*New* - From July 2009, all our prices include a trekking pack (sleeping bag, trekking poles, down jacket), all meals on your trek, and private transport instead of any public tourist coaches. There is no local payment on this tour. 

Your tour starts in Nepal’s intriguing capital city, Kathmandu. Here you tour the centre of the city with its many temples, stupas, and narrow winding streets.

 

From Kathmandu you travel west across the heart of Nepal to the beautiful lakeside town of Pokhara, nestling in the foothills of the majestic Annapurna mountain range. A short drive up into the hills takes you to the start of your trek into the mountains.

 

Passing through small rural villages, forests, and terraced farmland, you climb up through the Gurung village of Ghandruk, heart of the region supplying Gurkhas to the British Army, and on to Ghorepani, where you enjoy breathtaking views of the mighty, snow-capped Annapurna mountain range from the summit of Poon Hill. You descend from Ghorepani through varied countryside, into the Kali Gandaki river valley - the deepest gorge in the world, where you follow the river downstream before returning to Pokhara.

 

You have some free time to relax before driving to Bandipur, a remote & ancient trading hill-town where you explore the town and learn about rural Nepalese life.

 

Heading into the lowlands of Nepal, the Terai, your next stop is Chitwan National Park, one of Asia's most famous wildlife sanctuaries, particularly noted for its population of the rare one-horned rhinoceros.

 

You spend the next few days in and around the park, relaxing and taking in some of the activities on offer. A canoe ride down the Rapti River is an idyllic way to view some of the rare breeds of birds that use the waterway. A Jungle walk through the park follows the canoe ride, hopefully seeing Sloth Bear, Tiger or Rhino. The next day features an elephant ride and jeep safari into the part, including a visit to the crocodile breeding project en route. A visit to a local Tharu village followed by an evening cultural program ends your time at Chitwan.

 

Then it’s another interesting and scenic drive back to Kathmandu and a little extra sightseeing or perhaps a final shopping spree before your tour ends and you must say farewell to Nepal.

 

You can join one of our small-group departures on this tour, or do it privately, or as a base for a tailor-made itinerary. Options are available to tour Patan & Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu, do a mountain flight to view Everest, or extend the tour to do some white-water rafting, or visit Bardia National Park.

 

Note - if you like the look of this itinerary, but would like to include some white-water rafting within the 2 weeks, then please check our Nepal Explorer tour which runs alongside this trip, but features 3 days of rafting on the Kali Gandaki river after the trek, instead of visiting Bandipur and Gorkha.

We also have further cultural holidays in Nepal.

 

Have you read our country guide to Nepal? - includes health, climate & visa information

We use only well trained local guides and reps and support a range of local projects. Check our responsible tourism policy