12-Day Royal Trek, Chitwan and Pokhara Nepal Tour

12 Days: Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara

Days 1 to 2 | Kathmandu

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and spend two days in the Kathmandu Valley: the medieval Durbar Squares of Kathmandu and Patan, Swayambhunath on its hilltop above the city, Pashupatinath Temple on the Bagmati River, and the historic town of Kirtipur, one of the oldest settlements in the valley. It is a good introduction to the country before you head out.

Days 3 to 4 | Chitwan

Drive south through the Terai hills to Chitwan National Park for two nights in the jungle, with a jeep safari through the tall grass, a dugout canoe on the Rapti River past gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles, and a Tharu dance in the evening. Chitwan is one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in Asia, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal tiger, and over 500 species of birds.

Day 5 | Pokhara

Drive west to Pokhara, Nepal's lakeside city at the foot of the Annapurna range, for your first views of Machhapuchhre, the sacred Fish Tail peak that has never been climbed, from the shore of Lake Phewa.

Days 6 to 9 | The Skyline Trek

The Royal Trek starts north of Pokhara, climbing from flat paddy fields to the ridge village of Kalikasthan and on through dense forest to Shaklung, a traditional Gurung settlement. The Chisopani viewpoint at 1,990 meters has the big view: Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu, and Himalchuli across the northern horizon. Descend stone staircases through rice terraces to Begnas Tal, the quieter lake east of Pokhara.

Days 10 to 12 | Pokhara and Kathmandu

A full day in Pokhara, with sunrise at Sarangkot, a boat on Phewa Lake, and the lakeside restaurants. Then drive or fly back to Kathmandu for a final evening in Thamel before your international departure.

Day by Day

Days 1 to 2 Kathmandu Ancient Traditions and Sacred Sites

Our team meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport, at 1,340 meters, with a traditional Sherpa welcome and takes you to your hotel. The city orientation covers the days ahead and some background on what you will see. Spend the evening in Thamel, Kathmandu's traveler's quarter, packed with gear shops, bookstores, thangka galleries, and restaurants that have been feeding expeditions since the 1970s.

Day Two is a full tour of the valley's most important sites. At Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, the painted eyes of the Buddha have looked over Kathmandu from the hilltop stupa since at least the 5th century. Pashupatinath Temple on the Bagmati River is the most sacred Hindu site in Nepal, and its cremation ghats have been in use on the same riverbank for centuries. Patan Durbar Square has the finest collection of medieval Newari architecture in the valley, with bronze statues, stone temples, and royal palace courtyards. Kirtipur, on a ridge southwest of Kathmandu, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the valley, and its people held out against the unification of Nepal under Prithvi Narayan Shah until his third attack.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel

Days 3 to 4 Chitwan National Park Jungle Safari

Drive south from Kathmandu through the Terai hills, dropping from 1,400 meters to the flat subtropical lowlands in about five hours. It gets noticeably warmer on the way down, and the hill terraces give way to dense riverside forest as the road nears Chitwan National Park. The park covers 952 square kilometers of grassland, riverside forest, and wetland along the Rapti and Narayani rivers. It holds one of the last healthy populations of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in Asia, along with Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and over 500 recorded bird species.

The jeep safari goes out through the tall grass in the early morning, when rhinos are most active. Adult male rhinos can weigh over 2,000 kilograms, and they are bigger than most people expect. The dugout canoe on the Rapti River moves quietly past the sandbanks where gharial crocodiles bask in the morning sun. The gharial is critically endangered across South Asia, and the Rapti is one of the few rivers where it still has a population. The Royal Bengal tiger lives in the park, but sightings depend on the forest, the season, and the morning. The evening Tharu cultural program includes the stick dance, a martial art form that has been part of Tharu community life in the Terai for generations.

Stay: Jungle Safari Lodge, Sauraha

Day 5 Pokhara Drive from Chitwan

Drive west from Chitwan to Pokhara on the highway that follows the Narayani River before climbing back into the foothills. Pokhara sits at 800 meters beside Phewa Lake, with the Annapurna massif and Machhapuchhre rising above the water. Machhapuchhre, the Fish Tail peak, is sacred, and the Nepalese government has never permitted summit attempts on it. Its double-pointed outline is one of the best-known in Nepal, and its reflection in Phewa Lake on a still evening is the classic picture of Pokhara. Settle into the lakeside hotel and spend the afternoon as you like. We check your trekking gear and confirm the start point for tomorrow morning.

Stay: Pokhara Lakeside Hotel

Days 6 to 9 The Skyline Trek Pokhara to Begnas Tal

The Royal Trek starts north of Pokhara, on a trail that climbs from flat paddy fields into the middle hills of the Pokhara Valley. The first section crosses irrigated rice and wheat terraces and small farming settlements that look much as they have for generations. The climb to Kalikasthan, a ridge village above the valley floor, takes about three to four hours and brings the first open views south over the Pokhara basin and north to the lower ridges of the Annapurna foothills.

The trail continues through dense forest along the ridge to Shaklung, a traditional Gurung village at moderate elevation. The Gurung have lived in the hills north and east of Pokhara for centuries, and the villages on this trail are ordinary working communities, with farming families, village temples, and terraced fields worked by hand. The Gurung are known for their hospitality, a tradition of welcoming travelers that goes back several hundred years before modern tourism.

The Chisopani viewpoint at 1,990 meters is the highest point of the trek and the place where Prince Charles's party camped during the 1980 visit that gave the trail its name. This is the big view of the trek: Annapurna II at 7,937 meters, Lamjung Himal at 6,986 meters, Manaslu at 8,163 meters, and Himalchuli at 7,893 meters across the northern horizon, with the whole Dhaulagiri massif to the west on clear mornings. From this angle you see the full east-west length of the Annapurna range, which you cannot see from Pokhara itself. On the final day, descend stone staircases through rice paddies to the shore of Begnas Tal, the larger and quieter of the two lakes east of Pokhara, where the trail ends at the water's edge.

Stay: Traditional Teahouses

Days 10 to 11 Pokhara Lakeside and Sarangkot

Return to Pokhara for a full, easy day in the city. The early morning walk up Sarangkot hill takes about an hour from the lakeside and reaches the viewpoint in time for sunrise over the Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri. The light reaches the upper faces of the peaks before the valley, turning them from orange to gold to white in about twenty minutes. Later, take a rowing boat on Phewa Lake to the small Barahi Temple on its island, and visit Davis Falls in the afternoon. The lakeside restaurants are a good place to spend the evening at the end of a trek, with the mountains still showing above the rooftops.

Stay: Pokhara Lakeside Hotel

Day 12 Return to Kathmandu and Departure

Drive or fly back to Kathmandu: a road trip on the river highway through the foothills, or a short mountain flight with the ranges below you. Spend a last evening in Thamel: a final walk through the market, the bookstore, and perhaps the restaurant you liked on the first night. Then a private transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your international departure.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel then International Departure

The Sherpa Standard

Every SherpaHolidays trip is fully supported. Here is what that means on this one.

Accommodation and Meals

• Kathmandu and Pokhara: Hotels on a twin-sharing basis, with breakfast.
• Trekking Section: 3 nights in teahouses and mountain lodges on the Skyline route, chosen by our team.
• Chitwan: 2 nights in a comfortable safari lodge in the Chitwan area.
• Full Board on Trek and Safari: All meals on the trek and in Chitwan: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Leadership and Logistics

• Sherpa Guide: A dedicated English-speaking guide for all 12 days, covering the cultural sites, the jungle safaris, and the trek.
• Sherpa Support: Professional porters to carry all luggage on the trek.
• Pre-Trek Briefings: Full safety and route briefings before each section.

Transport and Logistics

• Private Transfers: All airport pickups, drops, and overland travel in comfortable private vehicles.
• Pokhara Return: A scenic drive, or an optional short mountain flight, between Pokhara and Kathmandu.
• Permits and Fees: All sightseeing entry fees, national park permits, and conservation area fees.

What Is Not Included

• International airfare to and from Kathmandu
• Nepal entry visa fees
• Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu
• Specialized trekking clothing and personal medications
• Comprehensive travel insurance, which is a condition of every booking. Your policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. We can recommend providers.
• Tips for guides and porters
• Single supplement (for those taking a private room)

Five Highlights

The Chisopani Panorama

The viewpoint at 1,990 meters on the Skyline Ridge has an unobstructed view of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu, and Himalchuli across the northern horizon, with Dhaulagiri to the west on clear mornings. Prince Charles camped beside this viewpoint in 1980, and the trail takes its name from that visit. At under 2,000 meters it is within reach of most travelers, and you still see the full Annapurna range, from a ridge most Pokhara visitors never reach.

Gurung Village Life on the Ridge

The trail from Kalikasthan to Shaklung passes through Gurung communities that have farmed these ridges for centuries, long before anyone called the trek royal. The Gurung are one of Nepal's most important hill communities, known historically for Gurkha military service and for a warm, unforced hospitality. These are working farm villages, and travelers were welcome here long before anyone named the trail after a visiting prince.

Chitwan National Park

A jeep safari through the tall grass of Chitwan in the early morning, when the one-horned rhinos are out grazing. A dugout canoe on the Rapti River, past gharial crocodiles on the sandbanks. The Tharu stick dance in the lodge compound in the evening. Chitwan is one of Asia's finest wildlife sanctuaries, and between the jeep safari and the canoe you see both the grassland and the riverside habitats where most of the park's important species live.

Begnas Tal

The trail comes down to Begnas Tal, the larger and less visited of the two lakes east of Pokhara, where the stone staircases end at the water's edge and the Annapurna foothills are reflected in the lake. Begnas Tal gets a fraction of the visitors Phewa Lake does and is still quiet and unbuilt. It is a good place to finish four days of ridge walking.

How the Royal Trek Got Its Name

In 1980, Prince Charles trekked this ridgeline above Pokhara with a small group, staying in the villages and camping at the Chisopani viewpoint. The trail became known as the Royal Trek afterward, though Gurung farmers and their animals had walked the route for generations before any royal visitor arrived.