Glimpses of Nepal

Grade 1 2 3 4 5
Grade 1 – Easy
Tours in the foothills staying below 6,500'/ 2,000m. Roads are relatively good, and average driving is 2-3 hours a day.

Click here for a full explanation of Trip Difficulty Grading

×
Tour Difficulty Grading

Our Nepal and Bhutan tours are graded easy to moderate, involving activities such as driving, sightseeing, short walks, boating, canoe and elephant rides. They take you to the foothills of the Himalaya, well below 10,000'/ 3,000m, or further down to the lowlands. Where long overland drives are involved, we use 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps for smaller groups and Toyota Coaster minibuses for larger groups. For overland trips between Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan, we use deluxe tourist bus services. The roads may take us up a Himalayan gorge or through the open plains of the Terai. Wherever they take you to, the views are breathtaking; driving through the land offers spectacular pictures of Nepal's diverse landscapes. Tours are graded on the basis of altitude, road condition, driving hours per day, and length of trip.

Grade 1 – Easy
Tours in the foothills staying below 6,500'/ 2,000m. Roads are relatively good, and average driving is 2-3 hours a day.
Grade 2 – Moderate
Tours in the foothills and the lower middle-hills going up to 10,000'/ 3,000m. Roads are generally good, but at times may involve short "off-road" stretches. Average driving is 3-5 hours a day.
Grade 3 – Challenging
Fairly demanding tours, usually in the high Himalaya, going up to 13,000'/ 4,000m. Roads can be unpaved and bumpy, and will usually take you into uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas. Average driving is 5-6 hours a day.
Grade 4 – Demanding
These trips require participants to be in good health. All of them take you into the high Himalaya, altitudes ranging from 9,000'/ 2,800m to often in excess of 16,500'/ 5,000m. Roads venture into sparsely populated or uninhabited high-mountain wilderness. Average driving is 6-9 hours a day.
Note on altitudes
The altitude definitions indicate elevations through the major part of the tour. Tours usually involve side-trips into elevations exceeding the altitude ranges defined for their grades. Grade 3 & 4 tour itineraries are designed to allow proper acclimatization, with acclimatization days when we take exploratory trips to higher elevations.

 

Patan Durbar Square
4 days – The three historic cities and environs of the Kathmandu valley
  • Visit the major shrines and destinations of the Kathmandu valley
  • Encounter the terraced hillsides of Nepal and a dawn panorama of the Himalaya
  • Visit the fabled medieval town of Bhaktapur
Boudhanath stupaOur shortest stopover tour offers those with minimal time a spectacular picture of Nepal. You explore the historic religious landmarks of the Kathmandu valley, taking in the colorful sights of the fabled cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. A drive up through scenic countryside to the vantage point of Nagarkot is rewarded with a spectacular panorama of the Himalaya. An afternoon at leisure allows time for shopping or more sightseeing. At the end of your trip, you have the option of the famous mountain flight along the Central Nepal Himalaya to Everest – a visual feast of high Himalaya summits.
Trip Itinerary

Day 1  Arrive Kathmandu; orientation. Afternoon walking tour of old Kathmandu.

Day 2  Morning tour of Swayambhunath stupa and Patan. Afternoon drive to Nagarkot.

Day 3  Early morning watch sunrise over the Himalaya. Drive to Kathmandu after breakfast, visiting Bhaktapur en route. Afternoon tour of Pashupatinath temple & Boudhanath stupa.

Day 4  Depart for onward destination.

Dates and Pricing
We can operate private departures through the year for a party of two or more. Best season is fall through spring (October – May), though the Monsoon is also an exciting option.
  Standard HotelsSuperior HotelsDeluxe Hotels
2 - 4 personsUS$ 315US$ 389US$ 484
5 or more personsUS$ 265US$ 339US$ 434
Single room supplement US$ 77US$ 138US$ 201
Cost Information
×
Cost Information

The tour cost quoted is the cost per person, and includes:

  • Hotels: Accommodations in Kathmandu and Nagarkot on twin / triple room-sharing basis with breakfast.
  • Tours: All sightseeing tours with a certified English-speaking guide.
  • Transfers: All land transfers by car (Toyota Corolla or similar) or van (Toyota Hiace or similar).
  • Permits, Fees, & Taxes: All applicable permits, entry fees, and taxes.
  • Tour leader: We provide a tour leader on groups of six or more. A tour leader can be provided upon request for smaller groups, upon additional cost.

Not included in the cost are:

  • Meals other than indicated on itinerary.
  • Personal clothing & equipment (upon confirmation you’ll receive a clothing & necessity checklist of items we recommend you bring, items you can hire / purchase locally are indicated).
  • Personal expenses, bottled / alcoholic beverages, and tips to crew.
  • Insurance: We strongly recommend that all trip participants be covered by their own personal insurance that also covers emergency evacuation.
  • Other unforeseeable expenses that may arise due to factors beyond our control, like bad weather or flight cancellations.
  • Nepal visa fee.

 
  Standard HotelsSuperior HotelsDeluxe Hotels
KathmanduNirvana Garden HotelRoyal Singi HotelHotel Yak & Yeti
NagarkotNagarkot FarmhouseThe Fort ResortClub Himalaya Resort
Request a Booking
Suggested Trips

Vignettes of Nepal

Nepal Discovery

Nepal Adventure

Nepal Trekker

Nepal Explorer

Glimpses of Bhutan