Nepal Classic: Kathmandu, Pokhara & Wildlife

Arjun meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport. The drive to Dwarika's Hotel passes through the chaotic, brilliant energy of Kathmandu — rickshaws and gods coexisting at every junction. The hotel itself is a masterpiece of Newar architecture: ancient carved windows, peacock-screened courtyards and a museum that contextualises everything you'll see in the days ahead. First evening: the hotel's Krishnarpan restaurant for a multi-course Nepali royal feast.

A morning at Boudhanath — the great Tibetan Buddhist stupa, one of the largest in the world, its all-seeing eyes watching the circumambulating pilgrims below. Arjun explains the Tibetan cosmology of the stupa's layered symbolism — the dome as the world, the eyes as enlightened awareness, the 13 rings as the stages to nirvana — with the kind of clarity that makes the symbolism genuinely lucid. Afternoon at Pashupatinath — the sacred Hindu cremation temple on the Bagmati River, where sacred bulls wander between shrines and the burning ghats offer one of the most candid meditations on mortality available anywhere. Evening: Thamel district for shopping and dinner.

The 365 steps to Swayambhunath — the Monkey Temple on its hill above Kathmandu — in the cool morning, with views over the Kathmandu Valley in every direction from the summit. (Vehicle access to the hilltop is available for those who prefer not to climb.) Then Kathmandu Durbar Square — the UNESCO-listed palace complex of the medieval Malla kings, its carved temples and courtyards one of the greatest concentrations of Newar art and architecture in the world.

A morning in Patan (Lalitpur) — the most sophisticated of the three Kathmandu Valley kingdoms, its Durbar Square arguably the most beautiful concentration of mediaeval Newar architecture in existence and its old city an extraordinary maze of courtyard shrines. Then a five-hour scenic mountain drive to Pokhara, arriving as the afternoon light softens on the Annapurna range. Check in to the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, perched on a ridge with 270-degree Himalayan views.

A sunrise boating session on Phewa Lake — rowing across the still water as the Annapurna massif appears above the mist, Machapuchare's perfect pyramid reflected below. Arjun's briefing on the eight-thousanders visible from Pokhara (Annapurna I, II, III, IV; Dhaulagiri; Manaslu) gives each peak an identity and a story. Afternoon visit to the World Peace Pagoda on its lakeside hill — the views of both the lake and the mountains from the pagoda terrace are exceptional.

A day exploring the Pokhara Valley: the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave (a sacred cave shrine leading to the dramatic Davis Falls waterfall), the Tibetan refugee settlement at Tashiling where the carpet-weaving tradition brought from Tibet sixty years ago continues with extraordinary skill, and the International Mountain Museum — the most complete museum of Himalayan mountaineering history in the world, its exhibits covering the great expeditions from Mallory and Irvine to the modern 8,000m era.

A 30-minute mountain flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu (the mountain views from the right-hand seat going east are extraordinary), connecting to the short internal flight to Bharatpur in the Terai. Transfer to Meghauli Serai — a Taj safari resort on the edge of Chitwan National Park, its lodge-style rooms facing directly onto the grassland and the Rapti River beyond.

A dawn elephant-back safari into the sal forest and elephant grass of Chitwan National Park — the most traditional and atmospheric way to experience Nepal's wildlife. One-horned Indian rhinoceroses (over 600 in the park) are almost always encountered; wild elephants, deer and crocodiles are frequently seen. Afternoon: a dugout canoe silent-drifting on the Rapti River with a wildlife naturalist, watching gharial crocodiles sunning on the banks and kingfishers hunting the shallows. Chitwan's extraordinary evening sounds — jungle insects, distant big-cat calls — fill the lodge terrace at dinner.

A full-day open-top jeep safari deep into Chitwan's core zone — the areas of densest wildlife activity, accessible only by jeep. Bengal tigers are present in the park (sightings are rare but possible); the diversity of bird life is extraordinary — over 600 species recorded here. Afternoon at leisure at the lodge; sunset drinks on the terrace watching the elephant grass turn gold.

Morning flight back to Kathmandu with time for last-minute purchases from the Thamel market — pashmina shawls, thangka paintings, Himalayan tea — before Arjun escorts you to the airport for your international departure.