Best Hiking Trails around Kathmandu Valley

06/Jan/2026

Looking for a trail to burn some calories and sweat it out in a day around the Kathmandu Valley? If yes, then look no further than this blog. Today’s blog is about the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley. Note down that the Kathmandu Valley has three districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, & Bhaktapur) and it is surrounded by the green lush forests hills. Therefore, there are few trails where you can go and repose from the drabness of the city life. Escape from the chaos of city at least for few hours by hiking around the valley.

Where to hike in Kathmandu?

Do not worry about the possibilities of hiking around in the Kathmandu Valley. The presence of forested hills and sub – urban towns in the valley have paved way for an amazing walking opportunities. Hikers can enjoy walking in the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley as far as Dhulikhel and the Chisapani village which is located in the Langtang Trek region. Naturally, some hiking trails are connected with the famous Langtang Trek trails like the Tamang Heritage Trail Trek, the Chisapani Nagarkot Trek, and the Langtang Valley Trek. So, you don’t need to worry about finding the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley.

Best Hiking Trails around Kathmandu Valley

Let’s know in brief about various best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley.

Shivapuri Hike

The most iconic one and the longest hiking trail in the list of the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley is the Shivapuri Hike. It traverses through the source of the Bagmati River (Bagdwar) and heads towards the famous vantage point near Bhaktapur, the Nagarkot Hill along the way. Hikers can also do the bird watching tour in this hiking trail. Gear up for 6 to 8 hours of hiking in the trail that passes through green lush forests and diverse wildlife areas.

Chandragiri Hike

The most sophisticated hike to do in Kathmandu is the Chandragiri Hike. You can start the hike from multiple places like Kirtipur, Thankot Matatirtha, Cable Car station, and Naagdhunga. Most of the hikers choose to hike uphill to Chandragiri and return back from cable car. The sight of the mountains from Annapurna, Everest, and Langtang region can make this hike the most momentous one. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete the hike.

Tarakeshwor Temple Hike

The shortest yet vibrant hiking trail near Thamel is the Tarakeshwor Temple Hike and Jamacho Hike. Hikers visit the wonderful Bhubaneshwori Temple before entering the national park forests to the Tarakeshwor Temple. The significance of this temple is very high as it is one of the Shakti Peeth where Shiva temple is formed from the remains of the goddess Satidevi.

Kalu Pandey Hill Hike

Well, if you are looking for 1 to 2 hours of short hike, then the Kalu Pandey Hill Hike starting either from Sitapaila Nursery Chowk or Thankot is an ideal choice. The place is iconic because of the statue of Kalu Pandey who is one of the leading figures behind the unification of Nepal. The hill is opposite of the Chandragiri Hill and offers breathtaking scenery of mountains from Langtang and Annapurna Himalayan range.

Jamacho Hike

As mentioned above, the Jamacho Hike is nearby the famous marketplace of Thamel. The trail head of the Jamacho hike is just about 3 kilometers from Thamel and you can do this hike in about 3 to 4 hours including return hike.

Phulchowki Hill Hike

The highest altitude trail in the list of the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley is the Phulchowki Hill Hike. It is in the Lalitpur district of Nepal. If it is in the winter season, then there is high possibility of snowfall in this hiking trail.

Suryachaur Kakani Hike

The most scenic route to hike around the Kathmandu Valley is the Suryachaur Kakani Hike. You have to drive to the Gurje Bhanjyang and start the hike through green lush forests and terraced farmlands all the way to Suryachaur. The sight of the cascading hills, mountains, and valleys looks spectacular on this hiking route. Note down that you can also do the cycling tour in this route.

Sundarijal Chisapani Hike

The longer hiking trip in this section requires you to spend at least one night doing the Chisapani Nagarkot Trek. This is the best short trekking route of the Langtang region Nepal. However, the day hike starts from Sundarijal and reaches up to Chisapani Village and returns back to Sundarijal via Dhap Dam Lake formed artificially to clean the Bagmati River. This is also one of the scenic best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley.

Dhulikhel Nagarkot Hike

Travel through the Tamang and Newari villages while doing the Dhulikhel Nagarkot Hike. You have to drive to Dhulikhel which is in Kavrepalanchowk district near the Bhaktapur district of the Kathmandu Valley and you have to walk through the road and off the beaten trail through terraced farmlands. For your information, the Dhulikhel Nagarkot Hike is best when you choose the 1 night 2 days trek instead of hike.

Nagarkot Changunarayan Temple Hike

If you book the Nagarkot Changunarayan Temple Hike, then the hikers can relish the time inside one of the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE sites of Nepal. The Changunarayan temple represents the golden era of Lichhavi dynasty here in Nepal. Besides, hikers can also explore the Newari traditions and cultures.

Top 5 weekend treks to do in Nepal

Well, besides the best hiking trails around Kathmandu Valley, there are few weekend treks that you can do in less than 3 to 4 days in Nepal. Here is the list of the top 5 weekend treks to do in Nepal.