Guided Touring in Nepal

A variety of walks in beautiful mountain scenery, 4-8 miles with a maximum ascent of about 2,700 feet. Paths as easy to follow though rough at times. On the Annapurna trekking option there will be six hours' walking on most days at altitudes of up to 8,000 feet.

Day 1: To Kathmandu - Fly to Kathmandu via Delhi

Day 2: Kathmandu - Afternoon arrival and transfer to the Park Village hotel for 2 nights. Visit the Boudhanath, the largest Stupa in Nepal, for a chance to stretch the legs after the journey.

Day 3: Kathmandu - See the sights of the historic centre on a walking tour of the capital, visiting Durbar Square, the Temple of the Living Goddess and the lively vegetable and spice markets. Continue to Swoyambhunath temple, with the all-seeing eyes of Buddha, perched on a hill overlooking the valley.

Day 4: To Bhaktapur - A lovely introductory walk, revealing some of Nepal’s mountain scenery, to Nagi Gompa monastery and on a ridge leading to views of the peak of Nagarjun and the Bagmati River below. Drive to Bhaktapur in the afternoon and overnight at the Bhadgaon Guest House.

Day 5: To Nagarkot - Morning walking tour of the medieval city of Bhaktapur, with its traditional houses with fine wood carvings and small cottage industries.  Visit Durbar Square and Nyatapola Temple, the highest in the valley. Visit Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in Nepal, and continue to Nagarkot for 2 nights at the Country Villa Hotel. Afternoon free to explore the town or take a stroll to the surrounding villages.

Day 6: Nagarkot - Nagarkot is notable for its hilltop position, which offers views of spectacular sunsets over the valley and memorable sunrises over the Himalayas. On clear days there are panoramic views of the peaks of Everest, Mt. Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Choba Bhamre and other parts of the eastern Himalayan range.  There are choices of walks into the surrounding hills, through traditional villages, past schools and farms, and a strenuous walk to Sankhu, which was the last stop for traders en route to Tibet.

Day 7: To Balthali - This morning’s walk leads through jungle rich in animal and plant life on a level trail to Nala. Transfer to the Newari town of Panauti, home to the oldest temple in Nepal dating from the 13th century. Walk through paddy and potato fields directly to the Balthali Village Resort for a 3 night stay. The area surrounding the resort is thickly forested with luxuriant flora and great birdlife which opens out to the terraced fields. The views of the Himalayas here, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets, will leave a lasting memory.

Day 8: Day hike to Pada Gaun - Wonderful views as we walk to Pada Gaun, through traditional Tamang villages. The Tamang originally came from Tibet several hundred years ago. Their villages remain secluded and far removed from the trappings of the modern world. Sitting back to relax and enjoy our picnic, we are surrounded by wonderful views of the major part of the Himalayan ranges and beautiful green forest of the Mahabharat range.

Day 9: Neupane Gaun - A morning walk to the confluence of the Roshi and Ladku Khola rivers leads us through a beautiful pristine valley to a traditional maize mill, and to the holy shrine of Lord Shiva, before we return to the resort for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation.

Day 10: To Patan - Drive to Patan, known as the City of the Arts, and stay one night at the Hotel Himalaya.

Day 11: Newari Villages & Hattiban - Morning walking tour of Patan, including the Patan Museum. Drive to the south of the Kathmandu Valley and walk through the Newari villages, arriving in the 16th century village of Bungamati, which sits on a spur overlooking the Bagamati River. Transfer to the Hattiban Resort for 2 nights.

Day 12: Champadevi - Today’s walk offers unforgettable views of the Himalayas and the Kathmandu valley, with a gradual ascent over lush green hills to the summit of Champa Devi. Afternoon at leisure to unwind or explore the area further.

Day 13: To Australian Camp - Drive to Kathmandu and fly to Pokhara. Drive to Kande to commence a wonderful walk through pine and rhododendron forests to the beautifully located Australian Camp, where we spend 2 nights surrounded by spectacular views at a simple local guest house.

Day 14: Pothana and the Deurali Pass - Hike to the Deurali pass, for close up views of the Annapurnas including the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna itself. We pass through the pretty village of Pothana with its tea houses, before returning for our final evening at Australian Camp.

Day 15: To Pokhara - After breakfast, walk to Shauli Bazaar and transfer to the attractive city of Pokhara in time for lunch and a late afternoon boat trip on Phewa Lake. Overnight at Fishtail Lodge.

Day 16: Pokhara & To Kathmandu - An exploration of Pokhara and the famous Davies Fall, before an afternoon flight to Kathmandu and a transfer to the Hotel Malla for 1 night. We celebrate our final evening with a farewell dinner, after which we can enjoy a Nepali cultural show.

Day 17: To London - Transfer to the airport for a flight to London via Delhi, arriving this evening.

Annapurna Trekking Option

The Annapurna Trekking option is dependent on minimum numbers; please enquire.

There is the opportunity to split from the main group on day 9 and, for those interested, to take a 6 night / 7 day trek in the Annapurnas, at no extra cost to the main holiday.

Trek below the great mountains, with wonderful views of the twin peaks of Machhapuchare, Dhaulagiri and many more. Our trek follows the Ghalel ridge at around 2,500m / 8,000ft, passing through pastures and villages, and camping in comfort in idyllic spots on ridge tops and valleys.

The trek is fully supported with expert guides and sherpas, staying in two-person tents in camps with a separate dining tent, toilet tent, 3 meals a day and boiled and filtered water for drinking during the trek.

Day 9: Trek - Fly to Pokhara & start trek to Australian Camp (2,050m) - After breakfast, we walk about 30 minutes to Khopasi and drive for an hour to Kathmandu airport. A 25 minute flight will take us to Pokhara (883m). Upon arrival in Pokhara, there will be some time to buy snacks, batteries, medicines etc. and change money if needed, then drive about 1 hour from Pokhara to Kande (1,646m). The drive is mostly on mountain highway passing through several villages and small towns revealing the Nepali way of life.

We stop at Kande for lunch, before beginning our trek. Today’s trek is about 1½ hours uphill through forests. Australian Camp is on the ridge top where we are welcomed by superb 300° views of mountains and valleys.

Day 10: Trek - Australian Camp to Dhoor (2,500m) - The trail begins with a descent, before we climb to the small village of Pothana, and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) tourist checkpost. From Pothana, the trail climbs through forest and ridges to Deurali, a small village with a few tea houses. From Deurali, we leave the main Annapurna trail and ascend through forests to Dhoor where we overnight in a small campsite in the middle of the forest.

Day 11: Trek -  Dhoor to Low Camp (2,990m) - Today’s trail climbs steeply through forests of rhododendron and pine, before a short level walk leads us to Low Camp, and its two tea houses. We are treated to spectacular close ups of Machhapuchhre and Mardi Himal from our camp.

Day 12: Trek - Low Camp to High Camp (3,500m) - Today is the most beautiful day. The trail climbs through the rhododendron forests with breathtaking views of Annapurna and Machapuchhre (Fishtail). Most of the trek is along the ridges with beautiful views of the high mountains in the north and the valleys to the east and west. High Camp is on a ridge with a tea house and a few summer pastures. The views from the camp are outstanding.

Day 13: Trek - High Camp to Forest Camp (2,450m) - We follow the trail to Forest Camp, situated in the middle of the forest with its three small tea houses.

Day 14: Trek - Forest Camp to Bheda Bari (1,100m) - From Forest Camp, there is long steep descent to Ghalel – a beautiful Gurung village. After a short descent from Ghalel, there is a pleasant level walk following the Mardi River to Bheda Bari. The campsite is beautiful, situated on the banks of the Mardi River.

Day 15: Bhedabari to Melbhot (1,100m) – Pokhara - Today is a pleasant level walk to Melbhot, through the fields and villages that line the Mardi River. After lunch at Melbhot, we leave the trekking crew and take a short 20 minute drive to Pokhara, where we meet the rest of the group again at the Fishtail Lodge. Later in the afternoon we enjoy a boat ride on Phewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal. The remainder of the day is free for rest and relaxation.