Arrival at Kathmandu

Your Nepal Tour Package begins the moment you step off the plane at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu (1,345m) — Nepal's only international airport and one of the most atmospherically situated airports in the world, tucked into a valley with mountain ridges rising on all sides. As you clear immigration and collect your bags, a GujjuTours representative will be waiting in the arrivals hall with your name board, ready to welcome you with a warm Namaste. After helping with your luggage, your representative will transfer you to your Kathmandu hotel in a comfortable private vehicle.

Once you arrive at the hotel, you'll be welcomed with a traditional welcome drink — a refreshing introduction to Nepali hospitality. The rest of Day 1 is yours to enjoy at a relaxed pace. Take the time to check in, settle into your room, and freshen up after your journey. Kathmandu is a city that rewards curious wanderers — if you feel up to it, step out for an evening stroll near the hotel and let the sights, sounds, and aromas of the city wash over you. Dinner will be served at the hotel, and a good night's rest will set you up perfectly for the full day of sightseeing ahead.

Pre-Trip Meeting + Full Day Kathmandu Sightseeing

Day 2 begins at 8:00 AM with a structured pre-trip meeting at your Kathmandu hotel — a GujjuTours hallmark that ensures every traveller is fully prepared and confident before heading out. You will meet your professional English-speaking guide, receive a complete briefing on the day's sightseeing agenda, submit your passport and documentation, clear any outstanding balance, and sign the trip agreement form. This meeting is also your opportunity to ask any questions about the itinerary, pack essentials for the day, and make any last-minute adjustments. If arriving late on Day 1, please inform us in advance so we can reschedule accordingly.

At 9:30 AM, your private vehicle and guide set off on a full day of Kathmandu heritage sightseeing — visiting four of Nepal's most magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a single, expertly guided day.

Patan Durbar Square (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Your first stop is the breathtaking Patan Durbar Square — the royal palace complex of Lalitpur, one of the three medieval kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley. Patan is Nepal's oldest city, and its Durbar Square is arguably the finest concentration of Newari architecture and craftsmanship in all of Nepal. The square is an enchanting layered composition of ornate pagoda temples, carved wood and stone courtyards, gilded roofs, and ancient water fountains. At the heart stands the 17th-century Krishna Mandir — a magnificently carved temple built entirely of stone, rare in a city of predominantly timber-and-brick construction. The Patan Museum, housed within the former royal palace, contains one of South Asia's finest collections of bronze statues, religious objects, and Himalayan art. Give yourself at least 90 minutes to explore — every turn reveals a new courtyard, a new shrine, a new detail carved centuries ago by hands that clearly loved their craft.

Swayambhunath Stupa — The Monkey Temple (2,000 Years Old)

Perched dramatically atop a forested hillock on the western edge of Kathmandu, Swayambhunath is one of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist shrines in the world. Built during the 5th century AD, this ancient stupa is crowned by a striking gilded spire rising above a brilliant white dome — visible for miles in every direction across the valley. The four sides of the spire are painted with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha, gazing serenely out across the city. The hilltop is also home to hundreds of resident rhesus monkeys — hence its popular nickname, the Monkey Temple — which clamber fearlessly over the shrines and prayer wheels. The climb up the 365 stone steps to the stupa is rewarded with sweeping panoramic views over Kathmandu valley, and the air at the top hums with the turning of hundreds of brass prayer wheels by Buddhist pilgrims.

Pashupatinath Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Situated on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the entire world — a place of extraordinary spiritual power that draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across South Asia every year. Built in the iconic pagoda style during the 5th century by King Prachanda Dev and dedicated to Lord Shiva in his manifestation as Pashupati (Lord of Animals), the main temple complex is restricted to Hindu worshippers, but the sacred ghats, cremation sites, and surrounding temple complex are open to all visitors. Walking along the eastern bank of the Bagmati, you will witness Hindu sadhus (holy men) painted in ash and draped in orange, funeral cremations on the riverside ghats, and hundreds of smaller shrines and lingam carved into the riverbank. It is a deeply moving, spiritually resonant experience that few visitors forget. Pashupatinath was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the centrepiece of GujjuTours' Pashupatinath Temple Tour Package.

Boudhanath Stupa (World's Largest Buddhist Stupa — UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Your fourth UNESCO World Heritage Site of the day is the colossal Boudhanath Stupa — the largest single stupa in the world, and the spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet. Built shortly after the passing of Lord Buddha, Boudhanath rises 36 metres from its whitewashed base to its gilded pinnacle, surrounded by concentric mandala-shaped walkways lined with 108 niches containing small Buddha statues and prayer wheels. The stupa is encircled by Tibetan monasteries, tangkha shops, incense sellers, and butter lamp shrines, and at dusk the entire complex fills with monks in crimson robes performing their evening circumambulation (kora) — a sight of remarkable beauty and spiritual depth. Boudhanath was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

After an extraordinary day of heritage sightseeing, your guide will drive you to Nagarkot (2,100m) — a scenic hilltop village approximately 32km east of Kathmandu. As you gain altitude on the winding road, the city fades behind you and the hills open up into terraced farmland and dense pine forest. Arrive in Nagarkot in the late afternoon, check into your mountain hotel, and enjoy hiking through the surrounding villages as dusk settles and the Himalayan ranges emerge on the horizon. Your hotel in Nagarkot is chosen for its views — and tomorrow morning's sunrise will make clear exactly why.

Drive to Pokhara — Scenic Highway via Trishuli River

After breakfast with Himalayan views, you'll depart Nagarkot and drive back through Kathmandu to connect onto the Prithvi Highway — Nepal's most scenic national highway, which follows the course of the Trishuli River through dramatic gorges, terraced hillsides, and lush subtropical forest for much of the 3-hour journey to Pokhara (approximately 80km). The drive itself is one of the great road journeys of Nepal — the emerald-green Trishuli rushes alongside the highway, rafters navigate the rapids below, and the distant snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna range occasionally appear above the ridge lines ahead.

You will arrive in Pokhara — Nepal's second city and undisputed adventure capital — in the early afternoon. Check into your hotel and enjoy a period of rest. By evening, take a stroll along the famous Lakeside promenade (Baidam) — Pokhara's lively tourist hub, lined with restaurants, cafes, galleries, and souvenir shops — as the western Himalayan ranges catch the last golden light of the day. The sacred Mt. Machhapuchhare (Fishtail Mountain, 6,993m) dominates the skyline — its distinctive twin-peaked silhouette reflected in the still waters of Phewa Lake is one of the most iconic images in all of Nepal.

Full Day Pokhara Valley Sightseeing

Day 4 is devoted entirely to the extraordinary highlights of the Pokhara Valley — one of the most beautiful natural settings in all of Asia, where the world's tenth-tallest mountains rise almost directly from the valley floor and serene lakes reflect both the sky and the peaks above. Your morning begins early for the signature experience: a pre-dawn drive up to Sarangkot (1,592m), Pokhara's most celebrated sunrise viewpoint.

Sarangkot Sunrise Viewpoint

Perched at 1,592 metres, Sarangkot is only 13km from Lakeside but feels a world apart — a hilltop clearing with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Pokhara Valley, the Annapurna range, and the unmistakeable spire of Mt. Machhapuchhare (Fishtail Mountain). The journey to the top by vehicle takes 45–60 minutes, and arriving before dawn means you witness one of Nepal's most unforgettable natural moments: the sun rising behind the mountains to the east, its light sweeping across the snow-capped summits and turning Machhapuchhare from grey to rose to brilliant gold. On a clear day, you can see the full Annapurna massif, Dhaulagiri, Hiunchuli, and Manaslu from a single vantage point.

Bindabasini Temple

After descending from Sarangkot, visit the Bindabasini Temple — one of Pokhara's oldest and most important religious sites, set within the historic old bazaar area of the city. The main deity is Goddess Durga, whose image was brought to Pokhara from India centuries ago when this site was part of the Kaski Kingdom. The temple is a place of great local devotion, surrounded by a market-filled neighbourhood that offers a vivid contrast between the spiritual and the commercial — and clear mountain views from the temple courtyard on a fine day.

Phewa Lake & Barahi Island Temple

Phewa Lake is Nepal's second-largest lake, sitting at 800m above sea level with the entire Annapurna Himal reflected in its serene waters on clear days. The Barahi Island Temple — a two-storied pagoda dedicated to the female force Shakti — rises from the centre of the lake and is Pokhara's most important religious monument. You can hire a traditional wooden rowboat to paddle out to the island, exploring the lake at a gentle pace as the reflections of Mt. Machhapuchhare and the surrounding forested hills shimmer around you. The southern shores of the lake are draped in dense forest, and the late afternoon light on the water is simply extraordinary.

Devi's Fall (Patale Chhango)

Located in the southern flank of Pokhara Valley, Devi's Fall — locally known as Patale Chhango — is one of Pokhara's most dramatic natural attractions. The stream flowing out of Phewa Lake plunges dramatically into a deep gorge, then surges through a series of rock potholes and disappears underground into a cave system. The sight is particularly spectacular during and after the monsoon season when the water volume is at its peak, but it is a compelling visit at any time of year. The name 'Devi's Fall' reportedly derives from a tragic accident involving a Swiss tourist named David, whose name was mistakenly localised as 'Devi'.

Gupteswar Cave

Directly across the road from Devi's Fall, Gupteswar Cave is a sacred Hindu cave complex that stretches nearly 3 kilometres underground — one of the longest caves in South Asia. Sacred to Lord Shiva, the cave preserves a naturally formed Shivalinga deep within its chambers, and Hindu pilgrims make the journey inside to offer prayers. The cave features hall-sized chambers, narrow passages that require crawling, and dramatic stalactite and stalagmite formations illuminated by coloured lights. It is a unique combination of geological wonder and living religious site.

International Mountain Museum (IMM)

The International Mountain Museum is one of Pokhara's finest attractions — a beautifully curated institution that documents the history, culture, and achievements of high-altitude mountaineering from the Himalayas and mountain ranges around the world. Three main exhibition halls — the Hall of Great Himalayas, Hall of Fame, and Hall of World Mountains — display original equipment from historic Himalayan expeditions, summit flags, mountaineer portraits, scale models of the world's tallest peaks, and rich cultural exhibits on the Gurung, Thakali, and Tharu peoples who have called these mountains home for generations. A visit here provides extraordinary context for the peaks you've been gazing at throughout the day.