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Short stay · 7 days

Nepal in 7 days

Only have a week? This programme keeps the essentials: the Kathmandu Valley and two days in Pokhara, without spending your days in transport. If you can, take two weeks to add Lumbini and Chitwan.

The idea

The programme starts in the Kathmandu Valley, where in four days you take in the great UNESCO sites: Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath in Kathmandu, then Patan and Bhaktapur, with a night there. You then head to Pokhara for clean air, the lake and, on a clear day, sunrise over the Annapurnas.

The only long journey is Kathmandu–Pokhara. By tourist bus it takes the day; by plane, 25 minutes. You fly back to Kathmandu the day before you leave, to keep a margin in case a domestic flight is cancelled.

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

    Visa on arrival at the airport, then a taxi to Thamel (20 to 40 min). Depending on the time, a first walk through the Asan and Indra Chowk bazaars to Durbar Square, for the late-afternoon light. See Kathmandu.

    Night: Kathmandu (Thamel)

  2. Day 2: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath

    Early in the morning, Swayambhunath with the worshippers and the view over the valley. Late morning, taxi to Pashupatinath and its ghats. In the afternoon, 30 to 40 min on foot (or 10 min by taxi) to Boudhanath: walk round the stupa at sunset and dinner on a roof terrace.

    Night: Kathmandu

  3. Day 3: Patan, then Bhaktapur

    In the morning, Patan: Durbar Square, the museum (the finest in the country, included in the ticket) and the Golden Temple. After lunch, taxi to Bhaktapur (about 1 hour). Sunset over Taumadhi square. See Bhaktapur.

    Night: Bhaktapur

  4. Day 4: Bhaktapur, back to Kathmandu

    Bhaktapur's squares early in the morning, Pottery Square, a juju dhau. Optionally, Changu Narayan by taxi and walk down. Back to Kathmandu in the late afternoon; buy your bus ticket to Pokhara if you haven't already.

    Night: Kathmandu

  5. Day 5: Kathmandu → Pokhara

    Tourist bus around 7 am: 6 to 10 hours on the road depending on roadworks and traffic, meal stops included. By plane: 25 min, best taken in the morning, and you gain the day. In the evening, a walk along Phewa Lake.

    Night: Pokhara (Lakeside)

  6. Day 6: Sarangkot, Phewa Lake, flight back

    Sunrise at Sarangkot (leave around 5 am by taxi) over Machapuchare and the Annapurnas, weather permitting. Rowing boat on the lake to the Tal Barahi temple, then the climb to the World Peace Pagoda for the view over the town. Flight to Kathmandu in the late afternoon.

    Night: Kathmandu

  7. Day 7: Last day in Kathmandu

    Shopping in Thamel and the bazaars, a break in the Garden of Dreams, or the visit you left aside. Get to the airport 3 hours before your international flight.

Variations

  • Without Pokhara: stay in the valley, with a night in Nagarkot and Dhulikhel for sunrise over the Himalayas. No long journey at all.
  • With Chitwan instead of Pokhara: 6 to 7 hours by bus from Kathmandu to Sauraha, two nights there for a jeep safari and a canoe trip. Best from October to March.
  • With a short trek: Poon Hill takes 3 to 4 days from Pokhara. Allow 10 days in all. See Trek Nepal.

Transport

Kathmandu → Pokhara by tourist bus

Departure around 7 amTime 6 to 10 hoursPrice 1,200 to 1,800 NPR (≈ €7 to €10)

Book the day before in Thamel or online. Sit on the right-hand side to see the Trishuli river.

Pokhara → Kathmandu by plane

Time 25 minPrice about 100 to 150 USD (≈ €89 to €135)

Several airlines, departures throughout the day. Flights are sometimes delayed by the weather: don't take it on the day of your international flight.

Entrance fees

SiteEntry
Kathmandu Durbar Square1,000 NPR (≈ €6)
Swayambhunath200 NPR (≈ €1.2)
Pashupatinath1,000 NPR (≈ €6)
Boudhanath400 NPR (≈ €2)
Patan Durbar Square (museum included)1,000 NPR (≈ €6)
Bhaktapur (whole town)2,000 NPR (≈ €12)
Total5,600 NPR (≈ €32)

Good to know

Two weeks if you can: that's the length we recommend for a first trip, enough to add Lumbini and Chitwan without rushing (see Nepal in 2 weeks).
The other way round? Nothing stops you starting with Pokhara, but the Kathmandu Valley at the start of the trip gives you time to get used to the country before the bus journey.
During Dashain and Tihar (September to November), buses and flights are packed: book several days ahead.

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 15DiscoverBelow 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

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.