Nepal Uncovered

• Day 1:
• Arrive in Kathmandu

We meet you at Kathmnadu airport and transfer you from airport to your hotel. Our rep will give you an introduction to the local area and help you settle in.

• Day 2:
• Kathmandu tour

We start our tour today with a guided walk from our hotel, through the tourist disctrict of Thamel and on through busy winding streets past numerous tiny shops and workshops, corner temples and stupas to the temples and palaces of Durbar Square. After lunch we visit the important Hindu and Buddhist pilgramage sites of Pasupatinath temple and Boudhanath stupa. We then leave the city and drive up to the small village of Nagarkot on the rim of the Kathmandu valley.

• Day 3:
• Sunrise mountain views. Forest and village walk. Bhaktapur
  

Nagarkot has possibly the best mountain views in the Kathmandu Valley, and we rise early to see the sun rising over the Himalaya. We then take an easy ridge walk downhil through the Tilkot Forest Reserve and tiny Chettri villages to the crumbling Changu Narayan temple. In the afternoon we tour the ancient centre of Bhaktapur, with its numerous old wooden carved temples and buildings. Exploring the back streets of Bhaktapur is a great way to see how some parts of Nepalese city life have remained almost unchanged for centuries.

• Day 4:
• White water rafting on the Trisuli River
  

We leave Kathmandu early this morning and drive to our put in point on the Trisuli river, ready for 2 days of exciting white water rafting. We'll have some initial skills training, and learn how to work as a team on the raft, ready for the bigger rapids to come. In the evening we camp on the banks of the river, surrounded by forest and the Himalayan foothills. Note: If you don't want to do the white-water rafting, you can transfer directly to Chitwan National Park and enjoy an extra day of safaris there (a small price supplement will apply).

• Day 5:
• White water rafting. Local bus to Chitwan National Park
  

After a hearty breakfast we enjoy more rafting today, until we get to our put in point not far from Chitwan National Park. We take a fun ride of about an hour on a local bus (possibly sharing with chickens and other livestock!), before our park lodge picks us up for the final drive to the park boundary and our lodge in the village of Sauraha. This evening we have time for a village walk to learn about the life of the Tharu people in the lowland 'Terai' plains of Nepal.

• Day 6:
• Chitwan National Park - safaris

We have a full day of safari activities in the park today, including a dug out canoe trip on the Rapti River, a jungle walk, and either a jeep safari or elephant ride in the afternoon (the jeep safaris are not available all year round). You have a good chance of seeing the endanged Asian one-horned rhinocerous, as well as numerous other animals including monkeys, deer, crocodiles and numerous birdlife. If you're very lucky you may even see a leopard, sloth bear or a majestic Bengal tiger.

• Day 7:
• Chitwan to Pokhara
  

We do a final safari this morning, either a birdwatching walk on the outskirts of the park, or an elephant safari if you didn't get to do one yesterday. We then drive out of the Terai and back up into the mountains to the lakeside town of Pokhara, which nestles at the foot of the Annapurna mountain range. Pokhara is a great place to spend some time, and there is a great social scene in the Lakeside area, with many people using the town as a gateway to trekking and rafting trips in the Annapurnas.

• Day 8:
• Pokhara tour

We have a guided tour of some sites close to Pokhara today, including the Peace Pagoda, Tibetan refugee camp, and the Jangchub Choeling Gompa. In the afternoon you can hire bikes, or take a boat out onto the lake. 

• Day 9:
• Pokhara free time. Drive to Bandipur
  

You have a little more free time in Pokhara this morning, and could take the chance to walk or drive up to the view point at Sarangkot for a spectacular sunrise over the Annapurnas. We leave Pokhara around lunchtime and drive to the hilltop village of Bandipur. Formerly an important trading post, this is an interesting Newari village with a beautiful main street, and there are some interesting short walks around the village and surrounding farmland which allow you to see typical Newari life on the go. We spend the night at a hotel with great views, and may have a game of football with the local kids on one of the rare flat expanses of ground nearby.

• Day 10:
• Visit Gorkha Durba. Drive to Kathmandu
  

We cross the main valley today, and visit the town of Gorkha, home to the Gorkha Durba which is a combination of a fort, palace and temple a steep walk above the village. We then drive back to Kathmandu, possibly seeing some rafters on the Trisuli river on the way, bringing back memories of the start of your own tour. Your last evening is free to explore and go out in Kathmandu, and possibly enjoy a final group meal, and pick up some souvenirs.

• Day 11:
• Kathmandu - Tour ends. Airport transfer

Your time is free today until we transfer you to the airport in time for your flight home.