Are you looking for a combined Kathmandu-Pokhara Tour and Day Hiking Itinerary? You’re in the right place. This article is about exploring Nepal’s major cities and hiking around them.
Hi, my name is Raj, and I have over a decade of experience in the travel industry in Nepal, customizing itineraries. Today, on this page, I will give you some ideas for planning a Nepal Itinerary that includes the significant cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara, with day-hiking options.
First, the more time you have, the better you can customize the itinerary. However, if you have limited time but want to visit Kathmandu and Pokhara and hike, you may want to know some of this essential information first, so you know exactly how it works.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Things to keep in mind: the longer the days you have, the cheaper the trip cost will become.
You may need at least 4 nights and 5 days in Nepal, with a flight option. This will cover Kathmandu, Pokhara, and day hiking.
Things to remember: the longer the days you have, the cheaper the trip cost will become. Especially if you are willing to experience the tourist bus ride or even a local bus, instead, if you choose flight options, you may significantly save time (at least two full-day activities). The cost of this trip will increase due to the flight cost. Here is how it’s compared.
| Travel Options | Days You Save/Need | Travel Time | Budget Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight In and Tourist Bus Out | Save One Day | 30 Min. Flight/7-8 Hour Drive | Medium |
| The Round-Trip Flight | Save Two Days | 1 Hour Round-Trip Flight | Expensive |
| The round-Trip Tourist Bus | Two Additional Full Days | 15-16 Hours on a Tourist Bus | Budget |
The tourist bus ride between Kathmandu and Pokhara may take up to 7-8 hours, but because of the departure time and break in between, you will spend almost a full day inside the bus. The tourist bus departs from both cities at 7:00 AM and is expected to arrive around 3:00 PM.
Arrival and Departure To and From Nepal
You shouldn’t count the day you touch down in Nepal, mainly because there is insufficient time unless you arrive on a morning flight. The same goes for the day you depart, unless it is a night flight.
The good news is that if you arrive on the morning flight or depart on the late afternoon flight, you may include Kathmandu sightseeing stright after you arrive or before departure.
You shouldn’t count the days of arrival and departure, unless it is an early touchdown and a late afternoon departure.
It’s bad news! If the flight arrives or departs midday, you might not count the activities day and leave the hotel for your final departure. The same goes for your arrival day.
What Activities to Consider?
Five nights exploring Kathmandu’s iconic world heritage sites and hiking around Pokhara should be enough. Here are some possible activities around Kathmandu.
One night and two days in Kathmandu should be enough time to explore the significant sites.
Activities in Kathmandu
World Heritage Sightseeing: A full-day Kathmandu sightseeing tour may last 7-8 hours. The tour covers five major UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Swoyambhunath, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath, Patan Durbar Square, and Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Bhaktapur Nagarkot Day Tour
Nagarkot is a hill station worth visiting for its early-morning and late-afternoon views of the Himalayas. It is excellent for a day tour or even an overnight stay. But if you don’t have time for an overnight stay, you may want to explore Bhaktapur City and have a quick drive-through.
However, Nagarkot is also one of the famous hiking destinations near Kathmandu Valley. Day hiking from Changunarayan or a two-night, three-day Kathmandu Valley trek is a great way to enjoy the area around Nagarkot and Bhaktapur.
Khokana Bungmati and Kritipur Sightseeing
It’s an old town southwest of the Kathmandu Valley, Khokana, Bungmati, and Kritipur. It is an ancient city dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Many tourists don’t include this in their itinerary, but it might be perfect if you like to venture to different sites. It’s a full-day tour and requires a tour guide.
Thamel Dreams of Garden and Local Market
The local market, Ashan, Indra Chowk, near Thamel (The only tourist town in Kathmandu, Nepal), has some exciting local things hidden. You may want to include Dreams of Garden, Thamel, Ashan, Indra Chowk, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and the New Road walking tour.
This area doesn’t require a guide, and it’s free. You can explore independently. Some of my clients said they enjoyed this walking tour the most, finding the exotic looks of old Kathmandu.
It depends on how much you want to explore, but this self-guided walking tour may take as little as 3 hours and as long as a full day.
If you don’t like walking this far but love visiting the local market, you can take a three-wheeler tricycle—a Rickshaw in Nepal.
Mountain Flight Over the Himalayas
If you don’t have the time and energy to climb the Everest Base Camp Trek for two weeks, an early Mountain Flight might be the right option.
Two types of facilities are available: A helicopter and a small aircraft. The helicopter costs about USD 1,250 to 1,300 per person for a 3/4-hour touchdown tour to Everest Base Camp, while the small plane costs about USD 215 per person for a 1-hour sightseeing tour from the top.
Activities in Pokhara
Pokhara is all about nature: lakes, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, etc. If you compare Pokhara with Zürich, Switzerland, they go head-to-head. It offers adventure lovers the best natural activities: Paragliding, Hot Air Ballooning, Zip lining, Bungee jumping, Boating, Rafting, Biking, and Hiking.
On a clear day, Pokhara offers a magnificent view of the Himalayas from every corner. Even if the tourists have a tight schedule, they don’t miss a Pokhara city tour, Sarangkot sunrise, or boating in Phewa Lake.
Let me break down how you can spend your time in Pokhara.
Day 01 Activities in Pokhara
Fly to Pokhara and tour the city, which includes Davis Falls, Gupteshwor Cave, Mountain Museum, Seti George, Old Pokhara town, Mahendra Cave, and a sunset tour of the Himalayas from the Stupa in the evening.
Take an early flight to Pokhara and explore the city. You might be able to do the Stupa sunset on the same day. However, if you choose the tourist bus option, you may still be able to make it to the sunset tour.
On a clear day, a flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara offers some of the most spectacular mountain views of Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and the Ganesh Himal range. So, flying to Pokhara saves time on the journey between cities and offers incredible views of the Himalayas.
Day 02 Activities in Pokhara
Instead of taking a car to the Stupa, a hiking lover can make a day hike there. If so, you must take a boat to cross the Phewa Lake and trek to the Stupa.
Going back and forth will take roughly 4-5 hours. You can include boating on Phewa Lake and a walking tour on the same day to make it a full day to enjoy.
Day 03 Activities in Pokhara
Your day 03 is going to be exciting. Do the sunrise hike to Sarangkot and hike to Naudanda. To make it even more interesting, you should wake up early, take a private car to the base of the Sarangkot Hills, and hike to the top of Sarangkot before sunrise.
Almost no tourist would miss this activity in Pokhara, as the Sarangkot Sunrise Tour is among the best. There are a few things you should know. You can drive to the base and back to Pokhara for someone who doesn’t like or can’t drive.
A little add-on: Instead of driving back, you can take the Paragliding down to the city, another popular option among adventure seekers.
If you want to enjoy the mountain village further, instead of paragliding down or driving back, extend your day hike to Naudanda and take a taxi back to Pokhara.
Day 04/05 Activities in Pokhara
A 2-night, 3-day hike to Dhampus Sarangkot is one of the most popular hiking ideas among hiking lovers. With this idea, you will spend one night in Dhampus, the second in Sarangkot, and the third in Pokhara, do some sightseeing, and return to Kathmandu.
Kathmandu Pokhara Tour with Hiking (Sample Itinerary)
Everything you just read is about the possibilities around Kathmandu and Pokhara. Depending on what you like, we can help you draft the itineraries. However, combining my expertise and the most loving ideas is here to make your life easy.
Sample Itinerary 01 without Hiking
Day 01: Visit four major world heritage sites in private cars (Shyambhunath, Patan, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath).
Day 02: Early flight to Pokhara and sightseeing in the city. David Falls, Gupteshor Cave, Mountain Museum, Seti George, Old Pokhara town, and Mahendra Cave. And the Himalayas sunset tour from the Stupa in the evening. Overnight in Pokhara.
Day 03: Early-morning sunrise tour of the Sarangkot Himalayas, a day hike to Naudanda, or paragliding back to the city. People like boating on Phewa Lake, hiking around the lake, going to the local market, shopping, and having a free afternoon.
Day 04: Drive in a private car from Pokhara to Kathmandu on a tourist bus (7-8 hours) and to Nagarkot. The total journey will take about 8-9 hours, but this is the cheapest option and the best way to enjoy Nepal’s landscape by overland. Considering the flight cost, you can take the flight back to Kathmandu and transfer back to Nagarkot. Overnight in Nagarkot.
Day 05: At Nagarkot, you will enjoy the early sunrise view of the Himalayas from your hotel’s rooftop. Depending on the weather, you will see some of the most spectacular views of the Himalayas from Nagarkot. After breakfast, you can continiue sightseeing in Bhaktapur, which is on the way to Kathmandu airport.
Sample Itinerary 02 with Hiking
Day 01: In private cars, visit four major World Heritage Sites (Swoyambhunath, Patan, Pashupatinath, and Bouddhanath). It takes about 6 hours to complete. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 02: Kathmandu to Pokhara on an early flight and hike to Dhampus. Overnight in Australian Camp. You will take a taxi/car from Pokhara Airport Phedi and then go on about 5/6 hours of trek to get to the camp. It is a relatively easy hike.
Day 03: Dhampus to Naudada hike and take a taxi to Sarangkot. Sarangkot is one of the most popular hill stations for sunrise and sunset views of the Annapurna range. Overlooking the view of Pokhara city, hundreds of gliders are gliding in the sky above Sarangkot every day. If you are one of them, this is the right place to take a chance on paragliding.
Day 04: Hike to Pokhara or glide down if you love Paragliding. Pokhara sightseeing in the afternoon. You can enjoy Pokhara by visiting David Falls, Gupteshor Cave, Mountain Museum, Seti George, Old Pokhara Town, and Mahendra Cave. If you want to relax by taking independent walks around the lakeside, boating in Phewa Lake is also an alternative option. Overnight in Pokhara
Day 05: Depending on your budget, you can take the bus to Kathmandu or a flight back to Kathmandu.
Conclusion
There are many ways to create a Kathmandu Pokhara tour and a day hiking itinerary. However, the one we just read is only a few. The itinerary and activities will depend on your available days from start to end. If you don’t know what to do or where to go in Nepal, we are here to help. NEST Adventure is one of Nepal’s leading companies, offering customers some of the best customized itineraries. If you want to receive our exclusive offer, email us the exact time frame you’re available so we can take a look and see if we can fit it in. It helps me to understand if you include your interests, budget, mode of transportation, and hotel categories.
