Photo by PTtravelphoto/Shutterstock
5 Incredible Day Trips to Take from Kathmandu
With much of the country snaking across the magnificent Himalayas, you'll find beautiful scenic vistas are abundant in Nepal. While you could spend months exploring everything the country has to offer, the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding area offers plenty of trips and spots to spend the day at an easy journey from the capital. Here are some of the best.
table of contents
[x] close
5 Incredible Day Trips to Take from Kathmandu
Bhaktapur
Photo by Hakat/Shutterstock
One of the three ancient cities found around the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is full of beautiful traditional buildings and historic structures. Once the capital of the Greater Malla Kingdom, Bhaktapur was built in the 12th century and feels a world away from the busy streets of Kathmandu.
The ancient city however is just 12 kilometers from Kathmandu, an easy taxi ride away from the capital. Since it's so close, make sure to head to Changu Narayan Temple as well, further north from the old city to complete a day trip here.
Nagarkot
Photo by tbbstudio/Shutterstock
Located up in the mountains surrounding Kathmandu, Nagarkot offers stunning views over the rows of mountains that seem to continue onward endlessly. It's a famous location for viewing the sunrise as the sunlight gleams off the Himalayas, but can also be done as a day trip from the capital as well. For those with a little more time, the village is along the Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail, which usually takes a few days of exploring the surroundings of Kathmandu. For those that do decide they want a glimpse of the iconic morning view, there are plenty of hotels and resorts to stay at here.
Kopan Monastery
This picturesque Buddhist monastery sits on a hill to the north of Kathmandu, from the top you'll get gorgeous views out across the valley. The draw of this monastery however is its openness to teaching everyone about Buddhism. Kopan offers various courses for foreigners to study meditation with some even lasting up to a month for those who want the full experience. The monastery isn't actually far from the city and can be explored in about half a day from Kathmandu, however you'll need a longer stay if you want to take a course there.
Everest Flight (Buddha Air)
Going on a trek to see the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest is a journey of a lifetime. However for those without a week or so to spare, or are not quite up to the task, it's still possible to see the iconic peak. Buddha Air provides an hour flight taking off from Kathmandu that circles around the Himalayas, giving passengers close up views of Everest from the air. At 200 dollars per person, it's not too expensive and well worth the price for the incredible experience you get. Luckily all the seats in the small plane are next to the window here, so you won't need to worry about leaning over other passengers to get a view.
Dhulikhel
Photo by KeithW/Shutterstock
About two hours from Kathmandu, Dhulikhel is a Newari town with stunning views across towards the Himalayas. The town itself is picturesque, with a number of temples such as Narayan Temple along with the beautiful vistas over the surrounding scenery from the town's hillside location. While here make sure to check out the nearby town of Panauti which is just as lovely.
If you have enough time, consider combining a day trip to Dhulikhel with the Namobuddha Monastery, around an hour's drive south of the town.
Conclusion
Kathmandu is surrounded by a wealth of amazing places from historical ancient cities and temples to incredible mountain hikes and villages to explore. The devastating earthquake in 2015 destroyed thousands of buildings across the country, including many historic landmarks around Kathmandu. Fortunately now most of these have been restored and returned to their former glory.
