Nagarkot sunrise and the hike to Changu Narayan: which tour and what to expect
4 min read
The short answer
For most people the Nagarkot Sunrise View & Morning Hike with Lunch is the one to book: it lets you choose a group or private option, with or without the hike, and the page says a lunch box is included for all full-day options. You leave your hotel in the dark, watch the sunrise from the Nagarkot View Tower, then walk down through villages to the Changu Narayan temple. If you only want the view, the first two tours below offer a sunrise-only option.
The tours compared
| Tour | Duration | Guide | Group type | From price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagarkot Sunrise View & Morning Hike with Lunch | 4–7.5 hours | English, Hindi; hiking guide only on the hike option | Private or small groups | €4.51 per person | 4.8 / 5 from 319 reviews |
| Sunrise & Hike to Changu Narayan, Private/Group | 3.5–7 hours | English | Private; group needs at least two people | €2.71 per person | 4.9 / 5 from 161 reviews |
| Sunrise and Hike to Changu Narayan | 4–7 hours | English | Private only | €13.53 per person | 4.8 / 5 from 173 reviews |
| Everest View from Nagarkot & Hike to Changu | 6–6.5 hours | English, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi | Private or small groups | €38.54 per person | 4.7 / 5 from 179 reviews |
How the morning runs
On the first tour the pickup is between 4:00 and 5:30 am, depending on the season, and the exact time arrives the day before; if nothing has reached you by 9 pm, the page tells you to contact the operator by call or WhatsApp. The drive to Nagarkot takes about an hour on that itinerary (the Everest View tour says 1.5 hours), you spend an hour or more at the viewpoint, and the hike from Nagarkot to Changu Narayan follows. The pages give it as about three hours; one of them also mentions 12 kilometres and 4–6 hours, so treat the lower figure as a best case. The hike ends near the temple, and a drive back to the hotel takes roughly another hour.
What is not included
On the first and second tours, the entrance fee for Changu Narayan (about USD 3, according to both pages) and a breakfast at Club Himalaya are not included; the pages say to tell the guide if you want to enter the temple. Breakfast is not included on the third tour either, and its page suggests asking your hotel for a packed breakfast. The sunrise-only option has no guide, just an English-speaking driver. The Everest View tour lists lunch in Changu village at a local restaurant in its description; ask whether it is in the price before you rely on it.
The honest part: the mountains may not show
Three of the four pages say the same thing in different words: the sunrise and mountain views depend on weather and cannot be guaranteed, and the first page adds that views from June to September depend largely on the weather. A reviewer on the first tour writes that their morning was cloudy but they still saw some mountains. Plan for the walk and the villages as the part you will definitely get.
Who should skip it
The first tour lists babies under one year and people over 95 as unsuitable and describes the hike as moderately easy with basic fitness; the second lists people with a low level of fitness and mentions uneven trails and downhill terrain; the Everest View tour lists pregnant women, people with back problems and wheelchair users. Wearing walking shoes is advised on all of them. This is not a good choice if you hate early starts: a pickup before 5:30 am is the price of the view.
Our recommendation
Take the Nagarkot Sunrise View & Morning Hike with Lunch and pick the private option if you are two or more and want to set the pace. Choose the Everest View from Nagarkot if you want a guide who speaks Japanese or Chinese.
