The Himalayan nation of Nepal is blessed with the natural beauty that comprises of the mighty Himalayan Range with Mt. Everest: the highest mountain in the world, at its heart, alluring forest with exotic wildlife, beautiful lakes and ferocious rivers and much more. These beautiful landmarks are the main attraction among the tourist where they enjoy their holidays in the nature’s lap. Rendering a prepossessing outlook of the Himalayas and the ancient fine arts, the Nagarkot-Changunarayan Hike is one of the shortest trekking routes in the midst of the Himalayas and ancient city of Bhaktapur. The 1 night/2days Nagarkot-Changunarayan Hike is perfect for you, if you don't have time to use up for a long travel and trek to striking Himalayan trails through dense woodlands. Although from distance, the Nagarkot-Changunarayan offers alluring panoramic views of Himalayan Range while moving across villages and forest.
The Nagarkot-Changunarayan Hike starts from Nagarkot after approx. 1.5 hour drive from Kathmandu City. Nagarkot is a well-renowned destination to watch alluring sunrise and warm sunset from the view tower situated at the hilltop. From Nagarkot, the trail descends to Changunarayan located in the ancient city of Bhaktapur that showcases the astounding ancient work of art at every corner of the city. While the Hindu temple of Changunarayan is simply majestic, other landmark sites such as Bhaktapur Durbar Square establishes an impact on your mind with its pagoda and shikhara-style temples, royal palace and fifty-five window palace of brick and wood based inside its periphery . Finally we return to the Kathmandu City marking the end of our hiking adventure.
| Day | Highlight | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Drive to Bhaktapur for sightseeing, Explore Changunarayan Temple & Hike to Nagarkot | Nagarkot |
| Day 2 | Spectacular Sunrise from the Nagarkot Hill Station, Hike to Dhulikhel & Drive back to Hotel Room | Kathmandu |
Firstly, we will drive to the ancient city of Bhaktapur and spend an hour or so exploring around the Bhaktapur Durbar Square area. Bhaktapur Durbar Square area has a royal palace of Malla Kings, who ruled Bhaktapur in around 17th century. There are a lot of pagoda and shikhara-style temples and the popular fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. While the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square), the courtyards are still a fantastic spot to enjoy the delicate designs of historical Nepal.
After this sightseeing around Bhaktapur, we will grab a lunch and drive to Changunarayan Temple. This temple is one of the splendid creations of ancient Nepalese architect. It was originally built in around 3rd century by the King Mandev; but, most of the designs and architecture that we see today are the works of succeeding emperors, who renovated the artworks and refined the architectural designs. This temple is situated at a hilltop, which can be reached through the woods.
Then, we start our hike to the Nagarkot, which will be our stopover for the night.
Overnight in Nagarkot. (Lunch and dinner)
Nagarkot is a popular viewpoint to enjoy the Himalayan views from the comfort of your hotel balcony. Just 32km from Kathmandu, Nagarkot is thickly forested pine forests, interrupted by varieties of lodges and resorts that offer one of the broadest possible views of the Himalaya with eight ranges visible (8 Himalayan ranges of Nepal out of 13 from here). The ranges include Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Ganesh himal range, Langtang range, Jugal range, Rolwaling range, Mahalangur range (Everest range) and Numbur range with views of the Kathmandu valley and Shivapuri National Park. (Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Jugal, Rolwaling, Everest and Numbur). We check in at our hotel, have lunch and then go for a hike to the view tower at the top of hill and come back to hotel after enjoying Himalayan Sunset View from the view Tower.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
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Nepal, famously known as the land of the
