One Week in Nepal: 7-Day Itineraries for Trekking, Culture and Adventure

Can you have a great time in Nepal in under a week?

I’ve always suggested taking a long trip to Nepal (if you have longer, see my two week itineraries for Nepal and one month itineraries) to get the most from this great country. But, I always get emails from people saying “I’ve only got a week! Can I still do it?!”

The answer is of course yes!

With budget airline routes from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi making it easier than ever to get here, there has been a steady rise in short trips to Nepal.

I’ve had great people from Malaysia wanting to make the most of these new offers as well as tourists visiting Thailand and India who never thought it possible to make it to Nepal so easily.

I’ve made short trips myself to catch up with friends and check in on some work. It’s a much shorter trip than usual so I thought it would be a great opportunity to share some tips on what you can hope to see and do between 5-7 days in Nepal.

Start with the time of year

“When are you going to Nepal” is nearly as important as “how long will you be in Nepal”. Remember Nepal has a four season temperate climate which will affect what you can do there. Let’s start with the best time to go and work down.

• September to early December is peak season. This is just after the monsoon season so the air is dry and clear. This is the perfect time for visiting Nepal for trekking and other activities.
• December, January & February are cold winter months throughout Nepal. It doesn’t snow in any of the main non-trekking cities in Nepal but it does hit freezing levels.
• Mary to Early May is Nepal’s second busiest tourist season with warmer temperatures throughout. Climate change often means downpours towards the end of this period.
• May to June is the start of the monsoon season. Short and long showers are more frequent and flight delays are getting more common. It can get hot and humid.
• June to August is monsoon season in full swing and you better come ready to get wet. Leeches are out in the valleys and flight delays are very common.

Now that you know what to expect weather-wise when planning your holiday, here’s more detailed information about the best time to visit Nepal and more on Nepal weather.

For trekkers here’s a complete monthly look at the best time of year to go trekking in Nepal:

• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in January?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in February?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in March?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in April?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in May?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in June?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in July?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in August?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in September?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in October?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in November?
• What’s it like to trek in Nepal in December?

Festivals in Nepal

Do check out my list of festival dates in Nepal. There are more annual holidays in Nepal than in most other countries.

Arriving the day before the Holi festival and then getting pelted by bags of colour might come as a surprise to some. Then again, Holi is one of the best festivals in Nepal so it might be worth your while arriving then!

Likewise, be aware of the Dashain Festival where there are many closures in government offices. It can be an issue for those seeking special restricted area permits etc. But these days everything is applied for my trekking agents online, so it’s no longer a huge issue. Moreover, for short trips like one week it should not affect you. In fact, there’s less traffic in the Kathmandu Valley so it’s a bonus in that regard.

What type of holiday do you want in Nepal?

With only 5-7 days in Nepal you really need to plan what you want from your holiday. Think about what Nepal primarily offers: culture & history, trekking, jungle, adventure sports & relaxation.

There’s no reason you can’t mix and match some of the above. But don’t expect to fit everything in. Here are some outlines for people looking to cover one aspect of Nepal.

• Trekking: The most common question from trekkers is whether it’s possible to trek to Everest Base Camp on a 7-day itinerary to Nepal. It isn’t. But that doesn’t mean you can’t see Everest in person. You can, with planning. There’s also a lot more to trekking in Nepal than Everest so you might want to look for something completely different! Weather planning tip: monsoon season is not the best time for views. Likewise, short 1 week treks leaving from Kathmandu are not that great in my opinion – better one week treks depart from Pokhara. Yes, there are plenty of online travel websites promising one-week treks from Kathmandu, but the reality is they are shorter versions of longer treks and there’s not enough time to see the big views. Do a trek from Pokhara, or see below for more.
• Culture & History: The good news for culture and history lovers is that you can get an amazing amount done in under a week in Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley is Nepal’s primary attraction for culture. Yes there’s more, but let’s start there and see what else we can fit in. Weather planning tip: available all year round.
• Jungle visits: Jungle lovers have several options open to them. Nepal has several national parks to choose from but it comes down to what you want to see. Either way it’s all very doable in under a week. Weather planning tip: avoid early monsoon and monsoon season.
• Adventure sports: These range from bungee jumping, paragliding, white water rafting and climbing. Weather planning tip: monsoon season makes white water rafting and paragliding unpredictable depending on that day’s conditions.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of what can be done in Nepal in about a week and at what time of year, I hope you’re starting to get a clearer idea of what you’d like to do during your holiday.

If you still need help do check out my Nepal trip planner.

I’ll cover how to speed up your travel within Nepal later, but for now let’s move on to specific itineraries for short holidays in Nepal.

7 day trekking itineraries in Nepal

There are quite a few treks you can do in Nepal in under a week. But you’ve not actually got a full week as your first day is already gone on arrival. We need to speed things up a little to help you maximise your time.

Domestic flight delays are common in Nepal so if you are planning to fly to Pokhara for trekking then you’ll need to book ahead with an agency beforehand. Likewise if you need a guide. Yes, you can spend a day in Pokhara or Kathmandu looking for a guide but do you really need that pressure? Probably not.

Arranging a guide ahead of time will save you time and stress. If you want a recommended guide then use my Find a trekking guide service and you’ll get vetted, registered, and insured trekking guides. Otherwise, take a read of my article on how to choose a trekking guide in Nepal. You’ll also need to arrange your trekking permits in advance.

Short treks in Nepal

As you can see from the above, most of the short treks listed are Pokhara-based. Pokhara is a 7am-2pm bus trip from Kathmandu, a 30-minute flight, or about a 6-hour private car trip. So you’ll need to think about how to get there and back.

If you book ahead with a guide they can help with pre-booking your trekking permits (yes, you need them), plus either air, bus or private transport to Pokhara. It’s all very doable but you must arrange things ahead of time.

There’s some good news for culture and history buffs who also want to go trekking

Nagarkot is very close to Bhaktapur and there’s no reason you can’t easily combine the two into something like 2 nights in Bhaktapur and 2 nights in Nagarkot.

Regarding Mardi Himal, it is a tight fit if you hope to complete it and leave in under a week. I do know it can be done in 3 nights and 4 days but it’s a steep climb, and you’ll need to be in shape. You’ll really need to pre-arrange domestic flights and have a guide ready and waiting. Again, contact me if you need a reliable guide recommendation.

If you really want a close-up view of Everest there are plenty of daily Everest mountain flights that will take you right up close to the peak. They are very popular with people on tight time frames who want to see as much as possible.

Here’s my detailed list of short treks in Nepal.

7 day cultural and historic itineraries in Nepal

I’m going to mention Lumbini here at the outset. You can fly there, or take a day-long bus trip. At a push you’ll arrive by bus in the afternoon, spend two hours at Lumbini park and then leave for Kathmandu the next day on a bus. To make the most of it, stay two days in Lumbini. That’s two days of travel and one full day of sightseeing.

Meanwhile the rest of the cultural itinerary takes place in Kathmandu. If you are trying to see as much as possible then seriously consider hiring a taxi for the day. Prices will range from 3,000-5,000 rupees depending on distance (costs shown in my Nepal guidebook). Overnight stays are up to you. Some people prefer day trips, others might prefer to stay elsewhere. Swap and change as you like.

• Day 1: Arrive, check into hotel, take a look around Thamel to get your bearings.
• Day 2: Take an early morning taxi out to Boudhanath to watch the monks circle the great stupa. Walk or take a taxi to Pashupatinath. Take a taxi back to Thamel for lunch before heading to Swayambhunath.
• Day 3: Taxi to Patan for some temple sightseeing and drop in to see the Living Goddess. Have lunch here before either heading back to Kathmandu Durbar Square or going directly to Bhaktapur.
• Day 4: If you haven’t seen Kathmandu Durbar Square yet, go there first. If you have, head to Bhaktapur that morning where you’ll spend a couple of nights. Take your time in Bhaktapur as there’s a lot to see here.
• Day 5: Another day exploring Bhaktapur. Make sure to take in the Pottery market or take a Thanka painting class.
• Day 6: Take an early morning bus or taxi from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot for mountain views or a short day trek. You can stay here for the night, or head back to Kathmandu.
• Day 7: Depending on your flight time you can spend the morning shopping in Thamel or checking out some of Kathmandu’s lesser-known sites like the Kathesimbhu Stupa or relaxing at the Garden of Dreams (here’s a full list of things to see and do in Kathmandu).

None of the above is written in stone. If you don’t want to spend a night in Bhaktapur, you don’t have to. Perhaps you’d prefer to spend more time learning about Buddhism or meditating in Boudhanath. At night both Pashupatinath and Boudhanath have rituals that are fascinating to watch. So if that’s more what you are looking for, stay longer there.

Check out my travel guide to Boudhanath for everything you need to know about staying there and discovering this great part of Kathmandu.

Jungle visits and tiger watching itineraries

So you want to see tigers and trek through the jungle. No problem. From Kathmandu there are daily buses to Chitwan National Park. They take about 5 hours and are often a more reliable option than flying there. For the record, Bardia National Park is another location if you are jungle lover, but it’s a long trip there and you’ll be using up 2 days of your 7 so my advice would be to stick with Chitwan for short itineraries.

Itineraries in Chitwan can be flexible and arranged on the ground. I don’t advise pre-booking anything in Chitwan aside from your guest house or hotel. Jungle treks never book out here and you can book one the night before.

• Day 1: Arrive into Chitwan (Sauraha), check into your hotel, take a stroll through the village and walk along the river before dinner (relax). Or, head straight to an Elephant Jungle Safari if you are in a rush.
• Day 2-4: Jungle treks can be for a day or several days. The choice is yours. Keep the weather in mind as well. An alternative is to take a jeep safari. The further you go into the jungle the more chance you have of spotting wildlife.

Additional days: There’s not much else to do in Chitwan aside from jungle activities. There is however an elephant breeding centre, elephant washing and ox cart rides to local villages, along with long sunsets on the rivers. If that appeals to you then you can stay on. Otherwise, if you just came to Chitwan for a single trek you should have enough time for a bus ride to Pokhara or back to Kathmandu. Check out my full guide to Chitwan for more.

7 day adventure sport activity itinerary in Nepal

Remember the weather plays a big role here. Basically you’ll want to avoid monsoon season.

You’ve really got two choices here. Kathmandu for white water rafting and bungee jumping, or Pokhara for white water rafting, day treks, mountain biking, boating and paragliding.

Pokhara wins hands down for variety. Unless you want to mix cultural sightseeing in Kathmandu with some adventure sports and maybe an Everest flight. The beauty there is that you shouldn’t need to book anything in advance. The Last Resort offers the only bungee jumps in Nepal and it will take you a full day to do this. Arranging a one night, two-day white water rafting trip is a simple matter of walking into any travel agent the day before.

If you prefer to do your activities in Pokhara you do have time to take the bus there (though a flight saves time) and then maybe a flight back to Kathmandu at the end. Once in Pokhara, everything from paragliding to white water rafting can all be arranged the night before from any lakeside travel agent.

Making your travel times more efficient in Nepal

The above itineraries can all be done with a little planning and preparation.

The biggest time consumer is travel within Nepal. If you want to cut travel times then you’ll need to book your domestic flights before you arrive. Or hire taxis for the day if you are sightseeing in Kathmandu. Both will cost a little more, but they will ensure you get to places on time.

One important tip that I’ve been proving for nearly 20 years is – let a Nepali travel agent book your domestic flights if you choose to fly in Nepal.

Domestic flights in Nepal often get delayed, or cancelled due to weather. Having a domestic travel agent handle these changes is far, far easier and more economical than booking a flight online yourself and then spending hours trying to get through to them on the phone or worse yet a chat bot!

Finally, night buses. Don’t do them. Last year there was a fatal crash of a tourist bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu. It happens more frequently than most people realize. The roads are not good in Nepal, especially at night. Many people try to save time with an overnight bus, the risk is there. Hiring a private car and driver, which is more expensive, is a viable alternative.

Last minute tips for a quick trip to Nepal

If you are going trekking then bring as much of what you need as possible instead of wasting time shopping. Good solid trekking boots, a rain/windproof jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. You shouldn’t need sleeping bags for these short treks. Everything else can be picked up locally or through your trekking guide.

A power bank is well worth packing if you rely on your phone for navigation or photos. Nepal’s power supply has improved greatly in recent years but outages can still happen in some areas, especially during and after the monsoon.

For souvenir shopping stick to Bhaktapur or the market outside the tourist office at Kathmandu Durbar Square. Thamel is great but more expensive and can get quite crowded.

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Wrapping it up: your short stay in Nepal

I should have mentioned this at the start but when you arrive in Kathmandu airport you’ll need to get a visa on arrival for most countries. Yes, they’ve started online visas but the service is still not reliable. The visa on arrival service works, it doesn’t really take up much time, and is reliable. Check out my post on arriving into Kathmandu airport for the latest on this. It will save you some time too.

Again, if you have longer, see my two week itineraries for Nepal and 30 day itinerary for travelling Nepal.

As you can see, you can get a lot done in Nepal within just a week.

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