Top 10 Luxury Tour of Nepal

You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by your guide and welcomed to Nepal. You will be transferred to your hotel and your guide will outline the cultural tour highlights planned for this afternoon's first stage of your tour. Once hotel check-in has been completed our guide and driver will take you to see two of the most important religious and architectural treasures of Nepal.

You will first visit the Swayambhunath temple complex that sits atop a high hill overlooking Kathmandu and the entire Kathmandu Valley. Swayambhunath is perhaps the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal. It consists of a very large white stupa with the all-seeing-eye of Lord Buddha plus many small stupa and beautifully carved stone shrines. This is a wonderful place to catch your breath and start to understand and appreciate the deep importance of Buddhist belief to the people of Nepal and the Himalaya region. Make sure you ring the many bells to awaken the gods and let them know you are in Nepal. Take the time to enjoy the view over Kathmandu and have your guide point the many other highlights of the city. If you feel energetic you might also like to try some or all of the 350 steps that lead all the way from Kathmandu city up to your Swayambhunath temple vantage point.

The next stop today is the beautiful Kathmandu Durbar Square, or the royal palace square of the ancient Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley. This square and all its architectural treasures are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While some damage to buildings occurred in the 2015 earthquake the site still contains many stunning architectural gems. The original royal palace courtyards are open to visitors and you will marvel at the intricate timber carving and beautifully crafted brickwork of the palace. The open square outside the palace has many beautiful multi-storey pagodas and temples with ornate carving and carpentry artwork that tells some of the story of the ancient kings and their mystical time and beliefs. The square also contains many important Hindu temples and statues such as to Vishnu and Lord Shiva.

Durbar Square also contains the unique and intriguing Kumari Chok. This is an ancient and ornate house where resides the Raj Kumari - the Living Goddess. She is a young girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. If you are in the courtyard of the home at the right time in the afternoon you may see a brief glimpse of the Goddess at her window.

After your flight to Nepal and these initial tour highlights it is now time to head for your hotel and relax.

The hospitality package today includes Lunch and Dinner and accommodation at a quality 4-star hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu 

Breakfast will be early today as you will be collected from your hotel bright and early for transfer to the Kathmandu Domestic Airport for check-in for your Mount Everest Flight. Your twin-engine aircraft will take you along the southern Himalayan foothills from Kathmandu towards Sagarmatha National Park and Mount Everest. This flightpath delivers fantastic views of all the ice-capped mountains and summits along the Nepal-Tibet border. As the flight progress each passenger will be escorted in turn to take in the fantastic view from the pilot's cockpit. Make sure you have your camera all charged up and ready. As you approach the national park you will see the massive peaks of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Mera Peak, Manaslu and many more. These are many of the highest peaks in the world. As you take in the view you might spare a thought for the many Sherpas and climbers who may at that moment be battling their way to the top of some of these peaks. After passing Mount Everest your flight will then return along much the same flightpath to Kathmandu. The views are just as good on the return journey.

It will still be early morning g when you return to Kathmandu, so there is plenty of time for some more sightseeing around the city - Pashupatinath and Boudhanath temples and Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Pashupatinath Hindu Temple is a very large and complex and focal point for the Hindu religion. This old and very revered complex of buildings and shrines is dedicated to the Lord Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism. While Lord Shiva has multiple forms he is often seen as the destroyer. This has great significance for the Pashupatinath temple as it is the site of many Hindi ritual cremations each day. Pashupatinath is considered by Hindus to be an auspicious site for passing from one stage of life to the next through the purifying and destroying flames of cremation. However, on a happier note, visitors may also get to see the temple in a buoyant festival mode with one of the many Hindu festivals celebrated here through the year.

Boudhanath is a Buddhist religious complex with a history dating back over 500 years. Located on the eastern edge of Kathmandu it is now a site of great pilgrimage for Buddhist followers who circle its massive stupa, spin its many prayer wheels and visit its beautiful monastery. The main feature of Boudhanath is its huge hemispherical white stupa with central golden tower and the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha. Visitors should circle the stupa in a clockwise direction and spin prayer wheels for good fortune and a good life. Visitors may also enjoy visiting the Thangka painting school within the complex to see highly skilled artists at work on religious mandala paintings.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a wonder of traditional and religious architecture. Your guide will escort you to the main palace building with its balcony of 55 windows and its precious Golden Gate entrance. You will also see the beautiful Nyatapola Temple with its five levels of pagoda roof symbolising the five basic elements of all creation. This is the tallest pagoda in Nepal and built with beautiful architectural artistry. Your tour will also take you to the Pottery Square where pots are made and fired using traditional methods. This part of the complex is like a living museum of the potter's trade. You may also have the opportunity visit a thangka painting school and watch highly skilled and patient artists paint complex traditional Buddhist designs or mandala. Your guide and driver will then take you the short distance, only about 13 kilometres to Kathmandu and your hotel. You should still have some free time in the afternoon to explore Thamel and is endless laneways of enticing shops, cafes and bars.

The hospitality package today includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. 

This morning we will depart Kathmandu airport for the short flight to Royal Chitwan National Park south-west of Kathmandu in the Nepal central lowlands. This sub-tropical jungle and riverine region of Nepal and the adjacent wilderness area across the border in India was once the exclusive hunting grounds for Nepali kings and Indian maharaja. It is now a World Heritage listed site and home to stunning wildlife including elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, one-horned rhinoceros, deer, monkeys, an abundance of bird species and the mighty mugger crocodile.

There are a number of ways to explore the jungle and spot wildlife. For this afternoon we suggest a canoe trip on the Narayani-Rapti River. This quite way of exploring can get you up close to amazing birdlife along the river edge. You may also spot crocodiles basking on the bank perhaps contemplating their next meal. Late in the afternoon you may also see elephants and their owners enjoying an afternoon bath in the river shallows. Also keep an eye out for monkey, deer or rhino coming to the river edge for a drink.

In the evening we also suggest attending cultural dance and music festivities with the local Tharu people, the traditional inhabitants of this Chitwan region. The Tharu are indigenous to the region and differ from all other ethnic groups in Nepal. They have their own language, dress style, music, dance and religious beliefs. You are sure to enjoy their wonderful music and dances that the men and women will perform for you.

The hospitality package today includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Sauraha, Chitwan.

Early morning is the perfect time to visit elephant breeding farm just a few kilometres from the national park. This facility provides most of the elephants used for elephant safaris in Chitwan National Park. An early visit will give you an opportunity to get close to mother elephant and their rather large babies. After their initial feeding session at the facility mother and babies then head into the adjacent jungle and grassland to continue feeding through the day. You will have some great photo opportunities and the elephant handlers are sure to show off some of the tricks and skills their elephants have learned. Later this afternoon you may get to ride one of the elephants that was born and raised at this facility.

This afternoon you should take the opportunity for a wildlife safari in the national park. Nearing sunset is often the best time to find elusive wild animals and your experienced safari guides know exactly where to go whether by 4WD or elephant ride. You will explore open grasslands and temperate forests, each with their unique ecosystem and resident birds and mammals. You are very likely to spot the rare One Horned Rhino and if you are very luck you may even see a tiger on the hunt. There will be plenty of time this afternoon to explore even more of the park than you saw yesterday. So have your camera fully charged and ready for your elephant safari.

The hospitality package today includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Sauraha, Chitwan.

Another early start this morning. We suggest you take the opportunity to join a one-hour bird watching tour early in the morning. Careful surveys have identified 543 bird species in the Chitwan National Park. There is by far more bird species in this park than in any other protected area in Nepal and about two-thirds of Nepal's globally threatened species. The still lagoons and forest edge are great places to sit quietly and marvel at the birdlife around you.

After breakfast we start the drive to Pokhara. The drive time is about five hours however we plan to take an interesting break in the journey for a few hours of white water rafting on the Trishli River. The Trishuli River passes through a number of small gorges and even delivers a glimpse of the cable car leading to the famous Hindu Temple Manakamana.

For the most of the year the Trisuli River rapids are easily negotiate. The Trisuli is excellent for visitors seeking a short river trip without the challenge and risks of large rapids. But you should still be invigorated by some exciting rapid sections, beautiful scenery and the unspoiled natural river environment.

After a little drying off we will continue on to the beautiful little city of Pokhara - gateway to the stunning Annapurna Sanctuary and its breathtaking mountains. Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal and has something of a holiday atmosphere to it. The beautiful Phewa Lake wrapped along its western edge and the stunning snow-capped Annapurna Mountain summits to its north make this a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the natural environment of the region. You might like to spend part of your afternoon on a small boat gently gliding around Phewa Lake. This is a wonderful way to spend an hour or two after today's travels.

The hospitality package today includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Pokhara.

Early morning Drive to Sarangkot panorama view of Annapurna mountain peaks.

Today we start early again for a morning drive to take in the amazing view of the Annapurna Mountains from the 1,600m altitude vantage point of Sarangkot Village just west of Pokhara. The drive will wind its way up the hillside from the Pokhara plain and every metre higher you go delivers a more and more spectacular view of the mountains. Whether viewed at dawn, midday or sunset the view from Sarangkot is always breathtaking. It is almost as if you can reach out and touch the famous peaks of Dhaulagiri (8,167m and 7th highest mountain in the world), Annapurna I (8,091m), Annapurna South (7,219m), Manaslu (8,163m) and countless other beautiful ice and snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Make sure your camera is all charged up and ready for this excursion. You may also get to see paragliders soaring over the foothills as they ride the winds and thermals of the foothills. Perhaps will be brave enough to try a tandem paraglide experience yourself. You may also consider taking the heart-pumping ZipFlyer zip-line ride down 2,000m in altitude to the plains below. Some rider reach 140kph on the descent - some others scream all the way down. These optional extra thrills can be organised for you by your guide and you may pay the fees on the morning. Another option is to take a leisurely walk all the way or part of the way back to Pokhara and just enjoy the scenery and atmosphere.

We will return to Pokhara and you may use any spare time for some local shopping and city sightseeing. Pokhara is a wonderfully colourful and relaxed city just to explore on foot. Or you may choose to relax on the lake shore.

This morning we take the short flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. The flight will deliver you back to Kathmandu with plenty of time for a short excursion to the Budhanilkantha Sleeping Vishnu Temple on your way to the hotel.

The Budhanilkantha temple is also called the Sleeping Vishnu, or Jalakshayan Narayan and it is the reclining five metre carved basalt statue of Lord Vishnu that is the focal point of the temple. While the origin of the statue is lost in the mists of time it is thought to have been created in the 7th century by the then monarch of the Kathmandu Valley. So the statue is likely to be nearly 1,500 years old and it has survived much tumult and natural disasters unscathed over the centuries.

The statue of Lord Vishnu is a wonder. He lies reclined and sleeping on a raft of serpents floating in a cosmic lake. Hindu belief says Lord Vishnu spends the annual monsoon months sleeping in his celestial lake and awakens during the Haribodhini Ekadashi festival in October-November.

Your guide will then escort you back to your hotel. This will leave you plenty of time in the afternoon to stroll through Thamel and all its gift shops - there is sure to be plenty of gifts you can purchase for friends and family back home.

But the day and evening does not end there. Tonight we celebrate your tour of Nepal with a special Nepali dinner and farewell celebration. This will be a fun evening of sharing stories with your guide and fellow travellers while enjoying traditional Nepali dishes. The evening will also buzz to the sounds and rhythm of traditional Nepali music and dancing - so polish up your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor tonight.

The hospitality package today includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. 

Now that you have personally visted and experienced the major cultural wonders and treasures of Nepal it is time to return home and tell your family and friends about all you have seen during your journey through Nepal. You guide and transport vehicle will collect you from your hotel in good time to take you to the Tribhuvan International Airport. You might like to chat with your guide about your next tour destination in the Himalaya region - Langtang Ri is certain to have a tour package available for any location you can imagine. We hope to see you again very soon.