By now you’ll be nicely adjusted to Nepal time, making an early wake-up for an epic mountain sunrise all the more appealing. Add coffee and an excellent breakfast and it doesn’t get any better! Full of energy, we’ll hike a stunning ridgeline and jungle path to Nala. Mostly descending, we’ll pass typical Tamang villages learning about subsistence living and the challenges these people face - you wouldn’t know it though, as we’re greeted with beaming smiles around every corner. We’ll stop at a local home to share some masala tea and show you what a typical Tamang home interior looks like. It’s a short drive onwards to Bhaktapur for lunch, and a chance to explore another of the medieval city-states of the Kathmandu Valley. You’ll see here in the ‘City of Culture’ some of the devastating damage caused by the 2015 earthquake. But there’s plenty still standing including many pagodas, shrines, carved wood columns and temples. After dinner, your trip leader will brief you on the Bhutan adventure to come.
Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 meters (4,600 feet)
Marriott Hotel, Kathmandu (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Hiking: 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), 2-3 hours, elevation + 115 meters (380 feet) / - 310 meters (1020 feet)