The Kathmandu Valley Trek is one of the most underrated treks in Nepal. For some reason, everyone thinks you have to be above an altitude of 3,000m or 10,000ft in order to be doing a proper trek within the country. The problem is that there’s a small window for trekking season in Nepal, plus trekking at altitude is no easy feat. You have to account for altitude sickness, trekking insurance, and living off the grid without many comforts from home. Trekking in the Kathmandu Valley is a great way to avoid a lot of the major problems people experience while trekking.
First, the Kathmandu Valley Trek can be broken down to fit a myriad of different schedules from a one-day hike to a 7-day trek. You can take a bus to or from almost every single point on the trek with the exception of Balthali. You’ll never exceed an elevation of 2,000m (6,500 ft), so altitude sickness is not a concern. Although everyone should consider getting travel insurance, it isn’t necessary on this trek since it’s highly unlikely that you would need a helicopter rescue. And best of all, you can do this trek most months of the year since it doesn’t generally snow at this altitude.
If you’re only in Nepal for a week, it’s a great way to take in the culture of village life, get views of the Himalaya from afar, and enjoy amazing Nepali food. It’s perfect for beginners or those who don’t want to go too far out of their comfort zone. The entire trek can also be done in a luxury fashion as some of the nicest hotels in Nepal can be found on this route. On top of all of that, it’s one of the least visited tourist trails, so you won’t be swarmed by other tourists all walking in a line from point A to point B.
Kathmandu Valley Trekking Itinerary – 7 Days
I’d highly recommend the 7 day trek if you have the time. My favorite stops along the way were Bhaktapur, Dhulikhel, and Panauti which is the start, middle, and end of the trek. Not being able to see one of these would be a shame. The best part of the trekking route is between Namo Buddha and Balthali since it’s the least developed areas. I’ve written separate blog posts with in-depth directions and village guides. I’ll link to them below to prevent this post from being 1,000 pages long.
Please note: The map above is to give an idea of the routes. While I tried my best to make it as accurate as possible, a lot of trails were missing on the map. I suggest everyone download the maps.me app on their phone or hire a guide as parts of the trek are confusing.
Day 1 – Kathmandu to Bhaktapur by Bus
You can take a local bus from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur for less than $1.00 USD. If you prefer, you can also hire a private car to take you. I recommend leaving right after breakfast so that you have time to explore the city. Bhaktapur is my favorite major city in Nepal. It’s full of history and culture. We actually extended our trip to spend 4 days and 3 nights in Bhaktapur, and it was amazing.
Bus Time: 2 Hours
Budget Hotel in Bhaktapur: Nyatapola Guest House ($12 USD per couple)
Comfort Hotel in Bhaktapur: Peacock Guest House ($50 USD per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Bhaktapur: Hotel Heritage ($186 USD per couple)
Day 2 – Bhaktapur to Changu Narayan to Nagarkot Hike
Day 2 of the trek is a long one. There are several routes for Nagarkot from Bhaktapur, but we chose a longer one in order to see the oldest standing temple in Nepal. Changu Narayan Temple and the small village around it are worth going out-of-the-way for if you don’t mind adding two hours to the walk. If you’d like to keep it short, you can take the more direct route to Nagarkot, however that route is not as scenic or off-the-beaten-path.
Walking Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7.5 hours including lunch break, tea break, and sightseeing in Changu Narayan
Budget Hotel in Nagarkot: Everest Manla Resort ($31 USD per couple)
Comfort Hotel in Nagarkot: Peaceful Cottage & Café du Monte ($50 USD per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Nagarkot: Hotel Mystic Mountain ($180 USD per couple)
Hiking Directions from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot
Changu Narayan Village Guide & Photography
Nagarkot Village Guide & Photography
Day 3 – Nagarkot to Dhulikhel Hike
The trek from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel is also fairly long, but it was one of my favorite days of the hike. I trekked this route in January, and at the time, most of the farms were growing mustard. Hence, I’ve deemed this the “Mustard Hike.” Frankly, I never knew how mustard was grown, but mustard flowers are now one of my favorite plants. They brighten up the hills in the winter and make for great photos.
Walking Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours with lunch break and tea breaks
Budget Hotel in Dhulikhel: Tashidelek Guest Lodge & House($16 USD per couple)
Comfort Hotel in Dhulikhel: Gaia Holiday Home($45 USD per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Dhulikhel: Dwarika’s Resort ($485 per couple)
Hiking Directions from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel Village Guide & Photography
Day 4 – Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha Hike
This is a really short day of hiking which follows a somewhat quiet road. Although this part of the hike isn’t very off-the-beaten-path, Dhulikhel has some of the best views of the Himalaya, and Namo Buddha is a great way to see where novice monks train and go to school. These were two of my favorite places to explore simply because there was so much to see in each location.
Walking Time: 2.5 hours
Total Time: 3 hours with a tea break
Budget Hotel: Namo Buddha Old Guesthouse ($15 USD per person including breakfast and dinner). Email [email protected] for bookings
Comfort Hotel: Namo Buddha New Guesthouse ($30 USD per person including breakfast and dinner). Email [email protected] for bookings
Luxury Hotel: NamoBuddha Resort ($113 USD per couple)
Hiking Directions from Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha
Namo Buddha Monastery Guide & Photography
Day 5 – Namo Buddha to Balthali Hike
The hike from Namo Buddha to Balthali was one of my favorite hikes of the whole trip. This path is a real trekking route that goes down into river valleys and over hills. It’s mostly used by locals, and rarely trekked by tourists. You get to walk through prayer flags, orange farms, and giant fields run by entire communities. I’d consider it one of the most beautiful trekking routes in the entire Kathmandu Valley.
Walking Time: 3.5 hours
Total Time: 4.5 hours with a lunch and tea break
Budget Hotel in Balthali: Balthali Homestay ($25 USD per couple)
Comfort Hotel in Balthali: Balthali Eco Hill Resort ($40 USD per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Balthali: Balthali Village Resort ($68 USD per couple), or Balthali Mountain Resort ($72 USD per couple)
Hiking Directions from Namo Buddha to Balthali
Balthali Village Guide & Photography
Day 6 – Balthali to Panauti Hike
The hike from Balthali to Panauti starts out lovely, but soon turns into a dusty road. We went in the winter when the fields are brown, but I’m told it’s lovely in the spring. You can see fields in every direction, and when they’re filled with vegetables, it must be stunning. A lot of people skip this section to take transportation back to Kathmandu. I’d recommend taking a bus from Khopasi to Panauti if you want to skip the dusty road.
Walking Time: 2.5 hours
Total Time: 3.5 hours including a lunch break
Budget Hotel in Panauti: Hotel Panauti ($13 per couple)
Comfort Hotel in Panauti: Panauti Community Homestay ($50 per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Panauti: Matan Chhen ($90 per couple)
Hiking Directions from Balthali to Panauti
Panauti Village Guide & Photography
Day 7 – Panauti to Kathmandu by Bus
Panauti turned out to be my favorite small city in Nepal. I love the culture and heritage of this sleepy town. Down every corner is something interesting to see, and I only ran into one other tourist when I was there. I loved the people here and the animals which were everywhere. It had really amazing vibes, so I hope to go back soon. The bus ride from here is a little uncomfortable as it’s a crowded local bus. It only costs $1.00 USD, but you may want to hire a car if you prefer to travel comfortably.
Bus Time: 3 hours
Budget Hotel in Kathmandu: Hostel Milarepa ($6 per person in dorms)
Comfort Hotel in Kathmandu: Thorong Peak Guest House ($30 per couple)
Luxury Hotel in Kathmandu: The Dwarika’s ($350 per couple)
Kathmandu Valley Trekking Itinerary – 5 Days
If you don’t have an entire week to dedicate to this trek, then you can make it work as a five-day trek as well. Personally, I found Nagarkot underwhelming. The views in Dhulikhel were equally as good, if not better, and the town had charm and personality. I found Nagarkot to be a tourist destination with very little local influence. You can follow the same information located above, but skip the first two days of the trek.
Day 1 – Kathmandu to Dhulikhel by Bus
Day 2 – Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha Hike
Day 3 – Namo Buddha to Balthali Hike
Day 4 – Balthali to Panauti Hike
Day 5 – Panauti to Kathmandu by Bus
Kathmandu Valley Trekking Itinerary – 3 Days
If you’re on a time crunch, you can make the trek into a three-day hike. I’d recommend going straight to Dhulikhel to get amazing views of the Himalaya and then experience a night at Namo Buddha Monastery living like a monk. That way you get the best views and a lot of culture. This route is extremely easy and is perfect for beginners.
Day 1 – Kathmandu to Dhulikhel by Bus
Day 2 – Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha Hike
Day 3 – Namo Buddha to Kathmandu by Bus
…or you can start in Bhaktapur (my favorite big city) and hike up to Nagarkot to see views of the Himalaya. This is a more popular route, but it’s also a more interesting walk if you want something a little more challenging.
Day 1 – Kathmandu to Bhaktapur by Bus
Day 2 – Bhaktapur to Nagarkot Hike
Day 3 – Nagarkot to Kathmandu by Bus
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Michelle Della Giovanna
Writer at Full Time Explorer
I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.
Hi, What a wonderful trip! Do you think this is something children could manage? Also, do you have a guide you could recommend for this trip?
Hey Belinda! I think kids could definitely do the trip. I would recommend skipping Changu Narayan and going directly to Nagarkot as that day was a little long and difficult. The other days were much easier. [email protected] can set up the trek for you 🙂 they’re great
Hi!
Thanks so much for sharing this. I have just finished this trek by myself and your information really helped me so much!
I’ve done the trek in four days by walking the last two days in one, which was fine.
My highlight was staying in the monastery guesthouse in Namo Buddha and attending the monks prayers. Very fascinating!
Thank you so much for sharing Jo! I’m so happy you enjoyed the trek as much as I did! Listening to the monks chanting is so beautiful. I hope you enjoy the rest of your journey in Nepal 🙂