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Nepal Tour Package — 8 Days: Kathmandu, Pokhara & Chitwan
The classic 8-day Nepal holiday package — Kathmandu's temples, Pokhara's lakes and mountains, and a Chitwan jungle safari, all arranged for you.
This Nepal tour package is the classic 8-day "golden triangle" — Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan — sold as a fully arranged holiday rather than a do-it-yourself trip. There is no trekking and no altitude to worry about: it is a touring holiday that moves from the temples and medieval squares of the Kathmandu Valley to Himalayan views over Phewa Lake in Pokhara, then down to the subtropical jungle of Chitwan National Park for a full safari day — with hotels, transport, guides and park fees organised before you land.
This page lays out the full day-by-day plan, what the package includes, a realistic cost for each hotel class and the best months to travel, so you can compare it like for like and book.
At a glance
| Duration | 8 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
| Route | Kathmandu → Pokhara → Chitwan → Kathmandu |
| Style | Non-trekking tour — private with driver and guide, or small group |
| Activity level | Easy — city walking, optional sunrise starts, jeep safari |
| Best months | October to March (clear mountains + prime safari season) |
| Nights | 3 Kathmandu · 2 Pokhara · 2 Chitwan, hotels throughout |
The 8-day itinerary, day by day
| Day | Plan | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu; airport transfer and welcome briefing | Kathmandu |
| 2 | Guided Kathmandu sightseeing — Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath | Kathmandu |
| 3 | Drive (or 25-minute flight) to Pokhara; afternoon on Phewa Lake | Pokhara |
| 4 | Sarangkot sunrise, World Peace Pagoda, free lakeside afternoon | Pokhara |
| 5 | Drive to Chitwan; riverside sunset and Tharu cultural show | Chitwan |
| 6 | Full safari day — jeep safari, canoe trip, guided jungle walk | Chitwan |
| 7 | Return to Kathmandu; optional late-afternoon Bhaktapur visit | Kathmandu |
| 8 | Final departure | — |
Days 1–2 cover the Kathmandu Valley's headline sights in one well-sequenced guided day: the old royal plaza of Kathmandu Durbar Square, the hilltop stupa of Swayambhunath, Nepal's holiest Hindu temple at Pashupatinath and the great white dome of Boudhanath, where pilgrims circle the stupa at dusk.
Days 3–4 move west to Pokhara — about six hours by road or 25 minutes by air. You'll row out to the island temple on Phewa Lake, then rise before dawn for the Sarangkot sunrise, when the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre light up peak by peak, with the World Peace Pagoda walk or paragliding filling the rest of the day.
Days 5–6 drop south into the Terai lowlands. Day 6 is a full safari day in Chitwan: a jeep safari deep into the park for one-horned rhinos and — if you're lucky — a Bengal tiger, a dugout canoe trip on the Rapti River past basking gharial crocodiles, and a guided jungle walk, with a Tharu cultural dance in the evening.
Day 7 returns you to Kathmandu by early afternoon, leaving time for an optional trip to medieval Bhaktapur before your day 8 departure. The route logic mirrors our independent Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan itinerary, tightened from ten days to eight by guiding the sightseeing and pre-arranging every transfer. Only have a week? The 7-day Kathmandu–Pokhara loop drops Chitwan rather than rushing it.
What's included
A standard 8-day package covers:
- Airport transfers and 7 nights' hotel accommodation (3 Kathmandu, 2 Pokhara, 2 Chitwan) with daily breakfast.
- All ground transport — a private car or van with driver, or a tourist coach on group departures.
- A licensed English-speaking guide for the Kathmandu sightseeing day, plus monument entrance fees on guided days.
- Chitwan on a full-board basis: all meals at the lodge, safari activities, national-park entry fees and a naturalist guide.
- Sarangkot sunrise transfer and Phewa Lake boat trip in Pokhara.
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa, travel insurance, lunches and dinners in Kathmandu and Pokhara, drinks, personal spending, and tips for your guide and driver.
Nepal tour package cost
An 8-day Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan package typically runs from around US$800 per person for a standard group departure to US$1,500 or more for a private deluxe trip, as of 2026. The price moves with four things: hotel class, private versus group travel, whether you fly or drive the Kathmandu–Pokhara leg, and the season. For context on what the same route costs independently, see how much a Nepal trip costs.
- Standard (from ≈US$800): comfortable three-star tourist hotels, tourist-coach transfers on the long legs, small-group sightseeing.
- Deluxe (≈US$1,000–1,300): four-star hotels, a private car with driver throughout, and a better jungle lodge in Chitwan.
- Luxury (≈US$1,500+): five-star and heritage hotels, flights on the Kathmandu–Pokhara leg, and a premium safari lodge on the park's edge.
Luxury and private options
A luxury Nepal tour upgrades the same route rather than changing it: heritage properties in Kathmandu, a lakeview resort in Pokhara, a top-tier jungle lodge with private river-facing rooms in Chitwan, and flights instead of drives wherever possible — pushing well past US$2,000 per person at the top end. Private departures for couples, families or groups of friends run on any date year-round and typically add a modest premium per person over group rates, in exchange for full control of the pace.
Private tour or small group?
The itinerary is identical; the difference is flexibility versus price.
- Private tour (driver + guide): leave when you like, linger where you like, swap a temple for a café afternoon, and adjust the pace for kids or grandparents. This is the format most travellers choose for this route, and the premium over group rates is smaller than most expect.
- Small group: fixed departure dates, a tourist coach on the long legs and shared guiding keep the cost near the bottom of the range — a sociable, efficient option for solo travellers and couples on a budget.
Add-ons and extensions
- Lumbini day (adds 1–2 days): the birthplace of the Buddha at Lumbini slots in naturally after Chitwan — see Chitwan to Lumbini for the logistics.
- Everest mountain flight (adds nothing to the itinerary): the one-hour Everest scenic flight from Kathmandu fits before breakfast on day 7 or 8 — the classic way to see the high Himalaya without trekking.
- A short trek (adds 2–5 days): the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek from Pokhara adds four to five days of classic teahouse trekking, or the overnight Australian Camp walk adds a single mountain sunrise with minimal effort.
Best time to go
October to March is the prime window for this tour, and it is one of the few Nepal trips that gets better deep into winter: October and November bring the clearest mountain views over Pokhara, while January to March is peak safari season in Chitwan, after the tall elephant grass is cut and wildlife is easiest to spot. The June-to-September monsoon hides the peaks and floods the jungle tracks. Pick your month with the best time to visit Nepal guide and the Chitwan safari seasons breakdown.
How active is this tour?
Genuinely easy. The most demanding moments are a few hours of walking around temple complexes, the optional pre-dawn start for Sarangkot (the viewpoint is drivable, so there is no climb), and sitting in an open jeep for the safari. There is no altitude anywhere on the route — Kathmandu sits at 1,400 m and Chitwan near sea level — which makes this the standard choice for families, first-timers and older travellers. Travelling with children? Chitwan is usually the trip highlight; see Chitwan with kids and the wider Nepal family itinerary for pacing tips.
Book this tour
Ready to go, or want to tweak the hotels, dates or pace? Departures run year-round, with private trips on any date — and the itinerary customises easily, from a Lumbini extension to a Poon Hill add-on.
Enquire about this trek
Tell us your dates and group size and we'll come back with departures and a firm price.
Prefer to browse first? See the rest of our Nepal packages.
Frequently asked questions
How much will a Nepal trip cost?+
For a fully arranged 8-day tour package covering Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, budget roughly US$800–1,500 per person as of 2026, depending on hotel class and whether you travel privately or with a small group. That covers hotels, ground transport, a guide, safari activities and park fees. Independent travellers can do a similar route for less — around US$50–90 a day at mid-range — but arrange every hotel, driver and safari themselves. International flights, your Nepal visa and travel insurance are extra either way.
Which month is best for a Nepal trip?+
October and November are the best months overall, with the clearest skies and the most reliable Himalayan views from Pokhara and Sarangkot. For this particular tour the whole October-to-March window works beautifully, because the cool dry season is also prime time for spotting rhinos in Chitwan. March and April are a strong second, with warm days and rhododendrons in bloom; the June-to-September monsoon hides the peaks behind cloud and turns jungle tracks to mud.
How many days are enough for a Nepal tour?+
Eight days is the sweet spot for the classic non-trekking circuit. It gives you a full sightseeing day in the Kathmandu Valley, two nights in Pokhara with a Sarangkot sunrise, and two nights in Chitwan with a complete safari day — without the daily hotel changes a seven-day version forces. With ten days you can add Lumbini or a short trek; with only a week, it is better to drop Chitwan than to rush it.
Is Nepal cheap for tourists?+
Yes — Nepal remains one of Asia's most affordable destinations. Backpackers manage on US$25–40 a day, and even a fully organised private tour with hotels, driver, guide and safari included usually costs less than a comparable packaged trip in most other countries. Where you spend more is on comfort: heritage hotels, private transport and premium jungle lodges push a package toward the top of the range, but the value stays strong at every tier.
What is included in a Nepal tour package?+
A standard package covers airport transfers, seven nights of hotels with breakfast, all ground transport between Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, a licensed English-speaking guide for sightseeing days, and Chitwan on a full-board basis with safari activities and national-park fees. Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa, travel insurance, lunches and dinners in Kathmandu and Pokhara, drinks, and tips for your guide and driver. Each operator varies slightly, so always check the inclusion list line by line.
Can you customise the itinerary?+
Yes — this is one of the easiest tours in Nepal to tailor. Private departures run on any date, and every element can be adjusted: fly instead of drive between Kathmandu and Pokhara, add a third Chitwan night or a Lumbini extension, upgrade individual hotels rather than the whole trip, or slow the pacing for children and older travellers. Group departures follow the fixed itinerary, so travellers who want changes should book the private version.
Is this tour suitable for families and older travellers?+
Very much so — it is the route most families choose for a first Nepal trip. There is no altitude, no trekking and no long forced march: sightseeing is done at your own pace, the safari is by jeep, and hotels are comfortable throughout. The longest road day is five to six hours, easily broken with stops. Children generally love Chitwan best, between the jeep safari, the canoe trip and the elephant-free ethical wildlife viewing.
