Located on the outskirts of Kathmandu Valley, Chandragiri is a popular religious destination. Just 8 km west from the ring road, a 30-40 minutes of drive to the epicenter of the valley will take you to the base of Chandragiri hill, where you can start your journey. It is one of the hills surrounding Kathmandu valley which is a popular religious destination for Nepalese people. Legend holds that king Prithivi Narayan Shah planned to capture the Kathmandu Valley from this hill top during his Nepal unification movement. A recently built ropeway has made the place a more popular tourist destination. It is a trend of many Valley residents to visit Chandragiri during their weekends. As such it is busiest and crowded during Saturday's, which is Nepalese weekend. The Kathmandu Valley view from the Chandragiri hill is one of the best views you cannot get from elsewhere. The temperature up there is relatively cold compared to the valley and drops as you climb further uphill. It can get cold sometimes in between the jungle so make sure you bring along warm enough clothes.
Highlights
- Hiking in nature in Serenity
- Superb view of Kathmandu Valley and Mountain ranges.
- Visit to Chandragiri Temple
- Explore natural vegetation
Getting there
Chandragiri is just 8.3 km from Kalanki (Ringroad). It is directly accessible via public vehicles. You can hop into any local public bus from Old bus park or Kalanki that directly takes you to Checkpost. Some also take you directly to Godam (Base of Chandragiri) if you are lucky enough to get one or wait. If not you can catch any bus that takes you to Thankot and land in Checkpost. From there it is a 20 minutes walk to Godam, the base of Chandragiri.
Routes
New route is stone carved stairs all the way to the top except in some plain routes in between. Most of the people prefer the first option because it is easy and short distance and the latter one from Godam. In case it rains, the trail of Godam will be very muddy and slippery which can be very unpleasant for the hikers.
Alternative: You can also book a one way cable car ticket to get down after a long 3 hrs(Normally) hike to the top which would cost you Rs. 400 (Nepalse), 664 (SAARC), Chinese USD 9, Foreign USD 13.
Best time to Hike
I would highly recommend not to take this hike during monsoon season as the route is mostly covered with grass which also wets your clothes. Not to mention the leeches that bother you all the way up and down. So except monsoon and rainy day you can prefer any time to hike to Chandragiri.
What to Bring:
- Water (At least 3 litres)
- Snacks and Lunch
- First Aid kit
- Raincoat/ umbrella
- Hiking shoes
- Cell phone (For emergency)
- Power Bank
- Camera
Caution:
There are reportedly two incidents of people getting lost when they're returning back. One incident was when local childrens who hiked up to play in the snow were lost while they were heading back. After hours of searching in the night, they were only found around 3am by the local police after the children called their parents about them lost in the jungle. The same happened to a group of foreigners who were hiking solo and were lost on their way back.