Nepal Bhutan Tour - 12 Days

The first day of the tour is your day of arrival in Kathmandu. Our airport representative will await you at Kathmandu International Airport on your arrival date and time. Upon your arrival, you'll be transferred to your hotel in Thamel. The rest of the day is for you to spend as you wish. You can rest at the hotel or roam Thamel's touristy streets.

Thamel is a lovely place with fantastic multi-cuisine eateries, pubs, bars, souvenir shops, trekking gear stores, tattoo places, and many more, filled with tourists like you. You can actually call Thamel the "tourist hub of Kathmandu." Enjoy your day, and we'll meet in the evening to brief you about the tour.

The sightseeing tour of Kathmandu begins after your breakfast at the hotel. A tour guide will accompany you to some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. First, you'll be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square, where you'll learn about Nepal's history and witness conventional architecture original to Nepalese culture and some adopted from European architecture in the past. Then you'll be driven to Swayambhunath Temple, also known as Monkey Temple, one of the most famous pilgrimage sites for Buddhists and Hindus.

After lunch, we'll continue our tour to the revered Pashupatinath Temple. It is a significant and famous temple of Lord Shiva, worshipped by Nepalese and Indian Hindus from all parts of Nepal and India. The final stop of our Kathmandu tour is Bouddhanath Stupa. It is the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal, and it receives a large number of tourists, pilgrims, and locals every day. You'll then be dropped at your hotel in Thamel, which indicates the end of Day 2.
Option: If you are interested in having a bird-eye view of Everest & the Himalayas, we have 1 hour scenic Everest Mountain Flight Tour early in the morning, at about 6-7 am. You can go for the flight before the tour starts for the day. Let us know if you want to add this mountain flight to your Nepal & Bhutan Tour.

After having breakfast at the hotel, you'll board a bus to Pokhara. It's a scenic drive along Prithvi Highway beside the bank of the Trisuli River and the Marshyangdi River. If the weather is in your favor, you might as well see Ganesh Himal and the peak of Mt Manaslu from your bus' window. After 6-8 hours of driving through small countryside towns, agricultural lands, and lush green hills, you'll arrive in the city of lakes, Pokhara.

The rest of the day is free. You can rest at your hotel for a while and go out to stroll around the Lakeside in the evening, enjoy the sunset, and have a good night's sleep.
Option: If you're interested in rafting, you can undertake a 3-hour Rafting down the Trisuli River on the route to Pokhara. You don't need an extra day for this because we can stop, do the rafting, and move on to the next destination (Pokhara).

We start the day early today. We take a 30-minute drive to Sarangkot, a hilltop near Pokhara famous for its sunrise view over the Himalayas. The vistas are, in fact, magnificent, with golden sunrays striking the snow-topped mountain peaks of the Annapurna range and Mt. Machhapuchre (Mt. Fishtail). It's worth waking up at 4 in the morning. 

On the way back from Sarangkot, we visit the Bindhyabasini temple. It is another landmark with gorgeous mountain views. After seeking blessing at the temple, we return back to the hotel, have breakfast and leave for a day full of activities and sightseeing.

First, we head to Phewa Lake for boating. There's a temple in the middle of the lake named "Tal Barahi Temple." We make a quick stop at the temple, finish boating and go to Devi's Falls and the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. You'd be amazed by how beautiful the waterfall looks while sounding furious due to the water current. The cave is equally fascinating, where you can see Devi's Fall flowing through the cave. We'll then visit World Peace Pagoda on a hilltop, which is the last stop for the day.

It's time to move again. One great thing about the small size of Nepal and Bhutan is that you can reach another beautiful destination in just a few hours of drive. After breakfast at the hotel in Pokhara, we take a 5-6 hour drive to Chitwan. Chitwan can be a little too hot during summer, so remember to pack some sunscreen and sun hats.

You'll be checked into a hotel in Sauraha, Chitwan, which is the entry point of Chitwan National Park. After freshening up and having lunch, we'll go on the Tharu Village Tour. Tharu is an ethnic community that resides in the southern part of Nepal, especially around Chitwan. We'll return to the hotel after a fruitful cultural tour of the village.

Embrace yourself! Today is an exciting day of adventure in the wilderness of the Chitwan National Park. You'll wake up to the chirping of the birds, followed by a delicious breakfast. We then set out for Jungle Walking and Elephant Back Riding across the streams and into the jungles. You might even spot some One-horned Rhinoceros from the back of an elephant.

After lunch, we'll go for a Jeep Safari in the jungle, spotting the national park's wildlife. You'll see many beautiful birds, crocodiles, deer, wild buffalos, One-horned Rhinos, and sometimes tigers. The fun activities come to an end with a visit to Elephant Breeding Center. After a day full of adventures, you'll enjoy a lavish Nepali dinner with a traditional stick dance show of the Tharu people.

It's time to get to Kathmandu for your dream flight to Bhutan. But first, let's enjoy a bird-watching tour while you're still in Chitwan. After having your last meal in Chitwan and watching beautiful birds, you'll once again board a bus to Kathmandu, which takes 5-6 hours.

You'll be transferred to your hotel on reaching Kathmandu, and the rest of the day is free. It's the best time to do some last-minute shopping for Bhutan if you need anything. Else, enjoy a relaxing evening with a few drinks at some bar in Thamel.

Here comes the day you've been waiting for since you landed in Kathmandu. After breakfast at your hotel, you'll be dropped off at the Kathmandu International Airport for your flight to Paro, Bhutan. All your Bhutan Visa procedures have been done and paid for, so you fly stress-free to Bhutan, enjoying the exquisite Himalayan view from above, including sacred Mt. Jumolhari and Mt. Jichu Drake.

Once you land in Paro, you'll have to clear customs and immigration formalities. Keep your VISA clearance letter handy. You'll meet your driver and tour guide for Bhutan, dressed in a traditional Bhutanese outfit, outside the terminal gate. First, you'll be taken to Thimpu from Paro along a scenic route with views of the Himalayas and beautiful valleys, which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will get some insights into the Bhutanese history, culture, and traditions from your guide along the way.

After checking in at your hotel in Thimpu and resting for a while, you can stroll in the streets and take in this completely new environment. Roam around the local markets and don't hesitate to try some mouth-watering Bhutanese cuisines, but keep some space in your tummy for your dinner at the hotel, which is included in the package.

Day 9 will go in full swing with all the sightseeing you'll do in Thimpu. After breakfast at the hotel, you'll be taken to Thimpu's important landmarks and tourist destinations. It's usually a private tour with a private tour guide as a driver on a private vehicle.

You'll likely visit the National Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong, Changangkha Lhakhang, Buddha Dordenma Statue, Institute of Traditional Medicine Services, Folk Heritage Museum, Zilukha nunnery, Craft Bazaar, etc., in no particular order. Visiting all these places may not be feasible in a single day, so communicate with your guide what is important to you. Or, your guide will decide for you. We've briefed about these places in our Intro Section. Please refer to know more about the places.

In the evening, you'll be driven on the same way back to Paro, where you'll check in at the hotel, have dinner and sleep for the night.

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll be accompanied by your guide on a hike to Taktsang Palphung Monastery, popularly known as Tiger's Nest Monastery. It is an overall 5-hour excursion to the monastery and back. Tiger's nest is one of Bhutan's most sacred and essential places to visit; more about it in the Intro Section in the beginning.

The hike is followed by lunch and a drive to Drukgyel Dzong. On the way, you'll see sacred Chomolhari, also known as the "mountain of the goddess," as you approach the Dzong. After exploring Dzong, you'll visit Kyichu Lhakhang Temple. In the evening, you'll see a local farm and market. Get some souvenirs from Bhutan, if you like. You'll spend the night at the hotel in Paro after dinner.

We're almost towards the end of your 12 days visit to Nepal and Bhutan. After breakfast, you'll be dropped off at the airport. Bid your farewell to Bhutan and catch your scheduled flight to Kathmandu. Upon your arrival again, our airport representative will greet you and take you to the hotel in Thamel. Enjoy the evening as you please, and join us for your farewell dinner. It's on us. Let's celebrate the completion of your trip together.

On the last day of the tour, you'll be picked up from your hotel at your scheduled departure time and taken to the Kathmandu International Airport for your flight back home or to your next destination.

We're hopeful that you enjoyed every hour during this tour. If you ever plan to come back to Nepal, please remember us. We're pleased to be at your service and hope to see you again. Have a safe journey.

If you're short on time and looking for an even shorter Nepal Bhutan Tour, you should check out our 8 Days Nepal Bhutan Short Tour.