Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and a starting point for many foreigners starting their trips. It’s a busy bustling city with lots of shops, cafes and travel agents ready to prepare you for a trek in the Himalayas. If you’re after something a bit more peaceful, or wanting to prepare your legs for a tough hike coming up, we have picked the best day hikes around Kathmandu to do just that.
We experienced this hikes when preparing for the Everest Base Camp Trek and they helped tremendously. With the Kathmandu Valley having higher elevations to the UK, these treks where perfect to get us more prepared. These are our top four day hikes around Kathmandu, which range from an hour to a full days hike!
Make sure to check the weather conditions before you hike as the climate can change very quickly in Nepal. Always take water and wear appropriate footwear.
1 – Chandragiri Hills Hike
Highest Elevation: 2,560m
Difficulty: Moderately Difficult (Very steep steps for majority of hike)
Time It Takes: 2.5/3 hours up
This hike is at the beautiful Chandragiri hills which are just outside of Kathmandu city. You can get a local bus to the town of Thankot and start from there. If you ask someone to point you in the direction of the cable car you will be able to find it with ease.
At the bottom of the hill this is where most people get the cable car from. It takes about 25mins each way and costs $13 for one way or $22 for a return trip. There is also a shop, toilets and a local bus / taxi stop.
The beginning of the trail is a path below the start of the cable car and through a car park. (Not signposted so ask at reception if unsure). It doesn’t look like much but you can start to see the trail lead up into the forest above. In some parts it’s very steep, slippy and there’s lots of foliage/rocks, all without a rail or safety precautions in place. I would not recommend doing this hike in rain as it would become extremely hard due to the trail conditions.
Most of the trail is steep steps. There are some patches of longer flatter terrain higher up, which then turn into more steps, so make sure to wear good shoes. The trail is easy enough to follow and you can see the cable car above you most of the way. People were shouting that we were crazy for hiking up when they seen us below!
I would say this definitely helped us prepare for some parts of the Everest Base Camp Trek as you will be doing similar elevation at this steepness on the trail for the same amount of time.
Once at the top, there is a zipline, shops, restaurant and a beautiful viewpoint of the Himalayas and even Mount Everest! (If the weather is nice). We got the cable car back down after some lunch and got the local bus back into Kathmandu centre. You can hike back down, however, due to the steepness we decided against this.
For all information on finding the hills and the cable car, see their website here.
2 – Single Tree Hill & Love Swing
Difficulty: Easy (Perfect for beginners)
Time It Takes: 1 hour (from Swoyambhu Mahachaitya)
A very well hidden secret in the Kathmandu Valley is the Single Tree Hill! Once you reach the top you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the city and the valleys beyond! (Make sure to go early to get the best clear views) If you like a little thrill, you can also have a go on the ‘Love Swing’. A super fast swing that takes you out over the edge of the cliff!
We started this walk from the centre of Thamel and stopped at lots of places along the way. If you only have a small amount of time, then you can start at many points closer to it. The viewpoint is located on google maps as ‘Single Tree’. It is on the outskirts of the ‘Sitapaila’ district, not too far away from the famous Monkey Temple, Swoyambhu Mahachaitya. It would take about 45min – 1 hour walk to reach the viewpoint from this temple.
The route is along roads, side streets and small paths through the local houses. You will get to see locals going about their daily lives and most asked where we were going as they don’t often see tourists going that way.
The roads get slightly steep towards the end of the walk but nothing extremely difficult. Once near the viewpoint there are signs for the single tree and the cafe/bar that is next to it. You will see a small staircase in the wall which is the way to the top!
Once you are there you can enjoy views, get a drink/lunch and have a go on the swing! The food was very tasty and cheap and they had live music playing outside which was great. The swing cost NPR 500 (£3), and they even took lots of photos and videos for us too. You can take the same route back down or flag down a tuk-tuk to take you back to the centre.
Go for sunrise or sunset if you can as the views are amazing from both sides of the hill!
3 – Godawari to Phulchowki Hill Hike
Highest Elevation: 2,791m
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Time it took: 3/4 hours up (approx 7 hours round trip)
One of the slightly longer day hikes around Kathmandu is the trail to the top of Phulchowki. This point is the highest point in the Kathmandu Valley and has amazing views of the forests around, the city below and on a clear day the Himalayas in the background. If you are into bird watching and admiring rare flowers then this is the best hike for you!
From Kathmandu, you can get a local bus to Godawari Bus Stop or it’s about an hours drive in a car from Thamel. Once you have reached Godawari, there is a short walk to the start of the trail where you have to pay NPR 100 pp for entrance. You will see the trail straight ahead.
You will walk through lush forests and see the amazing flowers and animals that live around the area. There is also a temple on the hill if you want to have a quick break from walking. The trek is slightly steep at some parts, but overall a steady incline towards the top. Expect flower blooms during summer months and snow on the hill during winter time. So make sure to pack a bag accordingly!
This trail gets quite busy sometimes, so if you want to beat the crowds head there early. There are lots of tour groups that will take you around the hill if you prefer a larger group too. I would recommend taking a pack lunch, snacks and water as there are no shops/restaurants on the trail itself.
4 – Kakani View Point
Highest Elevation: 2,070m
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Time it took: 4/5 hours round trip
This stunning trail will give you views of the Langtang Ranges, Manaslu, Ganesh Himalayas and Annapurna, along with other smaller mountains.
Kakani is in the northwest of Kathmandu, taking about an hour or so via car to reach the starting point of the hike. You can also get a bus to Kakani, however, it might take a bit longer with traffic out of the city. You can start the trail at Kakani Bus Park. The trail takes you through the small villages, forests and green paddy fields! On a clear day there is so much to see and you can look into the daily lives of local Nepalese.
The trail itself is very easy to follow and is easy underfoot. Mostly gravel paths leading upwards on a slight incline make it an easy/average hike to complete. There are plenty of benches and spots for a breather if you need a rest too. Take some snacks and enjoy the views from half way up the hill!
Once you have reached the top of Kakani Hill, you can take in the breathtaking views of the valley surrounding you. There is also a restaurant at the top where you can relax and enjoy some local caught trout fish.
Other Day Hikes Around Kathmandu
There are many other day hikes around Kathmandu, however, out of the ones we did, these were the best ones to prepare for EBC. Some day treks are quite far out from the city, so make so to plan your travel times well, especially if you are getting a bus.
