13-Day Nepal Adventure Self-Launched: Himalaya Hiking, Rafting, Wildlife & Culture

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and grab a prepaid taxi to Thamel (NPR 800-1,000 / ~£5-6). Check into a budget guesthouse in Thamel or nearby Paknajang. Spend the late afternoon wandering the narrow lanes of Thamel District, sorting a local SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£2 with data) and picking up a TIMS card and ACAP permit for the Poon Hill trek at the Nepal Tourism Board office. Walk to Durbar Square in the early evening for your own 'welcome dinner' at a rooftop momo or thali spot.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£5-6

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (e.g. Hotel Buddha area guesthouses, £8-14/night)

• →Thamel District wander
• →Durbar Square evening walk
• →Sort TIMS + ACAP trekking permits

Do a self-guided tour of the three big Kathmandu valley UNESCO sites. Take a taxi or local bus to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) for the morning climb and valley views, then a taxi or public bus east to Boudhanath Stupa to walk the kora with the Tibetan community. Finish at Pashupatinath for the riverside ghats and evening aarti. Entry tickets are separate for each site. Optional: pre-book an Everest sightseeing flight from Kathmandu airport (~£150-190).

🚌Taxis between sites ~£8-10 total

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (£8-14/night)

• →Swayambhunath Stupa Temple
• →Boudhanath Stupa
• →Pashupatinath Temple

Morning taxi or local bus to Patan (Lalitpur) for a self-guided walk of the Durbar Square and the Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar), plus Bangla Mukhi Temple. After lunch, take a local bus or shared jeep from Bhaktapur up to Nagarkot (~1.5 hrs). Check into a hillside guesthouse with a terrace and do the short 30-minute walk to a viewpoint for sunset over the Himalaya. Bring a warm layer — Nagarkot is chilly at night.

🚌Local bus/taxi Patan to Nagarkot ~£4-6

🛏Guesthouse in Nagarkot with mountain-view terrace (£10-18/night)

• →Lalitpur temple walk
• →Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)
• →Bangla Mukhi Temple
• →Nagarkot sunset viewpoint hike

Get up early for sunrise over the Himalaya from Nagarkot's viewpoint. Take a local bus down to Bhaktapur for a self-guided walking tour of the car-free old town — Durbar Square, Nyatapola Temple, Pottery Square. Then head to Pharping (south of Kathmandu) to visit the monastery and the Asura Cave where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated. Return to Kathmandu for the night.

🚌Local buses Nagarkot-Bhaktapur-Pharping-Kathmandu ~£4-6

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (£8-14/night)

• →Nagarkot sunrise viewpoint
• →Bhaktapur old town walking tour
• →Pharping monastery
• →Asura Cave

Take a tourist bus or tourist jeep from Kathmandu to Sauraha (Chitwan) — book through your guesthouse the day before. It's a long, bumpy 5-6 hr run. On arrival, check into a jungle lodge in Sauraha and book a jeep safari and canoe trip package (most lodges bundle these). Afternoon jeep safari into the park looking for rhino, deer, monkeys and crocodiles, then a late-afternoon Tharu Cultural Show in the village.

🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu-Chitwan ~£10-12

🛏Jungle lodge in Sauraha (e.g. Rhino Land area, £12-20/night with activities)

• →Jeep safari
• →Canoe river trip
• →Tharu Cultural Show

Early morning canoe trip on the Rapti River and a short jungle walk before checking out. Travel by local or tourist bus from Sauraha to Bhairahawa/Lumbini (~5 hrs). Check into a guesthouse near the Lumbini monastic zone. Visit Maya Devi Temple, the birthplace of the Buddha, and sit quietly in the Ashoka Pillar grounds. Walk or cycle the vast monastic zone to see the international Buddhist temples built by different countries — a bicycle rental is the best way to cover it.

🚌Tourist/local bus Chitwan-Lumbini ~£7-9

🛏Budget hotel near Lumbini monastic zone (£10-16/night)

• →Rapti River canoe
• →Maya Devi Temple
• →Ashoka Pillar meditation grounds
• →International Buddhist temples cycle

Long travel day: local/tourist bus from Lumbini to Pokhara via Butwal (~6-7 hrs, or break the journey at Tansen if you have time). Arrive in Pokhara in the afternoon and settle into a guesthouse in Lakeside. Freshen up with a walk along Phewa Lake. Evening: join a momo-making class with a local family or cooking school in Lakeside (~£8-12 per person, book locally or via GetYourGuide).

🚌Tourist/local bus Lumbini-Pokhara ~£8-10

🛏Guesthouse in Lakeside, Pokhara (£10-16/night)

• →Lakeside sunset walk
• →Momo making class

Leisurely day in Pokhara. Go boating on Phewa Taal in the morning (row your own boat or hire a paddle boat), with a short hike up to the World Peace Pagoda. Optional add-ons to pre-book: paragliding from Sarangkot (~£75-90), Kushma bungee jump (~£65-80), or a foot massage after all the hiking. Sundown at Movie Garden for a beer and a film, or a walk down Lakeside for dinner.

🚌Local taxis around Pokhara ~£3-5

🛏Guesthouse in Lakeside, Pokhara (£10-16/night)

• →Phewa Taal boating
• →World Peace Pagoda hike
• →Optional paragliding/bungee (surcharge)

Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara to Nayapul (Birethanti) to start the trek (TIMS and ACAP permits required — get them in Pokhara or Kathmandu). Trek up through Tikhedhunga and the famous Ulleri stone staircase to overnight in a teahouse at Ulleri or Banthanti. Teahouse stays are cheap (roughly £3-5) but expect to buy meals there; dal bhat is the trekkers' staple.

🚌Local bus/jeep Pokhara to Nayapul ~£2-3

🛏Teahouse on the trail (£3-5/night, meals extra)

• →Trek Nayapul-Ulleri
• →Teahouse overnight

Trek on through rhododendron forest (spectacular in spring) up to Ghorepani village, the main stop before Poon Hill. Arrive by early afternoon, rest up and eat early — you'll be up before dawn tomorrow. Teahouses in Ghorepani can be busy in peak season (Oct-Nov, Mar-Apr), so aim to arrive early to secure a room.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Ghorepani (£3-5/night, meals extra)

• →Trek to Ghorepani through rhododendron forest
• →Sunset from Ghorepani

Pre-dawn hike up to Poon Hill (3,210m) for sunrise over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges — the trek's highlight. Descend via Tadapani and Ghorepani trails, then walk or bus down to Nayapul and catch a local bus/jeep back to Pokhara. Optional alternative: swap the whole 3-day trek for a 3-day yoga retreat at Tri Bikram Yoga Centre in Pokhara (pre-book, surcharge applies). Collapse in a Lakeside guesthouse.

🚌Local bus/jeep Nayapul-Pokhara ~£2-3

🛏Guesthouse in Lakeside, Pokhara (£10-16/night)

• →Poon Hill sunrise
• →Descend via Tadapani/Ghorepani
• →Return to Pokhara

Short bus ride from Pokhara to Bandipur (about 2.5 hrs) — this pretty Newari hilltop town is the perfect decompression stop. Check into a heritage-style guesthouse on the main car-free bazaar street. Take a self-guided walking tour of the old Newari houses, temples and viewpoints, and walk up to Thani Mai Temple for panoramic views across the valley. Dinner in the town centre.

🚌Local bus Pokhara-Bandipur ~£2-3

🛏Heritage guesthouse in Bandipur (£10-16/night)

• →Bandipur walking tour
• →Thani Mai Temple viewpoint
• →Dinner in Bandipur town centre

Bus from Bandipur toward Fisling/the Trishuli River. Join a day's white-water rafting on the Trishuli (book locally in Pokhara/Bandipur or via an operator in Kathmandu, ~£20-30 including lunch and transfers) — fun grade 2-3 rapids with plenty of splash. After rafting, continue by tourist bus from the highway back to Kathmandu, arriving late afternoon. Drop your bags at a Thamel hostel and head out for a final Nepali dinner.

🚌Bus Bandipur-Fisling + tourist bus to Kathmandu ~£8-10

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Thamel (£8-14/night)

• →Trishuli River white-water rafting
• →Return to Kathmandu