Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan Tour - 8 Days

Kathmandu · Pokhara · Chitwan Tour Highlights

• Three of Nepal's most-loved destinations in eight days: Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara lakeside, Chitwan National Park
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath Stupa, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square
• Sunrise from Sarangkot over Annapurna, Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri
• Boat across Phewa Lake to Tal Barahi temple, with Annapurna reflections at first light
• Two-night Chitwan jungle safari: jeep drive, dugout canoe on the Rapti River, Tharu cultural evening
• Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver between cities — no tourist bus

Why I built this trek the way I did

I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. This tour is for first-time visitors to Nepal who want more than mountains. Most travellers who come for trekking and skip Chitwan tell me afterwards that they wish they had spent two days in the lowlands. The wildlife is real, the cultural depth is real, and the contrast with the high Himalaya is what makes the trip feel complete.

The mistake most operators make is cramming all three destinations into six days. By the time you have travelled between them, you are left with one usable day at each, which means you see nothing properly. I built the eight-day schedule around two full nights at each destination. Kathmandu needs two days because Bhaktapur and Patan alone are a full day each. Pokhara needs two days because Sarangkot sunrise and a Phewa Lake morning are different experiences. Chitwan needs two nights because one jungle drive is not enough — the second drive is where you see the wildlife you missed on the first.

For monsoon-season visitors (June through August), this tour is the right choice when mountain trails close. The Terai gets heavy rain and the grass grows tall, so wildlife is harder to spot. The Kathmandu Valley is green and Pokhara is at its quietest.

Every booking on this trip helps fund free education for 70 children at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum.

"We took part of a Jungle-Safari in Chitwan. The Everest Holiday travel agency found a very nice Hotel for us with pool, good nepalese and european food, comfortable rooms. [...] I'm sure, we will never forget these interesting experiences!"

— András · TripAdvisor, April 2023 · ★★★★★

The prayer bells of Swayambhunath ring across the Kathmandu Valley as the first light catches the golden spire. Below, the old city is already stirring — incense smoke curling from temple doorways, vendors stacking pyramids of marigolds, motorcycle horns threading through streets that have carried traders and pilgrims for a thousand years. Kathmandu is not a city you observe. It pulls you in — through its narrow alleys, its rooftop restaurants, its Durbar Squares where medieval woodcarving meets the chaos of modern Nepal. This eight-day tour takes you from here to the lakeside calm of Pokhara and the wild subtropical lowlands of Chitwan — three faces of Nepal stitched together in a single, unhurried week.

What makes this route work is the contrast. One day you're standing in a temple courtyard where Hindu and Buddhist traditions have overlapped for centuries. Two days later you're watching the Annapurna range reflected in Fewa Lake, a rowing boat drifting across glass-still water. And by the end of the week, you're sitting in silence on a canoe in Chitwan's Rapti River, scanning the riverbank for the armoured silhouette of a one-horned rhinoceros. No trekking required. No altitude to worry about. Just Nepal's three most extraordinary destinations, connected by scenic drives and guided by people who grew up here.

What Makes This Tour Stand Out

• Explore four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley — Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Watch the Sarangkot sunrise paint the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges gold and pink
• Boat across Fewa Lake with the Himalayan skyline reflected beneath you
• Jeep safari through Chitwan National Park searching for one-horned rhinos, wild elephants, and the elusive Bengal tiger
• Glide down jungle rivers by dugout canoe past basking mugger crocodiles and gharials
• Experience a traditional Tharu cultural dance performance — the indigenous people of the Terai plains
• Taste authentic Nepali cuisine from Newari feasts in Kathmandu to lakeside dining in Pokhara
• Visit the Devi's Falls and Gupteshwor Cave in Pokhara — where a waterfall disappears underground
• Suitable for all ages and fitness levels — no trekking, no altitude, entirely vehicle-based
• Licensed English-speaking guide throughout, with local naturalist guides in Chitwan

8-Day Overview

Days 1–3: Kathmandu Valley. Arrive in Kathmandu. Full-day guided tour of the valley's greatest heritage sites — the stupa of Swayambhunath perched above the city, the sacred cremation ghats of Pashupatinath, the vast white dome of Boudhanath, and the medieval carved temples of Kathmandu Durbar Square. A second day allows you to explore Patan Durbar Square, the Garden of Dreams, or simply lose yourself in Thamel's backstreets.

Days 3–5: Pokhara. Scenic drive to Pokhara (6–7 hours by road, or optional domestic flight). Early morning visit to Sarangkot for the famous Himalayan sunrise. Boat ride on Fewa Lake, visits to Devi's Falls, Gupteshwor Cave, and the International Mountain Museum. Free afternoon to stroll the lakeside or try paragliding (optional extra).

Days 5–7: Chitwan. Drive from Pokhara to Chitwan National Park (5–6 hours). Full jungle programme — jeep safari, canoe ride, bird watching, and a Tharu cultural dance evening. Two nights in Chitwan gives you the best chance of spotting wildlife in both morning and afternoon game drives.

Day 8: Return to Kathmandu. Drive back to Kathmandu (5–6 hours). Farewell dinner with your guide and the team. Transfer to hotel or airport.

Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan Tour at a glance

Best time for the Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan Tour

Travelling as a group?

Bring your own group — friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for — and any of the three comfort levels can run as a private group on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same; we never put strangers in your group. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:

The organiser travels free. Get fourteen or more paying people together and whoever organised the group joins the trip free. The one thing the organiser still pays is their own entrance fees at the sites, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person, and we cover the rest. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates — from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty, and we never merge you into another trip.

Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trip, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.

Compare Our Three Packages

Same guides, same destinations, same safety standards — three comfort levels to match your budget.

Your Tour, Our Family

Shreejan Simkhada doesn't just run The Everest Holiday — he comes from three generations of Himalayan expertise. His grandfather arranged logistics and support for expeditions and travellers in Nepal in the early days of Himalayan trekking. His father has held senior positions in Nepal's tourism and mountaineering institutions. Shreejan personally designs every itinerary and hand-picks the guide for your group.

Your guide will be one of our licensed professionals — experienced, locally knowledgeable, and personally briefed by Shreejan before your tour begins.

Need anything? WhatsApp Shreejan directly: +977 9810351300.

Why Travellers Trust Us

Three generations of local knowledge. We know which restaurant in Pokhara serves good dal bhat, which Chitwan guide spots tigers first, and which Kathmandu streets to avoid during festivals. That kind of knowledge doesn't come from a training manual.

Every detail handled. Airport pickup, hotel check-ins, park permits, internal transport — we manage every logistical piece so you can focus entirely on the experience. Our response time is under 30 minutes during Nepal business hours.

Over 300 reviews and four TripAdvisor awards (Travellers' Choice 2020, 2023, 2024 and Certificate of Excellence 2019). We earn trust one trip at a time.

Solo Travellers Welcome

Most of our travellers join solo — you'll be part of a small group of like-minded adventurers from around the world. Our groups stay small (1–20 people) so you get a personal experience. Many of our solo travellers tell us the group becomes like a second family by the time you reach Chitwan.

Tour Difficulty: Easy

This is a cultural and wildlife tour with no trekking involved. All travel is by vehicle. The maximum altitude is 1,400 metres (Kathmandu) — lower than many European cities. Suitable for all ages, all fitness levels, and families with children. The only physical activity is walking around heritage sites and the safari, which is done by jeep and canoe.

Trek With a Purpose

A portion of every booking supports the Nagarjun Learning Center, founded by our family. Today, 70 children receive free education and hot meals daily at our flagship centre in Saldum Village, Dhading District. The centre is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal.

Travel With a Purpose.