Trip Includes
- Nine nights first class and deluxe hotels and resorts in the cities; three nights Ker & Downey luxury lodges in the Annapurnas; and one night at a camp in the riverside.
- All transfers and sightseeing by a private vehicle.
- Breakfast only when in Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara
- Three meals a day during trekking and Chitwan National Park.
- English speaking Tour and Trekking Guides.
- One porter for every two trekkers during trekking.
- Sightseeing admission fees and permits for trekking.
- Personal accident insurance for trekking crews.
- Domestic airfares as per the itinerary.
Trip Does Not Include
- International Airfares and Airport Taxes.
- Lunch and dinner in the cities
- Drinks, tip and other expenses of personal nature
- Nepal visa (obtained in advance or upon arrival).
- Travel & health insurance.
- Entrance fees other than listed in the itinerary.
- Medical Immunizations.
- All extra expenses caused due to nature or unforeseen events.
- Excess baggage charges.
- Optional tipping to local staffs, guides, drivers, etc.
Internal and International Airfare
Generally, most of our travelers book their international airfare on their own, but we are ready to help you book the international airfare reservations. Unless you combine other countries on this trip, you will need to buy a round trip airfare to and from Kathmandu. Cathay Pacific Airlines flies from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles to Kathmandu with a stop in Hong Kong. Thai Airways flies from East and West coast cities with a stop in Bangkok. Qatar Airlines has a stop in Doha; Etihad Airlines stops in Abu Dhabi, and Jet Airways flies to Kathmandu via New Delhi.
This trip involves three short internal flights between Pokhara to Chitwan and then to Kathmandu. These flights are locally booked and included in the trip cost.
Passport and Visa
All foreigners, except Indian citizens, require a valid passport and visa to travel to Nepal. Passports must be valid for at least six months at the time of travel. You can obtain a Nepali visa from any Nepal Embassies abroad or wait until you arrive at Kathmandu airport. You will need to provide a photograph and pay US$ 25 for a 15-day visa. A 30-day visa is available for $45. All other permits, if necessary, are locally obtained for you by us.
Accommodations and facilities.
Nine nights in hotels and three nights in Ker and Downey Lodges during trekking in the Annapurnas
The trip features a mix of deluxe and first-class accommodations in the cities that ensure private bathrooms with running hot and cold water, air-conditioning and heating. And there are most amenities that you would expect in first class-to-deluxe accommodations.
While in the Annapurnas, Ker and Downey's lodges are the best accommodations – built-in local architectural style but ensuring maximum comfort. You will have an en suite bathroom and running hot and cold water. The accommodation in Bandipur Village will be in a heritage-style property – a renovated old building of a local Newari merchant – and is among the best accommodations in the town.
All our hotels and lodges promote traditional heritage and culture, and at the same time provide the highest standard of service.
Meals
12 Breakfasts, six dinners, five lunches.
The trip includes daily buffet breakfasts at your hotels, resorts, or lodges. You will have one Nepali welcome dinner in Kathmandu. Meals in Chitwan will have a set menu; however, if you have any dietary restrictions, we will do our best to serve your needs. In the mountains, there will be fewer choices than in the cities, but the lodge cook will prepare plentiful and delicious.meals with the utmost hygienic care. In breakfast, expect toast, different styles of eggs, pancakes, porridge, and muesli or cereals with milk available. For lunch and dinner, you can expect a Nepali set meal, usually a combo of boiled white rice, lentil soup, curried vegetables, and pickle. The lodges also serve potato dishes, different curries, rice, noodles and pasta, pizza, spring roll, and chapati bread. Cookies and chocolates are also available. You may want to bring some additional vitamin supplements, dry fruits, and energy bars with you as well.
Mode of Transportation
We will arrange all ground transportation from the airport to airport. We will provide well-conditioned sedans, SUVs, vans or coaches, depending on the group size, for all transfers and tours. Vehicles are air-conditioned, have comfortable seats, and meet all safety standards. Driver and guide will be different people. Drivers, unlike guides, might speak little or no English.
The trip includes one domestic flight from Chitwan to Kathmandu.
Trip Activity Level
This trip neither involves technical climb nor requires any special skills or abilities. Participants should be in good health, lead an active life, and enjoy walking – even up steep hills. If you are not at the best shape, you should start some exercises about two or more months before the trip, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of the preparations. Training could be anything akin to jogging, cycling, swimming, uphill walking, aerobics, or indoor work out room exercises.
You have three carefree days of trekking in the Annapurna foothills. The trails are uneven, usually with stone stairs, and sometimes with slate pavers; they are at times steep. On average, we’ll walk two to three hours each day, at our own pace, carrying a daypack for your wallet, sweater, camera, water bottle – whatever you need that day. Porters carry rest of your luggage. Each set of two trekkers will be assigned to one porter, who can take a maximum 15 kg (33 lb.). We will also have short day hikes in Kathmandu Valley, and village walks in Chitwan and Bandipur; anyone in generally good health will enjoy those.
Trishuli River is a Class III river, and so it provides an accessible, but also exciting experience of white water rafting in Nepal. The guide and his helper steer and power the boat with 10-foot oars; you don’t have to paddle if you don’t want to. The rafting crew provides safety jackets and helmets. This trip also includes jungle safari activities such as elephant riding, a canoe trip, and jungle hiking. All of these are adventures of a scale that anyone in decent shape can enjoy the fullest. But one thing is essential: All participants need to maintain team spirit, be flexible, and have a high sense of adventure.
Before you go, we provide you final trip dossier that lists necessary pre-departure information, health and safety tips, checklist, etc.
How is it like trekking in the Annapurna?
The trekking day typically starts at 7 a.m. We should all be in the dining hall for breakfast at around 7.30 am. We have a healthy breakfast of porridge, eggs, and toast. By 8:30 a.m., we will be off on the trail.
The itinerary is designed for the slow pace trekkers. If you are looking for more active or strenuous hiking, probably this may be not a right trip for you. The first half of the day, generally, we walk from two to three hours through forests, terraced farmland, and villages, ascending and descending hills and valleys. We will stop in the local teashops, at viewpoints for photos, chit chat with the people we meet along the way, exchanging friendly Nepali greetings (“Namaste” means “hello” as well as “bye-bye”).
Generally, we should arrive at our lodge early in the afternoon for lunch; afterward, we can explore the village. We will visit schools and temples, stopping to meet farmers working in the field. We will return to our lodge usually by 4 or 5 p.m. The rest of the time is for us to relax, read, take photographs, or write in our journals. Dinner is at 6 pm. It will be a multi-course dinner that often includes ethnic cuisine as well as western favorites. If you want to try something local and particular, go for Yak cheese pizzas and momos – Tibetan pot-stickers. After dinner, we’ll cover the next day’s schedule. Usually, we retire to our beds early.
Expert Local Guide and Tour Escorts
A local certified tour guide leads the trip. The trip guide will be fluent in English and has in-depth knowledge of Nepal's history, culture, and religion. Ker and Downey lodges and the resort in Chitwan provide in-house guides and naturalists who are also talented locals. They will show you the area’s wonders, many of which you would never find on your own.
Booking and payment schedule
We request an initial deposit of US$ 300 along with with a completed booking form a passport scan. The balance payment is due 90 days before the trip date. The balance payment by a credit card attracts an additional fee of 3.5% to cover the merchant's commission.
Cancellation and refund
We must receive a cancellation request in written form by email or fax. Our cancellation fee structure is as follows.
- Ninety days prior departure: Administrative fee US$ 150 per person.
- Sixty-Eighty-nine day's before departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Forty-five days to Fifty-nine days before departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Thirty days to Forty-four days before departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Less than Thirty days: 100%.
Visa fee is non-refundable. Cancellation and refund of air tickets will be as per the airline's policy. And the consolidator will levy $25 for the processing of the refund. For details, please view booking and cancellation terms and conditions