Tour Epic India To Nepal | Visit India, Nepal

Guide

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Transport

Overnight sleeper train,Private vehicle,4x4 Safari Vehicle/Jeep,Auto rickshaw,Cycle rickshaw,Shuttle bus,Train,Canoe,Bike TRANSPORT IN INDIA: Main roads in India are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common as is the total use of the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Drivers of our private vehicles are experienced and well trained. if you are uncomfortable with your driver, please always let your tour leader know immediately. Please ensure you wear your seat belt at all times. TRAVEL TIMES: Distances in India do not reflect the driving time and to cover 100km may take much longer than you would expect at home, even if much of the route is on a highway. TRAINS: India has a massive network of trains and millions of people travel by rail every day. Trains often travel the length of the country over several days. Trains are a great way to see the countryside and get you away from the busy road system. Delays and cancellations are common on trains. Your tour leader will check the train status to see if there are delays and will do their best to keep you informed of any changes. From December to February, delays are more common, especially in the north of the country due to fog. It’s not uncommon for trains to be delayed for up to 12 hours. On occasion, your trip will may to be rerouted to allow for these delays. Your tour leader in conjunction with our local office will advise any changes to the itinerary. The Indian Railway system is one of the largest railway networks in the world and quite complex. Seat allocation is completely computerized on a centralized reservation system and we do not have control over seat allocations. Despite booking tickets months in advance of a departure your group’s seats, or sleeping berths on overnight trains, maybe spread out within one carriage or multiple carriages of the same class. There’s a chance you’ll be sharing a compartment with local travelers of either gender. For a detailed look into the experience of travelling by overnight trains read more here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/india-trains-guide/ AUTO RICKSHAWS: On this trip, we travel on the local style of transport called an auto-rickshaw. These small, motorised three-wheeled vehicles are a common form of transport in India and do not have seatbelts. FLIGHTS: Airlines in India are of excellent quality. Airports are becoming more modern (especially in the major and tourist cities). To enter the airport, you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. Schedule changes and delays do occur, especially when weather conditions make visibility poor.

Others

Jaipur - Walking & market tour Jaipur - Amber Fort Jaipur - Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Wind) Agra - Taj Mahal Varanasi - Sunrise boat trip Varanasi - Old City tour Lumbini - Heritage Park Chitwan NP - Park entry

Meals

1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

Accommodation

ACCOMMODATION: Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some may have shared bathroom facilities with cold water only. We use a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Some areas of India experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day and usually occurs for a few hours in the early afternoon. Most hotel properties have a restaurant or cafe serving local meals. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws. SHOWERS: Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times, you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water. ROOM ISSUES: If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay. OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights. SLEEPER TRAINS IN INDIA: Sleeper trains are clean and air-conditioned (fan-cooled at times), a great way to travel long distances and still get maximum time in each place. Depending on the route, we travel 2AC or 3AC class as not all classes are available on all routes. Due to the complexity of the ticket purchasing system and high demand for tickets, we are unable to offer upgrades to other classes. Second Class or 2 Tier AC (2AC) carriages have 4 berths in the compartment section and 2 berths in the aisle bay and individual reading lights. Third Class or 3 Tier AC (3AC) has 6 berths in the compartment and 2 in the aisle bay. Both have curtains for privacy. There are no sinks or charging points in these classes. During the day, bunks are folded away and serve as seats. Toilet facilities are located at either end of the carriage. There is usually an Indian style squat toilet at one end and a western-style toilet at the other. You will need your own toilet paper or tissues and cleanliness will depend on the number of people using them. Beds are padded bunks, with sheets, pillow and blanket provided. Some people prefer to bring and use their own sleeping sheet. Your luggage travels with you on the train, so packing light will make your journey more comfortable. Many trains have a dining carriage or a food/snack cart that is brought through the carriages. There are also plenty of vendors selling tea, coffee, water and snacks during the journey, although the hygiene may not be up to standards you are used to at home. Please note you may be sharing with other members of your group or locals on a mixed gender basis. Tickets are booked on a real-name basis using your passport details. We book for all members of the group at the same time, but unfortunately, this is no guarantee that we will be accommodated all together on the train. Your leader will do their best to swap with other travellers to allow people who booked together to travel together, but please be aware that this is not always possible. We may at times ask male travellers to swap with solo female travellers for safety considerations. Hotel (11 nights),Jungle Lodge (2 nights),Heritage Property (1 night),Overnight sleeper train (1 night),Tea House/Trekking Lodge (2 nights),Homestay (1 night),Camping (1 night)

Not included:

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Delhi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Delhi

This Himalaya adventure kicks off in Delhi. Meet your tour leader and new travel mates at a 6 pm welcome meeting. If you arrive early, there’s plenty to do in this wonderfully chaotic city. Wander the streets, sip on your first chai or practice haggling in one of the many markets!
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 2 Day 2: Tordi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Tordi

Keep this one quiet. Your next destination takes a bit of work to get to, but that’s because it’s our little secret! Journey through picturesque countryside by train, first to Jaipur, and then onwards by private vehicle to Tordi (approximately 7 hours). This remote and rarely visited village offers a fantastic glimpse of the real Rajasthan. We stumbled across it years ago, and everyone loved it so much we put it on the itinerary. The locals will feed you and you’ll sleep in a 18th-century palace with its owner as your host. And there’s a ruined temple and fortress nearby. Settle in, then savour delicious local flavours at an included dinner of tonight.
Accommodation: Heritage Property
Day 3 Day 3: Jaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Jaipur

Kick on to Jaipur (approximately 2.5 hours), India’s oh-so-pretty ’Pink City’. You’ll have plenty of free time here to haggle to your heart’s content at the bazaars and backstreets where vendors sell a variety of textiles, precious and semi-precious gems and stunning blue pottery. Drop by one of India’s finest palaces, the Royal City Palace, where the guards’ moustaches are almost as impressive as the building itself. Foodies will want to hit the streets for raj kachori chaat, a big fluffy chaat served with chutney, yoghurt, chilli and potato. Then cool off with a lassi from Lassiwala on MI road, Jaipur’s oldest and most famous lassi shop. Cinema buffs won’t want to miss the chance to take in a Bollywood blockbuster at the spectacular Raj Mandir Cinema.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 4 Day 4: Jaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Jaipur

If you’re keen for a different view of the Pink City, an optional early morning hot air balloon ride is a trip highlight for many visitors. For more information please see the ’Important Notes’. Later in the morning, you’ll drop by Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), the impressive five-storey facade with pink and honeycombed windows is it the most photographed building in the country after Taj Mahal. Then it’s out to the old capital of Amber and an exploration of the hilltop fort complex known as the Amber Fort. The rest of the day is free for you to use as you like.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 5 Day 5: Agra
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Agra

Take advantage of the chance to rub shoulders with the locals on a five-hour public bus ride to Agra today. Agra might not be the prettiest city in the world, but the minute you check out its top-notch site that won’t matter one bit. Of course, we’re talking about the Taj Mahal, India’s most enduring symbol and an epic monument to love and loss. For some reason local families find it more interesting to take photos of you than the actual Taj Mahal. But none of it matters, you’ll be too busy standing there with your mouth gaping open to notice.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 6 Day 6: Agra - Overnight Train
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Agra - Overnight Train

Today is free to explore at your leisure. Agra Fort is a spectacular option where you can stroll the palatial gardens of this red sandstone stronghold and get some great views of the Taj Mahal from afar. Then it’s on to the next stop - Varanasi. Tonight it’s time for a unique slice of Indian life aboard an overnight train (approximately 13 hours).
Accommodation: Overnight Sleeper Train
Day 7 Day 7: Varanasi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Varanasi

One of holiest cities around, Varanasi is the ultimate destination for Hindu pilgrims who travel from far and wide to experience this spiritual city. Overflowing with temples, shrines and devotees, it might not be one of the world’s cleanest cities but there’s no doubt it’s one of the most amazing. Maybe take the chance to perfect your yoga in this epic chakra-balancing place. Otherwise, just chill out and soak in the spiritual surrounds as it’s an early start tomorrow.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 8 Day 8: Varanasi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Varanasi

Today’s an early start, but it’s completely worth it - a sunrise boat ride along the sacred Ganges is a revelation. Even if you’re not the spiritual sort, you can’t help but get goosebumps. Pass the many ghats (stairs leading to the water) and temples along the river, and watch thousands of Hindu pilgrims cleanse their sins in the holy water as the sun bathes the surrounds in glorious shades of amber and orange. Afterwards, set off by auto rickshaw to the oldest part of the city, to explore its maze of narrow alleyways packed full of small shops, stalls and lumbering cows. See pilgrims performing rituals unchanged for hundreds of years and pass chiming temples as wafts of incense fill the air.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 9 Day 9: India/Nepal Border Crossing - Lumbini
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: India/Nepal Border Crossing - Lumbini

Wave goodbye to India as you travel to the border (Sunauli border crossing) and enter into Nepal, continuing to the town of Lumbini. Make sure to charge up your music and fish out your book as it’s a long day of travel (about 8-10 hours including stops). Lumbini is no ordinary border town, but the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and one of his four holy places of pilgrimage. Check out the beautiful Ashoka Pillars and hop on cycle rickshaws to the Maya Devi Temple, the actual site where Lord Buddha is thought to have been born. Later on, bunk down in a jungle camp for the night.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 10 Day 10: Chitwan National Park
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Chitwan National Park

Take off you religious hat and pop on your safari one as you drive to Chitwan National Park by private vehicle (approximately 5 hours). UNESCO (who know a thing or two about this kind of stuff) declared it a World Heritage site in 1984, and it offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Asia. Think the Jungle Book come to life with rhinos, deer, monkeys and a wide array of birds, including Nepalese wild chickens, all found here.
Accommodation: Lodge
Day 11 Day 11: Chitwan National Park
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Chitwan National Park

This morning you’ll hop aboard a jeep, meet your local guide and take a safari drive through Chitwan National Park. Maybe you might catch a glimpse of one of the 100-or-so Bengal Tigers that call the park home. There are also a number of optional activities available through your accommodation, including biking, bird watching, cultural performances, canoe rides and village tours.
Accommodation: Lodge
Day 12 Day 12: Kathmandu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Kathmandu

On to your final destination of the Nepalese patchouli–scented capital, Kathmandu (approximately 7 hours). Maybe book in for a massage or a yoga session when you get there to ease those body kinks. With the rest of your free time, perhaps visit the giant Buddhist Stupa at Bodnath, head out into the narrow streets – home to holy men, monks, bicycles, and sacred cows – and buy souvenirs or chill out with cool drink.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 13 Day 13: Kathmandu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Kathmandu

Oh hello Kathmandu! The adventure kicks off with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you’ll meet your tour leader and new travel pals. Look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place.If you arrive early, there’s plenty to do in this vibrant city. Kathmandu’s most important Buddhist shrine, Swayambhunath Stupa and the nearby ‘City of Devotees’ Bhaktapur are well worth a visit. For some more structure, there are a number of Urban Adventures day tours that can help you delve deeper into Kathmandu’s ancient architecture and rich cultural heritage. After the welcome meeting, perhaps have dinner together or hit up one of the nearby bars. Your leader will have a tonne of recommendations for a cocktail or two.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 14 Day 14: Trisuli River
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Trisuli River

Enjoy a morning drive over the rim of the Kathmandu Valley and soak up the views of the Ganesh and Lantang ranges. Arrive in either Baireni or Galaudi, for some rafting on the Trisuli River. Hit the water and enjoy the thrill of the rapids aptly named Ladies Delight, Rock Garden and Snell’s Nose. Camp on the beach and enjoy a local meal under the stars.
Accommodation: Camping (basic facilities)
Day 15 Day 15: Trisuli River - Pokhara
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Trisuli River - Pokhara

Have more fun on the river including negotiating the Monsoon and Upset. Late morning we end rafting at Kurintar and enjoy a light lunch and drive to Pokhara (4 hours). Arrive in Pokhara in the afternoon and take a walk around with your leader who will point out some of the best sights and sounds. This evening is free for you to chill out at one of the many lakeside restaurants and bars. If you haven’t already, make sure you get yourself a plate full of momos (dumplings) or a nourishing bowl of dal bhat (thick lentil or bean soup).
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 16 Day 16: Ghandruk (1950M / 6397Ft)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 16: Ghandruk (1950M / 6397Ft)

Today we drive from Pokhara to Shyauli Bazaar, which takes around 1.5 hours. Hope you broke in your boots before the trip, cos this is where the trekking bit starts. It’s all mostly uphill today - that’s some diverse terrain right there! There’s a dirt track leading to Birethanti and Shyauli villages. Then reach a stone staircase up to Kimche, where you’ll stop for lunch. Continue to follow the stone flags that lead you through fields of wheat to Ghandruk. Tonight you’ll stay in your first Nepalese teahouse.
Accommodation: Tea House
Day 17 Day 17: Tolkha (1700M / 5577Ft)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 17: Tolkha (1700M / 5577Ft)

Look east. That’s Landruk, the next village on the route. Look down. That’s the Modi Kola River 600 metres below. Look around the corner. That’s Tolkha, your base for the night. What, you can’t look around corners? Ok, you’ll just have to trek there instead. Begin with a mountain view for breakfast, then start the trek towards Tolkha. It takes about 2 hours mostly descending and then its time for an ascent of around 3 hours to our next teahouse stay.
Accommodation: Tea House
Day 18 Day 18: Hemjakot (1530M / 5019Ft)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 18: Hemjakot (1530M / 5019Ft)

Rhododendron is a tricky word to spell, but super pretty to look at. You’ll see a bunch of these bright pink and purple plants today. Do you know what you won’t see much of? Other people. We’ve picked a pretty remote trail from Dhampus to Hemjakot, and tonight you get to stay with a local family. The homes in Hemjakot reflect the traditional style of this part of the Himalayas: made from natural stones of the region which displays a domestic style of architecture that has largely been overshadowed in Nepal’s big cities. Experience the rural way of life in the mountains, gaining insight to the local culture. The first 2 hours trekking are uphill, then it’s mostly downhill from there. Pack your best smile and get an even bigger one in return.
Accommodation: Homestay
Day 19 Day 19: Pokhara
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 19: Pokhara

It’s a short descent to Phedi (1130m / 3707ft) before catching a transfer to Pokhara in time for lunch (approx. 40 mins). Enjoy free time in the afternoon to do all the things you didn’t do the first time round. We highly recommend taking a rowboat (doonga) out on Phewa Lake. If there’s blue skies you’ll have mountain views for miles.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 20 Day 20: Kathmandu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 20: Kathmandu

It’s a long bus back to Kathmandu so bring snacks. Once you’ve arrived back into Kathmandu (approx. 3 pm) there’s time to sip on a banana lassi and wish you didn’t have to go home. No accommodation is included tonight and you are free to depart any time after our arrival back in Kathmandu.

+17

20 days tour

Epic India To Nepal

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Epic India To Nepal

Day 1: Delhi

Day 2: Tordi

Day 3: Jaipur

Day 4: Jaipur

Day 5: Agra

Day 6: Agra - Overnight Train

Day 7: Varanasi

Day 8: Varanasi

Day 9: India/Nepal Border Crossing - Lumbini

Day 10: Chitwan National Park

Day 11: Chitwan National Park

Day 12: Kathmandu

Day 13: Kathmandu

Day 14: Trisuli River

Day 15: Trisuli River - Pokhara

Day 16: Ghandruk (1950M / 6397Ft)

Day 17: Tolkha (1700M / 5577Ft)

Day 18: Hemjakot (1530M / 5019Ft)

Day 19: Pokhara

Day 20: Kathmandu

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