Nagarkot: Sunrise Over the Himalaya

Nagarkot is a village on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, about 32 km from the city and around 2,175 m above sea level. It's the closest place to Kathmandu with a wide-open view of the Himalaya.

What you can see

On a clear morning the mountains stretch right along the northern horizon: Langtang, Jugal, Dorje Lakpa and Gaurishankar, and on the very clearest days the Everest group far off to the east. Sunrise and sunset light up the snow in pinks and golds, which is exactly why most people stay the night.

When the views are clear

• October to December: the clearest skies of the year.
• January and February: clear and cold, with frost at dawn.
• March to May: warmer, with more haze, though mornings are still often clear.
• June to September: the monsoon, when the mountains are usually hidden by cloud.

Walking from Nagarkot

Nagarkot is the starting point for some of the best day walks in the valley:

• Nagarkot to Changu Narayan, about 4 hours, and mostly downhill (hooray!).
• Nagarkot to Dhulikhel, about 4 to 5 hours along the rim.

Our 4-day Kathmandu and Nagarkot tour includes a night in Nagarkot, so you won't have to choose between sunrise and sunset.