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Premium Nepal & Bhutan

17 Days | Journey through the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan

4.6 out of 5 based on 12 reviews submitted.
Explorer
From
GBP £5,394
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Explore the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan on a 17-day Premium adventure. Be blown away by the majestic snow peaks of the Himalaya mountains, explore the wild lands of Chitwan National Park, learn about black-necked Cranes in Phobjikha, uncover the sacred religions and devoted beliefs of the pilgrims, and find the secret to happiness in Bhutan. Discover spectacular landscapes, rich cultures and magnificent wildlife with experienced local leaders by your side on a journey to remember.

Trip overview

Map of Premium Nepal & Bhutan including Bhutan and Nepal
Start
Kathmandu, Nepal
Finish
Paro, Bhutan
Theme
Explorer
Destinations
Nepal, Bhutan
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Premium
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 12
Trip code
HNPEC
This trip generates 64 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.
Premium accommodation

Our best 4-star accommodation and the highest level of service

Premium experiences

All must-see locations plus authentic experiences exclusive to Premium

Premium knowledge

Trips led by our most experienced and highest-rated local leaders


Why you'll love this trip
  • Experience two incredible Feature Stays – a stylish and elegant resort right on the border of Chitwan National Park, and a traditionally beautiful and eco-conscious resort tucked away in the gorgeous valley of Paro.
  • Get an intimate look at local culture with Exclusive Experiences, including a cooking class with the Seven Women social enterprise, lunch with a Tibetan community in Nepal, and a conversation with a senior monk at a monastery in Bhutan.
  • Witness world-class mountain scenery during a picturesque hike through the inspiring landscapes of Pokhara.
  • Come face to face with rare and fascinating wildlife in the breathtaking Phobjika valley, including a visit to a protection and information centre for black-necked cranes, a Premium Exclusive Experience.
  • Climb to the teetering monastery of Taktsang (the Tiger's Nest) 900 metres above Paro’s valley floor and take in once-in-a-lifetime views.

Is this trip right for you?
  • Nepali infrastructure is still returning to normal after the 2015 earthquake, so some delays are inevitable. Embracing the slow pace and meditative atmosphere will go a long way toward your enjoyment of this beautiful country.
  • Prepare for some drives over narrow, winding roads. The drive from Pokhara to Chitwan is on very windy roads as you climb up and down mountains, there will be a lot of corners and don't forget to buckle up. In Bhutan short distances can take much longer due to small, narrow roads and mountain passes. Motion sickness can be an issue on longer driving days on windy roads.
  • A moderate fitness level is required for the hike in Pokhara and walks in Chitwan National Park. The hike to Tiger’s Nest can also be strenuous. The trek can take up to 5 hours and reach an altitude of 3120 metres.
  • Due to the high altitude of the places we visit in Bhutan some people can suffer altitude sickness, regardless of age, gender or fitness. It even happened to Sir Edmund Hillary! Please see the ‘Medical and Health Information’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
  • All meals are included due to the nature of travelling in Bhutan. This means there may be limited choices on some days.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025

Map of Premium Nepal & Bhutan including Bhutan and Nepal

Inclusions

Meals

15 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 12 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Plane, Jeep, Canoe

Accommodation

Hotel (12 nights), Chitwan Feature Stay (2 nights), Paro Feature Stay (2 nights)

Premium Inclusions
  • Arrival airport transfer
  • Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
  • Luggage transfer
  • Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
  • 24/7 on-ground support
Activities
  • Kathmandu - Welcome dinner
  • Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
  • Kathmandu - Pashupatinath Temple
  • Kathmandu - Durbar Square
  • Kathmandu - Boudhanath Stupa and Monastery visit
  • Kathmandu - Thangka Painting Studio Visit
  • Kathmandu - Swayambhunath Temple
  • Bhaktapur - Leader-led walking tour
  • Nagarkot - Sunset local cocktail at Club Himalaya (one drink included)
  • Kathmandu - Cooking class at Sungava Nepal
  • Pokhara - Phewa Tal Lake boat trip
  • Pokhara - Peace Pagoda
  • Pokhara - Tibetan community visit with momo lunch
  • Pokhara - International Mountain Museum
  • Pokhara - Sarangkot Viewpoint
  • Chitwan NP - Village tour
  • Chitwan - Sunset Snacks by Rapti River
  • Chitwan - Private bush dinner (on hotel grounds)
  • Chitwan - Canoe Safari
  • Chitwan - Jeep Safari Tour
  • Thimphu - Welcome dinner
  • Thimphu - National Library
  • Thimphu - National Textile Museum
  • Thimphu - National Memorial Chorten
  • Thimphu - Takin Conservation Park
  • Thimphu - Zilukha Nunnery
  • Thimphu - Voluntary Artists School
  • Thimphu - Buddha Dordenma
  • Thimpu - Simply Bhutan Heritage Museum
  • Punakha Valley - Chimi Lhakhang
  • Dochula Pass - Druk Wangyal Chortens
  • Thimphu - Simtokha Dzong
  • Punakha - Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
  • Punakha - Punakha Dzong
  • Punakha - Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery
  • Phobjikha - Gangtoe Goemba
  • Phobjikha - Black Necked Crane Information Center
  • Phobjikha - Valley hiking
  • Paro - Tadzong Museum
  • Paro - Drukgyal Dzong
  • Paro - Kaja Throm Market Visit
  • Paro - Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery hike
  • Paro - Home-cooked dinner
  • Paro - Complimentary Departure Transfer
Add on activities
  • Paro - Hot Stone Bath - USD25

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. Complimentary airport arrival and departure transfers are included. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. Entry to Bhutan is very strict and travellers can only enter Bhutan on a group visa as part of a tour. All travellers must arrive on Day 9 and depart on Day 17 to be eligible for a group visa. At time of booking, please provide your booking agent with a scanned colour copy of your passport, a scanned colour passport photo.
4. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport). Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 60 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.
5. Bhutan's airlines are renowned for last minute changes to flight timetables into and out of Bhutan. Please allow a minimum of 24 hours transit time before and after your flights into and out of Bhutan. Timetables are available on the Druk Airlines and Air Bhutan websites.
6. This trip includes domestic and international flights as indicated on the trip map. The luggage allowance for domestic flights is 20kg for check in luggage and 5kg for carry on. The international flight between Nepal and Bhutan has a luggage allowance of 20kg for check in luggage and 5kg for carry on. While in Nepal, you can store excess luggage at the Kathmandu hotel.
7. The Sustainable Development Fee, charged by the government of Bhutan, is included in your trip price. It only applies to the days you will spend in Bhutan.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 based on 12 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Robyn · Traveled September 2024
Had a great trip to Nepal and Bhutan, would recommend
Review submitted 15 Sep 2024

Rhian · Traveled April 2024
This trip was actually 2 back to back trips. There were 10 people in the 1st group and 5 of us went on to Bhutan where 7 other people joined us. Everything about the Nepal trip was excellent. Unfortunately all the meals in Bhutan were included and these meals were the same every day for lunch and dinner which got to be very monotonous. There was no need for this as we could have bought other food at the hotels. For some reason which was never explained the feature stay hotel was changed to a normal hotel which, although it was in the centre of the town which was good, it was definitely not a feature stay so we missed out on that.
Review submitted 25 May 2024

Louise · Traveled March 2024
First time in 16 trips I have complained. This is not an Intrepid trip. You are subcontracted to Amen travel. They know and care little about the usual values you would expect. There is no feature stay we ended up in a poor hotel - no hot water and none of the premium items listed. Bhutan great - just don’t pick this trip. I tried to reach out on the trip to Intrepid about the outsourcing issues but they just pushed me back to the local company. Go to Bhutan but don’t do this trip.
Review submitted 16 Apr 2024

Geraldine · Traveled October 2023
Great trip. Go to Bhutan before tourism really changes it. What a wonderful place to learn about Buddhism in everyday life. We were fortunate to coincide with a festival in Bhutan. Great guides.
Review submitted 14 Nov 2023

James · Traveled October 2023
Our driver Yoda and our group leader BJ went out of there way to keep us safe, comfortable, and excited to book our next Intrepid trip.
Review submitted 13 Nov 2023
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From
GBP £5,394