Nepal,
through its food

The 11 days

Open a day to see what you do, what you eat and why.

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Kathmandu

   Night in Kathmandu

   Arrival, comfort and settling in.

   Activities

   • Airport transfer and hotel check-in.
   • Rest and refreshments after your travel.
   • A relaxed first walk around Thamel to get your bearings.
   • An informal tasting of local, international and familiar food.

   Food

   • An introduction to the national and international food you can find in Kathmandu.
   • A local barbecue speciality and drinks.
   • A good burger with a beer, where appropriate.
   • French-style pastries and snacks.

   Why this day. To settle in, adjust to the new surroundings and get ready for what follows. Familiar flavours and an easy first look at the city make the transition before the trip turns to Nepal's traditional food cultures and spiritual practices.

2. Day 2

   Tergar Monastery, meditation and Thakali food

   Night in Kathmandu

   Spiritual preparation and inner wellbeing.

   Morning

   • Breakfast at the hotel and a short briefing on the day.
   • A short hike of about 20 minutes to Tergar Monastery, depending on the route and access arrangements.
   • An introduction to the monastery and its atmosphere.

   Meditation

   • A guided meditation session and an introduction to contemplative practices.
   • Time for silence, reflection and rest.
   • A simple monastery lunch, following the monastery's arrangements and guidelines.
   • The meditation programme lasts about five hours with breaks, guided by the monastery and adapted to your comfort.

   Evening: Thakali dinner

   • Transfer to a selected Thakali restaurant.
   • A traditional Thakali meal: rice, lentils, seasonal vegetables, pickles and other regional accompaniments.
   • The ingredients, serving traditions, regional influences and cultural meaning of Thakali food.
   • Where possible, time with the chef or kitchen team to see how the food is prepared and served.

   Why this day. A calm, reflective start, and a first taste of one of Nepal's best-known regional food traditions.

3. Day 3

   Khokana, Bungamati, Patan and Newari food

   Night in Kathmandu

   Lalitpur's food heritage: food origins, living heritage and community culture.

   Morning: a traditional breakfast

   • Breakfast at a selected local eatery.
   • Traditional Nepali snacks and sweets such as lakhamari, mari and roti, depending on availability.
   • Breakfast habits, local ingredients and the place of these foods in everyday life.

   Khokana and Bungamati: farming and food production

   • The traditional settlements of Khokana and Bungamati in Lalitpur.
   • Farm visits and time with farmers, subject to their availability.
   • A traditional cold-pressed mustard oil mill, where access is possible.
   • How mustard is grown and pressed, and how mustard oil is used in Nepali kitchens.
   • The layout of the settlements, their temples, traditional houses and everyday life.

   Afternoon: Patan and Newari food culture

   • Patan's historic centre and Patan Durbar Square: architecture, culture and history.
   • Momo, its place in today's Nepali food and its links with Newari cooking.
   • Newari dishes and snacks, which may include choila, bara and other local specialities.
   • A traditional local drink such as aila, where appropriate and available.

   Evening: a modern take on Newari food

   • Newari-style dinner with live music at Sa:Sa restaurant in Kirtipur.
   • How traditional food, hospitality, performance and social gatherings fit together.

   Why this day. To follow food from its origins, from farming and traditional processing to markets, historic settlements, restaurants and shared meals, and to see how Newari food culture carries on and changes.

4. Day 4

   Kathmandu's old markets, history and new cuisine

   Night in Kathmandu

   Urban food culture and Nepal's living history.

   Early morning

   • Optional 20-minute yoga or gentle stretching.
   • Breakfast at the hotel.

   Morning: Ason and Indrachowk

   • A walk through the traditional market areas of Ason and Indrachowk.
   • Spice shops, traditional food vendors, grocery markets and local trade.
   • Lassi and other local drinks such as hot lemon or tea.
   • How the markets link producers, traders, households and restaurants.

   Afternoon: Singha Durbar and Kathmandu Durbar Square

   • The Singha Durbar area, with an introduction to its history as the seat of government.
   • Lunch of mutton taas, a Nepali mutton speciality, at Bhet Ghat restaurant.
   • A guided walk around Kathmandu Durbar Square: historic buildings, courtyards, temples and the old city.

   Evening: contemporary Nepali dining

   • Back to the hotel to rest.
   • Dinner at BARC restaurant, subject to confirmation, to see how Nepali food is being served in new ways.
   • How modern restaurants mix international influences with changing Nepali tastes and lifestyles.

   Why this day. To see Kathmandu as both a historic capital and a modern city, where old markets, political history, street food and contemporary dining sit side by side.

5. Day 5

   Bhaktapur's sweets and yogic wellbeing

   Night at Telkot Yoga Centre

   Traditional sweets, heritage and holistic wellbeing.

   Morning: Thimi and Nagadesh

   • Travel to Madhyapur Thimi.
   • A selected juju dhau site, to learn how Bhaktapur's famous yoghurt is made: ingredients, method, setting and local know-how, subject to production access.
   • Other traditional sweets such as gutpak and pustakari, with a producer or local shop in Thimi or Nagadesh.

   Afternoon: Bhaktapur Durbar Square

   • Bhaktapur Durbar Square: architecture, traditional neighbourhoods, craftsmanship and heritage.
   • How food is tied to festivals, family life, rituals, local trade and the identity of the community.
   • Lunch at Tusa, Nepali cuisine with a contemporary approach, subject to confirmation.

   Evening: arrival at Telkot Yoga Centre

   • Transfer to Telkot Yoga Centre and check-in.
   • An introduction to the centre's approach to yoga, spirituality and wellbeing.
   • Selected introductory activities or guided practice.
   • A yogic dinner, following the centre's meal arrangements.

   Why this day. To link traditional food production and heritage with a more reflective approach to eating, movement and wellbeing.

6. Day 6

   Yoga, meditation and mindful living at Telkot

   Night at Telkot Yoga Centre

   Mindful living, food and self-reflection. A full day at Telkot Yoga Centre to slow down and take part more deeply in spiritual practice.

   Suggested activities

   • Early-morning yoga and gentle movement.
   • Guided meditation, breathing exercises and chanting, following the centre's programme.
   • An introduction to the philosophy and principles of yogic living.
   • Mindful eating, and a conversation about food, daily habits and wellbeing.
   • A guided introduction to fasting and its cultural or philosophical context, if the centre offers it and it suits you.
   • Time for silence, reflection, rest and the surroundings.
   • Other wellness activities offered by the centre.

   Food

   • Meals follow the centre's usual yogic food practice.
   • Any fasting is voluntary and adapted to each person, with food and water available all day.

   Why this day. To take part in Nepal's spiritual and wellness traditions rather than only watch them, with attention to mindfulness, reflection, food awareness and the link between personal wellbeing and cultural practice.

7. Day 7

   To Chitwan and Tharu culture

   Night in Chitwan

   From the hills to the Terai.

   Morning

   • Early breakfast and check-out.
   • Travel to Chitwan through Nepal's changing landscapes.
   • A planned lunch stop on the highway, with suitable local food.

   Afternoon

   • Arrival in Chitwan and check-in at the selected hotel or resort.
   • Rest after the trip.
   • An introduction to the Terai: its food culture, farming and indigenous communities.

   Evening: Tharu culture and food

   • A Tharu cultural dance performance, depending on the local programme.
   • A traditional or locally inspired Tharu dinner.
   • Regional ingredients, rice-based food traditions, local cooking methods, and how food ties into celebrations and identity.

   Why this day. To introduce the Terai's distinct culture and ecology, and how geography, farming and community traditions shape its cuisine.

8. Day 8

   Tharu community, farming and nature

   Night in Chitwan

   Indigenous food knowledge and the Terai landscape.

   Morning: community and farming

   • A visit to a local Tharu community and its farmland, subject to the community's consent and arrangements.
   • Meeting farmers or residents to learn about seasonal crops, traditional farming and everyday food.
   • How farming, home cooking and community life connect.

   Afternoon: nature and jungle

   • A guided nature or jungle activity, depending on location, weather and arrangements.
   • How the Terai's natural environment, local livelihoods and food resources relate to each other.
   • Back to the hotel or resort to rest.

   Evening: live cooking demonstration

   • A live cooking demonstration by the hotel or resort kitchen team.
   • Selected regional dishes, local ingredients, cooking techniques and presentation.
   • Sharing the meal and talking about the differences between home, community and professional kitchens.

   Why this day. To understand Tharu food culture first-hand, through the community, farming knowledge, nature and cooking.

9. Day 9

   Back to Kathmandu and the Aarti at Pashupatinath

   Night in Kathmandu

   A gentle transition from the Terai to Kathmandu.

   • Travel from Chitwan to Kathmandu, with a lunch stop on the way.
   • Check-in at the hotel and time to rest.
   • In the evening, Pashupatinath Temple and its Aarti ceremony.
   • Back to the hotel for dinner and rest.

   Why this day. An easy day to recover from the road, ending with the atmosphere of Pashupatinath Temple and its evening Aarti.

10. Day 10

    Boudhanath, Himalayan food and sound healing

    Night in Kathmandu

    Spiritual preparation and Himalayan food heritage.

    • Boudhanath Stupa: Buddhist philosophy, spiritual traditions and the cultural meaning of the area.
    • Sherpa culture and Tibetan influences, through local traditions, food and community.
    • Sound healing, subject to availability, and guided meditation for relaxation and inner balance.
    • Himalayan and Sherpa-inspired cuisine, including Tibetan-influenced dishes, to close the food side of the trip.
    • A special farewell dinner to look back on the food, culture and spiritual experiences of the trip.

    Why this day. To go deeper into Sherpa food culture and Tibetan influences, and to settle body and mind with meditation and sound healing before the trip home.

11. Day 11

    Departure

    Transfer to the airport

    Carrying Nepal home.

    • Gentle yoga, breathing exercises or meditation in the morning, depending on your flight time.
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • A last moment to look back on the food, heritage, community encounters and spiritual experiences of the trip.
    • Check-out and transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport.

    Why this day. A quiet end to the trip, with time to reflect on Nepal's food cultures, living heritage, community traditions and spiritual practices before heading home.