Day-to-day schedule
Day 1: Kathmandu
Welcome in Nepal! Your tour starts in Kathmandu, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Most of your travel companions will arrive this first day, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 12.00 hrs noon on day 1 in the lobby of your hotel.
Day 2: Kathmandu
The interesting city of Kathmandu with its temples, ancient buildings and diverse native population has so much to see and do. Spend a whole day sat on the stairs of the temples in the centrally located Durbar Square, taking in the spellbinding way of life. A mile and a half to the west of the city, you will find the large and extremely beautiful stupa (traditional Buddhist monument) of Swayambunath a sacred Buddhists site. Due to the many apes that hang around the area, this stupa is also known as the ‘Monkey Temple’. An even bigger stupa is situated a little further outside Kathmandu, in Bodnath. On the way to this area we will pass by Pashupatinath, the most sacred of Tibetan Hindu sites, where the Nepalese and many Indians bathe in the Bagmati River. Patan, the sister city of Kathmandu, almost grows on the side of Kathmandu. The old regions of this city house an even denser population of temples and monasteries than the capital itself. Patan is quieter than Kathmandu and is a welcome relief after the hectic pace of the capital. Our agent can organise an optional rafting excursion if desired. A trip in a rubber boat down the wild river and through the immense mountains is a breathtaking experience, and no special training or technique is necessary.
Day 3: Kathmandu – Pokhara
Today we travel by bus to Pokhara, the only place in the world where mountains rise up to heights of over 4.5 miles, from the sub-tropical valley, where Pokhara lies, the north side of the mountains rise straight up to the highest peaks in the world. In the middle of this spectacle of rock, ice and snow is the Macchapuchare, one of the smallest peaks in the region at ‘just’ 4.3 miles high, although its ‘pushed-out’ position makes it appear the highest. Once a hippies paradise Pokhara is situated in a picturesque location on a mountain lake, where you can swim, row or enjoy the stunning panoramic view from one of the tea gardens. The area is also ideal for cycling and walking. The small Barahi-Bhawani temple built on an island close to the waterside is definitely worth a visit. Barahi is an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali and animals are sacrificed during festivals as an offering to her. One of the most notable natural features in this region is the Seti River Gorge, which has been carved out by erosion to a depth of 150 feet. The gorge is just 15 feet wide in some places. The Mahendra Bridge in Pokhara-Basar offers a good view of the gorge. You may also wish to go for a morning walk to Sarangkot, which has spectacular view of the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The panoramic mountains to the west and east of Macchapure are the peaks of the Annapurna Mountains.
Day 4: Trekking
Trek through the Himalayas, the Ghorepani Circle. During five days walk through the valleys on the edge of the Annapurna massif. From the highest point, Poon Hill you can enjoy magnificent views of the peaks of the Annapurna massif. The walk can be untertaken by normal fit people, but there are processes which are exhausting. The route runs through the villages Tirkedungha (1517 m), Ghorepani (2850 m), Deorali (2990 m) and Ghandrung (1950 m). These are scheduled overnight stops, but the tour guide can be deviated slightly (depending on the condition of the group and the condition of the trails). Along the way you sleep in simple accommodation. The following text is an approximate running time of six hours a day, but the exact period is of course dependent upon your own pace.
This first day trekking you are driven about 2 hours from Pokhara (820 m) to the start of the walk at Nayapul (1070 m). First you walk for about 30 minutes from Nayapul to Birethanti (1080 m). Next to Hille (1520 m) in about 2.5 hours, and finally half an hour further to Tirkhedunga Hille (1540 m), where you overnight.
Day 5: Trekking
During the second trekking day the group rises considerably over a wide path originally built as a staircase (it is experienced by many as the most difficult part of the trek). The paths are wide enough for all mule caravans to pass through. Whilst rising slowly but surely, the peaks of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli become visible above the wooded slopes. After an hour from Tirkhedunga (1540 m) you reach Ulleri village (2080 m) Here live Gurungs, Magar and Chettri's. After a steep climb through a dense rhododendron bush you finally arrive in Ghorepani. You'll stay in a lodge on the pass just above the village (2874 m), to consume the huge view of the surrounding Himalayan peaks.
Day 6: Trekking
Early in the morning, before dawn, most travelers decide to climb Poon Hill (3,193 m) (1.5 hours up and back down in about 1 hour) for spectacular views of Dhaulagiri I, Nilgiri, Annapurna I and Annapurna South. Then begins the trip to Tadapani. Slowly you rise through the forest to a barren ridge, at approximately the same level as Poon Hill in the west. If the clouds permit, you have a beautiful view of the mountains in the north and the plains in the south. After 1.5 hours you reach the village Deorali (2990 m), where a short lunch break is taken.
Then you descend steeply for 1.5 hours through a damp rhododendron forest to Banthanti (2520 m). The trail continues down along the vertical slopes, until the upper reaches of Bhurungdi Khola. On the other side of a wooden bridge is a short but steep climb to Tadapani (2590 m) through a beautiful jungle where large colonies of monkeys live. With a little luck you'll see some grey long-tailed monkeys. It is about 2 hours to walk from Banthanti to Tadapani. Tadapani is an attractive village overlooking the Modi Khola valley. From here you have the first good view (weather providing) of the famous Macchapuchare, the throne of the gods for the Nepalese.
Day 7: Trekking
In the morning, most people wake early to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. On a clear day you can clearly see Macchapuchare again and with some luck you can see the Annapurna South and also admire Annapurna 1.
After breakfast you descend in about 2.5 hours back down to Ghandrung (1940 m). Here follows a brief stop for lunch, and if time permits, a tour of the village. Then we walk to the sleeping place for tonight, Sayuli Bazar. After quite a bit further down (1170 m) you will see the river suddenly appear. For this last night we sleep in accommodation on the river, where we will enjoy a beautiful final evening.
Day 8: Trekking
On this last day of trekking you walk for half an hour to Chimrong (1140 m) and then 20 minutes to the road at Nayapul where transport is waiting to take you to Pokhara (2 hours), where you will stay overnight in a hotel .
Day 9: Pokhara – Chitwan/Sauraha
Today we leave for the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal’s first nature reserve, founded in 1973 and encompassing an area of 360 square miles in the central region of the Terai. Chitwan’s flora and fauna is amongst the most varied in Asia though its vegetation is dominated by willow trees, which cover around 70% of the park’s area. The remaining 30% is a mosaic of forests, grassy highlands, lakes, marshes, rivers and streams. Aside from the estimated 350 Indian rhinos, the park is also home to other large wildlife. Amongst the predators in the park are approximately 70 tigers as well as leopards, fishing cats, jungle cats, jackals, foxes and civet cats. There are martens, otters, sloth bears, wild boar and various species of deer and ape such as the maroon-leaf monkeys and rhesus monkeys. There are also 450 different species of birds native to this area. Water dwelling animals in the park include the marsh mugger crocodile, the Ganges gavial (large long snouted crocodilian) and the rare Ganges river dolphin. To explore the area you can walk accompanied by a park ranger, ride on the back of an elephant or take a trip on a dugout tree trunk canoe.
Day 10: Chitwan/Sauraha
Continue exploring the park today and try to spot those species that you missed yesterday!
Day 11: Chitwan/Sauraha – Kathmandu
Today we will take the long yet picturesque mountain route back to Kathmandu. You will then have the rest of the day to look around the city again and to comb the bazaars and shops for souvenirs.
Day 12: Kathmandu
Your last full day in Kathmandu and a chance to relax and catch your breath again before making the homeward trip tomorrow.
Day 13: End of tour in Kathmandu
The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in Kathmandu until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of this Nepal.
Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 13) is not included.
NB. In July and August we will change the trekking to a trek in the Kathmandu valley due to the climate.
The itinerary will be:
Day 1 Arrival Kathmandu; Day 2 Kathmandu; Day 3 Chitwan N.P. /Sauraha; Day 4 Chitwan N.P./Sauraha; Day 5 Pokhara; Day 6 Pokhara; Day 7 Kathmandu; Day 8 Trek to Panauti; Day 9 Trek to Dhulikhel via Namobuddh; Day 10 Trek to Nagarkot; Day 11 Trek to Bhaktapur via Changunarayan temple; Day 12 Kathmandu; Day 13 End of tour in Kathmandu.
Difficulty Information
This journey is classified as Category C.
The difficulty of our trips varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that travel difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular journey, we have developed a classification system.
Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.
The Adventurous Nepal trip is a Category C holiday. You can expect some long bus rides.
Generally we stay in comfortable hotels, except in Chitwan and during the trekking where accommodation is simpler. You should have a good basic level of fitness for the trek when you will work an average of 6 hours per day. Please remember that you are travelling in a developing country with much lower living standards than you are used to at home. Hotel rooms can be less comfortable, the electricity can sometimes fail and it could be that you suddenly have a shortage of hot water whilst taking a shower. Also, roads may be temporarily blocked because of the weather or owing to their state of repair, in which case a detour is unavoidable. A flexible and positive attitude is just as important as a good physical condition.