Self-Launched Premium Nepal: Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara & Chitwan

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and grab a prepaid taxi to Thamel (roughly NPR 800–1,000 / £5–6) rather than haggling outside. Check into a guesthouse in Thamel or quieter Patan-side surroundings. Spend the afternoon acclimatising gently: wander Thamel's lanes, sort a local SIM card (Ncell or NTC, ~£3–5 for a data package), draw cash from an ATM and pick up a Kathmandu Valley map. Eat dal bhat at a local bhojanalaya for about £2–3.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£6

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel, twin/double room (~£18)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Buy local SIM card
• →Evening stroll through Kathmandu Durbar Square's outer bazaar

Do a full day of valley sightseeing. Either join a small-group walking tour via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£25–35 including entry fees) or DIY it with taxis and a local guide hired at each site (guides ~NPR 1,000–1,500 each). Cover Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) in the morning, then Boudhanath Stupa for lunch and a kora walk, then Kathmandu Durbar Square. Head to Patan Durbar Square in the late afternoon for the Newari courtyards and museum. Finish at Pashupatinath around 6pm for the evening aarti ceremony on the Bagmati ghats — free to watch from the eastern bank, though foreigner entry is ~NPR 1,000. Street-food stop for momos and chatamari in Thamel or Asan on the way home.

🚌Local taxis/metro-style tempos between sites ~£6 total

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel, twin/double room (~£18)

• →Swayambhunath Stupa
• →Boudhanath Stupa kora walk
• →Kathmandu Durbar Square
• →Patan Durbar Square and Patan Museum
• →Pashupatinath evening aarti
• →Street food tasting - momos and chatamari

Take a taxi or local bus to Nagarkot the evening before if you want the sunrise, or get up early: a private taxi from Kathmandu to Nagarkot departs around 4:30am and costs ~£20–25 return booked through your guesthouse. From the Nagarkot viewpoint tower you get the classic Himalayan panorama on a clear morning. Afterwards head down to Bhaktapur (shared taxi or local bus, ~£3). Pay the Bhaktapur entry fee (~NPR 1,800 / £11) and wander Durbar Square, the Golden Gate, the Palace of 55 Windows and the pottery square. Try Bhaktapur's famous juju dhau (king curd). Overnight in Bhaktapur so you can enjoy the squares once the day-trippers leave.

🚌Private taxi Kathmandu–Nagarkot ~£20, then local bus Nagarkot–Bhaktapur ~£3

🛏Bhaktapur guesthouse near Durbar Square (~£20)

• →Nagarkot sunrise viewpoint
• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• →Golden Gate and Palace of 55 Windows
• →Pottery Square workshop observation
• →Juju dhau tasting

Travel west by tourist bus or local bus to Dumre, the junction below Bandipur (Bhaktapur/Kathmandu to Dumre, roughly 4.5–5.5 hours, £7–10 with a tourist bus booked through your guesthouse, or cheaper local bus ~£3). From Dumre a shared jeep up to Bandipur costs about £1–2. En route you'll pass the Trishuli River with its temples and shrines. In the afternoon take a self-guided walk along Bandipur Bazaar — the car-free Newari main street — and climb to the Tundikhel viewpoint for sunset over the Marsyangdi valley. Book a local guide if you want village history explained (~£10 for a half day).

🚌Tourist bus to Dumre ~£8, shared jeep up to Bandipur ~£2

🛏Bandipur guesthouse with valley views (~£20)

• →Bandipur Bazaar walk
• →Tundikhel sunset viewpoint
• →Optional local guide

Start pre-dawn and hike up the stone steps to Thani Mai shrine (about 45 minutes to an hour) for sunrise over the Himalaya — free and one of the best views on the trip. Come back down for breakfast, then walk to Siddha Gupha, a limestone cave with a small shrine (~£2 entry, bring a torch). In the afternoon do the roughly 4-hour round-trip hike to Ramkot, a traditional Magar village, on a marked trail — a good self-launched alternative to the operator's guided version, and easy to follow with Maps.me or a locally bought trail map. Ask your guesthouse to arrange a packed lunch or eat in Ramkot village.

🚌All on foot; optional shared jeep back from Ramkot ~£3

🛏Bandipur guesthouse with valley views (~£20)

• →Thani Mai sunrise hike
• →Siddha Gupha cave
• →Ramkot Magar village hike
• →Himalayan panorama viewpoint

Jeep down to Dumre and catch a bus to Pokhara (about 2.5–3 hours, £4–6 tourist bus). Arrive in Lakeside and check in. Walk the lakeshore path, visit the Tibetan camp and handicraft stalls near Tashi Ling, and explore the new market area for cheap food. Optionally head out by taxi to Devi's Fall (~£25 entry) and Gupteshwar Cave (~£3) in the late afternoon — both are close together on the south side of town, roughly a £7–8 taxi each way.

🚌Jeep to Dumre ~£2, bus Dumre–Pokhara ~£5, local taxi ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse in Pokhara (~£16)

• →Phewa Lake lakeside walk
• →Tibetan camp visit
• →Optional Devi's Fall and Gupteshwar Cave

Book a shared sunrise jeep to Sarangkot through your guesthouse (~£10–12 return, leaving around 5am) for Annapurna and Machhapuchhre views — or hike up from Lakeside in about 2 hours if you're feeling energetic. Back in town, hire a kayak or rowboat on Phewa Lake (~£5–7 per hour) and visit the Barahi Temple on its island. Afternoon: taxi to the International Mountain Museum (~£3 entry) and the World Peace Pagoda, then walk down to Damside. If time allows, take a cheap local bus or taxi out to Begnas Lake (~£6 return) for a quieter, less touristy lake, and stop at Mahendra Cave and the Seti River gorge Viewpoint on the way back.

🚌Shared sunrise jeep ~£10, local taxis and buses ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse in Pokhara (~£16)

• →Sarangkot sunrise viewpoint
• →Phewa Lake kayak and Barahi Temple
• →International Mountain Museum
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Optional Begnas Lake and Mahendra Cave

Take a tourist bus from Pokhara to Sauraha/Chitwan, about 5 hours, roughly £8–10 booked via your guesthouse. Arrive at a jungle-side guesthouse in Sauraha and slow down — Chitwan afternoons are hot. Walk to a Tharu village in the late afternoon and visit the Tharu Cultural Museum (small entry fee), learning about the traditional mud houses and lifestyle. In the evening watch a Tharu stick dance performance in Sauraha village (~£3–5) and eat dinner at your guesthouse.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Sauraha ~£9, local cycle rickshaw ~£2

🛏Sauraha jungle guesthouse (~£18)

• →Tharu village walk
• →Tharu Cultural Museum
• →Tharu stick dance performance

Book your safari directly through the guesthouse or the park's Community Forest office in Sauraha rather than an online operator — it's cheaper and supports local guides. Morning: a canoe trip down the Rapti River (~£8) followed by a guided jungle walk with two licensed naturalists (~£15–20 per person). Afternoon: a jeep safari into Chitwan National Park (~£35–45 including permits, best value for rhino and bird spotting). Visit the Elephant Breeding Centre by bicycle or on foot (~£2 entry). Note that elephant-back riding is increasingly discouraged ethically — a jeep or walking safari gives you more time with the animals and better wildlife ID anyway. Bring binoculars, long sleeves and mosquito repellent.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£3

🛏Sauraha jungle guesthouse (~£18)

• →Rapti River canoe trip
• →Guided jungle walk with naturalists
• →Chitwan jeep safari with park permits
• →Elephant Breeding Centre visit
• →Birdwatching

Leave Sauraha early by local bus to Kurintar (about 2.5 hours, ~£4), then take the Manakamana cable car up to the temple (~£7 return) — the ride itself is a highlight, with views over the Trishuli valley. Spend an hour at the temple, then catch a bus from Kurintar to Kathmandu (roughly 3 hours, £4–5). Check back into a Thamel guesthouse in the evening and eat a farewell dinner — try Newari cuisine at a rooftop restaurant or a cheap thali in the backstreets.

🚌Bus to Kurintar ~£4, cable car ~£7 return, bus to Kathmandu ~£5

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel (~£18)

• →Manakamana Temple cable car
• →Trishuli valley views

Last morning for souvenir shopping in Thamel or Asan Tole market and a final breakfast of sel roti and chiya. Prepaid taxi to the airport (~£6) for your flight home. If your flight is late in the day, consider a quick visit to the Garden of Dreams or a massage in Thamel. Note that international flights aren't included in the cost estimate — search separately, with return fares from the UK typically £600–900 depending on season.

🚌Airport taxi ~£6

🛏None (departure day)

• →Thamel souvenir shopping
• →Garden of Dreams (optional)