Travel style · Phewa, Rara, Gosaikunda and the snow-fed rivers
Lakes and rivers in Nepal
Rowing boats on Phewa and Begnas, Rara's blue water in the far west, the sacred lakes of Gosaikunda and Gokyo, rafting on the Trishuli, Seti and Karnali, and the river confluences where Nepalis bathe on festival days.
Nepal's rivers start in Tibet or on its own glaciers and cut south through the hills in deep gorges, which makes for strong rafting and holy confluences called triveni or dovan.
Rafting runs are graded by season: some are gentle in spring and serious in autumn when water is high. We match the river to your experience and the month.
Trips
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,750 mHoneymoon: Kathmandu, Dhulikhel and Pokhara
A seven-night honeymoon that moves from the temples of Kathmandu to the quiet hills of Dhulikhel and the lake and mountains of …
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,600 mNepal first-timer: Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan
The classic first trip to Nepal in nine nights: three in Kathmandu for the Durbar squares, stupas and Pashupatinath, three in Pokhara …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 1,600 mAnnapurna Honeymoon in Pokhara
Six nights for two in the hills around Pokhara, split between Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge on a ridge facing the Annapurnas and …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 2,517 mPanchase Hill Short Trek
Three nights from Pokhara with no permit queues and no jeep ride to start: row across Phewa Lake, climb past the World …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 1,600 mPokhara Family Adventure
Four nights in Pokhara built for families with children from about eight to sixteen: a boat to the island temple, tandem paragliding …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 1,600 mPokhara Lakes Slow Week
Five slow nights on the water: three at Fish Tail Lodge on its own peninsula in Phewa Lake, with boats to Tal …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 1,600 mPokhara, Lumbini and Chitwan Overland
Eight nights by road from the lakes to the plains: two nights in Pokhara, the Newar hill bazaar of Tansen on the …
Pokhara & the Annapurnasmax 1,730 mThe Royal Trek above Begnas
Four nights on the gentle hill route east of Pokhara that took its name from the Prince of Wales's walk here in …
Everest & Solukhumbumax 5,545 mGokyo Lakes, Cho La and Everest Base Camp
A loop that sees the Khumbu from two valleys. You walk up to the turquoise Gokyo lakes and climb Gokyo Ri, cross …
Everest & Solukhumbumax 5,360 mGokyo Lakes and Renjo La Trek
A quieter Everest trek that trades base camp for lakes. You walk up the Gokyo valley to the turquoise lakes beside the …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mChitwan and Bardia Tiger Journey
Eight nights across Nepal's two great tiger parks. Three nights at Meghauli in western Chitwan for rhino and big grassland, a night …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mChitwan Jungle Safari from Sauraha
Three nights in Sauraha on the Rapti River, the easiest door into Chitwan National Park. A dugout canoe at dawn, a half-day …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mChitwan Luxury Safari at Meghauli
Four nights in Meghauli, on the quiet western side of Chitwan, at Meghauli Serai or Barahi Jungle Lodge. Private jeep safaris with …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,600 mKathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan Classic
The first-timer's Nepal in eight nights: two in Kathmandu for the durbar squares, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath; three in Pokhara for Phewa Lake …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mRamayana Trail: Janakpur to Devghat
Six nights on the Nepal side of the Ramayana. Three nights in Janakpur, Sita's city in Hindu tradition, for Janaki Mandir, the …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mBirding the Terai: Chitwan and Koshi Tappu
Seven nights for birders in Nepal's two richest lowland sites. Three nights in Chitwan for grassland and forest birds, with a day …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 1,400 mThe Terai East to West Overland
Twelve nights across the whole Nepal Terai by private car: from the wetlands of Koshi Tappu in the far east, through Maithil …
Chitwan & the Teraimax 160 mTharu Homestays in Barauli and Amaltari
Three nights with Tharu families on the western edge of Chitwan National Park: one night in Barauli and two in Amaltari, both …
Lumbini & the Buddha's Countrymax 1,400 mKali Gandaki: Ridi, Rani Mahal and Devghat
Five nights following Nepal's holiest western river through the hills of Palpa. Base in Tansen for Rani Mahal, sleep beside the Kali …
Lumbini & the Buddha's Countrymax 1,600 mLumbini to Pokhara via Tansen
Six nights that climb from the plains to the mountains. Two nights at the Buddha's birthplace in Lumbini, one in the old …
Mustang & Dolpomax 5,190 mLower Dolpo circuit to Phoksundo Lake
A 13-night circuit of Lower Dolpo from the airstrip at Juphal: up the Tarap gorge to the Bon and Buddhist villages of …
Mustang & Dolpomax 2,720 mThakali trail down the Kali Gandaki
A seven-night downhill walk through the Thakali villages of the Kali Gandaki, from windy Jomsom to the hot springs of Tatopani. Mostly …
Mustang & Dolpomax 5,360 mUpper Dolpo traverse via Shey Gompa
A 24-night camping traverse of Upper Dolpo for experienced trekkers: Phoksundo Lake, the Kang La to Shey Gompa and the Crystal Mountain, …
Langtang & Manaslumax 4,380 mGosaikunda Janai Purnima pilgrimage trek
Six nights timed to Janai Purnima, the full moon of Shrawan, when thousands of Hindu pilgrims and Tamang shamans climb to Gosaikunda …
Langtang & Manaslumax 4,773 mLangtang Valley and Gosaikunda lakes trek
Twelve nights that join two of Langtang's great walks: up the valley to Kyanjin Gompa and Kyanjin Ri, then across the hillside …
Eastern Nepalmax 1,850 mArun Valley and Chainpur Crafts
Seven nights from the Arun valley to the plains. Fly to Tumlingtar on its broad river terrace, spend two days with the …
Eastern Nepalmax 3,636 mIlam, Sandakpur and Kanyam
Five nights that climb from the tea gardens of Ilam to the Singalila ridge at Sandakpur, 3,636 m, where four of the …
Eastern Nepalmax 2,100 mKoshi Tappu Birds and Ilam Tea
Six nights from the wetlands of Koshi Tappu, home to Nepal's last wild water buffalo and a great gathering of winter water …
Far West & Karnalimax 1,400 mBardia and Shuklaphanta Safari
Seven nights across the two national parks of Nepal's far western plain. Four nights at Bardia for tigers, the Karnali and Tharu …
Far West & Karnalimax 1,400 mBardia Tiger Safari
Four nights at Thakurdwara on the edge of Bardia National Park, Nepal's largest lowland park. Full-day jeep safari, a guided walk on …
Far West & Karnalimax 3,700 mFar West Grand Overland
Fourteen nights by private jeep from the grasslands of the far western Terai to Nepal's largest lake. Swamp deer at Shuklaphanta, the …
Far West & Karnalimax 2,500 mRamaroshan Lakes and Dullu
Six nights by jeep and on foot across the hills of the far west. Through Doti to Ramaroshan in Achham, an upland …
Far West & Karnalimax 3,700 mRara Lake by Air
The shortest way to Rara. Fly from Nepalgunj to Talcha airstrip in Mugu, walk about three hours to the lake, and spend …
Far West & Karnalimax 3,700 mRara Lake Trek from Jumla
Nine nights on foot from Jumla to Rara, Nepal's largest lake. The route crosses the Jaljala pass at 3,580 m, drops into …
Places
Pokhara & the Annapurnas650 mBegnas Lake
Pokhara's quiet second lake, with Rupa Tal over the ridge
Pokhara & the Annapurnas822 mPokhara
A lake city under Machhapuchhre, gateway to the Annapurnas
Everest & Solukhumbu4,790 mGokyo
Turquoise lakes, a Ramsar site and four 8,000 m peaks from Gokyo Ri
Chitwan & the Terai150 mAmaltari
Tharu and Bote village on Chitwan's western edge
Chitwan & the Terai160 mBarauli
A Tharu village homestay run by its women
Chitwan & the Terai286 mBishazari Tal
Twenty thousand lakes: Chitwan's Ramsar wetland
Chitwan & the Terai200 mDevghat
Where the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli become the Narayani
Chitwan & the Terai165 mKasara
Chitwan's park headquarters and its gharial nursery
Chitwan & the Terai75 mKoshi Tappu
Wild water buffalo and winter birds on the Koshi floodplain
Chitwan & the Terai165 mMeghauli
Chitwan's quiet west, where the Rapti meets the Narayani
Chitwan & the Terai175 mSauraha
The Rapti riverbank where most Chitwan safaris begin
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country400 mRani Mahal
A Rana general's palace for his dead queen, on the Kali Gandaki
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country500 mRidi
A temple town where the Ridi Khola meets the sacred Kali Gandaki
Mustang & Dolpo3,612 mShey Phoksundo
A turquoise lake behind a landslide dam in Nepal's largest park
Langtang & Manaslu4,380 mGosaikunda
The sacred lake Shiva made with his trident, at 4,380 m
Langtang & Manaslu1,460 mSyabrubesi
Trailhead town where the Langtang and Bhote Koshi rivers meet
Stays
resort822 mFish Tail Lodge
A long-established lakeside hotel on the far shore of Phewa Lake near its southern end, reached by a short raft …
boutique hotel822 mTemple Tree Resort & Spa
A garden resort of stone and timber buildings in Lakeside, Pokhara, a short walk from Phewa Lake, with a spa …
eco-lodge822 mThe Pavilions Himalayas
A villa resort in a forested valley outside Pokhara, also known as The Farm, built around sustainability: renewable energy, rainwater …
mountain lodge822 mTiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge
A small hilltop lodge on a ridge above the Pokhara valley, about 30 minutes from the city, with stone cottages, …
city hotel822 mHotel Barahi
A long-running hotel on Lakeside in Pokhara, named after the lake goddess of Tal Barahi, close to Phewa's main boat …
jungle lodge165 mMeghauli Serai, A Taj Safari
A high-end safari lodge run by Taj on the Rapti riverbank at Meghauli, facing Chitwan National Park. Rooms and villas …
jungle lodge165 mBarahi Jungle Lodge
A comfortable riverside lodge at Meghauli on the edge of Chitwan National Park, with its own naturalists, jeep safaris, canoe …
jungle lodge150 mTiger Tops Tharu Lodge
A lodge on the edge of Amaltari village in Nawalpur, built in the style of Tharu longhouses with mud-plastered walls, …
resort165 mKasara Resort
A villa resort at Patihani on the edge of Chitwan National Park, close to the park headquarters at Kasara. It …
resort175 mGreen Park Chitwan
A well-run, comfortable hotel in Sauraha, a short walk from the Rapti and the park entrance, with an outdoor pool, …
jungle lodge152 mTiger Tops Karnali Lodge
A small safari lodge at Thakurdwara on the edge of Bardia National Park, about two hours by road from Nepalgunj …