An excellent introduction to the joys of Nepal, exploring the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys and enjoying the immense beauty of the Himalaya. 3 nights are spent in the Chitwan National Park and we allow time for low altitude walks around Pokhara.

Kathmandu & Gorkha

First we wander around the bustling bazaars of Kathmandu and visit Pashupatinath, Nepal's holiest Hindu temple and Boudhanath Stupa - from which four pairs of eyes which looks at the four corners of earth with wisdom and compassion.

We then head to the Historic town of Gorkha - which gave the feared Gurkha soldiers their name - we head up to the old King's Palace for some great views of the Annapurnas and Manaslu. On the way to Gorkha you may like to take an optional half-day white water rafting trip on the Trisuli River, a really exhilarating experience.

Chitwan Wildlife

From Gorkha we drive down to the sub tropical Terai and Chitwan valley. We spend 3 nights at the Chitwan National Park, which supports a variety of game. Known for it's great one horned rhino and Royal Bengal tigers, there are also leopard, sloth bear, four kinds of deer and over 300 species of birds. After Chitwan we visit the old trading post of Bandipur, which is located under a canopy of pine and Sal forests. We spend two days doing short walks and exploring this historic town.

The 'Fishtail' Mountain

We continue to the verdant Pokhara valley, to enjoy the lakeside tranquility and breathtaking views of Machapuchare, the 'fishtail peak' (6997m). Various walks are possible, perhaps along a ridge between the pretty lakes of Begnas and Rupa, where we can enjoy mountain views of Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the west to Annapurna II in the east.

Day		Activities
Day 1	-	Join Kathmandu.
Day 2	-	In Kathmandu, walking tour of old bazaar; visit Pashupatinath temple and Boudhanath Stupa.
Day 3	-	Drive to Nalang village.
Day 4	-	In Nalang. Walks
Day 5	-	Drive to Chitwan.
Day 6	-	In Chitwan, nature walks, elephant safaris.
Day 7	-	Drive to Bandipur, walks.
Day 8	-	In Bandipur, walks, Gorkha visit.
Day 9	-	Drive to Pokhara.
Day 10-12	-	In Pokhara, choice of walks; half-day visit to Tibetan refugee village.
Day 13	-	Fly to Kathmandu.
Day 14	-	In Kathmandu possibility of Everest flight and optional tour of Bhaktapur in the afternoon.
Day 15	-	Departure.

Duration	-	15 days
Trip Details:	-	Kathmandu: Walking Tour Kathmandu: Half Day Guided tour to temple of Pashupatinath and to Boudhanath Stupa Nalang: Witness unspoilt pristine village lifestyle Gorkha: Beautiful Royal Palace Chitwan: Home to a wide variety of animal species and the rare one horned rhino Bandipur: Old trading post Pokhara: 2 half day walks Pokhara: Half-day excursion to the Tibetan refugee village
Activities	-	Cultural, Touring, Walking
Trip Grade	-	Easy
Mode of Travel	-	Bus/Elephant/Dugout Canoe, Domestic flight
Group & Staff	-	Min 2, Max 12, Responsible Adventures leader, local guides plus driver.
Accommodation	-	Boutique hotels in Kathmandu & Pokhara, Tented camp in Nalang, Resorts in Chitwan and Bandipur
Land Cost	-	US$1750.00
Trip Dates	-	Trip date for 2010	Trip date for 2011
		3rd January - 17th January 2010	2nd January - 16th January 2011
		17th January – 31st January 2010	16th January – 30th January 2011
		31st January - 14th February 2010	30th January - 15th February 2011
		14th February – 28th February 2010	15th February – 1st March 2011
		28th February - 14th March 2010	1st March - 13th March 2011
		14th March - 28th March 2010	13th March - 27th March 2011
		28th March - 11th April 2010	27th March - 10th April 2011
		11th April - 25th April 2010	10th April - 24th April 2011
		25th April - 8th May 2010	24th April - 8th May 2011
		19th September – 3rd October 2010	18th September - 2nd October 2011
		3rd October - 17th October 2010	2nd October - 16th October 2011
		17th October – 31st October 2010	16th October – 30th November 2011
		31st October - 14th November 2010	30th October - 13th November 2011
		14th November -28th November 2010	13th November -27th November 2011
		28th November - 12th December 2010	27th November - 11th December 2011
		12th December - 26th December 2010	11th December - 57th December 2011
		19th December -2nd January 2011	18th December - 1st January 2012

Note: -Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients.

• Hotel Shanker (Former Palace turned into 4 star Hotel) or similar in Kathmandu on bed and breakfast basis
• Hotel Barahi or similar in Pokhara on bed and breakfast basis
• Hotel/ Lodges on twin sharing basis
• All transportation
• Responsible Adventures' Expert Trek leader
• All permits
• Twin sharing room on trek
• All meals on tour (Various resturants of our choice)
• Domestic airfare.

• International airport taxes
• Visas
• All optional additional tours or activities during free time
• Transportation outside of the tour program
• Travel insurance (Compulsory to have insurance that covers helicopter evacuation)
• Tips(suggested amount; US$50 per week for staff only), Leader's tipping up to your discretion
• Items of a personal nature e.g alcoholic drinks, bottled beverages, laundry, souvenir etc.

Trip Name	Duration	Trip Grade
Annapurna Circuit Trek	23 Days	Challenging
Annapurna Sanctuary Trek	16 Days	Challenging
Annapurna Trek	16 Days	Challenging
Best of Nepal Trek	27 Days	Moderate
Everest Base Camp Trek	17 Days	Challenging
Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lake Trek	23 Days	Challenging
Everest Trek	15 Days	Moderate
Langtang Valley Trek	15 Days	Moderate
Taste of Nepal	15 Days	Easy