Valley Vistas

Grade 1 2 3 4 5
Grade 2 – Moderate
Treks in the foothills and the middle-hills going up to 10,000ft / 3,000m. Trails are mostly gentle and wide, but at times may involve more difficult stretches like a steep stone staircase. Average walking is 5 - 6 hours a day.

Click here for a full explanation of Trip Difficulty Grading

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Trek Difficulty Grading

Our treks vary from easy hikes in the foothills to challenging climbing adventures in the high Himalaya. More often than not, we use trails that have since ancient times been the only link between villages, settlements, and their inhabitants. The trails may take you through a well-inhabited area with many villages and tea-shops, or through a mountain wilderness without a single permanent settlement for days, but one thing is certain: there'll be lots of ups and downs as we walk from one Himalayan valley to another. Treks are graded on the basis of altitude, trails, walking hours per day, and length of trek.

Grade 1 – Easy
Treks in the foothills staying below 6,500ft / 2,000m. Trails are relatively gentle & wide, and average walking is 3 - 4 hours a day.
Grade 2 – Moderate
Treks in the foothills and the middle-hills going up to 10,000ft / 3,000m. Trails are mostly gentle and wide, but at times may involve more difficult stretches like a steep stone staircase. Average walking is 5 - 6 hours a day.
Grade 3 – Challenging
Fairly demanding treks, usually in the high Himalaya, going up to 13,000ft / 4,000m. Trails can be ill defined, narrow, steep, and rocky, and will usually take you into uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas. Average walking is 6 - 7 hours a day.
Grade 4 – Demanding
These treks require participants to be in excellent health. They take you into the high Himalaya, altitudes ranging from 9,000ft / 2,800m to often in excess of 16,500ft / 5,000m. Trails venture into sparsely populated or uninhabited high-mountain wilderness, and are often ill defined, occasionally on glacial moraines. Average walking is 6 - 9 hours a day.
Note on altitudes
The altitude definitions indicate elevations through the major part of the trek. Treks usually involve side-trips into elevations exceeding the altitude ranges defined for their grades. Grade 3 and grade 4 trek itineraries are designed to allow proper acclimatization, with acclimatization days when we take side trips to higher elevations where necessary.

 

3-day lodge trek in the Eastern Kathmandu valley rim
  • 3 days moderate hiking in the foothills
  • Superb panoramas of the Himalaya and the Kathmandu Valley
  • Plentiful cultural encounters with the rural Valley rim dwellers
  • Visit Namo Buddha, Dhulikhel, and Nagarkot
A three-day lodge trek making an arc in the eastern valley rim through the famed vantage points of Dhulikhel and Nagarkot. Starting in the ancient Newar town of Panauti, we ascend gently to Dhulikhel, visiting the monastery at Namo Buddha en route. The next day we climb onto a forested ridge with great views and continue to Nagarkot. We finish on the third day walking down to Sankhu, from where it’s an hour’s scenic drive to Kathmandu.

Valley Vistas is an excellent sampling of trekking in Nepal.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1  Drive to Panauti (1,464m /4,800′); after exploring town, hike to Dhulikhel (1,500m /4,920′) via Namo Buddha.
Day 2  Trek to Nagarkot (1,985m / 6,510′) via Nala.
Day 3  Finish hike at Sankhu (1,382m /4,530′); drive to Kathmandu.

Dates and Pricing
We offer fixed-date departures every Thursday and Sunday from October through May. We also operate a Monsoon version of this trip -- check with us for dates.
  Standard Hotels
2 or more personsUS$ 175
Single room supplement US$ 40
Cost Information
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Cost Information

The trip cost quoted is the cost per person, and includes:

  • Hotels: Accommodations in Kathmandu and Pokhara on twin / triple room-sharing basis with breakfast.
  • Tours: Sightseeing tours indicated with a certified English-speaking guide.
  • Transfers: All land transfers by car (Toyota Corolla or similar) or van (Toyota Hiace or similar).
  • Trekking: Room-sharing accommodation in local lodges, all meals, services of trek crew (guide, sherpa(s), and porter(s) to carry all luggage & equipment), applicable trekking / ACAP permit / National Park entry fees.
  • Permits, Fees, & Taxes: All applicable permits, entry fees, and taxes.
  • Trek leader: We provide a trek leader on groups of six or more. A tour leader can be provided upon request for smaller groups, upon additional cost.

Not included in the cost are:

  • Meals other than indicated.
  • Flights: All internal flights are extra. Internal airfares indicated are subject to change without notice.
  • Personal clothing & equipment (upon confirmation you’ll receive a clothing & necessity checklist of items we recommend you bring, items you can hire / purchase locally are indicated).
  • Personal expenses, bottled / alcoholic beverages, and tips to crew.
  • Insurance: We strongly recommend that all trip participants be covered by their own personal insurance that also covers emergency evacuation.
  • Other unforeseeable expenses that may arise due to factors beyond our control, like bad weather or flight cancellations.
  • Nepal visa fee.

 
  Standard Hotels
DhulikhelDhulikhel Village Resort
NagarkotStupa View Resort
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Suggested Trips

Southern Settlements