Day in Nature

Featuring the nearest national park of the world from the capital city
Tour Code: NTH01
Country: Nepal

Suitable for anyone with limited time, this hike to Shivapuri national park is a perfect getaway to experience the nature in its best for anyone. This walk provides one with pristine nature surrounded by its soothing fragrance and serenity that can be very healing from the torn and torture of the modern life. On a clear day the mountain views in the north and bird's eye view of Kathmandu valley from the summit is extremely astonishing.
"The park is very rich in its bio-diversity that spread over the summit. The floras include alder, Schima and Castanopsis at lower part and Rhododendron, Oaks and Pine trees at higher. The animals like Black Panther, Common Leopard, Wild Boar, Muntjac, Rhesus and Common Langur monkeys forms the main fauns of parks along with over 300 species of birds, which includes some endangered and rare species.

The hike

For this enchanting tour, we take a short drive (20 minute) to the entrance of park and start walking right away after being getting a ticket. There walk or hike is through the national parks dirt road, which will be used below the nunnery The walk can be stretched up to the summit or to the Buddhist nunnery monastery, during which we can get ample chance to enjoy and view the nature along with the birds' call and song. There is great chance to see and hear the birds like White-crested Laughing Thrushes, Golden-spectacled Warbler, Mountain Bulbul, White-colored Blackbird, Long-tailed Broadbill, Hill Prinia, Great Barbet, Grey-hooded Warblers, Mountain Bulbul and numerous species around us, which make our day very enthused and enjoyable.
After lunch we continue our hike to the summit and descend down steeply to the exit the park at Narayanthan to drive back to Kathmandu in the afternoon at about 4-5pm.

Essential Information

Useful things to take along

Drinking water, camera, sunhat with sun cream, a pair of binocular and field guide of birds and animals of Nepal, Notebook with pen or pencil

What to expect

The main objective of this walk is to enjoy and experience the adventure with nature. Walking into the nature also requires some form of patience and alertness to be able to find, hear and experience the nature in its best. There is always a good chance to encounter the wildlife around and sighting of rare species of birds is great moment but we cannot guarantee the sighting. The walk though the natural and lush forest of Castanopsis, Alder and Rhododendrons will be always enriching.

Level of grade ~ leisurely nature/adventure trips

This tour involves a day hike to the summit (2650m) of the Shivapuri, the 2nd highest valley rim hill which, can take about 5-6 hours in a pure walking pace but it all depends on the individual how he/she wish to take it, make stops to enjoy the nature etc. The walking at some points can be strenuous but the rewarding experience by nature is wonderful even in this short trip to the nature.

Best Season or time

Shivapuri national park located within the very reach of most people for short time can be visited or hiked through out the year. In terms of more stable weather condition, the best time months to hike up are the months of Oct to May and June at some extent.

Shivapuri National Park

Shivapuri National Park {144 sq km) is situated on the northern fringe of Kathmandu valley and lies about 12 km away from the center of capital city. The area was gazetted as the country's ninth national park in 2002. Prior its declaration as national park, it was managed under the Shivapuri Watershed Development Board, and was later declared as Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve.

Map of Shivapuri National Park

Flora and Fauna

It’s amazing that this small park embrace wealth of natural diversity. Shivapuri national park being in a transition zone between subtropical and temperate climates, the vegetation consists of a array of natural forest, including pine, oak and rhododendron. Diverse wildlife recorded in the park consists of various mammalian species such as Himalayan Black bear, common leopard, jungle cat, and rhesus monkey. The park is also home to 318 species of birds, including at least 9 threatened species, 102 species of butterflies with a number of rare and endangered species, and 129 species of mushroom.

Water Resources

Shivapuri is one of the main sources of drinking water for Kathmandu Valley. Everyday about 30 million liters of water is tapped from rivers such as the Bagmati and the Bishnumati as well as from several other smaller streams.

Cultural importance

Several religious sites for the Hindus and the Buddhists lie inside the park. On Nepalese New Year's Day, which falls in mid-April, pilgrims from Kathmandu valley and neighboring areas flock to Baghdwar and Bishnudwar of the park from where the sacred rivers Bagmati and Bishnumatii originate. Source: Department of national parks and wildlife conservation, Nepal.

Views

As we climb higher towards the Shivapuri summit, the bird’s eye view of Kathmandu valley is very impressive in the south. The mountain view with rolling hills towards the north from the summit is breathtaking. The mountain visible includes Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal range and Jugal Himal rages.

Departure days and price

Days: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Cost: US$ 55 / person (minimum 2 person required)

Inclusion

. Private transportation to and from Pani Muhan
. Pack lunch
. Shivapuri national park entrance fee
. An English-speaking nature guide

For further information please mail us at: info@nature-treks.com