Day Hike / Kathmandu Valley / Nepal

Namobuddha Monastery and Balthali Village Hike

6±1 hrs

Moderate

USD 76USD 76

Perched on the eastern horizon of Kathmandu valley lies mystical and peaceful Namobuddha Monastery, complemented by a backdrop of the mighty Himalayas and pristine trails through secluded backcountry.

Overview

6±1 hrs Total Duration

14±2 Km Total Distance

Kathmandu Trip Start Point

Kathmandu Trip Finish Point

Moderate Difficulty Level

Perched on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, this immersive hike leads to the serene Namobuddha Monastery in time to witness the rhythmic morning or evening prayers with resident monks. Surrounded by sweeping Himalayan views and quiet forested trails, the journey continues downhill through traditional Tamang settlements to the peaceful countryside of Balthali Village, offering an authentic glimpse into rural life and timeless landscapes.

Highlights

	The revered Namobuddha Monastery, one of the largest in Kathmandu valley and likely the most photogenic
	Panorama of mountains seen from the ridge and monastery of Namobuddha
	Peaceful farm walks through 6km of pleasant, gradual downhill from Namobuddha to Balthali
	Views of rugged hilly landscapes of Phulchowki and her foothills seen on the way down to Eklekhet
	Pristine villages with old Nepali houses, and traditional lifestyle
	Plenty of Buddhist temples and Buddhist chhortens along the way
	Walking over suspension bridge in the deep ravines of Eklekhet
	Finishing at a resort in Balthali with quite a Nepali postcard scenery of farms, houses, forests and mountains

Group Size	Price per person
1 to 3	Inquire
4 to 7	USD 76
8 and above	USD 65

Scroll to price details

Prices

Group Size	Price per person
1 to 3	Inquire
4 to 7	USD 76
8 and above	USD 65

Last day to sign up and pay: Friday 5pm

Cancellation and Refund Policy

100% refund by Thursday 10am
50% refund from Thursday 10am to Friday 5pm
No refund after Friday 5pm
No refund for no show on hike day

Payments are non-transferrable between people and across hikes as all costs will have incurred.

No shows will result in full payment in dues transferrable to next hike, and are non-refundable

Includes

	Transportation Pick up from pre-determined locations to trailhead Drop off from finish point back to the city
	Food Sandwich (for group of 6 & up, if not Rs 500 reimbursed) Potato chips and cheese balls Hydration (water and electrolytes)
	Crew Lead guide (with first aid kit) Assistant guide, support guide and sweeper (all with first aid kit)
	Misc Government taxes Admin, arrangement, trail designing and services

Excludes

Additional food
Soda, tea/coffee and alcoholic beverages (Please bring small change)
Travel Insurance
Tips/gratuities for hike guides (10 to 15% of trip price is recommended)
Taxi cost if you need to cut the hike short for any reason

Important Details

Hiking format

Distance, duration and pace Depending on gradient and terrain, full day hikes are generally 14±2 kms, or 8±1.5 mi, totaling 6±1 hrs. The hikes are slow- to medium-paced, designed as a social day out in nature, rather than a fast-paced workout or brisk walk. We will be hiking at a pace of ~3.5kmph / 2mph, not accounting for breaks. The guide in front will set the pace and decide when to take breaks. We need to ensure we move as a group and that nobody is left behind or worse, lost.

Trail Our hiking trails are thoroughly scouted and meticulously designed. There will be a good mix of farms, villages, culture, jungles and views on undulating trails. The guide team makes a final safety check on Thursday (reserving Friday as contingency to make any changes if needed), and clear any shady bits of trails of bushes and thorns, slippery pine needles, etc. Where the trail is steep, we make steps. We ensure the trails are as safe as they are fun.

Breaks There will be one lunch break (30 to 45mins), two loo/view/breath breaks (15mins each), and a few short pauses (2-5mins).

Loo When nature calls, we find a bush – at least in many cases. Shops and eateries can be scarce on the trails (your guide will let you know), but do carry toilet paper in case you need to do your business mid hike.

Finish point We generally stop at a nice cafe or resort, so you can unwind, buy a drink or two and use the loo. Based on what everybody prefers this leisure time can be between 30mins to 1hr.

Food

There’s one stop for lunch and a couple smaller ones for tea with a view. You’re welcome to purchase additional food from shops along the way. Your guide will let you know where shops are, and will carry extra drinking water as reserve.

Sandwich Options are vegetarian or chicken. If fewer than 6 participants, we will exclude sandwiches and refund Rs. 500. This is because there is a minimum order.

Chips/crisps Homemade chips from Patan

Cheese balls Everybody’s favorite

Sour patches Oriental sour patches (titaura)

Transportation

Type of vehicle All ground transportation is on reserved and private vehicles.

Pickup locations and schedule For convenience, we have several pick up locations (see Itinerary). Pickup schedule will be finalized and sent to you via WhatsApp on Friday night, around 8pm. (This is because we cannot make the schedule until sign ups are sealed.)

Drop off route While the drop off locations will be the same, the route might be different, depending on which ring road exit is taken.

Crew

We are a bunch of trail rats who love to explore the outdoors and have been scouting trails (more than we should) all over Kathmandu valley. We have found some really interesting ones that we are eager to share with you in a safe, fun and organized manner. We’ll do our best to give you, your family and friends a great day out in the outdoors.

Pace guide At the front of the pack, the pace guide will – you guessed it – set the walking pace. Depending on the situation, this guide will also make calls for breaks and pauses, to close the gap between hikers. Again, this is a slow-medium hike, not to be confused with a workout. So please do not overtake the pace guide – to keep the group together and not to miss a turn.

Support guides They are dotted in mid pack. Any time you need a hand or water or anything, they’ll be there.

Sweeper guide Sweeper guide will be right at the end, making sure everybody is accounted for.

Extra cash to carry

Expenses Please bring loose change to keep maths simple if you’d like to purchase anything from shops/resorts along the way. Depending on the hike, we will likely finish at a cafe or resort where you can buy a drink, maybe two.

Tipping Tips will be centrally collected and handed to the guides before we head back. Each participant is requested to put aside a few hundred rupees (10 to 15% of the trip price) for tipping.

Checklist

All you need is a good pair of shoes. Rest are details.

What to pack

•	Light trail shoes (no sandals or slippers)
•	Hiking pants and rain jacket
•	Water bottle

•	Small backpack
•	Toilet paper
•	UV Sunglasses and Sunscreen
•	Hiking poles

Sign Up

1. Drop us a line

Send us a message using any of the methods below. Please also mention:

Full name
Pickup location (see Pickups in Itinerary section)
Allergies, if any
Choice of sandwich (chicken or veg)
For group registrations, please mention names and details of each member in the same message, specifying if anyone is 17 y/o or under.

2. Clear Payments

Deadline to pay: Friday 5pm (one day before hike). To confirm your spot, please clear all payments. For online app payments, please clearly mention names of all hikers you’re paying for (family members, friends, etc).

If you have a Nepali bank account or Esewa, you can scan to Von Kathmandu’s bank QR

payment_QR_vonKathmandu

If you don’t have a Nepali bank, you can pay by your credit card (Visa or Mastercard):

See Prices section for cancellation and refund policies

3. Show up on time

That’s about it. Please show up on time with the required hiking gear. We don’t want to keep anyone waiting. The Itinerary section details all timings, including pickups and contact for the same. See you on the trails!

Hiking and trekking with vonKathmandu has been the highlight of my life since moving to Nepal. The trek I went on with this company was an amazing experience and I can’t say enough about how wonderful everything was planned.

Cameron Monti

VonKathmandu provides a personal touch. They want you to have a wonderful time because they are passionate about the mountains and trekking themselves.

Tom Pellens

They really went above and beyond to ensure we had an epic journey, from making sure we had all our needs met, to celebrating special occasions, to making sure we had the closest table to the warm stove!

Cabaku

I have used several other trekking guides in Nepal and although nearly all of them have been very good, vonKathmandu is the best.

Sally Templeton

I’ve been taking hikes with them for three years, and they just keep getting better. Always great views and great company. Totally recommend vonKathmandu.

Bindi Borg

Thank you introducing us to Tanzing. We had awesome time with him. He is a great guy and so much fun. Rich

Rich and Pat

We had the most fantastic time! Thank you so much for everything!!!!! We are blown away by the beauty of the country, the hospitality of the people, the rich culture and nature. Phunu is just fantastic!!!

Verena Eberhard

Von Kathmandu was so good to us and took us on so many fun adventures. We hiked with them to Namobuddha, Bungamati, and Pilot Baba Ashram, all of which were stunning

Georgia R

Wonderful experience and exceptional organization! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will definitely be signing up for another hike.

Curiosity30697130296

We had a most outstanding 9 days trip to Mohare and around Pokhara. Congrats also for the very knowledgeable and smart organizational skills of team vonkathmandu that made these days very special to us. We will come back!

Stephan and Malena Grabherr

Von Kathmandu looked after every detail from the start to the end of our wonderful trek up to Kanjin at the top of the Langtang trail. We had an excellent guide (Ramesh Tamang who spoke good English and was extremely knowledgeable). We will come again and use their great services soon.

Andy Brown

The hike was absolutely fantastic. Great team, great views and landscape, professional organization, super care… You guys do a perfect job. It can’t get more professional than that.

Carolin Spannuth Verma

Outside the busy season, we had the opportunity to sit with the locals around the wood fire ovens and to listen to their stories about bears raiding the village..

Sabrina Schmidt Koschella

And we received the best care ever from our guide Phura Sherpa as well as the porters Suresh and Uttarman. (While I don’t speak Nepali, I loved listening to Phura sing while we hiked. An added bonus!)

Anna Ruth

Amazing hikes with great people. You can tell a lot of thought and planning goes into creating the most interesting route possible.

Chris Hofmann

Good friendly and safety conscious guides and the bonus is that the guides are snapping away all day taking high quality photos which they share after the walk.

David Masters

They were well-organized, effective, and fun in their approach!

Sonya Martin

Super well organized- you don’t have to think- just enjoy the incredible scenery. Great chance to meet new folks. What a great way to spend the day- out of the city in nature.

Kimberly Waller

Vonkathmandu knows how to accommodate your wishes and tailors the programme accordingly with great flexibility and a personal touch. We had a great trek to Pikey Peak!

Arjanne Rietsema

They know the best trails in Kathmandu valley, honed with week after week of recce hiking. Together they bring some of the best crew and do not compromise on the quality of service.

Raj Gyawali

The thing that I love about vonKathmandu is that they take care of each and every small detail for you, you just have to show up for an adventure. They know the hills / mountains, they know the good spots to take in the views and they really make the whole thing worth your while.

Shruti Sharma

Throughout the whole trip I always felt well supported by vonKathmandu, whenever I had a question they answered it right away and they were always caring about how I was doing. I would highly recommend to do your Nepal trip with those guys, they are just great

Milan Marck

Glad to discover new places to hike through local villages and the different ridges, very professionally done from the pre-trip info, briefing, logistics etc! Thank you!

Katherine Mah

Huge fan of the day hikes! They offer a fantastic break from the city to hike for hours through beautiful, pristine landscapes, but you still sleep in our own bed afterwards.

Erika Hoffman

Well organized, friendly people, great safe trails and you get to meet lots of interesting people. Plus the views are always spectacular!

Tara Ealy

Stunning views of sprawling terraces and seas of yellow mustard flowers. Highly recommend, and will be certain to travel through von Kathmandu on my next trip.

Nathaniel Glidden

Amazing experience! One of the most beautiful hikes I’ve been on, and I never would have been able to find it by myself.

Anna Hamilton

Fun hike, the crew members are very accommodating participants’ needs, well-organised, great way to discover the beauty of the Valley. Highly recommended!

Pungky Utami

Great team and amazing landscapes! Highly recommend this experience. Very well prepared guides were always kind and helpful.

Gabriel de Carvalho Morand

Perfect intro to the wonders of Kathmandu Valley and surrounding moutain ridges. A nice, friendly and well organised group.

Rob Fielding

Namobuddha Monastery and Balthali Village Hike