Changu Narayan Hiking is an excellent walking day tour on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley. If you have just a day in Kathmandu then this Nagarkot Changu Narayan day hiking trip is the best option to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. You will be amazed to see just how much the local villages along the trail remain unchanged and still exhibit their traditional countryside lifestyle, even though they are so close to the city.

Nagarkot is one of the best sunset viewpoints lying on the northeastern rim of the Kathmandu valley. This beautiful hillock also offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas ranging from Dhaulagiri in the west and Mt Everest in the east to Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and Langtang Lirung, Mt Shisha Pangma, Mt Gauri Shankar, and much more.

This tour starts out with a drive to Nagarkot from your hotel. Drive through the green fields as the road climbs through terraced fields towards Nagarkot. The drive is scenic with green valley views on one side and the fabulous Himalayas on the other.

Nagarkot is a hill station from where you can see a great panorama of mountains over 2,100 meters tall. From here, one can see all the glistening snowy peaks. Then, start the hike as the trail gradually descends through the terraced fields to Tamang Village. Here, local wine making is pretty common throughout the year.

Enjoy an authentic lunch accompanied by sightseeing over the Nagarkot hilltop.The first part of the hike is a largely fascinating cultural encounter, while the second part is more about nature as the trail follows the ridge, which is rich with deciduous forests. The Himalayas appear in the distance totally remote and undisturbed.

The walking is easy with some gradual downhill descents, but fairly level paths. It will take about 4 hours to reach Changu Narayan, the oldest pagoda style Hindu temple of Lord Bishnu in Nepal. After visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site, enjoy an authentic lunch at the Changu Narayan hilltop.

Then take a drive back to Kathmandu to end our fascinating day hiking tour in Nepal. The trip starts from Kathmandu, our guide will receive you at the hotel early in the morning (4:30 AM). Nagarkot is famous for the sunrise view (this package cover breakfast in Nagarkot) so it will be better if you reach there as earlier as possible. If you don’t want the sunrise view you can start the trip from 8:00 AM.