Nepal is a very interesting country, but as everywhere, there are many Nepal and many ways to approach it. On this website, you have travel itineraries through Nepal, but maybe they don’t fit exactly what you want, whether it’s a matter of days, objectives, way of travelling or whatever. You want to make a tailor-made trip, but you don’t want to travel on your own. Well, nothing could be easier!
How many days do you want to travel?
What do you want to do?
What interests and attracts you the most?
Do you want us to organise everything for you or do you prefer to travel more freely?
Every traveller is different and everyone has their own preferences. What are yours?
At PLAN HIMALAYA we help you to design your own travel programme.
There are many ways to travel and each traveller is different. Everyone has their preferences and rhythms. In Plan Himalaya we have some already designed itinerary options. You can follow them as is or take them as a starting point for a personalized trip that we will be happy to prepare for you.
In addition, and to make it even easier, here are some very brief ideas. Those places or activities that we consider most interesting and that can serve as a starting point when creating your trip.
The days in each place depend on how you like travelling. There are people who travel fast and others who enjoy it calmly. Remember that you must also consider displacements.
–Bhaktapur. Something that we usually do is that upon arrival we do not take our travellers to Kathmandu, which may be somewhat chaotic for some just getting off the plane. We usually begin with Bhaktapur, a very picturesque small old village, a World Heritage Site. It is very quiet, with little traffic and easy to start with. It is an impressive monumental complex integrated into a small town with a life of its own. We recommend starting here.
– We usually leave Kathmandu for last. Its most important points are the Bouddhanath stupa and the Thamel neighborhood. But Pashupatinath (which can be visited on the same day as Bouddha), Swayambhunath and Durbar Square are also interesting.
At least dedicate a whole day to it, but a day and a half or two days would be ideal.
Another reason why we leave Kathmandu last is to have at least one day of security in case of incidents during the trip.
– Patan is attached to Kathmandu but has its own personality. Between half a day and a full day. It has a historic neighbourhood with interesting temples, small corridors inside the buildings with hidden spaces, handicraft and fair trade shops and one of the most modern shopping malls in Nepal. It can be visited directly from Kathmandu, but it is more interesting to spend the night.
– Bandipur is a pretty small village between Kathmandu and Pokhara. If you have enough time, it is interesting to stop here. This is ideal if you go by car between Kathmandu and Pokhara to split the long journey. Old commercial houses restored into hotels and small restaurants, with a lot of local flavour and well maintained. There are no large tour groups. Spending a night and an afternoon or morning walking around the town may be enough. However, it is a place to stay for a few days. There is an easy and interesting full-day hike through the countryside to Ramkot.
– Bajthala. We work in a rural area with no tourists around. We could say it reflects very well on how most Nepalis live. Terraced fields, subtropical forests and small traditional villages where you can share tea or meal with the villagers. We have a simple but fantastic small hotel with spectacular Himalayan views.
You will not find it in any guide. Minimum recommended would be the day you arrive from Kathmandu (or Bandipur) + a day of hiking in the area + the day you descend to Pokhara. But you can add more days, do some homestay trekking in the area, etc.
https://planhimalaya.com/hiking-in-bajthala/
– Pokhara is the nerve center of tourism in Nepal and the point of origin of many short trek itineraries through the southern part of the Annapurnas. When we talk about Pokhara we talk about the Lakeside neighbourhood, next to the lake. It is somehow the antithesis of Kathmandu in that it has a much more relaxed pace, with more spaciousness and nature. It has some points of tourist interest, but the real attraction is to wander along its main avenue, among cafes, restaurants and shops, beside the lake or take a bike ride.
From Pokhara you have some short-term trek options, among which we highlight:
– The Australian Camp is an ideal option for those who do not have time or don’t want to walk too much. You can depart in the afternoon from Pokhara (1h road + ~1h/1.30h walk) and spend the night in a lodge. You will enjoy one of the most beautiful sunrises, with South Annapurna and Machhapuchhre in front of you.
– The Lwang and Jhinu Trek (4 days) passes through a quiet area. Small villages, scenic views and ends at Jhinu Danda hot springs. This itinerary can be combined with Ghandruk-Poon Hill Trek.
– The Ghandruk and Poon Hill Trek highlights the pretty village of Ghandruk and the wide Himalayan views from Poon Hill. Also 4 days. This itinerary can be combined with Lwang-Jhinu Trek.
– Muktinath. A trip to the doors of the mythical Mustang kingdom. In fact, we are on the Tibetan side of the Himalayas, more Tibetan than Nepali culture. From 3 to 5 days depending on what you want to do. There are passable tracks that connect the entire area, so it can be combined with a 4WD vehicle.
The ideal is to fly to Jomsom. You can also return by plane or local bus or jeep, enjoying the hot spring pools in Tatopani, next to the Kali Gandaki river.
– The small Helambu Trek is a short trek from Kathmandu, interesting for the Sherpa and Buddhist villages you visit.
– Chitwan is one of Nepal’s attractions, the well-known jungle area with elephants and wild animals. We work in a secluded area, either at the Tiger Tops facility or with the local Amalatari community. These are quite different experiences from tour groups. We don’t do safaris riding over the elephants, but we do go into the jungle with them. It takes a minimum of two days, one to arrive and do afternoon activities and the next to return. However, it is always an excellent idea to spend a couple of nights. There is also the jungle of Bardiya, more remote but more authentic, although the costs rise up slightly more.
Naturally, if you want to trek we are talking about something else. You can find all the itineraries here on the web, classified by zones or by duration. It would be nice if you could add a few travel days to your trek to see our country.
You have some more extensive information about places in Nepal and a series of activities and experiences that can make your trip different. Some are relatively normal, such as guided tours of Kathmandu or Pokhara, but you can also find alternative activities. We have created many ourselves and continue to add to them.
We wish that this brief information will inspire you and make it easier for you to choose where you want to be or what activities you would like to do. But even more, there may be a site or activity that interests you and you have not seen it on our website. No problem. Just tell us and we add it to the program.
… and then we start working together to create the trip that is closest to what you want.
In addition, you can travel in the format you want. If you wish, you can do it on your own, and we can arrange some activities for you: a small trek, flights, some transportation in a private vehicle… Or you can travel with the entire program, accommodation, visits, transportation, a guide, meals. Between one option and another there is a whole range of ways to organize your trip. However, as per our travel philosophy, we would like for you to have the opportunity to experience the country, its people and its landscapes.
Your trip starts now!
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Contact us to obtain the complete dossier of this itinerary, inquiry for all the information you need and ask us any questions you may have.
