Adventure Holiday in Nepal  - 13 Days

Upon our arrival in the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier who will drop us off at our hotel. After checking in, we take a rest or visit Himalayan Glacier’s office. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier where you will be introduced to the Nepalese food culture.

Today, after breakfast, we start a guided tour to four of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu.  Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the ancient kings who ruled over the then Kathmandu Kingdom. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus all over the world. We also visit popular Buddhist stupas in Kathmandu. Swayambhunath, is located in the heart of the city and is also called Monkey Temple by the tourists owing to the large number of monkeys in the temple area. Bouddhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world, and one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist destinations in Kathmandu. The area of Boudhnath is also famous for over 50 Tibetan gompas or monasteries.  Overnight in Kathmandu.

Early in the morning, we drive from Kathmandu to The Last Resort located near the Nepal-Tibet border, 100km from Kathmandu. Upon reaching The Last Resort, we spend time abseiling, sliding, jumping, climbing and swimming. These are all important aspects of canyoning, our ultimate quest for today. While canyoning, we pass through sheer cliffs and slides to pounding waterfalls. Feeling the adrenalin buzz while leaping off waterfalls and sliding down glass-smooth rocks will be an amazing experience. Overnight at The Last Resort.

This day is set aside for white water rafting, one of the most popular adventure sports in Nepal. While rafting, we come across all kinds of rapids not too far from one another. Battling these rapids will be a challenge. However, we also occasionally raft through calm sections of the river. During this time we admire the natural beauty of the surrounding areas. The green vegetation, curious villagers and the river banks are ours to marvel at. After completing our rafting journey, we head back to Kathmandu around evening and spend the night there.

We fly to Pokhara early in the morning. We can catch amazing views of the Himalayas from the right side of our airplane. Upon our arrival in Pokhara, the beautiful lake city, we are rewarded with magnificent views of the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhare, the five peaks of Annapurna and others. After taking a rest, we drive to Naya Pul and start the trek. We pass through sub-tropical valley forests, sometimes on the carved trail on the side of the cliff. After lunch, we cross the Modi Khola (river) via a suspension bridge to the village of Tikhedhunga. The Ulleri Hill with thousands of steps and boulders that continually go upward will really prove a test of our stamina. We reach Ulleri by late afternoon.

After breakfast, we ascend to the Ghorepani village. The name Ghorepani in Nepali means ‘horse-water’ due to it being an important campsite for traders before it became a trekker’s stop. Ghorepani is an interesting place with small shops and stalls for selling local products and crafts. The town has two parts: one in a saddle and the other a few hundred feet lower. We stop at the higher part of the Ghorepani village that offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains including Annapurna South and Nilgiri mountains. Since Ghorepani lies quite higher than our previous stop, we begin to feel the chilly weather especially in the evenings. Overnight in Ghorepani.

To catch the sunrise over the Himalayas, we make an early morning climb along the steep trail to the viewpoint of Poon Hill (3,210m/10,529ft), the most popular trekking destination of the Annapurna region. It is also a great viewpoint to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The snowy peaks of the high mountains loom above and around us glowing in the morning light. After taking photographs and having some coffee or tea or hot chocolate, we return back to Gorepani. After breakfast, we head east and climb a nearby ridge. We descend through rhododendron forests, pass by spectacular waterfalls along the way and reach Tadapani to spend the night.

From Tadapani, we make a steep descent through the dense and dark forest. This part of the trek will be through a thick forest of old rhododendron trees, that when are in bloom, actually turn into gardens of dazzling red flowers when seen from the air or from afar. By afternoon, depending upon the season of travel, we will be pleasantly surprised by the sight of cherry blossoms in bloom on the slopes on the other side of the ravine. After trekking for a while, we enter the village of Ghandruk, a slope settlement with stone houses mostly inhabited by the Gurung people. Along with enjoying the towering views of the Fishtail, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli mountains, we also acquaint ourselves with the simple but rich cultural traditions of the Gurung people at the Gurung Museum in Ghandruk.

Today, we trek from Ghandruk to Naya Pul then drive back to Pokhara. The trek will be downhill all the way to Birethanti. We step onto a staircase paved with stone slabs, curving in and out of the village followed by terraced farms. It keeps on going down almost without any break from Ghandruk until Modi Khola river valley. By the time we arrive at Birethanti, some of us might feel like we just participated in a downhill marathon. But our ordeal is not over yet. From Birethanti, a half-an-hour’s walk takes us into Naya Pul. The journey on foot comes to an end at Nayapul. Then, we drive from Nayapul to Pokhara for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to the beautiful northern skyline of Pokhara and drive towards Chitwan, a city located at the foot of the Churia range and famous for housing Chitwan National Park (CNP), the first national park in Nepal, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon reaching Chitwan, we either take a jungle safari or a nature walk depending on the time of arrival. During the safari, we go deep into the jungle and spot deer, the endangered one-horn rhinoceros, and other wild animals. If we are lucky, we may even spot the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. During nature walks, we enjoy the company of a wide variety of flora and fauna and spend some time bird watching. In the evening, there will be a presentation on the wide range of flora and fauna of CNP. Overnight in Chitwan.

Early in the morning, we will be mounted on elephant backs for a jungle safari through dense grasslands to witness wildlife in their natural habitat. After breakfast, we visit the elephant stables and even enjoy bathing the elephants. During the afternoon we can either drive through the jungles followed by a canoe ride down the Rapti River. While canoeing, we may get a close look at the Gharial and Mugger crocodiles along with fresh water dolphins, otters and varieties of water birds. Or, we may even go for birding or nature walks and come closer to a variety of wild flora and fauna found in the park. Overnight in Chitwan.

Early in the morning, we engage ourselves in birding as Chitwan National Park is also home to a large variety of resident and migratory birds. We then have breakfast and drive towards Kathmandu. Our journey will be on the Terai plains while in and near Chitwan and gradually move to a more winding road as we come closer to Kathmandu. Along the way, we can enjoy the beautiful hilly terrains and small houses. We reach Kathmandu in the evening and celebrate the successful completion of your journey with a farewell dinner.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! A Himalayan Glacier representative will escort us to the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. On our way home, we have plenty of time to plan our next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.