Nagarkot

Nagarkot sits at around 2,175 metres on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu valley, and its whole purpose is the view: on a clear morning the Himalaya show along the northern horizon in a long line, from Annapurna in the west through Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang and Dorje Lakpa to Everest in the far east, which is why the ridge is covered in hotels whose rooms face north and whose guests get up before dawn. The mountains are visible only when the air is clear, which in practice means the months after the monsoon and before the spring haze. Walking trails run along the ridge and down through villages to Changu Narayan and Sankhu, which is the better way to spend the day after the sunrise.

What you actually see

• The Himalayan line - Annapurna to Everest along the northern horizon.
• Sunrise from the ridge - the reason almost everyone stays overnight.
• Ridge walking - trails down to Changu Narayan and Sankhu.
• Terraced hillsides - the farmed slopes below the viewpoint.

When to go

October to December gives the clearest air and the highest chance of the full range; the view is frequently absent from March to September. Staying overnight is necessary since the clarity is a dawn phenomenon.

Honest expectations

The mountains are often invisible, and many visitors see only cloud after making the trip and getting up at five. The ridge is heavily built up with hotels of varying quality. Everest is a small distant tooth, not a dominant peak, and is often mistaken.

Nearby

Bhaktapur lies west; Dhulikhel is south along the rim.