Places you will Visit on the Best of Nepal Tour
The Kathmandu Durbar Square is in the center of the ancient city surrounded by centuries old palaces and wooden temple and this might be one of the best ways to begin your Nepal tour itinerary.
Swyambhunath is a temple located above Kathmandu known as Monkey temple. The prayer flags wave around the stupa surrounded by many monkeys that roam the temple. The breathtaking valleys views definitely worth the climb.
The Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world where the Buddhist monks and locals walk clockwise spinning the prayer wheels. There is something special about this place, even with all the crowd around.
The Pashupatinath Temple is located along the Bagmati River and is the most sacred Hindu shrine in Nepal. Daily cremations take place here allowing tourists to witness local customs.
The Phewa lake will become the main attraction of the Best Nepal Tour in Pokhara. Boats sail slowly across the smooth water, and reflection of the Annapurna mountain range can be seen on its surface.
The Davis Falls always surprises people that visit first time. The water simply vanishes underground in narrow gorge, providing and unusual impression. Just beside it, there is the holy Guptshwor Mahadev Cave a sacred Shiva Shrine located inside limestone walls.
If you visit Sarangkot early in the morning, you can see an amazing orange and golden glow of mountains before the sun gets out of the horizon. This attraction becomes an unforgettable experience for many tourists.
With Chitwan National Park, the tour will become entirely different. With rhinos, elephants and birds, the forest becomes alive, full of wild nature.
Tharu Villages nearby provide tourists with an interesting cultural aspect of Chitwan. Local dances, food and way of life provide an impression of life outside the main cities.
And the complete list of attractions mentioned above proves the reason of such success of the Best of Nepal Tour 14 Days itinerary.
Best time for the Best of Nepal Tour
It is important to know the season when you plan your Best of Nepal Tour. The climate in Nepal changes from season to season and each of them is unique from each other.
Spring (March to May)
Spring is the most popular season to go for touring in Nepal. Forest is covered with bright color rhododendron, skies become clear and the visibility increases, which is amazing to see. The weather in Nepal is quite mild in both highland and plains. Spring is an excellent option for those who are going to combine touring and trekking in Nepal. Even Chitwan is quite suitable in these months.
Autumn (September to November)
Autumn is also the best season due to clear skies after the monsoon rain and remain clear for weeks. During this time sunrise view from Poon hill offers maximum beauty. It also a time of main festival such as Dashain and Tihar. The streets become livelier and places such as Kathmandu Durbar Square feel more active.
Winter (December to February)
Winter is very chill in the morning in places like Ghorepani. There will be clear skies all day long but the number of tourists on the trekking routes is reduced considerably.
Monsoon (June to August)
During Monsoon, there is a lot of rainfall with wet and muddy terrain. It makes trekking very difficult since you cannot get views of the mountains due to the foggy weather. Most of the travelers avoid traveling to Nepal during this particular season.
Difficulty Level of the Best of Nepal Tour
Well then, just how difficult is the Best of Nepal Tour? This is a very good question, and the honest answer is moderate with some challenging days mixed in. You don’t have to be an athlete, but there are a couple of days which are relatively tough.
The cultural and wildlife part of this journey, which involves Kathmandu, Chitwan and Limbuni are very light. You will mostly walk around temple, travel in jeep canoes or even take a short jungle walk. There’s nothing extreme to feel pain on your legs.
However, things get tougher once trekking begins. The hardest part of the Best of Nepal tour starts from Birethangti to Uller where thousands of stone stairs await. After that, it becomes slightly easier, but there will be climbing and descending through Ghorepani, Poonhill, Tadapani and Ghandruk.
Altitude will not be much of a problem since the highest altitude of this tour is at Poon Hill which is about 3,200 m. This is sufficient to walk comfortable for a cold sunrise view but not enough to cause any altitude sickness.
Having descent level of fitness definitely be useful because some training in advance will make your travel much easier.
Meals on the Nepal Tour Itinerary
The meals on the tour generally depend on where you are in the itinerary. The days in the cities will be different than the trekking days, it is useful to know what will be included.
Breakfast
Breakfast is included in every single day during the Best of Nepal Tour 14 days, starting from Kathmandu all the way to the end of the tour. Hotels usually provide breakfast like eggs, toast, and tea while teahouse will serve porridge, pancakes, or Tibetan break on the trek.
Lunch and dinner
During the sightseeing days, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Chitwan, Limbuni and Pokhara, the lunches and dinner are not included in the itinerary, and it allows you to choose whatever restaurant you like and try different cuisine.
With the start of trekking days, starting from Birethanti to Ghorepani, Poonhill, Tadapani, and Ghandruk, then your lunch and dinner will be provided. Tea houses in the way will offer standard menu because food choices are limited at high altitude.
But it is quite natural to have this change because cities will offer you diversity in choices, while trekking days will require fixed meals that will help maintain your stamina while trekking.
Local Nepali Cuising
Whichever meals you choose on the way, you should know that the dal bhat will always remain the best choice for you. It consists of rice, lentils, vegetables, and some pickles that can be taken in as many servings as you wish. Especially useful during trekking days.
Also, in Chitwan, local dishes of Tharu villages will be offered to you. So, the combination of free meals makes the Best of Nepal Tour 14 Days very convenient.
Accommodation on the Nepal Tour Itinerary
Accommodation one the Best of Nepal Tour consist of a mix of comfortable hotels and basic teahouses based on the particular place of the journey you are on.
City and Sightseeing Days
During the tour in cities like Kathmandu, Nagarkot, Chitwan, Lumbini and Pokhara, you will stay in a hotel with facilities like private bathroom, hot shower and other basic facilities. Even Wi-Fi and charging facilities isn’t really problem.
They provide you with comfortable places to rest and relax aftern an exhausting day of traveling. Especially in Nagarkot and Pokhara, you will enjoy excellent views from your room or balcony.
Trekking Days
The accommodation during trekking days changes to teahouses after moving from Ulleri and then moving via Ghorepani, Poonhill, Tadapani, and Ghandruk. They are the simple mountain houses managed by locals for generations.
The rooms in teahouses remain relatively simple, providing twin beds in a room with shared washrooms outside. Hot showers require additional cost, so, do not forget some money with you. Blankets are provided, but a lot of trekkers prefer taking their lightweight sleeping bags additionally.
What to Expect
Although the teahouses are far from any luxury, the comfort of staying there comes mainly from warm welcome. Many teahouses provide communal dining spaces around the fireplace, and this is perfect for relaxing after a tiring walk in the mountain.
The combination of the comfort of the hotel and simplicity of teahouses suit perfectly into the Nepal Tour itinerary. Overall, accommodation in Best of Nepal Tour 14 Days tour combines hotel comforts with teahouse stays.
Cultural Festival During the Tour
The festivals of Nepal make up an entirely different adventure of your travel experience. If your planned tour coincides with one of the festivals, the Nepal tour itinerary will be very vibrant.
Dashain which is the main festival of Nepal where family unites, kites fly everywhere and the atmosphere of celebration is all over the cities. This makes the touring very unique and unforgettable.
The festival of lights called Tihar comes immediately after Dashain. Houses are lit up by oil lamps and electric light strings when the darkness of evening falls. Tihar is also a festival for animals: dogs, cows, and crows are honored on this day in the way you won’t see it anywhere else.
In Bhaktapur there are a lot of festivals which focus on chariots and processions along the streets. Watching these processions gives you an additional depth of a Nepal tour.
And even the Tharu communities from the Chitwan have their own festival season. Traditional dances and music allow tourists to get a taste of real Nepalese countryside life.
Choosing the autumn time for your Best of Nepal Tour 14 Days you are likely to meet such festival on your way. It is an easy way to discover Nepal not only by temples and mountains but by its real culture as well.
Health and Safety
Health and safety on Nepal Tour itinerary can be taken care of easily, but certain precautions will guarantee that everything will go smoothly throughout the whole journey.
Altitude will not be the problem because the maximum elevation this tour reaches are around 3,200 m when visiting the sunrise view from Poon hill. If you are careful enough you will be fine.
As far as drinking water goes, there are certain things you should consider. You are supposed to drink only bottled water through the whole trip and avoid tap water (even washing teeth with it). Luckily enough, all hotels and lodges will provide you with drinking water.
Food safety is another important thing you need to take into account as well. It is crucial to eat only freshly cooked meals.