Nepal Grand Tour — 8 Days

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and meet our representative for a hotel transfer. After refreshments, begin a guided Kathmandu sightseeing circuit: Pashupatinath Temple (one of the holiest Shiva shrines in the world, on the banks of the Bagmati), Guhyeshwari Temple (a revered Shakti Peeth linked to Goddess Sati), Budhanilkantha (the massive reclining Vishnu resting on a pond of serpents), Boudhanath Stupa (one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas and a centre of the Tibetan diaspora) and Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple on a forested hilltop overlooking the valley). Return to the hotel in the evening.

• Pashupatinath Temple
• Guhyeshwari Shakti Peeth
• Budhanilkantha (Jal Narayan)
• Boudhanath Stupa
• Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)

After breakfast, set out on a full-day excursion around the Kathmandu Valley. Drive to the Nagarkot viewpoint (2,195 m) for sweeping Himalayan views — on a clear morning you can see from Annapurna in the west to Everest in the east. Continue to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for Malla-era architecture, the 55-Window Palace and intricate wood carving. Visit Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in the heart of old Kathmandu, and stop at Doleshwor Mahadev in Bhaktapur — officially declared the head of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga by the Kedarnath priests in 2009. Finish with a 10-minute cable car ride to Chandragiri Hills (2,551 m) for a 360° panorama from Everest to Dhaulagiri and the Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple. Return to Kathmandu.

• Nagarkot Himalayan view point
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square (UNESCO)
• Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square
• Doleshwor Mahadev — head of Kedarnath
• Chandragiri Hills cable car

After early breakfast, check out and drive west along the Prithvi Highway. Board Nepal’s first cable car at Kurintar for a 10-minute ride up to Manakamana Temple — the wish-fulfilling shrine of Goddess Bhagwati, founded in 1678 and perched high above the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers. After darshan, continue to Pokhara with scenic river and hill views throughout the journey. Check in to your lakeside hotel and spend the evening at leisure.

• Manakamana cable car ride
• Darshan of Goddess Bhagwati
• Scenic Prithvi Highway drive
• Arrival in Pokhara

After breakfast, drive into the Annapurna Conservation Area towards Kimche (approx. 2 hours). From the trail-head, begin a short and scenic uphill trek (1–2 hours) to Ghandruk village (1,940 m) — one of Nepal’s largest and best-preserved Gurung settlements. Spend the afternoon exploring the stone-paved village lanes, the Gurung Museum, traditional two-storey stone houses and the open viewpoint with its commanding view of Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) and Hiunchuli. Dinner is traditional Gurung — gundruk soup, kodo ko roti and dhindo. Overnight at a village guesthouse.

• Ghandruk Gurung village (1,940 m)
• Annapurna South view
• Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) view
• Gurung culture & cuisine
• Traditional stone-house homes

Early breakfast and a gentle descent from Ghandruk back to the trail-head. Transfer to a 4WD Scorpio and drive through the Annapurna Conservation Area towards Jomsom. The route follows the Kali Gandaki river and passes traditional Thakali villages with dramatic landscape transitions from green terraced hills to the high-altitude rain-shadow desert of Mustang. Arrive in Jomsom (2,720 m), the administrative hub of Mustang, and check in to a mountain lodge.

• Himalayan trail views
• Kali Gandaki river valley drive
• High-altitude Mustang landscapes
• Arrive Jomsom (2,720 m)

Very early drive or jeep from Jomsom to Muktinath Temple (3,710 m) — one of the holiest sites in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition and one of the 108 Divya Desam. Begin darshan at the Vishnu shrine, then bathe under the 108 Muktidhara waterspouts and dip in the two sacred kunds. Witness the Jwala Mai eternal flame — a natural gas flame burning beside a trickle of water — and receive blessings. After rituals, begin the return journey via Jomsom with stops at Marpha village (famed for apple orchards, Thakali culture and traditional stone architecture), Tatopani hot springs and Rupse Waterfall. Arrive in Pokhara by evening and check in at the hotel.

• Muktinath Temple darshan (3,710 m)
• 108 Holy Water Spouts (Muktidhara)
• Muktinath Kund
• Jwala Mai eternal flame
• Marpha apple village & Tatopani hot springs
• Rupse Waterfall

After breakfast, enjoy a relaxed full-day tour of Pokhara. Begin with a traditional wooden-boat ride on Phewa Lake to Tal Barahi Temple — a two-storey pagoda on an island in the middle of the lake dedicated to Goddess Barahi. Drive to Devi’s Fall (locally Patale Chango, “Hell’s Fall”), where the river disappears underground into a 150-metre tunnel, and cross the road to explore Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, a sacred limestone cave with a naturally formed Shiva lingam. Visit the Seti River Gorge, where the river narrows to two metres but cuts more than twenty metres deep, and Bindabasini Temple, one of the oldest temples in Pokhara, dedicated to a manifestation of Goddess Kali. End the evening browsing handicrafts and lakeside cafes in the Lakeside market.

• Phewa Lake boating
• Tal Barahi Temple
• Devi’s Fall (Patale Chango)
• Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
• Seti River Gorge
• Bindabasini Temple
• Lakeside market evening

After breakfast, check out from your hotel in Pokhara and proceed for the transfer to Kathmandu — either a scenic drive along the Prithvi Highway or a short 25-minute flight. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, check in to the hotel. Depending on your departure time, enjoy any leftover Kathmandu sightseeing or pick up souvenirs in Thamel. Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward flight.

• Pokhara → Kathmandu transfer
• Optional Thamel shopping
• Airport drop