A trip through the Kathmandu Valley: Bhaktapur and Nagarkot

Sunrise over Nagarkot

While there's plenty going on in Kathmandu, any trip here would be remiss without venturing a little further outside the city limits. While there are certainly other options out there, two popular destinations that fit together in a nice little package are Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Here's our experience.

Bhaktapur

Statues and Jain temples in Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur is located a deceptively long 13 km away from Kathmandu—with the road conditions, the trip will easily take an hour.

If you take the bus, they'll drop you off in front of a gate just a few minutes walk from yet another Durbar Square. As I mentioned last time, however, if I had to pick one then this one is the most impressive; it was damaged in an earthquake in 1934, making it more spacious than its Kathmandu and Patan counterparts. No worries though, there are still many temples, statues and gates-o-plenty for your ogling pleasure.

Intricate wood carvings in Durbar Square

If you choose to go through the main gate and pay, the entrance fee is 1,100 rupees.

The streets of Bhaktapur

Other than Durbar Square, Bhaktapur is a good place to just wander the streets. The aforementioned tremor also means that a good portion of the homes and buildings here are newer, giving a different look than the age of Kathmandu.

Juju-dhau sighted!

Along the way, be sure to wander by a stand for some juju-dhau—literally, the "king of all yogurt." I'm not so sure about that assertion after some of the damn fine lassis we had in India, but it's still pretty good and worth a try. It's basically local honey poured over chilled yogurt and served in a ceramic container. Make sure to fit this princely treat into your pauper's budget.

Nagarkot

A hazy sunrise over the Himalayas

Nagarkot's claim to fame is its views—at 2,195 meters, it commands a spectacular view of both the Himalayas to the northeast—including Mt. Everest—and the valley to the southwest, making it a great spot for both sunrises and sunsets on clear days.

Being caught in the tail end of a lingering rainy season, we weren't so lucky in that regard; even so, the views were great. As with the rest of Nepal, I'd recommend coming in the winter if possible.

Lookout! This tower is missing its ladder

There's a lookout tower about 3-4 km outside of town at the very top of the hill Nagarkot finds itself on. While this is arguably the best place to get that picture-perfect view of things and shouldn't be missed, it does get a little crowded up there. The tower itself is a little hard (but not impossible) to climb as the ladder is severed from overuse.

Walking there from town will take around 40-60 minutes, so plan accordingly. If you don't want to walk in the dark for sunrise, your hotel will be more than happy to offer you a shuttle, for a fee.

If you're not into crowds, the views are still good from the road to the tower for sunset and from many of the hotels for sunrise.

There are a few options to get to Nagarkot from Kathmandu, but most of them involve you first getting to none other than Bhaktapur. First, there's the bus. Just take the bus from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur and transfer. For a little more than the bus, you could also rent a private car or hail a taxi for the most convenient trip up the 17-km road.

Lastly, you could hoof it. There's a 13-km trail connecting Bhaktapur and Nagarkot, allowing you to take in the spectacular views of the Nepal countryside at your own pace. I don't know that I'd want to hike both ways, but it looks like it'd be a pleasant enough 3-4 hour hike for at least one way.

If you have a smartphone or iProduct, you can probably get away without having a map. A quick search on Google Maps outlined the hike on my iPhone (4), and the GPS locator will work even without wi-fi access.

Overlooking terraced fields from my perch

Plenty of shorter treks are also available departing from Kathmandu and going through Nagarkot. Check with tourist offices in Kathmandu or your hotel for more info.

And there you have it! As usual, stay tuned for the rest of my pictures to come on Flickr.