Kathmandu Valley Trek with Bardia National Park

Himalayan Dream Team will pick you up at the international airport for your transfer to the hotel. As a welcome you will have a typical Nepalese dinner with some of the staff members, momo’s and Dal Bhat coming up! And do not forget to try our typical Nepalese drink with great mood of cheers. o/n in hotel, +D, +B

Our first day starts early after breakfast to visit the main sightseeings in Kathmandu. Our complete roundtrip today starts with Pashupatinath- the most venerated Hindu temple of Nepal and Boudanath, the biggest Buddhist stupa of the world. The Monkey temple is next, situated on a hill where we can overlook Kathmandu. You will see temples, stupas, and monasteries and will see lots of nice intricate wood and stone works. In the afternoon we return and drop you off at your hotel in Kathmandu. Private transport and entry fees included! o/n in hotel +B

After breakfast, our guide will pick up you from the hotel and we drive for an hour to Sundarijal, the starting point of our trekking. The trail begins with an ascend through the Shivapuri National Park before climbing higher to Mulkharka, a typical Tamang Village. They are one of the major Tibeto-Burman speaking communities and trace their ancestry from Tibet, and even further back to Mongolia. They have a distinct culture, language, and religion.The route leads us throught the forests where we see our famous rhododendrons and oak trees. Then we move downward to Chisapani and on the way we see panaromic views of Annapurna and Everest and end up in a niceTea House at Chisapani. o/n in teahouse, B+L+D

After breakfast,we begin our trail to Nagarkot. We continue a trail downhill. On the way we enjoy the beautiful views of forests,villages and also mountains. We stay overnight at Nagarkot. It is renowned for its sunrise view of the Himalaya including Mount Everest as well as other snow-capped peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the Kathmandu Valley. From Nagarkot we can see five of the world’s ten highest peaks, Everest, Lhotse, Choyu, Makalu and Manaslu. Situated in a strategic location, Nagarkot was an ancient fort of the Kathmandu valley to monitor external activities of another kingdoms. Later, it became a summer retreat places for the royals before becoming popular as an international hill station. It is also popular spot for sunrise and sunset. o/n in hotel, +B/L/D

After breakfast we continue our trek. The trail climbs up to the tower of Nagarkot. From the tower one can enjoy excellent views of mountains as well as the whole Kathmandu Valley. The trail descends continuously through some small villages, forests on our way to Dhulikhel.  Dhulikhel lies along the B.P. Highway and Arniko Highway. Arniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's border town of Kodari. Dhulikhel is located at the Eastern rim of Kathmandu Valley, south of the Himalayas at 1550m above sea level. If clear weather, this day we see Eastern side of the Himalayas. We stay overnight in a hotel in Dhulikhel and explore the town. o/n in hotel, +B/L/D

Today we start our journey toward Namobuddha, where a very popular Buddhist Monastery is located. It is a small village which houses very old Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery which is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal and one of the holiest in the world. It is known as the place where the Buddha, in a previous life as a prince, gave his body to a starving tigress and her cubs. Namobuddha is a beautiful and peaceful town, perfectly situated in harmony with the impressive nature. Here, we have the unique opportunity to meet the monks, talk with them and also watch their praying rituals. To make the experience complete we dine and stay overnight at this monastery. o/n at Monastery, +B/L/D

The next day after breakfast, we descend to Panauti, a typical Newari village. In Panauti we visit the Indreshwor Mahadev Temple, massive temple of Lord Shiva, and other Hindu Temples. Panauti is famous for Newari culture and traditions. After visiting Panauti we drive back to Kathmandu by bus and overnight at our hotel in Kathmandu. o/n in hotel, +B

We take an hour's flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj in Western Nepal, the nearest airport from the Bardia National Park. Nepalgunj itself is an interesting Terai town of Nepal with influences from both the Nepal hills as well as local Hindu & Muslim cultures. The Bardia National Park is 90 kilometers from Nepalgunj, a 2 hours' drive. Reaching Bardia, you will be transferred to your resort. There will be a briefing about the program at the National Park. In the evening, village tour to an ethnic Tharu village nearby, believed to be original inhabitants of the local jungle area. o/n in National park +B/L/D

The Bardiya (Bardia) National Park is a protected area in Nepal that was established in 1988 as Royal Bardia National Park. Covering an area of 968 km2 it is the largest and most undisturbed national park in Nepal's Terai, adjoining the eastern bank of the Karnali River and bisected by the Babai River in the Bardiya District. Its northern limits are demarcated by the crest of the Siwalik Hills. The Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway partly forms the southern boundary, but seriously disrupts the protected area. Natural boundaries to human settlements are formed in the west by the Geruwa, a branch of the Karnali River, and in the southeast by the Babai River. After breakfast we embark for a Jungle Drive deep into the woods. The Bardia jungle is home to a number of wild animals including Asian Elephant, Great One Horn Rhinoceros, Spotted Deer or Chital, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Samber, Swamp Deer or Barasingha, Nilgai, Black Buck, Wild Boar, Royal Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Golden Jackal, and Striped Hyena, etc. About 70% of the park is covered with forest, with the balance a mixture of grassland, savannah and riverine forest.[4] The flora recorded in the park comprises 839 species of flora, including 173 vascular plant species comprising 140 dicots, 26 monocots, six fern, and one gymnosperm species. We visit a crocodile breeding center. Our experienced nature guide would help you in tracking the wild life. Later on we also visit the Tharu Museum. The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai, the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal and India. o/n in National park +B/L/D

We have another full day for our wildlife experience. In the morning, we go for a jungle walk which would also serve the purpose of bird-watching. An interesting feature of today's activities is the elephant safari into the deep & dense jungle. Apart from the fun, another benefit of elephant ride into the jungle is that there is a better chance of seeing wild animals, since the wild animals are less scared when you're on the top of their mammoth friend. Moreover, riding the elephant also saves you from any potential attacks by the wild animals.  The elephants usually head northwest and you may see deer, langur monkeys, rhinos and boar. In the evening, we enjoy a cultural program of Western Nepal Tharu dances organized by the villagers. o/n in National park +B/L/D

Today after taking breakfast we drive back to Nepalgunj to catch our  flight to Kathmandu. Depending on the flight time, we can spend some time visiting nearby places. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be transferred to Hotel. o/n in hotel +B

The free day in Kathmandu either will be for leisure to rest or for perhaps some shopping before going home or explore any sights we missed during our first day in Kathmandu.

TRANSFER TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR FLY BACK TO HOME
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