — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).

5Budget-friendly

Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class

4hfrom £23

5Budget-friendly

The Most Beautiful 1 Day Experience in Kathmandu Nepal

8hfrom £15

5Budget-friendly

Kathmandu World Heritage Tour

10hfrom £38

5Budget-friendly

Kathmandu Heritage Tour

3hfrom £26

Common questions