Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Hiking Through the Heart of Nepal Himalayan Peaks, Sacred Traditions & Royal Relics
Nepal – Patan – Bandipur – Annapurna – Pokhara – Gorkha – Kathmandu
The fun kicks off in Patan, where those with a penchant for all things spiritual are in for a real treat. Spend a couple of days homing in on the city’s sacred sites with a local guide and, by the end, you’ll know your stupas from your shrines and your deities from your bodhisattvas.
Next, make tracks for Bandipur, located in the Himalayan foothills, where you’ll have some free time to rest and recharge before the main event: a four-day, lodge-to-lodge hike through the Annapurna mountains. And, of course, the spiritual theme continues – albeit with pilgrimages of a rather different kind: to momo joints and traditional teahouses...
All that trekking calls for the utmost R&R. And where better than Pokhara, where you’ll pause for a little reflection (with quite the view) at the World Peace Stupa before embracing Himalayan wellness rituals back at your hotel. Pampering complete, your next stop, Gorkha, soon puts that newfound zen to the test with a 1,500-step climb to its ancient royal palace.
And for the grand finale? One-of-a-kind Kathmandu, where age-old divinities and living goddesses are all part of the spiritual tapestry. Because in Nepal, the cultural highs rival even the mountainous ones.
Itinerary
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After plenty of daydreaming, eagerly counted-down days and some strategic hiking-gear packing – your adventure to Nepal starts today.
Head to the airport, whizz through security, then celebrate accordingly with a tipple in the lounge before boarding.
It’s a 14-hour overnight flight to Kathmandu (including a brief layover in a Middle Eastern hub), so cosy up in your seat, stick on a good film and then fluff up your neck pillow for some shut-eye ahead of tomorrow’s arrival...
Namaste, Nepal. After touching down in Kathmandu this morning, you’ll be met at the airport and privately transferred 20 minutes south to Patan, the ancient city locally known as Lalitpur.
When you arrive, check in to your guesthouse – your home for the next two nights. Then, meet your guide and delve into Patan’s winding stone streets, starting at Durbar Square, a historic jumble of more than 100 towers and temples.
Step inside the deity-embellished former Royal Palace, once the stomping ground of Patan’s Malla kings where abundant depictions of Vishnu nod to his role as divine protector of the universe (and the palace).
More Hindu lore awaits at the various temples dedicated to the deities of Krishna, Bhimsen and Shiva, whose intricate scenes chiselled into the stone may prompt some puzzled looks. Luckily, your guide is well-versed in deciphering centuries-old carvings...
Wrap things up at the Golden Temple and Minnath Temple, both honouring Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion. Consider your rituals-and-religion trivia officially levelled up.
Spiritual souls will be in their element today as you explore Nepal’s holiest sites with a local guide.
First up is Pashupatinath Temple, where Hindu devotees from across the globe make the pilgrimage to pay homage to Shiva, the protector of all living beings. Fittingly, sacred cows graze around the complex, completely unfazed by the comings and goings of worshippers.
Buddha’s watchful eyes greet you next at Boudhanath Stupa, gazing out above its colossal dome. Learn how its symbolic design represents the elements of Buddhist cosmology: earth, water, fire, air and ether, before joining pilgrims circling clockwise, keeping the stupa on your right as a sign of respect. Prayer wheels here are believed to bestow positive mantras, so give them a good spin...
Continue your sacred circuit through Bhaktapur’s maze of monasteries, before rounding things off at Changu Narayan, an ancient Vishnu temple home to Nepal’s oldest stone inscription.
Back in Patan this evening, one final (unofficial) rite of passage awaits: tucking into some momos, Nepal’s beloved steamed dumplings.
Wolf down a traditional Nepalese breakfast this morning, then meet your local driver for the six-and-a-half-hour journey to the village of Bandipur, set in the heart of the Himalayan foothills. A road trip this exciting deserves an equally great soundtrack, so tune into our destination-specific playlist as you roll through Kathmandu Valley.
When you arrive, check in for one night at a quintessentially Nepalese inn. Spend some time exploring your new surroundings and, if the skies are clear, look up (way up) for a glimpse of Mount Dhaulagiri, standing at a lofty 26,000ft.
Mountain gawping complete, have a mooch around Bandipur’s time-warp streets, stopping by the 18th-century Padma Library, once a popular haunt among Nepal’s literary heavyweights.
Then, head to incense-swirled Bindhyabasini Temple, before making a beeline for the bustling bazaar, where Bandipur’s famous oranges are piled high, all grown within the region’s bountiful farmland. Try one out, then pop a couple in your daypack – you have some high-altitude adventures on the horizon...
Lace up those boots and don your hiking gear – the first stint of your four-day trek through the heart of Nepal starts today.
You’ll be privately transferred two hours to Pokhara, a launchpad for adventurers brave (or bonkers) enough to venture high into the Annapurna mountains. Here, stow away the bulk of your luggage before meeting your guide, who’s well-versed in every twist and turn of the trail. You’ll also be kitted out in anything you’re missing – walking poles, anyone? And with transfers and a porter service provided, you’ll only carry what’s needed each day.
Prep complete; it’s time to clock up your first few miles on the gentle two-hour walk from Nayapul, passing sleepy villages and rolling farmland.
Then, call time on your first hike beside the Modi River (near Birethanti), where you’ll stay in a peaceful lodge for the night. Admire views of Machapuchare’s fish-tail peak, then cosy up by the campfire, as a home-cooked feast simmers over the flames.
Rise and shine early this morning, then fuel up with breakfast and a steaming cup of Nepalese Arabica coffee.
And when the caffeine kicks in, continue the trek along the banks of the Modi River, settling into your stride as you pass ancient woodlands and mountain hamlets. And when those legs start requesting a time-out, oblige with a traditional tea stop at one of the little teahouses en route.
After a few hours steadily gaining altitude, you’ll reach camp (phew), located near Majgaon – your base for the night.
All that hiking is bound to work up a mighty appetite, so dig into lunch around the fire and enjoy a good chinwag with fellow adventurers, swapping tales from the trail between bites.
Still have some energy left in the tank? Visit the local village of Tanchok this afternoon, where the quaint museum reveals how locals have long thrived at these lofty heights. And with a few more days on foot ahead, you might want to take some notes...
Another day, another hike. Set your sights even higher as you ascend through the forest canopy, winding deeper into the Annapurna mountains towards Dhampus.
Make a pit stop in Pothana, a village established by Tibetan merchants, and polish off some momos (the steamed dumplings you’ve come to know and love), this time with a Tibetan twist.
A few more mountain miles later, arrive in Dhampus and settle in to your guesthouse – your crashpad for the night. Explore your new mountain digs, snapping photos of Pokhara Valley and the Annapurna and Machapuchare peaks (all prime material for the holiday album).
Still raring to go? Venture off the beaten track into nearby woods of conifers, bamboo and rhododendrons, which are steeped in local myths and legends, before the trees give way to terraced farmland.
As evening falls, tuck into nourishing Nepalese fare, relied on for centuries to revive weary mountaineers, then watch the sunset cast the valley aglow as you clink celebratory beers to your final night on the trail. Cheers to that.
After breakfast, brush off the last of the trail dust before your one-hour transfer back to Pokhara. And with three days of hiking behind you, an in-car snooze is practically inevitable...
When you arrive, check in to your hotel for the night. Feeling some post-trail twinges? Nepal’s wellness traditions offer just the tonic. Surrender yourself to the spa, where ancient Himalayan treatments range from therapeutic mud wraps and flower baths to soothing massages. Or, roll out your mat for some yoga – time to perfect that downward dog.
Refreshed and revitalised, meet your guide this afternoon to explore Pokhara’s World Peace Stupa, built to promote unity across the globe. It’s an arduous climb to the top (your hiking days aren’t quite over yet), but the views more than make up for it.
At the summit, watch worshippers adorn the grounds with offerings of fruit and flowers in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, as your guide gives you the lowdown on the stupa’s symbolic design. Consider your zen levels officially at all all-time high.
Bid a fond farewell to Pokhara this morning, then hit the road with your local driver for the two-and-a-half-hour journey to Gorkha. The route winds through an ensemble of river valleys, forest-clad slopes and picturesque villages, all bound to spark a running commentary of oohs and aahs as you go.
When you arrive, check in to your traditional Nepalese-style inn – your home away from home for the next two nights. The rest of the day is all yours to enjoy, so perhaps amble along Gorkha’s streets beneath fluttering prayer flags emblazoned with sacred symbols, marvelling at snow-capped Manaslu glistening in the distance.
When hunger strikes this evening, bypass any dinner deliberations with a restaurant recommendation from our local Concierge; they’ll know exactly where the most delicious thukpa (a noodle soup infused with fiery spices) is served.
Limber up with some morning stretches (you know the drill by now), then meet your guide for a hike to Gorkha Palace.
Make light work of the 1,500 steps once traced by ancient rulers, as your guide unveils the former royal stronghold’s rather impressive roll call of residents. King Ram Shah established his court here, while Prithvi Narayan Shah later called the shots, unifying much of modern-day Nepal.
A few puffs, pants and photo stops later (Ganel Himal warrants plenty of the latter), reach the palace and admire its ornate Newar-style architecture, including Kalika Temple’s intricate wood carvings. Then, pour over a formidable cache of ancient weaponry and documents charting the kingdom’s rise, bound to spark the imagination with visions of battles and royal conquests.
After dinner, turn all eyes to the skies, where minimal light pollution reveals a sparkling canopy of stars and distant planets, celestial markers long used in Hindu tradition to calculate calendars and auspicious days. If you’re lucky enough to spot a shooting star, send a little wish its way...
Breathe in one final dose of fresh Himalayan air this morning before your three-hour private transfer back to Kathmandu. When you arrive, check in to your hotel, where you’ll stay for the night.
Then, meet your guide and weave through Kathmandu’s streets into UNESCO-listed Durbar Square, where kings and Hindu deities have long shared the spotlight. Duck into Kasthamandap, a pavilion dedicated to Shiva, and scan the ancient inscriptions at Hanuman Dhoka, a former royal palace.
Next, join the throng of locals paying homage to the Kumari, a ‘living goddess’ (a local girl from the Newar community) who lives in the square and is revered as the living embodiment of the goddess Durga. If fortune’s on your side, she might even appear at the window, drawing smiles (and cheers) from the crowds below.
Wrap things up at Swayambhunath Stupa, crowned by the Buddha’s painted eyes, which are symbols of wisdom and compassion. Here, give the prayer wheels a good spin – one last bit of good-karma stockpiling before your Nepal adventure comes to an end...
Time flies when you’re having fun and, alas, your escape to Nepal comes to an end today.
After one last breakfast at the hotel this morning, you’ll be collected and driven back to Kathmandu Airport. From here, board your flight back to the UK, stopping at a Middle Eastern hub along the way, perfect for a final duty-free splurge.
All in all, you’ll spend around 14 hours in the air – plenty of time to flick through your camera roll and relive those mountain hikes, temple tours and momo-fuelled moments. And if you already feel a bad case of the post-holiday blues creeping in, nothing lifts the spirits quite like dreaming up your next big adventure...
Why visit Nepal with Original Travel ?
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire nowA few of the benefits of travelling with us to Nepal
- Our local Concierges
- The Original Travel app
- Wi-Fi router and e-Sim
- Destination Dossier
- 24-hour helpline
- Expert guides
- 100% carbon absorption
