Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan Day Tour
- Duration
- 1 day
- Max altitude
- 1,550 m
- Difficulty
-
Easy
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Monsoon (Jun–Aug) · Spring (Mar–May) · Winter (Dec–Feb)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $75.00
Overview
Bhaktapur took the 2015 earthquake badly and has spent a decade putting itself back together. What survived, and what has been rebuilt by local craftsmen using the old methods, is the closest thing Nepal has to a working medieval town. No cars in the core, potters still throwing in Potters’ Square, wood carvers on the street.
Changu Narayan sits on a ridge twenty minutes away and is the oldest temple in the country, with stone carving from the fifth century. Together they make a proper day, and a quieter one than the central Kathmandu circuit.
Trip highlights
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the five tiered Nyatapola temple
- Potters' Square, where the wheels are still turning
- Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in Nepal
- The Palace of 55 Windows and the Golden Gate
- Both entry fees included, and time for lunch in a courtyard
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Changu Narayan in the morning, Bhaktapur for the rest of the day 1,550 m 7 to 8 hours hrs Noneincluded
Pick up from your hotel at 9am and about an hour east through the valley.
Changu Narayan
A hilltop temple on a ridge above the Manohara valley, dedicated to Vishnu. The current building is from the 1700s after a fire, but the stone sculpture around it is far older, including a fifth century inscription that is the oldest dated stone inscription in Nepal. It is a small site and rarely busy, which is the point of coming early. There is a small museum by the entrance.
Bhaktapur
Twenty minutes downhill. Vehicles stop at the gate, so the rest of the day is on foot.
Durbar Square holds the royal palace complex, the Golden Gate, the Palace of 55 Windows and the stone Vatsala temple. From there the street runs down to Taumadhi Square and the Nyatapola, a five tiered pagoda from 1702 that stood through the earthquake, then on to Dattatreya Square and the Peacock Window.
Potters' Square is a working yard, not a display. Whether the wheels are turning depends on the season and the weather, since the pots dry in the sun.
Lunch is on your own account, and the courtyard restaurants around Taumadhi are the pleasant option. Bhaktapur is also where juju dhau, the local set yoghurt, comes from.
Back at your hotel around 5.30pm.
What's included
Included
- Included: Government licensed English speaking heritage guide for the full day
- Included: Private air conditioned tourist vehicle with driver, hotel to hotel
- Included: Bhaktapur city entry fee and Changu Narayan entry fee
- Included: Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Included: All government taxes and administrative charges
Not included
- Not included: Lunch, about USD 8 to USD 20 per person
- Not included: Any beverages
- Not included: Tips for your guide and driver, which are expected but never compulsory
- Not included: Nepal entry visa, obtainable on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport
- Not included: Travel insurance
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 trekker | $90.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 trekkers | $75.00 | $15.00 |
| 4 to 6 trekkers | $70.00 | $20.00 |
| 7 or more | $66.00 | $24.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Monsoon (Jun–Aug)Wet and cloudy on most routes, though Mustang and Dolpo sit in the rain shadow behind the main range and stay walkable.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
- Winter (Dec–Feb)Cold and quiet, with the clearest skies of the year at lower altitude. High passes and very high routes are best avoided.
Traveller reviews
What trekkers say
Why book with us
Every trail, one licensed team
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