Welcome to Kathmandu, the colorful capital of Nepal. Upon arriving at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be welcomed by our enthusiastic local guide with smiles, then transfer to Kathmandu downtown to check in your hotel by an air-conditioned vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

At evening, a "Welcome Dinner" will be held for you at an excellent traditional Nepalese Restaurant where you will enjoy a Nepalese cultural program as well as a fine dinner.

Free time ideas: 1) visit Garden of Dreams, Royal Botanical Garden; 2) Walk around Thamel, Ason or Indrachowk bazaar.

This morning with your tour guide, you will travel towards to the western delight of Kathmandu Valley - Swayambhunath, the Kathmandu's most ancient and enigmatic holy shrine with a history over 2500 years. There are a lot of monkeys residing in the Temple, that's why the shrine is also famous as the Monkey Temple. It is an excellent place for a quick hike and some fresh air. On the clear days, you are able to see a line of Himalayan Ranges, and enjoy a fine view over Kathmandu city and the valley.

Next, you will get to the giant Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath which is the largest stupa in the world with a height of 131ft (39.93 m), also one of the most important Buddhist sacred sites in Kathmandu valley. The stupa was built around the 5th century A.D. with a highly unique three level mandala style structure. The location of the stupa is on the ancient trade road to Tibet where the merchants from Tibet rested and hanged prayer flags here for centuries.

After a shortwhile driving from Kathmandu, you will move to Bhaktapur which offers you the less disturbed cultural experience. In the ancient time, Bhaktapur was also known as Bhadgaon (the land of rice). The city was one of three medieval city-states in the Kathmandu Valley as well as the best preserved one. You can please your eyes with beautiful medieval arts and grand architecture, and walk through the stone patched streets to explore local culture and lifestyle. Not to be missed place include Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nyatapola Temple square, Bhaktapur National Art Gallery and the 55 Windows Palace. There is also a pottery square where you can find a traditional way of producing pottery which has been passed down from generation to generation.

Leaving Bhaktapusr you'll be transferred to Nagarkot. Situated 34km north-east of Kathmandu, Nagarkot is one of the most beautiful places in Nepal as well as a quieter place to escape from Kathmandu’s hustle and bustle. Enjoy the beautiful sunset if time and weather permits.

Get up early in the morning to catch the precious moment to watch the breathtaking sunrise over Himalayan Mountains. You can see five of the world’s tallest mountains – Everest (8,848m.), Lhotse (8,516m.), Cho Oyu (8,201m.), Makalu (8,463m.) – and many other lesser summits in clear days.

In the afternoon, you’ll be transferred to Pokhara. Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 827m from the sea level and 200 km west of Kathmandu valley, the city is known as a center of adventure. The enchanting city with a population of around 95,000 has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panaromic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the city has not only become the starting point for most popular trekking and rafting destinations but also a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Stay overnight in Pokhara.

Get up in the early morning and go to Sarangkot to enjoy breathtaking sunrise. When the sun picks out the peaks, they are transformed from a purple-pink to a celestial gold. As the day breaks thoroughly, you can admire a wonderful panoramic sweep of Himalayan peaks from west to east, which is praised as one of the most beautiful picture in Nepal. After the spectacular sunrise and landscape weeping at Sarangkot, you will drive to Peace Temple to see the brilliant World Peace Pagoda. The road to the pagoda is not in very good condition, but scenery is stunning. Constructed by the Buddhists from Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji organization, World Peace Pagoda expresses the good wishes of world peace. While seeing the enchanting natural sights around, you will also get a feeling of inner peace as well.

After lunch, you will visit Devil’s Fall, locally known as Patale Chhango (Hell’s Fall). It is an awesome waterfall lying about 2 km south-west of Pokhara Airport on the highway to Tanmen. Then, pay a visit to the nearby Gupteswar Gupha, which is a sacred cave. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. Afterwards, you will have a relaxed journey in Phewa Lake which is the second largest lake in Nepal. You can take one of the beautifully painted boats to cruise on the lake or enjoy a relaxing biking around the lake. You will then visit the most important religious monument in Pokhara - Barahi Temple which is built almost in the middle of Phewa Lake. The two storied pagoda is dedicated to boar manifestation of Ajima, the protector deity representing the female force Shakti.

Recommended optional activities:

1) Paragliding into the sky to witness the magnificent view of the snow peaks and pristine lakes with an experienced pilot; 2) Enjoy a relaxing biking around Phewa Lake.

Today after breakfast, you will drive about 5 hours to Chitwan which is famous for Chitwan National Park.

Chitwan is the first national park, the oldest wildlife reserve and one of the most famous tourist destinations in Nepal. Because of its remaining undisturbed vestiges of the Terai Region and particularly rich flora & fauna, it is listed in UNESECO World Heritage. There are over 70 recorded mammal species and hundreds of species of birds reside in the park.

After checking into the hotel and getting refreshed you will be briefed about full nature programs by nature guide. Then you'll head on for activities. There will be a guided village walk and a walk on the banks of the Rapti River to watch the charming sunset views in the sub-tropical jungle.

In the evening, dinner with Tharu Cultural Program by ethnic tribal people with their Tharu dances (like Stick Dance, Fire Dance and Peacock Dance) and tribal drums. It will entertain you as well as introduce you the Tharu culture and tradition.

Today, you will have a full day enjoying safari in Chitwan National Park. As the home to sizable populations of wildlife, this park will undoubtedly offer you a splendid experience with the nature. In Chitwan National Park, you can find various endangered animals (like single-horned rhinoceros, Bengal Tiger, Leopards, Mugger Crocodile, Indian rock python and several species of deer, etc.), some amphibians (like golden monitor lizard, crocodiles, python…) and over 500 species of birds (like lesser florican, large hornbill, black stork, white stork, etc.) There is a variety of excursions to have nature fun in Chitwan National Park, including Jeep safari, Canoe Ride, Jungle Walk and Elephant Safari, you can choose one or some of them according your own time and interest. Please tell your travel consultant your likes before booking the tour, and the final quotation will differ by activities you choose.

Jeep Safari: Jeep Safari allows you to travel into deep forest of jungle and get a better opportunity to take a view of more wild animals closely. The whole Jeep safari trip takes about 4 ~ 5 hours.

Canoe Ride: Canoeing at Rapti River is also a great adventurous experience. You are able to observe crocodiles basking motionlessly under the sun with their snouts wide. It is also possible to see the exotic species of birds sipping at the waters. It takes about 45 minutes usually.

Jungle Walk: Exploring the park on foot is a fantastic way to see the nature as well. Walking through the tall grasses and twisting vines, you will spot some wild animals and rare birds as well. Jungle walk takes 1.5 ~ 2 hours usually.

Elephant Safari: Exploring Chitwan National Park on the back to lumbering elephant offers you a safe and splendid vantage point high above the towering bushes. You may even take a bath with an elephant and learn how to wash your elephant!

Stay overnight in Chitwan.

Note: our price is based on Elephant Safari + Jungle Walk. Please tell your travel consultant your likes before booking the tour, and the final quotation will differ by activities you choose.

After breakfast, drive back to Kathmandu Valley from Chitwan.

In the afternoon, you will visit Patan, the second largest city in Kathmandu valley. Compared with Kathmandu city, Patan is quieter, a living place to experience Nepal local culture and lifestyle. You will visit its landmark - Patan Durbar Square which is honored as the finest collection of temples and palaces with exquisite carvings in Nepal. There are Hindu and Buddhist relic sites spread around the square. Most famous one is Krishna Temple which is said to be carved from a single enormous stone. Enjoy the beautiful stone works, religious sculptures, and have a leisure stroll through packed streets of souvenirs in the square.

After the nice refreshing tour of the Heritage and religious sites, drive back to your hotel in Kathmandu.

Early this morning, your driver will meet you at your hotel and then take you to the airport to catch your international flight to Paro Airport, the sole international airport in Bhutan. If you sit near the left window of your plane, and fly in a clear day, you will be very lucky to enjoy a spectacular view of the Himalaya peaks, including the world's highest mountain Mount Everest (Alt: 29,029ft) and its neighbors - Mt. Lhotse (the worlds fourth highest mountain, Alt: 27,940ft), Mt. Makalu (the world's fifth highest mountain, Alt: 27,838ft) and Mt. Nuptse (Alt: 25,791ft) as you approach Paro (Alt: 7,364ft). The captain's broadcast introduction and the magazines on the plane will help you recognize these peaks.

Upon arrival at Paro Airport, you will be greeted by your local travel guide and driver, and drive to Paro Town to start your wonderful journey. You will firstly visit Rinpung Dzong, also known as Paro Dzong, is reputed as the finest example of Bhutanese dzong which was an important bastion for the Kingdom of Bhutan against invasion from the north. At present, it houses the Monastic Body and government offices, and serves as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district. After appreciating these charming architectures in Rinpung Dzong, visit Bhutan National Museum which is housed in Rinpung Dzong’s watchtower, keeping the rich culture and history of Bhutan. There are many impressive collections displayed in its five galleries, including traditional thangkas, festival masks, religious statues, interesting carvings, etc. Nextly, take a leisure walk through the cantilever bridge to Paro Town to attend an archery game which is Bhutan's official national gage, played almost every day on the ground. Lastly, drive about 1.5 hours to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan Kingdom, for accommodation.

This morning you will start the day by visiting the National Memorial Chorten (shrine), a monument dedicated to the past 3rd king of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. More than a memorial stupa, it is also one important religious center for Bhutanese daily worship. Then go to visit National Institute for Zorig Chusum, a school where students are taught to make Bhutan’s 13 traditional arts and crafts, like painting, woodcarving, embroidery, statue-making and so on. Next, go to Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, an informative and indulging museum with excellent exhibition of the evolution of Post & Telegraph in Bhutan as well as good details on historical and symbolic interpretation behind stamps. Afterward, drive to Buddha View Point where a massive bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma sits. The statue is placed on a lotus and below it is a meditation hall housed with 125,000 small statues of Buddha. This Buddha dominates over the valley of Thimphu, and you can hardly tell whether the view from Buddha Dordenma or the view of Buddha Dordenma is more spectacular.

Leaving Thimphu, drive through a forest of pine and hemlock, up to cross over the Dochu La Pass (Alt: 10142ft/ 3,050 m). From the place, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the majestic Himalaya Mountains. Keep driving along the winding road to the fertile valley of Punakha (Alt: 4430ft/ 1,350 meters).

Accommodate in Punakha Town.

Tip: there are many other interesting museums where you can probe into Bhutan's culture, history and local people's daily life, including Simply Bhutan Museum, National Textile Museum, National Library and Archives of Bhutan, etc. Feel free to tell your travel consultant if you are interested in visiting any one of them.

After breakfast, you will go to visit Punakha Dzong, situated between Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (male and female rivers) and featuring in three docheys (one more than other dzongs). It is praised by many people as the most beautiful one in Bhutan’s 21 dzongs, especially in spring when the lilac jacaranda trees in blossom. Next, move to Wangdu Phodrang Dzong, where you can get a commanding view of the below valleys. In fact, Wangdu Phodrang Dzong enjoys an important status in the history as well, and it was the second capital city in the early days. Since Wangdu Phodrang is situated on the ridge, you can walk down to the bridge and have a short hiking to the village of Rinchangang. After the wonderful sightseeing, drive to the Chimi Lhakhang, a mysterious temple built in 1499 by the legendary “Divine Madman” - lama Drukpa Kunley. There is a tradition that the childless women can visit this temple to receive a wang (blessing) from the saint, then they will have a child.

After lunch, drive about 3.5 hours back to Paro. Have a good night in Paro Town.

Start the day with short drive to Paro’s upper valley. If the day is clear, you’ll have an unforgettable view of the “Goddess” – Mt.Chomolhari (23,640 feet).

Afterward, it’s a short drive to Taktsang trail ahead. Take a challenging but necessary 2~3 hours’ trek to Taktsang Monastery, the most famous monastery in Bhutan, also known as “Tiger Nest Monastery, because Guru Rinpoche reportedly flew to the site on the back of a flying tiger late in the 7th century. Between blue pines and a blue sky, the monastery perches miraculously on a cliff nearly 2,700 feet above Paro’s valley floor. Break along the way for tea and snacks in small tea house, and the view of both Taktsang Monastery and Paro Valley is magnificent.

Hike down the mountain, then drive back to Paro for accommodation.

Tips: 1) it takes about 2 ~ 3 hours to trek from the parking lot to Taktsang Monastery, and you could ride a horse for the first hour; 2) photography is strictly forbidden in the monastery, but you can take a nice shot on your road to Taktsang Monastery; 3) travelers have to deposit all belongings (cameras, phones or other electronic equipment and bags) at the entrance.

Your journey in Bhutan comes to an end today! After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel in time then transfer to the airport to catch your flight to next destination. Before that, you can take a rest at the hotel or go for a walk nearby.

Tips: Please pack your luggage carefully and make sure all your belongs are packed, especially small things like camera charge, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet, towel, etc.