Your Awesome Itinerary for a Week in Nepal
I went to Nepal for a week, and totally fell in love with the country. After the craziness and intensity of India, where I’d been the week before, I just felt myself relax physically and mentally as soon as I arrived.
Even the visa guy had a laugh and joke with me about me being the last person he was letting in tonight so he could go back to his family. Nepalese people are so friendly.
If you’re looking for a chilled week-long Nepal itinerary, with a bit of wellness thrown in, this is the one for you. I go to Kathmandu, to Pokhara, and to Nagarkot.
Here’s how to spend one week in Nepal, with a bit of a wellness twist (rather than hiking).
Arriving in Nepal, at Kathmandu Airport
I arrived at around midnight and so had booked a taxi transfer through Booking.com to my hotel. I knew that I wouldn’t fancy public transport at that time and I’d hoped it would mean they knew exactly where the hotel was. They didn’t. I had a driver and his assistant in the car though, and they were very helpful in finding it for me. You’ll soon see, Thamel in Kathmandu is a maze!
My taxi transfer from Kathmandu Airport to Thamel was £19, which I now know is pretty expensive. You could try hailing one at the airport instead, I just wanted the assurance of having one waiting for me.
By the time I got to my hotel it was so late, I just went to sleep.
Where I stayed: Kathmandu Village House £11 private double
It was a cool hotel, but I can’t recommend it in winter. There was no central heating, and no heaters – it was freezing! In the summer it’d be a good place for the price as it was right in the centre.
Right, let’s get into it – your weeklong Nepal itinerary
Day one: sightseeing in Kathmandu
– My Kathmandu breakfast tour leader
Breakfast in Kathmandu
I booked a Breakfast Tour, not quite registering how early it was. I regretted it at the time but once I’d done it I was happy to have the reason to get out of bed. I paid £15, which took me round about 5 different traditional breakfast stops in Kathmandu. The tour was good because it was all places I would’ve been too intimidated to explore on my own.
My guide was brilliant. He was such good fun and a great introduction to Nepal. It was only me and he on the tour and I left feeling more like I’d had breakfast with a friend rather than a booked tour. It was also a great introduction to the main points of Thamel, the temples and the vibe. I’d definitely recommend the Breakfast Tour for your first morning in Nepal.
I actually got back in bed once it was over – as I was so tired from my flight.
After a quick morning siesta I went to explore Thamel. There’s so much to see from temples to the shops to just people watching on the streets. This was a great place to pick up some unusual Nepal souvenirs.
I had lunch at Cafe Mitra and Lounge Bar. I wasn’t really into the traditional Nepalese Sadeko chicken, but the frappucino was spectacular. It was great to just sit and chill outside, as in February it was still chilly, but lovely and fresh too.
Spiritual tour in Kathmandu
I booked a spiritual tour for the afternoon, after it came highly recommended. I went to the Pashupatinah Temple and the Boudhanath Stupa – the largest in Nepal. The tour was pretty expensive at £45, but did include all the taxis, some food, and a guide who told me all about everything. It stopped me making cultural faux pas like the other white people at the temple, who strolled in on a funeral with cameras at the ready. It was cringe to watch.
He explained the whole funeral process to me, as we could see one happening on the riverbank. He explained how they wrapped the dead body, paraded it and then burnt it on different steps on the side of the Bagmati River. This river led to the Ganges.
I had my palm read here, which was super interesting. I’m going to write a post about what he told me, so keep an eye out for that!
At the Stupa he told me all about the religious significances of the building, and then I walked around for a while to get my own pictures. Then we went into a Thangka shop. The Thangka paintings are done by Buddhist monks, on cotton, and it’s quite the art. It was fascinating to hear all about them and no pressure to buy.
Evening in Kathmandu
For dinner I wanted to try the momos Nepal is so famous for, and so my spiritual tour guide recommended Momo Hut. This was not the place for me. I ordered a selection, as he’d recommended, and halfway through didn’t feel right. But, carried on, trooper that I am.
That night, around 4am. The tummy troubles started.
But anyway, less said about that the better. Very poorly.
If you fancy an evening out in Kathmandu, Thamel is your place. There’s loads to see and do, and plenty of bars and restaurants to do it in. Sadly, I have no recommendations because I was a bit of a night time hermit during my week in Nepal.
And yeah, those momos kinda ruined it for me too.
Day two: more sightseeing in Kathmandu
After picking at the breakfast at my hotel I went out for a little explore. Unfortunately it was raining, but I made it to the Garden of Dreams and sat and had a lovely apple pie, as is apparently the Nepalese way. It’s a beautiful garden and a great cafe, just a few minutes’ walk from Thamel. Aim for the Fire and Ice Pizzeria and you’ll find it.
Despite it pissing it down I had it in my head that I wanted to see a rooftop pool. And so, I went on a quest to find the Hotel Mulberry. It was lush.
As well as the rooftop pool it also had a rooftop bar, in a room. A deliciously heated room. I stayed for two hours with a coke. I was still feeling fragile and it was cold and raining so I just sat and admired the view. It was great.
This would be a great place to stay on your Nepal trip.
I spent the afternoon walking round the city. I went to Old Freak Street and had a look around Durbar Square.
Massage in Kathmandu
That evening I went for a Nepalese massage at Mandala Spa. It was amazing and exactly what I needed. The fact she had a heater and a toasty room just made me so happy. I paid 1400 for an hour (about £10) – absolute dreams. Totally worth it.
I’d recommend spending two days in Kathmandu, like I did. There’s so much more to see in a week in Nepal than its capital city,
Day three: journey to Pokhara and mooching the city
Bus to Pokhara
I woke up at 6am, ready for my 7am bus from Thamel. For some unknown reason all the buses leave at the same time from there.
Of course I couldn’t get out of bed so ended up rushing at 6:30, for the 6:30 check in time. Then I went the wrong way out of my hotel, absent-mindedly. I hopped in a taxi to take me back, for 100 rupees (£1ish), which actually ended up being the best thing. The taxi driver was really nice and found the right bus for me, in a sea of coaches.
I found my seat and the next 7-8 hours passed in amazing views of the Himalayas, a rest stop every two hours and the occasional bouncy road. I paid on board – 800 rupees (£9ish) – which I’d booked by Whatsapp the day before.
There’s absolutely no need to book the £25 tourist bus. Go local.
We arrived into Pokhara at the Tourist Bus Park, just 20ish minutes walk from my hotel in Lakeside.
Lunch in Pokhara
It was around 3pm and I was ravenous, having just had a manky croissant for breakfast I’d picked up in Kathmandu the night before. I went to the nearest restaurant to my hotel, the Aankhi Jhyal Restaurant & Bar and ordered a Pad Thai. After not eating much the day before in Kathmandu thanks to a dodgy tummy, my hunger was coming back.
I’d totally recommend the place, and the food, along with a masala tea. I sat out on the veranda and admired the view out to Pokhara’s Lakeside.
Seeing as it was about 4pm by the time I’d finished I decided to just go for a long walk through Pokhara town and around Lakeside. There was a lot to see. I mooched, I drank coffee at Java Himalayan Coffee, and planned out my next few days.
Helicopter in Pokhara?
I also spent a lot of time debating whether to do a Annapurna helicopter tour. Unfortunately thanks to the recent tax bill, and then the India visa debacle, I decided against the $289 fee for an hour at Everest Base Camp via a helicopter. If you have the cash though it definitely sounds like one of the most amazing things to do in Pokhara.
Or, if you prefer the classic adventure, the Everest Base Camp Trek is the ultimate Himalayan experience.
I kinda regretted not doing it when I left to be honest. If you only have one week in Nepal, and don’t have time for the hiking, it’s a great way to see the Himalayas for yourself.
Treat yourself on your Nepal holiday: do all the things!
Movie Garden in Pokhara
Instead, I went to the Movie Garden to watch Moonrise Kingdom. The Movie Garden is an awesome cinema set up in the heart of Lakeside. There’s no entry fee, you just have to buy a drink and some popcorn and you’re in. It really is an awesome setting, that’s kinda difficult to show in the dark.
After that I went back to my hotel.