Great Nepal Itineraries: How Many Days to Spend?

Nepal is not a big country, so you can certainly cover most of the sights in just a few days if you know how long you need to travel the many destinations on offer. Without trekking, you can travel from Kathmandu to Lumbini and catch all the great sights (and safaris!) in between in just one week. If you want to combine a short trek with a cultural immersion, this is definitely doable in ten days. The best Nepal itinerary will be two weeks, which gives you time to tackle some of the country’s famous trekking trails. If your goal is doing some of the more hardcore trekking, however, we recommend taking some extra time to fit it in. Three weeks will give you time to do the Everest Base Camp trek or finish one of Nepal’s other more grueling trails!

One week Nepal itineraries may be crunched for time, but don’t worry. You can fit plenty of fun into your trip if you know how long you want to stay in Nepal. Start your week with a guided tour of Kathmandu that will take you to the city’s most famous sites, like Hanuman Dhoka Square and the Pashupatinath Stupa! Opt outside for your next day with a hike around Nagarkot, offering a combination of unbelievable views of the Annapurna range and an intimate look at the daily life of local ethnic communities. 

With only seven days in your Nepal travel itinerary, you don’t have time to trek all the way to Everest, but it would be a bummer to visit the country without seeing the world’s tallest mountain. You can book a morning flight to discover Everest, and the surrounding mountains, from above. Choose another nearby city to visit for a day trip before heading to Pokhara.

Kick off your trip to Pokhara with a whitewater rafting journey down the Trisuli river and spend your first full day in town sightseeing around the historic city, including an evening out in Pokhara’s remarkable nightlife. From parahawking (paragliding accompanied by an Egyptian Vulture) to rafting to ziplining, there’s an adventure activity for everyone waiting in Pokhara.

For our selected itinerary recommendations, check out our 7 days in Nepal guide.

With ten days on your Nepal trip, you can see everything written above and add a couple of unique experiences along the way! Instead of going straight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, take a longer route and spend a night in the gorgeous town of Nagarkot, from which you’ll have some unforgettable sunset and sunrise views. The real gem of these Nepal itineraries is a trip to Chitwan National Park, where you can go on a safari to discover elephants, one-horned rhinos, crocodiles and even tigers in their natural habitat. 

From Chitwan, head to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lumbini and explore the birthplace of the Buddha. In Lumbini, you can explore some incredible historic sites, like the Maya Devi temple and the Ashok Pillar. Make sure to stop off at the World Peace Pagoda as well, with its huge white stupa. If you’re interested in Nepalese and Buddhist culture and history, Lumbini is a place you don’t want to miss. Once you’ve finished in Chitwan and Lumbini, head onwards to Pokhara and the last couple of days of your trip!

Alternatively, if you’re in town for the trekking, a dedicated hiker can complete Nepal’s most popular trek, the Annapurna Base Camp trek, or the Everest Base Camp trek, taking you all the way to the bottom of the world’s most famous mountain!

Our 10 days in Nepal guide recommends some great tours! For more ideas, check out all our 10-day itineraries in Nepal.

If your Nepal vacation has two full weeks, you can enjoy all of the country’s cultural and natural wonders and still fit in some time for Nepal’s biggest draw: trekking! Spend your first three days exploring Kathmandu, from its temples to the old towns. It’s easy to take domestic flights in Nepal, so hop on a plane and head to Pokhara to engage in some adrenaline pumping adventure activities.

You’ll spend the next three days on the Poonhill Trek, which is one of the easier treks into the Annapurna range. You’re in for an absolute treat in terms of stunning mountain views and you don’t even need to be super fit to make it through. Along the way, you’ll stay in rustic tea houses and enjoy delicious local foods. When you return to Pokhara, spend a day relaxing after your trek. Travel onwards to Chitwan for a safari. Get up early the next day to take a boat along the Rapti River before going on another safari, this time in the back of a jeep as you explore the jungle! Once you’ve got your fill of the wild (if that’s even possible!) catch a plane back to Kathmandu from Bharatpur.

If you want to spend your whole two weeks trekking, you have several options for stunning treks that can  be completed in that time. Hike to the stunning Everest Base Camp or get off the beaten track with a two week trek along the Dhorpatan trail into Nepal’s Western Himalaya region. Whether you’re interested in pushing your body to the limit, photographing rare mountain views, or getting a little taste of Nepalese village life, there’s a two week trek with your name on it.

Access all our 2-week Nepal itineraries for more ideas.

Three week Nepal itineraries are designed with one main event in mind and that’s getting up into the Himalayas on a trek. With three weeks to plan for, you can start in Kathmandu and spend a couple of days exploring the city before heading to Pokhara. After a few days in Pokhara, you’ll be ready to set off on a trekking experience. 

You can finish the Annapurna Circuit, Langtang, or the Everest Base Camp trek in two weeks, to name a few. While they’ll definitely put your body through the ringer, whatever trek you do will be well worth the effort. You’ll be rewarded with incredible alpine vistas, local hospitality, and an experience you’ll never forget. While this itinerary suggests spending only one week trekking, you can certainly adjust your trip to account for more (or less!) time spent traveling through the mountains. 

From there, travel to Lumbini for two days to discover the temples in the Buddha’s birthplace, Chitwan for three days to enjoy a jungle safari. Those destinations are covered in more detail above. You’ll finish your trip with a three day stay in Nagarkot, where you can enjoy gorgeous Himalayan views in a town that feels like a completely different world.

Explore 3-week Nepal tours for inspiration.

As there's so many things to do in Nepal, one could easily get overwhelmed with where to start. So get in touch with our local travel experts and develop a custom travel itinerary depending on how many days you want to spend in Nepal. If you’d like to book a package or join a group tour, check out our Nepal tours page for more ideas.

5 days in Nepal