Best of Central Nepal: Rafting & Trekking – 4 Days

You’ll get vistas of the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below as you soar into Kathmandu. After clearing customs, a representative will be there to welcome you outside the airport and help you navigate the initially disorienting tiny, winding streets of Kathmandu to your accommodation.

After you’ve settled in, go exploring in the city. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is an excellent site to start your trip because it is surrounded by tiny stores, historic temples, and neighborhood eateries. Swayambhunath, the white stupa standing above the valley, is the ideal location to watch the sun set over the valley if you want to get some exercise.

The evening is a nice time to eat, and Thamel, a popular tourist destination, offers a wide selection of eateries serving both Western and regional Nepali cuisine.

You will leave Kathmandu for Pokhara, the second-largest city in Nepal and location of Phewa Lake, after breakfast. The city is the starting point for many of Nepal’s well-known treks and is located in a serene valley (827 m). The route passes through traditional villages and terraced fields as it follows the Trishuli River’s banks.

You’ll stop on route for a 3-hour rafting excursion. The river is very secure and a fantastic place to start rafting in Nepal. The trip includes lunch, and it ends at a riverfront resort perched atop a hill with breathtaking views. If you don’t want to go rafting, you may still unwind at the Riverside Resort instead.

After you arrive in Pokhara, check into your hotel and have some free time to relax over dinner and stroll along the lake.

The River Trisuli

Due to its accessibility from Kathmandu, Pokhara, or Chitwan for day trips, the Trisuli is the most popular rafting river in Nepal. It has thrilling (easy to moderate) rapids and magnificent canyons. One of the major tributaries of the Narayaniriver, its sources originate in Tibet. One of the finest things about the Trisuli is that it always provides a fantastic ride, regardless of the season. You’ll experience heavy volume during the monsoon (which is still safe), and the river becomes trickier throughout the winter.

Driving time (Kathmandu to Trishuli): 1-2 hours
Rafting time: 3 hours
Driving time (Trishuli to Pokhara): 3-4 hours

You will travel to another, less busy viewpoint (Bumdikot) with a spectacular view of Phewa Lake, Pokhara, and the stunning Annapurna range this morning as the crowds are forming atop the famed Sarangkot viewpoint.

Your hotel will pick you up, and you’ll be driven to Bumdikot. You will climb up the ridgeline above Phewalake into Pokhara and the World Peace Pagoda after taking in the scenery and a straightforward breakfast. You may either go down to the lake and take a boat across the lake to Pokhara in time for a late lunch, or you can stop at the World Peace Pagoda with its breathtaking views of the Himalaya.

We can assist in setting up another afternoon activity (like paragliding or visiting a waterfall), or you are free to unwind and go exploring on your own.

You’ll be taken to the Pokhara domestic airport following breakfast in order to catch your flight back to Kathmandu. To ensure you’ll have enough time to catch your flight if you’re traveling home from Kathmandu today, make sure your flight doesn’t take off before 11 am. (Around 9:15 am is the earliest you may return to Kathmandu.)