Nagarkot : A popular hill station in Kathmandu Valley
It goes without saying that Nepal is an amazing tourist destination as the country boasts a lot of places to visit. The country welcomes a significant number of tourists from across the world.
Nagarkot is one of the major tourist spots in the country. Located just 32 kilometres east of Kathmandu, Nagarkot is famous for its marvelous sunrise and sunset views. Located at a height of about 2,200 metres above sea level, the hill station offers a breathtaking view of the eight Himalayan ranges such as the Annapurna range, Manaslu range, Ganesh Himal range, Langtang range, Jugal range, Rolwaling range, Mahalangur range. One can also have splendid view of the Kathmandu Valley and the Shivapuri National Park. The local people’s traditional culture and lifestyle are an additional attraction for visitors.
As Nagarkot is away from the hustle and bustle of city life, tourists can gain a totally different experience there. Over the past 25 years, the area has come a long way in terms of the development of accommodation facilities. Currently, there are a number of tourist hotels and tourist resorts, including the Club Himalaya Resort and the Bhangeri Durbar Resort in Nagarkot. This means that the area offers accommodation facilities for both luxury and budget tourists.
Because of its strategic location, Nagarkot was a fort of the Kathmandu Valley in the ancient time to supervise external activities of other states. With the passage of time, the place became a summer retreat for the royals before being converted into an important tourist destination.
With good road linking among Nagarkot with Bhaktapur and Kathmandu, the place has become more accessible. Public buses are in operation from Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. The buses pass through beautiful fields and pine forest in Bhaktapur. Visitors can also take comfortable vehicles on hire at reasonable prices.
Most of visitors wish to visit Nagarkot during the spring when a variety of flowers are seen blooming. Short treks are another attraction in and around Nagarkot. Treks from the area are unique and delightful. Trekkers can trek to Changu Narayan, Sankhu, Shivapuri hill, Phulchowki, Dhulikhel, Nala, Banepa and other neighbouring places from Nagarkot.
Nagarkot lures a lot of domestic visitors as well. They mainly visit the place during weekends. Nagarkot hosts many national and international-level conferences and meetings annually because most of the hotels there have built conference halls.
Highlighting Nagarkot as a much preferred tourist destination, popular travel guide—Lonely Planet—mentions: “Competing with Dhulikhel and Kakani, Nagarkot is perhaps the best place to view the Himalaya from the comfort of your hotel balcony. Just 32 kilometers from Kathmandu, the village is packed with hotels, stacked up on a ridge facing one of the broadest possible views of the Himalaya. Between October and March, a trip to Nagarkot will nearly always be rewarded with a view, but be warned the mountains are notorious for disappearing behind cloudy skies on any given day (or hour). It can get very cold at Nagarkot, so bring warm clothing.”
