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Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan in Seven Days

Three UNESCO squares, one lake and one jungle, at a pace that leaves room to breathe

  • Kathmandu · Pokhara · Chitwan
  • 7 days, 6 nights
  • Balanced pace · Easy
  • 4.7(318 reviews)

Overview

In short

This is the itinerary almost every first-time visitor to Nepal ends up doing, and there is a reason: it stacks three completely different landscapes into a week without any single travel day longer than seven hours. Two nights in the Kathmandu Valley cover Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares plus Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, all UNESCO-listed. Two nights in Pokhara give you a 5.30am run up to Sarangkot at 1,592 metres for the Annapurna skyline and an hour on Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi shrine. Two nights at Sauraha on the edge of Chitwan National Park cover a jeep safari, a dugout canoe on the Rapti and a Tharu village walk. The Kathmandu–Pokhara leg is the one real decision: a 200-kilometre tourist coach that takes six to seven hours, or a 25-minute flight. We price both and let you pick.

What you will actually do

  • All three Kathmandu Valley durbar squares — Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur
  • Boudhanath at dusk, when the kora fills with pilgrims and butter lamps
  • Sarangkot sunrise at 1,592 m with Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South on the skyline
  • One hour of rowed boating on Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi island shrine
  • Chitwan jeep safari plus a dawn dugout canoe on the Rapti River
  • Tharu stick dance performed at Sauraha, not a hotel-lobby version
  • Tourist coach or a 25-minute Kathmandu–Pokhara flight, priced separately so you choose

Day by day

7 days planned in full. Drive times and walking hours are stated so you can judge the pace before you book.

  1. Day 1

    Arrive Kathmandu and walk into Thamel

    Kathmandu
    Met at Tribhuvan International (KTM) and driven 20 to 40 minutes to your hotel depending on traffic, which in Kathmandu is genuinely unpredictable. Nothing is scheduled for the rest of the day beyond an evening orientation walk through Thamel with your guide, who will point out where to change money and buy a local SIM. The valley floor sits at 1,400 metres.

    Thamel

    Meals included
    No meals included
    Overnight
    3-star hotel, Kathmandu
    Transfer
    Airport to hotel, 20–40 minutes

  2. Day 2

    Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Patan and Boudhanath

    Kathmandu
    A full valley day. Kathmandu Durbar Square first, including the Kumari Ghar where the living goddess appears at her window, then Swayambhunath on its hilltop — 365 steps from the east, or a vehicle to the west gate if the steps are not for you. After lunch, Patan Durbar Square and the Golden Temple, then Boudhanath for the evening circuit of the 36-metre stupa.

    Kathmandu Durbar Square ·Swayambhunath ·Patan Durbar Square ·Boudhanath

    Meals included
    Breakfast
    Overnight
    3-star hotel, Kathmandu

  3. Day 3

    Bhaktapur, then west to Pokhara

    Pokhara
    An early start for Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the best-preserved of the three and the one worth the most time — the 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple and the potters' square. Then the 200-kilometre run west to Pokhara: six to seven hours by tourist coach along the Prithvi Highway, or a 25-minute Buddha Air flight if you have upgraded. Lakeside by evening.

    Bhaktapur Durbar Square ·Nyatapola Temple ·Pottery Square

    Meals included
    Breakfast
    Overnight
    3-star hotel, Lakeside, Pokhara
    Transfer
    Kathmandu to Pokhara, 6–7 hours by coach or 25 minutes by air

  4. Day 4

    Sarangkot sunrise and a rowed boat on Phewa

    Pokhara
    Leave the hotel at about 5am for the 45-minute drive up to Sarangkot at 1,592 metres. On a clear morning the light hits Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre in sequence. Back for breakfast, then Davis Falls, the Gupteshwor Mahadev cave and the International Mountain Museum. Late afternoon, an hour on Phewa Lake in a rowed boat to the Tal Barahi shrine.

    Sarangkot ·Davis Falls ·Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave ·Phewa Lake ·Tal Barahi Temple

    Meals included
    Breakfast
    Overnight
    3-star hotel, Lakeside, Pokhara
    Transfer
    Hotel to Sarangkot, 45 minutes each way

  5. Day 5

    Down to the Terai and into Chitwan

    Chitwan
    A five-hour, 160-kilometre drive south-east to Sauraha on the Rapti River, dropping from 822 metres to about 150 metres — the air gets noticeably warmer and heavier. Check in, then a walk through the Tharu village behind the lodge and sunset from the river bank, where crocodiles haul out on the sandbars. Tharu stick dance after dinner.

    Rapti River ·Tharu village ·Tharu cultural programme

    Meals included
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Overnight
    Jungle lodge, Sauraha
    Transfer
    Pokhara to Chitwan, about 5 hours

  6. Day 6

    Jeep safari, dugout canoe and the elephant breeding centre

    Chitwan
    Out at first light in a dugout canoe on the Rapti, drifting past gharial and mugger crocodiles, then a guided walk in the buffer forest. After lunch, a shared jeep safari into Chitwan National Park — greater one-horned rhino are common, sloth bear and tiger are not. The government elephant breeding centre at Khorsor rounds off the afternoon.

    Chitwan National Park ·Rapti River canoe ·Khorsor Elephant Breeding Centre

    Meals included
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Overnight
    Jungle lodge, Sauraha

  7. Day 7

    Bird walk, then back to Kathmandu

    Kathmandu
    An optional 6am bird walk along the river — Chitwan has more than 500 recorded species and the winter months bring the migrants. After breakfast, the drive back to Kathmandu takes five to six hours on the Mugling road, or 20 minutes if you have taken the Bharatpur flight. Straight to the airport or a day room if your flight is late.
    Meals included
    Breakfast
    Transfer
    Chitwan to Kathmandu, 5–6 hours by road or 20 minutes by air

What the price covers — and what it does not

Included

  • 6 nights' accommodation — 3-star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, jungle lodge at Sauraha
  • 6 breakfasts plus full board for both nights at Chitwan
  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all road transfers
  • Kathmandu–Pokhara tourist coach seat (flight upgrade quoted separately)
  • Licensed English-speaking city guide in Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara
  • All UNESCO monument entry fees — Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath
  • Sarangkot sunrise trip and one hour of rowed boating on Phewa Lake
  • Chitwan National Park entry permit, shared jeep safari, dugout canoe and guided jungle walk
  • Tharu cultural programme at Sauraha
  • Airport pick-up and drop at Tribhuvan International
  • 24×7 on-trip assistance from the HighPass office in Kathmandu

Not included

  • International flights to and from Kathmandu
  • Nepal visa on arrival — USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days; Indian nationals pay nothing
  • Kathmandu–Pokhara flight upgrade, about USD 125 per person one way
  • Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu and Pokhara
  • Paragliding, zip-lining, ultralight flights and the Annapurna mountain flight
  • Travel insurance, which we require you to hold
  • Tips for guides and drivers, and all personal expenses
  • Costs arising from flight delay, road closure, strike or weather

Upcoming departures

Small group, maximum 14 — private departures on request. Seat counts are live at the last catalogue update; we confirm availability in writing before taking any payment.

  • Sun20SEPT2026

    Departs Kathmandu

    Available12 left

    $620Hold a seat
  • Sun11OCT2026

    Departs Kathmandu

    Last few seats4 left

    $695Hold a seat
  • Sun08NOV2026

    Departs Kathmandu

    Filling fast7 left

    $695Hold a seat
  • Sun17JAN2027

    Departs Kathmandu

    Available14 left

    $640Hold a seat
  • Sun14MAR2027

    Departs Kathmandu

    Available11 left

    $675Hold a seat
  • Sun11APR2027

    Departs Kathmandu

    Filling fast5 left

    $710Hold a seat

Questions about this trip

Should we take the tourist bus or fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara?

Fly if your time is tight or your back objects to long road days — it is 25 minutes and about USD 125. Take the coach if you want to see the Trishuli river gorge and terraced hills, and accept six to seven hours. Monsoon landslides can close the Prithvi Highway, which is the strongest argument for flying in July and August.

Is seven days enough for a first trip to Nepal?

For culture, lake and jungle, yes — this covers all three properly. Seven days is not enough to add a trek. If you want even a short walk such as Poon Hill, budget ten to twelve days total, because the trek needs five days of its own plus travel at both ends.

Can we still ride elephants in Chitwan?

No, and we would not offer it. Elephant-back safaris have been phased out across Chitwan in favour of jeep and walking safaris, which see more wildlife anyway because a jeep covers far more ground. You will see elephants at the Khorsor breeding centre, where the animals are not ridden.

What are the chances of seeing a rhino or a tiger?

Rhino sightings are likely — Chitwan holds around 700 greater one-horned rhino and they graze the grasslands and riverbanks in daylight. Tigers are a different matter: roughly 125 live in the park but they are nocturnal and elusive, and most guests never see one. Treat a tiger as luck, not an expectation.

Do Indian passport holders need a visa for Nepal?

No. Indian nationals do not need a visa or a passport to enter Nepal, though you must carry photo identity — a passport, a voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India, or an emergency certificate from the Indian embassy. Aadhaar and PAN cards are not accepted at the border or the airport.

What travellers said

Chitwan with young kids, well judged

Short drives, a pool at both hotels, and the jeep safari timed so the children were not in the vehicle at their worst hour. We saw two rhinos on the first drive. The Tharu evening was a genuine highlight.

Grace LimSingapore · Family of 4

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