1. Hike Nagarkot-Changu Narayan Temple
We take a one-hour drive early in the morning to Nagarkot located 32 km east of Kathmandu Valley at an altitude of 2100m. Locals believe it to be one of the best places to watch the morning sun as it caresses Mt. Everest and the ever-soaring Himalayas. We then descend further and pass through beautiful villages with locally-built stone houses painted with ochre. After walking for 3-4 hours, we reach the Changu Narayan Temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, where we are greeted by idols over 1000-years-old.
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2. Hike in Shivapuri Hills
We drive to the Shivapuri Hill located 9 km north of Kathmandu. The 2-3 hours hike begins with a visit to the Narayanthan Temple where you will be greeted by a big statue of Lord Vishnu resting atop a bed of serpents. We also pass through Shivapuri Conservation area and visit the Nagi Gumba, a Buddhist monastery for nuns, and upon reaching the top of the hill we get to witness the picturesque view of snow-capped Himalayas surrounding the valley. Next, we hike downhill for about 2 hours and reach the Kopan Monastery, a Tibetan-styled monastery established in 1975.
