Kathmandu, Pokhara, Jomsom & Muktinath by Road, 6 Nights

You are met at Kathmandu airport by the operator's representative and transferred to your hotel. Kathmandu is the capital, and the valley around it is the cultural heart of Nepal. The rest of the day is free. Meals included today: none.

This morning is for the Hindu and Buddhist heart of the valley. You visit Pashupatinath, the temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati river that has been on the UNESCO list since 1979, and then Boudhanath, the great stupa that is the holiest Buddhist shrine in Nepal. You continue to Patan, also called Lalitpur, whose Durbar Square holds a very dense collection of temples, then to Swayambhunath, the golden-spired stupa on a hill above the valley with its painted eyes of the Buddha, and finally to the Budhanilkantha temple, where a large reclining statue of Vishnu lies in an open-air pool. The sightseeing runs for a maximum of eight hours from the time the vehicle reports at your hotel. Meals included today: breakfast.

You drive to Pokhara, 210 km from Kathmandu and about seven hours on the road. On the way there is an optional ride on the Manakamana cable car, about ten minutes up to the temple of the goddess who is said to grant wishes, paid for directly. From the hotel in Pokhara there are good views of the mountains in clear weather. Meals included today: breakfast.

This morning you drive to Jomsom, about 190 km and six to eight hours. About half the road is paved and the rest is rough, with many hairpin bends. On the way you stop at the Rupse waterfall, the Tatopani hot spring and the village of Marpha. Jomsom is a small mountain village where only basic accommodation is available, in non-air-conditioned rooms. You spend the night in Jomsom. Meals included today: breakfast.

You set out early for Muktinath. After about 14 km, on a clear day, the vehicle stops at a viewpoint for the snow peaks. The drive to Muktinath follows the Kali Gandaki river and takes one and a half to two hours each way. The vehicle stops at the drop-off point near Muktinath village, and the temple is another 30 minutes' walk; ponies are available and are paid for directly. You make the darshan on your own at the temple of Lord Narayan, known as Muktinath, where 108 water spouts surround the temple. You return to Jomsom and drive back to Pokhara, a drive of six to eight hours. The programme lists the Pokhara temples and the falls for later in the day, and how much of that is possible depends on your arrival time. Meals included today: breakfast.

In the morning you go to Sarangkot, the viewpoint 13 km from Lakeside at about 1,592 metres, for the view of the Pokhara valley and the mountains; the excursion is for a maximum of three hours. You then drive back to Kathmandu and are transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Meals included today: breakfast.

The morning is comparatively free, and in good time for your flight you are transferred to the airport. The package services end at the airport. Meals included today: breakfast.