Nepal, Adventures in High Himalayas

Today, you arrive at Kathmandu International Airport. Post lunch, you head for a sightseeing trip to Bouddhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple. The Bouddhanath Stupa is one of the most sought-after visit options for travellers to Kathmandu. Rotate the prayer wheels with other pilgrims. The Stupa premises is one of the best places in Kathmandu to buy Tibetan jewellery. Next, you move on to the holy Pashupatinath Temple. In the evening, you get to experience the holy aarti offered to Lord Shiva from across the Bagmati River.

Today, you drive to the Swoyambhunath Stupa, which overlooks the Kathmandu Valley. The main attraction in the complex is the Swoyambhunath Stupa with a lofty white dome and a glittering golden steeple. The stupa premises offer a fantastic view of the Kathmandu Valley on a clear day. Next, you move to the Budhanilkantha Temple premises (1 hour drive). The main attraction here is the massive stone statue of Lord Vishnu in a sleeping posture. It is probably the largest stone sculpture in Nepal. The temple premises are situated in the lap of the Shivapuri hills. A drive of around one hour from the temple will take us to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (UNESCO heritage site). After spending some time at Bhaktapur and lunch enroute, proceed to Nagarkot, a popular hill station situated on one of the ridges surrounding the Kathmandu Valley, renowned for its relaxed nature centric character and Himalayan views on a clear day.

Today, you undertake a scenic drive to Pokhara. You stop enroute at Charaundi for lunch. After lunch, you will enjoy rafting on the mighty Trishuli River. The rafting takes around three hours. The rafting ends at Fisling. You board the car and start the drive towards Pokhara. The distance from here is roughly around 130 kilometres (3-4 hours). In the evening, enjoy some live music at local pubs on the lakeside.

Today, you undertake a short trek that was walked by Prince Charles of England. After breakfast, you start biking, pedaling uphill on a single track passing through lush forest and beautiful settlements. Enjoying the beauty of the hillside, you take our first pit stop about two and a half hours at a roadside tea stall in the beautiful village of Kalikasthan. The track from here is mostly downhill on a dirt road. You pedal down at a relaxed pace until the Begnas Lake gradually unfolds before our eyes. Begnas is the second biggest lake in Kaski district. We cycle down to the Begnas Lake for lunch. After lunch, you pedal toward Pokhara in a slow pace through the beautiful countryside. In about one and a half hours, you will return to Pokhara.

Today, you get up early and take a short drive of about 45 minutes to Sarangkot hill to enjoy sunrise. Sarangkot, which used to be the fort of Sen Kings centuries ago, is now popular among tourists for mountain views and sunrise. Enjoy the sun rise over the hills. The view of mountains like Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Himchuli, among others, glittering in the morning sun is an amazing experience. It takes around four hours to reach Australian Camp. Overnight in a lodge.

Today, you start your walk after breakfast. You can see peaks in the Annapurna range glittering just before you. You walk downhill right to Dhampus village after taking a detour to Pothana. Pothana is a secluded settlement in the middle of nowhere. It is a small junction. The village offers an unhindered view of mountains in the Annapurna range dominated by the impressive Mt Machhapuchhre or the Fishtail. After having lunch enroute, you begin your downhill walk. The total walking time is approximately 4 hours. You meet the road where the car is waiting to take you to Pokhara.

Today is your last day in Pokhara. Try out adventure sports like paragliding, zipflier, bungee or ultra-light flight in the morning. You can simply choose to travel to Kathmandu via Manakmana Temple (requires a cable car ride) enroute. The cable car station is situated roughly midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. You reach Kathmandu by the evening.