Nepal & Bhutan Explorer

Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of this spectacular square built primarily in the 16th and 17th centuries. Located within it are the Royal Palace and many temples built in the traditional Newari pagoda style. We also visit the Golden Temple and Patan museum. South of the square lies the Kumari Chowk, home to Nepal's living goddess, the Kumari, a prepubescent girl chosen as the incarnation of the Hindu goddess Talejn. The Kumari lives a cloistered life, rarely leaving the confines of the chowk. When she does, it is for important religious festivals, but her feet are not allowed to touch the ground. Once the Kumari reaches puberty, another 3-5-year-old girl will take her place. If she is receiving visitors, we may be able to stop by for a blessing.

Visit this unique old town known as the City of Devotees. Explore Hindu temples, pagodas, palaces, and monuments, including the beautiful wood-carved palace in Durbar Square. You can pick up clay pots and other souvenirs in the colourful open markets and taste home made yogurt, known as khopa dhau, which Bhaktapur is famous for.

Enjoy a cooking demonstration at a local establishment and learn how to make momos (traditional dumplings). Afterwards, taste the delicious dishes made during a Nepali lunch.

Visit Swayambhunath Buddhist temple and Unesco World Heritage Site, the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu. Explore the structure and be sure to check out the Buddha's eyes painted on each side of the Stupa. The site is also known as the monkey temple, for the vast amount of creatures who call the complex home.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Breathe in the fresh air and take in the views of the Himalayas and Phewa Lake while getting your bearings around this scenic city.

Enjoy Pokhara today. Hike in the foothills of the Annapurna Range or take a stroll through the lakeside market of Pokhara.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Experience traditional Chitwan life by opting to participate in a cultural dinner and dance held by our Barauli hosts.

Explore the village and its surroundings with a guided bike ride. Enjoy sunset on the banks of the Narayani river over a cup of tea.

Enjoy the hospitality of the Tharu, an indigenous community from the Teral belt of Nepal who live in eco-friendly homes. Experience their unique culture through dances, songs, and a delicious traditional meal. Stay on the property in private guesthouses that resemble traditional village architecture of the local Tharu people. Enjoy modern conveniences like running water, comfortable beds, and mosquito nets. The 14 cottages are each named after the local woman that manages the property. There are also tended gardens and small patches of farmland in the village compound with animals tethered inside the pastures. Any meals will be eaten in the communal dining hall and the local women will serve you food that has been sourced completely from the surrounding land and community.

Make the most of your free time here in this beautiful place.

Enjoy the hospitality of the Tharu, an indigenous community from the Teral belt of Nepal who live in eco-friendly homes. Experience their unique culture through dances, songs, and a delicious traditional meal. Stay on the property in private guesthouses that resemble traditional village architecture of the local Tharu people. Enjoy modern conveniences like running water, comfortable beds, and mosquito nets. The 14 cottages are each named after the local woman that manages the property. There are also tended gardens and small patches of farmland in the village compound with animals tethered inside the pastures. Any meals will be eaten in the communal dining hall and the local women will serve you food that has been sourced completely from the surrounding land and community.

Explore the diverse ecosystems of Royal Chitwan National Park from the comfort of a 4x4 vehicle. Keep your eyes peeled for the many animals that live there, including birds, monkeys, crocodiles, and rhinos. If you're lucky, you might get to see an elusive tiger.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Finish up your sightseeing in Kathmandu.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

On arrival, take a private transfer to Thimphu.

Explore Thimphu on your own with free time to shop, eat, drink, and relax.

The chorten is one of the most prominent religious structures in Thimphu, and for local Bhutanese it is a popular part of their daily prayers. Watch locals walk around the Chorten, spinning the prayer wheels and meditating in this lovely and peaceful spot.

Thimphu is the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It is also Bhutan's largest city and displays loads of traditional Bhutanese art, architecture, and culture. It's a modern city with unique character. You'll see the old and the new blend together here as you walk the streets lines with restaurants and cafes that sit alongside old fortresses and monasteries. Did you know that Thimphu is the only capital city in the world without any traffic lights? Get to know the area on an orientation experience visiting sites like the textile museum and old clock tower.

Buddha Point is home to Thimphu’s most recognized landmark, the Buddha Dordenma. Guarding the entry to the Thimphu valley, this 51-meter (167ft) gilded bronze statue is filled with 125,000 miniature statues and sits atop a three-storey base housing a chapel and thousands of donated statuettes. The statue was commissioned to mark His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s 60th birthday and was originally made in China before being transported to Thimphu in pieces. The massive Buddha statue in Thimphu made of bronze and gold. Take lots of pictures - it's beautiful!

Enjoy a visit to the Motithang Takin Preserve, which was once a mini zoo. The area was converted into a preserve for Bhutan's national animal, the takin, which is a cross between a goat and an antelope.

Enjoy a visit to Tashichho Dzong, a Buddhist monastery and fortress. Its main building is typical of Bhutanese architecture, with whitewashed walls and a golden roof. The original structure was built in 1216 and now houses the civil government.

Take a short hike to Chime Lhakhang, temple of the “Divine Madman." Built in 1499, it is mainly visited today by women as it is known as the temple of fertility.

Visit Punakha Dzong, the winter seat of the Je Khenpo and the Monk Body, remarkably located between the rivers of the Mo (female) Chu and Pho (male) Chu. It is the second oldest and second largest dzong (fortress) in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures, housing many sacred relics. It is also the winter capital of the Je Khenpo (chief abbot). Built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in around 1637. Arguably, it is the most beautiful Dzong in the country. The Dzong guards Bhutan’s most treasured relic, the Rangjung Kharsapani, an image of Chenresig kept away from the public in the utse (tower). It has survived Tibetan invasions, numerous fires, floods and a glacial lake burst. The Dzong served as the capital and seat of the Bhutanese Government until the early 1950s; and the coronation of the His Majesty the First Druk, Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck, took place here.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Paro lies at the centre of a valley that is full of ancient sites and buildings. The area is covered with terraced paddy fields, quaint farmhouses scattered throughout the valley and green forests overlooking the Paro Chhu River snaking below. Enjoy an orientation walk of this beautiful place and learn about Bhutanese ancient artefacts and art work.

Visit Paro Rinpung Dzong, which means ‘Fortress on a Heap of Jewels”. The original construction of this dzong is believed to have been completed in 1458 and it was restored to its present glory by His Majesty the Third of Bhutan, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, to mark his royal wedding in 1951.

As Bhutan's national sport, a visit to a local archery ground is a must. Watch locals practice or compete with unbelievable accuracy and precision as they hit distant targets.

Take advantage of free time and visit some of the best sites in Paro like, the ruins of the Drukgyel Dzong or Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the two oldest monasteries in Bhutan. Maybe head for a visit to the National Museum of Bhutan. There are statues, paintings, sacred masks and costumes all located in a seven-story watchtower.

Hike up to the Taktsang monastery (Tiger’s Nest); containing 13 holy relics, it's considered one of the most venerated pilgrim sites of the Himalayan world. It is also where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have landed on the back of a tigress in the 8th century. Take in the stunning views en route and the incredible vista from this monastery, which clings to the rock towering 2,953m above the valley. The group will hike from 2400m elevation and reach 3100m at the Taktsang Monastery before returning back to 2400m in the same day. The climb should take around 6 hours for a total distance of 7 km.

Take advantage of free time and visit some of the best sites in Paro like, the ruins of the Drukgyel Dzong or Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the two oldest monasteries in Bhutan. Maybe head for a visit to the National Museum of Bhutan. There are statues, paintings, sacred masks and costumes all located in a seven-story watchtower.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.