Many visitors to Nepal leave for the mountains far too quickly and never get the opportunity to enjoy what is closer at hand in the Kathmandu valley.
This trip includes a five day trek around the hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley visiting places with superb panoramic views of the Himalaya mountains. The vista stretches from Manaslu and Annapurnas in the west to the distant pyramid of Mt. Everest, Numbur and Karyolung in the east. The views are different from each point on the trek each providing a unique angle and perspective on the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal.
You will also visit the most important religious and cultural sites and walk to less visited rural areas with ochre coloured farmhouses through rice terraces, orange
orchards and forests. Your wonderful six day trek finishes off in the old capital city of Bhaktapur in Kathmandu valley.
For every night of the trek you stay at the high quality hotels and resorts, we will transport your luggage to the next hotel by private car. You can also use our vehicle
if you prefer to drive sections of the trail rather than walk the whole way each day.
Detailed itinerary
It is our intention to keep to the day by day itinerary detailed below, although there might be some flexibility due to local conditions or other factors beyond our control.
If this is the case the trek leader will do everything possible to work out the changes
to the itinerary in order to minimise your inconvenience.
For every night of the trek you stay at mid-level hotels or resorts and we will transport your luggage to the next hotel by private vehicle.
On the trek you will visit the most important religious and cultural sites of the Kathmandu valley including World Heritage sites Bhaktapur plus Namo Buddha monastery and Kali temple above Dhulikhel.
It is possible to do this trip anytime between October and June. This trek is a good choice for a winter months as mountain views tend to be clear at this time of year and it will not be as cold compared to other mountain treks in Nepal at higher altitude.
Drive to Changu Narayan (1,500m), walk to Nagarkot (2,040m)- 6 hours walking.
The trek starts at the World Heritage site of Changu Narayan just north of Bhaktapur. Change Narayan is the name of a temple dedicated to Vishu and is the oldest in Kathmandu valley with a stone slab discovered in the vicinity of the temple dating back to the 5th century. After a visit to the temple we start the walk along a forested ridge with views of terraced fields of rice down in the floor of the valley. After Tilkot Forest Reserve the trail joins the road to Nagarkot on which you walk a while before turning off onto a trail that ascends to Nagarkot town and short distance beyond to your hotel.
Overnight at the hotel in Nagarkot
Day 02. Walk to Dhulikhel (1,600m)- 7 hours walking.
From hotel, we walk along the tranquil jungle trail then follow the ridge on edge of Bageshwari Forest Reserve past the Nagarkot View Tower. Continue to the junction at Rohini Bhanjang keep going straight along the ridge (do not descend here) and then further ½ hour along the trail descend passing terraced fields and farmyards towards Tanchok village. Before Tanchok you take left turn on road to ascend a ridge with Buddhist stupa on the summit, there is a superb 360 degree view from here to the Himalaya peaks and down to Kathmandu valley. From the stupa follow the ridge down passing through Opi Village and onto the View Tower then descend to Dhulikhel town. Dwarikas Shangri La is a walk beyond Dhulikhel so it is best to get picked up by the support vehicle and in fact as this is a longer day you could also take the car earlier in the day if you prefer. Dhulikhel is located at the Eastern rim of Kathmandu Valley, south of the Himalayas at 1550m above sea level Dhulikhel is located at the Eastern rim of Kathmandu Valley, south of the Himalayas at 1,550m above sea level. The panorama from Dhulikhel is majestic undisturbed view of the Himalayan ranges stretching from Mount Annapurna in the far west to Mount Karolung in the Far East. More than twenty Himalayan peaks including Mt. Annapurna (8091 m), Mt. Ganesh Himal (7429 m), Mt. Langtang (7234 m), Mt. Phuribichyachu (6637 m), Mt. Gaurishanker (7134 m), Mt. Lhotse (8516 m) and many others can be seen in their full glory from the different vantage points in Dhulikhel.
Overnight at the hotel in Dhulikhel
Walk to Namo Buddha (1,800m)- 3 to 4 hours walking.
In the morning worth taking vehicle back to Dhulikhel and taking some time to look around the old town. The oldest area of the town, the southern end, is an assembly of fine old Newari houses, often occupied by twenty or more members of the local extended families. Their most valuable assets are the beautifully carved windows and doors, fine examples of traditional Newari craftsmanship. From Dhulikhel follow the steps up to the Kali Temple overlooking the town and then descend through the traditional village of Kabrechhap. Further along you cross the road to start the walk up to Namo Buddha, the trail is lovely as passes through farmhouses and terraced fields. You get to Namo Buddha Resort before the monastery and once you have checked into your private cottage in the afternoon take a walk to visit the monastery. From the Buddhist point of view, Namo Buddha is one of the most important religious sites in Nepal. There are three major Buddhist pilgrimage sites:
Overnight at Namo Buddha Resort
Walk to Baltali village (1,730m)- 3 to 6 hours walking
From your hotel, we walk towards the monastery and you have the choice of a long or short trail to Baltali village. The shorter trail starts from the lower stupa whereas the longer one starts from upper stupa. If you have the energy it is well worth taking the longer trail as this is one the best walking days passing through traditional villages with ochre coloured farmhouses surround by orange trees. The area of Balthali has various flora, colourful rhododendron forest and magnolia & Sal trees. Baltali village is located at the junction of Roshi and Ladku Khola River and stands on a plateau.
Overnight at Overnight Baltali Resort
Walk to Khopasi Village, drive to Kathmandu via Panauti.
Today there is a short walk to Khopasi village crossing two suspension bridges along the way, then you drive by our support vehicle to Panauti. This is an old Newari town with narrow streets and ancient structures and located near the auspicious position of confluence of two rivers called Roshi khola & Punyamata Khola. Panauti has many temples dating back to the 15th Century or earlier. The Indreswor temple is one of the largest and tallest pagoda style temples in Nepal, it was originally built over a lingam in 1294 making it the oldest surviving temple of Nepal. The roof struts embellishing the two lower stories of the temple are distinct Nepalese wood-carving and architecture. The upper section of the temple is hung with pots and pans, offerings from young married couples hoping for a happy and prosperous family life. Then, you will drive to Bhaktapur
After lunch in Bhaktapur, you will explore Bhaktapur, this is an ancient Newari town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley and is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artwork. The main places to see are: Layaku (Durbar Square): Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around the 55-window palace of brick and wood. After completion of your Bhaktapur tour, we will drop your hotel in Kathmandu