Clothing/Equipment/Gear for Day Hike to Namobuddha
Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by beautiful hill stations around its perimeter. So it is of no surprise that Kathmandu is really popular for day hikes. Phulchowki is the highest hill surrounding Kathmandu Valley located at an altitude of 2750 meters above sea level. To help you pack efficiently, we have prepared a gear list for Phulchowki Hike based on seasons. Nepal has four primary seasons:-
Winter: Winter in Nepal falls in January and February. It starts getting cooler after Christmas. The temperature is usually 0-4°C in the morning, 10-12°C at noon, and -1 to 0°C at night. So if you are planning to hike here any time after Christmas to the end of February then we suggest you wear long-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies or sweater/fleece, windproof and preferably waterproof jackets because Phulchowki has temporary snowfall during winter. Similarly, we suggest wearing beanies/hats, gloves, trousers, sports shoes/hiking hoots, and thermals if you prefer an extra layer of warmth. Carrying a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking poles would be ideal.
Spring: March to May are spring in Nepal. The temperature in these months during the morning ranges from 10-12°C, 22-24°C at noon, and 14-16°C at night. Since the weather is pleasant during spring, apart from the basic essentials mentioned below, all you need is some casual shirts, shorts or trousers, a couple of long sleeves, sports shoes/hiking boots, a water bottle, sunscreen, sun hat/cap, sunglasses, and an overall/light jacket because it might get a bit chilly at the top.
Summer/Monsoon: June, July, August, and September are summer months in Nepal. But we have a summer monsoon that occurs from Mid-June to Mid-September. The temperature of Kathmandu ranges from 18-20 °C in the morning, 28-32°C at noon, and 16-18°C at night. We do not suggest you hike while raining but apart that that, Summer Hiking in Phulchowki is ideal too. So, besides the regular items mentioned below, casual cotton wears, sunglasses, a sun hat/cap, an umbrella, or a raincoat are some essentials for the summer. Because this hike takes place in a lush forest, there might be some leeches if it rains the previous night. These leeches aren’t harmful but might cause nuisance so the trick is to carry salt and if leeches try and stick to your body then you could sprinkle salt.
Autumn/Fall: October, November, and December are autumn in Nepal. It is the best time for the Phulchowki hike due to the delightful weather and visibility of beautiful vistas seen along the way and from the hilltop. The temperature of Phulchowki during fall ranges from 8-10 °C in the morning, 22-25°C at noon, and 5-7°C at night. December is comparatively cooler than the other two months. While hiking around Kathmandu during fall, you would be good to go with fleece/sweater or hoodies, hat/beanie, shawl/scarf, trousers, long-sleeved shirts, light jackets, or overalls, a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking boots or sports shoes.
Namobuddha Valley & Monastery
My husband & I and a friend we made on a G Adventures tour from India to Nepal did the day trip from Kathmandu to Namobuddha Valley with guide Sujan.
We had experienced some wonderful sites throughout India & Nepal and this day trip was a fantastic way to end our holiday in Nepal.
Sujan & the driver met us promptly at our hotel in a nice air conditioned four wheel drive.
Sujan spoke excellent English, he was very friendly & informative. He had bottled water & tadt apples for us. He was from the Namobuddha Valley so he knew the area very well & we had a beautiful lunch in a small restaurant with amazing views cooked by his aunts.
The views were spectacular. We were blessed with a clear day.
The monastery was beautiful.
The driver was very safe, made sure we were comfortable with the air conditioning & took a great detour home (after checking eith us) to avert traffic.
The company has other tours. I would use them again. Sujan told us of homestay trips which we are keen to try.