The Best 6 Days Hiking Near Kathmandu Valley

  • Mandipa Itani
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Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal standing at 1425 meters above sea level is surrounded by four beautiful mountain ranges: Shivapuri Hills (at an elevation of 2732 meters, Phulchowki (2695 meters, Nagarjun (2085 meters, and Chandragiri (2,551 meters). Beautiful Kathmandu Valley hosts a UNESCO World Heritage site in seven beautiful and preserved locations: three are located at the center of the primary cities: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the two most popular and important Buddhist Stupas: Swayambhunath and Boudhnath and two famous Hindus Shrines: Pashupatinath Temple and Changu Narayan.

Exploring around the valley is entirely beautiful and worthy to enjoy the mountain scenery and natural beauty near the capital city of Nepal.

Table of Content

 The best 6 days of hiking around the Kathmandu Valley include:

Phulchowki Hiking

Phulchowki is a beautiful mountain range close to the Kathmandu Valley located in the south of the city.

The hike starts with the drive to Godawari (14 km south of the center of Kathmandu), enjoy the natural beauty, and then start the climb from here. Walking through the subtropical forest in a remote area covered with rhododendrons and oak trees with the beauty of butterflies, birds, and orchids.

Reaching the destination you can enjoy the amazing views of the whole valley and on the clear skies, you can see the beautiful Annapurna ranges to Ghauriskhankar. It also takes you through the botanical garden of Godavari to view the rare flora and fauna around.

Short detail about Phulchoki:

  • Height: 2,782 meters
  • Climb Duration: 6.5 to 7 hours
  • panoramic views of Kathmandu Valley and Annapurna, Gaueishankar mountains.

 

Dhulikhel-Namobuddha Hiking

Dhulikhel-Namobuddha is also a beautiful hiking destination near Kathmandu Valley and appears in the Newari culture just as custom. Dhulikhel is a well-known picnic spot near the valley.

Dhulikhel is a famous climbing and hiking destination with breathtaking views of the many snow-capped mountains, which also include the world's highest iconic peak, Mt Everest. The walk takes us from modern society to the traditional one.

There are several resorts, hotels, and guesthouses along the hike to stay overnight and catch the unbeatable views of mountains over the town.

Short details about Dhulikhel:

  • Climb Duration: 3-4 hours
  • Features: Beautiful views of the whole valley, views of surrounding hills and snow-capped mountains over there, we can also see a glimpse of the world's highest mountain Mt Everest.

 

Champadevi hiking

Champadevi is a well-known journey near the Kathmandu valley for the Hindu and Buddhist religions. It is standing at an altitude of 2285 meters southwest of Kathmandu, considered an enjoyable slope.

This hike is perfect for all the individual hikers who love to mix climbing adventures with amazing natural views, as it is a short one-day hike with the simple and best one.

The hike starts after an hour's drive to Pharping villages, crossing Dakshinkali temples (the famous temples of goddess Kali).

Walking through the dense forest of pine creates a great experience, moving ahead about 30 min towards the north takes you to Champadevi. It takes around 2 hours to reach the peaks. The best part of the walk is that it offers panoramic views of Kathmandu Valley and other surrounding hills. If you are lucky with the clear skies you can also see the glorious Himalayan ranges including Langtang, Gauri Shanker, Jugal, and many more.

Short details about the Champa Devi hike:

  • Altitude: 2285 meters
  • Climbing Duration: 2-3 hours
  • Features: Views of Kathmandu Valley as well as amazing views of Himalayan ranges which include Langtang, Gauri Shanker, Jugal, and many more.

 

Nagarkot Hiking

Nagarkot hiking is also a popular hiking destination near Kathmandu which is around 32 km east of the valley, amazing to appreciate the beauty of the area of beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance. The journey starts with an hour's drive to Shakhu- an old Newari town on the east corner of Kathmandu Valley. The hike begins for 4 hours through the evergreen forest.

You can explore the town, and watch the sunrise or sunset views over the amazing snow-capped mountain ranges. Vehicles can easily reach to stop so returning you can book a taxi to Kathmandu or descend the later day.

Additionally, the mountains like Mt. Manaslu, Mt. Ganesh Himal, Mt Dorje Lakpa, Mt Gaurishanker, and many more views from the highest point of Shivapuri. From Nagarkot, a taxi is easily spotted you can either book or climb back to Bhaktapur-popular Newari town brimming with social and archaeological landmarks.

Short detail about Nagarkot Hiking:

  • Altitude: 2,195 meters
  • Climbing duration: around 4 hours
  • Features: Sunrise and sunset view, views of mountain ranges including Annapurna, Ganesh Himal, Langtang as well as Everest, panoramic views of Kathmandu valley.

 

Chisapani Hiking

Chisapani is the charming village of Brahmin, Gurung, and Sherpa with unbeatable viewpoints and great climbing around it. Walking through the Shivapuri National Park, exploring a beautiful waterfall.

the journey begins with an hour's drive to Sundharija from Kathmandu and the walk goes through Shivpuri National Park to reach Chisapani.

Short detail about Chisapani Hiking

  • Height: 2,215 meters
  • Climbing duration: around 4 to 5 hours
  • Features: walking through Shivapuri National Park ( exploring flora and fauna with the climate of warm and wet), breathtaking views of Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal, and Gaurishankhar Himal ranges.

 

Chandragiri Hiking

Chandragiri Hill is also a popular hiking destination that is seven kilometers far from Thankot and lies on the southwest side of Kathmandu Valley. The hills provide panoramic views of Kathmandu Valley and the beautiful Himalayan ranges from Annapurna to Everest. They us way to the top and admire the views, one rides a cable car to the summit, next one if hiking to the top. Both will provide breathtaking views of the valley. You can hike to the top and descend through a cable car.

Short detail about Chandragiri

  • Height: 2551 meters
  • Climbing duration: around 4-5 hours
  • Features: snow-capped mountains and lush green forest, panoramic views of valet, cable car ride.

 

Some trips of hiking near Kathmandu valley:

Clothes to wear for hiking

What to wear when hiking is a confusing question. The right clothing can lead to a successful, safe, and comfortable journey with beautiful memories, while the wrong one can lead to a very dangerous and uncomfortable one.

In general, avoid thick gears like heavy coats and carry multiple layers of light jackets that you can add or shed as the temperature changes. Hiking in the winter wearing a long jacket may be valuable. So carry the clothes according to the seasons you are hiking.

Best shoes for hiking

Looking back days people love wearing ankle-high boots but wearing low-top hiking shoes is accepted to be safer and very comfortable than full-height hiking boots. Low-top hiking shoes protect your feet from irregular ground surfaces, rocks, and other obstacles.

When hiking near the valley low-top hiking shoes are best to protect your feet from obstacles, but if you are hiking in extremely rugged terrains like in snowfields, or very wet climates then you should be considered next. So shoes depend on where and when you are hiking.

What size backpack should I carry?

It's not about multi-day hiking so your backpack should be much smaller than a multi-day trip. In search, you will find backpacks ranging from 20 liters smaller to 35 litters on the side, so for a 5-6-hour hike smaller pack will be great. It's just used to keep extra water, snacks, lunch, and some extra layers. The larger backpack is good for more than 12-hour hikes to keep extra supplies, first-aid kits, more food, and so on.

Knowing more about the region you are planning to hike leads you to a memorable journey. Feel free to ask us questions if you are confused with us: nepalhikingtrek.com, we will be always there to provide you with the trip information.

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