Shivapuri Hill
Located in close proximity of Kathmandu around 30 minutes-drive away, Shivapuri is a tranquil hill, a watershed area famous for short hiking destinations for locals and the foreigners alike. It is a great destination to get away from the hassle-tussle of the city and yet you are close to all your amenities to get whatever you need. It stretches to 2740 m in the north and is covered with dense forest, one of the few areas left in the valley. You can enjoy a peaceful and pollution free environment along with serendipity to be close to nature.
The hill is quite popular among the bird watchers. The forest is home to 177 species birds. It also provides habitat for 19 species of mammals, 150 species of butterfly, and 129 species of mushrooms. You should be aware not to disturb the wildlife while visiting the area. The area is guarded by the Nepal Army. The visitors are asked to follow the guidelines and regulations provided in the ticket counter.
Take your time and plan the trip for the weekend. Take your loved ones, friends or you can form groups with other visitors from Kathmandu. You can take local transport to arrive Budhanikantha temple, a holy site of the sleeping Hindu god Lord Vishnu. Your walk starts from Budhanilkantha temple premise, 8 km north to Kathmandu.
The Hiking is moderate in difficulty levels, around 4 km covering 6 hours walk through the woodlands of Shivapuri National park all the way to the hilltop Buddhist monastery Nagi Gompa. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of the Kathmandu valley, mountain ranges that include, Rolwaling, Jugal Himal, Langtang, Mustang and Manaslu mountains. You can plan a day hiking in a group, in couple or cycling. You can visit the people, interact with them and understand their existence in the natural backdrop, evolving their culture over time. The viewpoints at Shivapuri offers a long-lasting experience that has many different options to enjoy the magic of the mountains, beautiful forest and waterfalls.
The end point is at the local bazaar of Sundarijal after a downhill walk, from where you will head back to Kathmandu.
Changunarayan / Nagarkot hiking
Located in close proximity of Kathmandu around 30 minutes drive away, the Changunarayan Nagarkot hike is a brilliant destination for the short trek. It is a great destination to get away from the hassle-tussle of the city and yet you are close to all your amenities to get whatever you need. You can enjoy a peaceful and pollution free environment along with serendipity to be close to nature.
This short trip provides you with the best option to explore the natural beauty co-existing with human civilization. Along the trail, you will observe several villages and settlements exhibiting the countryside lifestyle despite being so near to the capital city.
Changunarayn temple till date is the oldest pagoda style temple in the country. It is believed that the area started an early settlement when Kathmandu valley was a lake. There are several stone sculptures aged more than a thousand years in the premises of the temple. There are statues of gods and goddesses, representing various elements of culture, history, and religions back at that time. These are some of the rarest of the rare arts around the globe.
Enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage, the temple is an open museum and resource material for many researchers. The temple is dedicated to the Lord Bishnu, however, it is open for everyone.
Around 10 km away from Changunarayan to the east, stands the popular hill station Nagarkot. It is 35 km away from the Kathmandu city. It is ideal to stay over-night as the hill provides one of the magnificent spots to view the sunset and the sunrise. Some of the visitors claim that though Nagarkot is a simple farming town by Nepalese standards, when sunrise comes, it just might be the most beautiful place on Earth.
The view is dominated by the Langtang range, which on good days looms alarmingly close above a wall of dark rock. Fog usually disguises anything west of Ganesh Himal, though you can sometimes see Himchuli and even Annapurna. The view to the east is even more weather-dependent, and the mountains of Khumbu rarely appear as more than a rose-tinted dawn haze. On a good day, Everest can be seen, but only from high up, near the view tower: it’s the second peak left of the rounded M-shaped mountain.
On the way back, explore Bhaktapur, the medieval city and one of the 7 world heritage sites is on the way. Here you can discover the Newari architecture, culture, and lifestyle wandering through the maze-like alleyways of Bhaktapur. This city still exhibits the medieval look and lifestyle of the people. Enjoy your time with local potters, they have beautiful stories to tell you. You can see old women weaving their traditional textile, handmade paper production, wood carving, Thanka painting and metal sculpting. There are hundreds of monumental buildings. Some of them are rented with its latticed window and balcony looking at historical buildings.
Chandragiri Hill
Located in close proximity of Kathmandu, the Chandragiri is best for a day hiking. It is the great destination to get away from the hassle-tussle of the city and yet you are close to all your amenities to get whatever you need. You can enjoy a peaceful and pollution free environment along with serendipity to be close to nature.
You will start your hiking from Thankot. There are several stone paved staircases that will lead you to Chhap bhanjyang located at 2275 m. You will walk through the forest and villages. You will be able to observe several kinds of birds mainly, grey wagtail, steppe eagle, kingfishers, parrots, herons, dove, great egret etc. The ascend ends at the summit. At the top, you will see Bhaleswor Mahadev temple which has religious and historical significance. The place holds great value in the unification campaign of Nepal as King Prithvi Narayan was able to see and plan his campaign after seeing the valley from the very spot. Apart from this, the hill is connected with both Buddhist and Hindu religions.
Chandragiri hiking trail is recently opened for the visitors. The hill provides the perfect viewpoint to observe Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayan ranges of Annapurna and Everest region. Other mountains include Mt. Api, Saipal to Everest, Makalu, Kanchenjunga Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Himal, Dorje Lakpa, and Gaurishankar.
The trail continues two and half hour descend to the Hattiban Resort. Your day hiking in end. Drive to Kathmandu by private vehicle.
Witness the history and magnificent scenery of the Himalayas and valley of Kathmandu as well as its outskirts from the top of Chandragiri Hill.
