Classic Nepal: Kathmandu, Chitwan & Pokhara (Self-Launched)
8 days · Nepal
World Travel Experiences charges £620
No-markup version: ~£460 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 8-day version of the classic Kathmandu–Chitwan–Pokhara loop, swapping private cars and 3-star hotels for local buses, guesthouses and self-booked safaris. Start with the UNESCO squares of Kathmandu and Patan, head south to Sauraha for canoe safaris and rhino-spotting in Chitwan's buffer zone, then west to Pokhara for sunrise at Sarangkot and lakeside wandering before returning to Kathmandu. All costs are approximate per-person backpacker/budget estimates in GBP; flights to Nepal are not included.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Kathmandu – settle into Thamel
Kathmandu
Land at Tribhuvan International Airport, grab a prepaid taxi from the official counter (around £5–6 to Thamel) and check into a guesthouse or budget boutique hotel in the Thamel/Paknath area. Spend the afternoon acclimatising on foot: wander the lanes of Thamel, pick up a local SIM/eSIM with data (Ncell or NTC, ~£2–3), and sort cash from an ATM. Grab your first dal bhat for dinner — a full set costs £2–3. Ask your guesthouse to help you book a bus ticket for the Chitwan leg if you'd rather not do it online.
🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£5–6; walking in Thamel
🛏Budget guesthouse or small boutique hotel in Thamel, ~£14/night
- →Thamel market wander
- →Buy local SIM card
- →Evening street food crawl
Kathmandu & Patan Durbar Squares + Swayambhunath
Kathmandu
Self-guided heritage day. Start early at Kathmandu Durbar Square (£5 entry, or £10 combined with Patan and Bhaktapur if you buy the multi-site ticket) to see Kasthamandap and Kumari Ghar. Walk or take a £1–2 taxi to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), climbing the 365 steps for city views — entry £1. After lunch, take a local bus or Pathao ride (£1–2) to Patan and explore Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum (£3–5). Optional splurge: the Everest mountain flight (~£160–190) can be booked directly with Buddha Air or Yeti Airlines, or a helicopter tour via GetYourGuide — best booked a day or two ahead and best done at dawn.
🚌Local buses/taxis between sites ~£4 total
🛏Budget guesthouse or small boutique hotel in Thamel, ~£14/night
- →Kathmandu Durbar Square (£5)
- →Swayambhunath Stupa (£1)
- →Patan Durbar Square & Museum (£4)
- →Optional Everest mountain flight (~£175)
Kathmandu to Sauraha (Chitwan) – Tharu village & riverside sunset
Sauraha, Chitwan
Take the tourist bus from Kantipath/Sorakhutte to Sauraha — around 6–7 hours on the Prithvi Highway, roughly £7–10, departing around 7am. (A shared jeep is faster but pricier at ~£60–70 for the vehicle.) Arrive mid-afternoon and check into a budget jungle lodge in Sauraha, a 5-minute walk from the park buffer zone. In the late afternoon, walk through a Tharu village on your own or join a local guide for ~£5, then head to the Rapti River bank for sunset. Dinner at your lodge or a Sauraha riverside restaurant, £4–6.
🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Sauraha ~£8 (6–7 hrs)
🛏Budget jungle lodge/guesthouse in Sauraha, ~£12/night
- →Tharu village walk (~£5 with local guide)
- →Rapti River sunset
Chitwan safari day – canoe, jungle walk & jeep safari
Chitwan National Park
Book your safari package directly with your lodge or a Sauraha operator the night before — it's cheaper than pre-booking online. A typical day: dawn dugout canoe trip down the Rapti (£8–10, look for gharial and kingfishers), a guided jungle walk in the buffer zone (£10–15), then a half-day jeep safari into the park (£25–35 including park permit) for one-horned rhino, deer and birds. Note: elephant-back safaris are increasingly discouraged for welfare reasons — the Elephant Breeding Centre near Sauraha (£2) and an ethical sanctuary visit are better alternatives; elephant bathing experiences vary in welfare standards, so choose carefully. Add a birdwatching walk (£5) if time allows. Meals at the lodge, roughly £10 for the day.
🚌Walking; jeep included in safari package
🛏Budget jungle lodge/guesthouse in Sauraha, ~£12/night
- →Canoe safari (~£9)
- →Guided jungle walk (~£12)
- →Jeep safari with park permit (~£30)
- →Elephant Breeding Centre (£2)
Chitwan to Pokhara – Phewa Lake & Lakeside
Pokhara
Take the morning tourist bus from Sauraha/Tandi to Pokhara, around 5–6 hours, £7–9. Arrive early afternoon and check into a guesthouse in Lakeside (north lakeside is quieter and cheaper). Rent a rowing boat on Phewa Lake for an hour or two (~£3–4) and paddle out to the Tal Barahi Temple island. Climb the short steps to Bindhyabasini Temple (free) if you have energy, then spend the evening strolling the Lakeside market, booking tomorrow's Sarangkot sunrise taxi and checking paragliding prices with local operators (£55–75, book direct in Pokhara rather than online).
🚌Tourist bus Sauraha–Pokhara ~£8 (5–6 hrs)
🛏Lakeside guesthouse, ~£13/night
- →Phewa Lake rowing boat (~£4)
- →Tal Barahi Temple
- →Bindhyabasini Temple (free)
- →Lakeside evening stroll
Sarangkot sunrise & Pokhara sightseeing
Pokhara
Share a taxi up to Sarangkot for sunrise (leave ~4:45am; ~£12–15 return split between 3–4 people, or hike up in 1.5–2 hours for free) for Annapurna and Machhapuchhre views on a clear morning. Come back down for breakfast, then walk or cycle to Davis Falls (£1) and the adjacent Gupteshwor Cave (£1). Afternoon options: hire a scooter (~£7/day) to reach the World Peace Pagoda, or book a tandem paraglide from Sarangkot (£55–75 with a local operator — one of the cheapest places on earth to do it). Sunset back at Lakeside.
🚌Shared taxi to Sarangkot ~£4 pp; scooter hire ~£7
🛏Lakeside guesthouse, ~£13/night
- →Sarangkot sunrise viewpoint (~£4 shared taxi)
- →Davis Falls & Gupteshwor Cave (£2)
- →Optional tandem paragliding (~£65)
- →World Peace Pagoda
Pokhara to Kathmandu – Thamel evening
Kathmandu
Return to Kathmandu either by tourist bus (7–8 hours, £10–13, departing ~7am) or by a 25-minute domestic flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu (~£70–90 with Buddha Air/Yeti — book direct and note weather delays are common). Buses are the budget choice and let you see the hill roads. Arrive in Kathmandu, check back into a Thamel guesthouse, and spend the evening shopping for pashmina, prayer flags and trekking gear in Thamel and Asan Bazaar — haggle, and remember to carry cash. Farewell dinner of momos and Newari food, £5–8.
🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£11 (or flight ~£80)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel, ~£14/night
- →Thamel & Asan Bazaar shopping
- →Farewell dinner
Depart Kathmandu
Kathmandu
Breakfast at your guesthouse, then a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5–6, allow 1 hour in traffic). If your flight is late, squeeze in a morning visit to Boudhanath Stupa (£3) — it's close to the airport and a lovely final send-off. Keep some NPR cash for departure snacks and any excess baggage fees.
🚌Taxi to airport ~£5–6
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Boudhanath Stupa visit (£3)
Self-launched vs. World Travel Experiences
| This itinerary (self-launched) | World Travel Experiences | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£460 | £620 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £160 per person (26%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more World Travel Experiences-style trips? Check them out here.~£460
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Classic Nepal: Kathmandu, Chitwan & Pokhara (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £460 per person for 8 days in Nepal. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with World Travel Experiences?+
Yes — World Travel Experiences charges around £620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £460 — a saving of roughly £160 (26%) per person.
How long is the Nepal trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Nepal.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, wildlife trip through Nepal, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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