The Champadevi day hike is a guided walk from Kathmandu to Champadevi Hill, a ridge top of about 2,280m on the south-western rim of the valley. We drive to Pharping, climb for 3 to 3.5 hours through pine forest to the small temple of the goddess, then walk down the far side to Hattiban in about 2 hours. That is 5 to 6 hours on foot inside a day of roughly 8 hours from hotel to hotel, with lunch and rests. It is the Champadevi hike from Kathmandu to book when you want a full day in the hills and a top where people still come to pray.
The Pharping to Champadevi hike starts at the upper edge of the village, 45 minutes to an hour from your hotel by private vehicle. The climb gains roughly 600 to 700m over 5 to 6 km, and the whole walk comes to about 10 km. Trip reports from the Pharping side mention a rest at Deurali, about 45 minutes below the shrine, where hikers eat their dry snacks before the last push. We stop there too. Our guide takes every fork for you, so the Champadevi hiking trail needs no map. Past the shrine the path drops for about 2 hours to Hattiban Resort, where the vehicle waits, and the drive back to the city takes around 30 minutes.
The temple at the top is small. Champadevi is a local goddess, the hill is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, and Newar families have walked up to worship here for centuries. Prayer flags hang around the clearing, and the path passes other shrines and stupas on the way. Bring a small offering if you want to make one. Your guide will show you where to leave it and when to keep quiet. The clearing around the Champadevi temple blocks the view, so the open viewpoint is a short walk beyond it. From there, on a clear morning, you see the valley floor, Chandragiri on one side and Phulchowki on the other, and a line of snow peaks that includes Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Dorje Lakpa and Gaurishankar. Everest shows far to the east in the best months, and some hikers pick out Annapurna on the western horizon.
Pharping deserves a slow hour on its own. Asura Cave is where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated, and Yangleshö Cave sits inside a monastery complex nearby. Dakshinkali, the Kali temple where the Bagmati and Nakhu rivers meet, is 10 to 15 minutes beyond Pharping. Animal sacrifices take place there on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, and the temple is far quieter on other days. Ask us and we will fit either stop into your day. The ridge also continues to Chandragiri (2,551m) over Bhasmasur hill. Chandragiri Hills' own trail guide puts that walk at 5 to 6 hours, and a cable car runs from Thankot to the top. Both are available on request and priced at booking, because fares and hours change.
Three other day hikes start from the same city, and each answers a different wish. For the highest hill on the valley rim, take Phulchowki Hiking Kathmandu, a 1,200m climb through rhododendron and bird forest. For the shortest walk, Nagarjun Hill Day Hiking reaches Jamacho in 3 to 4 hours. Our Day Hiking collection lists all of them. Champadevi is longer and quieter than Nagarjun, a smaller climb than Phulchowki, and it ends in a different place from where it starts.
October to December gives the clearest air, and March to April brings rhododendron into the forest and long mountain views. The Champa Devi hike runs all year. In the monsoon the path is muddy, leeches come out and cloud covers the peaks, so we offer to move your date when your plans allow. First-time hill walkers can do this one. It is a long day with nothing technical, and our beginners guide to trekking in Nepal covers the fitness and gear side. If you are choosing a month for the rest of your trip, read the best time to trek in Nepal.
Cover photograph: Champadevi hill and Chobhar hill seen from Patan, by Shadow Ayush on Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
