5 Days KTM & Pokhara Overland Tour

Airport transfer and half-day sightseeing | Altitude: 1,350 m | Overnight: Kathmandu

Your Nepal journey begins the moment you land: our representative greets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and drives you to your hotel. After freshening up, set out with your guide on a half-day tour of the valley's two holiest sites. At Pashupatinath, the great temple of Lord Shiva on the Bagmati River, you watch pilgrims bathing, sadhus in saffron and the age-old cremation rites on the ghats. A few minutes away, Boudhanath Stupa rises like a giant white mandala, encircled by Tibetan monasteries; join the evening kora as butter lamps flicker and monks chant.

• Main experience: Hindu and Buddhist Kathmandu on your very first afternoon.
• Taste of Nepal: a warming bowl of Tibetan thukpa noodle soup at a café overlooking the stupa.
• Insider tip: remove shoes and leather items where requested, and ask before photographing ceremonies.

Drive: about 200 km / 6–7 hours by private vehicle | Altitude: 822 m | Overnight: Pokhara

Leave Kathmandu early and wind down from the valley rim onto the Prithvi Highway, one of Nepal's most scenic roads. For much of the way the turquoise Trishuli River runs beside you, with rafts bobbing through the rapids, suspension bridges, terraced fields and roadside fruit stalls. Stop for lunch at a riverside restaurant near Kurintar, then continue through the Marsyangdi and Seti valleys to Pokhara, Nepal's lake city.

After check-in, take a wooden boat across Phewa Lake to the island temple of Tal Barahi, dedicated to the goddess Durga. As the sun sets, the reflections of the hills – and, in clear weather, the fishtail peak of Machhapuchhre – shimmer on the water.

• Main experience: the river road to Pokhara and an evening on Phewa Lake.
• Taste of Nepal: a riverside dal bhat lunch with fresh river fish if you like.
• Insider tip: sit on the left side of the car for the best river views.

Sightseeing by private vehicle | Overnight: Pokhara

A 5:30 am start rewards you with one of Nepal's great sights. From the hilltop of Sarangkot (1,600 m) you watch the first rays turn Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre pink, then gold, while Pokhara and Phewa Lake lie in the morning mist below. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Later, drive up to the World Peace Pagoda on its ridge above the lake for a sweeping view of the city and the mountains. Visit Devi's Falls, where the lake's outflow plunges into an underground tunnel, and the Shiva shrine of Gupteshwor Cave opposite. At the International Mountain Museum learn about the world's highest peaks, the first ascents and the peoples of the Himalaya. The late afternoon is free – stroll Lakeside, try paragliding or relax in a lakeside café.

• Main experience: Himalayan sunrise and Pokhara's best viewpoints in one day.
• Taste of Nepal: a Thakali set meal from the Mustang region, or fresh lake fish.
• Insider tip: paragliding from Sarangkot can be booked the day before – ask your guide.

Drive: about 200 km / 6 hours | Overnight: Kathmandu

After breakfast, drive back to Kathmandu through the hill country, with tea and lunch stops along the way. In the late afternoon, climb the stone steps to Swayambhunath, the 2,000-year-old "Monkey Temple", to watch the sun go down over the whole valley as prayer wheels spin and butter lamps are lit. Spend your last evening shopping in Thamel for pashmina, tea, thangka paintings and singing bowls.

• Main experience: sunset over Kathmandu from Swayambhunath.
• Taste of Nepal: an optional farewell Nepali dinner with a cultural dance show.
• Insider tip: bargaining is normal in Thamel's shops – start at about half the asking price and smile!

Airport transfer: about 30 minutes

Enjoy a final breakfast and some free time, then transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport about three hours before your flight. Thank you for travelling with Pigeon Travel & Tours – phir bhetaula, see you again in Nepal!