Kathmandu Valley Bird Watching Tour
OVERVIEW
Kathmandu valley bird watching tour for interested bird lovers and ornithology people is a wonderful trip visiting the best spots for bird watching and overwhelming views around Kathmandu valley with an array of the snow-capped mountain range. The tour leads with some short walks and hikes to the hills of Phulchoki at 2,759 metres, the highest point of this trip, with the 2nd highest point at Shivapuri at 2,523 metres, both hilltops offering awesome scenery of Kathmandu valley and mountains with rolling green hills in the midst of alpine forest with birds and other wildlife.
The journey extends to charming areas of Nagarjun forest and the exotic Godavari Botanical Garden, where you can visit and marvel at the quiet, peaceful, tranquil environment enriched with varying plants, vegetation, herbs, and various colourful flowers from tropical to alpine species. Kathmandu is a busy metropolitan city, but wonder with the city limit there is wilderness with the tranquil surroundings, which is hard to believe in a short driving and walking distance. This makes this place a perfect holiday spot for a few days to a week.
In our "Kathmandu Valley Bird Watching Tour," we offer the best possible areas for bird watching with some wildlife and mountain views all in one wonderful spot, where some 200 species of birds have been recorded around the valley itself, such as Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Bee-eaters, Woodpeckers, Whistling Thrush, Sunbirds, Hoopoe, Eagles, Hawks, Magpies, and the list carries on as per the season of migration, making one of the best bird watching places in close distance and in the comfort of the short easy drive and walks. "Kathmandu Valley Bird Watching Tour is accompanied by expert guides and naturalists who know the area, culture, and abundant bird habitation of Nepal, including migratory birds, and have various information to share.
After a wonderful time in the pristine woodlands from bird watching and hikes at Nagarjun, Shivapuri, and Phulchoki high hills, this awesome bird watching tour concludes with a cultural and historical tour around famous world heritage sites and leisure activities, and then farewell to amazing Nepal after a great and excellent service from Nepal Venture Trekking on the "Kathmandu valley bird watching tour".
Trekking is a popular outdoor activity that involves walking and hiking through diverse terrains like mountains, rivers, and forests. It offers pleasure, adventure, and a chance to experience nature's beauty firsthand. Additionally, trekking allows individuals to connect with people in remote areas, gaining insights into their lifestyle and culture.
itinerary
- Day 1: Bird-watching hikes at Phulchoki and Godavari botanical gardens.
- After a drive of an hour or more leading towards the southern east suburb of Kathmandu valley through the city of Patan or Lalitpur, the journey continues beyond the Ring Road that circles the valley and heads further on the rural farm areas of peaceful surroundings away from the busy traffic of the city, as the ride brings you to the Godavari Botanical Garden area. From here, the ride leads higher on the steep, winding road to reach Phulchoki Hilltop. A great scenic hill adjoining Kathmandu Valley and the highest point of Kathmandu Valley, it is a picturesque spot for Himalayan mountain views and flora and fauna, including the Redheaded Trogan, a very rare bird sighted here in April 2002 (it was last seen in Nepal 44 years ago). Phulchowki Hill, at 2,759 metres high, is about 18 kilometres south-east of Kathmandu on the route to Godawari Botanical Gardens. It is certainly a great place and famous for birds and some wild life, with an amazing panorama of mountain views from the top of Phulchowki, with Annapurna, Manaslu, and Ganesh Himals towards the north-west and the central Himalayan range of mountains of Langtang-Jugal Himal, which continues towards the north-east, and Mt. Everest, extending to other high Himalayan peaks. Around this lovely forested area, about 90 species have been recorded, including the endemic spring babbler, as well as the Curia, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Rufous-bellied Pied Woodpecker, and Black-throated Parrot Bill, to name a few. After an enjoyable and peaceful stop for a few hours admiring the mountains and surrounding landscape views and its serene environment, the drive leads to a descent at Godawari Botanical Garden. Here, with a timed visit to the Botanical Garden with exotic Himalayan plants, herbs, and flowers and the traditional village life, the drive back to Kathmandu takes an hour. Lunch is available depending on the time, either on route in Patan or the Godawari area, as there are many fine restaurants along the drive back to Kathmandu. Check into the respective hotels after an interesting and wonderful day at Phulchowki Hilltop and Godsit of Botanicalaarden.
- Day 2: Hike and bird-watch around Shivapuri.
- Morning a short drive towards North of Kathmandu after a 40 minutes of ride reaching at the entrance of Shivapuri Watershed & Wildlife Reserve where the top ridge stands at 2,523 metres high, here after getting the entrance tickets a slow hike into a pristine wooded area with nice views of Kathmandu valley below, after a leisure walk listening to the sound of birds, here our guide will try his best finding birds and recognising with the sounds of different species of birds life found around, the most common birds that can be seen here are White-capped and Plumbeous Water Redstart near the stream, Spotted Forktail, Orange-flanked Bush-robin and Yellow-billed Blue Magpie. In the forest patch on the right hand side upon entering the reserve is a good chance for seeing male Blue-fronted Redstart and a Scaly Thrush, following the road can hear and observe barbets, and Chestnut-crowned, Whistler’s, Grey-cheeked and Grey-hooded Warblers, White-throated Laughingthrush, Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler, Grey Treepie, Black-throated, Green-backed and Black-lored Tit, Flycatcher, Orange-bellied Leafbird, White-bellied Yuhina, Grey-chinned and unidentified other Minivets, Grey-throated Babbler, Booted Eagle and Mountain Hawk-Eagle. thrush, exotic sun birds of red and yellow colour with black stripe, wood peckers, hoopoe, sparrows, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Green-backed Tit, Black-coloured Tit, Black-throated Tit, Himalayan Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Ashy-throated Warbler, Warbler, Black-chinned Babbler, Nepal Fulveta, Fire-tailed Sunbird with some Himalayan brown eagles flying high above, after a pleasant break and walk reaching at Nagi Gompa (monastery) which is nunnery with 20 or more young nuns stays here for Buddhism study some after few years can retire back to normal life or continue with further high level, located in a peaceful environment this monastery about 50 years old, a great spot with views of Kathmandu valley. After a short visit in the main hall of the monastery, a walk leads uphill for an hour or more, reaching the top of Shivapuri Hill, where there is a shrine of Lord Shiva with asram (rest houses for the pilgrims and visitors) a little further from here in this heavily forested area. Spend some time observing the bird life with a picnic lunch and refreshment before heading downhill back to the main entrance gate for the drive back to the hotel in the busy city of Kathmandu.
- Day 3: Full-day hike and bird-watching tour at Nagarjun, 2,145 m.
- With morning breakfast depart from the hotel for a leisure bird watch tour and few hours hike, s drive of 20 minutes or more reaching at Rani Ban also known as Nagarjun Forest or Jamacho, situated 5 km north west of Kathmandu, on reaching the main entrance of Nagarjun park a steep climb for few hours in the shade of cool forest of rhododendron, oaks, pines and fir trees on reaching the top of the hill at 2,145 metres high with awesome views of snow capped peaks and Kathmandu valley, this place with an observation tower for better views and a small monastery where you can find the statue of Padmasamba (Guru Ringpoche) one of main guru of Mayana Buddhism of mid 6th Century, this place is gifted with blue magpies, Kalij Pheasants, Bonillo’s eagles, Great Himalayan Barbets and other exotic birds. After a wonderful time here, we return to the Hotel.