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3 weeks

Nepal in 3 weeks

The whole grand tour, plus four days of walking in the Annapurnas: the complete programme for a first three-week trip.

The idea

Three weeks let you do everything without rushing: the Kathmandu Valley and a night facing the Himalayas, Bandipur, Pokhara, a four-day trek to the Poon Hill viewpoint, then the jungle of Chitwan and Lumbini, before flying back.

The Poon Hill trek is the most accessible in Nepal: no problematic altitude (3,210 m at the top), lodges everywhere, and sunrise over the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri. It requires an ACAP permit and, under the 2023 rule, a licensed guide. Full details on the Poon Hill page of Trek Nepal.

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

    Visa on arrival, taxi to Thamel, a walk through the bazaars. See Kathmandu.

    Night: Kathmandu (Thamel)

  2. Day 2: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath

    Kathmandu's three great sacred sites, and the evening around the Boudhanath stupa.

    Night: Kathmandu

  3. Day 3: Patan

    A day in Patan: royal square, museum, Golden Temple, craft quarters.

    Night: Kathmandu or Patan

  4. Day 4: Bhaktapur

    The whole day and evening in Bhaktapur.

    Night: Bhaktapur

  5. Day 5: Bhaktapur → Nagarkot

    Morning in Bhaktapur, drive to Nagarkot and Dhulikhel and sunset facing the mountains.

    Night: Nagarkot

  6. Day 6: Walk down to Changu Narayan, back to Kathmandu

    Sunrise, 4 to 5 hours' walk to Changu Narayan, taxi to Kathmandu. Last-minute trek shopping in Thamel (poles, warm jacket).

    Night: Kathmandu

  7. Day 7: Kathmandu → Bandipur

    Bus to Dumre, jeep up to the village. See Bandipur.

    Night: Bandipur

  8. Day 8: Bandipur → Pokhara

    Sunrise at Thani Mai, drive to Pokhara (2 h 30 to 3 hours). See Pokhara.

    Night: Pokhara (Lakeside)

  9. Day 9: Pokhara: getting ready for the trek

    Sunrise at Sarangkot, then the ACAP permit at the Nepal Tourism Board office (or online) and meeting your guide. Afternoon on the lake. Leave what you don't need for the trek at the hotel.

    Night: Pokhara

  10. Days 10 to 13: Poon Hill trek

    Jeep or bus to the trailhead, then the climb through rhododendron forests to Ghorepani. Sunrise over the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri from Poon Hill (3,210 m), down via Tadapani and Ghandruk, a large Gurung village, and back to Pokhara on the fourth day. Detailed programme, variations and map: Poon Hill on Trek Nepal.

    Night: lodges (Ulleri, Ghorepani, Tadapani…)

  11. Day 14: Rest day in Pokhara

    Free day: boat and World Peace Pagoda, the Mountain Museum, paragliding, or simply the lake.

    Night: Pokhara

  12. Day 15: Pokhara → Chitwan

    Tourist bus (5 to 6 hours), sunset over the Rapti river. See Chitwan National Park.

    Night: Sauraha (Chitwan)

  13. Day 16: Safari in Chitwan

    Canoe and walk with guides in the morning, jeep safari in the afternoon.

    Night: Sauraha

  14. Day 17: Chitwan in depth

    A full-day jeep safari into the heart of the park, or cycling through the Tharu villages and to the elephant breeding centre.

    Night: Sauraha

  15. Day 18: Chitwan → Lumbini

    Private car (about 5 hours) or local bus. Arrive in time for sunset over the monastic zone. See Lumbini.

    Night: Lumbini

  16. Day 19: Lumbini

    The sacred garden at sunrise, then the monasteries by bike at the end of the day. Optionally, half a day at Tilaurakot, the presumed site of the Kapilavastu palace where the future Buddha grew up.

    Night: Lumbini

  17. Day 20: Lumbini → Kathmandu by plane

    Taxi to Bhairahawa airport (30 min), 30 to 35-min flight to Kathmandu. Free afternoon: Garden of Dreams, shopping.

    Night: Kathmandu

  18. Day 21: Last day in Kathmandu

    A margin in case the previous day's domestic flight was delayed, last visits, then the airport 3 hours before your international flight.

Variations

  • Without walking: replace the trek with four or five days in Mustang by jeep, by jeep or plane from Pokhara to Jomsom and Muktinath.
  • Another trek: Mardi Himal (4 to 6 days) for more altitude, or Annapurna Base Camp if you have 7 to 10 days for it (dropping Lumbini). See Trek Nepal.
  • No trek: stretch the two-week programme, with more time in Pokhara and Chitwan, or add Dhulikhel and Namo Buddha.
  • Via India: finish in Lumbini and cross the border at Belahiya (Sunauli) towards Varanasi, provided you have an Indian visa.
  • Via the Mithila plains: add a night in Janakpur (flight from Kathmandu) for the Janaki Mandir and Mithila art.
  • Via the east: replace Lumbini with three nights in Ilam, among the tea gardens facing Kanchenjunga (flight Kathmandu–Bhadrapur).
  • For the tigers: replace Chitwan with Bardia National Park (three or four nights, flight to Nepalgunj), wilder and less visited.

Transport

Kathmandu → Dumre (Bandipur)

Time 4 to 6 hours

Kathmandu–Pokhara tourist bus, getting off at Dumre, then jeep.

Pokhara ↔ trailhead

Time 1 to 4 hours depending on the start

Local bus or jeep, often arranged with the guide.

Pokhara → Chitwan

Time 5 to 6 hours

Morning tourist bus.

Chitwan → Lumbini

Time ≈ 5 hours

Private car or local bus with a change at Narayanghat.

Bhairahawa → Kathmandu

Time 30 to 35 minPrice ≈ 75 to 110 USD (≈ €67 to €98)

Several flights a day; keep the last day as a margin.

Entrance fees

ItemPrice
The six main sites of the Kathmandu Valley5,600 NPR (≈ €32)
Changu Narayan≈ 300 to 400 NPR (≈ €1.7 to €2.3)
Sarangkot, World Peace Pagoda, boat≈ 1,000 NPR (≈ €6)
ACAP permit (Poon Hill)3,000 NPR (≈ €17)
Chitwan National Park (two days)4,000 NPR (≈ €23)
Lumbini (one day)700 NPR (≈ €4)
Total, excluding safaris and guide≈ 14,600 NPR (≈ €84) ≈ 95 USD (≈ €85)

Good to know

Trekking guide: a licensed guide has been compulsory on paper since 2023; enforcement varies. Budget for their wages, lodging and meals, plus a tip. Everything is explained on Trek Nepal.
Season: this programme is made for October–November or February–April. In the monsoon the trek is muddy with no views, and Chitwan is partly closed; in December–January, nights in the lodges are cold.

The stops

Kathmandu ValleyKathmanduTemples, stupas and bazaars: the capital and its three great sacred sites.Time needed: 2–3 daysFrom Kathmandu: you're thereDiscoverKathmandu ValleyPatanThe city of Newar craftsmen, its royal square and its museum, the finest in the country.Time needed: 1 dayFrom Kathmandu: 20 to 30 minDiscoverKathmandu ValleyBhaktapurThe best-preserved royal city in the valley, almost car-free.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 45 min to 1 h 15DiscoverValley rimNagarkot and DhulikhelTwo Himalayan balconies for a sunrise, an hour from Kathmandu.Time needed: 1 dayFrom Kathmandu: 1 h 30 to 2 hoursDiscoverHillsBandipurA car-free Newar hilltop town between Kathmandu and Pokhara.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 5 to 6 h by roadDiscoverBelow 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 busDiscoverTeraiChitwan National ParkRhinos, crocodiles and sal forests, in the southern plains.Time needed: 2–3 daysFrom Kathmandu: 6 to 7 h by busDiscoverTeraiLumbiniThe birthplace of the Buddha and its monasteries from all over the world.Time needed: 1–2 daysFrom Kathmandu: 35 min by plane (Bhairahawa)Discover

You 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 →

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Plan your trip

When to goSeasons, monsoon and festival calendar.BudgetWhat a day costs, at three levels.MoneyRupee, ATMs, cards, exchange.Getting aroundTourist buses, domestic flights, taxis, apps.SIM & internetLocal SIM card, eSIM, wifi.Health & safetyWater, vaccines, pollution, scams.Customs & etiquetteTemples, dress, gestures to know.Packing listWhat to bring for each season, what you can buy there.Entrance feesThe price of every site, in one table.Long stayStaying one to five months: visa, housing, budget.VolunteeringWhat the visa allows, the pitfalls, other ways to help.FAQThe questions people ask before they go.