My recent trip to Nepal wasn’t my first time visiting this amazing country. My first visit was back in 2014 with a friend of mine. We traveled around for two weeks. One year later I went back with my boyfriend on an incredible two month Nepal travel itinerary.
I was so impressed by the beauty of this country and the kindness of the people, that I wanted to show him what I experienced the first time. Our first impression wasn’t the best one because arriving in Kathmandu means arriving in an extremely dusty and noisy city. But after a few visits, I have learned to love Kathmandu and all its craziness.
Seeing the mighty Himalayas for the first time is something that grabs you. It’s huge and so extremely impressive. If you fly to Kathmandu during the daytime, be sure to sit on the right side of the plane (left if you fly from Europe/Middle-East). Just sit and enjoy the view.
Nepal Travel Itinerary: Our Two Month Journey
If you are looking to design your Nepal travel itinerary then have a read of our incredible journey. Our recent trip was a two month journey from the Kathmandu Valley to the far west of Nepal. We started our trip in one of our favorite ancient cities Bhaktapur. From there we explored the Kathmandu Valley: Panauti, Patan and the old city of Kathmandu.
After two weeks we took the bus to Bandipur to celebrate Dashain, the most important festival in Nepal. It was a great and authentic experience.
On our way to one of Nepal’s most touristic destinations, Pokhara, we first made a stop at Lake Begnas. This lake isn’t very popular, but it’s incredibly beautiful. We made some amazing hikes over here.
After Lake Begnas we went to Pokhara where we stayed for two weeks. We loved this place and for us it was the perfect spot to take a little break and to work a little. Pokhara has a lot of nice bars and restaurants and the surroundings are stunning.
From Pokhara we traveled to Bardia National Park. On the way we took a two day break in Tansen because otherwise it would have been a long and uncomfortable ride. In Bardia National Park we tried to spot tigers in the wild. Unfortunately we didn’t see any, but we did see a rhino, many deer and some beautiful birds.
In Bardia we did a five day tour to the far west. We visited Tharu villages which hardly see any tourists and made a jeep safari in the lesser known Shuklaphanta National Park. Sleeping in a treehouse in Bardia’s buffer zone was an incredible experience.
After Bardia National Park we took the bus to one of our all time favorite national parks in the world, Chitwan National Park. Chitwan is a great place for wildlife spotting, especially for rhino. From Chitwan we travelled back to Kathmandu, from where we flew onwards to Thailand.
Best Destinations and Experiences in Nepal
Chitwan was my favorite place when it comes to wildlife spotting in Nepal. We also enjoyed the unknown Shuklaphanta National Park which surprised us big time. There were no tourists at all and we saw many wild animals like swamp deers, blue bulls and even a leopard. We also saw fresh tiger and rhino tracks.
Spotting a tiger in Chitwan National Park was by far my favourite memory of Nepal. We are huge wildlife lovers and seeing a tiger in Nepal was like a dream come true. It’s way harder than spotting tigers in India. We had to sit and wait for hours for two days straight. The moment the tiger finally appeared was so exciting and so extremely special.
Another great place was Lake Begnas. It’s a lesser known destination than the nearby Lake Phewa in Pokhara, but it’s equally as beautiful. On a clear day you have an amazing view of the Himalayas and it’s a great place to go hiking. I totally recommended staying here for a few nights.
Then there is Patan. I never visited this place before and I have truly no idea why. This ancient city can’t be missed when traveling through Nepal. It’s simply too beautiful.
If you want to experience the culture of Nepal I recommend these three ancient cities in the Kathmandu Valley: Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. I recommend to visit them all (if you have the time). They’re totally worth it and they give you a great impression of the Newari history.
Another spot that can’t be missed when visiting Kathmandu is the Boudhanath Stupa. It’s the biggest stupa in Nepal and the most important place for Buddhists in Kathmandu. It’s such a beautiful place. Take your time visiting this area. You’ll definitely love it.
Overall Nepal is an awesome cultural destination with a lot to explore. Step off the beaten track and visit some Tharu villages in the Western Terai or head to one of my favorite villages in Nepal, Bandipur. It will give you a great authentic experience.
The Amazing People and Food of Nepal
The Nepali people are truly the most genuine people I’ve met during our travels. I just love them! They are super friendly, polite and always in for a little chat. Even when you visit places that hardly see any tourists, people are smiling and waving and giving you a friendly ‘namaste’.
In Nepal the people eat a lot of Dal Bhat, a cooked lentil soup with steamed rice and potato curry. It’s not my favorite dish in the world but it’s quite nice. What I do love are the Nepali momo’s, steamed or fried dumplings filled with vegetables or meat. My favorite are the steamed ones filled with cheese, tomato and onion. They’re so delicious!
Tips for your Nepal Travel Itinerary
Nepal is an outstanding hiking destination but definitely not just a hiking destination. During our trip literally everyone asked us which trek we did and we almost felt ashamed that we had to admit that we just did some day hikes, nothing really adventurous.
Traveling through Nepal can sometimes be a little challenging. The roads are pretty bad and it takes time to travel from one destination to another, especially when traveling with local transport. But between the main tourist spots you can always take a tourist bus which are more comfortable and not bad at all.
Nepal is a destination that should be on every traveler’s bucket list. It such a unique destination and the only way to experience it is to book that ticket and go! I can promise you, you won’t regret it. Thanks for reading about my two months in Nepal. I hope it has given you some inspiration to help you design your perfect Nepal travel itinerary!
About Me: Sigrid – My Travel Secret
Hi, my name is Sigrid. I grew up in a little town in the south of the Netherlands. When I was seven years old my parents adopted a little girl from Sri Lanka and since she came into my life I was fascinated by countries in the far east.
Ten years ago my boyfriend and I started to go backpacking through Southeast Asia and ever since we were hooked. Over the years we have visited so many incredible places, mostly in Asia, but also in Europe and Central America.
We love to be on the road and to explore new cultures and destinations. Five years ago I started my travel blog and Instagram account and exactly one year ago we both quit our jobs to start traveling full time. There are still so many places on our never ending bucket list!