Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour: A Trip of a Lifetime

Begnas Lake

The Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan tour is a truly unique journey, and experiencing it with Nepal Tours makes it even more special. This carefully designed tour brings together Nepal’s most iconic highlights in one seamless experience—ancient heritage in Kathmandu, breathtaking Himalayan scenery in Pokhara, and thrilling wildlife encounters in Chitwan.

With expert local guides, personalized service, and well-planned itineraries, nepaltour.info ensures travelers enjoy authentic cultural experiences, comfortable travel, and insider access to Nepal’s hidden gems.

From UNESCO World Heritage sites and serene lakes to jungle safaris in Chitwan National Park, this tour offers the perfect balance of culture, nature, adventure, and relaxation—all delivered with local expertise and genuine Nepali hospitality.

Unique Things About the Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan Tour

  • Three Worlds in One Journey
    Experience Nepal’s cultural heart (Kathmandu), natural beauty and Himalayan views (Pokhara), and rich wildlife (Chitwan) in a single, well-balanced tour.

  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    Explore ancient temples, palaces, and stupas in Kathmandu Valley, showcasing centuries of history, art, and spiritual traditions.

  • Spectacular Himalayan Scenery
    Wake up to panoramic views of the Annapurna range in Pokhara, with snow-capped peaks reflected in serene lakes.

  • Wildlife Safari Experience
    Enjoy jungle safaris in Chitwan National Park, home to one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, crocodiles, elephants, and rare bird species.

  • Cultural Encounters
    Witness traditional Nepali village life, Tharu culture in Chitwan, and colorful rituals and festivals along the way.

  • Adventure & Relaxation Combined
    From boating, paragliding, and hiking in Pokhara to peaceful nature walks and canoeing in Chitwan, the tour perfectly blends excitement with calm.

  • Spiritual & Natural Harmony
    Visit sacred temples and monasteries set against dramatic natural landscapes, offering both inner peace and visual beauty.

Kathmandu: City of Temples

Your first stop will be Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, a real metropolis that stands at its historic, cultural and religious centre. The first thing you can do here is taking a guided UNESCO World Heritage tour of the city. These places of worship are spectacular, and you’ll get the chance to understand a new culture.

The Nepalese cuisine is extremely aromatic and rather different from Western cuisine, so you’ll see the best hidden locations with the most delicious treats.

There are also plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that weave their way out of a rich historical and cultural past. One of these is the Basantapur Durbar Square that’s famous for its traditional architecture. Besides, you can get a glimpse into the past of the Nepalese monarchy here and learn more about it.

The Boudhanath is another UNESCO Heritage Site since it has roots that stretch over into Antiquity. This is now a place for spiritual meditation, and it’s also one of the last remaining Stupas, but it was a Tibetan trade route for millennia.

And all these sites can easily be visited either by foot or with a more original bicycle rickshaw. Besides, Kathmandu is a very bike-friendly city, so you can rent one for yourself.

Pokhara: Jewel of the Himalaya

Moving on to another ancient trading route that connected Tibet to India, Pokhara offers a lot of interesting views and activities. One of them would be to enjoy watching the mule trains that continue the trading tradition, but that is just the beginning.

Short Hikes Pokhara

The mountain scenery is simply stupendous. Annapurna can be admired from here, with its high summits and snow-capped peaks. If you like, you can also use Pokhara as a starting point for exploring Annapurna and embarking on a rugged hike through the Himalayas.

But however magnificent that may sound, the mountains aren’t the only highlight here. The lakes are stunning too, with Phewa Lake being one of the largest in the area, resembling a huge, crystal-blue bowl of water. The cherry on the cake is definitely a visit to the temple located on the lake.

Rupa and Begnas Lakes are equally amazing, and they lie directly along the road when driving from Kathmandu. A forest stretches between them, offering opportunities for hiking. This natural retreat bursts with tranquillity, though you can also enjoy boating here.

Don’t forget the impressive Devi’s Falls, which the Nepalese call Hell’s Fall for a good reason. The water tumbles down with such force that legend says it once carried a man into the other world. If you’re in the area, Mahendra Gupha is also a must-see—a huge limestone cave filled with impressive stalactites and stalagmites.

Besides all this, Pokhara also radiates spirituality. Be sure to visit the Bindhabasini and Barahi temples, which are important representatives of their religions. You may even witness believers carrying animals across Phewa Lake to the Barahi Temple to sacrifice them to the goddess Ajima.

Chitwan: Diverse range of wildlife

Chitwan is a true paradise for wildlife lovers, offering one of the most diverse ecosystems in Nepal. The renowned Chitwan National Park is home to an extraordinary variety of animals, including the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tigers, leopards, wild elephants, and sloth bears.

Its lush grasslands, dense forests, and winding rivers also provide shelter to hundreds of bird species, making it a dream destination for birdwatchers. Whether exploring the park on a jungle safari, a canoe ride along the Rapti River, or a guided nature walk, visitors are immersed in a vibrant natural world where wildlife thrives in its purest form.

Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour
Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour

The National Park Headquarters located on the Rapti River bank also provides various safari opportunities. Now you’ll get to admire the exotic Nepalese jungle and the animals that live here, like fierce crocodiles and placable hippos.

And don’t forget about the cultural side of Chitwan. The Tharu Cultural Museum is perfect for getting more acquainted with the Tharu culture. There are plenty of exhibits regarding the traditional wear, ornaments, as well as vibrant murals.

The Tharus are an indigenous people who see themselves as sons of the forest, so their spirituality is closely linked to nature and the forest as well.

 

10 Things to Bring a Hike in the Himalayas

Trekking in Nepal

Planning to go for a trek in Himalayas here is the list of 10 things you must bring to a hike in the Himalayas. No matter whether you are going in an organized trekking in Himalayas or self organized these are the must things to do before the trek in Nepal.

Packing lightly for a trip out of the country is in itself exhausting. However, when you only have so much baggage allowance yet you are preparing for a trip and a hike at the same time, the task can be so daunting as you have to be wise about every bit of weight you put in your rucksack.

On October 2016, I went on a month-long trip to Nepal where I also did the 14 days Everest Base Camp Trek. Since it was my first time hiking in the Himalayas, prior to leaving my home country, I read every article on google about the things that are essential to bring.

Almost all articles listed everything – from the kinds of jackets one must bring, down to the number of underwear one must carry.

Two months after my trek, I found myself writing almost the same things-to-bring article everybody else already wrote and posted on their blogs. However, you should know upfront that you won’t find here detailed information of what the items you must stuff in your rucksack for you Himalayan dream.

Here, I have listed what you should never forget to bring with you aside from the obvious jackets, trousers, hiking boots, underwears, toiletries, etc.

10 Things to Bring a Hike in the Himalayas

Water Purification System

Bottled water is available in every tea house but as you get higher, prices will get steeper. During the trek, you will be required to drink at least three liters of water a day. When you reach the altitude of 4000 meters, you will have to increase your water intake to up to five liters. Unless you are willing to splurge on bottled water during your trek, bring with you water purification drops, tablets or some other gadgets. As for me, I used water purification drops and they worked just fine.

Sunscreen

Every single day of the trek, you will be walking under the sun for a minimum of five hours. Slather on a sunscreen before you leave the tea house and reapply every so often, especially on your exposed skin. Halfway through our 12-day trek, our faces were starting to get sunburnt even if we were wearing caps. The first four trekking days were mostly cloudy but it didn’t mean we were safe from the sun’s UV rays.

Lip balm (with SPF)

Protecting your lips is as important as protecting the rest of your skin. With the combined power of the heat of the sun and the harsh wind, your lips can be as dry as the desert if you do not put on a lip balm.

Sunglasses

At some point, I started getting headaches and I thought it was merely the altitude sickness kicking in. Later on, I realized it was the glare that had been causing the headaches as my eyes had a hard time adjusting to the brightness of the surroundings. I put on my sunglasses, which has been sitting in my backpack all the time and the headache was instantly relieved.

Beanie

One thing my guide kept on reminding me was to never let the head get cold or you will be more prone to getting altitude sickness. I had a beanie with me but it’s not as warm as the knitted one my guide lent me. You can find a plethora of these in Kathmandu and even in the villages you’ll pass by during your trek.

Warm Gloves

This item is a must especially for people like me who easily get cold. This would of course depend on your tolerance as everyone is different. At +3000m my hands were already freezing while my guide’s hands were still warm. I used thin warm gloves I bought from Thamel in Kathmandu. Though knitted gloves are also available in the tea houses.

Buff®

A secret to efficiently packing light is to bring items with multiple uses. Buff® is a multi-functional headwear that can be used as a baclava, hair tie, cap, hat liner, wristband, etc. I mainly used it as a hairband, sun guard or even face mask when it got to windy. This also served as my handkerchief when I was not on the trek.

Treats

No, I do not mean dog treats. Lol. This could be chocolate, peanut butter, chips or other food you might crave while on the trek. Doing a 12-day trek is no joke and somewhere along the way you will try to find something to reward yourself and usually that reward is food. You can of course always buy these from the tea houses when you start craving them but, like water, they can be more expensive up there. A German friend was wise enough to ask her brother to buy chocolates from the airport for the two of them so that they can have at least one per day when they did the 20-day Manaslu trek. As for our group, since we didn’t bring enough, we resorted to buying mars bars, mars rolls and pringles in the tea houses.

Patience

This was something not listed in the articles I read before but I decided to include this as this is more important than any gears and equipment you will bring. Trekking in the Himalayas is not easy and she won’t always show off her beauty. The truth about doing trips like this is you cannot always get what you want whenever you want it. And you get what you don’t want when you don’t feel like it. Sometimes, you’d be annoyed by too much clouds, too much rain, too much sun, bitter cold, too much crowd, and a lot of hella other things you can complain about. But that’s the beauty of it. It exhausts you, breaks you, drives you nuts to the core then disappoints you, and then one fine day it just unfolds right in front of you what you have always been looking for … and more. And it leaves you breathless, speechless and grateful more than ever before. You just have to be patient.

Faith

I almost cancelled on doing the trek as I believed I don’t have enough physical strength to finish it. But then, I decided to push through after hearing the advice of the first few Nepalese I met in Kathmandu. It is not always just about the physical strength. Anyone deciding on doing the trek must first be mentally strong. You have to believe you can do it, or else you will definitely fail. You have to have faith in yourself and faith in the God above that He will give you the strength you need. I honestly didn’t have the physical strength to do it but I finished it and I will forever be grateful for that.