Five Great Day Hikes around the Kathmandu Valley

Champadevi to Chandragiri Hiking

Champadevi is a great option when considering a day in the hills, located to the southwest of the ancient city of Kirtipur on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The hike itself starts from Hattiban, it is a longish trek covering nearly 20 Km and takes a minimum of 4 to 5 hours. It is both a vigorous and refreshing hike through the dense forest consisting mainly of pine trees, bamboo, and rhododendron with many herbs and shrubs along the way. There is open grassland as you go providing ideal space to relax and take in a birds-eye view of the valley.
The monastery on the summit is an ideal setting for lunch, time to relax and enjoy the spectacular views of much of the Himalayan range including Mt. Everest, Mt. Ganesh, Mt.Langtang Lirung, and Mt.Gaurishankar. We trek back via the ancient town of Kirtipur where we spend time enjoying its narrow ornate streets and temples. From here our car will drop us back at your hotel in Kathmandu.

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The Shivapuri peak (Shivapuri Baba) at the Shivapuri National Park

A Day hike to Shivapuri National park is also a popular getaway, known for its abundance of wildlife, and pristine nature at its best with 318 species recorded. These include thirty-three mammals and two hundred and eight bird species. Mainly comprised of Rhododendron Oak and Pine, the route consists of a rugged road with many stairs and stone steps over a distance of nearly 18 Kilometres and takes around 5 hours.
The area is steeped in religion, Budhanilkantha temple, and Nagi Gomba are visited during the day. From the final destination, Shivapuri peak, enjoy spectacular views of the Himalayas to the north along with a broad vista of the Kathmandu Valley below. We take a shortcut downhill of around two and a half hours to the holy site of Budhanilkantha, where our car is waiting for the drive back to your hotel in Kathmandu.

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Phulchowki Hill

A short trek to Godawari and Phulchowki is another favorite away day. It is very popular among Birding enthusiasts, rich in birdlife amongst beautiful forests that carpet the surrounding hills. Phulchowki is the highest hill within The Kathmandu Valley, from the peak, there are spectacular views of both the valley along with magnificent views of Himalayas. Situated 14 km south of Kathmandu it takes around 45 minutes by car from the main town.
Godavari Botanical Garden is situated at the base of the hill, a perfect starting point for the hike. The hike takes around 4-5 hours at an easy pace uphill all the way, through the subtropical thick forest predominant in the area. From the summit, we take lunch and enjoy magnificent mountain views of many of the ranges that make up the Nepal Himalayas…Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, Ganesh Himal, and the Gaurishankar ranges particularly stand out. After a leisurely lunch, we retrace the trail for around two hours back to the Godavari, where our car awaits us to take us back to your hotel in Kathmandu.

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Nargarjun Hill (Jamacho Gomba) Hike

If you a looking for a hike that provides a wide variety of interests along with some spectacular mountain vistas look no further. Located seven kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, the trail to Nagarjun Hill passes through traditional villages where life has changed little over the centuries. Once at the summit enjoy a sweeping vista of much of the Himalayan chain to the north with some wonderful views of The Kathmandu Valley below.

Nagarjun hill is located not far from the sacred Buddhist monastery site of Swayambunath, over the centuries it has developed a distinct Buddhist history with many Buddhist shrines and monasteries surrounding the hill. The trek up to the summit takes around two and a half hours, on the way we visit Buddhist retreat caves where Monks have spent years in deep meditation the most famous of these being Nagarjuna's cave where a famous second-century Buddhist monk spent time meditating there.

An abundance of wildlife with a wide variety of plants, animals, and birds has made Nagarjun another popular destination with nature lovers. An interesting focus here is the remains of an ancient military fort on top of the hill. It was built over two hundred and fifty years ago to protect the valley from invaders before Nepal became a unified country. We trek down to Phulbari gate where our car is waiting for the short drive to your hotel in Kathmandu.

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Kakani to Suryachaur 

This is another day hike offering the opportunity to sample Nepalese rural life whilst also showcasing superb mountain views. The trail provides a good stretch of legs amongst beautiful hills, traditional villages, terraced farms, and lush forests.

Situated in the northern part of Kathmandu Valley at an altitude of 2100m, Suryachaur Hill lies within the Nargarjun National Park 15 km from Kathmandu. Home to 177 species of birds, including at least 9 threatened species, and 102 species of butterflies with a number of rare and endangered species. Several surveys have recorded the existence of Indian Leopards, Himalayan Black bears, deer, wild boar, and many other rarely seen animals within the park. Yet another perfect destination for viewing the entire valley along with a larger portion of the Himalayan chain of mountains. We trek back to the road and head for the short drive back to your hotel in Kathmandu.

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