The Kathmandu, Chitwan and Lumbini Private Tour is a 9-day, 8-night trip through Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Chitwan and Lumbini. It costs $745 to $998 per person, depending on group size. You travel by private vehicle and then fly back to Kathmandu from Bhairahawa, near Lumbini. In addition, hotels, breakfast, all meals in Chitwan and main entrance fees are included.
First, you visit six of the seven sites on the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage list. After that, you watch sunrise from Nagarkot and go on a jeep safari in Chitwan National Park. Finally, you walk through Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Because the return is by air, you also skip a long drive at the end.
This is our suggested plan, based on what past guests asked for most. However, you can change the hotels, days, sites or pace, or add a guide in your language. For example, you could add a second night in Lumbini or more time in Kathmandu. Just tell us what you want, and we’ll send a new plan and quote.
We’re a Kathmandu-based company, registered since 2018. So you plan directly with us, not through a reseller. See the group prices or message us on WhatsApp.
| Trip Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Tour Name | Kathmandu, Chitwan and Lumbini Private Tour |
| Duration | 9 days, 8 nights (4 in Kathmandu, 1 in Nagarkot, 2 in Chitwan, 1 in Lumbini) |
| Start / End | Kathmandu (Tribhuvan International Airport) |
| Travel | Private vehicle by road; flight from Bhairahawa to Kathmandu, about 30 minutes |
| Highest Point | Chandragiri, 2,551 m, by cable car; highest night in Nagarkot, about 2,175 m |
| Difficulty | Easy: sightseeing with short walks; two long driving days |
| Accommodation | 3-star hotels, deluxe rooms |
| Meals | Daily breakfast; all meals in Chitwan |
| Transport | Private car, jeep, van or Hiace, depending on group size |
| Entrance Fees | Main entrance fee at every guided site, plus Chitwan park entry and the Chandragiri cable car |
| Guide | Optional, in English, French, German, Spanish or Chinese, on request |
| Best Time | October to November and February to March |
| Group Size | 1 to 12, private |
| Customisation | Fully customisable: hotels, days, sites, guide, vehicle and add-ons, re-quoted to your plan |
Kathmandu → Bhaktapur → Nagarkot → Chitwan → Lumbini → Kathmandu (flight from Bhairahawa)
This tour covers Nepal’s heritage, wildlife and Buddhist history in nine days, without Pokhara. You see the old royal squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Then you leave the valley for the Terai, Nepal’s flat southern lowlands, where the country looks completely different.
In Chitwan, you stay two nights near the national park. A jeep safari gives you a fair chance of seeing one-horned rhinos, deer and crocodiles, and sometimes more. Then you drive west to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. On the way, you stop at Shashwat Dham, a large modern Shiva temple on the highway.
The return is by air. A 30-minute flight from Bhairahawa replaces a full day on the road, so your last full day is free for Chandragiri and Swayambhunath. If you’d rather focus on Pokhara and the mountains, see our 6-day Kathmandu & Pokhara tour. For the whole country by road, see the 11-day Nepal Road Trip.
Two days involve long drives: Nagarkot to Chitwan on Day 4, and Chitwan to Lumbini on Day 6. Roads are often slow and bumpy. Chitwan and Lumbini are hot from April to June. Non-Hindus can’t enter the main Pashupatinath temple, but you can see it from across the Bagmati River.
Flights: The flight from Bhairahawa (Gautam Buddha International Airport) to Kathmandu takes about 30 minutes, with several flights a day. Lumbini is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. In December and January, morning fog in the Terai can delay flights, so we book the afternoon.
Vehicles: A private car for 1–4 travellers (up to 3 if a guide joins), a jeep or van for 5–7, and a Hiace for 8–12. A guide rides in the same vehicle. A larger vehicle is available on request.
Guide: A licensed guide can join for the sightseeing days or the whole tour, in English, French, German, Spanish or Chinese. In Chitwan, safaris and walks are led by local nature guides, included in the package.
Rooms: 3-star hotels with deluxe rooms. Solo travellers get a single room. Groups share twin rooms; a group of three gets one twin and one single, with a supplement.
Best Time to Visit: October to November and February to March are the most comfortable months. December and January are cool, with fog in the Terai. April to June is hot in Chitwan and Lumbini. Jeep safaris inside the park stop during the monsoon, so the Chitwan programme changes from July to September.
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Altitude: 1,400 m | Drive: Airport transfer | Meals: None | Stay: 3-star hotel, Kathmandu
We meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport and drive you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight. We’ll go over the plan for the coming days.
Altitude: 1,400 m | Drive: Private vehicle, full day | Meals: Breakfast | Stay: 3-star hotel, Kathmandu
Start in Basantapur, at Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old royal palace square in the city centre. Next, drive to Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River, Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. In the afternoon, visit Patan Durbar Square, known for its Newar temples, palace courtyards and metal and stone craft.
Altitude: about 2,175 m | Drive: Private vehicle, about 1 hour from Bhaktapur | Meals: Breakfast | Stay: 3-star hotel, Nagarkot
Begin at Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Kathmandu’s Tibetan Buddhist community. Then drive east to Bhaktapur. Walk its brick lanes, Taumadhi Square, the Nyatapola temple and the potters’ square. Late in the afternoon, drive up to Nagarkot on the rim of the valley.
Altitude: Terai lowlands | Drive: Private vehicle, about 6–7 hours | Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner | Stay: 3-star hotel, Chitwan
Wake early for sunrise. On a clear morning, the Himalaya lines the northern horizon. After breakfast, leave at about 7:30 am for Chitwan. The road drops from the hills to the flat Terai, and traffic decides the time. In the late afternoon, take a guided walk through a Tharu village near Sauraha.
Altitude: Terai lowlands | Drive: Jeep safari inside the park | Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner | Stay: 3-star hotel, Chitwan
A full day with local nature guides. Go on a jeep safari inside Chitwan National Park, looking for one-horned rhinos, deer, crocodiles and birds. Take a canoe on the Rapti River and a bird walk along the forest edge. In the evening, watch a Tharu dance in Sauraha. An elephant ride in the buffer zone is possible at extra cost, but we recommend the jeep.
Altitude: 150 m | Drive: Private vehicle, about 4–5 hours | Meals: Breakfast | Stay: 3-star hotel, Lumbini
Leave Chitwan at about 9 am and drive west along the East–West Highway. Stop at Shashwat Dham, a Shiva temple complex built by the Chaudhary Group and opened in 2017. Continue to Lumbini and check in near the Maya Devi Temple. The evening is free.
Altitude: 1,400 m | Flight: About 30 min | Meals: Breakfast | Stay: 3-star hotel, Kathmandu
After breakfast, load your bags into the car and check out. Private cars can’t drive inside the Lumbini Development Area, so your driver waits at the main gate. From there, hire an electric rickshaw (paid locally) for a one-way loop through the Monastic Zone.
Visit the white marble Royal Thai Monastery, the Myanmar Golden Temple and the Chinese Zhong Hua Monastery. See the Cambodian temple, inspired by Angkor Wat, and the German Lotus Stupa with its painted interior. Stop at the World Peace Pagoda at the north end of the park.
Then walk south through the Sacred Garden, which is vehicle-free. Pass the Eternal Peace Flame, the ancient brick ruins and the Bodhi tree. Inside the Maya Devi Temple, see the marker stone for the Buddha’s birthplace, with the Ashoka Pillar just outside. After a quick lunch near the gate, drive to Bhairahawa airport, about 30 minutes, and fly to Kathmandu.
Altitude: 1,400 m (Chandragiri 2,551 m) | Drive: Private vehicle and cable car | Meals: Breakfast | Stay: 3-star hotel, Kathmandu
Drive to the cable car station at the edge of the valley. The ride up to Chandragiri takes about 10 minutes. On a clear day, you see the valley below and the Himalaya to the north. Back in the city, visit Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa known for its monkeys. The afternoon is free for shopping.
Altitude: 1,400 m | Drive: Airport transfer | Meals: Breakfast
Time for last-minute shopping if your flight allows. We drive you to Tribhuvan International Airport about three hours before your international flight.
It is a 9-day, 8-night private tour of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Chitwan and Lumbini, by road with a flight back from Bhairahawa. It includes 3-star hotels, a private vehicle, daily breakfast, all meals in Chitwan and main entrance fees. Prices run from $745 to $998 per person, depending on group size.
No. This tour goes south to Chitwan and Lumbini instead. If you want Pokhara, see our 6-day Kathmandu and Pokhara tour, or the 11-day Nepal Road Trip, which covers Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini by road.
Not for the sightseeing days. The price includes a driver and vehicle, and the Chitwan activities come with local nature guides. You can add a licensed guide in English, French, German, Spanish or Chinese for any part of the tour.
The main entrance fee at every guided site: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Patan, Boudhanath, Bhaktapur, Swayambhunath and Lumbini. Chitwan National Park entry and the Chandragiri cable car are included too. Separate fees inside a site, such as a museum or camera fee, the Lumbini rickshaw and an elephant ride are extra.
One-horned rhinos are the most likely large animal, along with deer, wild boar, crocodiles and many birds. Tigers and sloth bears live in the park, but sightings are rare. Wildlife is never guaranteed.
Not as part of the standard tour. We recommend the jeep safari, which goes inside the national park and gives you a better chance of seeing wildlife. Some operators run elephant rides in the community forests of the buffer zone, and we can arrange one at extra cost if you ask.
Jeep safaris inside the park stop during the monsoon, roughly July to September. If you travel then, we change the Chitwan programme and tell you what is possible before you book.
Most days are short. The two long ones are Nagarkot to Chitwan, about 6 to 7 hours, and Chitwan to Lumbini, about 4 to 5 hours. Times depend on traffic and road works. The flight back from Bhairahawa takes about 30 minutes.
3-star hotels with deluxe rooms for all 8 nights. Solo travellers get a private single room, and groups share twin rooms. A group of three gets one twin room and one single room, with a supplement.
A private car for one to four travellers, a jeep or van for five to seven, and a Hiace for eight to twelve. If you add a guide, they travel in the same vehicle. You can ask for a bigger vehicle at extra cost.
Yes. This is a suggested plan, and the tour is fully customisable. You can add nights, swap sites, upgrade hotels, add a guide or change the vehicle. Tell us what you want, and we will send an updated plan and quote.
The 6-day tour is Kathmandu and Pokhara only, with flights both ways. This 9-day tour adds Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Chitwan and Lumbini, without Pokhara. The 11-day Nepal Road Trip drives the whole loop, with rafting, Bandipur, Pokhara, Lumbini and Chitwan.
