From a city tour of ancient Kathmandu to game viewing in Chitwan, this trip showcases the best of Nepal. The highlight is a short trek in the Annapurna foothills, surrounded by magnificent Himalayan mountain views and passing through traditional villages. Using luxury lodges, we offer a higher standard of comfort than is normally available on trek, and this premium tour also includes upgraded accommodation in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan. With comfort in mind, we fly back from Chitwan to Kathmandu.
The tour starts at our hotel in Kathmandu this afternoon. Free arrival transfers are available for any flight, provided you have supplied Exodus with your flight details in advance and have requested one. The group flights are scheduled to arrive in the mid-afternoon. This evening there will be a full trip briefing.
Hotel Shangri La
For those who wish, there is the chance to do an optional Everest sightseeing flight early this morning; this can be booked locally through your leader on day 1.
We will leave the hotel late morning for our Kathmandu sightseeing tour. First, we drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Boudhanath to see the famous Buddhist stupa with its huge mandala; one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal and indeed in the world. We have lunch nearby and then continue to Kathmandu Durbar Square (which also has UNESCO status), one of three royal palace squares in the Kathmandu Valley. Although the Kathmandu Durbar Square was heavily damaged in the 2015 earthquake the many palaces, temples and courtyards in the Newari style are interesting. There will be a full trip briefing today.
Hotel Shangri La
We leave Kathmandu early this morning and drive to Pokhara - traffic leaving Kathmandu can prolong the journey but once out of Kathmandu city, the journey usually takes around 6 hours depending on the road and traffic conditions. In the afternoon your leader will take you for an orientation walk along the shore of Phewa Lake. Pokhara is a pretty lakeside resort at the foot of the Annapurna range.
Temple Tree Resort & Spa, Pokhara
We have a short drive to our trek start point, from where we follow a ridgeline in the lower foothills of the Annapurnas with surrounding views of the Pokhara Valley. This route then drops to the Modi River Valley, where Ker & Downey's Sanctuary Lodge is located. The lodge has magnificent views of the sacred and unclimbed Fishtail Mountain, or Machhapuchhare, as it is locally known. A picnic lunch is provided today.
Ker and Downey Lodge (Sanctuary Lodge, 1,025m)
After breakfast, you will leave the lodge to start the trek through the scattered small farms. Following the Modi Khola and with constant views of Mt. Machhapuchhre ahead, you will soon climb the valley towards the mountains. It is quite a long climb up stone steps passing through the rice fields and forest, but we take plenty of stops. Finally, we arrive at Himalaya Lodge in Ghandruk in the early afternoon to a late lunch that is served on arrival as you enjoy the spectacular views of Annapurna Massif.Ker and Downey Lodge (Himalaya Lodge, 2,012m)
Although we can see Landruk across the valley we have to descend to the river and climb up the other side to get there! Leaving the Ghandruk village, the trek descends steeply to the banks of Modi River. Crossing the suspension bridge, we trek up a stone staircase to Landruk village, enjoying the views of the Annapurna Range and passing under the cliffs where honey hunters climb up on the ropes to harvest the wild bee honey. Lunch will be ready as we arrive at our lodge. After lunch, you may either rest and enjoy the spectacular views of the mountains, or go on a sightseeing tour in the village with your guide.
Ker and Downey Lodge (La Bee Lodge, 1,565m)
You will start your trek passing through the village and farmlands with views of the Annapurnas behind. Today is an easier walk to Majgaon with no steep up or downhills. We will arrive at the lodge by lunchtime and in the afternoon you can enjoy the views of the mountains from your room itself or spend time in the garden. There is also the option of a guided village walk.
Ker and Downey Lodge (Gurung / Mala Lodge, 1,400m)
Starting your trek today, you continue trekking towards Patlekhet, a small village on the way towards Pothana. Pothana is used by Tibetan traders to sell their souvenirs and gifts to the tourist trekking up and down the trails to Annapurna Base Camp. As you reach your lodge in Dhampus, you get the spectacular views of the entire Annapurna range. Once at the lodge you will be served hot lunch after which you can take a short walk into Dhampus village.
Ker and Downey Lodge (Basanta Lodge, 1,525m)
After breakfast, we depart along the ridge & descend on a stone staircase through the wooded hillside and terraced farmland to the valley floor. Trek time 1.5-2hrs hours. We then transfer by vehicle to the hotel in Pokhara (1hr). The afternoon is free to explore Pokhara. You may want to visit the interesting mountain museum or you can go for a boat ride on Phewa Lake or hire a bike for a cycle along the lakeshore. Or you may simply want to relax by the hotel pool or wander along the lakeside browsing in the shops. Your leader will brief you on the various options available.
Temple Tree Resort & Spa, Pokhara
We drive from Pokhara to Chitwan, which will take about 4 hours. On a clear day look to the left as we leave Pokhara for the magnificent panoramic views of the Annapurna Range. The road takes us back to Mugling, from where we turn south to the lowlands of Nepal and our jungle lodge in Chitwan. We should arrive by lunchtime and after lunch we’ll meet our naturalist guide who will go over the programme of activities. In the late afternoon we take an ox-cart ride around Tharu village and witness a traditional Tharu dance.
The knowledgeable staff from the lodge will accompany us on all the excursions. Kasara Lodge
Activities may be offered in a different order but usually, the programme will include an early morning bird watching walk before breakfast. Before lunch there will be another activity, normally a trip along the Rapti River in a dugout canoe, looking for crocodile and observing the many birds. Then before dinner, we set out on a jeep safari. If we are lucky we may encounter the Indian one-horned rhinoceros or some of the several species of deer found here.
Kasara Lodge
For those who wish, there is a bird-watching walk early this morning. We then transfer to Bharatpur airport and catch a flight to Kathmandu.
Hotel Shangri La, Kathmandu
The trip finishes after breakfast. Those travelling on the group flights to London will transfer to the airport for their flight back to the UK.
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Our aim is to provide holidays that are unbeatable for choice and flexibility. We've listed our most popular travel options below, however you aren't limited to these - we can tailor-make virtually any holiday to suit.
To find out more about the travel options available call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Here at Headwater we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can continue to develop, and where necessary improve, our services and ensure our holidays continue to be the best they can be. As this is a relatively new holiday, we don't yet have any customer reviews available from our customers, but here are the comments that have been received from previous Exodus travellers.
A wonderful trip - this was out first visit to Nepal, and we were definitely able to experience a lot within the time. From the bustle of Kathmandu (which while manic, was really enjoyable) to the calm of the trekking, walking through the rural villages and seeing how they live. Everyone is so friendly - we Namaste'd a lot! We spent the last night of the trek with our porters where they sang, played drums and danced - we also attempted the dancing! And did a rendition of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes' and 'If You're Happy & You Know It' for them - was good to see them joining in with the moves too! It was a lovely night, full of laughs and big smiles from everyone. In Chitwan we were lucky enough to see 2 Indian one-horned rhinos when we were on the jeep safari. It does get quite busy with other jeeps following similar trails, but definitely worth it.
A wonderfully varied holiday, with city visits, trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas and a jungle safari to see the rhino.
My wife & I went to Nepal with Exodus in March this year & had a fantastic time! As the 'Annapurna in Luxury' group tour didn't exactly meet our needs -we wanted to do water rafting & an elephant experience in Chitwan - SHARMIL at Exodus created a personal itinerary for us. The holiday was great - superb trekking in the Annapurna region, water rafting down the SETI river , various activities in the Chitwan National Park plus a fascinating day in Kathmandu! All Exodus staff were excellent but a special mention to BIKASH - our guide for 5 days of trekking. BIKASH was an outstanding guide/walk leader - he took us on less obvious/well known routes, adjusted the pace to suit our needs (not fast but not slow - taking account of my 'dodgy knee' etc) & encouraged us when we got a bit tired. A very talented Guide/Trekking Leader that we highly recommend ! Thanks for a superb experience ! Steve & Suzanne Marsh
Excellent holiday in Nepal but the level 2 grading is misleading as the walks on two of the days are far harder than level 2. This point has been raised in several reviews by previous travellers and should be picked up by Exodus. The trip code TNX includes a really good mix with trekking, rafting and wildlife. Accommodation was of a really good standard - trekking lodges, Pokhara and Kasara Lodge (Chitwan). The hotel at Kathmandu was perfectly OK but £11 for a beer and soft drink was excessive even for hotel prices.
I would not hesitate to recommend this holiday. The steep ascents of the treks were tough going but the routes through the villages at harvest time and the 'Namaste's of the local children kept me going. Arriving at the beautiful mountain lodges to such wonderful hospitality made it all worth while and the sunrise and sunsets were stunning (we were lucky in having clear skies every day). The rafting was fast enough to be fun and exciting but not scary, and the river camp felt like a real story book adventure. The activities at Chitwan were well planned and allowed for some time to relax by the pool.
Another great trip and an enjoyable diverse itinerary from, temples to trekking, to white water rafting, to safari. Some long days transferring between sites, but well worth it in the end. Great company, excellent leader and a wonderful, friendly country well worth visiting.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
Find out about The Headwater Price Promise to ensure you're getting the very best value for money.
This 12 night guided walking holiday includes:
All breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners
Happy hour drinks in the K&D lodges
All accommodation
All listed transport and activities
One internal flight
Tour leader throughout
Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
Arrival and departure transfers
Trek Pack including a daypack, walking stick, rain poncho, sun hat and scarf
How to book:
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
To enquire about this holiday, or for further information, call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form.
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
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| 21st Oct | US$4579 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
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| 3rd Dec | US$4499 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
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| 17th Mar | US$4499 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
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| 27th Oct | US$4499 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 17th Nov | US$4499 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Dec | US$4449 | Check availability |
The prices quoted for each individual departure supercede those published in our current brochures. Air prices are subject to change and we advise early booking to obtain the best prices. Please see our Planning your holiday and What's included in the price? pages for additional information.
This holiday is operated by our sister company, Exodus
5 nights premium hotels, 5 nights luxury Ker & Downey mountain lodges and 2 nights premium jungle lodge
6 days point-to-point walking with full porterage
Small group size (max. 16 clients)
Min. age 16 yrsLow altitude throughout
Good introductory Himalayan walking
Due to the tailor-made nature of our holidays, we need a little more information in order for us to check availability for Annapurna and Chitwan in Luxury. Simply complete the form below (fields marked * are mandatory) and a member of our sales team will contact you (when it's most convenient for you) to provide availability information, travel options and an accurate price. Of course there's no obligation, but if you do wish to proceed with a booking they will be on-hand to assist you throughout the process.
Alternatively, you can call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 to discuss your requirements in more detail.
