Essence of Nepal
Overview
Customizable itinerary
Discover the essence of Nepal with this 7-day tour to understand what makes this Asian country so charming. See the great architectural symbols of Kathmandu when embarking on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage tour. Catch the breathtaking sunrise view in Nagarkot before heading to Chitwan National Park, famous for its diverse wildlife. Go on a full-day exploration to encounter the protected animals of the park, some of which can only be found in the Himalayas. Do some short hikes or join a boat trip to discover the tranquil beauty of Lake Fewa with the close-up view of the Annapurna range and Mt. Fishtail. In Sarangkot, enjoy the amazing sunrise and a cultural show to wrap up your adventure in Nepal.
Your private tour guide will meet you at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) and will escort you by private car to your selected hotel in Tribhuwan. Your knowledgeable guide will be happy to answer any questions along the way regarding your adventure in Nepal and will assist you with check-in and registration at the hotel.
The rest of the day will be yours to explore at your leisure.
Overnight at Kathmandu

After breakfast, you will go on the Kathmandu sightseeing tour. You are going to discover the UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE of this city today which includes:
– Swoyambhunath – The oldest Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu Valley, a beautiful abode for lots of monkeys thus also known as Monkey Temple, is also a perfect vantage point to see Kathmandu valley.
– Pashupatinath – A holy pilgrimage for Hindus and Hindu Crematorium, watch as the Hindu dead bodies are cremated in the most unique way in the world; you will come across men with ash rubbed body, matted locks and dreaded look, which is a typical look of a Hindu Holy Men known as Sadhus.
– Boudhanath – the biggest Buddhist temple in the world; a site for Tibetan Buddhism where you can visit monasteries, watch the Holy Monks busy in their chanting ritual going around the temple.
– Patan Durbar Square – A Medieval Royal Palace area which is also known as the city of fine arts, you can see the finest example of metal and stone carving back to 14th century and also the amazing Nepali Architecture.
After this tour, you will drive to Nagarkot for about 1.5 hrs. and stay overnight there. Nagarkot is a beautiful hill station located 32 Kilometers east of Kathmandu and really famous for sunrise and Mountain View.
Overnight in Nagarkot
Meals: (Breakfast/_/Dinner)

This morning, you will wake up early to enjoy the fabulous sunrise and mountain view from the hotel before having a lovely breakfast. After breakfast, you will drive from Nagarkot to Chitwan National Park – once the hunting ground of British and Nepalese aristocrats. Today, the animals – elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard and deer – are protected strictly in Chitwan. The greatest thrill here is to scout for wildlife on the back of an elephant.
Overnight in Chitwan
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

After breakfast and check out, you will spend your full day in Chitwan National Park for exciting activities like jungle walk, elephant riding, visiting the village, canoeing, visiting elephant breeding center, bird watching, etc. Your tour guide will lead you through all the activities, giving you deeper insights about the wildlife, flora, and fauna in the national park. The interesting wild and aquatic life of rhinoceros, deer, bear, crocodile, and different birds will definitely make your day! In the evening, you can enjoy the Tharu cultural show. Tharus are aboriginal people of the area and they have their own language, culture, and tradition.
Overnight in Chitwan
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Today you will have a 05–hour scenic drive to Pokhara, a very famous and standing amid nature tourist destination in Nepal. As soon as you reach Pokhara, the atmosphere starts telling us about the beauty of the place. One of the most beautiful lake cities in the world, Pokhara, is also the city for the adventure sports in Nepal. It is also a famous sightseeing place with beautiful lakes and a view of the Himalayan range. The close–up view of the Annapurna range and Mt. Fishtail from here is more than fascinating. In the afternoon, you will explore the beauty of Pokhara by boating on Lake Fewa, visiting the temple on a small island.
Overnight in Pokhara
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

In the early morning, you will drive to Sarangkot for sunrise and close–up view of Annapurna & Fishtail Mountain ranges. After breakfast, you will drive back to Kathmandu (or have the option to fly with extra cost). Let’s enjoy a half-day shopping and later in the evening, you will go for a farewell Nepali dinner with cultural show in Kathmandu and can have a discussion about the trip experience.
Overnight in Kathmandu
Meals: (Breakfast/_/Dinner)
After breakfast and a leisurely morning on your own, you will check out by midday and your private driver will pick you up and take you to the airport for your departure flight home. Namaste!
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

Useful Information
This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services. Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!
Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Private Vehicles and Drivers
- Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
What’s Not Included?
- Your International Flights to and from Nepal
- Nepal entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
- Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
- Any bank fees or charges at your end
- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
Free service. No credit card required
Reviews on Our Service
We are committed to giving our customers unforgettable experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and beyond, not just something staged for tourists. Read reviews written by our customers about their experiences in Indochina after they have returned home. These include the ratings and comments on attractions, guides, activities, hotels and food.
Vietnam Luxury Vacation Review: Sightseeing, Culture, 12-Day Travel
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sightseeing, Rice Fields, Boat Rides, 18-Day Trip
We started searching for our tour for Vietnam / Cambodia back in October 2022 to start the tour in the first week of January 2023. We selected this travel agency, and contact name provided to us was Elly. She was extraordinary with her communication with us. Excellent English speaking language capability & excellent in communication on Whats app and email communication. We went back & forth few times to arrange the tour we wanted. She was very accommodating in arranging our schedule. We requested automobile tour for both countries, just for two of us.
We requested SUV FOR OUR COMFORT AND WE GOT IT!
We requested to get the high end hotel in each city and she gave us choices and not only that but send videos of each hotel for each City and then waited for us to decide which hotel we select. All the Hotels turned out to be one of the best we would expect to be. M/s Elly, personally came to visit with us on the evening of our first day tour. Very respectful and asked if she could do anything for us.I had requested before in our communication, if she would arrange for power converter for us, since my camera chargers are all in 110. So brought two power converters for us! Something, not everyone will do this kind of service. So all the kiddos to her!
as to the drivers in each city were very courteous, very professional and very careful in how and where they have to do driving.
our Guides in each city were so friendly, courteous and knowledgeable in where ever we visited. How ever wish two guides in Hue An and Ho Chi Minh City spoke English more clearly.
We only wish we had one extra day in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, , however, there is so much to see in the world! Perhaps next time will visit Vietnam.
As to Cambodia, same thing to express about site seeing and our Guide and drivers. Guides and drivers really made our travel thro’ the countries where we do not speak that language, made it so comfortable and enjoyable.
Outstanding!
Hi Lam…hope you don’t mind me contacting you directly. My wife Barb & I (Paul) have just arrived home after completing a great tour of Vietnam which was organised through your company Asia Pioneer Travel.
We want to tell you personally how impressed were were with the level of service that we received…it was amazing and the best that we have experienced anywhere. After we made initial contact with you, you handed us over to Chloe to arrange the trip which she did in very quick time and the amount of detail that she went to was fantastic. From the moment that we walked out of Hanoi airport on arrival to see our guide waiting, we knew that we were in for a great trip. The drivers & guides were fantastic and Chloe was in contact by email constantly making sure that everything was going to plan & that we were happy. At one stage we need to vary the itinerary by extending accommodation & changing air tickets and Chloe did that without any fuss or bother.
We also met some wonderful Vietnamese people along the way and Ive got to say that they are our kind of people, very generous & friendly.
Enough of my ramblings, thanks for a great visit to Vietnam, and a special thank you to Chloe for looking after us in such a terrific manner…she is a very special caring lady.
Kind regards & I hope that we have the opportunity to use Asia Pioneer Travel again….Paul & Barb Little from Newcastle Australia
Superbly organised and very flexible
We travelled to Vietnam for two weeks, booking the whole trip through Lizzie at Asia Pioneer, including hotels, excursions, trips, guides and internal flights. Lizzie was so helpful and flexible, accommodating changes to our schedule until the last minute, especially as we missed our connecting flight in Dubai and arrived a day later than planned (our fault). Nothing was too much trouble, including getting my wallet back to me after I left it in the car taking us to the airport.
We started in Hanoi in the North and worked our way south to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon), taking in Ha Long with its amazing sea stacks and sleeping on a boat, then to Sa Pa on the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi, with its wonderful countryside and rice terraces. Afterwards, we went to Hoi An for three days of relaxation. Hoi An probably my favourite place and three days are enough to cover it. Then onto Hue, the original capital, my least favourite place and then finally on to HMC, which was a real contrast to the North.
The 3-star hotels that Lizzie picked were very good and comfortable, and the guides were very knowledgeable. I would definitely use Asia Pioneer again for future Asia trips.