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Detailed Itinerary-

Day 1 Arrive Kathmandu
It is a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. A representative and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The representative will help you check into your designated hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about your daily activities.

Day 2 Sightseeing of Kathmandu Valley
After breakfast, you begin your exclusive Kathmandu sightseeing tour with visits to Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath and Pashupatinath temple, one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites. Then you will be taken to visit the 2000 year old Swoyambhunath. Stupa of Swoyambhunath epitomizes Buddhism for Buddhist sect. This place offers a majestic view of the entire Kathmandu valley. After a delicious lunch, you are then transported to Patan, lying 5kms away from Kathmandu Valley on the South-East. You grasp a better understanding of Nepalese culture after visiting Patan Durbar Square, Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple and Golden Temple. By the end of the trip you will be left enchanted by the beauty of craftsmanship and art in Nepal.

Day 3 Fly to Pokhara & Sightseeing in Pokhara
After a healthy breakfast, you fly to Pokhara which is 200 km away from Kathmandu. On reaching Pokhara, you will be escorted to the best resort or hotel of your choice. Pokhara will have you mesmerized with its majestic sight of snow-capped mountain peaks and exquisite beauty. Pokhara is most popular for its lakes Phewa, Begnas and Rupa. Your trip includes visits to all these exotic places. You can also go for boating on these famous lakes. Exploring the deep-seated mysteries of intriguing caves like Mahendra Gupha will further heighten your adventure spirit. The Davis Fall, the gorge of the Seti River and Tibetan refugee camp are other places you will be sightseeing in Pokhara.

Day 4 Boating on Phewa Lake & drive to Chitwan
Today, you will have the pleasure of basking in the exotic boating experience on the Phewa lake. Then you will be driven to the Terai lowlands of Chitwan.

Day 5 Safari Excursion in Royal Chitwan National Park
As you descend towards the Terai lowland of Chitwan, rich wildlife, lush grasslands and spectacular sight of rare species of bird and animals unfolds before you. Chitwan national park gives you a unique and exceptional wildlife experience. It is home to rare animal species like the one-horned rhinoceros, and the Royal Bengal Tiger, and also other animals like leopard, bear, wild boar, deer, bison, crocodiles, etc. Unlike African animals, those in Chitwan tend to be rather solitary and shy, but the chances of seeing them are very high owing to the expertise and experiences of guides.

Day 6 Safari Excursion in Royal Chitwan National Park and fly to Kathmandu
Today you surrender yourself to the pure pleasure of jungle activities. Your safari excursion includes Elephant safari, Wildlife safari, jeep safari, canoeing and bird watching in the majestic jungles of Chitwan National Park. On your jungle safari, you may encounter rare endangered species such as one-horned rhinoceros and Royal Bengal tiger. Canoeing through the river gives you sheer pleasure to witness crocodiles and other aquatic species in their natural habitats. You can have the most thrilling and exciting wildlife experience. After this wildlife encounter, you are escorted to Bharatpur to catch a flight back to Kathmandu. On reaching Kathmandu, you can indulge in any kind of activities of your interest.

Day 7 Depart Kathmandu
Our Nepalese support team will take you to the airport for your flight home. On the other hand, if you prefer to stay longer, you can go for short tours such as Rafting, Muktinath Pilgrimage tour, etc. - ask us.

ACTIVITY: Cultural, historical, natural and wildlife exploration tour

TOUR AVAILABILITY
We operate Nepal cultural tours for private team of your friends and family of any size, so you can enjoy your private trip without having to deal and confront with other people who have different interests and attitude. Each trip is accompanied by a tour guide and driver(s).
Nepal Cultural tours of four to eight days in duration are ideal for an extension trip if you have booked any longer trekking holidays in Nepal or tours/treks in Tibet.
ACCOMMODATION
Nepal offers a wide range of accommodation facilities, from 5 star luxury hotels to budget-priced guest houses. Top hotels in Nepal give you the high quality services. Whatever your requirements are, Nepal hotels can meet them all.
Explore Himalaya will assist you in hotel reservation. For more information, you can go through hotel booking page of Explore Himalaya’s website or ask us.

MEALS
Breakfast is included but Lunch and dinner are excluded in all our tour costs. While in Jungle Safari (wildlife Safari) in any National parks in Nepal, all meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) are included at our given package costs. There will be one hour lunch break during city sightseeing tour. Plenty of best and quality restaurants in town serve Nepali, oriental and continental dishes. We recommend the best one depending on your taste preference. A good continental lunch or dinner at a good restaurant costs approximately USD 6-10. Full board option is also available on request.

MEETING/AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Once you book the tour you will be asked by our sales team to pass on your International flight details to us for a “meeting and greeting” service at airport. You just pass on the Customs and come out of the Terminal building where you will see someone standing with a placard with either ‘Explore Himalaya’ or your name written on it. Our airport representative or tour officer will greet you and welcome you with a garland. You will then be escorted to your hotel where you will be briefed about your further activities in detail. You collect your flight tickets for reconfirmation and deliver them back later. After your trip is over you will be transferred back to the airport in time to catch your flight home.

CITY TOUR GUIDE
We have a team of highly experienced and multilingual guides (guides who can speak your language). They are professionally trained and are thoroughly versed in culture and history of each place you have chosen to visit. Tour guide usually guides you in the cities only and are employed locally through our regional offices in all the major cities of tourist interest. If English is not your choice of language we can provide a local guide of your choice of language (only major language).

CHITWAN JUNGLE SAFARI

LOCATION AND GETTING THERE
It is a pleasant scenic 5-6 hours drive by a tourist coach or a private vehicle from Kathmandu on the Prithivi Highway along the banks of the Trisuli River which lies in the tropical Terai region of Chitwan, encompassed by the Churia Hills and flanked by he Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers, the park covers an area of 932 sq. km. It was established in 1973 and is the oldest National Park in Nepal. The park became a World Heritage Site in 1984.
If you wish to cut short traveling time, please check our other similar program with flight option.

ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS
At Chitwan, you can stay inside or outside the national park enjoying the similar jungle activities. A variety of lodges are available, from multi-starred to basic but comfortable. There are no campgrounds for campers inside the park. Budget travelers can stay at Sauraha, a nearby village that has some higher end accommodations as well. Meals are provided either by the lodges, or you can have something at the restaurant.
In our package all meals are included in the lodge you stay in.

SAFARI LODGES IN CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK
Tiger Tops – inside park
Chitwan Jungle Lodge – inside park
Machan Wildlife Resort – inside park
Temple Tiger – inside park
Island Jungle Resort – inside park
Jungle Safari Lodge – outside park
Fewa Wildlife Resort – outside park
Tiger Camp – outside park

ACTIVITIES
Wildlife activities included in this part of the tour are Elephant back safari, jungle walk, bird watching, dugout canoe rides on the river and a visit to the elephant breeding centre. In the evening a cultural show of the traditional Tharu dances are organized.

GUIDE/NATURALIST
Our professionally skilled and trained English speaking local guide will escort you during your wildlife excursion. If English is not your preferred language we can always be able to arrange a guide or an interpreter who speaks your language to accompany you throughout your trip. However, this will incur an extra cost.

COST OF THE TRIP
The cost of each trip depends on various factors such as types of accommodation, type of vehicles with or without air-conditioner, group size (i.e. number of people in your team) etc. Our costs are usually categorized into standard package (based on 3 star hotels), superior package (combination of 3-4 star hotel) and deluxe package (5 star hotels with air conditioned vehicles). However, you can always upgrade your accommodation and use air conditioned car at extra charge though you have initially booked standard or superior package. We can customize any tour to suit your best interest and budget.

VEHICLE
We have a fleet of mostly Japanese made Toyota vehicles of all types and sizes, from small two-seater luxury cars to large capacity luxury tourist coaches. 4WD Land cruisers are used in difficult and muddy road trips. Size and type of vehicle depend on size of your group. We use two-seater car for 1-2 persons, micro luxury 6-seater van for 3-5 persons, 10-seater van for 6-9 persons and tourist coach or coaster for group size above 10 persons. Our drivers are specially trained to serve in the hospitality industry. The vehicles are checked carefully before assigning to your service.

TIPPING
Tips are appreciated by your support team after the trip. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. Where restaurant meals are involved, the tipping is usually 5-10% of the bill.

ENTRANCE FEE/NATIONAL PARK FEE
All fees to sightseeing places/ national park fee stated in tour package are included in our cost.

CLOTHING
Clothing requirement varies with the type of tour and season.

IN KATHMANDU AND POKHARA TOUR:
 From April to the end of October, it is warm in Kathmandu. In Nepal clothing for traveling purpose should be comfortable and light. You can also wear longer shorts provided that it is weather- friendly. In the months of November to the end of March, days are usually warm and evenings are cool. Put on your summer clothes during the day time but in the evening and night it is advisable to carry a light jacket. Winter season starts from December to February. One must be equipped with sufficient winter wears like jackets, sweaters, trousers etc to stay protected from the cold. In accordance to Nepali weather you can have your clothes well-packed in your luggage or you can also purchase clothes of your choice and needs from the clothing stores in Nepal.

JUNGLE SAFARI:
Neutral colored clothing is recommended.
Light clothing is needed for day time with a sweater and warm jacket for the evenings from November to March.
Pants / Trousers are recommended for elephant safari.
Comfortable walking shoes, sun hat, sunglasses etc. are essential. Insect repellent and personal medical requirements should be carried.
It is highly recommended to travel light with only one small suitcase or duffle bag.
During the warmer months swimming suits are recommended.
A Small flash light is recommended.
Binoculars add greatly to your enjoyment for bird and wildlife viewing.

BOOKING CONDITIONS
1) Your booking will be confirmed by email once we receive your deposit of USD 300 and the signed copy of booking form and contract. The balance is due no later than two months prior to departure. If you book a tour less than 2 months prior to departure, you must send the full payment within 7 days of confirmation by us.

2) If you cancel, the following scale of charges will apply:
DATE OF CANCELLATION (CHARGE INCURRED)
2 months before departure – Loss of deposit (US$ 300)
29 days to 2 months before departure – 30% of total trip cost
10 to 28 days before departure – 60% of total trip cost
Less than 10 days before departure – 100% of total trip cost

BOOKING PROCEDURE
If you still have any questions regarding this trip, please feel free to contact us. We answer all enquiries within 24 hours. If you want to book a trip, you can e-mail us at office@explore-himalaya.com or contact us directly by Phone: 977-1-4418100 or Fax: 977-1-4412888.

Contact us at
office@explore-himalaya.com
for more information about this tour.