Kathmandu, Lumbini and Chitwan Tour, 7 Days is a 7-day cultural and wildlife tour for travellers who want Nepal's heritage and wildlife together, with no trekking. It reaches 1,400 m (Kathmandu) and is graded Easy: short days of sightseeing, one flight and two road days of 4 and 5 to 6 hours. It costs from USD 1,370 per person (Budget, couple). The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Kathmandu, Lumbini and Chitwan at a glance
| Duration | 7 days, 6 nights, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | Kathmandu about 1,400 m / 4,590 ft. Lumbini is about 150 m, Sauraha (Chitwan) about 190 m and the park runs from 100 to 815 m |
| Grade | Easy. Short walks on flat ground. No fitness needed beyond a few hours on your feet |
| Best months | October to March |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Starts and ends | Kathmandu. Fly to Bhairahawa, road from Lumbini to Chitwan and from Chitwan to Kathmandu |
| Wildlife | Jeep safari, dugout canoe, jungle walk, birdwatching and Tharu culture. No animal rides |
| Hotels | 2 nights in Kathmandu, 2 in Lumbini and 2 at a Chitwan jungle lodge are included |
| Start dates | You choose. See the windows for 2027 below |
| From price | USD 1,370 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 1,690, Luxury USD 2,485 |
Why I built it this way
Lumbini and Chitwan are the two places I add to a Kathmandu visit for people who want Nepal below the mountains. In Lumbini you walk the garden where Buddhist tradition says the Buddha was born, and the monasteries that nations around the world have built beside it. In Chitwan you spend a day in the jungle. This is a seven-day trip in the right order: two days in Kathmandu to settle in, a flight to Lumbini, and then a drive east to Chitwan, so you finish with the rhinos and the river instead of a long bus.
I made one choice you may not expect. We fly to Lumbini and drive back. The road from Kathmandu to Lumbini is 280 km and takes nine to eleven hours. The flight takes thirty minutes, and the road from Lumbini to Chitwan is a pleasant four hours. If you would like to go by road both ways, tell me and I will price it.
We do not sell animal rides. Our Chitwan days are a jeep, a dugout canoe, a walk with a naturalist, Tharu culture and birds. If you want a longer Lumbini stay, read Lumbini, Nepal: Birthplace of the Buddha Travel Guide and ask about our 4-day Lumbini tour. For the jungle, read Things to Do in Chitwan: Jeep Safari, Canoe, Jungle Walk, Tharu Culture and Birds.
Two Kathmandu nights are included, so you do not need to book a hotel for the tour itself. Hotel nights before or after the tour are extra, and you can stay at our family homestay (USD 15 per person per night). Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum. The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
Best time to go, month by month
Temperatures and conditions come from our Lumbini guide and our Chitwan seasonal guide. They are guides to the seasons, not forecasts.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cool and dry. Fog in the mornings in Lumbini and Chitwan can delay flights and the early safari. Rhinos are near-certain in the thin cover. Lumbini is busy with pilgrims. | Good, keep a spare day for the flight |
| February | Cool, dry and busy with pilgrims at Lumbini. Chitwan has migratory birds and thin cover. | Good |
| March | Lumbini is still in its 18 to 28 C window early on. Chitwan heats up, and March is arguably the best month for seeing rhinos up close. | Good |
| April | Hot. Lumbini can pass 38 C and the monastery zone is an exposed walk. Chitwan reaches 35 to 40 C. Activities run early morning and late afternoon. | Only if you can take the heat |
| May | Hot and dusty. Lumbini can pass 38 C. Buddha Jayanti draws large crowds of pilgrims, and lodges fill. | Only for the festival or if you can take the heat |
| June | Monsoon and humid. Chitwan floods, canoe rides can stop and leeches appear. Some lodges close. | No |
| July | Monsoon. Daily rain on the plains, floods in Chitwan. | No |
| August | Monsoon. Some monastery galleries close for the wet season. | No |
| September | The rains are easing, but the roads are still wet and some lodges are still shut. | Late September only |
| October | Lush and clear after the rains, 25 to 30 C in Chitwan. Peak birding. Book ahead. | Best |
| November | Dry and clear, with Lumbini in its 18 to 28 C window. Pilgrim season starts in late November. | Best |
| December | Cool, dry and sunny, with fog in the mornings. Flights to Bhairahawa can be delayed in December and January. | Good, keep a spare day for the flight |
October to March is the dry and cool window for both Lumbini and Chitwan, and October to December is the sweet spot. April to June is hot, and June to September is monsoon. One price applies all year.
Starting dates for 2027
You choose your start date, because every trip is private. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates for 2027 are the expected ones from public calendars, and the government confirms them each year.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| January to March 2027 | Cool and dry, with morning fog in January. Lumbini is busy with pilgrims. Chitwan is thin in cover, with rhinos near-certain. | Good |
| April to mid June 2027 (Buddha Jayanti expected 20 May) | Hot, with Lumbini past 38 C. Buddha Jayanti is intense and the lodges fill up in the days around it. | Only for the festival |
| Mid June to mid September 2027 | Monsoon, floods and leeches in Chitwan, and some lodges closed. | No |
| Late September to October 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, not yet announced) | Lush and clear. Dashain closes some shops and fills the buses and flights, so book early. | Avoid the Dashain days |
| November to mid December 2027 (Tihar expected 29 to 31 October) | Dry, clear and comfortable, with peak birding. The best weeks for this tour. | Best |
Keep one spare day before your international flight, because the Bhairahawa flight can be delayed by fog in December and January. Tell me your dates and I will tell you what I know for that week.
Permits and costs
We pay for every entrance fee. There are no trekking permits on this tour.
| Permit or fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swayambhunath | NPR 200 | Included |
| Kathmandu Durbar Square | NPR 1,000 | Included |
| Pashupatinath | NPR 1,000 | Included |
| Boudhanath | NPR 400 | Included |
| Lumbini Sacred Garden | NPR 1,000 | Included |
| Tilaurakot | About NPR 1,000 for the Tilaurakot area sites together | Included |
| Chitwan National Park | NPR 2,000 per person per entry | Included, on top of the lodge and activities |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These prices hold for 2027.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 2,200 | USD 2,700 | USD 4,480 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 1,370 | USD 1,690 | USD 2,485 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 940 | USD 1,190 | USD 1,905 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 835 | USD 1,070 | USD 1,760 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 805 | USD 1,050 | USD 1,750 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending and any extra porter (USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge). You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance in Kathmandu. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card, and card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge.
Getting there and getting back
On day 3 you fly from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa, about 30 minutes, and we drive 25 km to Lumbini. On day 5 we drive from Lumbini to Chitwan, about four hours. On day 7 we drive from Chitwan to Kathmandu, five to six hours along the Trishuli river. The small aircraft have a tight baggage limit, so pack light, and the flight is weather-dependent. Fog on the plains in December and January can delay it, so do not book an onward international flight for the evening of day 7.
Visa on arrival is USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, and your passport must be valid for at least six months.
Safety and altitude
There is no altitude on this tour. The risks are heat, dust and the road. In April to June Lumbini can pass 38 C and Chitwan 40 C, so we start early, rest at midday and carry water. On the safari you follow your naturalist, keep to the jeep and the canoe and never walk into the forest alone. Wildlife is wild, and no sighting is guaranteed.
Dress modestly in the temples and monasteries: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off, voices low. Buy travel insurance at home that covers domestic flights and medical care.
What to pack
- Light clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, for the temples and monasteries
- Comfortable shoes you can slip off easily
- A hat, sunglasses and SPF 50 sun cream
- Neutral clothes in greens and browns for the jungle days, and insect repellent
- A light jacket for cool mornings and evenings from November to February
- Binoculars if you have them
- A small bag for the flight, which has a tight baggage limit
- Any personal medicines
- Our full list is in Complete Nepal Travel Checklist: Everything to Do Before You Fly
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers do the same route and activities. What changes is where you sleep, what you eat and how you are driven.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | Simple, clean hotels and lodge, twin share | 3-star hotels and a 3-star jungle lodge, private rooms | Deluxe hotel in Kathmandu, the best available hotel in Lumbini and a deluxe jungle lodge, ensuite |
| Meals | Breakfast each morning | Breakfast, lunch and dinner | All meals and all non-alcoholic drinks |
| Vehicle | Private car or van sized to your group | Private car or van sized to your group | A comfortable air-conditioned private vehicle |
| Guide | Licensed English-speaking guide | Licensed guide in your language where we have one | Heritage specialist guide in your language where we have one |
Read before you book
- Lumbini, Nepal: Birthplace of the Buddha Travel Guide
- Chitwan Jungle Safari: Tigers, Rhinos, and What to Actually Expect
- Kathmandu Temples in One Day: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Durbar Square
- Things to Do in Chitwan: Jeep Safari, Canoe, Jungle Walk, Tharu Culture and Birds
- Best Time to Visit Chitwan National Park: Month-by-Month Wildlife Guide
- Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan Golden Triangle: Complete Cost Guide 2026/2027
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
