Overview
The Kathmandu Nagarkot day tour, popularly known as the Nagarkot sunrise hike, offers a fulfilling journey to the renowned hill station in the Bhaktapur district, just an hour's drive from Kathmandu. Nestled at an altitude of around 2175m, Nagarkot provides enchanting views of sunrise and sunset, showcasing eight distinctive mountain ranges, including Annapurna and Everest. Formerly a holiday destination for Shah Kings, Nagarkot's historic significance adds to its allure. The day trip includes Nagarkot - Changunarayan temple hike and sightseeing at Changu Narayan temple, offering a delightful experience of Nepalese culture and lifestyle, with a return journey to Kathmandu.
Trip Highlights
- Nagarkot Hill, the best Point for sunrise and Panorama Himalayas view from Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Gaurishanker and Mount Everest.
- A oldest World heritage listed Changunarayan Temple
- Local people life style during the hike for Nagarkot – Telkot
- A nice experience to walk on the forest walk for Telkot – Changunarayan
- Rice terrace
- Kathmandu valley view
- A nice sport to see Birds
Nagarkot Sunrise Hike Details
Famously known as the Nagarkot sunrise hike, the Nagarkot Tour Package transports you to the well-known hill station in the Bhaktapur district, about 32 km east of the Kathmandu valley. It's just an hour's drive from Kathmandu, offering a chance to see the beauty of distant mountains. The day in Nagarkot showcases captivating views of sunrise . This tour allows you to experience the culture and lifestyle of the Nepalese people in the countryside. Perched at around 2175m above sea level, Nagarkot charms visitors with its green hills and colorful rhododendrons.
The refreshing breeze in Nagarkot provides a pleasant break from Kathmandu's hustle and bustle, letting you enjoy the open surroundings. Among the 13 mountain ranges in the country, Nagarkot highlights eight unique ranges, such as Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Ganesh range, Langtang range, Jugal range, Rolwaling range , Mahalangur range (Everest), and others. Once a favored holiday spot for the Shah Kings, Nagarkot's appeal has grown among the public recently. Historically, it served as a fort before the unification of Modern Nepal, strategically positioned to monitor the affairs of neighboring kingdoms.
Nagarkot tour packages for family includes a sightseeing tour from Kathmandu to Nagarkot, featuring a stunning sunset view during the early morning and an unmatched sunrise view with a breathtaking mountain panorama, including Mt. Everest. The itinerary includes visits to UNESCO World Heritage site Changu Narayan temple.
After half a day of exploration and enjoying the scenic views from Nagarkot, the return journey brings you back to Kathmandu, where you'll be dropped off at the specified location. Further, if you want to lengthen this trip we can customize Kathmandu Pokhara Nagarkot Tour which will encompass Pokhara and Kathmandu city into your itinerary.
The highlight of Nagarkot Sunrise Hike
Nagarkot Sunrise from View Tower:
Nagarkot Tower is located at an elevation of 2175m. We can reach here after 5 minutes walk from the main road. Nagarkot is the best point to see the sunrise. We leave early in the morning to see the sunrise view from Nagarkot View Tour.
Himalayas View:
On a clear day, we have great opportunities to see the Himalayas view from Number Himal, Mount Everest in the distance, Gaurishanker, Dorje Lakpa, Gangchenpo, Shishapangma, Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal, and Manaslu ranges.
Changunaraya Temple: Changunaranyan Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Kathmandu. It is located at the top of the Hill. The temple is covered by a champak tree. There are many oldest status of Garuda Narayan, Sridhar Bhishnu, Vaikuntha Bishnu, Chhinnamasta, Vishworup, Bhishnu Vikrant, Narasimha, Kileswor, Lichhavi King Manadev Pillar etc. Bishworup statue of one of the popular ones. The temple is listed world heritage site.
Nagarkot - Changu Narayan Temple Hike: There is beautiful hiking from Nagarkot to Changu Narayan Temple. Nagarkot to Telkot will pass small villages with local people's lifestyle and their farm terraces, domestic animals, and many birds. It is a downhill walk. From Telkot to Changu Narayan temple, you will walk uphill at the beginning and mostly in jungle walk.
Nagarkot Tour Package Itinerary
Nagarkot Tour Package offered by Himalay Trip will include several attractive offerings.
Phase 1: Drive to Nagarkot, Sunrise view from View Tower (1.5 hours)
This day trip is an amazing tour to explore the bright side of outskirts of Kathmandu valley. In this package, you will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning(4:30am) by our representatives. Then, you will drive eastwards to Nagarkot which takes about 1 and half hours at most. Upon reaching Nagarkot, you will drive to Nagarkot view tower located in the southern reach of the area. As the dawn of the day kicks in, you will witness surreal beauty of sunshine that flares upon the mighty Himalayas. This site is worthwhile to behold. After finishing this part, you will proceed towards having a delightful breakfast at nearby hotel in Nagarkot.
Phase 2: Hike to Changunarayan (1 Hr)
The second leg of the journey includes delightful leveled hike towards Changunarayan temple, a UNESCO listed world heritage site. The walk from Nagarkot towards Changunarayan traverses through dense pine and oak forests. In between lies several small rural hamlets giving you vibe of rural Nepal. This hike takes about another hour before you reach the temple. The intricate carvings, historical architecture and structure makes this temple alluring and magnificent.
Phase 3: Drive back to Kathmandu
After your temple visit ends, you will be led to a restaurant for your mid-day lunch. You can savor the beauty of surrounding space with backdrop of Himalayan mountains during your lunch. We will then start our return journey making way through ancient Bhaktapur city navigating the dense traffic of Kathmandu. You will be dropped off at your hotel by 2-3pm and the trip ends.
Outline
Your Hotel - Nagarkot View Tower - Nagarkot village - Telkot - Changunarayan Temple - Your Hotel
Whats Included?
- Your Hotel- Nagarkot and Changunarayan Temple- Hotel by private vehicle and driver.
- Breakfast and Lunch with tea/ coffee, any soft drinks.
- Nagarkot and Changunarayan entrance fee.
- One experience hiking guide his salary, all the meals.
- Our official charge and 13% Government VAT.
Whats not Included?
- Tips for hiking guide and driver.
Not satisfied with this itinerary?
Are you interested in planning a Custom Trip now? It takes only 2 minutes! Customize this tripTrip Reviews
We haven't found any particular reviews for this trip. If you'd like to view all our reviews, please view All Reviews
Essential Infos
Sunrise and Himalayas view from Nagarkot
If your goal is to see the sunrise and Himalayas, we arrange a private vehicle and driver to take there and back. The price will be less if you choose this option.
Do we have Half a day in Kathmandu?
If you do not have enough time but desire to see the sunrise and panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges from Dhaulagiri in the west and Mt. Everest in the east from Nagarkot. It is possible to go to Nagarkot to see the sunrise and Himalayas view and then drive back to your Hotel or International Airport. It takes only 3 hours in total to go and back.
We are not fit for 4 hours walking, but are interested in the sunrise and Himalayas view?
If you are not fit for 4 hours of hiking, it is also possible to do the Nagarkot Sunrise Hike. After sunrise, you will do a world heritage sightseeing tour in Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changunarayan Temple and then back to your Hotel.
What do we need to wear?
The highest elevation of this trip is 2175m. You need to wear a light jacket, hiking shoes, a hat, a small bag, trousers, a T-shirt, a bottle of water etc. If you are doing this trip in the monsoon, you are recommended to bring an Umbrella.
The Best time to do this hike:
This hike is available every day. September to May will be better weather. If you are flexible, you may check the weather forecast for the best Himalayas view and Sunrise view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chandragiri and Nagarkot both are hill stations offering amazing views of Himalayan mountains. The difference is Chandragiri is located 12 kilometers west from Kathmandu while Nagarkot is located 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu.
No, Nagarkot does not receive snowfall even during the peak winter months.
Nagarkot is located 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu and is accessible by vehicle. The journey from Kathmandu to Nagarkot takes about 1.5 hours.
Nagarkot is situated at an altitude of 2175 meters and is located higher than Kathmandu.
Nagarkot is famous for its alluring views of Mountain vistas and hilly topography. You can have an amazing hill top view of mountains from Nagarkot.
A whole vista of mountain range is visible from Nagarkot. This includes: Mahalangur range, Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Ganesh range, Langtang range, Jugal range and Rolwaling range.
Nagarkot hike begins from Nagarkot and heads eastward to UNESCO world heritage site- Changunarayan temple. You will hike for 3 hours during this journey and take a vehicle to return back to Kathmandu from the temple.
Based on the size of the space and activities you can do, Nagarkot can be explored with 1 or 2 days. You can opt for day trip to Nagarkot and come back in the evening or have a detailed tour of the place with overnight stay.
Yes, you can see Mt.Everest(8848m) from Nagarkot. Also, you will get to see numerous other mountains that neighbours Everest such as Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Ganesh range, Langtang range, Jugal range and Rolwaling range.
Being at a higher altitude, Nagarkot is definelty cooler than Kathmandu. As Nagarkot received direct cool breeze from the mountains, it is colder in comparison to Kathmandu. So, Yes, Kathmandu is hotter than Nagarkot.
Yes, the views of Himalayan mountains provided by this place is definitely worth going for. You will be intrigued by the amazing views that this place provides.
Sarangkot is located in western Nepal, north of Pokhara city. This space is a popular vantage point to view the Annapurna range mountains. Sarangkot is located at an altitude of 1600 meters. Nagarkot is located near Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175 meters. Both of these hill station are popular vantage points but are located in different regions.
Nagarkot is a famous hillstation popular for its alluring Himalayan views. It has long been regarded as the best vantage point to observe the himalayan mountains in the vicinity of Kathmandu.
Kathmandu being a valley is surrounded by high hills on all sides. There are lots of sunrise vantage points in and around the valley. Prominent sunrise view destinations include Chandragiri, Kakani, Shivapuri, Lakuri Bhanjyang and Nagarkot. Among these Nagarkot sunrise is the considered to be the best.
Nagarkot is a distant hillstation located at an altitude of 2175 meters from the sea level. It is located in the eastern reach of Kathmandu valley. It directly overlooks the Himalayan mountains to the north. You can watch the sunrise pretty much everywhere from Nagarkot. However, the best unobstructed view of the sunrise can be viewed from Nagarkot view tower in Nagarkot.
Group size might be any number. But we organize private tours on any date.
If you are working or volunteering on a business trip or attending any conference, come here for the trip to Kathmandu and Patan, and have a day or half-day free in Kathmandu, the Nagarkot sunrise hike will fit for them. It is a refreshment day hike. This tour includes Sunrise, the Himalayas View from Nagarkot Hill 2175m, hiking in the small village to explore the village lifestyle, and an interesting walk on the jungle, one of the oldest and world heritage Changunarayan Temple is the major charm of this tour.
Important Note
Available of the trip
We organise small group private trip. If you are 2 or more people in your group, you may book any dates.
Travel Insurance
The travel insurance is need in case of any emergency. It is recommend to have. If you are doing short and low elevation trek, you can do normal insurance. But if you are doing high altitude or adventure trek, you should have emergency rescue.
Last Minute booking
Normally, trekkers plan the trip before 3-9 months. Some trekkers decide the trip in last minutes. It is also possible to book your trek at last minutes. For the Last minutes booking, you need to make a full payment.
Tipping
Tipping is highly expected. Our staffs try their best during the trip. After the trip, Tipping is expected. It is not fixed amount or percentage. We recommend the tipping according to their services.
Safety
When you are travelling, the safety is most important. For the safety of our clients, we trained our guide and porters. They are all register trekking / Tour / Climbing guide and experience porters.
Extra personal expenses
For the extra expenses, it is good to bring USD / Euro / Pound Sterling or ther currency. You may change to Nepali Rupees (NPR) at Tribhuwan International Airport or near your Hotel in Kathmandu. You will use only Nepali rupees during the trip.
Nepal visa
Accept few countries , you will get on arrival Nepal’s Visa at the Tribhuwan International Airport or Nepal board. I recommend to fill up Nepal Visa online form and bring it with you. It will be faster and easy for you and visa fee is recommended to bring cash US dollar. You can’t pay by using credit card.
Trip extension or Itinerary Disclaimer
We organize small group private trip. The trip extension is possible but you have to figure out when you booking the trip.
Group joing and Fixed departure
Most of the time, we have small group private trip. Group joining or fixed departure will be available only at the clients request.
Luggage store
You are not taking all the lugguage on the trek. You will take only necessary gears on the trek and rest of the gears, you will store at your Hotel in Kathmandu or Pokhara or in our office in Kathmandu. All the Hotels have free luggage store services. It is more convenient to store at your Hotel.
Responsible travel
- Ask permission to photograph people.
- Do not remove or purchase antiques, it is illegal.
- Avoid wearing revealing clothes and avoid outward displays of physical affection.
- Do not anything to disturb environment or wild animals.
Domestic flight
Normally, domestic flight is not on time. If you have international flight with domestic connection flight. It is always better to keep some gaps.
Trek Booking
For the Booking, we need passport copy, passport size photo by email or What's App and 20% deposit.
Why Himalaya Trip ?
- Fast response
- Small group private trek
- Safety is top priority
- Recommended on TripAdvisor
- Tailor made itinerary
- Seasonal package
- 200 plus trekkers take service every year
- 30-40% repeated customer