Sundarijal Nagarkot Trek

Overview

The Sundarijal Nagarkot trek is the shortest trekking route close to Kathmandu, starting just 12km north of the city center, which makes it one of the few genuine treks you can start on the same morning you leave your hotel.

It’s also known as the Shivapuri trek, running through the recently declared Shivapuri National Park, a protected area that’s still relatively new in terms of formal conservation status despite having been a well-known local hiking ground for years.

Sundarijal itself serves as the main entry and exit point for longer routes heading to Gosainkunda, Helambu, and Langtang National Park, so trekkers doing this shorter route are walking the first stretch of trail that others use to head much deeper into the mountains.

The park is Kathmandu’s main watershed, supplying much of the city’s drinking water, which gives it a kind of practical importance beyond just scenery or recreation. It also holds real spiritual weight, with religious and cultural heritage sites significant to both Hindus and Buddhists scattered throughout its boundaries.

Other highlights include the peaks of Shivapuri, Manichud, and Tarkeswor, along with the source of the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers, two waterways that eventually run straight through the heart of Kathmandu itself. From the top of the Shivapuri ridge, the trek opens up sweeping views over the entire Kathmandu Valley, a perspective that’s hard to get anywhere else this close to the city.

The park sits between subtropical and temperate climate zones, which shows up clearly in the vegetation as you climb, moving through subtropical hardwood, oak, rhododendron, and pine forest, along with numerous mushroom and orchid species that thrive in this transitional zone.

Wildlife includes a wide range of butterflies and birds, nine of which are now considered threatened, plus sloth bear, jungle cat, leopard, and monkeys, making the park a genuinely biodiverse pocket despite sitting so close to a major capital city.

The final leg of the trek reaches Nagarkot, a well-known hill station and one of the more popular short-hike destinations near Kathmandu, long favored by both locals and visitors for its views and cooler air.

The trek then finishes at Changunarayan, a fifth-century temple on a hillock 15km east of Kathmandu and one of the oldest Hindu temples in the valley. Travelers can also stop in Bhaktapur along the way for a short tour of the historic town, adding a cultural stop to round out the trip before heading back into the city.

Park regulations and permit details are available from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.

For the sacred lake extension from this same park, see our Gosainkunda Lake Trek and for a wildlife-focused alternative, see our Jungle Safari Tour.