Kathmandu scenic and cultural day hiking

Kathmandu scenic and cultural day hiking, Nepal being the center of Himalayan range with unparalleled mountains with worlds 8th highest peaks has more to offer, we at Adventure Trekking Guide Team offers a leisure walk and hike in and around the valley for people with limited times in Nepal and still wants to feel the closeness of snow capped mountains with natural fresh air and to escape the hustle bustle of city life for few days and more as per your requirements.

We have choice of scenic and cultural country walks and hikes for you to take delight in our various pleasant hikes with tours, this is a perfect choice for families, school and collage group and for corporate people who needs a change of scene and fresh air after being in the closed city area.

01: Sundarijal to Dhulikhel via Chisopani / Nagarkot 03-04 day’s trip.

A great hike and trek or a country walk for those wants to escape the daily busy city life on the outskirt of Kathmandu valley rim hills not too far from the motorable road but yet still far from the maddening crowd this trip begins with a short drive on the outskirt of Kathmandu valley at Sundarijal a wonderful enchanting spot with cool shade of rhododendron, pines, oaks forest and the watershed that provides drinking waters to Kathmandu city and an headquarter of Nepal Scouts, this area onwards is protected by Shivapuri Conservation where a small fee is charged at the entrance on route Chisopani leads with a all types of the beginners and family who wants to escape the busy life of Kathmandu for few days in the tranquility of the serene forest, visiting rural life as it was for centuries. This nice peaceful trek starts with a short drive to Kakani, a countryside village on the north west of Kathmandu valley rim, the walk from here follows the ridge that outlines Kathmandu Valley with superb view of the surrounding landscapes and snow capped range from Mt. Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh to Langtang, the trek continues towards the south east of the Valley ridge at Dhulikhel via the famed mountain view spots of Nagarkot and Dhulikhel where one can view the sunrise and sunset over the panoramic Himalayan snow range from Annapurna to Everest. Our pleasant walk on the gradual winding path leads downhill overlooking grand Himalayan chain of mountains all the way to Dhulikhel another hill resorts where one can have panorama of high hills and mountains, this is one of the best mountain resorts around the valley rim for the panoramic view of the Jugal mountain region. This old Newar town lies beyond the eastern rim of the Valley with comfortable lodging for extended trips.

Nagarkot:
Among all the places for mountain viewing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nagarkot is usually considered to be the best. The views go from Dhaulagiri in the west to Kanchenjunga in the east. On a clear day you can see Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha). You can also see Manaslu (8,463m), Ganesh Himal (7,111m), and Langtang (7,246m). Many people go up to Nagarkot in the afternoon, stay in a hotel in Nagarkot, and then get up at dawn to see the Himalaya Mountains during the sunrise.
Nagarkot is 32 kilometres east of Kathmandu, on the northeast edge of the Valley at an elevation of 2,175m. It is best to view the mountains in the early morning because it is more likely to be clear. There is a viewing tower next to the Club Himalaya Resort, where you get good views that has a coffee shop where you can sit inside. Many of the hotels also have good views.
There is a lookout tower south of the village where you can get a 360º view of the scenery. It is an easy one hour walk from the main hotel area. To get there you have to pass an army checkpoint, and they will only let you past in the morning.
You can go to Nagarkot in the afternoon and stay over night and view the mountain at sun rise.
You can usually get a good view of the mountains between October and March. During the monsoon from June to September it is unlikely to get a view of the mountains. Nagarkot can be much colder than in Kathmandu, especially in the winter.
There are some pleasant walks in the area. There are several good walk to or from Nagarkot. Many people take a bus or taxi up to Nagarkot and then walk down. Some good walks are down to Sankhi, Sundarijal, Changu Narayan, Bhaktapur, or to Banepa.
You have to pass through Bhaktapur to get to Nagarkot, so you could go to Bhaktapur in the early afternoon and go to Nagarkot for the sunset or to stay over-night.
Most people stay here for just one night. The main area of town is just a group of hotels.

Outline Itinerary:

Day 01: Trek to Chisopani 2,340m 05 hrs.
Day 02: Trek to Nagarkot – 06 hrs.
Day 03: Trek to Dhulikhel approx. 1,550m – 06 hrs.
Day 04: Visit Namobuddha and drive to Kathmandu via tour of
Bhaktapur.
Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon
“The city of Devotees”
Bhaktapur is the third largest city in the Kathmandu valley. The city was once the capital of Nepal during the great Malla Kingdom from the 12th to the 15th century. Four square miles of land situated at an altitude of 1,401 meter from sea-level is a home to Traditional art and architecture, pottery and weaving industries, rich local customs and culture, and the every-day life of Bhaktapur people. All that and more will have you visit this untouched ancient city more than once! Nepal’s Malla dynasty’s achievements in arts and crafts are reflected throughout the Bhaktapur city. Bhaktapur is also known by woodcarving artists, for it’s cap known as Bhadgaon Topi, and for it’s curd known by Nepalese as the `Bhaktapur ko Dahe’ (meaning Curd made in Bhaktapur). Tourists visiting the city also take the time to relax and observe other interesting happenings in the city such as children’s playing outside their home and in temple yards, busy and color-full open markets, women’s making clay-pots, weaving, and sun-drying crops and vegetable products. Bhaktapur is located at 14 km east of Kathmandu.

Places to visit in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur Durbar Square:
Bhaktapur Naytapola Temple
The Bhaktapur National Art Gallery
Bhairavnath Temple of Bhaktapur

02: A day hike to Shivapuri Danda-Ridge 2,563m -05 hours.
Budhanikantha:

Shivapuri wild life conservation and a watershed of Kathmandu city, about 08 kms north of Kathmandu, at the base of Shivapuri hill is a remarkable colossal statue of Lord Vishnu, reclining of the bed of snake. This is one of the masterpieces of stone sculptures of Lichchhavi period. This 5th century statue is in the middle of a small pond and seems to float in water.

Morning, hike towards the northern highest point at Shivapuri ridge. Walk follows on the gradual path for sometime, with a last portion of steep climb to the Shivapuri ridge. Shivapuri provides most of the water supply to the Kathmandu Valley and among the hills; it is closest to the high Himalaya. The wildlife sighting here is also excellent as the park has access to wider lands and areas behind Kathmandu Valley.

Namo-Buddha: Cost USD $100
A day tour:

One of the unsurpassable supreme sacred sites known as the Three Stupas in Nepal is Tagmo Lüjin (The place where the future Buddha sacrificed his body to a tigress). It is the very sacred place where our teachers, the perfect and supreme Buddha-at that time still on the path of learning-offered his own body without regret to a tigress suffering from great hunger. What follows is a history of this supreme and distinguished sacred site, whose location is unmistaken based on the clear identification given in the Sutra Requested by the Tigress and so forth.
A long time ago, there was a king in this world with the name of Great Vehicle. He ruled over nearly five thousand vassals and had three sons, the eldest of whom was called Great Sound, the middle, Great Deity and the youngest, Great Sentient Being. From childhood the youngest son was of a loving and compassionate nature. To everyone he was like a beloved son. One time, the king went outside for a walk together with his ministers, his queen and his sons. Then, while they rested a little while, the three sons strolled in the woods. They saw a tigress that had given birth to cubs and was so exhausted by days of hunger and thirst that she was on the verge of eating her young. The youngest prince said to his two elder brothers, “This weak and meager tigress is at the edge of death, and suffering so that she would even desire to eat her own offspring.” When the younger brother asked his two elder brothers: “What does the tigress eat?” the two elder brothers replied, “She eats freshly killed meat and drinks blood.” Then he said: “Who has such strength that they would not to fail to save her life by giving her these things?” The two brothers replied: “Nobody as it is extremely difficult.”
The younger brother thought: “For a long time I have been wandering in samsara wasting innumerable bodies and lives. I have given up my body sometimes to desire, sometimes to anger and sometimes to ignorance. What is the use of this body which for the sake of Dharma has not even once engaged in merit?” Once he had made up his mind in this way, the three had not walked very long together on their way back, when he said to his two elder brothers, “You two brothers go on ahead. I have something to do and shall come later.” Returning back along the path, he swiftly returned to the lair of the tigress and lay down in front of her, but the tigress could not bite and eat. Thereupon, the prince took a sharp branch and made blood flow from his body and let the tigress lick it. She then opened her mouth and completely devoured the flesh of his body.
His two brothers waited for a long time and still their younger brother had not come back, so they returned to look for him. Considering the way he had talked, they thought that he had most certainly fed the tigress [with his body]. When they got there and looked, they saw that he had been eaten by the tigress that was lying in his flesh and blood, and they fell to the ground in a faint. Regaining consciousness after a while, they cried and fainted again.
At that moment the queen dreamed that three pigeons had been flying and playing, and that a falcon had caught the youngest. She woke up immediately and terrified, told the king, “I have been told that a pigeon is the soul of a son. I dreamed that a falcon caught the youngest of three pigeons, so something unfortunate has certainly befallen the most beloved of my sons.” Immediately he ordered a thorough search and not much later, the two elder brothers returned. The queen asked them, “Is there not something wrong with the most beloved of my sons? What is it?” The two brothers´ speech faltered and for a long while they could not even exhale and remained speechless. When they finally breathed out, they reported, “He was eaten by a tiger.” When the queen heard this she fainted, falling to the ground. A long while elapsed and when she regained consciousness, the two sons, the queen and the entire entourage proceeded swiftly to the place where the prince had expired. They saw nothing but bones and blood as the tigress had completely consumed the flesh of the prince. The queen held her head and the king, holding her in his arms, wept and cried. He, too, fainted and it took a long time till he regained consciousness.
Having died in this place, the Prince Mahasattva was reborn in the Tushita realm of gods. He wondered, “Through what positive action was I born here?” and started to search with his divine eye through all five realms. In a forest, he saw the bones he had left behind, which were surrounded by his parents who, out of their great love for their son, were weighed down by great grief. He thought, “When my parents are so sad, obstacles will be created for their body and life. I shall go and reassure them.”
He descended from heaven and reassured his parents with many pleasant words from the heavens above. The parents looked up into the sky and said: “Deva, tell us who you are!” The god said: “I was your son Mahasattva.” Having fed the tigress with my body, I was born in the Tushita realm of gods. Great King, know this! Whatever has come into existence will meet with destruction in the end. When there is arising, there is certainly destruction. If they engage in negative actions, sentient beings will fall into hell. If they engage in virtuous ones, they will take rebirth in the higher realms. Arising and destruction affects everything. Why then are you experiencing an ocean of suffering just because of me? Strive for virtue!”
His parents said, “Out of great compassion you gave your body to the tigress. If you have love and compassion for everyone, extend it also to us! When we think of you, your death causes us such distress, just as if our flesh were being cut, so should not you, great Compassionate One, refrain from acting towards us like that?” Again the god placated and encouraged his parents with many pleasant words. Being a little comforted, they made a casket of seven precious jewels, put his bones inside and buried it. Above they erected a stupa.