Treasures of Nepal — Self-Launched Edition

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid airport taxi to Thamel (roughly NPR 800–1,000 / £5–6; ignore the aggressive touts in arrivals and use the official prepaid counter). Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Thamel or the quieter Patan-side of town. Spend the afternoon easing in: wander Durbar Marg, sort a Nepali SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3–5 with data), draw cash from an ATM (Visa/Mastercard work in Thamel), and buy your TIMS/entry tickets later — no permits needed for this route. Evening: momo dinner and a rooftop beer.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£5–6 (20–30 min)

🛏Thamel guesthouse or hostel (private twin or dorm)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Nepali SIM card and cash run
• →Momo dinner

Book a shared or small-group day tour through GetYourGuide/Klook (roughly £25–35) or haggle a private driver for the day (~£35–45, split between two). Start at Boudhanath Stupa for the morning kora (clockwise circuit) with the monks and pigeons, then push on to Bhaktapur Durbar Square — the best-preserved old royal city, entry NPR 1,800 (~£11). Lunch at the Sisterhood of Survivors' restaurant in Kathmandu, run by survivors of trafficking and trained as guides and cooks — book directly by phone or drop in; a thali lunch is ~£4–6 and directly supports the project. Optional: Pashupatinath ghats and Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) if you have energy left.

🚌Shared day tour or hired car with driver

🛏Thamel guesthouse or hostel

• →Boudhanath Stupa kora
• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square (entry ~£11)
• →Lunch at Sisterhood of Survivors
• →Optional Pashupatinath / Swayambhunath

Optional early Everest experience flight from Kathmandu's domestic airport (~£150–180 for a one-hour mountain flight — book via Yeti or Buddha Air; skip if the budget is tight). Mid-morning, explore Patan Durbar Square (entry NPR 1,000 / ~£6) and the excellent Patan Museum. Then take a local bus or taxi 45 minutes south to Pharping (~£3 bus, £8 taxi) and check into the Neydo Monastery guesthouse or a nearby Buddhist monastery guesthouse — simple rooms, dinner with the monks and the option to join the morning puja. Nearby: Dakshinkali Temple and the Padmasambhava cave, walkable or reachable by local bus. Book the monastery stay directly by email or phone in advance.

🚌Local bus or taxi Kathmandu–Pharping ~£3–8

🛏Monastery guesthouse, Pharping (simple twin, shared bathrooms)

• →Patan Durbar Square and Patan Museum
• →Neydo Monastery overnight and evening chanting
• →Optional Everest mountain flight
• →Optional Dakshinkali Temple and Padmasambhava cave

Morning monastery puja if you're up for it, then head down to the Prithvi Highway. Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pharping back through Kathmandu's ring road and west to Kurintar (~3–4 hours total, ~£5–7), where river lodges sit on the banks of the Trishuli. Check into a simple riverside lodge (many are ~£12–18/night for a twin). Afternoon option: whitewater rafting on the Trishuli — half-day trips can be arranged at the lodge or via Klook for roughly £20–25, or just do the free nature walk and a Tharu/Tamang village visit.

🚌Local bus Pharping–Kurintar ~£5–7

🛏Riverside lodge, Kurintar

• →Monastery morning puja
• →Trishuli River rafting (optional, ~£22)
• →Riverside nature walk and village visit

Bus or shared jeep from Kurintar to Sauraha (Chitwan's main backpacker village) — about 3 hours on the Prithvi and Narayanghat–Mugling road, ~£5–8. Check into a guesthouse in Sauraha (a good private twin is £10–16; dorms cheaper). Chitwan National Park entry is NPR 2,000 (~£12) for foreigners, valid for the length of your stay, plus a small buffer-zone fee. Afternoon: Tharu village walk with a local guide (~£8) and the sunset over the Rapti River. Evening Tharu cultural stick-dance show at the community hall (~£2–3) — skip the resort version and go local.

🚌Local bus/jeep Kurintar–Sauraha ~£5–8

🛏Sauraha guesthouse

• →Chitwan park entry (~£12)
• →Tharu village walking tour
• →Tharu cultural dance show
• →Rapti River sunset

Full wildlife day. Start with a dugout canoe trip down the Rapti at dawn (book at your guesthouse, ~£6–8) — watch for gharial and mugger crocodiles and river birds. Then a guided jungle walk (~£12–15 with a licensed guide; never walk solo, it's genuinely dangerous). Afternoon: shared jeep safari into the park (~£25–30 per person), the best shot at one-horned rhino, sloth bear, monkeys and — if you're very lucky — a Bengal tiger or leopard. Combine the canoe plus walk plus jeep as a package at your guesthouse for a discount (~£40 all-in). Eat dal bhat at a local Sauraha kitchen for £3–4.

🚌On foot, canoe and park jeep

🛏Sauraha guesthouse

• →Dawn dugout canoe on the Rapti
• →Guided jungle walk with licensed guide
• →Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park
• →Birdwatching

Tourist bus from Sauraha to Pokhara — 5–6 hours via Mugling, around £7–10 (book a seat the night before at any Sauraha travel agent). Arrive into Pokhara's Lakeside and check into a guesthouse or hostel (£10–16 private twin). Afternoon: stroll the Lakeside promenade, watch the fishtail of Machhapuchhre appear over the lake, and sort your Sarangkot sunrise transport for tomorrow. Optional: hire a scooter (~£6–8/day) or cycle Pokhara's old bazaar.

🚌Tourist bus Sauraha–Pokhara ~£7–10

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or hostel, Pokhara

• →Lakeside promenade walk
• →Machhapuchhre viewpoint
• →Scooter or bicycle hire

Pre-dawn taxi up to Sarangkot (share one, ~£6–8 return, or ~£3 on a shared jeep) for sunrise over the Annapurna range — free, no ticket, just bring a jacket. Walk or ride back down. Mid-morning: rent a rowing boat on Phewa Lake (~£4–6/hour) and cross to the trailhead for the World Peace Pagoda hike (1–1.5 hours up, free). Afternoon options: paragliding from Sarangkot — book direct or via GetYourGuide for ~£55–70 — or the International Mountain Museum (~£4). Sunset at Phewa with the Annapurnas reflected in the water.

🚌Shared taxi/jeep to Sarangkot, hired boat

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or hostel, Pokhara

• →Sarangkot sunrise
• →Phewa Lake boating
• →World Peace Pagoda hike
• →Optional paragliding (~£60)
• →International Mountain Museum

Morning flight Pokhara–Kathmandu, roughly 25 minutes and £60–85 one-way (Yeti, Buddha Air or Shree Airlines — book early for the cheapest fare; the alternative is a 7–8 hour tourist bus for ~£10 if you want to save money and watch the hills roll by). Back in Kathmandu: last-minute souvenir run in Thamel or Asan Tole, a Boudhanath revisit at dusk, and a final farewell dinner. Optional: the Garden of Dreams for a quiet coffee.

🚌Domestic flight Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£60–85 (or tourist bus ~£10)

🛏Thamel guesthouse or hostel

• →Domestic mountain flight
• →Asan Tole market wander
• →Boudhanath at dusk
• →Farewell dinner

Check out and take a metered/prepaid taxi back to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5–6, allow 45–60 minutes in traffic). If you have a late flight, haggle for a day room at a Thamel guesthouse (~£8) and get one last dal bhat before you fly.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£5–6

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer