Twin Kingdoms Tour: Journey Across Nepal and Bhutan

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you’ll be transferred to your hotel to settle in, followed by a guided sightseeing tour to Durbar Square. Then it’s back to your hotel via the old local market, Asan. Complete your evening with a traditional dinner at Bhojan Bhumi, and an accompanying, traditional cultural show.

Enjoy an early breakfast, followed by an 8am drive to Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple, and lunch at Boudha Square Himalayan Java Cafe. Next is a visit to Boudhanath, a Buddhist monastery. Then it’s off to the airport for your flight to Pokhara, where your trekking adventure will begin in earnest. In Pokhara, you’ll transfer to the Three Sisters’ Guesthouse for a preparatory briefing and orientation with your trekking team. The evening is yours to explore around Lakeside Pokhara, attend the Arati (evening offering to the gods) at Barahi Ghat, and ending with dinner with your guide at the Three Sisters’ Guesthouse, where you’ll stay the night.

From Pokhara, it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Kimche, the starting point of our trek. One hour of hiking gets us to Ghandruk (1940m). From here, we have fantastic views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhare. This famous village is a major settlement of the Gurung, an ethnic group of Nepal, and offers excellent mountain views. Upon arrival, you’ll be encouraged to enjoy a short walk to explore the village, including a cultural museum and monastery. Hiking hours: 1

Today’s ascent will be a steep one, all the way up to Tadapani. We walk along a shaded forest trail, followed by terraced fields of maize and potatoes, and culminating in an impressive tour of the river gorges, and a chance to spot langur monkeys in the trees! Hiking hours: 4

We’ll follow a long ridge through the beautiful rhododendron forests to Deurali, and climb uphill until we reach our destination: Ghorepani. Hiking hours: 6

Our trek climaxes with an early morning climb to the summit of Poon Hill, to watch the sun rise across a magnificent Himalayan panorama. After breakfast, we’ll continue through forests of rhododendrons to reach Ulleri for lunch. From there, our steep descent affords us our last view of the Himalayas en route back down to Hille. Hiking hours: 5.5

Our trek having ended, it’s a 1 hour drive to Nayapul by local jeep, and 1.5 hours to Pokhara in a Three Sisters’-provided vehicle. Driving hours: 2.5 Retrieve anything you left with us at the Guesthouse, and the rest of the morning is yours to relax or explore around Lakeside Pokhara. Then it’s an early afternoon flight back to Kathmandu, capped with an evening dinner at Gaia restaurant, and a well-earned rest at your hotel. Next stop: Bhutan!

The flight from Nepal to Bhutan is an adventure in its own right. In less than 90 minutes, you’ll not only fly past some of the most spectacular peaks in the world, but afterward, you’ll be able to brag about having “survived” one of the most harrowing landings in the world. Pilots certified to land in Paro possess special qualifications, and the steep descent onto the short runway is a sight to behold.

We’ll begin with a few essential standards, including the Royal Textile Museum, And Folk Heritage Museum. That’s when we’ll mix things up with a visit from a special guest presenter, who, depending what time of year you come, might be anyone from a local entrepreneur, to an expert on GNH (Gross National Happiness), or a Member of Parliament. You’ll be free ask any questions you want, and enjoy a delicious, traditional Bhutanese lunch as well. For “dessert”, get ready for a rousing dance performance by “Gokab”, Thimphu’s local hip-hop and breakdancing squad. And trust us, they’re the real deal: In fact, your visit helps support them in competing for the second time at the 2020 Summer Olympics! Next is a trip up to Buddha Point, one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, which looks over the Thimphu cityscape. A 1.5 hour hike is also on offer at this point, or just opt to explore the city, do some shopping, or rest up for the next part of your adventure.

Today’s morning drive takes us through Dochula Pass, one of the most popular spots in Bhutan to stop for tea and mountain views. Here you’ll see the 108 Chortens built by the Queen Mother to honor the memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed in the 2003 conflict against insurgents from India. And on a clear day, the 10,000-foot elevation grants an unparalleled 360-degree view of the Himalayas. As you arrive in Punakha, you’ll be treated to gorgeous views of Punakha Dzong, which sits at the meeting of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. Before lunch, we’ll tour the Dzong; the most important fortress in the Kingdom, and one of its most breathtaking. Bhutan’s Dzongs are hundreds of years old and have been converted into administrative buildings shared equally between government and religious offices, and Punakha Dzong is where Bhutan’s grandest national ceremonies take place. You’ll get to see where Bhutan’s coronations, royal weddings and funerals, and other large national religious ceremonies happen. For the adventurous (and if weather permits), we’ll offer a whitewater rafting excursion in the Mo Chhu River. We’ll take another off-road walk for 20 minutes to pay a visit to Chimi Lhakhang, a temple built in 1499 by Lama Drukpa Kunley, or “The Divine Madman.” According to legend, the “madman” subdued the demon of Dochu La with his, ahem, “magic thunderbolt of wisdom.” A wooden effigy of the lama’s thunderbolt is preserved in the Lhakhang. The evening concludes with a private dinner at the country’s largest, privately funded nunnery, where the nuns will prepare a feast just for you, and you’ll absorb a fascinating presentation by the local head monk. For those interested, the monk will also offer one-on-one astrological readings. Or, if you’d prefer to head back to your hotel for the night, a shuttle will be ready to go just when you need it.

Today’s morning drive takes us through Dochula Pass, one of the most popular spots in Bhutan to stop for tea and mountain views. Here you’ll see the 108 Chortens built by the Queen Mother to honor the memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed in the 2003 conflict against insurgents from India. And on a clear day, the 10,000-foot elevation grants an unparalleled 360-degree view of the Himalayas. As you arrive in Punakha, you’ll be treated to gorgeous views of Punakha Dzong, which sits at the meeting of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. Before lunch, we’ll tour the Dzong; the most important fortress in the Kingdom, and one of its most breathtaking. Bhutan’s Dzongs are hundreds of years old and have been converted into administrative buildings shared equally between government and religious offices, and Punakha Dzong is where Bhutan’s grandest national ceremonies take place. You’ll get to see where Bhutan’s coronations, royal weddings and funerals, and other large national religious ceremonies happen. For the adventurous (and if weather permits), we’ll offer a whitewater rafting excursion in the Mo Chhu River. We’ll take another off-road walk for 20 minutes to pay a visit to Chimi Lhakhang, a temple built in 1499 by Lama Drukpa Kunley, or “The Divine Madman.” According to legend, the “madman” subdued the demon of Dochu La with his, ahem, “magic thunderbolt of wisdom.” A wooden effigy of the lama’s thunderbolt is preserved in the Lhakhang. The evening concludes with a private dinner at the country’s largest, privately funded nunnery, where the nuns will prepare a feast just for you, and you’ll absorb a fascinating presentation by the local head monk. For those interested, the monk will also offer one-on-one astrological readings. Or, if you’d prefer to head back to your hotel for the night, a shuttle will be ready to go just when you need it.

Today is all about choice. We’ll drive to Paro (the staging ground for tomorrow’s climactic journey to Tiger’s Nest), and then you’ll be matched up with the spiritual or educational activities you selected when you booked your tour. These can include: Archery lessons with a bona-fide pro, who will help you master as much of the Kingdom’s national sport as you can manage in a day. A traditional Bhutanese cooking class, inevitably involving a great deal of delicious, spicy chilis. Yoga Guided meditation and/or in-depth discussion of Bhutanese Buddhism with a local monk. Good, old fashioned shopping in Paro town, an especially good place to find authentic crafts and legal reproductions of beautiful antiques. We’ll ask you before you arrive which activities you’d prefer, and you’ll have enough time to do at least two. (Or the same one twice in a row.)

Bumdra campground is a semi-permanent camping installation about a days’ trek up from Paro. This trek, as well as the campground itself, offers far more impressive mountain views than the “normal” route to Tiger’s Nest, which is exactly why we at Gray Langur prefer it. (Not to mention the distinct lack of crowds along the way.) More “glamping” than camping, Bumdra also just happens to be a very comfy place to enjoy a crisp, Himalayan night under the stars.

Instead of climbing up to Tiger’s Nest like most everyone else, you’ll be heading down to the famous monastery, with ample chance to visit the various higher-altitude temples people are always pointing up at and asking about. This route also culminates in a just-scary-enough-to-be-awesome descent down a pair of steel ladders perched precariously on the side of a cliff, which gives way in stunning fashion at last to your first glimpse of Taktsang, one of the most impressively situated examples of spiritual architecture in the world. You’ll then visit the Temple, of course — an experience best not spoiled here. Then it’s an easy downhill trek back to Paro to check into your hotel, and then head over to a local farmhouse for a homestyle, Bhutanese dinner, and a relaxing hot stone bath, before retiring for the night.

The next morning, it’s just a short hop over to Paro airport, where you’ll board your flight back to Kathmandu, and then on to wherever life takes you next.