The Nagarkot Changunarayan hike is a brilliant short trek in the outskirt of Kathmandu valley. If you wish to do a short holiday trip to Nepal then this hiking trip is the best option to explore the beauty of Nepal. It is amazing to see how the villages along the trail still exhibit the countryside lifestyle of Nepal even though it is so close to the city. The best of all is the Himalaya in the backdrop of all these natural settings.
Nagarkot hill town, at the altitude of 2,100 meters is the popular hill station in the suburb of Kathmandu Valley. It is 35 km away from the capital city Kathmandu. The sunrise and sunset view from Nagarkot is magnificent. You can plan a night's halt in Nagarkot. On the way back, explore Bhaktapur, the medieval city and one of the 7 world heritage sites is on the way. Here you can discover the Newari architecture, culture, and lifestyle wandering through the maze-like alleyways of Bhaktapur. This is known as a living museum as it still exhibits the medieval look and lifestyle of the people. The majority of the people are a farmer and the city is self-sufficient. You can see old women weaving their traditional textile, pottery, handmade paper production, wood carving, Thanka Painting, and metal sculpting. There are hundreds of monumental buildings around Bhaktapur. Some of them are rented with its latticed window and balcony looking at historical buildings or the tallest temple.
Changunarayan Temple is the oldest pagoda style temple in Nepal. It is believed that the area hosted an early settlement when Kathmandu valley was a lake. In the premises of the temple exists fine stone sculptures, all over 1,000 years old. These idols are masterpieces of stone sculptures and are praised by experts from all over the world. This is also known as an open museum. The temple is dedicated to Hindu God Bishnu and is a perfect example of the Nepalese Pagoda Style temple. The site is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
