The Nagarkot Changunarayan Day Hike is a popular and easy-to-reach trek near Kathmandu Valley. It's a one-day adventure, starting with a sunrise tour from Kathmandu. If you have an extra day in Kathmandu before or after a longer trip to Bhutan or Tibet, this hike is a great way to spend it.
This hike is a good warm-up for more challenging treks like the Everest Base Camp Trek. It's also perfect if you want a taste of a beautiful walk with great mountain views but don't have a lot of time.
The day starts with an early morning drive to Nagarkot, where you can see an amazing sunrise over the mountains, including Mt. Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Gaurishankar, Everest, and the Tibetan mountains.
After breakfast in Nagarkot, the hike takes you through traditional villages. The hike has two parts: first, you walk downhill through these villages, giving you a taste of rural life and village activities. Then, you'll go uphill for about 30 minutes through a forest and along a ridge called Telkot Hill.
During the hike, you'll enjoy fantastic views of mountains, the beautiful Kathmandu Valley, green hills, and farmland. It's a great option if you're traveling with your family and want to show your kids how people live in the countryside. Kids might even get to see baby goats and play with them.
The hike ends at Changunarayan, where you can visit an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to God Vishnu. This temple has been around for centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
If you prefer more uphill walking, you can do the hike in the opposite direction, from Changunarayan to Nagarkot. In the evening, you can watch a beautiful sunset from Nagarkot Hill. You can even spend a night in Nagarkot to see the sunrise and more mountain views before heading back to Kathmandu the next day.
Holiday Planner Treks offers the Changunarayan Hike every day from Kathmandu. We provide experienced hiking guides and offer competitive prices based on the size of your group. You can get in touch with us through email or WhatsApp.
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We will pick you up from your hotel after you finish breakfast. It will take us about an hour to get to Nagarkot. Once we're there, and you've enjoyed the beautiful mountain views, we'll start walking down to Changunarayan. On the way, we'll visit a Tamang village, where you can see how the local people live in the countryside and even watch them make their own wine. If you're interested, you can taste the local wine. Afterward, we'll hike through a forest for around 4 hours until we reach Changu Narayan Temple, which is a special place recognized by the United Nations. We'll explore the temple, and then we'll drive back to Kathmandu, which is when our Nagarkot Changunarayan day hike will be finished.
The hike typically lasts all day, beginning in the morning and ending in the evening.
The best times to go on the hike are when it's not rainy, which is from September to November and from March to May when the weather is nice.
The hike is not too hard, and it's usually okay for people who are reasonably fit. But it's important to ask your guide or the people in charge for more specific information.
You should dress in comfortable clothes for hiking and wear strong, supportive shoes. Also, bring important things like water, a hat, sunscreen, a light jacket, and some snacks.
Restrooms and other facilities might be scarce while you're on the trail, so it's a good idea to use the restroom before you begin the hike.
A lot of tours come with a guide who can speak English. If you need a guide who speaks a different language, it's a good idea to ask if that's possible.
The hike can work for kids and older hikers, but it's important to ask the people who organize the tour if it's okay for them and if they can easily do it.
