Nepal Senior Classic Tour - 8 Days

The journey begins as your plane flies over the mighty Himalayas as it approaches the legendary city of Kathmandu. You pass through passport control and then its into the fresh alpine air. Outside of the airport your host from Trekking Mart greets you. They take your luggage and put it into the vehicle as they take you to your hotel to rest from your long journey to the heart of the Himalayas. Take a rest but in the evening, enjoy a delicious Nepali welcome dinner with a cultural program.

You start the day with breakfast. We won’t start all that early as you are still adjusting to Nepal’s unique time zone (Nepal is on the ¾ hour – the only such place in the world!) Around 10 am we will take a rickshaw tour that begins in Thamel. We pass temples on our way to the ancient Asan market. No one knows how many centuries this market as been here, but it’s still a vibrant market with its sights, sounds and smells of spices. It is a crowded place with buyers and seller haggling over prices. The market is alive and you’ll be glad that you are riding above it as you see ancient temples guarded by stone animals that serve the gods. From here it is off to Kathmandu Durbar’s Square, the ancient seat of power for the kings of Nepal. It is here that the kings were crowned until the end of the monarchy in 2008.

We see some of the most magnificent temples in all of the Kathmandu Valley. The place features over 50 temples and monuments along with the old royal palace as well as the temple of “The Living Goddess” which is a young girl chosen until she reaches puberty that is the manifestation of a goddess.

We will lunch along the way. We return by rickshaw to our hotel where you can rest. In the evening, explore Thamel on your own where there is an excellent selection of restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.

It’s an earlier start after breakfast as we will be traveling to the Terai region of Nepal. Nestled along the northern border of India, it is home of the Tharu people who have inhabited these jungles for long before any written records. Your vehicle climbs over the top of the pass to leave the Kathmandu Valley. The journey soon follows the mighty Trisuli River that rages southward from Tibet to finally join with the sacred Ganges River. It’s about a six-hour journey by private car or luxury bus to reach Sauraha, the heart of Chitwan National Park.

You arrive at our hotel and there will be time to rest. In the evening, enjoy a Tharu Cultural Program complete with its famous “stick dance”.

You rise early and after a hearty breakfast will enjoy an elephant safari into the jungle to look for wild animals including the all-elusive Royal Bengal Tigers. Tiger sights are not guaranteed, but you should see the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros from the back of the elephant. These mighty beasts form a bond with their mahout (driver) as they will be together for 40 years. You will see the love between driver and elephant.

These mighty animals will take you through the jungle as you ride in the box on their back. After the excursion, enjoy lunch and then take a canoe trip down the Rapti River to look for crocodiles, birds and wild elephants coming down to the river to drink. There is a short jungle walk following the river trip with your jungle guide. In the evening, rest and relax at your hotel as you prepare for the journey to Pokhara.

You rise early and travel north to the village of Mugling where you turn west toward the city of Pokhara. First follow along the banks of the Trisuli River. You cross at Mugling and then follow the Marsyangdi River toward the Annapurna Mountains. Check into your hotel where you can rest. There is time to explore along the shores of Lake Phewa. Dinner is on your own as there is a plethora of excellent restaurants to choose from.

It’s an early morning as you make your way to the cable car to ride it to the top of Sarangkot Hill. You ride with your guide to the top where you take your place overlooking the snowcapped peaks of the Annapurna Range. In front of you is the iconic peak of Mt. Machhapuchhare and Annapurna I, the 10th highest peak in the world. In the distance is Mt. Dhaulagiri, the world’s 7th highest peak.

You can make out the outline of the mountains in their greyness as the light begins to brighten the dawn. Suddenly the first pink ray of the morning sun shoots skyward as the orange fireball begins to rise above the snowcapped peaks. The light of the rising sun turns everything to a reddish orange and then it magically becomes the most luminous of a transfiguration white as it transforms the mountains scape into total brilliance.

You can choose breakfast up there or return to your hotel. Following breakfast it is a free day. Choose from any of the options noted above as you decide how best to spend your time in the playground of the Himalayas. Go explore temples, waterfalls, do ziplining or even paragliding. It will be a magnificent day for you. Your guide can help you to chose and line up the activities that you will enjoy. Lunch and dinner are on your own as there are so many wonderful restaurants to choose from.

Today return to Kathmandu, following along rivers as you climb upwards to reach the legendary city of the Himalayas. It’s been a great journey and, in the evening, enjoy a departure dinner with your friends at Trekking Mart.

It has been an amazing trip into the heart of the Himalayas. From jungles with elephants to alpine peaks overlooking clear mountain lakes, the Nepal Classic Senior Tour is a relaxing way to see the roof of the world! What you have experienced is only the proverbial “tip of the iceberg”. Talk to your friends at Trekking Mart about other tours and activities. We can create one just for you to experience culture, spirituality, yoga and even short journeys into amazing places. Before leaving for your destination, be sure to look at a return trip or even extending the current trip here in Nepal.

We will take you and your luggage to the airport as you fly to your next destination. As you prepare to leave, remember the magic found only in Nepal! Trekking Mart is your magical gateway to the Himalayas and beyond.