Champadevi Day Hike - 1 Day

Day Hike

4.50

  • Guaranteed Satisfaction
  • Transparent Price
  • No hidden fees
  • Experience of a More than a decade
  • Personal Touch & Professional Service

US$ 90 P/P

Trip Info

  • Duration

    1 Day

  • Max. Altitude

    2285 m

  • Difficulty

    easy

  • Starts From

    Kathmandu

  • Trip Ends At

    Kathmandu

  • Transport

    Private Drive

  • Region/Type

    Day Hike Around In Kathmandu
  • Best Season:

    • All Year Round

Champadevi Day Hike Overview

Champadevi Hill is a famous hiking trail near and around Kathmandu Valley and one of the best destinations for a day trip. With a height of 2285 meters, this hill is the third tallest peak encircling the Kathmandu valley. 

Champadevi is named after the Champadevi temple which is devoted to Goddess Champa Devi, one of the various forms of Goddess Parvati or Durga. The sacred Hindu site is located at the top of the hill. It is said that it guards the valley against evils which is also called Champawati. 

This day hiking through lovely chilly alpine woods to Champadevi top provides a unique opportunity to see the entire Kathmandu Valley from a panoramic view. Not only can we see the Kathmandu valley, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts, but we can also get the sight of Kirtipur, Pharping village, and Dakshinkali Temple. Mountain peaks such as Mt. Ganesh, Mt. Langtang Lirung, Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Gaurishankar, and Mt. Everest can all be seen from this hiking site. We will also enjoy fantastic views over the villages of Bungmati and Khokana, Patan Durbar Square, Lake Taudaha, and Swayambhunath Stupa. 

The Champadevi Hiking trails are well-managed and maintained that usually begin in Hattiban resort, which is 20 kilometers from the city. The journey is the best option for all-level hikers who are looking forward to getting away from Kathmandu's hustle and bustle in near proximity. 

Champadevi Day Hike Highlights

  • Wonderful hike to the third-highest hill station encircling the Kathmandu Valley 
  • A day full of peacefulness away from the city's hustle and bustle
  • Admire the breathtaking mountain and green hill vistas
  • Get a glimpse of villages like Bungmati and Khokana along with the Bagmati River, Patan Durbar Square, Taudaha Lake, and Swayambhunath Temple 

Best Time to do Champadevi Day Hike

Hiking in Champadevi is possible throughout the year. In fact, each season offers a variety of experiences that are unique and pleasing. However, the months of spring and autumn (March, April, May, September, October, and November) and December to early January are considered the best. The weather is clear, days are lovely and warm, mornings and evenings are cool, and the views of the mountains and surroundings are spectacular during these months. 

The hiking can be done in the monsoon months of June, July, August, and early September too. But, be ready for cloudy and rainy days with slick trails and obstructed views.

Itinerary in Details

1: Drive to Pharping & Hike to Champadevi Hill

🕑 2 Hours Return Drive & 5/6 Hours Walk

Max Altitude: 2285 M

We will pick you up at the hotel in the morning and drive for an hour to Pharping or the Hattiban Resort gate to start the hiking journey to the Champadevi Hill station. Once we take a short tea break in Pharping, we start walking along the trail through a lovely pine forest.  

The climb to the top of the ridge at 2285 meters will take two and a half hours. The majority of the trek is along the ridge, which provides a wonderful view of the Kathmandu valley and Himalayan range from Manaslu to the west and Gaurishankar to the east. We can also sight the mountains such as Mt. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Himal, Jugal Himal, etc. 

After spending the needed amount of time at the summit, we will retrace the trail back to the Hattiban resort from where we will drive further to Kathmandu. 
If time allows, we will visit Taudaha Lake in the evening before making our way to Kathmandu.

The alternative route to Champadevi Hill:   Champadevi Hill via Chandragiri Route 

Champadevi Hiking via the Chandragiri route is a full-day hiking trip. Early in the morning, we drive to Thankot and take a cable car ride to reach the Chandragiri temple. We will take a stroll around the temple and start the 2-3 hours long hike with a gentle climb towards Bhasmasur Hill located at 2496 m. This hill also offers a great view of the Kathmandu valley and the Himalayas. Then after one hour of climbing from Bhasmasur, we will reach the top of Champadevi Hill where we will pray in Champadevi Hill, enjoy the views, and eat our picnic lunch. 

Then, we hike to Hattiban Resort, which takes 1–2 hours and includes both downhill and uphill sections. From the resort, we drive back to the designated drop-off point in Kathmandu.

Meals: Lunch & Snacks

Includes

  • Private Transportation (Kathmandu-Pharping-Kathmandu)
  • Experience English Speaking Hiking Guide
  • Mineral water during the tour
  • Lunch during the hike
  • Applicable government taxes

Excludes

  • Breakfast and Dinner
  • Personal expenses, Tips and etc.
  • Hiking gear
  • Travel, Medical insurance, and first aid kit
  • Anything not mentioned in the inclusion

Accommodation

Accommodations for Day Hike to Champadevi Kathmandu

Since day hikes are single-day trips, it doesn’t require accommodations so it is not included in the package. However, we offer 3-star category accommodation with breakfast on a twin/double sharing basis. But the accommodation can be modified as per the traveler’s interest, budget and availability. Luxurious resorts, standard hotels to comfortable guesthouses, lodges, and homestays are available in Kathmandu.  

Meals for Day Hike to Champadevi Kathmandu

Generally, if the location we are hiking towards consists of restaurants or cafes then we will have our meals and tea/coffee in those local restaurants/cafes. But if the destination doesn’t have any restaurants then our guide will take a packed lunchbox both veg and non-veg as per the traveler's choice, and a water bottle with him/her. We will enjoy the hygienically packed lunch overlooking the mesmerizing scenery seen from the hilltop. 

GearList

Clothing/Equipment/Gear for Champadevi Day Hike Kathmandu

Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by beautiful hill stations around its perimeter. So it is of no surprise that Kathmandu is really popular for day hikes. Champadevi is the third highest hill surrounding Kathmandu Valley located at an altitude of 2285 meters above sea level. To help you pack efficiently, we have prepared a gear list for Champadevi Hike based on seasons. Nepal has four primary seasons:-

Winter: Winter in Nepal falls in January and February. It starts getting cooler after Christmas. The temperature is usually 0-4°C in the morning, 10-12°C at noon, and -1 to 0°C at night. So if you are planning to hike here any time after Christmas to the end of February then we suggest you wear long-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies or sweater/fleece, windproof and preferably waterproof jackets because Phulchowki has temporary snowfall during winter. Similarly, we suggest wearing beanies/hats, gloves, trousers, sports shoes/hiking hoots, and thermals if you prefer an extra layer of warmth. Carrying a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking poles would be ideal.  

Spring: March to May are spring in Nepal. The temperature in these months during the morning ranges from 10-12°C, 22-24°C at noon, and 14-16°C at night. Since the weather is pleasant during spring, apart from the basic essentials mentioned below, all you need is some casual shirts, shorts or trousers, a couple of long sleeves, sports shoes/hiking boots, a water bottle, sunscreen, sun hat/cap, sunglasses, and an overall/light jacket because it might get a bit chilly at the top. 

Summer/Monsoon: June, July, August, and September are summer months in Nepal. But we have a summer monsoon that occurs from Mid-June to Mid-September. The temperature of Kathmandu ranges from 18-20 °C in the morning, 28-32°C at noon, and 16-18°C at night. We do not suggest you hike while raining but apart that that, Summer Hiking in Phulchowki is ideal too.  So, besides the regular items mentioned below, casual cotton wears, sunglasses, a sun hat/cap, an umbrella, or a raincoat are some essentials for the summer. Because this hike takes place in a lush forest, there might be some leeches if it rains the previous night. These leeches aren’t harmful but might cause nuisance so the trick is to carry salt and if leeches try and stick to your body then you could sprinkle salt.  

Autumn/Fall: October, November, and December are autumn in Nepal. It is the best time for the Phulchowki hike due to the delightful weather and visibility of beautiful vistas seen along the way and from the hilltop. The temperature of Phulchowki during fall ranges from 8-10 °C in the morning, 22-25°C at noon, and 5-7°C at night. December is comparatively cooler than the other two months. While hiking around Kathmandu during fall, you would be good to go with fleece/sweater or hoodies, hat/beanie, shawl/scarf, trousers, long-sleeved shirts, light jackets, or overalls, a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking boots or sports shoes.

Reviews

Marvin

Sweden

Excellent!

We found the agency via the Internet and only had a small time window of two special days. So I wrote Raj when and what to do and he organised everything we wanted.
We had a very good guide who was understanding and speaking English fluently. We managed to finish the hike in less than the planned time but it was a very good tour with great views!

Alec

Netherlands

Hiking Champadevi during Monsoon season

I was in Kathmandu on business with only one day set aside to get out and see the sights. I chose Champadevi because it wasn't too long or short, and it is supposed to have amazing views of the Kathmandu Valley and of the higher mountain ranges (though with Monsoon cloud cover, we couldn't see the Himalayas, bad timing on my part). The views from the rim of the Valley were exactly as billed, and my guide Madan was awesome every step of the way. My only advice is to bring leech socks during Monsoon, as they are everywhere during that season. I'd definitely come back and do this hike again in the dryer season, with no leeches and fewer slippery rocks. Either way, absolutely worth it.

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