Overview
Nepal is an unusual honeymoon in that it asks nothing of you. This itinerary is built so neither of you has to organise a single thing: a driver throughout, one flight instead of the worst drive, and four places worth waking up in.
The four bases
Patan at each end — a restored Newar courtyard house in the old city, ten minutes' walk from the Durbar Square and a world away from Thamel.
Bandipur, a Newar hill town on a ridge with a car-free main street and Himalayan views, bypassed by the highway and preserved by the accident.
Pokhara for the lake: a private boat at dusk to the Barahi temple, and a pre-dawn drive up Sarangkot to watch the Annapurnas turn from grey to gold.
Chitwan for two nights at a lodge inside the buffer zone — a canoe on the river at first light, a jeep drive in the afternoon, and dinner outside.
Pacing
Four bases in eight days is deliberate restraint; the obvious version of this trip has six. The longest drive is five hours and the Pokhara–Kathmandu leg is flown, because seven hours on the Prithvi Highway belongs on nobody's honeymoon.
If you want it slower still, drop Bandipur and add a night each to Pokhara and Chitwan. That is the variant most couples end up choosing.
Best season
October and November for the clearest mountain views of the year; February to April for warmth and rhododendron. December and January are exceptionally clear but cold at night in the hills. The monsoon hides the mountains entirely and makes Chitwan unpleasant.
Highlights
- Sunrise over Annapurna from Sarangkot
- A private boat to the Barahi temple at dusk
- Two nights at a Chitwan lodge inside the buffer zone
- Bandipur, a Newar hill town with no traffic
- A restored courtyard house in Kathmandu
Day by day
The full 8 days
Where you are, what you do, how you travel and where you sleep — each day a structured record rather than a paragraph.
- Day 1
Arrive Kathmandu
Kathmandu
- Private transfer to a restored courtyard house in Patan
- Nothing scheduled
- Sleep
- Boutique hotel, Patan
- Meals
- Dinner
- Time
- Afternoon
- Day 2
Bhaktapur, then Bandipur
Bandipur
- Bhaktapur in the early morning, before the coaches
- Drive west to Bandipur, a car-free Newar hill town
- Sunset from the ridge
- Transport
- Private vehicle, 5 hours
- Sleep
- Heritage inn, Bandipur
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 8 hours
- Day 3
Bandipur to Pokhara
Pokhara
- Slow morning on the Bandipur main street
- Drive to Pokhara
- Private boat on Phewa Lake at dusk
- Transport
- Private vehicle, 2 hours
- Sleep
- Lakeside hotel, Pokhara
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 5 hours
- Day 4
Sarangkot sunrise
Pokhara
- Pre-dawn drive to Sarangkot for the Annapurna sunrise
- Free day — paragliding, the peace pagoda, or nothing
- Sleep
- Lakeside hotel, Pokhara
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 4 hours
- Day 5
Pokhara to Chitwan
Sauraha
- Drive south to the Terai
- Riverbank at sunset
- Transport
- Private vehicle, 5 hours
- Sleep
- Buffer-zone lodge, Chitwan
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
- Time
- 6 hours
- Day 6
Chitwan
Chitwan National Park
- Canoe on the Rapti at first light
- Jeep safari in the afternoon
- Dinner outside
- Sleep
- Buffer-zone lodge, Chitwan
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Time
- Full day
- Day 7
Chitwan to Kathmandu
Kathmandu
- Morning walk, then drive north
- Boudhanath at dusk
- Transport
- Private vehicle, 5 hours
- Sleep
- Boutique hotel, Patan
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 7 hours
- Day 8
Departure
Kathmandu
- Private airport transfer
- Meals
- Breakfast
Map
Where this tour goes
Price
What $1,900–$4,200 covers
Per couple, seven nights; the range is good hotels to the best in each place
Included
- Seven nights in boutique and lodge properties
- Private vehicle and driver throughout
- Pokhara–Kathmandu flight
- Chitwan safari activities
- Sarangkot sunrise and a private boat on Phewa Lake
- Airport transfers and all entry fees
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners except in Chitwan
- Paragliding, arranged on request
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for a Nepal honeymoon?
Is this too much moving around?
What is Bandipur?
Can you add trekking?
About the author
Maya Thapa
Senior trekking writer
Maya has walked more than 4,000 kilometres of Nepal's trail network, from the teahouse highways of the Khumbu to the restricted valleys along the Tibetan border. She writes the route guides and day-by-day itineraries, and returns to most trails every second season to re-check lodge availability, water points and trail reroutes after monsoon damage.
Writes about: Nepal trekking · High-altitude routes · Teahouse logistics
