Tour Nepal's Kathmandu, Chitwan & Pokhara

Bhaktapur

Day 1: Welcome to the medieval city

Bhaktapur is a living museum from the drinking water holes through the narrow alleys and under the traditional Nepalese pagodas. All covered in blue sky and surrounded by the towering Himalayas. Your first day here should be spent adjusting to the thin air. Drink lots of water and enjoy the city at a leisurely pace. In the days to come we will guide you through historic sites, today you should take in the rich browns of the buildings contrasted against the deep blue of the sky.

Enjoy the feel of a city where the pace of life has gone unchanged for centuries. If you get hungry there is always “juju dhau,” king of yoghurt made with buffalo milk and sets in a porous container giving it a richer and creamier texture.

Bhaktapur - Nagarkot

Day 2: All the colors of the heavens

Under a light blue morning sky we will begin a tour of Bhaktapur, here you will feel the city come to life in the morning at Bhaktapur Durbar, the plaza in front of the royal palace of the ancient Bhaktapur kingdom. Here the square is dominated by the 55 window pagoda. Before we leave you'll get to see the Lion's Gate, a gate of such beauty and created with such skill that the king ordered the hands of the artisans chopped off so that no greater masterpiece could be built.

As the sky turns deep blue we will head to Nagarkot, a hill famous for soft white light spilling onto blue mountains in the morning and burning orange skies over purple stained mountains at sunset. Before the sun goes down you will have time to see Manjushree cave, where the poet, sorcerer and yogi Milarepa meditated slightly under one thousand years ago.

Nagarkot - Patan - Swayambhunath

Day 3: Sacred Monkeys

Yesterday was a stunning sunset at Nagarkot, today we are back on this second highest peak of the valley to see the pale glow of dawn work its' way down the mountains. In the cool morning breeze we can see Everest rising above the lesser peaks.

After breakfast we see Patan Durbar Square, an ancient Newari site holding the Krishna Temple, a major highlight of Buddhist holy places in the region. Among the still standing houses, the gray domes of temples and the tan pagodas we will find swayambhunath stupa, the Monkey Temple. The roof of this temple took twenty kilos of gold to gain it's shimmering color. Above the gold are prayr flags dancing a rainbow in the mountain breeze and below them the holy monkeys who give the temple its' name. Do be careful, the monkeys are holy and hungry in equal parts.

Swayambhunath - Budhanilkantha - Boudhanath

Day 4: The peaks of man and nature

 The best hike in Katmandu, through the Shivapuri national reserve, home to thousands of plant species from pines to mushrooms spread across two climates. If you don't want the tropical wet that comes from the yearly downpours, just hold out for the temperate ridges where the pine stands provide cover from high altitude winds. But you won't be the only one enjoying the merging ecosystems, cobras, civets and rhesus monkeys are sharing the tranquility of the park with you.

After a short hike through two worlds we'll be back in the realm of man-made as we see Boudhnath, largest stupa in the world. The hundreds of prayer wheels and the 108 images of the Buddha present an excellent example of stupa design. The whole effect puts people at peace within the temple itself and even just within sight from the many nearby rooftop restaurants. Here we can enjoy the end of the day nestled between the peaks of stupa and mountians.

Kathmandu - Chitwan

Day 5: Jungle calling

We leave the Katmandu Valley, winding along the Trishuli River well into the Himalayan foothills until we land in the lush Chitwan region. Here in the still tropical climate the food is spicy, the animals are unique and the jungle is full of adventure.

Chitwan National Park, one of the finest parks in Asia, covers almost a thousand square kilometers and packs the space with tigers, rhinoceros, sloth bears, crocodiles and over 500 species of chattering bird. Many of the animals are endangered so be sure to get a good look at them, you may never again see a Royal Bengal Tiger.

In the evening we'll have local spicy goat and enjoy the sunset drifting up the mountain as you plan your next day.

Chitwan

Day 6: A world of possibilities

What you make of today is up to you. There are many choices though

Or maybe you want a bit more nature? That's fine, there are canoes available wit hguides ready to paddle you up and down stream through the peaceful day in the jungle. With a little luck we may see lurking croccodiles in the murkier parts of the river.

Or there is a village walk here you can see life as it has been for centuries, away from the changes brought by the modern world people live their lives as they have before. Staying in the interest of culture, you can also go to see the highly energetic Tharu stick dance.

And there is always an incredable sunset to watch.

Chitwan - Pokhara

Day 7: There is a lake in the mountains

We are again driving along the Trishuli river, this time for five hours. They will be lovely hours though as we wind through the canyons and over the foothills. We will amble through villages and race along the highway eventually even cross the Trishuli with a view of Mt. Fishtail thrusting into the open blue sky.

We are quite lucky to be able to travel here so swiftly, it was almost 1970 before enough roades were built to allow cars here.

In the afternoon we'll arrive in Pokhara next to the mirror like Phwa lake. Today we can adjust to the new elevation and enjoy the city and the lake.

Pokhara

Day 8: A day in Pokhara

Yesterday you walked the streets of Pokhara, today you can soar over them. Or travel under them in the many caves in and around the city. There are sacrad sites to see and refugee camps as well.

The caves beneath the city were formed by the region's porrous geology and tours are common and spectacular, taking you through cavernous tunnels and tight squeezes twisting below the city. The limestone Bat Cave is famous for it's small furry inhabitents.

Above the city you can travel by paraglider, zipline or parachute. As the city spreads below you and the sky takes you in, do look the the mountains, blue giants capped in white and dotted with greenery.

If you do not wish to go above or below, there are always trips to the lake or visits to the Tibetan refugee camps or sightseeing at Davi's fall, known as the "underworld falls" in the local language, here the water cascades down as all waterfalls but instead of a pool it goes into a tunnel system over a hundred meters long.

Pokhara - Sarangkot - Pokhara

Day 9: The mornin' lake drinks up the sky

We will be up quite early, led by our guide to Sarangkot, a village north of the lake and situated to give you the most breathtaking panoramic view of the sunrise yet. As the pale light moves down the Western mountains and the first hints of color brush the few wispy clouds you will see the Himalayas light up From Annapurna to Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre and the wide craggy dome of Ganesh Himal. Looking to the valley the colors of the sky are gleaming back at you from the lake shimmering in the shadowless light of the dawn valley.

Then it's back to the hotel for breakfast and possibly a nap. Then the day calls again, and what ever you missed out on yesterday is waiting for you, the caves, lakes and sky itself all beckon for your last day in Pokhara.

Pokhara - Kathmandu

Day 10: Katmandu, I'll soon be seein' you

Today is a traveling day again as we bid farewell to Pokhara and begin the scenic return to Kathmandu. Spend the time admiring the mountains as old peaks slip from sight into our past and memories. The trip will pass swiftly, before you even know it we will be back in the capitol checked in at our hotel and relaxing.

This moment will too pass and we will be among the narrow streets of Thamel, the tourist Mecca of Khatmandu, We don't need the walking gear and hiking gear sold in abundance here, we've already finished our hiking.

But the foods may call to us, perhaps a short length of sugar cane or a pastry just to tide you over. Or maybe some of the handcrafts to remind you of the time spent here above the clouds in Nepal. Go on and enjoy yourself here.

Kathmandu

Day 11: The last day on top of the world

Among Hindu timples, Pashupatinath is famous the world over, earning it's designation as a world heritage site. A pagoda jutting above the city each roof gilt with gold and the doors adorned with carved silver dedications to lord Shiva. Here on the bank of the Bagmati River the cremation of the dead is preformed, the scent of burning joining the smoke rising as the spirits prepare to move onto the next stage in their reincarnation.

At last we will move on to Durbar Square, where ancient architecture soars into newer styles, blending before your eyes. Here we can see the “Living goddess house” where the kumari, per-pubescent girls, live as the manifestation of the Devi, divine female energy.

And now we have seen much of the culture of Nepal and Kathmandu, so we are left to the local markets. Here spices, teas and more await us. Most famously the Pashmina shawls first mentioned in texts over two thousand years ago and made from the wool of goats long adapted to living on the top of the world.

Lastly we will gather one last time for dinner with a Nepalese cultural program to amuse and educate us during the meal. Then it is time for the last sunset and bed.

Kathmandu

Day 12: One more adventure

With everything you've seen, there's a lot to remember, elephants, jungles, markets, the highest mountain in the world and even caves filled with bats. Like the past it will soon be a different country far behind.

We hope your trip here will stay with you the rest of your life, memories of a country that changes amid buildings as old as writing.

There is just one more adventure for you to enjoy, at the airport there is a cliff at the end of the runway.