Grand Himalayan Tour – The Best of Nepal, Bhutan & Tibet

Best of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet is a sightseeing and road-travel tour — not a trekking expedition. The daily pace is moderate: two to four hours of walking on guided sightseeing days, with longer road drives between destinations. The exception is the Tiger’s Nest hike in Bhutan (day 6), which is a six-hour return walk with around 550 m of altitude gain on an uneven rocky path. This is manageable for most adults of reasonable fitness; a halfway café with views of the monastery is available for those who prefer not to summit.

The tour is suitable for travellers of any age with no significant mobility impairment. There is no minimum fitness requirement beyond the ability to walk on uneven surfaces for a few hours. Those over 80 who wish to enter Tibet may be required to provide additional medical documentation — a letter from your GP confirming you are fit to travel at high altitude is worth bringing regardless of age. Consult your doctor if you have cardiovascular, respiratory or circulatory conditions before booking this tour.

Spring (March to June) and autumn (September to November) are the recommended seasons for this tour. Both offer the most stable weather across all three countries, the clearest mountain views, and reliable road conditions in Tibet.
Spring brings rhododendrons in bloom in Nepal and Bhutan (March to April) and warming temperatures. Autumn brings post-monsoon clarity — the sharpest mountain views of the year and comfortable temperatures throughout the route.

Monsoon (June to September): Nepal and Bhutan experience heavy rainfall from late June to September. Roads can become unreliable and mountain views are frequently obscured. We do not recommend the main monsoon months (July and August) for this tour.

Winter (December to February): Bhutan and Tibet both experience below-freezing temperatures. The Tibetan plateau is cold and the mountain passes can be snowed in. Only experienced cold-weather travellers who specifically want a winter tour should consider this season.

Tibet is the highest region on Earth. The altitude you will sleep at reaches 4,300 m / 14,108 ft at Shegar on the return drive toward Nepal — and the Gyatso La Pass, crossed on the drive to Shigatse, sits at 5,220 m / 17,126 ft. Lhasa itself is at 3,650 m / 11,975 ft.

The most important preparation on this tour is the approach into Tibet. This tour drives from Kathmandu (1,400 m) into Tibet by road via Kerung, spending the first night at 2,800 m, the second at 4,050 m and the third at 3,900 m. This gradual ascent gives your body two full days to acclimatise before you reach Lhasa — significantly better than flying directly from Kathmandu to Lhasa, which would be a 2,250-metre altitude jump in under an hour.

Altitude symptoms to watch for: headache (most common), fatigue, loss of appetite, dizziness and insomnia. Mild symptoms are normal and typically improve within 24 to 48 hours as the body adjusts. Drink two to three litres of water per day. Do not drink alcohol or smoke in the first days at altitude. Walk slowly. Eat lightly. Inform your guide immediately if you develop a persistent severe headache, confusion, breathlessness at rest, or vomiting — these are signs of serious altitude illness that require immediate descent. No fitness level or age can guarantee immunity to altitude sickness. Your guide carries emergency oxygen.

Nepal: 3-star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara with Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and attached bathrooms. In Chitwan National Park, you stay at a jungle lodge in Sauraha — comfortable and in keeping with the jungle environment, with an outdoor dining area and often a garden for wildlife watching.

Bhutan: Government-approved 3 to 4 star hotels for international tourists in Thimphu and Paro. All have en-suite bathrooms, hot water and Wi-Fi. Bhutan limits international tourism, and accommodation in the country is of a consistent, regulated standard.

Tibet: In Lhasa, comfortable 3 to 4 star hotels, some built in traditional Tibetan architectural style. Outside Lhasa — Kerung, Lhatse, Shigatse and Shegar — accommodation is considerably more basic (guesthouse standard) with variable hot water and heating. Bring warm layers for cold nights, especially at Lhatse (4,050 m) and Shegar (4,300 m).

One of the real pleasures of this tour is that each country has genuinely distinct food traditions.

Nepal: The staple dish is dal bhat takari — lentil soup with steamed rice and vegetable curry, endlessly refillable at most local restaurants. Kathmandu and Pokhara have large tourist restaurants serving everything from wood-fire pizzas to Israeli shakshuka to Newari feast menus. Chitwan’s lodge serves Nepali food alongside international dishes. Vegetarian options are always available; vegan can be managed but requires advance notice.

Bhutan: All meals are included throughout the Bhutan leg. Bhutanese food leans toward meat (yak, pork, chicken) and its most famous dish is ema datshi — dried chillies cooked with soft local cheese and served with rice. It is considerably more flavoursome than it sounds. Vegetarian meals are readily available. Red rice is the Bhutanese staple.

Tibet: Breakfast is provided at hotels. The traditional Tibetan diet features thukpa (noodle soup with meat or vegetables), momos (dumplings — also ubiquitous in Nepal), sha phaley (a fried meat-filled pastry) and tsampa (roasted barley flour). Butter tea — tea churned with yak butter and salt — is an acquired taste; approach it as a warming soup rather than a sweet drink. Lunch and dinner in Tibet are at your own expense.

All three countries on this tour require travellers to be accompanied by a government-licensed local guide — independent travel is not permitted in Bhutan or Tibet. Swotah works with partner agencies in both countries to ensure your guide is English-speaking, licensed and knowledgeable. In Nepal, Swotah’s own guides accompany you throughout.

In Bhutan, transport is a government-approved private vehicle with a designated driver for the duration. In Tibet, private vehicles (type depending on group size). In Nepal, a combination of tourist buses (Kathmandu-Chitwan, Chitwan-Pokhara, Pokhara-Kathmandu) and private vehicles for transfers and sightseeing. Tourist buses in Nepal are comfortable and make food and rest stops. Private vehicle is available as an upgrade for Nepal road journeys at additional cost — ask Swotah before booking.

In Chitwan National Park, you will have a qualified jungle guide in addition to your main Nepal guide — essential for safe navigation in an area with rhinos, crocodiles and tigers.

Bhutan is one of the most distinctive countries in the world. The kingdom strictly limits the number of international tourists and requires all visitors to travel with a government-approved guide on an organised tour — a policy designed to protect Bhutanese culture and minimise mass tourism’s impact. The result is a country that feels genuinely unaffected by global tourism in ways that Nepal and Tibet do not.

The Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) — currently USD 100 per person per night for most foreign nationals (excluding SAARC nationals) — is included in Swotah’s Bhutan arrangements. This fee funds free education, free healthcare and environmental conservation in Bhutan, and accounts for a significant part of the overall tour cost.

The official religion is Vajrayana Buddhism (specifically the Drukpa Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism), and religion visibly shapes every aspect of daily life: the architecture of the dzongs (fortress-monasteries) that serve as administrative centres in each district, the prayer flags on every ridge and bridge, the mandala paintings on building facades and the ochre-robed monks everywhere. Bhutan measures national wellbeing by Gross National Happiness — a philosophy introduced by the fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who came to the throne in 1972. His son, the current king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, visited Nepal in 2024. A constitutional monarchy since 2008, Bhutan has a parliament but the king remains the central figure of national identity.

Tibet sits at the heart of some of the most significant geopolitical tensions in Asia. Historically a sovereign Buddhist kingdom, Tibet was incorporated into the People’s Republic of China in 1951. After the failure of the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India where he leads the Tibetan government in exile. Today, Tibet is administered as the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. All tourists must travel with a government-appointed guide and are required to obtain a Tibet Travel Permit in addition to a Chinese visa (the combined cost is approximately USD 217 per person, depending on nationality). Images of the Dalai Lama are banned in Tibet; do not bring photographs, books or printed images of him into the country, and do not raise the political situation with locals unless they initiate the conversation — this is a matter of personal safety for the Tibetan people you meet.

Despite the political context, Tibet retains a deeply Buddhist character that is immediately apparent in Lhasa. The Jokhang Temple draws hundreds of pilgrims daily who prostrate along the Bakhor circuit in prayer. Drepung and Sera monasteries still function as active religious institutions. The Potala Palace — the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas until the 14th — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary buildings on Earth. For many visitors, two days in Lhasa is one of the most powerful cultural experiences of the entire three-country tour.

Nepal is the only country in the world where Hinduism and Buddhism coexist at the same sites, practiced by the same families, often simultaneously. The most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal — Pashupatinath, dedicated to Lord Shiva — sits two kilometres from Boudhanath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. The Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley, the original inhabitants, have practiced a syncretic blend of the two religions for over a millennium.

The country’s natural diversity is equally extreme: from the jungle lowlands of Chitwan at around 200 m — where one-horned rhinoceroses, crocodiles, elephants and over 400 bird species live in a Terai riverine forest — to the mountain-ringed lake of Pokhara at 827 m with direct views of the Annapurna massif and Machhapuchhre. Chitwan National Park, established in 1973 and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, is the success story of rhinoceros conservation in Asia: the one-horned rhino population in Nepal grew from fewer than 100 in the 1960s to over 700 today.

Nepal was unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768-69; until then it was a collection of independent kingdoms. The Kathmandu Valley — myth has it — was formed when the goddess Manjushri drained a lake by cutting a channel through the southern rim. The Tharu people of Chitwan and the Terai lowlands have lived in the forests for millennia, with a matriarchal social structure and a tradition of bamboo and mud architecture still visible in village walks today.

Nepal: Visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash (US dollars only). You can complete the online application at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np up to 15 days before arrival — download and print the completed form to hand to immigration. Alternatively, complete the form on the kiosks at the airport. Bring two passport-size photos.

Bhutan: Visa arranged by Swotah through the Bhutan partner agency after you arrive in Kathmandu. You will need to provide your passport details in advance. Cost: USD 40 processing fee plus the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 100 per person per night (four nights = USD 400 SDF). All Bhutan permits and SDF are included in the Swotah tour price.

Tibet: A Chinese visa plus a Tibet Travel Permit (Group Travel Permit) are both required. The combined cost is approximately USD 217 per person (varies by nationality). Swotah arranges Tibet permits through the Tibet partner agency from Kathmandu. Provide your passport details to Swotah at least 2 to 3 weeks before departure to allow processing time. Note: Chinese visa applications can be made in your home country or at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

This tour passes through sites of profound religious and cultural significance in all three countries. A few specific points to be aware of:

Photography in Bhutan and Tibet: Always ask before photographing people or religious ceremonies. In Tibet especially, some locations inside monasteries and palaces do not permit photography — follow the signs and ask your guide if in doubt. Do not wander away from your guide in either country to take photographs; both require tourists to stay with their government guide.

Do not bring images of the Dalai Lama into Tibet. This is not a restriction from Swotah — it is Chinese law and could cause serious difficulties for you and for Tibetan locals who are seen with such material. Do not engage Tibetan people in conversation about the political situation unless they raise it first.

Temple and monastery etiquette: Remove shoes before entering any temple or prayer hall (this applies in all three countries). Do not show physical affection publicly. Dress conservatively — no bare shoulders, shorts or short skirts at religious sites. Walk clockwise around stupas and religious monuments (this is the direction of prayer in Tibetan and Bhutanese Buddhism).

In Chitwan, stick to neutral and dark colours — bright clothing is visible to wildlife at distance. Do not feed the monkeys at Swayambhunath.

Nepal: Nepali Rupees. Exchange USD, GBP or EUR at Tribhuvan Airport or Thamel money changers. ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara accept major cards. Budget approximately USD 30 to 40 per day for lunch, dinner and personal extras in Nepal. USD 50 per day in Kathmandu if you plan to buy souvenirs.

Bhutan: Bhutanese Ngultrum (pegged 1:1 to the Indian Rupee). Indian Rupees are also accepted. Since all meals are included, you mainly need cash for souvenirs, cold drinks and tips. Exchange money in Kathmandu before entering Bhutan; ATM access is limited in Bhutan. USD 20 to 30 per day should cover extras.

Tibet: Chinese Yuan (CNY/RMB) only. Exchange money in Kathmandu or at the border before entering Tibet. Credit cards are not widely accepted outside Lhasa’s international hotels. Budget approximately CNY 150 to 250 per day (USD 20 to 35) for lunch, dinner and extras in Tibet.

Tips: Tipping is appreciated in all three countries. Your Swotah guide in Nepal typically receives 10% of the Nepal portion of the tour cost per group member. Bhutan and Tibet guides receive similar rates — your Swotah briefing will cover exact amounts. Tip porters (if any), drivers and jungle guides separately.