Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Signature Nepal · Unhurried
Seven nights at the most characterful hotels in central Nepal. Three nights at Dwarika's in Kathmandu with a senior guide for the valley's royal cities, a night in the restored Newar town of Bandipur, and three nights at Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge on a ridge facing the Annapurnas, with guided village walks.
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsDwarika's Hotel in Kathmandu is built around carved Newar windows, doors and pillars rescued from old buildings across the valley, set into new brick courtyards. It is the best place in Nepal to understand Newar craft before you see it in the squares outside. We pair it with a senior guide who knows the temples well enough to show you the details, from the erotic roof struts of Kathmandu's temples to the gilded Golden Gate of Bhaktapur's palace.
From Kathmandu we drive west, stopping a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur, then go on to Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, set on a ridge above the Pokhara valley with the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre in front of it. The lodge's naturalists lead walks through farm villages and forest. You fly back to Kathmandu to save the highway a second time.
Sleeping altitude, night by night
Red points are nights above 3,000 m. We pace those climbs by the usual advice of no more than 300–500 m of sleeping height a day. This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor before a high trip. Try the altitude planner.
Day by day
Your guide and driver meet you at the airport for the short drive to Dwarika's in Battisputali. Spend the afternoon in the courtyards and pool, and take the hotel's own walk through its carved windows and doors, many from the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries. In the evening, your guide walks you to Pashupatinath, close by, for the aarti on the Bagmati.
About KathmanduA full guided day. Start early at Swayambhunath before the crowds, then Kathmandu Durbar Square, Hanuman Dhoka and the Kumari Ghar. After lunch in a restored courtyard restaurant, drive to Patan for the Krishna Mandir, the Golden Temple and the Patan Museum, which has the best sculpture and metalwork collection in Nepal. Visit a bronze workshop where images are still cast by the lost-wax method.
About KathmanduSpend the morning in Bhaktapur: Taumadhi Square and Nyatapola, the potters' square and the peacock window in Dattatreya Square. In the afternoon return to Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world, and climb to a rooftop as the light fades over the dome. Dinner at the hotel's Newar restaurant, Krishnarpan, which serves a long multi-course Nepali meal.
About KathmanduDrive west along the Trishuli river on the Prithvi Highway. Stop for the Manakamana cable car if you want to see the hilltop temple. Turn off at Dumre and climb 8 km to Bandipur. In the late afternoon, walk the bazaar with your guide and go up to Tundikhel for the sunset. Dinner at The Old Inn.
About BandipurWatch the morning mountain view from Bandipur, then walk to the Thani Mai temple or down to Siddha Cave. Drive to Pokhara and up to Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge on its ridge, about half an hour above the valley. The lodge's stone cottages face the Annapurna range. Afternoon at the pool; dinner in the main lodge.
About PokharaA morning walk with one of the lodge's naturalists through Gurung, Brahmin and Chhetri farm villages and patches of forest on the ridge, with birds and long views. In the afternoon, drive down to Lakeside for a rowing boat across Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi temple and a walk on the far shore, or stay at the lodge for yoga or a massage.
About PokharaFor early risers, a drive to Sarangkot for sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhre. Otherwise, a free day at the lodge, which has its own view of the same range. Options include a tandem paragliding flight, the World Peace Pagoda, or a longer guided walk along the ridge. Last dinner on the terrace.
About PokharaBreakfast with the mountains, then your driver takes you to Pokhara airport for the 25-minute flight to Kathmandu, timed to connect with your international departure. On a clear morning, sit on the left side for the Himalaya.
About PokharaWhere you sleep
Photo: BhattaraiAbhishek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
Kathmandu's best-known heritage hotel at Battisputali, built around a collection of carved Newar windows, doors an…
Photo: Sgroey · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
A restored Newar townhouse on Bandipur's car-free main street, in two old wings with original wooden doorways, red…
Photo: Utsab Raj Giri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
A hilltop lodge on a ridge about 30 minutes outside Pokhara, with 18 rooms in stone cottages, private verandas, an…
Questions
This 7-night private trip starts at ₹1,95,000 per person, twin sharing, with Dwarika's, The Old Inn and Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, meals as listed, a senior guide, private car and the Pokhara flight. International flights are extra. Prices rise in October and over Christmas.
For anyone interested in Newar architecture and craft, yes. The hotel is built around carved wooden windows, doors and pillars salvaged from old valley buildings, and the courtyards feel like a living museum. It is also close to Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. It is not in the old town, so you drive to the Durbar Squares.
It sits on a ridge east of the Pokhara valley, about half an hour's drive from Lakeside, facing Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna range. It has stone cottages, a pool and its own walking trails, with meals and guided walks usually included. Check current status of rates and inclusions before you travel.
Yes. It is unhurried, with no early starts except optional sunrises, and the three hotels are among the most romantic places to stay in Nepal. We can arrange a private dinner at Dwarika's, a boat on Phewa Lake at sunset or a couples' massage at Tiger Mountain.
Yes. Chitwan National Park is 4–5 hours by road from Pokhara. We add two or three nights at a good jungle lodge with naturalist-led walks, canoe rides and jeep drives, where one-horned rhino are often seen. It fits best before Kathmandu at the end.
October to early December has the clearest mountain views from Bandipur and Tiger Mountain. February to April is warm with good morning views and flowering trees. June to August is monsoon: lush and quiet, but the mountains are often hidden.
No trekking permits are needed for this itinerary. Indian citizens need a passport or voter ID to enter Nepal; other nationalities need a visa, available on arrival. Entry fees for heritage sites are included. Check current status before you travel.
Average fitness is enough. You walk on uneven old paving in the Durbar Squares and on village paths around Tiger Mountain, usually two to three hours at a gentle pace. The lodge's cottages are on a slope with steps; tell us about any mobility needs.
Yes. From Kathmandu, a one-hour Everest mountain flight leaves early in the morning in clear weather. A helicopter day trip to the Everest View Hotel above Namche is also possible at a much higher cost. Both depend on weather; check current status before you travel.
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Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
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Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
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Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
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