Nepal: Mountains and Temples — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport, pick up a local SIM at the airport (Ncell or NTC, ~£2-3 for data), and take a prepaid taxi to Patan (~700-1,000 NPR / £4-6). Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in Patan, a 15-20 minute walk from Durbar Square. Spend the late afternoon wandering the backstreets, then eat momos and dal bhat at a local spot. Sort out your Panauti homestay booking tonight (see day 3 notes).

🚌Airport taxi ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Patan (private room, shared or en-suite bathroom), ~£10-15

• →Prepaid airport taxi to Patan
• →Evening wander around Patan Durbar Square area
• →Buy local SIM card

Do the classic Kathmandu Valley circuit independently. Start early at Patan Durbar Square — the ticket covers the Patan Museum, Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar) and Kumari Chowk. Take a local bus or ₹400 taxi to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) and climb the 365 steps for valley views. Afternoon: local bus to Bhaktapur (~30-40 min, 50 NPR) for the brick-and-timber squares and Newari yogurt (juju dhau). Optional splurge: a sunrise Everest scenic flight (~£170-195) bookable via agencies in Thamel the day before. Skip Pashupatinath unless you have energy left.

🚌Local buses between Patan, Swayambhunath and Bhaktapur, ~£2-3 total

🛏Guesthouse in Patan, ~£10-15

• →Patan Durbar Square + Museum entry (~1,000 NPR)
• →Swayambhunath entry (~200 NPR)
• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square entry (~1,800 NPR for foreigners)
• →Optional Everest scenic flight (~£170-195)

Take a local bus from Ratna Park or the Ring Road bus stand toward Panauti (~1.5-2 hrs, 100-150 NPR / under £1) or a shared taxi (~£8 split). Check into one of the Panauti Community Homestay houses — book directly via the Community Homestay Network website or ask your Kathmandu guesthouse to call, ~£18-22 per night including home-cooked dinner and breakfast. Afternoon: a self-guided loop hike through terraced fields to the confluence of the Roshi and Punyamata rivers and Indreshwar Mahadev temple, or hire a village guide through the homestay (~£8-10 for a half day). Eat a home-cooked Newari dinner with your host family.

🚌Local bus Kathmandu–Panauti ~£1

🛏Panauti Community Homestay (host family, shared bathroom), ~£18-22 with meals

• →Village and riverside loop hike
• →Indreshwar Mahadev temple visit
• →Optional local guide (~£9)

Rent a mountain bike in Panauti through your homestay or a local shop (~1,500-2,000 NPR / £9-12 per day). Ride the back lanes north to Khopasi, continue to Sunthan for hilltop views, and loop back through farmland and small Newari settlements — roughly 20-25 km at an easy pace. Stop for tea and lunch at a village dhaba (£3-4). Afternoon free to relax in Panauti's old town. Dinner with your host family.

🚌Mountain bike hire ~£10

🛏Panauti Community Homestay, ~£18-22 with meals

• →Self-guided cycle route Panauti–Khopasi–Sunthan
• →Old town wander

Bus back to Kathmandu Ring Road, then take a tourist bus or local bus from Kathmandu's Gongabu (New Bus Park) toward Dumre (Prithvi Highway west, ~4-5 hrs, tourist bus ~1,200-1,500 NPR / £7-9; local bus ~500 NPR). Get off at Dumre and take a shared jeep or bus up the switchbacks to Bandipur (~30 min, 100-200 NPR). Check into a family-run guesthouse in the car-free bazaar. Evening orientation walk along the ridge-top main street with Himalayan views on clear days.

🚌Buses Kathmandu–Dumre + shared jeep up to Bandipur, ~£9-11 total

🛏Family guesthouse in Bandipur old bazaar, ~£12-18

• →Bandipur bazaar orientation walk
• →Sunset from Thani Mai temple viewpoint

Walk the ridge east to Ramkot village (~1.5-2 hrs each way, no guide needed — follow the main trail), passing Purano Kot and terraced hillsides with Annapurna and Manaslu visible on clear mornings. Lunch at a village tea house (£3-4). Return via a different path for variety. Late afternoon: climb to Thani Mai temple above town for the classic Bandipur panorama. Ask your guesthouse about a sunrise walk to Gurungche hill if you want an earlier start.

🚌On foot

🛏Family guesthouse in Bandipur, ~£12-18

• →Self-guided Ramkot village hike
• →Thani Mai temple sunset viewpoint

Walk down (or jeep) to Dumre and catch a local or tourist bus west to Pokhara (~2-2.5 hrs, 300-500 NPR local / ~1,000 NPR tourist bus). Check into a guesthouse in Lakeside — quieter north end near Baidam has better value. Afternoon orientation walk along Lake Phewa's shore path, a cold drink at a lakeside bar, and arrange tomorrow's Sarangkot transport and any paragliding or boat hire.

🚌Local bus Dumre–Pokhara ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse/hotel, ~£12-18

• →Lake Phewa shoreline walk
• →Lakeside evening

Pre-dawn shared jeep or taxi to Sarangkot for sunrise over the Annapurnas (~1,200-2,000 NPR return). Walk down or ride back, then hike or take a boat-and-taxi combo to the World Peace Pagoda (entry free, boat ~400 NPR across, taxi ~1,000-1,500 NPR return). Afternoon: hire a rowing boat on Lake Phewa (~400-500 NPR/hour) or book a tandem paraglide for the following morning (~£65-85 via GetYourGuide or a Pokhara agency). Sunset at Lakeside.

🚌Shared jeep to Sarangkot + boat/taxi to Peace Pagoda, ~£8-10

🛏Lakeside guesthouse/hotel, ~£12-18

• →Sarangkot sunrise viewpoint
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Lake Phewa boat hire
• →Optional paragliding (~£65-85)

Either take the tourist bus back to Kathmandu (~7-8 hrs, 1,200-1,600 NPR / £8-10) or fly Pokhara–Kathmandu (~25 min, £60-90 booked a few days ahead on Buddha Air or Yeti Airlines) if time or comfort matters. Check into a guesthouse in Thamel or Patan. Final evening for souvenir shopping in Thamel, a rooftop dinner, and a last round of momos.

🚌Tourist bus ~£9 (or flight ~£75)

🛏Guesthouse in Kathmandu/Thamel, ~£10-16

• →Travel day
• →Thamel souvenir shopping
• →Farewell dinner

Last breakfast, pack, and take a prepaid taxi to the airport (~£5). If your flight is late, squeeze in a morning visit to Pashupatinath or the Boudhanath stupa before heading out.

🚌Airport taxi ~£5

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional Boudhanath or Pashupatinath visit before flight