Nagarkot Sunrise/Sunset Tour

Nagarkot, a scenic hill station located near Kathmandu at an elevation of 2175m above the sea level in Nepal, is renowned for its spectacular sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas. Nagarkot is 27.8 km away from Kathmandu. The most popular destination for sunrise/sunset and mountain views including Mt. Everest near Kathmandu is Nagarkot. 

Sunset Experience:

Timing: Arrive at your chosen sunset viewpoint well before dusk to secure a good spot and witness the gradual transformation of colors as the sun sets on the Himalayas. check the time for sunset, wait for it till it is beautifully reflected on the Himalayas. The sunset time is between 6-7 pm. After sunset view, you can stay overnight in Nagarkot or can drive back to Kathmandu. 

 Nagarkot View Points: Nagarkot offers several viewpoints for watching the sunset, including the Nagarkot View Tower, and various hotels with rooftop terraces. Those who have terraces and rooftops with their hotels, they don't really require going/walking up to Nagarkot View Station for sunrise and sunset with mountain views.  The real Nagarkot Viewpoint Tower is very difficult to climb. 

Weather: clear skies are ideal for sunset viewing. Check the weather forecast and plan your visit accordingly. After the sunset, consider exploring the streets of Nagarkot. In clear weather, one can view and capture astonishing starry night with cool breeze from your hotel's rooftops. 

Sunrise Experience:

wake up Early: Plan to wake up before dawn to witness the breathtaking sunrise over the Himalayas. Check the sunrise time for your visit date to ensure you arrive at the viewpoint in time.

Viewing Point: Head to one of the designated viewpoints in Nagarkot, such as the Nagarkot View Tower or your hotel's rooftop terrace, to enjoy unobstructed views of the sunrise.

Weather: Keep an eye on the weather forecast, as clear skies are essential for optimal sunrise viewing.

Mountain Views: Everest, Langtang Mountain Range, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and Dorje Lakpa. 

Camera: Bring your camera or smartphone to capture stunning photographs of the sunrise as it illuminates the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

Clothing: Mornings in Nagarkot can be chilly, especially before sunrise. Dress warmly in layers to stay comfortable during the early morning hours if you are doing this tour in winter. In other seasons: Autumn, Summer and Spring, it is not necessary to bring multi layers jacket with you. The weather is as cool as in Kathmandu in Nagarkot. 

Accommodation: staying overnight in Nagarkot to fully experience both the sunrise and sunset. There are various hotels, resorts, and guesthouses offering comfortable accommodations with stunning mountain views.

Transportation: Nagarkot is easily accessible from Kathmandu by road, with a travel time of approximately 1-2 hours depending on traffic conditions. Haven Holidays team Manage private vehicles for transportation. It's 27 km drive from central Kathmandu via Bhaktapur, Changunarayan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The tranquility of nature and appreciate the beauty of the Himalayas as you witness both the sunrise and sunset in Nagarkot. Experiencing the sunrise and sunset in Nagarkot is a magical and unforgettable journey.

Changunarayan-Nagarkot Hiking or in a reverse way:  If you plan doing Nagarkot Hiking from Changunarayan, you require comfortable hiking shoes, enough water, hat, sunglasses, anti-mosquito cream, trekking poles if necessary, some lights snacks including chocolates, rain coat( if you are travelling in the months of June, July and August) Leech-preventive socks in the rainy season, multi- layers jacket and long sleeve shirts and sleeping bag if you are travelling in winter months ( Dec-Feb). 

Hire a professional trekking/tour guide for your Changunarayan - Nagarkot Hiking . If you are with your guide during the Nagarkot Day Hiking, you can a lots of benefits about local culture, lifestyle of the local people, names of the mountain summits, local authentic cuisines, arrangement of accommodation and proper and right management of transportation. Hiring Guide can assure that you are safe and your entire Changunarayan Day Hike is going to be more exciting. 

Duration of the trip: It takes 3-4 hours if you choose hiking from Changunarayan via Shivapuri National Park( only some parts) to get Nagarkot. But, if you want to drive in Nagarkot from Kathmandu, it is maximum 1.30 hrs drive. So, if you are tired and lazy of doing hiking for 3-4 hours, you can drive and if you like a very refreshing walk through cool and shaded trails of Shivapuri National Park ( only some parts), you can spend 3-4 hours and enjoy it. Actually, it ups to you. 

 Drive from Kathmandu to Nagarkot:  The drive for Nagarkot from Kathmandu begins from your hotel or from the specified place as you are instructed by your travel partner in Kathmandu. The drive is with  private vehicle with full- fledge AC from the beginning to the end of the trip. 

The drive passes Kathmandu via Tribhuvan International Airport and enters into Bhaktapur district. As you enter into Bhaktapur district, you will find the atmosphere more fascinating and cooler. 

Within 15-20 minutes of drive after you enter into Bhaktapur district from Kathmandu, you will see popular Changunarayan Temple, a World Heritage Site and the way to go to Bhaktapur Durbar Square. If you are hiking to Nagarkot, you begin it here from Changunarayan Temple. 

The drive, further take you to countryside of Bhaktapur district and lets you enjoy beautiful hills and landscapes on the trail. You will enjoy the drive via beautiful country landscapes, villages, water falls, deep woods and local resorts. 

The final part of the drive will go up all the way to Nagarkot Hillside. As you reach the top of the hill, you can see there a small town with ATMS, Hotels, Resorts, Police Station, Homestays, resorts, banks and money changers. 

You will get to your hotel  and stay overnight there. You can enjoy mountains and starry nights. 

Hike from Changunarayan to Nagarkot :  If you choose doing Changunarayan- Nagarkot Hiking, you will first drive to Changunarayan temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from Kathmandu spending an hour and then begin the walk via Shivapuri National Park ( only some parts) and other forested areas at the Kathmandu valley ridge. 

The Nagarkot Day hiking from Changunarayan will be every exciting and rewarding as the hikers can experience a refreshing walk via deep woods, local settlements and picturesque landscapes around Kathmandu Valley ridge. During this Chnagunarayan Nagarkot Hike, one can vie entire Kathmandu valley and some of the breathtaking mountain views including Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and Langtang Mountain range. 

You will have some light snacks on the way to Nagarkot from Changunarayan. After 3-4 hours of marvelous hiking, you will reach the hills station of Nagarkot with local town. The final section of walk is all the way up to Nagarkot hillside. 

You will stay in hotel or resort for overnight and enjoy breathtaking sunrise and mountains including Mt. Everest next morning. You can either drive back directly to Kathmandu or can do Bhaktpaur Sightseeing tour before heading back to Kathmandu. 

How much is Nagarkot Sunrise Tour?

 Actually Nagarkot sunrise Tour depends on what kind of services you want like transportation, hotels category, meals and guide. If you want luxury accommodation like 4-5 star hotel and resort in Nagarkot, it costs USD 250 and if you go with normal tourist standard accommodation for overnight stay in Nagarkot, it costs USD 95 to 150. And, if you join with a group in sharing transportation and Changunarayan-Nagarkot Hiking, it costs only 75 USD. So, the Nagarkot Sunrise Tour cost ranges between USD 75- 250 depneding on the service you want during your Nagarkot Tour. You can stay overnight in Nagarkot or you can directly drive from Kathmandu for sunrise. The drive from Kathmandu is only 1.30 hrs. So, if you don’t want to stay overnight in Nagarkot, you can do take a early morning drive from Kathmandu to Nagarkot Hill Top, Nagarkot Viewpoint Station via Bhaktapur. 

Nagarkot Sunrise Tour offers you astounding views of Mt. Everest, Manaslu, Langtang Mountain Range, Ganesh Himal and many other alluring snow-fed mountain peaks near Kathmandu. 

Where to see sunrise in Nagarkot? 

Nagarkot has a sunrise viewpoint station with a tall tower to view the sunrise and the mountains. The distance between viewpoint tower and the Nagarkot town is 2.5 kms. It takes around 45 minutes to walk to the Nagarkot Sunrise Tower. The tower premises has some local shops which serve tea, coffe and some other snacks for the visitors. 

Some people love hiking to the Nagarkot view tower and some adore driving to it. Both ways are okay. 

Climbing Nagarkot sunrie Tower is very challenging as the iron tower has very nasty steps to climb to the top of it. If you are strong and confident, then only climb the main tower, otherwise, you can capture and wintess mesmerizing views from the base of the tower with enough pace for sunrise and mountain views.

 Optionally, if you don’t like to go to Nagarkot Sunrise Tower, you can enjoy stunning sunrise and mountain from the roof of your hotel too. 

How many days are enough for Nagarkot?

2 days are enough for Nagarkot: One day Village and local area exploration with typical Nepali cusines and the other day for sunrise and mountain views from the viewpoint tower and short hiking. You can also enjoy starry night from the rooftop of your hotel in Nagarkot. You can combine Nagarkot Sunrise Tour with Changunarayan Nagarkot Hiking. This hiking begins from Changunarayan Temple and ends in Nagarkot taking 4-5 hours.

Which is better Sarangkot or Nagarkot?

These two viewpoints are toatally distinct eachother: as one is located in western belt of Nepal and the other in the east. Saarnagkot is popular for Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhre but Nagarkot is well-known for Everest, Langtang and Manaslu Himalayan ranges. If you are in Kathmandu and don’t want to go Pokhara, enjoy views from Nagarkot and if you are going Pokhara, you can celebrate the astonishing views of mountain ranges from Sarangkot. Both are equally popular among the both international and domestic travelers. 

What is the best view from Nagarkot?

The best view from Nagarkot is the view of Mt. Everest, the top of the world. People go to Nagarkot to witness Mt. Everest in the clear mornings with spectacular sunrise.