Nepal Multi-Adventure: 10 Days — Rafting, Paragliding, Safari & Pokhara Lakeside Bliss

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu — The City of Gods

Arrive Kathmandu. Afternoon: Boudhanath Stupa and Durbar Square. Evening: trek briefing. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 2: Trisuli River Whitewater Rafting — Class III-IV Rapids

Drive 3 hours from Kathmandu to the Trisuli River put-in point. The Trisuli is Nepal’s most popular rafting river — originating from the Langtang Himalaya and flowing through gorges and terraced hillsides. After a thorough safety briefing (paddle commands, rescue techniques, what to do if you fall out), launch into the rapids. The Trisuli offers continuous Class III rapids (named with Nepali flair: “Upset,” “Surprise,” “Monsoon” — you’ll understand when you’re in them) with a few Class IV sections depending on water levels. Between rapids, float through deep gorges, past riverside villages where children run along the banks waving, and under suspension bridges. Your rafting guide, typically with 10+ years of experience on Himalayan rivers, navigates the rapids with incredible precision. Lunch on a sandy river beach — fresh-cooked by the rafting crew. By late afternoon, reach the take-out point and drive to your riverside camp. Overnight in safari tent on the riverbank — roaring rapids as your lullaby.

Day 3: Rafting Continued — Drive to Pokhara

Second day on the Trisuli: more rapids, more gorges, more of the Nepali countryside from a perspective few visitors experience. Reach the take-out point by midday. Drive to Pokhara (3-4 hours), arriving by late afternoon. Check into your lakeside hotel. Evening: walk the Lakeside promenade — cafes, bookshops, live music, and the silhouette of Machhapuchhre reflected in Phewa Lake. Overnight in Pokhara.

Day 4: Pokhara — Paragliding Over the Annapurnas

Morning: tandem paragliding from Sarangkot (1,592m) — one of the world’s top 5 paragliding sites. The flight lasts 25-45 minutes depending on thermals, launching from a ridge overlooking Pokhara Valley, with the Annapurna range as your backdrop. You fly with an experienced pilot (Nepal requires minimum 1,500 flights and international certification for tandem pilots). The sensation of running off a mountain and soaring like a Himalayan vulture, with 8,000m peaks on one side and a jewel-like lake 800m below, is utterly transcendent. Your pilot can make it as gentle or as thrilling as you prefer — from peaceful sightseeing to acrobatic wingovers and spirals.

Afternoon: visit the World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa) on a hilltop overlooking Pokhara — built in 1973 by Japanese Buddhist monks, it’s one of 80 peace pagodas worldwide. The stupa’s gleaming white dome and golden spire, set against the Annapurna range, is the most photographed view in Pokhara. Hike down through the forest to Devi’s Falls (a waterfall that disappears into an underground tunnel — the story goes that a Swiss tourist named Devi was swept away here in 1961, giving the falls their name). Continue to Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave — a sacred Hindu cave shrine to Shiva, with a natural rock formation that resembles a Shivalingam. The cave extends deep into the mountain, and the sound of Devi’s Falls echoes through its chambers. Overnight in Pokhara.

Day 5-6: Pokhara to Chitwan National Park — Into the Jungle

Day 5: Drive 5-6 hours from Pokhara to Chitwan National Park (UNESCO World Heritage, 932 sq km). The drive descends from the hills into the Terai, Nepal’s lowland plains at the foot of the Himalayas. Chitwan was established as Nepal’s first national park in 1973 and was a royal hunting ground before that — King George V and his party killed 39 tigers and 18 rhinos during an 11-day hunt in 1911. Today, it’s one of Asia’s best wildlife reserves and a global conservation success story. Check into your jungle lodge.

Day 6: Full day of safari activities. Dawn: jeep safari into the park — your naturalist guide tracks fresh footprints in the dust. Chitwan is home to 68 mammal species including the Bengal tiger (approximately 128 individuals — sightings are rare but possible), the greater one-horned rhinoceros (approximately 600 — Chitwan has the second-largest population in the world after India’s Kaziranga), sloth bears, leopards, wild elephants, and the gharial (a critically endangered fish-eating crocodile with a long, narrow snout — Chitwan has the world’s last viable population with fewer than 200 remaining in the wild). Birds are abundant: over 540 species, including the endangered Bengal florican, great hornbill, and giant kingfisher.

Afternoon: canoe ride on the Rapti River — a traditional dugout canoe glides silently past mugger crocodiles sunbathing on the banks and gharials floating like logs. Walk through the community forest with a naturalist guide, then visit the elephant breeding center to see baby elephants with their mothers. Evening: Tharu cultural dance performance — the Tharu are the indigenous people of the Terai, with a distinct culture and language. Their stick dances and fire dances, accompanied by drums, tell the story of their relationship with the jungle. Overnight in jungle lodge.

Day 7: Chitwan Morning — Drive to Kathmandu

Dawn: bird-watching walk — the Terai at dawn is a chorus of bird calls, with hornbills winging overhead and kingfishers darting across the river. After breakfast, begin the 5-6 hour drive back to Kathmandu. The road climbs from the Terai (150m) into the Mahabharat Range, crossing the Trishuli River where you rafted days ago — a satisfying full circle. Arrive Kathmandu by late afternoon. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 8-9: Kathmandu Valley Heritage & Free Day

Day 8: full-day Kathmandu Valley UNESCO tour. Visit Pashupatinath Temple (Nepal’s holiest Hindu site — observe cremation ceremonies along the Bagmati River), Swayambhunath (the “Monkey Temple” — an ancient stupa atop a hill with Kathmandu Valley views, 365 steps to climb, home to hundreds of monkeys considered holy), and Patan Durbar Square (the best-preserved of the three royal squares, with the beautiful Krishna Mandir and a superb Patan Museum showcasing traditional Nepali art). Day 9: free day for shopping, spa, or optional Everest scenic flight (1-hour flight along the Himalaya range — you see Everest from the cockpit and cabin windows, breakfast with champagne, $220-260). Farewell dinner. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 10: Departure

Transfer to airport — departing with adrenaline memories from rafting, flying, safari, and the indomitable spirit of Nepal.

Included

• 9 nights: Kathmandu(4), Pokhara(3), Chitwan(2), riverside camp(1)
• Daily breakfast + meals during raft, trek & safari
• English-speaking guide throughout
• 2-day Trisuli River rafting (all equipment, meals, safety kayaker)
• Tandem paragliding flight (Pokhara)
• Chitwan: jeep safari, canoe, nature walk, Tharu dance (2 nights/3 days package)
• All transfers by private vehicle
• All entry permits & park fees
• Airport transfers