Luxury Himalayas: An Immersive Adventure Through Nepal

Nepal’s capital Kathmandu sprawls 1,350 metres above sea level. With three full days here, you’ll have plenty of time to acclimatise – and to explore. Wander past intricately carved timber Newari buildings, some dating from the 12th century. In Durbar Square, the former Hindu sattal or rest house, Kasthamandap, was rebuilt by residents after the 2015 earthquake. 

Your Kathmandu cultural tour will take you down maze-like streets to wooden temples and pagodas. Explore Pashupatinath Temple, the country’s biggest Hindu shrine. Its two-tiered gold pagoda stands by the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats (funeral grounds) on the steps leading to the water. Head to contrasting districts like Baneshwor, known as the commercial hub, and upscale shopping area Durbar Marg. 

Visit Jhamsikhel for craft beer spots and diverse, modern dining, or Thamel, whose slender alleyways are stuffed with shops, bars and cafes. Restaurants and street hawkers serve specialities like momo dumplings, dal bhat (lentil stew with steamed rice) and chataamari, a rice crepe with toppings, a little like a pizza.

Travelling northwest from Kathmandu, your active Nepal itinerary continues in Pokhara. Once a major trading post between India and Tibet, the city sits by Phewa Tal at the base of the Himalayas. Lakeside restaurants serve traditional dishes made with local ingredients. The city also has several yoga hubs and the International Mountain Museum, focused on Himalayan people and the history of mountaineering.

A gateway to mountain exploration, the area offers up its own adventures. You’ll spend your days on and around the water. Take a private tour in a colourfully painted dhunga or rowboat on Phewa Tal. You’ll paddle close to the Hindu temple, Tal Barahi, whose two-storey pagoda sits on an island in the middle of the lake. Step the adventures up a level with a Pokhara rafting trip on the Seti River, which has whitewater rapids and a more serene lower section for cruising.

From Pokhara, you’ll launch straight into an unforgettable Nepal hiking tour with a trek through Annapurna. This protected conservation area is named for the 8,091-metre mountain that looms above a sea of peaks. Every view competes for attention. Kali Gandaki Gorge plummets for 5,500 dramatic metres to the west. The Marshyangdi River winds around the north and east sides, while Pokhara and Phewa Tal sit prettily at the southern foot of the mountain.

Annapurna means ‘mother who feeds’ in Sanskrit. Over three days, your Himalayan hiking adventure will immerse you in the nourishing mountain landscapes. Begin with a trek to Dhampus, spending time with Gurung people in their villages. Follow the ridgeline trail to Australian Camp, passing staggered agricultural terraces and seasonal walls of rhododendron blooms. And reach Kande via stone staircases surrounded by forest.

Just beyond the northern slopes of Annapurna and the nearby Dhaukagiri mountain range, the high desert of Mustang was once part of the Tibetan Empire. The independent Buddhist Kingdom of Lo was founded here in the 14th century, and its walled city, Lo Manthang, remains remarkably intact on a plateau 3,800 metres above sea level. With a minimum of five days to explore this region – whose highest portion, Upper Mustang, is known as the ‘Forbidden Kingdom’ due to its remoteness – you can hike with a private guide to the medieval kingdom’s earthen palace and monasteries.

From your luxury hotel, on a hillside above the frontier town of Jomsom in Lower Mustang, hiking experiences include pre-breakfast expeditions by the Kali Gandaki River. Ride on hardy Mustang ponies or take out mountain bikes through shifting landscapes of forest, desert, snow-hatted peaks and glaciers. Yaks and naur, or blue sheep, can often be seen grazing on the mountain slopes. Or board a helicopter for a private flight above arid desert landscapes, Himalayan peaks and ancient rock formations that have an ethereal, sculptural quality.