Tour 5: Kathmandu – Pokhara – Chitwan Trip features Trip duration: 8 Days 8 Nights

Nepal possesses diverse landscapes and with the diversity of the landscape also the cultural background of the people living there differs. This is the reason why there is significance in visiting different places .The Kathmandu valley consists of three main cities of great historic and cultural interest Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur(Patan). As much as seven world heritage sites are situated in this valley. Another place of great interest, Chitwan is situated 120 kilometer south-west of Kathmandu. Chitwan is famous for both nature and culture and will leave you with a totally different impression from Kathmandu Valley. Chitwan National Park is the main attraction of this place having a wide range of wildlife; The rare great one horned rhinoceros, several species of deer, sloth bear, leopard, wild boar, fresh water dolphin, crocodile, more than 350 species of birds and last but not least the Bengal tiger. When joining this tour you will visit these places along with the local villages. This tour package also comprises Pokhara Valley ,one of the most picturesque spots of Nepal, which is situated 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu .Pokhara is connected with Kathmandu by air as well as by road. Pokhara offers magnificent views of mountains combined with distinct culture.

Itinerary

Day1: Arrival in Kathmandu. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day2: Sightseeing in Kathmandu: Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhhanath Stupa. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day3: Drive / Fly to Pokhara. Nepalese Dinner. Overnight in Pokhara.

Day4: Pokhara: Mountainrange ride, Lake Fewa, Waterfall. Overnight in Pokhara.

Day5: Drive to Chitwan. Jungle Activities begin. Overnight in Chitwan.

Day6: Jungle Activities in Chitwan. Overnight in Chitwan.

Day7: Fly / Drive(scenic ride) Back to Kathmandu.

Day8: Half Day Sightseeing in Bhaktapur. Overnight in Bhaktapur/Kathmandu.

Highlights:

• Bouddha Stupa • Kathmandu Durbar Square

• Pashupati Temple

• Annapurna Range

• Chitwan National Park

• Historical City Bhaktapur Optional:

• River Rafting

• Early Arrival Programme

• Flights(instead of road transport)

Detailed Itinerary:

Day One

On the first day you will be picked up by our driver and your personal guide at your hotel. He will explain about the things in Nepal and about our eight days trip in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. So that you will have an overview of the whole tour package. Might you arrive early in the morning, than it is possible to organise a programme during you first day. This is optional however.

Day Two After breakfast our morning excursion begins in Kathmandu valley. You will be taken to Swayambhunath first. This monastery/temple has an incomparable atmosphere. It is situated amid a beautiful natural scenario on the top of the hill surrounded by several other hills. The whole Kathmandu can be viewed quite clearly from the top of the hill.

After that you will be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, and Boudhhanath Stupa. The reason behind choosing these places is that the visitors will have a good impression about the Nepalese arts, culture and their daily life.

In Pashupatinath temple the visitors will observe different ceremonies and the ways of worshipping. The most interesting scene here is the cremation place on the edge of the river and next to the temple. The visitors can see how the funeral takes place according to Hindu Culture.

Kathmandu Durbar square provides the visitor with great Newari architecture. The durbar square is a place of living history in the heart of modernising Kathmandu.

The last place we will visit is Bauddhanath Stupa, here the visitor gets to see the Tibetan Community and a traditional Buddhist temple Complex. In the evening we will head back to Thamel, where you will overnight at a 3 star hotel.

Day Three

After breakfast, there will be some free time to look around in Thamel, the heart of tourism in Kathmandu. Later in the morning we will commence our trip to Pokhara. You will have a scenic mountainside drive of approximately 5 till 6 hours. On the way there will be plenty of time to stop in local villages and to take a look around. It is always possible to request a stop as a sight which may seem interesting to you. In the evening we have arranged a traditional Nepalese dinner with a cocktail night after. This night we will stay in Pokhara.

Day Four After an early breakfast our journey continues with a valley sightseeing tour by private vehicle to the Annapurna range, the most spectacular sight in Pokhara. Especially in the early morning the views are breathtaking. You can see the exotic natural scenarios of eight majestic mountains right in front of your nose. Everyone in Pokhara wakes up early to greet the mountains during sunrise. The reflection of sunlight from a mountain is always a breathtaking site. You will never forget the sight of the fishtail mountain standing right before your eyes saying "Good Morning".

Following our morning ride we will head to Devi's waterfall, located two kilometres from central Pokhara City. The water fall directly goes into a deep and narrow canal with no ends. It is believed that this deadly waterfall took the life of a tourist named David, who fell down into the cannel and was never found, and hence the name David waterfall, named in his memory by the people of Pokhara.

After that we will head to the Fewa Lake which is 1.5 kilometre long, the second largest lake in Nepal, offers an excellent view of the mountains and their reflections on the lake. You will also enjoy

boating on the lake. At last we will head to The Seti Gandaki, a river which flows right through the city; it runs completely underground at many places.

For our dear guests that are not claustrophobic it is possible to pay a visit to bat's cave. This very narrow cave is worth visiting for its bats and its narrow exit. This day we will overnight in Pokhara.

Day Five

After breakfast in our hotel in Pokhara we will depart and start our trip to Chitwan. This will take us approximately 4 hours. Upon arrival in Chitwan there will be a short briefing on the programme and facilities. After check in and lunch in the hotel we will start our programme in Chitwan with an Elephant-back safari into the Chitwan National Park: Guests will ride on an elephant to explore the jungle and wildlife. With some luck you will be able to see the one-horned rhinoceros, several types of deer, monkeys, wild boar, bison, sloth bear, leopard and, if you are very lucky you might even spot the Royal Bengal Tiger. This exciting ride lasts for 2-3 hours. After this impressive safari we will head back to our hotel in Chitwan where another tasty Nepalese dinner is served.

Day Six

After breakfast we will proceed for a Dugout canoe trip inside the National Park. Floating down the Rapti River by dugout canoe is the best way to discover the habitat of crocodiles on the riverbanks. It is also a relaxing and better way to watch the different kind of birds and wildlife species when they come to the bank of the river to drink water. After our canoe trip we will visit the Elephant breeding centre which is inside the jungle 10 minutes walking from the canoeing place.

After all these natural activities it is time to reward also the culturally interested and thus we will visit some Tharu villages which are situated next to the Park in the beautiful natural surroundings. Tharu people are the indigenous people of the Terai (lowlands). Tharu people have large extended joint families who live under one roof with about 25 to 120 people. They have a unique culture, tradition and language. They use mostly the local agro-based or forest based materials for

At the end of this active day it is time to relax out body and mind. What better way to do that than to have a sunset view on the riverbank .You can lay on the comfortable wooden chairs with a drink and wait for the sunset view. The place is open till 9 o'clock in the evening. Of course during this entire day your guide will accompany you to explain things in details and answer any questions you may have. Today we will overnight in Chitwan.

Day Seven

After breakfast we will drive back to Kathmandu. The way to Kathmandu from Kathmandu has exotic scenes with the series of hills on the way. Although it's only 120 kilometres in distance, the ride will still take around 6 hours. On the way you will have breathtaking views of the Trishuli River. The river flows in between the hills and we'll on a wide road at the edge of the river. During your ride the hills appear with their tinned roof houses glistering far away on the top which will lure the visitors. The bus will stop in Malekhu, the local market. After a 6 hours drive, crossing all hills and curving ways, the ride will end in the valley and completely differ from Chitwan.

After arriving in Kathmandu you will have free time for shopping or do as you wish. Overnight in a hotel in Kathmandu.

Day Eight

On this day, after breakfast in Kathmandu hotel we will head to Bhaktapur, one of the medieval cities. Most popularly Bhaktapur is known as the living museum because of its traditional lifestyle and Newari culture .In Bhaktapur we will visit beautiful buildings with ancient arts and architecture like the highest temple in Nepal and many other attractions. Besides the touristic places, we will walk through the streets within the city which gives you an impression of local life style and daily activities.

During our city tour we will enjoy a lunch in a restaurant where they serve more traditional food as well as traditional local dishes such as buffalo brain and tongue for the more daring gastronomes amongst us.

Depending on your wishes we will overnight either in Kathmandu or in Bhaktapur.

Map of the tour: