Arrive in Nepal, a country of Himalayan landscapes, ancient temples, and enduring traditions. A representative welcomes you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you 6 kilometers into Kathmandu. The drive takes about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic, offering your first look at the lively capital. Kathmandu sits at an altitude of 1,400 meters.

Spend the remainder of the day relaxing after your journey. If you want to stretch your legs, enjoy a leisurely stroll through Thamel’s bustling streets, where colorful shops, traditional handicrafts, cafés, and local restaurants provide an inviting introduction to the city. Green hills surround the Kathmandu Valley, with distant Himalayan peaks beyond.

Nepali is Nepal’s official language, and its written form uses the Devanagari script.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

Following breakfast at 9:30 AM, begin a full-day exploration at Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal’s most important Hindu pilgrimage site on the holy Bagmati River. Only Hindus may enter the main temple complex, while other visitors can explore the surrounding area, including the cremation ghats and rituals along the riverbank. Continue to Boudhanath Stupa, one of the world’s largest Buddhist monuments and a spiritual center for Tibetan Buddhism, surrounded by monasteries and prayer wheels.

Next, visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, the former royal palace complex of Nepal’s Malla kings. View its centuries-old temples, courtyards, intricate wood carvings, and distinctive architectural heritage. Conclude at Swayambhunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple. Its hilltop setting provides panoramic views across Kathmandu Valley and a vantage point for sunset over the city. Today’s altitude ranges from 1,300 to 1,400 meters.

The Kathmandu Valley was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

After breakfast, leave Kathmandu Valley for the 175-kilometer drive to Chitwan National Park. The journey takes about six hours, following the winding Trishuli River through picturesque valleys, terraced hillsides, traditional villages, and lush countryside. As you descend from the Himalayan foothills into Nepal’s subtropical lowlands, the altitude drops from 1,400 to 415 meters and the landscape changes dramatically.

Upon arrival in Chitwan, enjoy lunch and receive a briefing about the upcoming jungle activities. Later in the afternoon, visit a traditional Tharu village to learn about the customs and lifestyle of the Indigenous inhabitants of the Terai region. Continue with a leisurely nature walk beside the Rapti River as the sun sets, reflections spread across the water, and birds return to their nesting grounds.

Chitwan National Park was Nepal’s first national park.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Center Park Resort Pvt. Ltd.

Wake to the soothing sounds of the jungle before taking a traditional canoe ride along the Rapti River. During the 45 to 60-minute journey, float silently downstream while watching for gharial crocodiles, marsh mugger crocodiles, kingfishers, herons, and the many water bird species that inhabit this ecosystem. Spend the remainder of the morning relaxing or exploring the surrounding area.

Following lunch, enter Chitwan National Park on a three to four-hour Jeep safari with experienced naturalist guides. Look for endangered one-horned rhinoceroses, sloth bears, wild boars, several deer species, and the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. Grasslands, wetlands, and dense forests support the park’s varied wildlife and make it one of Asia’s leading wildlife destinations. The altitude is 415 meters.

The gharial has a long, narrow snout that distinguishes it from the broader-snouted mugger crocodile.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Center Park Resort Pvt. Ltd.

Leave Chitwan and travel 150 kilometers by road to Pokhara. The drive takes approximately five hours and brings you to an altitude of 822 meters. On arrival, you enter Nepal’s lake city, a destination known for its Himalayan views and snow-fed lakes. The change in setting introduces the mountain scenery featured during your time in Pokhara.

Pokhara offers views of Mount Fishtail and the Annapurna range, with the peaks reflected in Lake Phewa. The city also serves as a base for treks in the Annapurna region and day hikes around the rim of the Pokhara Valley. Its position brings the lake and the surrounding Himalayan landscape together within one destination.

Mount Fishtail is also known as Machhapuchhre.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Dahlia Boutique Hotel

Set out early in the morning for an excursion to Sarangkot, where you can watch the sunrise over Mount Annapurna, the Dhaulagiri massif, and Mount Fishtail. The changing morning light reveals the scale of the surrounding Himalayan landscape. After the sunrise experience, return to Pokhara for breakfast before continuing with the afternoon program.

Begin your Pokhara city tour in the afternoon with visits to Bindavashini Temple, Seti Gorge, Devi’s Fall, and Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. Follow the planned sightseeing sequence across these cultural and natural sites. The day also includes a complimentary boat ride on Phewa Lake, giving you time on the water as part of your exploration of Pokhara.

Mahadev is a name used for the Hindu deity Shiva.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Dahlia Boutique Hotel

Begin with a drive from Pokhara to Kande, where the walking portion of the day starts. From Kande, set out on a six-hour hike through the Annapurna foothills. Follow the planned route toward Australian Camp, completing the first section on foot before continuing deeper into the area covered by the day’s hike.

Continue walking from Australian Camp to Dhampus, including a visit to Dhampus village along the way. After completing this section, proceed on foot from Dhampus to Phedi. The full route follows the sequence of Kande, Australian Camp, Dhampus, and Phedi, with approximately six hours dedicated to exploring the Annapurna foothills on foot.

The Gurung community has a longstanding presence in the Annapurna region.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Dahlia Boutique Hotel

Begin the day with breakfast before leaving Pokhara for the return drive to Kathmandu. The overland journey covers approximately 200 kilometers and is scheduled to take six hours. This travel day is centered on completing the road transfer between Pokhara and Nepal’s capital.

Continue by road for the remainder of the six-hour journey until you arrive in Kathmandu. The transfer concludes after covering the full 200-kilometer distance from Pokhara, completing this return stage and placing you in Kathmandu for the next part of the trip.

Kathmandu is Nepal’s largest city as well as its national capital.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

Breakfast is included before an early Saturday departure from Kathmandu, listed at 1,300 meters. Travel through the scenic Nepalese countryside toward Kerung Border on the Nepal-Tibet frontier. The journey covers approximately 145 kilometers and is scheduled to take six to seven hours.

After completing the necessary border formalities at Nepalese immigration, continue with an adventurous uphill section toward Chinese immigration. This normally involves a one-hour drive by bus and van. If a landslide prevents vehicle access, complete a two-hour uphill walk instead. After Chinese immigration, continue driving to Kerung.

Kerung and Kyirong are alternate English spellings used for the same Tibetan destination.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel Sisi Kerung

After breakfast, leave Kyirong and drive deeper into the Tibetan Plateau toward Tingri. The journey covers approximately 265 kilometers and takes five to six hours. You gain altitude steadily throughout the drive before reaching Tingri at 4,300 meters, making this travel stage an important part of the itinerary’s gradual acclimatization plan.

Along the route, take in expansive Himalayan views across the high-altitude plateau. Wide-open plains extend toward distant snow-covered peaks, while yak herds form part of the landscape encountered during the drive. The combination of increasing elevation and a measured travel pace supports your adjustment to the conditions at Tingri.

The Tibetan Plateau is recognized as the world’s highest and largest plateau.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel in Tingri

After breakfast, leave Tingri and drive across the world’s highest plateau on a 443-kilometer route through expansive Himalayan scenery. Travel to Rongbuk at 5,200 meters and visit Rongbuk Monastery, described as the world’s highest monastery. Continue with a stop at Everest Base Camp, where you reach the North Face of Mount Everest.

Resume the journey toward Shigatse, crossing Gyatchu La Pass at 5,220 meters before traveling via Lhatse. The route then continues to Shigatse at an altitude of 3,900 meters, completing a day that combines high-altitude travel with two significant Everest-area stops. A total driving time is not specified in the provided itinerary.

Mount Everest is known as Qomolangma in Tibetan.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel in Shigatse

After breakfast, begin the 361-kilometer journey from Shigatse toward Lhasa. Start with a morning visit to majestic Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, then drive to Gyantse. Explore the famous Kumbum Stupa and Phalkor Monastery before continuing along the planned overland route.

Cross Karo La Pass at 5,010 meters and Kamba La Pass at 4,749 meters, with stunning views of Yamdrok Tso Lake along the way. The full drive takes approximately six to seven hours and ends in Lhasa, situated at an altitude of 3,650 meters.

The name Kumbum means “one hundred thousand images,” reflecting the stupa’s extensive Buddhist imagery. 

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel Flora Lhasa

After breakfast, explore the cultural and spiritual heart of Tibet. Begin at Sera Monastery, known for its monk debates, before continuing with the scheduled stroll through Lhasa’s lively setting. The morning sightseeing follows the itinerary’s planned focus on the city’s religious and cultural character.

Continue to the iconic Potala Palace and the sacred Jokhang Temple, following the sightseeing sequence through Lhasa. Finish at Barkhor Bazaar, where pilgrims and traders bring the area to life. Together, these visits cover the palace, temple, monastic, and commercial settings listed for the day.

Tibetan monastic debate is a structured method for analyzing Buddhist philosophy through logic and discourse.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel Flora

After breakfast, spend the morning visiting Drepung Monastery, once the largest monastery in the world. This half-day sightseeing program in Lhasa focuses on the monastery before the return journey begins, preserving the planned sequence of morning exploration followed by the afternoon transfer.

After lunch, leave Lhasa and drive back to Shigatse through scenic valleys and highland landscapes. The road journey covers 270 kilometers and takes approximately five to six hours, completing the day’s transfer after the scheduled half-day visit in Lhasa.

Drepung Monastery was established near Lhasa in 1416. 

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel in Shigatse

After breakfast, begin the return journey from Shigatse toward Kyirong, located at 2,770 meters. The day’s road transfer covers 491 kilometers and is expected to take approximately seven to eight hours, making this a sustained travel stage across the Tibetan landscape.

Follow the route as it descends gradually from the dry plateau into greener valleys. The changing elevation brings a noticeable contrast in scenery and climate during the drive, with the journey continuing through these shifting conditions until you reach Kyirong.

Kyirong Valley historically served as a trade corridor between Tibet and Nepal.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel in Kerung

After an early breakfast, begin the long return journey to Kathmandu. Travel back along the same route used earlier in the itinerary, retracing the overland course throughout this extended transfer toward Nepal’s capital.

Continue traveling for the remainder of the journey, following the established route back to Kathmandu. No distance or driving time is specified for this transfer. Upon arrival in the city, the day’s long road journey concludes.

Kathmandu’s name has Sanskrit roots associated with the meaning “wooden pavilion.”

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

After breakfast, keep the day open as a buffer following the high-altitude Tibet portion of your journey. No scheduled sightseeing, transfers, or organized activities are listed, giving you uninterrupted free time in Kathmandu after returning from the extended overland route.

The remainder of the day stays free of planned commitments, so the schedule remains flexible after high-altitude travel. This dedicated pause takes place entirely in Kathmandu and concludes without any listed sightseeing or transport arrangements.

Kathmandu Valley’s historic urban culture is closely associated with Newar craftsmanship in brick, stone, timber, and bronze.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

After breakfast, transfer to Kathmandu Airport in the morning in time to board your Druk Air flight to Paro. During the flight, take in views of mountains and landscapes before arriving in Paro and completing the required visa formalities.

After the formalities, a representative meets you and transfers you 54 kilometers to Thimphu, a drive of approximately one and a half hours. The evening remains free for you to stroll around Thimphu independently. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel Norpheling

After breakfast, begin at the Memorial Chorten, built in memory of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Continue to the 15th-century Changangkha Monastery and Motithang Mini Zoo to see the rare takin, Bhutan’s national animal. Drive farther downhill for views across Thimphu Valley, then visit the new Drupthob Nunnery Temple and enjoy free time in the market.

In the afternoon, continue the sightseeing program at the Painting School and National Library. Complete the day with visits to the Royal Goldsmith Workshop and the handicraft centers, following the listed sequence of cultural institutions and craft-focused stops. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

The takin is a large-bodied goat-antelope found in Bhutan and neighboring Himalayan regions.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Hotel Norpheling

After breakfast, leave Thimphu in the morning and drive to Punakha. On arrival, visit Punakha Dzong, the fortress that served as Bhutan’s former capital. This remarkable structure stands between two rivers and has survived numerous glacial floods as well as fire.

Learn about the annual Punakha Serda, a procession held each February to commemorate the victory over the Tibetans. The day centers on the road journey to Punakha and the scheduled dzong visit. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Punakha Dzong’s formal name translates as “Palace of Great Happiness or Bliss.”

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Meri Puensum Resort

After breakfast, begin the four-hour morning drive to Paro, stopping en route at Simtokha Dzong, described as Bhutan’s oldest building and now used as a Buddhist university. Later, visit Drugyel Dzong, a fortress known for its strategic position. It defended Paro Valley against an invasion from Tibet to the north in the early 17th century. In clear weather, 7,320-meter Mount Chomolhari can be seen above the dzong.

Continue through the beautiful valley to the watchtower known locally as Ta Dzong. The third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, converted it into the National Museum in the 1960s. Across seven floors, the museum presents Bhutanese culture and history dating to the seventh century. Take a short walk downhill to Rinpung Dzong, which serves as an administrative center and a school for monks. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Ta Dzong dates to 1649.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Green Valley Boutique

After breakfast, begin the morning hike to Takshang Monastery, also known as Tiger’s Nest. The uphill section takes approximately three to four hours through pine forests, while the total walk lasts four to five hours. The monastery clings to a huge granite cliff about 800 meters above Paro Valley. According to the traditional account provided, Padmasambhava arrived on a flying tigress in the seventh century and meditated in a cave for three months.

He is believed to have subdued demons that opposed the spread of Buddhism and converted Paro Valley to Buddhism. Near the end of the 17th century, a monastery was built where the saint meditated, creating a pilgrimage site that every Bhutanese is expected to visit once in their lifetime. On the return journey, visit Kichu Lakhang. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Takshang Monastery was successfully rebuilt after a fire in 1998.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Green Valley Boutique

After breakfast, transfer to Paro Airport in the morning in time to board your flight to Kathmandu. The day focuses on the international air connection from Paro back to Nepal’s capital, completing the return journey from the Bhutan portion of the itinerary.

Fly from Paro to Kathmandu and conclude the scheduled travel after arriving in the city. No sightseeing, flight duration, or additional activities are specified for the remainder of the day. Breakfast is included as the stated meal.

Bhutan Time is 15 minutes ahead of Nepal Time.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Kantipur Village

After breakfast, prepare for departure and take the scheduled transfer to Kathmandu Airport in time to board your flight home. This final travel stage focuses on reaching the airport according to your flight schedule and completing the outbound transfer from Nepal’s capital.

Continue to the airport with sufficient time for the listed departure arrangements before boarding your international flight. The 24-day journey and all scheduled services conclude with this transfer. Breakfast is included on the final day.

Kathmandu’s airport was renamed Tribhuvan International Airport in 1964.

Meals: Breakfast