Nagarkot and Bhaktapur Tour - 1 day

Drive from Kathmandu to Nagarkot (1 hour 30 minutes.)

Leave Kathmandu behind and take a scenic drive to Nagarkot with your guide. Following a pitched highway lined with pine trees, drive to this beautiful vantage point. On reaching Nagarkot head to the viewpoint and enjoy amazing views of hilltop villages and the Himalayan peaks. The sunrise view from this vantage point is to die for. Watch the first rays of the sun colouring the landscape in hues of pink, red, orange and golden. It is as if the creator has dipped a paintbrush and is splashing the hillsides in different colours. The Himalayas stretch in an unbroken line in the horizon. If the weather is clear you may also get a glimpse of Mount Everest’s summit. Have breakfast enjoying the beautiful Nagarkot view, to the accompaniment of bird songs. Gaze at the verdant hillsides to your heart’s content before heading down to Changu Narayan.

Drive Nagarkot to Telkot - Hike Telkot to Changu Narayan Temple ( 2-3 hours)

Enjoying the views, drive down to Telkot. From Telkot take a forested trail down to the hilltop temple of Changu Nararyan. Nestled in the middle of a green forest, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating back to the Licchavi period (450 AD-750 AD), the temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Exquisite wood, stone and metal carvings dating back to Licchavi and Malla periods embellish the temple and its courtyard. In a stone pillar you will find the oldest inscription (464 AD) found in Kathmandu valley. The inscription in Sanskrit describes how the Licchavi King Manadeva stopped his mother from taking the ritual death by fire (sati) after his father’s death. Surrounded by a verdant forest, strolling around the temple grounds is a joy. Apart from a few local devotees, the temple grounds are filled with gaily chirping birds and monkeys scampering around.

Drive Changu Narayan to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (20 minutes)

Leaving Changu Narayan you take a short drive to the ancient city of Bhaktapur.Take a leisurely stroll around Bhaktapur Durbar Square - a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Divided into three squares – Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square and Dattareya Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square was once the power center of the Malla kingdom.  It became an independent principality after King Yaksha Malla divided his kingdom among his three sons, thus creating Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu.  Nyatapole Temple, Golden Gate, Palace of 55 Windows, Pujari Math, Siddhi Lakshmi Temple, Bhairavnath Temple, Naag Pokhari and Pashupatinath Temple are some of the gems of the palace square. Spend some time at the Pottery Square observing the local potters at work. Watch them mould lumps of clay on their spinning wheels. You can also pay a visit to a traditional kiln to observe the firing process. A visit to Bhaktapur is incomplete without a taste of its famous ‘Juju Dhau’ (king of yoghurt). Available in shops and restaurants throughout Bhaktapur, do try this sweet curd. It is prepared with buffalo milk (which is slightly richer than cow’s milk) and sold in clay containers.  Head back to your hotel after exploring the durbar square.