NEPAL MAY 4-MAY 25 2027❋
SMALL WONDERS
What to Expect
MAY 4 - MAY 25 2027A three-week journey through Nepal, created for mothers traveling with children over five, and built around the idea that travelling well does not have to mean travelling quickly. The route moves from monasteries and temples, courtyards and early-morning rhythms of Kathmandu to the hill town of Bandipur, then west to Pokhara for quiet days beside Phewa Lake and a gentle two-night trek through the Annapurna foothills below 3,000 metres.
From there, we return to Kathmandu where the pace softens further with stays at an organic farmstead in the NamoBuddha foothills and the iconic Dwarika’s Sanctuary in Dhulikhel, where forest walks, mountain views, gardens and long afternoons become part of the itinerary rather than something squeezed in around it.
Private transfers, short travel days and generous rest time keep this once-in-a-lifetime journey manageable for children, while the landscapes still feel expansive, the local community feels like family and we are all feeling deeply removed from our everyday lives. It is less about seeing everything than noticing more: prayer flags moving in the morning wind, boats crossing still water, a child walking a little further than yesterday, and the particular quiet that arrives when the mountains become the largest thing in view.
❋ Intentional StructureWe blend guided moments, open exploration, and space to reflect — so the experience feels both focused and fluid with children considered.
❋ Collaborative EnergyConnection is a core part of the process. You’ll learn just as much from the local communities and fellow group members as from the travel itself.
❋ Expert, Trusted Local GuidesLed by experienced, accredited local guides who know how to hold space for children, encourage participation, and keep things moving with care and purpose.
❋ A Safe and Supportive SpaceOur travel chapters prioritise safety, comfort, and respect — so you can show up as you are as a woman and fully engage in the adventure with your child.
There’s no rush to be anywhere, You get to drop in, be present and experience a new culture with your child in this once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.
Day One - MAY 4Arrive & Meet in Kathmandu (Boudhanath)
As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey starts here.
Maximum Altitude - 1,400 metres
Day Two - Four / MAY 5 - MAY 7Settle & Explore Kathmandu
The journey begins gently in Boudhanath, where mornings unfold beneath prayer flags and the steady rhythm of pilgrims circling the stupa. From here, the first few days are spent easing into Kathmandu through some of its most powerful places: the sacred ghats of Pashupatinath, lazing for long breakfasts in the quiet courtyards and painted walls of Shechen Monastery with lots of grass areas for children to play, the hilltop views of the Kathmandu Valley from Swayambhunath and the layered history of Durbar Square. It is an introduction to Nepal through ritual, colour, incense, stone and movement - enough to feel the city’s energy, but with space to slow down, wander and let a child’s curiosity lead the way.
Maximum Altitude - 1,400 metres
Day Five & Six / MAY 8 - 10The Road West To Bandipur
Leave Kathmandu slowly after breakfast and begin following the Trishuli River west. Breaking the journey with a riverside stop for tea and lunch around Kurintar, giving little legs time to move before continuing into the hills. By mid-afternoon the road turns upward toward Bandipur, where old Newari houses, stone lanes and mountain air replace the noise of the city. Approximately 5–6 hours driving, broken into two or three flexible, gentle stretches (our only long travel day).
Two quiet nights in the hill town for village walks, views and a slower pace, staying at a historic 3-star Newari-inspired guesthouse in the centre of the old village.
We celebrate (Australian) Mother’s Day on the 9th with a traditional lunch with local women and a special traditional Newari female-only celebration.
Maximum Altitude - 1,030 metres
Day Seven - Ten / MAY 11 - 13The Lake Before The Mountains
After the road from Bandipur (2 hours), Pokhara opens the journey into water, mountains and a slower kind of time. These days are for settling beside Phewa Lake - taking a boat across the water, wandering the lakeside, finding good food and letting the child set the pace. There is space to do very little, to watch the Annapurna range appear and disappear behind cloud, and to prepare gently for the trek ahead. It is a pause before the mountains come closer or a place to get adventurous if you’re feeling ready for the countless activities on offer for all ages or plenty of swimming at the hotel pool or sightseeing at the World Peace
Maximum Altitude - 822 metres
Day Eleven - Thirteen / MAY 13 - 15Little Legs, Big Mountains
A toddler-sized two-night trek into the Annapurna foothills, beginning with a short drive from Pokhara to Kande (45 minutes) before walking slowly toward Australian Camp and Dhampus. With two local guides, several porters and plenty of pauses, the days are kept deliberately short - enough time for little legs to walk, rest and notice what is around them. Expect forest trails, village paths, simple guesthouses and wide mountain views, with the emphasis less on distance or altitude and more on the feeling of being there together and achieving a challenge as a team.
Maximum Altitude - 2060 metres
Day Twelve - Thirteen / MAY 16 - 18After the mountain reflection
After walking out of the foothills, return to Pokhara for two deliberately unhurried nights beside Phewa Lake. The first is for hot showers, familiar food and the pleasure of putting tired feet up; the next is left almost entirely open - a slow breakfast, a swim, a lakeside café, laundry, perhaps another boat ride, or simply nowhere to be - or an organised cooking or dancing class if you prefer. It is a small exhale after the trek and a useful weather buffer before the journey turns back toward the Kathmandu Valley by plane.
Maximum Altitude - 822 metres
Day Fourteen - Sixteen / MAY 18 - 21into Stillness Organic Farmstay
After the movement of Pokhara and the trek, the journey begins to soften. Fly back to Kathmandu and continue into the hills to Namo Buddha Resort (around 1 hour drive), where the days are shaped by gardens, organic food, a trampoline, lots of exploring, forest paths and long views. Walk gently through the nearby pine forest to the renowned Namo Buddha Monastery to witness an authentic puja ceremony, spend time around the farm gardening or cooking, and let the pace become quieter - less about doing, more about noticing.
Private, child-friendly yoga classes are offered each morning.
Maximum Altitude - 1750 metres
Day Seventeen - Nineteen / MAY 21 - 24The ultimate exhale
The final retreat into the mountains is three nights at Dwarika’s Sanctuary (around 40 minutes from Namo Buddha) - without question, my favourite place in the world - where the landscape becomes part of the rhythm of the day. Mornings begin full of adventurous exploring and delicious buffet breakfasts, afternoons can disappear into the pool, gardens or forest, and meals are taken without somewhere else to be. It is a chance for mother and child to rest after the journey, take in the Himalayan horizon and simply be together before returning home. Amuse yourself and your child with activities such as pottery making, traditional Nepali board games, visit the crystal houses or explore meditation mazes and meet the farm animals nearby.
Yoga classes are offered each morning, alongside numerous organised activities and largely all inclusive.
Maximum Altitude - 1550 metres
Day Twenty / MAY 24One last evening together
Return to Kathmandu (40 minutes) for one final, unhurried night. Settle back into an authentic monastery guest house near Boudhanath, leave the afternoon open, and let the trip end softly - a familiar meal, one last walk beneath the prayer flags, packing slowly, and a little time to absorb everything that has happened before the journey home. We end back in the same place we started, the Boudhanath Stupa, because the best journeys are sometimes about seeing the same things with different eyes.
Maximum Altitude - 1400 metres
Day Twenty-One / MAY 25Carrying it all home
A private transfer takes you to Kathmandu airport for the flight home or onwards to your next destination. The itinerary ends here, but the hope is that the journey does not - that some of the mountains, rituals, small encounters and shared wonder travel back with you and our children grow tolerance, confidence, adaptability and a deep sense of adventure in their little lives.
Maximum Altitude - 1400 metres