Best of Nepal: 8 Days Luxury Kathmandu, Pokhara & Chitwan Tour

Meals: Dinner at leisure · Transport: Private luxury car · Sightseeing: about 3 hours

Your first day depends on your flight time. The plan below suits a midday arrival, and we adjust it for early or late flights. After a long journey we can keep today easy and move the sightseeing to Day 2.

On arrival: Your guide meets you outside Tribhuvan International Airport with a flower garland and a warm welcome, and your driver looks after your luggage. The drive into Kathmandu takes about 15 to 30 minutes in your private, air-conditioned luxury car, depending on traffic.

2:00 PM: Check in at Dwarika's with a welcome drink in the brick courtyard. Take time to unpack and freshen up in the quiet Newari surroundings before the sightseeing begins.

4:00 PM: Drive about 10 minutes to Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal's holiest Hindu site, on the banks of the Bagmati River. Your guide explains the rituals you see along the ghats, from sadhus to pilgrims and evening prayers. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple but get a clear view of it from the opposite bank.

5:30 PM: Continue to Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest stupas in the world, and walk clockwise around its base as the sun goes down. Monks in maroon robes, turning prayer wheels and thousands of butter lamps fill the square at this hour. A cup of tea at a rooftop cafe overlooking the stupa is a lovely way to finish (own cost).

7:00 PM: Return to Dwarika's for a relaxed first evening. Dinner is at leisure and at your own cost, and our team is happy to reserve a table at one of the hotel's restaurants or elsewhere in the city.

Meals: Luxury Breakfast · Transport: Private luxury car · Sightseeing: about 9 hours including lunch

Today you see the valley's finest temples, palaces and craft towns at an easy pace, with time for photos, wandering and a proper lunch.

7:30 AM: Enjoy a Luxury Breakfast at Dwarika's, then meet your guide in the lobby for a full day of heritage sightseeing.

8:45 AM: Drive up to Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, and climb to the hilltop stupa where painted Buddha eyes look out over the city. Spin the prayer wheels as you go and enjoy wide views across the whole valley, along with the resident monkeys who give the site its nickname.

11:00 AM: Drive on to Patan Durbar Square, once the seat of the Malla kings, and visit the Patan Museum and the ornate Golden Temple nearby. Wander the quiet lanes off the square, where metalworkers still cast statues and ritual objects by hand.

1:15 PM: Stop for lunch at a heritage courtyard restaurant in Patan, surrounded by traditional Newari architecture (own cost). Your guide can suggest a few classic Nepali dishes worth trying.

2:45 PM: Drive to Bhaktapur, the best-preserved medieval city of the valley, and explore Durbar Square, the five-storey Nyatapola Temple and the potters at work in Pottery Square. Try Bhaktapur's famous king curd, a thick, sweet yoghurt (own cost).

6:00 PM: Return to your hotel after a full day. The evening is free for a quiet dinner of your choice (own cost) and an early night before tomorrow's flight.

Prefer to see Kathmandu Durbar Square? We can add it to Day 1 or swap it for Swayambhunath on request.

Meals: Luxury Breakfast · Transport: Domestic flight and private luxury car · Flight: about 25 minutes

Your Kathmandu to Pokhara flight takes you over green hills with the snow peaks of the Himalayas in view, followed by a relaxed afternoon in Pokhara.

7:30 AM: Enjoy a Luxury Breakfast at Dwarika's and check out at an easy pace. Your driver handles your luggage from the room to the car.

9:15 AM: Drive to the domestic airport for your 25-minute flight to Pokhara. Ask for a window seat, as the route often gives fine views of the Himalayan range. The exact flight time depends on the airline's schedule and is confirmed before you travel.

12:00 PM: Your driver meets you at Pokhara Airport and takes you to Temple Tree Resort & Spa in Lakeside. Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, and check in early if your room is ready.

1:30 PM: Lunch at leisure at a restaurant of your choice (own cost). Your guide can point you to a good lakeside spot within easy walking distance.

3:00 PM: With your guide, visit Davis Fall, where a stream suddenly disappears into a deep underground channel, and the sacred Gupteshwor Cave across the road, with its shrine and limestone formations.

5:15 PM: Take an easy sunset walk along the shore of Phewa Lake, a few minutes from your resort, as the light changes over the water and the hills. Dinner is at leisure afterwards (own cost).

Meals: Luxury Breakfast · Transport: Private luxury car · Sightseeing: about 7 hours with a rest break

A day for the mountains and the lake. Start early for Pokhara's classic sunrise, then return for breakfast and a slow morning before an afternoon on the water.

5:00 AM: Drive up to Sarangkot, about 30 to 40 minutes from the resort, and settle in at the viewpoint with a flask of hot tea or coffee. As the sun rises, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) light up one after another, with the lake still in shadow below. In winter the sun rises later, so we adjust your start time.

7:30 AM: Return to Temple Tree Resort & Spa for a Luxury Breakfast, then rest by the pool or in your room.

10:30 AM: Board your own private boat on Phewa Lake and cross to the island temple of Tal Barahi, one of Pokhara's most sacred and photographed sites. On clear days the calm water mirrors the hills and the Annapurna range.

12:30 PM: Your luxury car meets you on the far shore and drives you up to the World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa), a white monument built by Japanese Buddhist monks. From the top you see Phewa Lake, the city and the Annapurna range together.

2:00 PM: Lunch at a lakeside cafe with views over the water (own cost).

3:30 PM: Free afternoon to swim, book a spa treatment at the resort (own cost) or explore further. Your guide can take you to Bindhyabasini Temple, the Old Bazaar or the International Mountain Museum.

6:00 PM: Enjoy the sunset over the lake, then dinner at a restaurant of your choice (own cost). Our team can reserve a table for you. Pack tonight, as tomorrow is a travel day.

Meals: Luxury Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge · Transport: Private luxury car · Drive: about 5 to 6 hours

Today you leave the lake and mountains behind for the warm plains of the Terai. The road follows river valleys and terraced hills before dropping to the lowlands, and you arrive in time for lunch and your first safari.

8:00 AM: Enjoy a Luxury Breakfast at Temple Tree, then check out. Your driver loads the car and you set off in comfort with cold water on board.

8:45 AM: Drive south and west through the hills, about 5 to 6 hours in total including stops. There is a break for tea and a snack at a roadside cafe along the way (own cost), and your guide points out village life, rivers and rice terraces as you go.

2:30 PM: Arrive at River Bank Jungle Resort, on the banks of the Rapti River. Enjoy a welcome drink, check in to your room or villa, and have a late lunch at the lodge.

3:45 PM: Meet your naturalist for a short briefing, then set out on your first safari in an open jeep. The late afternoon light is soft and animals begin to move, so keep your eyes open for rhinos, deer, peacocks and wild boar.

7:30 PM: Dinner at the lodge, where your naturalist shares the day's sightings and helps you plan tomorrow's safari.

Meals: Breakfast in the forest, lunch and dinner at the lodge · Transport: Open safari jeep · Safari: about 4 hours in the morning

Today brings the signature moment of the trip: a full morning in Chitwan National Park with your own naturalist, followed by a breakfast prepared for you in the forest.

5:45 AM: Wake to tea or coffee as the jungle comes alive with birdsong. Meet your naturalist and head into the park in an open jeep while the mist still hangs over the grasslands.

6:30 AM: Go on your early morning safari through sal forest, riverbank and tall grassland. This is the best hour of the day for wildlife, and your naturalist reads tracks and alarm calls to find rhinos, deer, crocodiles and rare birds. A tiger is possible but never guaranteed.

8:30 AM: Stop for breakfast in the forest. Your chef sets a table in a peaceful spot in or beside the park and cooks a hot breakfast for you. The exact location depends on park rules and conditions on the day.

10:30 AM: Return to the lodge to rest, swim in the infinity pool or book a treatment at the spa (own cost).

1:00 PM: Lunch at the lodge.

3:30 PM: Choose your afternoon activity with your naturalist: a guided nature walk, a river trip on the Rapti or a second jeep safari. Later, watch the sun go down over the river from the lodge.

7:30 PM: Dinner at the lodge, with time to compare notes on the day's sightings.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge · Transport: Open safari jeep · Activities: about 5 hours across the day

A second full day in the jungle, with a different part of the park, a look at local Tharu life and a quiet evening by the river.

6:30 AM: Set out on a second morning safari to a different area of the park, or join a guided walk with your naturalist if you prefer to explore on foot. Birds are active early, and the light is ideal for photographs.

9:00 AM: Return for a relaxed breakfast at the lodge, then enjoy a slow morning by the pool.

12:30 PM: Lunch at the lodge.

3:00 PM: Visit a nearby Tharu village with your guide to see traditional mud-walled houses, local crafts and daily life. The Tharu are the indigenous people of the Terai and have lived beside these forests for centuries.

5:15 PM: Return to the lodge and watch the sun set over the Rapti River from the riverside, a good time for a last look for birds and river wildlife.

7:30 PM: Farewell dinner at the lodge.

Meals: Breakfast at the lodge · Transport: Private luxury car and domestic flight · Drive: about 1 hour · Flight: about 25 minutes

A gentle last morning in the jungle, then a short flight to Kathmandu for your onward journey.

6:30 AM: Optional early bird walk along the riverbank with tea or coffee, or a last look from the lodge terrace.

8:00 AM: Enjoy breakfast at the lodge and check out.

9:00 AM: Drive to Bharatpur Airport, about an hour, with your driver handling all luggage.

11:30 AM: Fly to Kathmandu, about 25 minutes. The exact flight time depends on the airline's daily schedule and is confirmed before your trip.

12:30 PM: Your driver meets you in Kathmandu and takes you to your onward flight or to a hotel of your choice. We recommend booking your international flight for 4:00 PM or later so there is a comfortable buffer.

Have a morning international flight, or want a rest before you fly? Ask us to add a night at Dwarika's.