Nagarkot

Introducing Nagarkot

There are various places around the edge of the Kathmandu Valley that offer great mountain views, but the resort village of Nagarkot, 32km from Kathmandu, is generally held to be the best. Dedicated mountain watchers make their way up to the village, stay overnight in one of Nagarkot's lodges, then rise at dawn to see the sun appear over the Himalaya.

Between October and March a trip to Nagarkot will nearly always be rewarded with a view, but you will be very lucky to catch more than a glimpse through the monsoon clouds between June and September. During the summer, sweaty valley residents escape the heat for the resort's cool mountain air; in winter they rush up if there's even a chance of being able to throw a tiny snowball. It can get very cold at Nagarkot in autumn and winter, so if you're staying overnight come prepared with warm clothing.

The original army camp at Nagarkot never developed into a traditional village, so while the views can be stunning, the unplanned scatter of lodges is messy. Relations with the local army base were severely strained during a religious festival in December 2005 when a deranged soldier massacred 12 locals during a drunken rampage.

Nagarkot is very much a one-night stand, and few visitors stay longer. The best way to leave Nagarkot is on foot, on downhill hikes west to Sundarijal, Sankhu, or Changu Narayan, north to Chisopani or south to Banepa.

Last updated: May 1, 2009