Glimpse of Nepal Tour – 5 Days

• The Valley's UNESCO Sites: Three Durbar Squares, two great stupas and Pashupatinath, covered properly.

• Nagarkot Sunrise: One night on the rim at 2,175 m for the Himalayan dawn.

• Dhulikhel and Panauti: Two medieval towns on the eastern rim that short itineraries always skip.

• No Flights, No Long Drives: Everything within ninety minutes of your hotel.

• Built for a Short Stay: Five days that feel unhurried rather than compressed.

October to April is the season for touring Nepal. October and November give the clearest mountain views of the year and comfortable temperatures everywhere from the Terai to the valley rim. December to February are colder in the hills but exceptionally clear, with far fewer visitors at every monument.

March and April bring rhododendron to the hills and warmth back to the plains, though haze builds in the afternoons and the Terai gets hot by late April. The monsoon from June to September makes the mountains unreliable and the roads slower, but the valley is green, the light is dramatic and prices are at their lowest.

Hotels are three-star or better as standard, centrally located and chosen for being quiet rather than merely close. Rooms are twin or double with private bathroom, breakfast and Wi-Fi. Upgrades to four- and five-star properties are available on every package — tell us at booking rather than on arrival.

All road travel is by private air-conditioned vehicle with a driver, sized to the group, with your guide travelling alongside. Where the itinerary crosses the country the domestic flight is included; the Kathmandu–Pokhara road transfer can be swapped for the 25-minute flight as an add-on if you would rather not spend the day driving.

The price covers accommodation, all listed transport, monument and national park entry fees, a government-licensed guide throughout and every activity named in the itinerary. Entry fees are a larger part of the cost than most visitors expect — the seven UNESCO sites alone run to a significant sum — and they are all in.

Meals vary by package: breakfast is always included, and full board is provided where the itinerary goes somewhere with no restaurant choice, such as a jungle lodge or a village homestay. In Kathmandu and Pokhara lunches and dinners are left out deliberately, because both cities have far better eating than any hotel package can arrange.

Bring modest clothing for the temples — shoulders and knees covered, shoes that slip off easily — and layers, since a single day can run from a cold dawn on the valley rim to shirt-sleeve warmth on the Terai. A hat, sunscreen and a refillable bottle are worth carrying everywhere.

Nepal issues visas on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport; bring cash in US dollars and a passport photograph to speed it up. ATMs are plentiful in Kathmandu and Pokhara and scarce elsewhere, so draw what you need before leaving either city. Tipping is customary for guides and drivers and entirely at your discretion.

• Dashain 2026 and 2027 Dates: A Day-by-Day Calendar for Travellers — Dashain 2026 runs from 11 to 25 October, with the tika on Wednesday 21 October — a day later than a simple count suggests.

• Kathmandu & Pokhara Tour: The Complete Guide — Nepal's two cities in one week — three royal squares, two great stupas, a Himalayan sunrise from Nagarkot and dawn over the Annapurnas from Sarangkot.

• What Is Open and Closed in Nepal During Dashain — Government offices and banks shut for a week or more.

• What a Nepal Trip Costs During Dashain: Prices, Booking and Money — Dashain does not make Nepal expensive, but it moves a few costs: flights into and around the country, vehicles on the tika day.