How should a first-time traveller plan Nepal without overpacking it?
Nepal rewards a focused trip, not a heroic list. Start with Kathmandu and Pokhara, then decide whether trekking, wildlife or culture is the main event; the mountains do not care how tidy your itinerary looks.
Answer
Build the itinerary around the thing you most came for. If that is trekking, choose one route and protect it with acclimatisation and buffer days. If it is culture and scenery without a major trek, give Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara real time, then add Chitwan, Lumbini or a shorter walk only if the route still breathes. The mistake is treating Nepal as a small country where every famous name can be collected in one pass. Roads are slow, flights can wobble, and mountain weather has its own schedule. A better Nepal trip often has fewer stops, more patience and one clear reason for being there.