Nepal: Annapurna Foothills & Chitwan — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a pre-paid airport taxi to Thamel (roughly NPR 800–1,200 / £5–7, or use the airport's official taxi desk). Check into a Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel. Sort your Annapurna trekking permits early if you can — the Nepal Tourism Board office on Pradarshani Marg (near Brikutimandap) issues the ACAP entry permit and the TIMS card; bring passport photos and cash. In the evening, book a table yourself at Krishnarpan at Dwarika's Hotel for the six-course slow-dining Nepali set menu (around £40–55 per person, reserve a few days ahead by phone or email) — the splurge equivalent of the tour's welcome dinner.

🚌Airport taxi to Thamel ~£6

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu (~£15–22/night)

• →Self-guided wander of Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square
• →Annapurna permits at Nepal Tourism Board
• →Six-course Nepali dinner at Krishnarpan, Dwarika's Hotel

Book a morning Buddha Air or Yeti Airlines flight Kathmandu–Pokhara (about £80–110 one way, 25 mins; the tourist bus is £12–18 but takes 7–8 hours, so the flight saves a full day). From Pokhara, take a local bus or shared jeep toward Lumle (about 1–1.5 hours, £2–4). Walk the 1.5–2 hour trail from Lumle through terraced fields and forest to Tomijong, with Machapuchare filling the sky. Guesthouses along this stretch are simple but comfortable — Tomijong and nearby Ghandruk-style lodges run £10–18 for a twin room; book ahead in season by phone or through a Pokhara trekking agency. Afternoon: walk the Gurung village lanes, chat with families (several retired Gurkha soldiers live locally) and see honey-harvesting hives.

🚌Domestic flight KTM–PKR ~£95; local bus to Lumle ~£3

🛏Tomijong village guesthouse / teahouse (~£12–18/night)

• →Lumle to Tomijong trek (1.5–2 hrs)
• →Gurung village walk and honey-hive visit

Self-guided day hike (the trail is well marked and widely walked — no guide needed, though a local porter-guide from Landruk costs £20–25/day if you want company and context). Head from Tomijong through terraced farmland to Tolkha, then on to Landruk with Annapurna South and Hiunchuli ahead of you. Lunch at a Landruk teahouse (dal bhat £3–4). Return downhill to Tomijong on the stone paths through the rice terraces. Pack a proper layer and rain shell — Himalayan weather turns fast.

🚌Walking only

🛏Tomijong village guesthouse (~£12–18/night)

• →Tomijong–Tolkha–Landruk trek
• →Magar and Gurung village stops
• →Annapurna South and Hiunchuli viewpoints

Start early to hike from Tomijong/Lumle up to Australian Camp (2,050 m) for panoramic views of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South and Hiunchuli — a 2.5–3 hour climb, or take the easier trail up from Kande if you'd rather shorten it. Lunch at the camp's tea shops, descend to Lumle, then catch a local bus or shared jeep back to Pokhara (about £2–3). Check into a Lakeside guesthouse, book a trekkers' massage at one of the many Lakeside spa studios (£12–20 for an hour), then do your own orientation walk along Phewa Lake.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep Lumle–Pokhara ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or budget hotel, Pokhara (~£15–25/night)

• →Australian Camp sunrise/panorama hike
• →Trekkers' massage in Pokhara
• →Lakeside orientation walk

Morning: pick your own wellness session — drop-in yoga classes around Lakeside are £5–8, and sound-bath sessions are bookable via GetYourGuide or directly with local studios for £8–12. Midday: head to the Tibetan refugee settlement at Tashi Ling/Pame and book a momo-making session with a host family or a community tourism outfit (£15–25 including lunch) — knead the dough, fold the dumplings, and hear how Tibetan refugees brought momos to Nepal. Afternoon: either rent a cycle and ride the Pame loop (bike rental £3–5) or join a mandala thangka art workshop in Pokhara (£12–20).

🚌Local taxi / cycle around Pokhara ~£5

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or budget hotel, Pokhara (~£15–25/night)

• →Yoga or sound-bath session
• →Tibetan momo-making class at refugee settlement
• →Cycling around Pame or mandala art workshop

Take the tourist bus Pokhara–Sauraha/Chitwan (about 5–6 hours, £8–12 — book at any Lakeside travel agent the day before). Check into a Sauraha guesthouse; budget jungle lodges and guesthouses run £12–25/night, and many arrange safaris in-house. Afternoon: rent a bicycle (£2–3/day) and ride through the nearby Tharu village lanes. In the evening, several Sauraha cultural houses run Tharu stick-dance performances (£3–5 entry, usually 7pm).

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Chitwan ~£10; bicycle hire ~£3

🛏Sauraha guesthouse or budget jungle lodge (~£15–25/night)

• →Cycle through Tharu village
• →Tharu cultural dance performance

Book a morning dugout canoe trip down the Rapti directly with your guesthouse or the Sauraha boatmen's association (£8–12 for the shared canoe, guide included) — drift quietly past kingfishers and basking crocodiles where the Rapti meets the Narayani. Lunch at the Barauli Community Homestay, a social-enterprise homestay in a Tharu village on the park's edge — book ahead via their website or a Pokhara/Kathmandu agent (£10–15 including a Tharu home-cooked meal and village walk). Afternoon: full jeep safari into Chitwan National Park (£25–35 per person shared, including park fees and a naturalist — book through your guesthouse for a licensed operator). Rhinos are near-certain; tigers are a bonus, not a promise.

🚌Canoe, jeep safari vehicle, local transfers ~£8

🛏Sauraha guesthouse or budget jungle lodge (~£15–25/night)

• →Dugout canoe safari on the Rapti River
• →Lunch and village visit at Barauli Community Homestay
• →Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park

Take a local taxi or bus from Sauraha to Bharatpur Airport (about 30–40 mins, £4–6), then fly Bharatpur–Kathmandu (roughly £55–80 one way; the overnight/ daytime tourist bus alternative is £12–15 and takes 6–7 hours). From Kathmandu, a taxi to Bhaktapur is about £8–10, or take a local bus for £1. Bhaktapur Durbar Square entry is NPR 1,800 for foreigners (~£11). Explore the squares and lanes on foot, then join a pottery-making session with the potters of Pottery Square in Bhaktapur (£8–15 for a hands-on hour — arrange on arrival or via GetYourGuide). Return to Kathmandu for a farewell dinner at Bricks Café in Thamel (mains £5–8).

🚌Taxi to Bharatpur ~£5; flight BHR–KTM ~£65; taxi to Bhaktapur ~£9

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu (~£15–22/night)

• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square self-guided exploration
• →Pottery-making workshop in Bhaktapur
• →Farewell dinner at Bricks Café

Breakfast at your guesthouse, then take a metered taxi or pre-booked airport transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport (£5–7). Allow three hours before an international departure — immigration and security queues at TIA can be slow. If you're flying early, ask your guesthouse for a packed breakfast the night before. Note that if you travelled on a Nepali e-Visa or visa-on-arrival, no exit formalities beyond the standard departure card are needed.

🚌Airport taxi ~£6

🛏Departure day — no overnight

• →Airport transfer and departure