Self-Launched Nepal: Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan & the Himalayas

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel or the quieter Paknajang/Lazimpat area (approx. NPR 800–1,200 / £5–7). Check in to a guesthouse, then ease in with a wander through Thamel's lanes and down to Kathmandu Durbar Square (foreigner entry approx. NPR 1,000 / £6) as temple bells and evening aarti begin. Dinner: dal bhat or momos at a local Thamel eatery (£3–5).

🚌Airport prepaid taxi £5–7; everything else on foot

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel (private room, approx. £12–18)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Kathmandu Durbar Square at sunset

Optional early Everest scenic flight from Tribhuvan Airport (Buddha Air or Yeti Airlines, book direct or via Klook/GetYourGuide, approx. £200–235) — the self-launched equivalent of the operator's optional extra. Otherwise start with the 365 steps up to Swayambhunath (NPR 200 / £1.20), then take a local bus or taxi (NPR 300 / £2) to Boudhanath (entry NPR 400 / £2.50) and walk the kora with pilgrims at dusk. In the afternoon, local bus to Kirtipur (NPR 50 / £0.30) to explore the brick lanes and Bagh Bhairab Temple — evening aarti happens here too; you can simply attend as a visitor rather than through a private booking. Honest local dinner in Kirtipur or back in Kathmandu.

🚌Local buses and microbuses £1–2 total; taxi options £3–5

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel (approx. £12–18)

• →Swayambhunath climb
• →Boudhanath kora walk
• →Kirtipur Newari old town and Bagh Bhairab Temple
• →Optional Everest scenic flight (£200–235)

Take a morning domestic flight Kathmandu–Bharatpur (Buddha Air/Yeti, approx. £70–100 one way, book direct) — or the much cheaper tourist bus from Kantipath/Sorhakhutte (approx. £8–12, 5–6 hrs) if budget matters more than time. From Bharatpur, a shared jeep or taxi to Sauraha (NPR 500–800 / £3–5). Settle into a riverside guesthouse, join a community-run Tharu cultural walk or village visit, and take an easy late-afternoon walk along the Rapti River. Most guesthouses sell safari packages — compare two or three.

🚌Domestic flight £70–100 (or tourist bus £8–12); shared jeep to Sauraha £3–5

🛏Sauraha riverside guesthouse (approx. £12–20)

• →Tharu village walk
• →Rapti riverside walk and birdwatching

Full day in the park with a licensed local naturalist. Take a shared jeep safari into the core zone (park permit approx. £15 plus jeep/gudie share approx. £20–28 total) to scan for greater one-horned rhino, wild boar, deer and if lucky a sloth bear or tiger. In the afternoon, book a community-run dugout canoe on the Rapti (approx. £8–12), drifting past gharial and mugger crocodiles and kingfishers. Evening: a Tharu stick-dance performance in Sauraha (small donation, £2–3) and a local Tharu dinner (£4–6).

🚌Shared jeep and canoe within the park, included in activity costs

🛏Sauraha riverside guesthouse (approx. £12–20)

• →Chitwan jeep safari with naturalist
• →Rapti River dugout canoe safari
• →Tharu stick dance performance

Return to Bharatpur for the morning flight or the tourist bus back to Kathmandu (same prices as Day 3). From Kathmandu, local bus to Bhaktapur (NPR 50 / £0.30, or taxi £5). Explore Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pottery Square and the Nyatapola pagoda (foreigner entry NPR 1,800 / £11), and taste the famous Juju Dhau 'king curd' in a terracotta bowl for pennies. In the late afternoon, take a local bus or shared jeep northeast to Dhulikhel (NPR 100–150 / £1) for cooler air and Himalayan sunrise potential.

🚌Flight £70–100 or bus £8–12; local bus to Bhaktapur £0.30; bus to Dhulikhel £1

🛏Dhulikhel guesthouse or family homestay (approx. £15–22)

• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Pottery Square
• →Juju Dhau tasting
• →Old town walk in Dhulikhel

Local bus from Dhulikhel to Panauti (approx. 20 mins, NPR 40 / £0.25). Panauti is a community-tourism-supported Newari town — book a local guide through the Panauti Community Homestay network (approx. £10–15 for a half-day) to see the Indreshwar Mahadev Temple and the wood-carving workshops where heritage buildings are being restored. Ask the homestay or guide to arrange a home-cooked Newari feast (samay baji, bara, choila, chhoyla — approx. £5–8). Return to Dhulikhel for the night, or sleep in Panauti if you'd like a slower pace.

🚌Local bus Dhulikhel–Panauti approx. £0.25 each way

🛏Dhulikhel guesthouse or Panauti community homestay (approx. £12–22)

• →Panauti Newari architecture walk with local guide
• →Wood-carving workshop visit
• →Home-hosted Newari community feast

Walk the well-signed trail from Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha (approx. 3–4 hours through forest and terraced villages, with Himalayan peaks on clear days) — no guide needed, but a local guide is roughly £15 if you'd like the company. Explore Namo Buddha Monastery, join the afternoon prayer session if timings allow, and eat lunch at the monastery or a nearby teahouse (£3–4). Local bus or shared jeep from Namo Buddha back to Kathmandu (approx. NPR 150–200 / £1–1.20), then a final celebratory dinner in Thamel.

🚌Trail on foot; local bus Namo Buddha–Kathmandu approx. £1–2

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel (approx. £12–18)

• →Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha hike
• →Namo Buddha Monastery and prayer session

Final breakfast at the guesthouse, last-minute souvenir shopping for prayer flags or Singing Bowl in Thamel, and a prepaid taxi to the airport (approx. £5–7). If your flight is late, fit in the Garden of Dreams or the Patan Museum by local bus.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi £5–7

🛏None (departure day)

• →Free time in Thamel and Patan