Highlights of Nepal

You'll be met on arrival and transferred to Dwarika's Hotel, where carved timber courtyards and centuries of Nepali craftsmanship make for a wonderful introduction to the city. Every brick is handmade, every piece of carved woodwork an original salvaged from Kathmandu's ancient buildings, and the rooms range from private courtyard suites to chambers with 16th-century windows and hand-printed Buddhist fabrics. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and explore at your own pace.

Today you'll start at Durbar Square, where the Teleju Temple anchors the square with quiet authority, before heading to Hanuman Dhoka, where a statue of the monkey god Hanuman stands draped in red cloth. Nearby, the House of the Living Goddess offers the chance to glimpse the Kumari at one of the upper windows. The morning ends at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa with its painted eyes of the Buddha gazing out across the valley.

This afternoon you'll head to Patan, long renowned for its metalwork in bronze, silver and copper. The Durbar Square, Krishna Mandir, the Royal Baths, the Golden Temple and the Patan Museum are all worth your time.

This morning begins at Pashupatinath, one of the holiest Hindu temples in Asia, where the banks of the Bagmati River draw pilgrims, mourners and wandering sadhus from across Nepal and India. The view from the opposite bank is striking: life and death conducted here with a remarkable openness. Next is Boudhanath, the spiritual heart of Kathmandu's Tibetan community, ringed by monasteries and busy with the turning of prayer wheels.

This afternoon takes you to Bhaktapur, the City of Devotees, a medieval town of cobbled lanes that feels relatively untouched. Today you'll visit the Lion Gate, the Golden Gate and the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows. This is the kind of place that is easy to linger in, and one of the great advantages of a private tour of Nepal is having the time to do exactly that.

This morning a short flight to Pokhara delivers you into an entirely different Nepal. On arrival you'll transfer to Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, set on a hilltop ridge half an hour from town, a thousand feet above the valley, with views of Machhapuchhre and three of the world's 8,000m peaks: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu. With just nineteen rooms in hand-cut stone bungalows, it is an intimate retreat, with private verandas, Tibetan hand-knotted carpets and original watercolours by British artist Luke Piper. The main lodge building centres on a Nepali-style courtyard with a fireplace and open terraces for meals outside. Colonel Jimmy's Library, a collection of Himalayan mountaineering literature assembled by the late Colonel J.O.M. Roberts, the father of trekking in Nepal, is worth an hour of anyone's time.

Today is yours to use as you please. Guided walks with expert local naturalists explore the surrounding landscape, villages and birdlife. Yoga and shiatsu massage are available for those who want them, and the lodge has a secluded swimming pool and no shortage of well-placed spots to sit quietly with the mountains.

Another day to use entirely as you please, whether that means an early morning walk, a late breakfast on the terrace or simply watching the peaks shift in the light.

After breakfast this morning, you'll transfer to the airport for the short flight to Bharatpur, gateway to Chitwan National Park. Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge will meet you on arrival and transfer you to the lodge. After a welcome lunch in the garden, the afternoon brings a gentle guided walk to the Narayani River to watch the resident elephants bathe at dusk.

Today begins with a river safari on the Narayani, drifting in a traditional boat through the riverine forest in search of Gharial and Mugger crocodiles and birdlife. After lunch, the afternoon is spent on a jeep safari into Chitwan National Park in search of the one-horned rhinoceros, deer, monkeys and, if fortune allows, the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Please note: the Chitwan programme is a suggested itinerary and subject to change depending on season and conditions.

Today you'll spend a full day exploring Chitwan by Land Rover and on foot with your naturalist, moving through towering sal forest and open grassland in search of whatever the park has to offer. As evening approaches, wildlife activity picks up and the chances of spotting leopard, sloth bear or wild boar improve. A packed lunch keeps things moving.

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, you'll transfer to Bharatpur airport for the short flight back to Kathmandu, where you'll be met and transferred to The Terraces Resort and Spa. Set near the border of Bhaktapur with easy access from Lalitpur, The Terraces enjoys fine views over the Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayas beyond. The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Today is yours to explore at your own pace: the historic streets of Bhaktapur are nearby, or simply relax at the resort and take stock of the days behind you.

Today you'll transfer to Kathmandu airport for your onward flight home.