Overview
This off-route Kathmandu Valley tour starts where most itineraries never go: the southern edge of the valley, at the Kali temple of Dakshinkali and the Newar town of Pharping with its Buddhist caves and monasteries. The same afternoon you come back to Patan and its royal square. Day two runs east through Bhaktapur to the hilltop temple of Changu Narayan and on up to Nagarkot at 2,175 m for the night. The last morning is a Himalayan sunrise, then Boudhanath on the way back to your hotel. It suits repeat visitors, travellers with a real interest in Hindu and Buddhist practice, and anyone who wants the valley with fewer crowds.
The itinerary
- Drive south to Dakshinkali, the temple of the goddess Kali just beyond Pharping
- Walk up through Pharping to the Asura Cave linked to Guru Padmasambhava and the Vajrayogini shrine
- See the monasteries and prayer flags that make Pharping a centre of Tibetan Buddhist retreat
- Return north to Patan Durbar Square for the Krishna Mandir and the Golden Temple in the late afternoon
- Morning in Bhaktapur Durbar Square: the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and Nyatapola
- Short drive to the hilltop temple of Changu Narayan, with its inscribed pillar from 464 AD
- Look closely at the stone and wood carvings of Vishnu around the temple courtyard
- Continue up to Nagarkot on the valley rim for sunset and an overnight stay
- Early rise for sunrise over the Himalaya, weather allowing
- Breakfast with the view, then drive back down into the valley
- Stop at Boudhanath to walk the kora with pilgrims and visit a monastery
- Drop-off at your Kathmandu hotel
Things to carry
- Warm layer for the early Nagarkot morning
- Easy slip-on shoes for temple and monastery visits
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees
- Small torch or phone light for the Pharping cave
- Refillable water bottle and sun protection
Good to know
Complete guide
This off-route Kathmandu Valley tour is for travellers who want more than the standard stupa-and-square circuit. It spends its first morning on the valley's southern edge at Dakshinkali and Pharping, balances that with Patan, Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan, and gives you one night on the Nagarkot ridge before a last stop at Boudhanath.
What the off-route Kathmandu Valley tour covers
The route follows three days in a loop from south to east. Day one goes to Dakshinkali and Pharping, then back to Patan. Day two is Bhaktapur, Changu Narayan and the drive up to Nagarkot. Day three is sunrise, Boudhanath and the drive back to your hotel. Four of the stops, Patan, Bhaktapur, Changu Narayan and Boudhanath, are among the seven monument zones the Kathmandu Valley has held on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The other two, Pharping and Dakshinkali, are living pilgrimage places that most visitors never reach.
If you are short on time and mainly want the south, our one-day monasteries tour to Kapan, Pharping and Dakshinkali covers that side of the valley in a single day.
Pharping and Dakshinkali: the valley's southern edge
Pharping is a small Newar town above the Bagmati on the southern rim of the valley, about 23 km from Kathmandu. For Buddhists it matters because of the Asura Cave, where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated, and the Vajrayogini temple on the hillside. Monasteries and retreat centres spread across the slopes, and you will often share the paths with monks and pilgrims turning prayer wheels.
Dakshinkali lies close by, a temple to the goddess Kali and one of the best-known temples in Nepal. Worship here involves animal sacrifice, busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and non-Hindus may not be allowed into the inner sanctum. We say this plainly because it is not for everyone. If you would rather not see it, tell us and we will plan around it.
Patan, Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan
Patan closes the first day. Its royal square holds the stone Krishna Mandir, built in 1637, and the Golden Temple sits a short walk away. Bhaktapur opens the second day with the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola temple, built in 1702. From there it is a short drive to Changu Narayan on its hilltop, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Nepal, dedicated to Vishnu, with a pillar inscription from 464 AD. The temple was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake and has been rebuilt.
If you enjoy walking, the Changu Narayan to Nagarkot hike links the same two places on foot as a day trip, and it can be a good extra day before or after this tour.
Nagarkot and Boudhanath to finish
Nagarkot sits at 2,175 m (7,136 ft) on the eastern rim of the valley. On a clear morning you see a long line of Himalayan ranges, from Annapurna and Manaslu to Langtang and the Everest range. Weather decides the view, and we will not promise it. On the way back you stop at Boudhanath, the largest spherical stupa in Nepal, surrounded by Tibetan monasteries, where walking the kora with pilgrims is the best way to spend an hour.
Who it suits, pace and practical notes
This is an easy tour by private car with short walks, some on uneven village paths at Pharping. It suits repeat visitors, travellers interested in religion and ritual, and families with older children, though parents should think about Dakshinkali. The best season for mountain views is late September to November; the monsoon, roughly June to September, brings cloud and rain, and spring can be hazy. Heritage sites sell their own entry tickets. We arrange your guide, vehicle and hotels in Nepal; your visa and flights to Kathmandu are your own arrangements.
