2 weeks
Nepal in 2 weeks
The grand tour of Nepal without trekking: the Kathmandu Valley at a leisurely pace, a night facing the Himalayas, Bandipur, Pokhara, the Buddha's birthplace and the jungle of Chitwan.
- Length: 14 days
- Pace: Moderate
- Long journeys: 5 journeys of 2 to 8 hours
- Site entry fees: ≈ 9,800 NPR (≈ €57) (64 USD (≈ €57)) + safaris
The idea
Two weeks is the ideal length for a first trip to Nepal without trekking. You spend six days in the Kathmandu Valley, with a night in Nagarkot and the walk down to Changu Narayan; you reach Pokhara via Bandipur; then you head down to the Terai plains for Lumbini and Chitwan.
The Pokhara–Lumbini journey is the longest (about 8 hours); Lumbini to Chitwan is done by private car or local bus (about 5 hours). You return by plane from Bharatpur, or by bus.
Day by day
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
Visa on arrival, taxi to Thamel, a first walk through the bazaars to Durbar Square. See Kathmandu.
Night: Kathmandu (Thamel)
Day 2: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath
Swayambhunath at daybreak, Pashupatinath late in the morning, then Boudhanath until evening.
Night: Kathmandu
Day 3: Patan
A full day in Patan: Durbar Square and its museum, the Golden Temple, Kumbheshwar, the bronze-casters' quarter. Dinner in Jhamsikhel.
Night: Kathmandu or Patan
Day 4: Bhaktapur
Drive to Bhaktapur in the morning: Durbar Square, Taumadhi, Pottery Square, Tachupal Tole. Sunset from a roof terrace.
Night: Bhaktapur
Day 5: Bhaktapur → Nagarkot
The squares early in the morning, then drive to Nagarkot and Dhulikhel in the early afternoon (1 hour). Sunset facing the Himalayas.
Night: Nagarkot
Day 6: Sunrise, walk down to Changu Narayan
Sunrise over the range, then 4 to 5 hours' walk to the Changu Narayan temple. Taxi to Kathmandu in the late afternoon; buy your bus ticket to Dumre.
Night: Kathmandu
Day 7: Kathmandu → Bandipur
Tourist bus to Dumre (4 to 6 hours), then jeep up to the village. See Bandipur.
Night: Bandipur
Day 8: Bandipur
Sunrise at Thani Mai, then Siddha Gufa cave with a guide, or the walk to the Magar village of Ramkot.
Night: Bandipur
Day 9: Bandipur → Pokhara
Drive to Pokhara (2 h 30 to 3 hours), afternoon by Phewa Lake. See Pokhara.
Night: Pokhara (Lakeside)
Day 10: Sarangkot and Phewa Lake
Sunrise at Sarangkot, rowing boat to Tal Barahi, climb to the World Peace Pagoda.
Night: Pokhara
Day 11: Pokhara → Lumbini
Morning tourist bus (about 8 hours) to Lumbini or Bhairahawa. A quiet evening in the village. See Lumbini.
Night: Lumbini
Day 12: Lumbini
The sacred garden and the Maya Devi temple at sunrise, a break during the heat, then the monastic zone by bike in the late afternoon.
Night: Lumbini
Day 13: Lumbini → Chitwan
Private car arranged by your hotel (about 5 hours) or a local bus with a change. Arrive in Sauraha in the afternoon, sunset over the Rapti. See Chitwan National Park.
Night: Sauraha (Chitwan)
Day 14: Safari in Chitwan, back to Kathmandu
Jeep safari or canoe and walk in the morning, then a late-afternoon flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu. The most comfortable option: one more night in Chitwan and leave the next day (15 days).
Variations
- Without Lumbini: one more night in Pokhara (paragliding, walk to Dhampus) and one more in Chitwan. Less road, and the programme becomes very relaxing.
- Via Tansen: break the Pokhara–Lumbini journey with a night in Tansen, a Newar town in the Palpa hills; then drop the second night in Bandipur.
- With a trek instead of Lumbini: Poon Hill (3 to 4 days) from Pokhara, then Chitwan. See the Poon Hill trek.
- During the monsoon (June to September): Lumbini and Chitwan are hot and humid. Replace them with more time in the valley and in Pokhara.
Transport
Kathmandu → Dumre (Bandipur)
Kathmandu–Pokhara tourist bus, getting off at Dumre, then jeep or local bus.
Pokhara → Lumbini
Morning tourist bus. Or a car with driver, via the beautiful Tansen road.
Lumbini → Chitwan
No direct tourist bus: a private car arranged by your hotel, or a local bus with a change at Narayanghat.
Bharatpur → Kathmandu
Or a 6 to 7-hour tourist bus.
Entrance fees
| Site | Entry |
|---|---|
| The six main sites of the Kathmandu Valley | 5,600 NPR (≈ €32) |
| Changu Narayan | ≈ 300 to 400 NPR (≈ €1.7 to €2.3) |
| Siddha Gufa (Bandipur) | ≈ 150 NPR (≈ €0.9) + guide |
| Sarangkot, World Peace Pagoda, boat | ≈ 1,000 NPR (≈ €6) |
| Lumbini (one day) | 700 NPR (≈ €4) |
| Chitwan National Park (one day) | 2,000 NPR (≈ €12) |
| Total, excluding safaris | ≈ 9,800 NPR (≈ €57) ≈ 64 USD (≈ €57) |
Good to know
The stops
Kathmandu ValleyKathmanduTemples, stupas and bazaars: the capital and its three great sacred sites.Time needed: 2–3 daysFrom Kathmandu: you're thereDiscover
Kathmandu ValleyPatanThe city of Newar craftsmen, its royal square and its museum, the finest in the country.Time needed: 1 dayFrom Kathmandu: 20 to 30 minDiscover
Kathmandu ValleyBhaktapurThe best-preserved royal city in the valley, almost car-free.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 45 min to 1 h 15Discover
Valley rimNagarkot and DhulikhelTwo Himalayan balconies for a sunrise, an hour from Kathmandu.Time needed: 1 dayFrom Kathmandu: 1 h 30 to 2 hoursDiscover
HillsBandipurA car-free Newar hilltop town between Kathmandu and Pokhara.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 5 to 6 h by roadDiscover
Below the AnnapurnasPokharaPhewa Lake, the Annapurnas as a backdrop, and the gateway to the treks.Time needed: 2–4 daysFrom Kathmandu: 25 min by plane, 6 to 10 h by busDiscover
TeraiLumbiniThe birthplace of the Buddha and its monasteries from all over the world.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 35 min by plane (Bhairahawa)Discover
TeraiChitwan National ParkRhinos, crocodiles and sal forests, in the southern plains.Time needed: 2–3 daysFrom Kathmandu: 6 to 7 h by busDiscoverYou get your visa on arrival, at Kathmandu airport or at the border: form, fees and pitfalls to avoid on our dedicated site.
Visa Nepal →Fancy a few days of walking? Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang… permits, guides, transport and day-by-day itineraries on our trekking site.
Trek Nepal →Comments
A question, recent information (prices, opening times, transport), your own experience? Share it here.
Loading comments…