Looking for one-day trips near Kathmandu? Explore waterfalls, lakes, villages, and cultural sites easily reachable from the city.
Short Day Trips from Kathmandu That Most Tourists Miss
Table of Contents
Many people come to visit Nepal every day and the first place they land is Kathmandu. Tourists book hotel in Kathmandu for their stay before they come and they go to treks without visiting much, and if they visit they visit only the popular places where every tourist who has been to Nepal visits, like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Durbar Square, and Bouddhanath. There are many places that can be visited in one day around Kathmandu which tourists haven’t explore that much, and these below are the places that can be visited if you are in Kathmandu. If you don’t want to walk, these places can be travelled by taxi or other vehicles also.
Sundarijal is also called the starting point of the river Bagmati, from where the river emerges from the Shivapuri hills before flowing through Kathmandu. It’s not that far, it’s only 12 km from Thamel and takes around 1 hour to reach, from where you can hike around 3 km upwards and 3 km downhill in around 4–5 hours. You can see waterfalls, Shivapuri forest, quiet nature with stone steps.
If you want, you can visit Sundarijal and Sankhu village in the same day, which is around 30–40 minutes travel by taxi, and if you don’t want to visit the same day you can go another time. It is around 17 km from Thamel which will take around 1–1.3 hours by taxi. Sankhu is a beautiful Newari village where you can see traditionally made houses and temples, local style farming, and hills around the village. After seeing the village, you can walk towards the Bajrayogini back route. Visiting Bajrayogini Temple requires walking around 8 km round trip within 3–4 hours and then come back to explore the village once again.
Taudaha Lake is a small lake located in Kirtipur, which is around 9 km far from Thamel. You can explore the lake by walking around it, you can see many fish in the lake and can also feed them. Near the lake, you can also visit Chobhar and Manjushree Park in Chobhar, which is 2 km far from Taudaha Lake and can be reached in 5–10 minutes by taxi. You can explore the temples around Chobhar and explore the Manjushree Cave in Chobhar and the history of Manjushree. You can visit all the places, click pictures, and enjoy the architecture of the temples around the Chobhar hills.
If you have interest in plants, nature, and ecology, the botanical garden of Lalitpur district is the place you should not miss. It is around 17 km far from Thamel and takes around 2 hours to reach. The botanical garden is the place where endangered plants, flowers, medicinal herbs, orchids, and seasonal blooms of Nepal are preserved, and visitors can also enjoy peaceful forested trails. Birds and wildlife can also be seen occasionally. This garden is also famous for birdwatching with both local and migratory birds. There are small ponds around the garden where you can relax in the plain ground.
Panauti is a historic Newari village located around 32 km from Thamel. You can visit and explore traditional Newari houses, local streets, small farming done by local people, and local temples which are preserved by the local people for centuries. You can also explore Newari culture by walking through the riverside to know how they are living and what they do for living. You can have local Newari foods there and get to know how they make the foods.
Conclusion
If you want, you can visit these places which are very near Kathmandu, the main landing and entry point of Nepal, and these places can be completed in one day. You can start your journey in the morning and return to your hotel at night, which makes it good for travelers who want to explore more in a short time.
For a comfortable hotel stay in Kathmandu, local sightseeing, and trekking advice in Nepal, you can contact Trekkers Home. We help travelers with accommodation, day trips around Kathmandu, and trekking planning, making your stay in Nepal easy and convenient.
