12-Day Nepal Explorer: Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Lumbini & Chitwan — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). Buy a local SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3–6 for data) at the airport or in Thamel, and withdraw rupees from an ATM. A pre-paid airport taxi to Thamel is fixed at roughly NPR 700–1,000 (~£4–6) — ignore anyone inside the terminal offering 'special' taxis. Check into a Thamel or Paknajal guesthouse; single rooms typically £10–16. Spend the late afternoon wandering Thamel's alleys, sorting a TIMS-free day-trip plan and eating your first dal bhat (£3–4).

🚌Airport pre-paid taxi to Thamel ~£5

🛏Thamel guesthouse, double/single ensuite (~£14)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →SIM card and cash setup

Do the classic valley circuit independently: start early at Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple, entry ~£1.5), then take a local bus or Rs 300 taxi to Pashupatinath ghats (~£5 entry) for the morning rituals, and continue to Boudhanath stupa (~£1.5) for lunch on a rooftop terrace overlooking the prayer flags. Finish at Kathmandu Durbar Square (~£5) — Taleju Temple and Kal Bhairav are inside the square's ticket. A licensed city guide is ~£25–30 per half-day if you want context, or use a free walking-tour tip model. In the evening take a local bus to Nagarkot (Rs 100–150, ~1.5 hrs) or pre-book a shared jeep (~£8 pp) for an easier ride and a hilltop guesthouse night.

🚌Local buses/taxis around the valley ~£8; Kathmandu–Nagarkot local bus ~£1.5

🛏Nagarkot hilltop guesthouse (~£15)

• →Swayambhunath
• →Pashupatinath
• →Boudhanath
• →Kathmandu Durbar Square

Up before dawn for the Nagarkot viewpoint — on a clear day the Annapurna, Langtang and Gaurishankar ranges line up along the horizon. After breakfast, take a local bus down to Bhaktapur (~£1.5, 1 hr) and explore the old city on foot: Durbar Square, Nyatapola Temple, Pottery Square and the Siddha Pokhari pond. Entry is ~£10–12 for non-SAARC visitors. Then take a bus or shared jeep to Khopasi (via Panauti, ~£2) and walk the signed 40-minute trail up to Balthali village, staying in a village guesthouse or homestay with dinner included (~£15–20).

🚌Nagarkot–Bhaktapur local bus ~£1.5; Bhaktapur–Khopasi bus/jeep ~£2

🛏Balthali village guesthouse (~£18 with dinner)

• →Nagarkot sunrise viewpoint
• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square & Nyatapola
• →Hike Khopasi to Balthali

Walk from Balthali up through terraced farmland to Namo Buddha (about 2.5–3 hrs, well-trodden and signed, or hire a local guide for ~£15). The monastery and stupa, where the Buddha is said to have fed himself to a starving tigress, are free to visit; a Tibetan-run guesthouse on site does good momos. Descend by local bus to Panauti and then on to Kathmandu (~£3 total, 2.5–3 hrs), or share a jeep with other travellers. Evening free in Thamel — good night for a rooftop dinner and laundry (£3–4/kg).

🚌Local buses Namo Buddha–Panauti–Kathmandu ~£3

🛏Thamel guesthouse (~£14)

• →Hike to Namo Buddha
• →Namo Buddha monastery & stupa

Take the early tourist or local bus from Kathmandu towards Pokhara and get off at Gorkha (Rs 400–600, ~4–5 hrs). Climb the steps to Gorkha Durbar, the hilltop palace-fortress of Prithvi Narayan Shah, founder of modern Nepal (entry ~£2, plus a short uphill walk). Continue by local bus to Dumre and shared jeep up to Bandipur (combined ~£2.5), a car-free Newari bazaar town perched on a ridge. Check into a heritage guesthouse and walk the bazaar and the Siddha Gufa viewpoint at sunset.

🚌Kathmandu–Gorkha bus ~£4; Gorkha–Dumre–Bandipur bus/jeep ~£2.5

🛏Bandipur heritage guesthouse (~£14)

• →Gorkha Durbar
• →Bandipur old bazaar walk

Morning walk up to Bandipur's Thani Mai temple for views over the Marsyangdi valley, then jeep down to Dumre and catch a bus to Pokhara (~£3, 2.5 hrs). Settle into a Lakeside guesthouse, then rent a bicycle or walk the shore and hire a doonga rowboat on Phewa Lake (~£4–5/hr) for views back to the Annapurna range. Afternoon: Vindyabasini Temple, the Old Bazaar and a lakeside sunset beer. Book tomorrow's Sarangkot transport and your Chitwan safari directly with a local agency on Lakeside (Baidam) Road — a two-night package is typically £65–85 pp.

🚌Bandipur–Dumre jeep ~£1; Dumre–Pokhara bus ~£2

🛏Pokhara Lakeside guesthouse (~£15)

• →Phewa Lake boating
• →Vindyabasini Temple
• →Pokhara Old Bazaar

Share a taxi to Sarangkot for sunrise (~£10 per car split between 2–3 people, or £2 pp on the local bus if you don't mind a 5am walk up). Watch first light hit the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre peaks; optional paragliding from Sarangkot runs about £55–70 direct with local operators — book a day ahead. Back in Pokhara, see David's Fall, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Mahendra Cave and the International Mountain Museum (~£1 each), then take a bus south to Tansen (via Butwal, ~£4, 3.5–4 hrs) for a Newari hill-town night.

🚌Shared taxi to Sarangkot ~£4; Pokhara–Tansen bus ~£4

🛏Tansen guesthouse (~£13)

• →Sarangkot sunrise
• →David's Fall & Gupteshwor Cave
• →International Mountain Museum

Morning stroll through Tansen's cobbled Shree Amar Narayan bazaar and the Srinagar hill viewpoint, then a local bus to Bhairahawa and onward to Lumbini (~£2.5, ~3 hrs). Hire a bicycle or take a rickshaw to the Sacred Garden: the Maya Devi Temple marking the Buddha's birthplace, the Ashoka Pillar and the monastic zone (entry ~£2.5, plus ~£2 for a rickshaw loop). Push on to the quieter Lumbini Museum and stay in a guesthouse inside or just outside the zone; many monasteries also offer budget rooms.

🚌Tansen–Bhairahawa–Lumbini local buses ~£2.5

🛏Lumbini guesthouse (~£14)

• →Maya Devi Temple
• →Ashoka Pillar
• →Monastic Zone cycling
• →Lumbini Museum

Bus from Lumbini to Narayanghat and on to Sauraha, the main gateway village to Chitwan (~£4–5, 4–5 hrs). Check into your safari lodge or guesthouse in Sauraha — the two-night package with meals, canoe, jungle walk and jeep safari is £65–85 pp direct, or you can book elements à la carte. This afternoon walk the Tharu village of Sauraha with a local guide (~£5) and catch the Tharu stick dance performance at the cultural centre in the evening (~£2).

🚌Lumbini–Sauraha buses ~£5

🛏Sauraha safari guesthouse, package rate (~£30 pp incl. meals)

• →Tharu village walk
• →Tharu stick dance performance

Big day in the park: sunrise canoe trip down the Rapti River looking for gharials and kingfishers, then a guided jungle walk and a jeep safari deeper into the park (full-day jeep safari with permit, vehicle share and guide ~£30–40 pp via your lodge). Spot one-horned rhinos, deer, monkeys and — with luck — wild elephants and sloth bears from a respectful distance. Visit the elephant breeding centre at Khorsor for context on the animals. Note: elephant-back safaris are widely criticised on welfare grounds; jeep and walking safaris are the better choice and widely available. Bird-watching outings start at dawn (~£5).

🚌Park vehicle included in safari package

🛏Sauraha safari guesthouse (~£30 pp incl. meals)

• →Canoe ride on the Rapti
• →Full-day jeep safari
• →Jungle walk with naturalist
• →Bird-watching
• →Elephant breeding centre

Early bird-watching walk, then bus from Sauraha to Kurintar (~£2, 2 hrs) and ride the Manakamana cable car (~£6–7 return) up to the hilltop temple, with sweeping views over terraced hills. If you have time and nerve, you can stop at the Trishuli River for a rafting section (~£20 with a local operator). Continue by bus to Kathmandu (~£3, 3 hrs) and check back into a Thamel guesthouse for your last night — souvenir shopping and a farewell dinner of Newari dishes at a Thamel or Patan restaurant.

🚌Sauraha–Kurintar bus ~£2; Manakamana cable car ~£7; Kurintar–Kathmandu bus ~£3

🛏Thamel guesthouse (~£14)

• →Manakamana cable car & temple
• →Optional Trishuli rafting

Allow plenty of buffer for your international flight — Kathmandu traffic is unpredictable. Pre-booked or metered taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5, 30–45 min from Thamel). If your flight is late, add a last-minute Patan Durbar Square visit (~£5, 20 min by taxi) or a cooking class (~£20) before heading out.

🚌Taxi to KTM airport ~£5

🛏—

• →Last-minute shopping in Thamel
• →Optional Patan Durbar Square