We operate mainly in the Himalayan belt and our portfolio includes the countries of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. We are experts in these countries, and will gladly use all this local expertise to assist you to make your trip a memorable one.
In Nepal, we work as a Destination Marketing Company, constantly upgrading our arsenal of trips, with well thought off ideas and creative trips. Almost all trips in Nepal are customised, and since we are based here, this forms the bulk of our business. We also work closely with developmental organisations working in tourism, guiding them through consultancy, to develop areas and trips that benefit local communities and preserve our rich cultural and environmental heritage. We also work with the government and semi-government bodies, active in the networks that provide information from the private sector side of things. We also consider ourselves partners of the agents and re-packagers we work for outside Nepal, constantly being a source of local expertise, and helping raise profiles and make trips more accurate.
Popular Trips
COOK like a local | 3.5 hours | daily
As part of the GO LOCAL series, socialtours now gives you a opportunity to learn how to cook like a Nepali. Each class starts with a tour of the bazaar to source ingredients, and continues on to the actual cooking and ends in lunch. All classes are a maximum of six participants only.
Courses are given by Sakuntala Rokka at the socialtours offices.
Nepal - Abode of the Gods, the highest mountain on earth and the Land of the fables Sherpa. For many people this land stirs mystical visions and a trip to Nepal becomes a dream of a lifetime. Most visitors come to Nepal for its mountains, but his not where the discovery ends. Nepal is abound with hidden secrets and the production or organic coffee is one.
The craftsmen in the small township of Thimi just east of Kathmandu are reknown for their pottery, which is exported worldwide. You will spend a morning with these artisans, learning about this skill, and also getting your hands dirty. Later our creations will be glazed and fired and given back to you as souvenirs. For lunch we move to an organic farm.
The biggest festival by far in Nepal is Dashain, a hindu festival that spreads over approximately 10 days. It is a family festival full of feasting, probably done in celebration of a good harvest and family togetherness. In order to appease the Goddess Kali, there is also a lot of animal sacrifices during this festival. In one of the most unique spiritual symbiotic relationships between two spiritual philosophies, Buddhists in the mountains surrounding Kathmandu, and elsewhere, create a spiritual balance, by praying for the souls of the animals sacrificed. We participate in these prayers in this trip in the mountain villages northeast of Kathmandu.
03 - 07 Oct 2011
prices: USD 385 per person altitude: medium trekking: easy duration: 5 days
One of Nepal's most famous religious places of Shamanism pilgrimage is Gosainkunda lake situated at an altitude of about 4312 m. Surrounded by high mountains on the north and east, this lake is grand and picturesque. Every year during full moon in August, thousands of Hindu pilgrims and Shamans come here for pilgrimage and it is quite an experience.
07 - 16 Aug 2011
prices: from Rs. 22,499 altitude: medium trekking: moderate duration: 10 days
Learn more.. Everest Base Camp Challenge | 21 days
Recognised as one of the best treks in Nepal and among the 25 best new adventures in 2011 by National Geographic Adventure, this trek takes you on a small circuit in the Everest Region, covering the high pass of Cho-la, as well as Everest Base Camp. With 17 days of trekking combined with some rest and orientation tours in Kathmandu, this trip rounds off well into a three week holiday.
prices: from GBP 1015 altitude: high trekking: strenuous duration: 21 days
Learn more.. Annapurna Base Camp Challenge | 15 days
One of the most spectacular medium length treks anywhere! In just a few short days you will be in the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary, where you will have 360-degree views of high peaks. Easily one of the most spectacular panoramic views possible in Nepal!
prices: from GBP 675 altitude: high trekking: moderate duration: 15 days
One of the most spectacular medium length treks anywhere! In just a few short days you will be in the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary, where you will have 360-degree views of high peaks. Easily one of the most spectacular panoramic views possible in Nepal!
prices: from GBP 675 altitude: high trekking: moderate duration: 15 days
The Poon Hill trek in the foothills of the Annapurna Himalaya takes you through beautiful Gurung villages, along a moderate trekking route, which enables breathtaking panorama views of the Annapurna range.
prices: from GBP 420 altitude: medium trekking: moderate duration: 10 days
About 150 years ago, Nepal fought Tibet over salt, and some of the biggest areas where this war took place is in the Langtang Region of Nepal. The "Tamang Heritage Trail" is the newly developed tourism product, off the beaten track, which highlights an ancient lifestyle combining it with picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot spring.
prices: from GBP 400 altitude: medium trekking: moderate duration: 10 days
In Tibet, we offer standard trips that flow through Nepal, mostly because Tibet is expensive even as a budget destination and its is close to impossible in these trips to control activities. However, we work closely with our Tibet partners to constantly improve quality and service. We work also with Nepalese specialist operators who provide unique Tibet experiences such as on motorcycles, or even on the old VW Beetles!
Popular Trips
The Road to Lhasa, 12 days
Budget trip - group travel - special conditions apply £ 755 - 1085 per person (4-6 person group) 12 days (4 nights Kathmandu, 7 nights Tibet)
This road trip will blow your mind away. After arrival in Kathmandu to a warm reception, we conduct a thorough briefing on the trip and high altitude travel. With an introduction to the rich cultural heritage of the valley on the second day, we set off on the third day for an eight day roadtrip into the high plateau of Tibet. May till October :: Highest Altitude: 5220m at Gyatso La pass
Group Adventure - Drive & Trek GBP 1699 per person
A great mass of black rock soaring to over 22,000 feet, Mt. Kailash has the unique distinction of being the world's most venerated holy place at the same time that it is the least visited. The supremely sacred site of four religions and billions of people, Kailash is seen by no more than a few thousand pilgrims each year. This curious fact is explained by the mountain's remote location in far western Tibet. No planes, trains or buses journey anywhere near the region and even with rugged over-land vehicles the journey still requires weeks of travel. Mt Kailash (6741 m) is the most sacred of Holy Mountains in Tibet.
Learn more.. Lhasa to Kathmandu mountain biking, 23 days
ca. 1000 kms mountain biking over 3 high passes £ 1450 all inclusive
The Lhasa to Kathmandu ride could be classified as ‘one of the most demanding rides’ open to cyclists. You have to deal with high altitude, long distances, various kinds of weather, bad road conditions and change of life style. The Lhasa to kathmandu ride could be one of the highest in the world. Proper acclimatization is vital to anyone hoping to complete this expedition. For this purpose we spent four days acclimatizing while sightseeing and enjoying the city and surroundings of Lhasa.
In Bhutan, we work with an ever expanding group of operators, providing the exquisite and exclusive experiences that only this country can provide.
Popular Trips
Kingdom in the sky, 5 days
Bhutan, 'the land of hidden dragon' is one of the world's most exclusive tourist destinations. Only opened to the outside world in 1974, Bhutan still captures much mystery and exotic mysticism that can trance the world. Mahayana Buddhism is the religion that Bhutanese still fervently devote their everyday life. The cultural tours helps the visitors realize the unique aspects of religious life in Bhutanese culture as it had been obscured so long from the rest of the world. Cultural tours takes you to the long preserved ancient temples, monasteries, pilgrimage sites, religious festivals, everyday Bhutanese lifestyles and scenic beauty of the country.
This trek is to the beautiful Phobjikha valley. Phobjikha valley lies at an altitude of 3000metres in the mountains east of Wangduephodrang and it is one of the few glacial valleys in Bhutan. This quiet, isolated valley is the chosen winter home of the rare black necked cranes, which migrate here annually from the Tibetan plateau. The trek is pleasant walking through the villages of Gogona and Khotokha passing through meadows and fields and then coming to the forests of Juniper, Magnolia and Rhododendrons. The trek is of moderate level and is considered one of the finest low level treks in Bhutan.
Best time: March - May; September - November (Rhododendrons are in full bloom)
In India, we work with multi-award winners in responsible tourism, who have been brought together in an initiative we started in 2009, called the Green Circuit (www.thegreencircuit.net). Through this initiative, we offer trips in Spiti Valley, the North East of India, Orrissa, the entire Southern belt, and even Rajasthan. We are working closely to also create branded products from the Green Circuit.
Popular Trips
Eastern Himalaya: Red Panda Tea and Elephant Trail
22 days, culture, wildlife and tea gardens from INR 67,000 per pax nett
East Himalaya is a part of one of the EIGHT HOTTEST BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS of the world. This is a part of the Indo-Burma region. Other then India, the East Himalaya touches the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal occupies more than 100,000 sq. kms of East Himalaya approx. which is about 25% of the Indian Himalaya. This shows a major portion of the Himalaya is existent in the East. Similarly, the whole of Nepal and Bhutan are a part of the East Himalaya.
15 Days Kolkata - Visakhapatnam from 980 Euros per person
An epic adventure through timeless India; stretching from the bustle of India’s renown cultural capital Kolkata, through vast tracts of pastoral plains and palm-fringed paddies, to dense mangroves and tranquil boat rides twisting though the tangled mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika National Park. From natural wonders to the irrepressible man-made marvels of ancient India’s earliest temples at Bhubaneshwar and Konark to the sea swept coastal town of Puri, one of India’s Char Dhams (four holy hotspots of Hinduism). Cruise along Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest salt lake lagoon and camp under a starlit sky
The essential Spiti valley jeep safari begins at Manali and takes you up and over the majestic Rohtang and Kunzum passes and through the stunning and graphic valleys of the Chandra, Spiti, Pin rivers. In the first couple of days we will take in the sights on the left bank plateau and get acclimatized to the altitude. We will then safari to the highest villages in the world and experience Spitian culture through traditional homestays along with visits to ancient monasteries, dating back to over 1000 years, that are the cultural and spiritual hubs of the Spitian way of life.
14 days, culture, spice tour, beaches, homestays from 815 USD net per person
Malabar was once a British Principality of India. After Independence, Malabar as a state was no longer recognized and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala. Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it still exists as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live. This is the spirit we capture in this package that begins with Cochin and goes along backwaters, River Nila, Mountains of Wayanad, and ends at the virgin beaches of Kannur in Malabar region..
Nepal - Abode of the Gods, the highest mountain on earth and the Land of the fables Sherpa. For many people this land stirs mystical visions and a trip to Nepal becomes a dream of a lifetime. Most visitors come to Nepal for its mountains, but his not where the discovery ends. Nepal is abound with hidden secrets and the production or organic coffee is one.
The craftsmen in the small township of Thimi just east of Kathmandu are reknown for their pottery, which is exported worldwide. You will spend a morning with these artisans, learning about this skill, and also getting your hands dirty. Later our creations will be glazed and fired and given back to you as souvenirs. For lunch we move to an organic farm.
The biggest festival by far in Nepal is Dashain, a hindu festival that spreads over approximately 10 days. It is a family festival full of feasting, probably done in celebration of a good harvest and family togetherness. In order to appease the Goddess Kali, there is also a lot of animal sacrifices during this festival. In one of the most unique spiritual symbiotic relationships between two spiritual philosophies, Buddhists in the mountains surrounding Kathmandu, and elsewhere, create a spiritual balance, by praying for the souls of the animals sacrificed. We participate in these prayers in this trip in the mountain villages northeast of Kathmandu.
One of Nepal's most famous religious places of Shamanism pilgrimage is Gosainkunda lake situated at an altitude of about 4312 m. Surrounded by high mountains on the north and east, this lake is grand and picturesque. Every year during full moon in August, thousands of Hindu pilgrims and Shamans come here for pilgrimage and it is quite an experience.
Recognised as one of the best treks in Nepal and among the 25 best new adventures in 2011 by National Geographic Adventure, this trek takes you on a small circuit in the Everest Region, covering the high pass of Cho-la, as well as Everest Base Camp. With 17 days of trekking combined with some rest and orientation tours in Kathmandu, this trip rounds off well into a three week holiday.
East Himalaya is a part of one of the EIGHT HOTTEST BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS of the world. This is a part of the Indo-Burma region. Other then India, the East Himalaya touches the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal occupies more than 100,000 sq. kms of East Himalaya approx. which is about 25% of the Indian Himalaya. This shows a major portion of the Himalaya is existent in the East. Similarly, the whole of Nepal and Bhutan are a part of the East Himalaya.
An epic adventure through timeless India; stretching from the bustle of India’s renown cultural capital Kolkata, through vast tracts of pastoral plains and palm-fringed paddies, to dense mangroves and tranquil boat rides twisting though the tangled mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika National Park. From natural wonders to the irrepressible man-made marvels of ancient India’s earliest temples at Bhubaneshwar and Konark to the sea swept coastal town of Puri, one of India’s Char Dhams (four holy hotspots of Hinduism). Cruise along Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest salt lake lagoon and camp under a starlit sky
The essential Spiti valley jeep safari begins at Manali and takes you up and over the majestic Rohtang and Kunzum passes and through the stunning and graphic valleys of the Chandra, Spiti, Pin rivers. In the first couple of days we will take in the sights on the left bank plateau and get acclimatized to the altitude. We will then safari to the highest villages in the world and experience Spitian culture through traditional homestays along with visits to ancient monasteries, dating back to over 1000 years, that are the cultural and spiritual hubs of the Spitian way of life.
Malabar was once a British Principality of India. After Independence, Malabar as a state was no longer recognized and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala. Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it still exists as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live. This is the spirit we capture in this package that begins with Cochin and goes along backwaters, River Nila, Mountains of Wayanad, and ends at the virgin beaches of Kannur in Malabar region..