A day hike around Kathmandu, Nepal has a lot of opportunities to gain an experience of hiking and trekking in the hill side of Kathmandu valley for beginners and hiking lovers from around the globe.
These hikes are prepared for especially those who don’t have time to go long treks and are not well fit for altitude and long and adventure trekking in Nepal. Also Kathmandu valley hikes give you a lot of opportunity to explore a magical view of the big Himalaya in the world likewise Mt. Everest range , Mt. Annapurna range , Mt. Manaslu , Ganesh Himal range , Langtang Himal range , Dorje Lakpa himal , Jugal Himal including 100s of beautiful Himalayan peaks in distance.
Moreover, you will also see different Landscapes , Nature , Hills , fascinating cultural , charming people as well good experience hike , and basic knowledge about trekking to mountain in future , while you hiking through the national park area in Kathmandu valley hikes you will also have golden chance to see wildlife , different spices of birds , flora, fauna , we will see beautiful rhododendron flower, it’s our national flower , and many different types of seasonal flower , many more ..
Kathmandu day hikes help you to prepare to go for longer trekking and climbing mountains, it’s also a great place to check your equipment before heading up to trekking in Nepal. However , those people who are travelling to Nepal for a short time and still want to see mountains and take a short day hike then there are many choices to go hiking. Here we post some information about top 6 day hikes in Kathmandu.
1. Kakani to Gurjebhanjyang hike , (6 to 7 hours) , 10 to 12 km.
A day Kakani to Gurjebhanjayng hike starts after 2 hours’ drive from Kathmandu to Kakani (alt, 1700m. from sea level, in Nuwakot district. Kakani is north of Kathmandu valley it’s about 23 km, 2 hours’ drive time via Trisuli highway. Kakani hill is very famous for a magnificent far distance view of Langtang range Himal view, Ganesh Himal view and more far distance Annapurna and manaslu range view.
Moreover, we will cross several old Tamang people villages, and their basic lifestyle, vegetable frames, Stupa, temple and monasteries many more. From Kathmandu hotel jeep will drop us at Kakani , and basically we will start our hike from here , from here we will have great view of Himalayas range in far distance , then after we will start our hike through the Tamang and Sherpa villages . We will also visit “Nepal Mountaineering Association – Memorial of mountaineers”, and Thai Airways memorial in memory of the plane which crashed close from Gosainkunda in July 1992. You can pay a visit to this memorial park. There are also mounds from where the view over mountains is fantastic. Enjoy your time here and click many photos of Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang and Gaurishanker.
Before, we enter into the Shivapuri national park jungle there is Army cheek post, here we have to buy national park permits, and then the trail come narrow into the jungle another half hour ascending till second Army cheek post, here we have to cheek permit. From here after 15 minutes’ walk, we will meet two trail one go from north side which call (Himalaya view trail 7, 5km, and another south trail 11km call (Kathmandu view trail) , while we hike through the jungle we will go left north way through the Himalaya trail for enjoy the more mountains view . along the way we will see different species of brides , flora and fauna , wild animal many more.
after three hours walk we will reach in Surya Chaur , which is one of the most beautiful hill for a magnificent view of different ranges of beautiful mountains , landscape , Hills , Snow-caps , local towns, villages , including Kathmandu valley view. Moreover, Surya Chaur is very popular for picnic sport for locals and many nepali tourist visit here.
Final, we will descend to Gurjebhanjang (alt.1800m) , 40 to 45 minutes from Surya Chaur , from Gurjebhanjyang our jeep will pick us , drive to back to your Hotel. You’re a day hike is end here with great memory of hike around Kathmandu and enjoy to see beautiful mountains view, landscape, local people basic lifestyle many more..
Itinerary:
Morning: 7:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel .
“ 7:30 am to 8:30 drive to your hiking start place.
8:30 am to 1:30pm hiking time.
1: 30 pm , continue After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here.
Cost includes/exclude:
- Drive to Kakani by private Jeep, (2 hours. 24 km.)
- Pickup by privet jeep from Gurjebhanjyang to Hotel) 1hrs
- Professional guide
- National park fee (permit)
- Necessary all documents
Cost not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment
2. Shivapuri national park day hike (5 to 7 hours), 15 to 18km.)
Day hike to Shivapuri national park is located north of Kathmandu valley is great hiking experience with amazing view of the Kathmandu valley behind the your hike and the beautiful Himalayan ranges view , when you reach on the top of Shivapuri hill stand Alt. 2565m from sea level and its second highest hill surrounded the valley . Shivapuri national park is also most preferred for bird watchers .another highlights of the a day is you will also cross the Bagdar , the sours of Bagmati river is another attrition during our hike today.
Day hike to Shivapuri national park starts after a 30 minutes’ drive to Budhanilkantha , budha nilkantha is the popular holy site and lord Bishnu temple , a large statue laying on the water pond. before we start our hike into the national park area we have to buy national park entrance ticket (Rs 1000 for foreigners and Rs 100 for Nepali) here is also Army check post and national park office , after complete all the formalities we basically start our hike from here, most of the time we will ascending through the forest of rhododendron , bamboo, black oke , cherry including many different types of trees , moreover we will also have a great chance to see different spices of birds and animal into the national park. Our first part of the hike to the Nangi gompa takes one hour. Nangi gumpa is the nunnery monastery, and here many young monks study Buddhist culture, & its meditation place, from here we will also have a beautiful view of Kathmandu valley, and hills.
After we take a short rest and take some pictures of Kathmandu valley and hills, we will continue our hike uphill shivapuri hill through the jungle, when we reach on the top of Shivapuri hill we will have a magnificent view of Himalayas of Rolwalining Ganesh Himal, Langtang Himal & far distance view of Annapurna and Manaslu as well. After spend some time on this top we will return back to from shortcut way another 2 hours to Budhanilkantha where our car is waiting us to drive back to Hotel and here is you’re a day shivapuri hike end
Shivapuri hike also helps for those people who are going for adventure and long trekking, Climing to Himalaya and its right spot to check your equipment and short training for heading up to the Himalaya.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HIKE:
- Hike through the beautiful jungle
- Watch different species brides, flora fauna, flowers, and tress.
- Encounter with wild animal
- Beautiful view of Kathmandu valley & monastery
- Great mountain view from top of Shivapuri hill
- Cross several local villages and their lifestyle etc.
Itinerary:
Morning: 7:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel.
“7:30 am to 8:00am drive to your hiking start place.
8:00 am to 2:30pm hiking time.
After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here.
Cost include / not
- Drive to Nayayanthan temple by private Jeep, Car /bus (30 minutes – 10 to 12km.)
- Pickup by privet jeep / car to Hotel) after hike.
- Professional guide.
- National park fee (permit)
- Hiking necessary documents
not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment.
3. NAGARJUNG HILL HIKE: (Jamacho peak hike.) , 3 to 4 hours , 13 to 15km.
Nagarjun hill, a day hike situated north west from Thamel , and an elevation (Alt. 2050m from sea level ) it’s a very popular day hike around Kathmandu valley, and the nearest day hiking trail from Kathmandu. It’s 7 to 8 km far from the center of the valley. Nagarjun hill is also part of the Shivapuri national park called nagarjun – Shivapuri national park hill , & it’s the youngest and nearest from the center national park established in 2002 among nine national parks in Nepal.
Nagarjun Hill is also known as a Jamacho peak by local language; it is known for the cave of residence of Nagarjun, a popular Buddhist saint who meditated here for a long time . The hills are famous for Buddhist Gompa , Cave , and scenery of Himalaya . Nagarjun hike’s starting point is Balaju bypass which is 1km far from thamel . Basically it takes 2 to 3 hours going uphill (Alt.2050m), and 1 to 2 hours slowly downhill before we drive back to your Hotel. From top of the hill we will see many snowy mountains such as Annapurna, Manaslu range, Ganesh Himal and many more..
Moreover, it’s part of the Shivapuri national park area (159sq) if we are lucky enough we will encounter wild animals like longer monkeys, deer, and different species of birds like pheasants, many more..
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HIKE
- Magnificent view of Himalayan from top the hill.
- Visit old monastery and cave.
- Walk through the jungle
- Watch wildlife and different spices birds, flora fauna.
- Great experience of a day hike.
Itinerary:
Morning: 8:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel.
“8:30 am to 9:00am drive to your hiking start place.
9:00 am to 1:00pm hiking time.
After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here.
Cost includes / not
- Drive to hike start point by private Jeep, (2 hours. 24 km.)
- Pickup by privet jeep / Car / bus to Hotel) after hike end.
- Professional guide.
- National park fee (permit)
- Hiking necessary documents
Not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment
4. Day hike from Sundarijal to Chisapani : (6 to 7 hours.), 18 to 22km.
Sundarijal to Chisapani hike starts after a 40 minutes drive from Thamel, or canter of Kathmandu valley located north east from Thamel. Sundarijal to Chisapani hike is one of the very popular hike offer nice view of Kathmandu valley , local village birds , wildlife , walking through the national park , moreover we will see many hills , Snow-capped , charming people , fascinating culture and landscape , Himalayan view many more ..
Sundarijal to Chisapani hike start from sundarijal , beginning of hike we will follow the steep stairs uphill through the sundarijal river and local village about 1 hours to end of the villages , and when we left the village we will enter in shivapuri national park area , here Army camp as well , we will continue hike up to the top of the hill for another 2 hours , and after top we will descent to Chisapani (Alt.2300m) another 40 to 50 minutes , here we can find the guest house and restaurant , we can eat hot lunch and drinks , if the weather stay clear until we reach here we will see many mountains range like Langtang himala , Dorje Lakpa himal , in far distance Annapurna range , Ganesh Himal range , Manaslu range . During the hike into the jungle we will see different spices, birds, trees, Kathmandu valley view and wild animals like deer, monkeys etc.
After spending a good time here we can walk back to Kathmandu 3 to 4 hours the same way, or if you feel enough for walking then we can also come back by drive to Kathmandu from Chisapani.
Some people stay overnight in Chisapani and next morning they enjoy watching the sunrise view from here, and then walk back to Kathmandu the next day. Many trekkers used to go to Chisapani – Nagarkot to stay overnight for a sunrise view from here. If you like you can stay here. Here are a couple of nice tea houses and restaurants to eat.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HIKE.
- MOUNTAIN VIEW
- GREAT EXPERIENCE OF HIKE AND WALK THROGUH THE JUNGLE
- EXPLORE AROUND LOCAL PEOPLE AND THIER BASIC LIFESTYLE.
- ENCOUNTER WITH WILDLIFE AND DIFFERENT SPCIES BRIDS.
Itinerary:
Morning: 7:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel.
“7:30 am to 8:20am drive to your hiking start place.
9:00 am to 4:00pm hiking time.
After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here
Cost includes / not
- Drive to hike start point by private Jeep, (2 hours. 24 km.)
- Pickup by privet jeep / car / bus to Hotel) after hike end.
- Professional guide.
- National park fee (permit)
- Hiking necessary documents
Cost not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment.
5. Namo buddha Hike: 4- 5 hours , 12 to 15km.
Namobuddha hike located east from Kathmandu valley. It’s a 30 to 35 km drive from the center of the valley. Namobuddha is a very famous day hike near Kathmandu with a magnificent view of Mount Everest, Dorje Lakpa himal , Langtang himal range including many mountain peaks in the distance.
On this hike we will not only see mountains, we will also visit natural sides including diversified flora, fauna. You will also walk through the paddy field in Panauti , where you can see many farmer works , you will also cross the suspension bridge , which is the nearest suspension bridge from Kathmandu. Moreover, Namobuddha hike is also known as a short and adventure a day hike near Kathmandu .It’s also a famous Buddhist holy place.
one of the best day hike for explore the Buddhist culture and hike around the farm landthere are few popular monasteries called Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, beside the place also exceedingly popular for its story of Buddha feeding his flesh to the Hungry cub. Therefore, if anyone is looking for a day short hike near Kathmandu with a magnificent view of Himalayan from far distance then this hike would be the best hike for you. Namo Buddhahike starts after a 30km drive from Kathmandu to Dulikher in the morning, Dhulikhel is a very famous Newari town with a magnificent Himalaya view from trance. Basically you will start walk from here, until reach to the Namobuddha monastery, it takes 2 to 3 hours and coming back few more hours, we will comeback via Panruti bazaar, here our hike end our car will wait us in panruti Bazaar then we will drive back to Kathmandu.
Highlights of the Hike
- Walk through the paddy filed and river in Panauti.
- A magnificent view of Himalayan in far distance including mt. Everest
- Visit Buddhist Stupa , and Monastery
- The suspension bridge and walk through the forest.
- Great experience of a day hike near Kathmandu
Itinerary:
Morning: 7:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel.
“7:30 am to 8:30am drive to your hiking start place.
8:30 am to 2:00pm hiking time.
After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here.
Cost includes / not
- Drive to hike start point by private Jeep, (2 hours. 24 km.)
- Pickup by privet jeep / car/ bus to Hotel after hike end.
- Professional guide.
- National park fee (permit)
- Hiking necessary documents
Not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment.
6. Nagarkot hike , 4 to 5 hours. 14 to 17km.
Nagarkot is one of the famous hiking destinations near Kathmandu valley. It is located east of Kathmandu valley. Nagarkot is famous for its sunrise view of Himalayan in including Mt. Everest ranges in distance. Also Nagarkot is the famous dating place for Nepali young people, they go here to enjoy the mountains and landscapes. So many local tourists visit this place.
Nagarkot hike starts after 1hrs drive to Nala , basically we will start walking from here, first we will hike uphill to Nagarkot tower about 2 hours slowly through the local villages , paddy fields. We will see many domestic animals , local people and their basic lifestyle . once we reach on the top hill , here we will see beautiful view of Kathmandu valley , Landscapes , Hills , snow-caps many more , then after we will hike one more hour to reach Nagakot hill, here are many Hotels and restaurants , we can take a hot food and drinks . And drive back to Kathmandu a few more hours
Highlights of Nagarkot hike
- Mountains view
- Explore the beauty of nature and culture
- Amazing Kathmandu valley view.
- Great hiking experience.
Itinerary:
Morning: 7:30am your guide will meet at your Hotel.
“7:30 am to 8:30am drive to your hiking start place.
8:30 am to 3:00pm hiking time.
After complete the hike return back to Hotel by drive and your hike end here.
Cost includes / not
- Drive to hike starts point by private Jeep, car, bus .
- Pickup by privet jeep , car , bus to Hotel after hike end.
- Professional guide.
- National park fee (permit)
- Hiking necessary documents
Not include
- Lunch
- Cold , hot Drinks
- Hike equipment
