Nepal Adventure: Kathmandu, Annapurna Foothills & Chitwan (Self-Launched)

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi from the official counter in the arrivals hall (roughly NPR 700–900, about £4–5) to Thamel. Day one is deliberately slow: check in, sort a Nepali SIM/data plan (Ncell or NTC counter near the airport exit, ~£3–5), draw cash from an ATM, and wander the lanes of Thamel for dinner. Book tomorrow's Bhaktapur guide and confirm your bus to Pokhara for Day 3 while you have wifi. If you want a little orientation, walk 20 minutes to the Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) steps for sunset views over the valley — it's free to climb, small donation optional.

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£4–5; everything else on foot

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room in Thamel (£12–18/night); dorms from £6

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) sunset climb

Do the Classic tour's Day 2 under your own steam. Take a local bus or a Pathao/InDrive ride to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (entry NPR 1,800 for foreigners, ~£11) and either self-explore or hire a licensed guide at the gate for NPR 1,500–2,500 (~£9–15) — shared with another traveller if you can find one. Bhaktapur is the most atmospheric of the three royal cities, so give it two to three hours. Then head to Boudhanath Stupa (entry NPR 400) and walk the kora circuit with pilgrims. Finish with an afternoon momo cooking class — bookable on GetYourGuide or Klook from about £20–28, or ask your guesthouse to arrange a home-based class; you'll make and eat dal bhat and momos in a family kitchen. Alternatively opt for the Patan Durbar Square tour (~NPR 750 entry, guides extra) if you prefer art and courtyards to dumplings.

🚌Local bus Bhaktapur–Kathmandu ~£1; Pathao/InDrive rides £2–4 each

🛏Same Thamel guesthouse (£12–18)

• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• →Boudhanath Stupa kora walk
• →Momo and dal bhat cooking class

Swap the private bus for the tourist bus. Book a seat at any Thamel agency the day before (or online via your guesthouse) — the standard tourist coach leaves Kathmandu around 7:00–7:30am and takes 7–8 hours including a lunch stop, for NPR 1,800–2,500 (~£11–15). The 'Deluxe Sofa' or micro-van services are slightly quicker and comfier for a few pounds more. Arrive in Pokhara (Lakeside or Old Pokhara), check in, and walk the lakeshore for your first full view of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna Range at golden hour. Sort your ACAP trekking permit and TIMS card today via the Nepal Tourism Board office in Pokhara (combined cost around NPR 3,000–4,000, ~£18–24) — or arrange it through your trekking agency when you book a guide. Hire or buy a trekking pole, fill water bottles, and pack a small duffel for the trek, leaving the rest in hotel storage.

🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£11–15; local taxi to Lakeside ~£2

🛏Guesthouse near Phewa Lake, Pokhara (£12–18)

• →Phewa Lake sunset walk
• →ACAP/TIMS permit registration

The Classic tour's three-day trek starts here. Take a shared jeep or local bus from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul/New Bridge (about 1.5 hours, NPR 300–500, ~£2–3), then either walk the full trail up to Ghandruk (5–6 hours, steady stone steps through terraced fields) or shortcut with a shared jeep from New Bridge to Kimche/Syauli Bazaar and walk the last 2–3 hours. Trekking solo is safe and the trail is well signed, but a licensed porter-guide costs NPR 3,000–4,000/day (~£18–24) and is a friendly, low-cost way to support local work — or just walk alone and follow the teahouse signs. Tonight: a family-run teahouse in Ghandruk with the classic dal bhat set dinner and an early night; the Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre views from the village are the reward.

🚌Local bus/jeep to trailhead £2–3; optional jeep shortcut £4–6

🛏Teahouse in Ghandruk, twin room with shared bathroom (£5–8)

• →Trek Pokhara–Ghandruk (or jeep-assisted)
• →Gurung village and museum wander

Walk down through rhododendron and bamboo to Jhinu Danda (about 4 hours), then take the steep 20-minute descent to the riverside hot springs for a soak — entry is around NPR 100–200 (~£1) and it's the best free-feeling luxury on the trek. Climb back up and continue about 1.5–2 hours to Landruk, a village perched above the Modi Khola with big Annapurna South views. Total walking 5–6 hours. Eat dinner at the teahouse (dal bhat, noodle soup, or a surprisingly good wood-fired pizza in Landruk). Heat rises at altitude, but bring a warm layer — evenings cool quickly even in the foothills.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Landruk, twin room shared bathroom (£5–8)

• →Trek Ghandruk–Jhinu Danda
• →Jhinu Danda natural hot springs soak
• →Trek Jhinu–Landruk

Final trekking day: about 5 hours along the ridge through Tolka and Deurali to Kande, with the Annapurnas behind you and Pokhara's valley opening below. From Kande the road drops to Suikhet/Lakeside — take a local bus or shared jeep (NPR 200–400, ~£1.50–3) back into Pokhara. Check into a Lakeside guesthouse, shower properly, and then treat yourself: a lakeside beer or a rooftop dinner. Optional extras if you have energy: a rowboat on Phewa Lake (NPR 400–600/hr, ~£3–4) or the World Peace Pagoda hike for sunset (free).

🚌Local bus/jeep Kande–Pokhara £1.50–3

🛏Guesthouse near Phewa Lake, Pokhara (£12–18)

• →Trek Landruk–Kande
• →Phewa Lake rowboat or World Peace Pagoda sunset

Take the tourist bus from Pokhara to Chitwan (Sauraha or Tandi Bazaar), roughly 5–6 hours for NPR 1,200–1,800 (~£8–11) — book the afternoon departure so you arrive in daylight. For the closest independent match to the Classic tour's G for Good community stay, book two nights at a Community Homestay in Barauli (via Community Homestay Network) or a Tharu family guesthouse near Sauraha; rates typically include meals and run roughly £18–30 per night per person all-in. Afternoon: cycle or walk through Tharu villages, and in the evening enjoy a Tharu cultural dance and song performance (often included in homestay stays, or NPR 300–500 (~£2–3) at the Sauraha cultural centre). Eat a traditional Tharu set meal — dhikri, ghonghi (if in season) or simply rice, lentils and greens.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Chitwan ~£8–11; shared jeep from Tandi to village ~£2–3

🛏Tharu community homestay / family guesthouse, ~£18–30 per person including meals

• →Village cycling or walk
• →Tharu cultural dance and song evening

The headline Chitwan day. Book a jeep safari directly with your homestay or with the park's community-based operators the day before — a full-day 4x4 safari with park permit typically runs NPR 5,000–7,000 (~£30–42) per person, or a half-day for around NPR 3,000–4,000 (~£18–24). Morning departures have the best wildlife odds. You're looking for one-horned rhino (very likely), gharial crocodiles, deer, langurs and — if you're lucky — a sloth bear or Bengal tiger. Add on a guided canoe trip down the Rapti if time allows (NPR 1,000–1,500, ~£6–9). Bring binoculars, long sleeves and insect repellent. Birdwatchers should ask about a dawn walk with a local guide from the community forest.

🚌Park jeep included in safari price

🛏Same Tharu homestay (£18–30 including meals)

• →Full-day Chitwan 4x4 jeep safari
• →Optional Rapti River canoe trip
• →Birdwatching walk (optional)

Retrace the route north. A tourist bus from Sauraha/Tandi Bazaar to Kathmandu takes 5–6 hours for NPR 1,200–1,800 (~£8–11); if you want to save time, a 25-minute flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu is around £65–95 if booked ahead. Arrive back in Thamel, reclaim your stored luggage, and use the late afternoon for anything you missed — the Pashupatinath ghats at dusk (entry NPR 1,000, ~£6) for the evening aarti ceremony is a moving final stop, or browse the Tibetan carpet and pashmina shops around Boudhanath. Last dinner: a proper Newari feast in Thamel or Patan.

🚌Tourist bus ~£8–11, or domestic flight ~£65–95

🛏Thamel guesthouse, private room (£12–18)

• →Travel day
• →Pashupatinath sunset aarti (optional)

No fixed activities — take a pre-booked taxi or Pathao to the airport (~£4–5) with a buffer for Kathmandu traffic. If your flight is late in the day, a morning Everest scenic flight from Kathmandu (about £170–200 via a local operator, weather dependent) is the classic farewell, or spend the morning at the Garden of Dreams over coffee. Note that drones are banned in Nepal, and double-check your visa/passport validity (6 months minimum) before heading out.

🚌Taxi to airport £4–5

🛏—

• →Departure
• →Optional Everest scenic flight or Garden of Dreams