SKELETON ITINERARY

Day 01 Arrival to Kathmandu
Day 02 In Kathmandu
Day 03 Kathmandu to  Pokhara to Gurung Lodge to Pokhara
Day 04 In Pokhara
Day 05 Pokhara to Chitwan (Rafting)
Day 06 In Chitwan
Day 07 Chitwan to Kathmandu
Day 08 In Kathmandu
Day 09 Departure

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 01: ARRIVE KATHMANDU
Meals: None

Welcome to Nepal! On arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, a Yeti Holidays representative will greet you with garlands or Khada at the airport and escort you to your hotel. A very warm welcome by Panchakanya and Monks with music and welcome drinks and help you check in. You will then be briefed about your daily activities. Sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city in the afternoon.

Kathmandu City: Kasthamandap, the source of the name Kathmandu means ‘made from the timber of a single tree’. Also known as Kantipur, the capital Kathmandu is the hub of Nepal’s art and culture. It is a place for rest, relaxation and easy-day sightseeing of historic and artistic temples and monuments.  Kathmandu Durbar Square with its arrays of temples and the ancient palace of the former Nepali Royals enriches your experience of the centuries old civilisation. After the sightseeing tour of Durbar Square you will ride a rickshaw for 20 minutes to Thamel.

Thamel: Travelers and the locals consider it a tourist haven. Its filled with narrow streets, all lined with budget hotels, travel agencies, small shops selling everything from food and provisions to clothes, carpets, walking gears, music CDs, DVDs, handicrafts, paintings which makes it an ideal place for souvenir shopping. The area also has some very good restaurants when you need to stop for munching.

Dinner at Café
Overnight at the hotel.

Commence on a tour of Pashupatinath, Boudhnath and Patan after breakfast.

Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath Temple dating back to 400 A.D. is one of the oldest Hindu Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is for the Hindus what Mecca is for the Muslims. Situated amidst a lush green natural setting on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River, the temple built in Pagoda Style with gilded roof and richly carved silver doors. Pashupatinath is the centre of annual pilgrimage on the day of Shivaratri which falls in the month of February/March. You’ll also be able to see cremation grounds that lie on the bank of Bagmati behind the temple.

Boudhanath Stupa: One of the oldest and the biggest Buddhist monuments ever built in Nepal; Boudhanath is one of the holiest structures imposing a height of 36 meters with three massive level Mandala style platforms. It is surrounded by colourful buildings housing families creating a friendly enclosure. The Stupa is visited every year by tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.

Lunch at Café

Patan City: Located about 5 km south of Kathmandu, Patan is one of 3 royal cities in the valley. A destination for connoisseurs of fine arts, Patan is filled with wood and stone carvings, metal statues, ornate architecture, including dozens of Buddhist and Hindu temples, and over 1200 monuments.

Patan is believed to have been built in the third century B.C. by the Kirat dynasty later expanded and enriched by the Lichhavi and the Malla rulers in the medieval period. Patan Durbar Square, like its counterpart in Kathmandu, is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former Royal palace complex is the centre of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a beautiful museum.

Dinner at Nepalese Restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

From Pokhara airport, a one hour drive through countryside road will get you to Lumle (1610m). On the way you can view the greenery of the forest and as the road reaches the top of Naudanda foothill, one can see a breathtaking view of Pokhara valley with Phewa Lake.

You begin your hike upon reaching Lumle. Walk along the ridge past the fields and reach the village of Chandrakot (1600m) in less than one hour. Enjoy the spectacular views of the Annapurna and the sacred and unclimbed Fishtail Mountain aka Machhapuchhre and the surrounding Modi village. From Chandrakot, the walk takes you through a forested area along a well worn trail for a further 45 minutes to the Gurung Lodge. Explore the picturesque villages and meet the locals.

Lunch at Lodge *4

After spending sometime at the Gurung Lodge, you return back to Pokhara. On the way back to Pokhara, visit the Buddhist Monastery at Tibetan Refugee Camp. Upon arrival at hotel a warm welcome ceremony by traditional Gurung community with dance.
Special BBQ dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast commence on a sightseeing tour of Pokhara.

Pokhara is a place of remarkable natural beauty.  The serenity of Phewa Lake and the magnificence of the fish tail summit rising behind it create an ambiance of peace and magic.  At an elevation lower than Kathmandu, it has much more tropical feel to it, a fact well appreciated by the beautiful diversity of flowers which prosper in it’s environ.  Indeed, the valley surrounding Pokhara is home to thick forest, gushing rivers, emerald lakes and of course, the views of world famous Himalayas. The serenity of the lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic.

Devi’s Fall: Locally known as Patale Chhango (Hell’s Fall), Devi’s fall (also known as Devin’s or David’s) is an awesome waterfall lying about 2 km south-west of Pokhara airport on the highway to Tansen. An interesting modern legend says that a foreigner named David was skinny dipping in the Pardi Khola (river) when the floodgates of the dam were opened, sweeping him into an underground passage beneath the fall, never to be seen again.

Tibetan Village: Tibetan Village Tashiling lies just off the Devi’s fall in the south, which is inhabited by the Tibetan people who keeps themselves busy by producing and trading woolen carpets and other handicrafts.

Seti River Gorge: It is carved by Seti River and is one of the natural wonders of Pokhara. KI Singh Bridge at the Bagar, Mahendra Pool & Prithivi Highway Bridge near Bus Park provides a perfect view of the river’s dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by the turbulent flow of white water like milk.

Mahendra Cave: Mahendra Cave lies north of the Pokhara valley. It is a large limestone cave, which is one of the few stalagmite stalactite caves found in Nepal.
Buffet lunch.

Phewa Lake: Spend a quite time boating in the ultimate lake where the reflections of Mount Annapurna and Macchpuchhre range falls. You will also see a variety of fishes while boating. An island temple is located at the middle of the lake. Thick forest lies on the adjoining southern slopes of the lake. It’s hard to escape the draw of Phewa Lake and any visitor with even a few spare minutes should endeavor to take a boat out on the water to fully experience the wonderful views of the reflected mountains.

Dinner at Restaurant. .*5

An early morning breakfast at the hotel and drive for 3 hrs. to Fishling, the put-in point for rafting.

Trishuli River: The river gains its name from Lord Shiva’s trident Trishul. It originates from melted snow of Mount Ganesh and Mount Langtang. The scenic valleys, impressive gorges, exhilarating rapids and easier sections make it the perfect trip for first- time rafters or even experienced ones. The average rapid scale is from 1 to 3 on a scale of 5. The 3 hours rafting feels short. Lunch with wash and change facilities will be provided after rafting. After lunch, board coaches for a drive to Chitwan (1:30 hrs).

The Royal Chitwan National Park is the lush valley of Chitwan situated in the foothills of Churia ranges which houses the first National Park of the Kingdom. This National Park is famous for its variety of wildlife especially the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros and the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. The Chitwan valley consists of tropical and subtropical forests. Sal forests cover 70 percent of the park. Sal leaves are used locally for plates in festivals and religious offering.

Grassland covers 20% of the park area. There are more that 50 different types of grasses, including the elephant grass renowned for its immense height. It can grow up to 8 meters. The park is home for more that 50 mammal species, over 525 birds, and 55 amphibians and reptiles. The endangered fauna found in the park are: One-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild elephant, Four horned antelope, Pangolin, Golden monitor lizard, Python, Giant hornbill, Black stork, While stork, etc.

Elephant Ride: How about a ride on an elephant’s back in the dense forest viewing the wildest of wildlife activities? Don’t miss an opportunity to learn a little about these gigantic mammals. A ride on them will allow you to approach some of the worl’s rarest animals such as rhinos and sloth bears closely. The ride usually lasts an hour or more.

Nature Walk Or Jungle Walks: Jungle Walks allows one to explore several different habitat areas, from the flood-plain grassland to the dense Sal forests, where one gets an opportunity to encounter different animals right in front. Since it disturbs the animals less to walk through the forest, it is usually a better chance for discovering wildlife. One can learn about different kind of plants and herbs in the National park.

Dugout Canoe Ride: Floating down to Rapti River on a dugout canoe is the best way to discover the habitat of crocodiles in the river. It is also a relaxing and better way to watch the different kind of birds and wildlife species, while they are drinking water in the bank of river Rapti.
Overnight at Lodge.

After lunch, transfer to the airport for the flight back to Kathmandu from Bharatpur.
Overnight at hotel.

Swayambhunath: Said to be around 2000 years old, this Buddhist Stupa sits atop a hill. The main stupa is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth supporting a lofty conical spire crowned by a pinnacle of Copper gilt. Painted on the four sided base of the spire are the all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. The hill of Swayambhu is a mosaic of small Chaityas and Pagoda temples. You’ll get a scenic view of Kathmandu city from there.

Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon): Also known as city of devotees, Bhaktapur is the home of medieval art and architecture. Lying 14 kilometers/9 miles east of Kathmandu City, this place was founded in the 9th Century and is shaped like a conch shell. The city is at the height of 4,600 ft. above sea level. In Bhadgaon, you will visit the Durbar Square with the Palace of 55 windows built by King Bhupatindra Malla. The famous five-storied Nyatapol temple on the terraces of which stands a pair of figures – two goddesses, two strong men, two elephants, two lions and two griffins is the tallest temple in the valley and was also built by King Bhupatindra Malla. It is one of the best examples of Pagoda styled temples.

Overnight at the hotel.