Nepal Soft Adventure – Self-Launched (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Australian Camp & Chitwan)

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport, get a Nepali SIM/eSIM on arrival (Ncell or NTC, ~£2–4 for data), and take a pre-paid taxi or the airport bus to Thamel/Paknajol (~NPR 800–1,000 / £5–6 for a taxi; buses are cheaper but slower with luggage). Check into a Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel — the same Paknajol area where the original tour stays. Spend the evening acclimatising: rooftop dal bhat or momos, cash from an ATM (NPR 25,000–30,000 is a sensible first withdrawal), and a stroll through Thamel's trekking shops. No sightseeing today — keep it flexible for flight delays.

🚌Airport taxi ~£5–6, or airport shuttle bus ~£1

🛏Thamel/Paknajol budget guesthouse or 2–3* hotel, private room (~£12–18)

• →Arrival & SIM card setup
• →Thamel evening walk
• →Rooftop dinner in Thamel

Do the valley's four headline sites yourself, in this order to dodge traffic: Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) early for the city views, then Patan Durbar Square (museum and Krishna Mandir), then Boudhanath Stupa for lunch on a rooftop terrace, and Pashupatinath in the late afternoon for the evening aarti on the Bagmati ghats. Entry fees are payable on the door: Swayambhunath ~NPR 200, Patan Durbar Square ~NPR 1,000, Boudhanath ~NPR 400, Pashupatinath ~NPR 1,000 (total roughly £16–18). Get around by Pathao/InDrive rideshare bikes and cars (a few pounds for the whole day) or local microbuses; a full-day private car with driver can be had for ~£30–40 if you'd rather not navigate. Optional: hire a licensed local guide at Patan or Pashupatinath for ~£15–20.

🚌Pathao/InDrive rides and microbuses ~£4–6 total (private car ~£30–40 optional)

🛏Thamel/Paknajol budget guesthouse or 2–3* hotel, private room (~£12–18)

• →Swayambhunath Stupa (~NPR 200)
• →Patan Durbar Square (~NPR 1,000)
• →Boudhanath Stupa (~NPR 400)
• →Pashupatinath Temple & evening aarti (~NPR 1,000)

Book a tourist bus from Thamel to Pokhara (~NPR 1,500–2,000 / £9–12, 6–7 hrs) — several companies (e.g. Greenline, Swift, or any Thamel agent) offer a rafting stopover add-on at Charaudi/Beni on the Trishuli, or book the rafting directly with one of the riverside operators there (~£20–30 for a 2.5-hr Class II–III run including gear and lunch) and pick up a later bus. If you'd rather keep it simple, take the early bus and book rafting as a Pokhara-based day trip another morning. Arrive Pokhara, walk Lakeside (Phewa Lake) at dusk, and eat at a Lakeside guesthouse restaurant.

🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£9–12; rafting put-in transfers included with the rafting booking

🛏Lakeside Pokhara guesthouse or budget hotel (~£10–16)

• →Trishuli River white-water rafting (2.5 hrs, ~£20–30)
• →Phewa Lake sunset walk

Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Kande (~NPR 150–300, ~1 hr), where the Australian Camp trail starts. The hike up is about 1.5–2 hrs through forest and terraced fields, with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre opening up ahead of you. No permits are needed for this short route (ACAP/ TIMS are for longer treks). Stay the night at a teahouse/guesthouse at Australian Camp (~£8–15 with dinner and breakfast) and catch sunrise over the Annapurnas — one of the best-value views in Nepal. Carry cash; there's no ATM up here.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep Pokhara–Kande ~£1–2

🛏Australian Camp teahouse/guesthouse, twin or dorm (~£8–15 incl. meals)

• →Kande–Australian Camp hike (~2 hrs)
• →Sunrise/sunset Annapurna & Machhapuchhre views

Walk down via Dhampus village to Dhampus Phedi (~2.5 hrs, gentle and mostly downhill, past tea houses with mountain views), then grab a local bus or shared jeep back into Pokhara (~£1–2). In the afternoon, hire a scooter (~£7–10/day + fuel) or use Pathao to string together the Pokhara circuit: Pumdikot Shiva statue viewpoint, World Peace Pagoda, Davis Falls, Gupteshwor Cave (cross the road), and finish with a boat across Phewa Lake (~NPR 500–800). All are public sites with small entry fees — no guide needed.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep back to Pokhara ~£1–2; scooter hire ~£7–10 or Pathao rides ~£4

🛏Lakeside Pokhara guesthouse or budget hotel (~£10–16)

• →Dhampus Phedi downhill hike
• →Pumdikot Shiva viewpoint
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Davis Falls & Gupteshwor Cave
• →Phewa Lake boat ride

Take the tourist bus from Pokhara to Sauraha (~NPR 1,000–1,500 / £6–9, 5–6 hrs). Book a Sauraha guesthouse/hotel with a jungle-package option (most Sauraha lodges bundle activities — compare prices on arrival or online, and confirm whether the package covers park fees). Afternoon: walk to the Rapti River for sunset, and in the evening see a Tharu stick dance show in Sauraha (~NPR 200–300, or free with a lodge package).

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Sauraha ~£6–9

🛏Sauraha guesthouse/hotel, private room (~£10–16; jungle packages often bundle 2 nights + meals)

• →Rapti River sunset walk
• →Tharu stick dance cultural show

Book a full-day Chitwan activity package through your lodge or the Sauraha booking offices (~£35–55 incl. national park permit ~NPR 2,000, canoe, guide and jeep). Morning: dugout canoe ride down the Rapti for gharial and birdlife, then a guided jungle walk with two licensed guides (rhino, deer, monkeys — keep your distance and follow guide instructions). Visit the elephant breeding centre at Khorsor; note that elephant-back safaris are increasingly discouraged on welfare grounds — choose a jeep safari instead, which also covers more ground. Afternoon jeep safari into the park, back for dinner in Sauraha. Bring long sleeves, insect repellent and a headtorch.

🚌On foot/jeep within Sauraha and the park (included in the package)

🛏Sauraha guesthouse/hotel, private room (~£10–16)

• →Dugout canoe ride
• →Guided jungle walk
• →Elephant breeding centre visit
• →Jeep safari (recommended over elephant ride)

Morning birdwatching around the Rapti with a local guide (~£8–12) if you have the energy, then the tourist bus back to Kathmandu (~NPR 1,500–2,000 / £9–12, 6–7 hrs) or the short flight from Bharatpur if you want to save time (~£70–100, book ahead). Check back into Thamel, do any souvenir shopping (pashmina, tea, singing bowls — haggle), and have a farewell dinner of Newari food in Patan's Durbar Square area or a Thamel rooftop.

🚌Tourist bus Sauraha–Kathmandu ~£9–12 (flight from Bharatpur ~£70–100 optional)

🛏Thamel/Paknajol budget guesthouse or 2–3* hotel, private room (~£12–18)

• →Rapti birdwatching
• →Souvenir shopping in Thamel
• →Farewell Newari dinner

Breakfast, pack, and take a taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5–6). Leave buffer time for Kathmandu traffic — allow 3 hrs before an international flight. If your flight is late, squeeze in a final Thamel coffee or a last-minute pashmina shop.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£5–6

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• →Departure