Hilltop Nights: Boutique Nepal for Two
- Duration
- 8 days
- Max altitude
- 2,175 m
- Difficulty
-
Easy
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Spring (Mar–May) · Winter (Dec–Feb)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $1,520.00
Overview
Most Nepal itineraries race you between sights. This one does the opposite. You sleep high on three different ridges and spend the days between them doing very little on purpose, with a driver and guide whose job is to protect your time.
You begin at a quiet ridge hotel above Bhaktapur and wake to the Himalaya from your bed. In Bandipur, a car-free Newari hill town, you stay in a restored merchant house and walk the lantern-lit bazaar after dark. In Pokhara you finish with a lake view suite, a long massage and a private boat. In between there is a cooking class in a family kitchen and an afternoon with a tea farmer.
It is private for two, planned with small hotels we trust, and the pace is as slow as you want it.
Trip highlights
- Three different hilltop hotels with mountain views from the room
- Car-free evenings in a restored merchant house in Bandipur
- Newari cooking class in a family kitchen
- Spa afternoon and private boat in Pokhara
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu 1,400 m Boutique hotel Notincluded
Airport pickup and a short drive to your hotel. Rest and a quiet dinner nearby.
-
Day 2: To Nagarkot via Bhaktapur 2,175 m Ridge hotel B
Time in Bhaktapur's old squares, then up to the ridge for sunset and a night with the Himalaya outside your window.
-
Day 3: Sunrise and a slow drive to Bandipur 1,030 m Restored merchant house B
Sunrise over the range, a late breakfast and a four hour scenic drive to Bandipur. Evening walk through the lantern-lit bazaar.
-
Day 4: Bandipur at your pace 1,030 m Restored merchant house B/L
A walk to Siddha Cave and Thani Mai temple, tea with a local family and a cooking class in the afternoon.
-
Day 5: Drive to Pokhara 820 m Lakeside hotel B
A scenic drive via Dumre and the Marsyangdi valley to Pokhara. Free afternoon by the lake.
-
Day 6: Lake, spa and sunset 820 m Lakeside hotel B
A private boat to the island temple in the morning. A spa afternoon for two. Dinner on your own at a lakeside restaurant.
-
Day 7: Sarangkot sunrise and back to Kathmandu 1,600 m Boutique hotel B
Early start for Sarangkot, then breakfast and the flight or drive back to Kathmandu.
-
Day 8: Departure 1,400 m B
Breakfast and transfer to the airport.
Altitude profile
The climb, day by day
Comfort tiers
Choose your level of comfort
| Amenity | Standardfrom $1,950.00 | Comfortfrom $2,262.00 | Luxuryfrom $2,730.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu hotel | 3★ | 4★ | 5★ |
| Trail accommodation | Standard teahouse | Best lodge in each village | Premium lodge where the route has one |
| Porter support | Shared porter | Private porter, lighter load | Extra porter, carry almost nothing |
| Transfers | Shared | Private | Private, throughout |
What's included
Included
- Included: Airport pickup and drop
- Included: Seven nights in boutique hotels with breakfast: Nagarkot, Bandipur, Pokhara and Kathmandu
- Included: Private vehicle with driver for the full trip
- Included: Licensed English-speaking guide on the days with sightseeing
- Included: Cooking class with lunch in a family kitchen
- Included: Spa treatment for two in Pokhara (60 minutes each)
- Included: Private boat on Phewa Lake
- Included: Entry fees, government taxes and our service charge
Not included
- Not included: International airfare and the Nepal entry visa
- Not included: Travel insurance
- Not included: Lunches and dinners not listed, and all drinks
- Not included: Extra spa treatments
- Not included: Tips for the guide and driver
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Know before you go
Suitability & requirements
Roads in the hills can be winding, and the drive from Kathmandu to Bandipur is about four hours. Views from the ridges are best from October to March. Boutique hotels are small, so we book early for autumn and spring.
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller | $1,950.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 travellers | $1,520.00 | $430.00 |
| 4 to 6 travellers | $1,420.00 | $530.00 |
| 7 or more | $1,340.00 | $610.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
- Winter (Dec–Feb)Cold and quiet, with the clearest skies of the year at lower altitude. High passes and very high routes are best avoided.
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