Nagarkot Sunrise — 2 Days

There is no direct public bus from Kathmandu to Nagarkot. Take a Bhaktapur bus from Ratna Park, then change at the Kamal Binayak bus park in Bhaktapur for the ridge. A private car or taxi goes straight up if you would rather not change.

The afternoon is yours to settle in, and it matters where. Nearly all the accommodation is strung along the ridge road facing the mountains, so book somewhere with an east- or north-facing terrace and you will not have to walk anywhere at dawn. A gentle loop trail circles the ridge itself if you want an hour among the pines before dark.

Bring a layer more than you think you need. The ridge is noticeably colder than Kathmandu, and the crisp air that makes it cold is what makes the peaks visible.

Wake in the dark. From your terrace or from the view tower at the ridge's highest point (2,164 m), watch the horizon run from Dhaulagiri in the west, across the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and Langtang, to Gaurishankar and a small, unmistakable Everest in the east. October to March is the most reliable window; summer mornings are a lottery. Everest here is a distant triangle, not a wall. What Nagarkot gives you is breadth.

After breakfast, walk down. The classic route drops west off the ridge through pine forest, millet terraces and Tamang villages to Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in the Kathmandu Valley: three to four unhurried hours, downhill nearly all the way.

From Changu Narayan it is a short ride on to Bhaktapur. Give the rest of the afternoon to the Durbar Square, Taumadhi and the Nyatapola, and the Potters' Square, then catch a bus back to Kathmandu.

If you would rather walk further, the day-long Nagarkot to Dhulikhel ridge traverse is the ambitious alternative, and Dhulikhel has buses back to Kathmandu.