Kingdom of Bhutan & Kathmandu Self-Launched (10 Days)

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and sort your Nepal visa on arrival (free for most nationalities up to 30 days; USD 30/£24 for 15 days if you need one — bring USD cash and a passport photo). Pre-book a cheap airport pickup through your hostel or grab a prepaid taxi (NPR 700–900 / ~£5). Base yourself in Thamel, the backpacker hub: hostels and guesthouses run £8–15 a night. Spend the afternoon walking to the Garden of Dreams and acclimatising with momos and chai. Pick up a local SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~NPR 500 / £3) with data for maps and ride-hailing.

🚌Airport taxi ~NPR 800 (£5); walking + Pathao/InDrive rides ~£2

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Thamel (private room £12–15, dorm £5–8)

• →Nepal visa on arrival
• →Local SIM card
• →Thamel & Garden of Dreams wander

Cover the four UNESCO sites the package visits on a small-group day tour — these are bookable on GetYourGuide or Klook for around £28–40 per person including a guide and AC vehicle, or DIY it with taxis. Route: Pashupatinath Temple (cremation ghats on the Bagmati, £8 entry), Boudhanath Stupa (the great white dome, circular kora walk, £3), Swayambhunath 'Monkey Temple' (£2) and Kathmandu Durbar Square (£8 — note the post-earthquake reconstruction). If you DIY, a full-day private taxi is ~NPR 5,000–6,000 (£28) split between 2–3 travellers, so a group tour is usually better value.

🚌Shared day-tour vehicle or private taxi ~£30 split; local rides £3

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Thamel

• →Pashupatinath Temple
• →Boudhanath Stupa kora
• →Swayambhunath
• →Kathmandu Durbar Square

The Drukair/Bhutan Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Paro is one of the world's great landings — left-hand seats for Everest views. Flights are ~USD 425–510 return (£335–400) and must be booked well ahead; they're not included in the package either. Your licensed Bhutanese operator (required for all visitors) will meet you at Paro airport and handle your Bhutan visa (£30–40) plus the Sustainable Development Fee (~USD 100/£79 per day for most nationalities — this is the single biggest Bhutan cost and is unavoidable for anyone). Drive 1.5 hours to Thimphu, the world's only capital without traffic lights. Afternoon: the National Library of Bhutan and a stroll along Norzin Lam.

🚌Kathmandu–Paro flight ~£180 one way; Paro–Thimphu shared taxi/operator car ~1.5h (£15)

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Thimphu (~£25–35, often bundled into operator rate)

• →Scenic Drukair flight over the Himalaya
• →Bhutan visa & SDF formalities
• →National Library of Bhutan

Thimphu's sights are all walkable or a short shared-taxi hop. Start at the National Memorial Chorten (free, full of elderly locals doing their morning kora), then the Folk Heritage Museum (£3) and the National Textile Museum (£3). Continue to Tashichho Dzong, the whitewashed seat of government — outside views are free, and you can enter the courtyard after 5pm when offices close. Walk up to the giant Buddha Dordenma viewpoint (free) for valley views, pass the BBS Tower viewpoint and look in on the government Handicraft Emporium and the National Institute of Traditional Medicine (outside view). Skip the zoo. Most of Thimphu's day-to-day guiding can be done with a good guidebook plus your operator's driver for a few hours.

🚌Shared taxis and walking, ~£8

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Thimphu

• →National Memorial Chorten
• →Folk Heritage Museum
• →National Textile Museum
• →Tashichho Dzong
• →Buddha Dordenma viewpoint

Drive east over Dochu La pass (3,100m) — on a clear day there's a stunning panorama of the Himalayan range from the 108 chortens. Bring a jacket; the pass is cold and windy. Descend into the warm Punakha valley, with a stop at Chimi Lhakhang (the 'Divine Madman' fertility temple) en route — a 20-minute walk through rice paddies. Afternoon at a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse for tea and ara (home-brewed rice spirit) — these homestay-style visits can be arranged directly with your guesthouse for £10–15, or just strike up a chat over lunch. Overnight in Punakha guesthouses (£25–35).

🚌Thimphu–Punakha drive ~3h in operator/shared vehicle (£20)

🛏Punakha guesthouse

• →Dochu La pass & 108 chortens
• →Chimi Lhakhang walk
• →Traditional farmhouse visit

Punakha Dzong — the most photogenic fortress in Bhutan, sitting at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers — is best at opening time (9am, £5 entry). Walk the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan just below it. In the afternoon hike 45 minutes uphill to Nalanda Buddhist Institute, a working monastic college where you can sit in on chanting and chat with monks; a small donation and a quiet, respectful visit goes a long way (better than a paid 'monk meeting' package). Back to Punakha for dinner — try ema datshi (chilli and cheese) at a local eatery for £4–6.

🚌Local taxis/walking ~£8

🛏Punakha guesthouse

• →Punakha Dzong
• →Punakha suspension bridge
• →Nalanda Buddhist Institute hike

Drive back towards Paro via the Dochu La (or the longer Wangdue route if you want variety). In Paro, visit Ta Dzong, the round watchtower that houses the National Museum of Bhutan (£5). Book a half-day Bhutanese cooking class directly — several Paro homestays and restaurants offer these for £20–30 per person (ema datshi, momos, red rice); ask your guesthouse, or arrange via your Bhutanese operator. Evening wander around Paro town's single main street and the Rinpung Dzong floodlit below.

🚌Punakha–Paro drive ~4h (£25 shared)

🛏Paro guesthouse/boutique budget hotel

• →Ta Dzong National Museum
• →Bhutanese cooking class
• →Paro town evening stroll

The highlight: hike to Taktsang (Tiger's Nest Monastery), clinging to a cliff at 3,120m. Start by 7:30am to beat crowds and heat; the round trip is 4–5 hours, 900m of climb, with a cafeteria halfway for tea. Entry is included in your SDF-era permit/operator arrangements (£10–15 equivalent). Poles and decent trainers are fine — walking boots aren't essential. After descending, visit Rinpung Dzong (Paro Dzong) on the valley floor (£3, free to walk the outside), then rest up with butter tea and a hot stone bath if you have energy (£15–20 at a farmhouse).

🚌Local taxi to trailhead ~£5

🛏Paro guesthouse/boutique budget hotel

• →Tiger's Nest (Taktsang) hike
• →Rinpung Dzong
• →Optional hot stone bath

Morning Drukair flight back to Kathmandu (~£155 one way; the return leg is part of the ~£335–400 return fare). Check back into a Thamel hostel. Use the afternoon to see what you missed — the Patan Durbar Square complex (£8) or a wander through Asan Tole's spice bazaar. Pre-book a Klook/GetYourGuide Bhaktapur half-day if you want to squeeze it in, otherwise save it for tomorrow.

🚌Return flight leg ~£155; airport taxi £5; local rides £3

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Thamel

• →Paro–Kathmandu flight
• →Patan Durbar Square or Asan bazaar

If your flight is late, take a local bus or taxi to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (30–40 min; taxi ~NPR 1,200/£7, entry £10) — the best-preserved medieval Newari city, with the Nyatapola Temple and famous juju dhau (king curd). Return to Kathmandu for last-minute shopping in Thamel, then head to the airport. If your flight is earlier, use the morning for Boudhanath at sunrise and breakfast in a rooftop café.

🚌Bhaktapur taxi return ~£14; airport taxi £5

🛏—

• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• →Juju dhau tasting
• →Airport transfer