Bhasmasur Hike is a magnificent one-day nature walk around Kathmandu Valley. It takes you out of the city noise and into fresh nature for a few hours. Bhasmasur Danda is in the South of Kathmandu, between Chandragiri and Champadevi Hills. From Bhasmasur Hill, you can see almost the whole of Kathmandu, the Pharping Valleys, long-range white mountains, green hills, and other natural attractions.
Bhasmasur Danda (Hill) is one of Kathmandu's most popular hiking destinations. You meet many hikers on this trail (especially on Saturday). Suppose you have one free day in Kathmandu before any long trek to the mountain base camps in Nepal. In that case, we suggest walking to Bhasmasur Hill and getting trained for a long trek in Nepal.
You can see pristine views of Mount Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa, Jugal, Gaurishankar, and Everest (on a clear day) from Bhasmasur Hill. The top of the hill is open and free of trees, so nothing can block the views.
Bhasmasur Hill Elevation/Altitude
Bhasmasur is the fourth-highest hill around Kathmandu, at 2,500m (8,202 ft). The highest is Phulchoki at 2,762 m (9,061 feet), Shivapuri at 2,732 m (8,963.2 feet), and Chandragiri at 2,551 m (8,369.4 feet). In winter, it sometimes snows on Bhasmasur Danda, so people also play in the snow. A dense forest of pine, chestnut, rhododendron, oak, and others surrounds the area.
Hiking Routes to Bhasmasur Hill
There are numerous Hiking Routes to Bhasmasur Hill. You can choose one of them based on your walking ability, start walking, and reach various ending locations to complete the trip. Check the different entries and end locations of the Bhasmasur Danda walking trip below:
Pharping to Taudaha Route of Bhasmasur Hill Hike
Pharping to Taudaha via Champadevi is a regular hiking route of the Bhasmasur Hill Hike. You drive to Pharping from the city center by private or public transport, a distance of around 21km (13 miles). It takes 45 minutes in private and about 2 hours in public vehicles. After getting off the bus or car, you walk towards Bhasmasur Danda through Hattiban Resort and Champadevi Hill.
At the beginning of the hike, you follow a gradually ascending trail for half an hour through the pine forest. You will have a flat trail for another 45 minutes through the ridge. Then, you will have to descend the trail on stone steps for 15 minutes and enter the forest on a steep trail to Champa Devi Danda. You see Hindu and Buddhist shrines, stupas, and prayer flags here. After a short break at Champadevi Hill, you hike towards Bhasmasur on a descending trail inside the deep forest for 15 minutes and ascend another 45 minutes to the top of Bhasmasur Hill.
You can spend a few minutes on the Bhasmasur Peak, see eye-captivating views, descend the same way for another hour through Champadevi, and take a left to Taudaha on a descending trail inside the jungle. It takes around 2-2.5 hours to reach Taudaha from Bhasmasur Hill, and another 30 minutes by private vehicle and an hour by public vehicle to reach Kathmandu.
Hike to Bhasmasur Hill from Pharping Monastery/Bhundol
You can also hike to Bhasmasur Hill from Pharping Monastery/Bhundol. Private or public transport from Kathmandu takes you to Pharping Monastery (on the way to Dakshinkali). Then, you can start walking towards Bhasmasur Danda via Bhundol.
After walking around an hour from Pharping Gumba, you reach Bhundol Ground and walk on steep stone steps through oak, chestnut, rhododendron, and other tree forests for another 2 hours. You get to Bhanjyang (between Champa Devi and Bhasmasur Hills) and climb for around 45 minutes to the Bhasmasur Peak.
You return the same way until Bhanjyang, hike to Champa Devi for an hour, and walk to Pharping through Hattiban Resort, Taudaha, or Kritipur to complete the hike. It takes around 5-6 hours to finish this route.
Pharping to Machchhegaun Route after Bhasmasur Hill Visit
In the morning, you drive from Kathmandu to Pharping for around 45 minutes, then start walking towards Bhasmasur Hill via Champa Devi Hill, which takes approximately 4-5 hours. After the top of Bhasmasur Danda, hike back to the same trail for around 30 minutes, and then take a left to Machhegaun for another hour and drive to Kathmandu. It takes about 5-6 hrs to complete the Pharping-Bhasmasur Hill Hiking Route.
Pharping to Matatirtha Hiking Route via Bhasmasur Hill
The hike from Pharping to Matatirtha is long and goes through Bhasmasur Hill. It takes around 6-7 hours to complete this day trip. You drive early in the morning to Pharping, to the South of Kathmandu, for 45 minutes and then walk on an ascending trail through pine forest to Hattiban Resort for another 45 minutes. After Hattiban Resort, the trail goes comfortably for half an hour and then ascends to Champa Devi Hill for an hour and a half. You pass Champadevi, walk on a slightly descending trail for 15 minutes, and climb for 45 minutes to Bhasmasur Hill.
After enjoying the incredible views of long-range white mountains, green hills, Kathmandu and Pharping Valleys, and more from Bhasmasur top, you walk on a descending trail for two more hours inside the forest to get to Mata Tirtha and then drive back to Kathmandu.
Make Bhasmasur Hill Hike Adventurous
If you are a regular hiker or trail runner, you can make the Bhasmasur Hill Hike an adventurous, long day. You can start walking in Pharping after a short drive from Kathmandu to Chandragiri Hill, via Hattiban Resort, Champadevi, and Bhasmasur Hill. It is around a 9-hour one-day walking trip in nature. After you get to Chandragiri, you can take a cable car ride down or still walk another hour and a half to the base of the Chandragiri Hills and drive back to your hotel or home.
Best Time to Hike to Bhasmasur Hill
You can hike to Bhasmasur Hill from September to May. However, October, November, December, March, and April are the best months for this nature hike. The weather and visibility are smooth and precise during these months, so you can see bright views. The winter months, such as January and February, are also acceptable for visiting Bhasmasur Danda. However, Kathmandu Valley will have lots of fog, but you can still see white mountains and green hills. June, July, and August get a lot of rain. The hiking trail will be slippery, and dense bushes will cover it. Also, many leeches are on the Pharping-Bhasmasur hiking route in the summer.
Autumn, from September to December, is the post-monsoon season, so lots of monsoon rain clears the dust and haze, and nature is bright. You can see magnificent long-range snow-capped mountain views of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dorje Lakpa, Jugal, Gauri Shankar, and more, with the Tibetan Mountain Sisapangma.
Spring from March to May is warm, and flowers bloom everywhere in the Bhasmasur Hill Hiking Route forest. You can see nicely blooming rhododendron (Nepalese National Flower) while walking on this nature trail in spring.
Things to Bring for Bhasmasur Hill Hiking
The most important thing to bring for Bhasmasur Hill Hiking is snacks and drinking water (at least 2 liters). You can buy Champa Devi Hill drinks, but we recommend getting them from the city before you go on this day trip.
You can wear comfortable hiking gear, such as light trousers and shirts. You can wear half sleeves or wear them full-length, depending on the season. You must also wear a sun hat and sunscreen for this day trip.
There are Sidewalks on this Hiking Route
There are many different sections of sidewalk along the Bhasmasur Danda hiking route, which can confuse first-time visitors. If you follow the wrong trail, you may reach a different location, end up staying in the forest for hours and hours, or even get lost. We suggest hiring a guide with us by emailing us or WhatsApping us at +9779851043624. We operate daily Bhasmasur Hill hiking trips for individuals, families, and groups at a reasonable cost, providing private transportation and an experienced hiking guide.
