Days

Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek

Name: Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek
Brand: Hiking In Himalaya
Price: 725 USD
Availability: InStock

Explore the quieter side of Kathmandu Valley on a scenic rim trek featuring Himalayan views, Shivapuri National Park, Nagarkot sunrise and sunset, traditional villages, Dhulikhel, Balthali and a mix of homestays and resorts.

Duration

8 Days

Trip Grade

Moderate

Country

Nepal

Explore the Scenic Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley is an incredible scenic place. Most visitors to Nepal sadly spend too little time in the Valley. Instead, they touch only on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites before heading off to Pokhara or Chitwan.

Hiking in Himalaya Travel and Trekking is quite pleased to be able to offer you a quieter side of the Kathmandu Valley with some of the most impressive views of the Mighty Himalayas.

Trek Around the Rim of Kathmandu Valley

This trek takes you on a tour of the rim of the Kathmandu Valley. Here you will explore parts of the beautiful Shivapuri National Park.

Climb to the top of Nagarkot Hill to enjoy an amazing sunset and then a morning sunrise over the lofty peaks to the north.

Villages, Culture and Himalayan Views

Pass through quaint villages, including the closest Gurung village to Kathmandu with its amazing hospitality.

Look at the mountain peaks from the city of Dhulikhel and enjoy the splendid comfort of the Balthali Resort.

A Unique Mix of Homestays and Resorts

The Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek proves that you don’t have to go to the far remote places of Nepal to truly enjoy great views along with amazing culture.

This trek will feature both home stays as well as resorts, so your accommodations and food will definitely display an interesting variety that will keep the Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek always interesting.

Experience the Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek

Hiking in Himalaya Travel and Trekking Nepal is pleased to be one of the very few trekking and travel companies that can offer you this amazing trek right here on the rim of the beautiful Kathmandu Valley.

Short Itinerary

Day 01

DAY 1 – DRIVE TO KAKANI (elev. 2030 m/6660 ft.) TREK TO SURACHAUR

Max. Altitude

2,030m

Day 02

DAY 2 – TREK TO SIKRE VILLAGE (elev. 1475 m/4,839 ft.)

Max. Altitude

1,475m

Day 03

SIKRE VILLAGE (elev. 1475 m/4,839 ft.) Excursion day

Max. Altitude

1,475m

Day 04

TREK TO HAIBUNG (elev. 2165 m/7,103 ft.)

Max. Altitude

2,165m

Day 05

TREK TO NAGARKOT (elev. 2195 m/7,201 ft.)

Max. Altitude

2,195m

Day 06

TREK TO DHULIKHEL (elev. 1550 m/5,085 ft.)

Max. Altitude

1,550m

Day 07

TREK TO BALTHALI MOUNTAIN RESORT (elev 1507 m/4,994 ft.)

Max. Altitude

1,507m

Day 08

TREK TO GODAWARI, RETURN TO KATHMANDU

Max. Altitude

1,473m

Altitude Chart

Kathmandu Valley Rim Trek Detailed Itinerary

01Day

DAY 1 – DRIVE TO KAKANI (elev. 2030 m/6660 ft.) TREK TO SURACHAUR

The first day begins early as you leave your hotel by private vehicle along with your guide fromHiking in Himalaya. It’s about 1 ½ hours northwest of Kathmandu to our starting point, the village of Kakani. The road winds up the switchbacks, past waterfalls and scenic views. From on top of Kakani will reveal the panorama of the beautiful Himalayas. The trek begins here at this lovely little village. We will enter parts of Shivapuri National Park, which is an amazing wilderness that’s so close to Nepal’s capital city. Today will be a short day as we make our way to the village of Surachaur where we will enjoy a local homestay. Trekking time is around 3 hours.

Max Altitude: 2,030m / 6,660ftDuration: 3Distance: 9

Meals: Lunch/Dinner /BreakfastAccommodation: LodgeMode of Travel: car /jeep /buss

02Day

DAY 2 – TREK TO SIKRE VILLAGE (elev. 1475 m/4,839 ft.)

Our journey today will take us to the tiny little village of Sikre with its wonderful views of the Langtang Range. Sikre is the closest Gurung Village to Kathmandu. The Gurung people were the backbone of the Gurkha soldiers of the British Army whose units earned more Victoria Crosses than any other British Army unit. Today’s journey will take us through the jungles of Shivapuri National Park where there will be great views of the Himalayas to the north. Shivapuri is a rugged park with plenty of wildlife including Himalayan bear and leopards. We will leave the park, passing more wildflowers and waterfalls along the way. We start to enter quaint little villages that rarely see foreign travelers.

Sikre is a farming community, and you will find no village that has nicer hospitality. Following the 2015 earthquake, the people here would not allow trucks to unload food and badly needed supplies until the villagers could prepare and serve tea! Even though it had been a month since the earthquake and the people were sifting dirt for rice in the rubble, the hospitality of these wonderful Gurung people never wavered. You will enjoy a wonderful night of hospitality. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.

Max Altitude: 1,475m / 4,839ftDuration: 6Distance: 19

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch /DinnerAccommodation: Home stayMode of Travel: Trek

03Day

SIKRE VILLAGE (elev. 1475 m/4,839 ft.) Excursion day

Option: Many people are so impressed with Sikre that they choose to spend another night. If you do, you can day some day hikes to neighboring villages plus explore local farms. Of course, you will have a chance to sample local roxy (locally distilled wine) that sometimes the locals love to serve you in bottomless cups.

Max Altitude: 1,475m / 4,839ftDuration: 2Distance: 6

Meals: Breakfast/lunch/DinnerAccommodation: HomestayMode of Travel: Excursion day

04Day

TREK TO HAIBUNG (elev. 2165 m/7,103 ft.)

Today’s destination is near the village of Haibung near Chisapani, which was the traditional starting point for treks into the High Himalayas. Chisapani offers more great views of the Himalayas to the north while cold water flows in abundance in the area (the name chisapani is Nepali for cold water.) Haiburg is also a Gurung village and we will enjoy additional hospitality there. On the way, we pass by schools, farms and small villages as we continue to gain in elevation. We are outside of Shivapuri National Park, but still very close. This day is a great day to observe the traditional ways of doing Nepali agriculture on terraced farms. We will stay tonight in a local homestay. Trekking time is around six hours.

Max Altitude: 2,165m / 7,103ftDuration: 6Distance: 18

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/DinnerAccommodation: HomestayMode of Travel: Trek

05Day

TREK TO NAGARKOT (elev. 2195 m/7,201 ft.)

Our destination is one of the most popular places in all of the Kathmandu Valley. Here in Bhaktapur District, Nagarkot is considered to be the most beautiful point on the Valley Rim to see awesome sunsets and sunrises over the mighty Himalayas. From on top of Nagarkot Hill you can see all the way from Mt. Everest in the east to the Annapurna Mountains in the west as well as all of the snowcapped peaks in between. The first half of the journey will take us back into Shivapuri National Park as we wander through its jungles. Around lunch time, we descend into a valley and pass through some larger villages before starting the climb upwards to Nagarkot. We arrive to check into our hotel. There are many hotels of various qualities on Nagarkot Hill, and we will pick one that is of three star quality. Here we will enjoy first watching a sunset over the Himalayas. After that, enjoy a good meal and a hot bath before turning in for the night. Trekking time is around 6 – 7 hours, so we will want to get an early start so we can enjoy the sunset at Nagarkot.

Max Altitude: 2,195m / 7,201ftDuration: 7Distance: 21

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/DinnerAccommodation: HotelMode of Travel: Trek

06Day

TREK TO DHULIKHEL (elev. 1550 m/5,085 ft.)

The morning begins early as we rise before the sun to make our way to the lookout point to observe a beautiful sunrise over the Himalayas. Sunrises are always so special as you stand there watching the mighty peaks turn from grey to orange and finally a brilliant white as the effulgent sun rises supremely in the eastern Himalayan skies.Following sunrise comes breakfast, and then we’re off to our next place – the city of Dhulikhel. Dhulikhel is toward the southeast and stands on a high hill that is known for its amazing views of the mountains. The old part of the city is really a Newari village with narrow flagstone streets and a beautiful temple complex. Outside of Dhulikhel is a hidden temple in a deep, narrow valley that is definitely worth visiting. In Dhulikhel we will stay at a three star quality hotel for the night. Trekking time from Nagarkot Hill to Dhulikhel is around six hours and will feature incredible views along the way.

Max Altitude: 1,550m / 5,085ftDuration: 6Distance: 18

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch? DinnerAccommodation: HotelMode of Travel: Trek

07Day

TREK TO BALTHALI MOUNTAIN RESORT (elev 1507 m/4,994 ft.)

Our trek today takes us to the luxurious setting of Balthali Mountain Resort. Located on a high hill on the southeastern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, you won’t believe that you are so near Kathmandu when you gaze on the green valley below with its beautiful little villages and farmland. Balthali Resort is known for its eco-tourism as its owners work to empower the local people in responsible tourism for community development. From its hilltop location, it is in the shadow of the Mahabharat Range. The resort is also known for magnificent sunrises, and you can see Mt. Everest in the east from here. Balthali Mountain Resort is small, but filled with full amenities. It has great food, Wi-Fi, spacious rooms with attached bath and modern day facilities. The trek to Balthali Mountain Resort is also quite pleasant as we can look eastward toward the highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest. Trekking time is around 4 hours, which will give you plenty of time to enjoy all that Balthali Mountain Resort has to offer.

Max Altitude: 1,507m / 4,944ftDuration: 5Distance: 15

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/DinnerAccommodation: ResortMode of Travel: Trek

08Day

TREK TO GODAWARI, RETURN TO KATHMANDU

Today is our final day of trekking. We leave Balthali Mountain Resort and make our way now to the southern part of the Kathmandu Valley to the village of Godawari. This area is very popular with birders as there are an amazing variety of birds here at the base of Mt. Fulchoki. Godawari is known for the Godavari Botanical Gardens which covers many acres with beautiful variety of plants and flowers. The trek takes around 7 – 8 hours. At Godawari, we will find our private vehicle waiting for us to return us to our hotel in Kathmandu.

Max Altitude: 1,473m / 4,832ftDuration: 8Distance: 23

Accommodation: HotelMode of Travel: Trek

Still Confuse?

No worries. Our team is ready to guide you every step of the way.

Customize Trip

Cost Details

Includes

Entrance Fee to Shivapuri National Park
All meals on the trek (except at Dhulikhel and Nagarkot where you can order on your
own off the menus)
All lodging along the trek.
English Speaking Guide One porter for every two trekkers.
All local transportation.

Excludes

Alcoholic beverages
Bottled water
Soft drinks
Dinner in Nagarkot and Dhulikhel

Tips