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Famous Hiking Spot Around Kathmandu Valley

Hiking is a general word for travelling on foot in hill or countryside. Day hikers return before nightfall. Other hikers may go out for many days. Sometimes large groups hike together.

Hiking is a kind of physical activity as well as a leisure activity (a way of spending free time). Hikers (the people who do hiking) enjoy fresh air and the beauty of nature, and learn about the place. Many hikers enjoy challenging their physical and mental strength. Hiking with friends gives them the chance to become stronger. Kathmandu has a lots of hiking destination for hiking during the winter season and all over the year. The famous hiking spots around the Kathmandu Valley are as follows:

Nagarkot Hiking

Height: 2197m
Starting Point: Changunarayan Temple (32 km east of Kathmandu)
Ending Point: Nagarkot
Duration: 4 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Best Season: All around Year
Location: South of Kathmandu Valley

Nagarkot hiking is a well-known destination around the Kathmandu valley for short hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. A beautiful city located at an elevation of 2197m has been successful to attract thousands of national and international visitors every day. Changunarayan is the starting point of the hike. The hike is a slow and steady walk of 4 hours through different forests, villages, and farmlands.

Indra Daha Switzerland Park Hiking

Height: 1830m
Starting Point: Nagdhunga, Kathmandu
Ending Point: Switzerland Park, Kathmandu
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Best Season: All around the year
Location: South of Kathmandu Valley

Indra Daha Switzerland park hiking is one of the most popular hiking destinations around Kathmandu Valley. This hike is a great combination of natural, historical, and religious significance. Indra Daha is a pond where Lord Indra took bath to get rid of the curse of Gautam Rishi. This place is also famous for the graveyard of chief commander Kalu Pandey. Kalu Pandey was the chief commander of the Late king Prithivi Narayan Shah and died in the first invasion of Kritipur. Switzerland Park is a famous picnic spot for many internal and external tourists.

Phulchowki Hiking

Height: 2782m
Starting Point: Godawari (14km south of Kathmandu)
Ending Point: Phulchowki
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Best Season: All around the year
Location: South of Kathmandu Valley

Phulchowki Hiking is one of the most Popular Hiking destinations around Kathmandu Valley. It is a slow and steady journey to the highest hill with an elevation of 2782m, surrounding the beautiful Kathmandu Valley. This is the best hiking to go on for the first time trekker to train themselves and take a break from their daily schedule and enjoy the peaceful panoramic Views.

Nagarjun Hill Hiking

Height: 2128m
Starting Point: Phulbari Gate, Bypass
Ending Point: Phulbari Gate, Bypass
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Best Season: All around the year
Location: Kathmandu

Nagarjun Hill hiking is one of the most popular hiking around Kathmandu Valley to the nearest hill. It is a journey of 5-6 hrs through the beautiful Forest Raniban (Queen Forest) to the popular viewpoint and religious place called Jamacho. Jamacho is an important religious site for both Hindus and Buddhists. People use to believe, the name of this hill was named after the sage Nagarjuna who used to meditate there.

Champadevi Hiking

Height: 2180m
Starting Point: Kathmandu
Ending Point: Puspalal Park
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Best Season: All around the year
Location: Kathmandu Valley

Champa Devi hiking is an easy and enjoyable day hike in the southern hill of Kathmandu valley. Champa Devi is in the elevation of 2180 meters above the sea level and is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Walking through the lush pine forest on well develop trail is really wonderful experience. Superb view of Langtang, Gauri Shankar, Jugal, Dorge Lakpa Himalayas are the major attraction of the hiking. Apart from it, we can observe the bustling Kathmandu city and spectacular village settlements from the top. Several return routes are possible. Aside from visiting the temples, you will get a wonderful opportunity to explore the countryside with authentic and traditional houses and local culture during the hiking. 

Pokhara: A Famous Place to Visit

Pokhara  is a metropolitan city  in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki province. It is the second most populous city  after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living in 101,669 households in 2021. It is the country’s largest metropolitan city in terms of area. The city also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District. Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. The city is on the shore of Phewa Lake, and sits at an elevation of approximately 822m. The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world—DhaulagiriAnnapurna I and Manaslu—is within 15–35 mi (24–56 km) of the valley.

Pokhara is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation  region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas.

Phewa Lake

Amazing Views of Phewa Lake

Lake Phewa, Fewa or Fewa Lake is the one and only lake in Pokhara and is quite magnificent. Lake Phewa is the main attraction in Pokhara as the city wraps around it grassy shores for as far as the eye can see and one of the best things to see in Pokhara. This lake is known for having reflections of the Himalaya upon its surface including the sacred peak of Machapuchare, and neighboring peaks such as Annapurna. It’s also one of the busiest places to visit in Pokhara and remains that way until sundown. Daily, thousands of pilgrims take colorful wooden boats to the Phewa Tal Temple situated a few hundred meters off-shore.

Mahendra Cave

Entrance Point of Mahendra Cave

Mahendra Cave is a large limestone cave, in which you’ll see a statue of the Hindu god, Shiva. 

The cave contains both stalactites and stalagmites, in some cases, due to their age, joining up to form interesting shapes which locals believe represent Hindu gods.

There is some lighting in the cave but you will be provided with torches and emergency lights as well.  Guides are available for a small fee if you need help getting to the exit.  Mahendra Cave is only about 10 minutes’ walk from the Bat Cave.

Sarangkot

Courageous Young Man on the Parachute

Sarangkot is known for its breathtaking and panoramic views of the Annapurna and the Dhaulagiri ranges, Pokhara Valley and the Phewa Lake. Located at an altitude of 1592 m on the north of Phewa Lake, you can see the panoramic views of the mountain ranges from the Sarangkot watchtower. You can also enjoy a beautiful sunrise from the Kaski fort.

If you have more time, then you can explore the nearby farming villages also. If you wish to stay somewhere near, there are a few guesthouses in the village just beneath the summit.

Entry Fees: NPR 200 to visit the tower.

Devis Falls

People observing the Devis fall

Located on the Siddhartha Highway about 2 km from Pokhara Airport, Devi’s Falls is one of the tourist attractions of Pokhara. The name is actually a corrupted form of Davis Falls following a sad legend following the place. It is said that a Swiss couple went swimming in the place. But Lady Davis was carried away by the strong and swift waters of the falls and lost her life.

The Pardi Khola River coming from Phewa Lake disappears underground, travelling for about 1 km before gushing out at the Devi’s Falls. This is quite a popular place for the locals.

Opening Time of Devi’s Falls: 5 AM to 7 PM daily

Entry Fees: NPR 30

How to reach: You can take a taxi from Hallan Chowk (will cost NPR 400 for a return trip). You can also visit the place by motorbike or bicycle. There are no direct local buses to the falls. You have to take a bus to Birauta Chowk and then take another bus towards Devi’s Falls. I think changing bus is quite a hassle for visiting the falls.

Daily sightseeing trips in Pokhara are run by most of the travel agents in Pokhara. If you wish to do a sightseeing trip to Pokhara, it is quite convenient to book seats on these trips. They will take you around a few of the attractions in Pokhara. They also have an English speaking guide who will explain the significance of the places you visit.

International Mountaineering Museum

Amazing view of International Mountaineering Museum

A top Pokhara attraction is visit the International Mountaineering Museum.As Nepal owns eight of the world’s highest peaks and is world reknown for trekking,  it seems fitting there is a museum dedicated to honor this history.  We arrived on National Everest Day (May 29),  celebrating the day Tenzing Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest in 1953. Due to the celebration, we got free admission and to see Kazi Sherpa, who set the Everest climbing speed at 20 hours 24 minutes.

The museum is a spacious  center full of historical, geological and mountain climbing artifacts.  You’ll find clothing from historical periods and kitchenette wear for sherpas. An interesting look into the dangerous and historical world of mountaineering.