Photo: Nabin K. Sapkota, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Markhu village and the Kulekhani reservoir (Indra Sarovar) in the afternoon.
This is a what-to-expect story, not a guest diary. It follows the shape of Himalayan Social Journey's two-day Chitlang, Kulekhani and Markhu tour, so you know how the time is spent. One thing to know first: on this trip the night is spent in Chitlang village, and Markhu's water comes on the second afternoon.
Some short trips from Kathmandu are about seeing as much as possible. This one is about seeing less, more slowly. Within a couple of hours of the city you can be in a hill village with nowhere urgent to be, and the next day you finish beside a long, quiet lake. Here's what the overnight usually looks like, from leaving your hotel to stepping off the boat.
Leaving the city behind
You're collected from your hotel in Kathmandu in a private vehicle. The road heads south-west out of the valley, past Thankot and Chandragiri, and climbs over the ridge into Makwanpur district. It's only about 27 km to Chitlang, but these are hill roads, so the drive takes around two hours.
Somewhere on the climb the traffic thins and the view opens out. Brick and concrete give way to terraces, forest and scattered houses. It's a good moment to put the phone away. Nothing on this trip runs on a tight schedule.
Settling in at Chitlang
You arrive at the resort in Chitlang, where you'll spend the night, and have time to relax and freshen up. There's no programme to rush into. The afternoon is yours.
When you're ready, you can walk out into the village and the hills around it at your own pace. This is the slower walk the trip is built around: no summit to reach, no distance to cover, just the village, its fields and paths, and a pace set by you. The trip is graded 1, easy walking, and the highest point on the whole tour is 1,835 m. You don't need any trekking experience, just comfortable shoes.
If you'd like to know more about the village itself before you go, our Chitlang travel guide covers it in detail.
An evening without a screen
As the light goes, the hills cool quickly, so bring a warm layer for the evening. The resort holds a campfire with music on the first night, and dinner is included. After the noise of Kathmandu, you may notice how quiet a hill evening can be.
That's the point of an overnight trip like this. You're not here to tick anything off. An early night is a perfectly good way to spend it.
A slow morning around Chitlang
Breakfast is at the resort. Then the second day begins with a gentle look around Chitlang. The itinerary takes in the goat cheese factory, Saat Dhara, Rana Durbar, Ashok Chaitya and the pear garden. None of these is a big set-piece sight. Together they give you a feel for a hill community a short distance, but a long way in pace, from the capital.
You come back to the resort for lunch before the last part of the trip.
Arriving by Markhu's water
After lunch you drive on to Markhu, the village on the shore of the Kulekhani reservoir. The lake is also known as Indra Sarovar and is often described as the largest artificial lake in Nepal. Coming down toward it, the water can appear in pieces between forested ridges before it opens out. In the right light it can look almost still.
Boating on the reservoir is included on this tour. Before you step in, ask for a life jacket and put it on, and check that it fits and fastens properly. If the wind picks up or the water doesn't feel right to you, it's fine to sit this part out and simply enjoy the shore.
Out on the water, there's not much to do except look: the ridges folding down to the shoreline, the houses of Markhu along the edge, and reflections when the surface is calm. It's a fitting end to a trip that's mostly about slowing down.
From Markhu, you're driven back to Kathmandu. The road from Markhu to the city is about 35 km, usually 1½ to 2 hours, so you're back at your hotel later the same day.
What's included, briefly
The Chitlang, Kulekhani and Markhu 2-Day Tour starts from USD 150 per person. It includes hotel pickup and drop-off, private transport throughout, one night's accommodation in Chitlang, the meals listed in the itinerary, the Day 1 campfire and music, the village walk and boating at Markhu. A tour guide isn't included, so mention it when you book if you'd like one along. Groups run from 2 to 14 people.
A note if you want a night by the lake
This tour's overnight is in Chitlang, not at Markhu itself. If you'd specifically like to spend the evening beside the water, ask us before you book and we'll tell you what we can arrange. Our Markhu and Kulekhani guide compares the one-day and two-day options, with distances and boating checks.
What to pack
A warm layer for the evening and early morning
Comfortable walking shoes
A rain jacket in the monsoon months
Your passport or ID and a little cash
No itinerary of your own: the slow pace is the point
Reviewed by Amrit Sapkota, Himalayan Social Journey
