We will enjoy a spectacular sunrise over the Himalayas. After breakfast, there will be some free time before we travel back to Kathmandu. For those who wish to opt in for optional hiking to Changu Narayan will be dropped to the hiking point Telkot. Those who do not wish to take hiking will continue to journey to Kathmandu.
Telkot-Changu Narayan Hiking [Easy hiking]
The soft hiking trail starts from Telkot and gradually you will walk through the terraced fields to the Tamang Village. The thatched houses are built with local stone hand-hewn by local craftsmen. These houses are normally 3 storied with a kitchen on the ground floor, a bedroom on the second and a store on the top. A courtyard in front has an adjoining shed for animals. The garden next to the house supplies all the household seasonal vegetables and fruit. Spring brings colour to the village with young goat kids and other young animals as well as beautiful bright blossoms everywhere. Local wine making is pretty common throughout the year.
The first part of the hiking is largely a fascinating cultural encounter while the second part is more natural as the trail follows the ridge rich with deciduous forest. The Himalayas appear in the distance totally remote and undisturbed. The walking is easy with gradual downhill and fairly level paths. It is an easy hiking and will take about 3-4 hours to reach Changunarayan, the oldest pagoda style Hindu temple in Nepal. After visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site and having our lunch [at your own cost], we meet our driver and car to take a continued drive to Kathmandu to end our fascinating day hiking tour in Nepal.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square: We stop for an en-route visit to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, one of the oldest cities in Kathmandu where traditional craft and lifestyle is on full display. It is known locally as a living museum with its brick-paved enclave of the old Royal Palace, Nyathapola Temple and Datatriya temple’s exquisite artwork which all combines to give a picture of the grandeur of medieval Nepal. It’s renowned for its woodcarving and pottery and artists today still carve woods and craft pottery by the roadside.
The evening is free for you to enjoy on your own at Kathmandu; you might like to take a short walk in the local area and have a glimpse of Kathmandu City.