Nagarkot, one of the famous tourist destinations, located in Bhaktapur district, Bagmati Province, Nepal. The ancient name of Nagarkot was Mandapgiri. It is located at an elevation of 2174 m. As Nagarkot is located on a height it provides a panoramic view of Kathmandu city including Shivapuri National Park and different mountains including Mount Everest. It is also the famous hill station.
History:
In the ancient period, Nagarkot used to be the castle of Kathmandu valley and it was built to keep eye on other kingdoms, and the activities that are done by them as it is situated at a high altitude and everything can easily be seen from there. Later on, it became a place to enjoy summer vacation to the royal family.
What is Nagarkot famous for?
Nagarkot is mainly famous for its clear, near and, mesmerizing view of the Himalayan ranges. From there we can see 8 Himalayan ranges of Nepal of 13 ranges. Those 8 Himalayan ranges are the Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Langtang range, Ganesh Himal range, Rolwaling range, Numbur range, and also the Everest range which is known as Mahalangur range.
It is also famous for the amazing view of the sunrise in the early morning and sunset in the evening. As Nagarkot is sorrounded by hills having the dense forest of Alpine trees, the scenery is very much impressive and beautiful.
It is also a perfect place for nature and adventure lovers as they can also experience adventures like paragliding and hiking. Nagarkot is also famous among hikers as it is one of the famous hiking routes. People can hike from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel, and also from Chisapani to Nagarkot, and from Nagarkot to Changunarayan.
Hiking from Nagarkot:
Nagarkot panoramic hiking trail:
It is one of the famous hiking over there. It is a 12km hike which takes about 3-4 hrs and the hike is in the community near Nagarkot. In this hike we can explore the view of beautiful Himalayan ranges and the Tamang community also their culture, those who reside over there.
Nagarkot view tower:
It is the most popular place in Nagarkot. People hike to Nagarkot view tower to observe the beauty of the Himalayans range, magnificent sunrise, the gorgeous Kathmandu valley, dense forested national parks, and many more. This tower is 2100 m above sea level.
Hike from Nagarkot to Changunarayan:
This hiking route is one of the popular and famous hike routes in Kathmandu valley. The hike distance is 15 km. it is a beautiful walk where we explore and walk through the beautiful pine forest and also we can explore the amazing local Tamang culture. As we reach Changunarayan we can see a mesmerizing temple made from wooden carving, the changunarayan, the temple listed on UNESCO world heritage site.
Hike from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel:
This is an excellent hike route for the nature-loving person as we have to walk through a silent pine forest. The hike distance is 18 km and the duration is almost 5 hours. We can explore the green pine forest, terrace farmland, beautiful villages, and scenery of snowcapped mountains. It is the best trek for those who have limited time but wants to trek.
Therefore, Nagarkot is an excellent place and a tourist destination as it has lots of adventure, mesmerizing scenery of mountain ranges and a lot more.
-Article written by: Kusum Kharel for Land Nepal
