Today, my sweetheart, me, and my 3-year-old daughter hiked up to Shivapuri Peak. The last few days were raining and getting very cold in Kathmandu Valley. I thought there might be snow on the high hill of Kathmandu. Therefore I made a plan to do the Shivapuri Peak Hike and see and play snow. Especially my little daughter wants to play snow.
The first hour of the morning was rainy and confusing what to do. Finally, around 9 am rain stopped and then we drove to Budanilkantha. When we reached Budanilkhanta where is the Shivapuri National Park office there was already a long queue to buy entry tickets to do Shivapuri Hiking.
I bought 2 entree tickets to Shivapuri Nagarjuna National Park. Shivapuri Peak is located inside this National Park and getting entree National Park entree permit is mandatory. The ticket costs 100 rupees per person and a kid under 5 years old is free entry. However, if you are taking your vehicle you need to pay for that too.
As for hiking lovers, we chose to walk up from the starting point. Because of the rain, the Shivapuri hiking trail was a bit wet so we had to be careful.
The first part of the Shivapuri Peak hiking trail was on the road and easy to walk. Although there was an option to take a shortcut trail that shortcut seemed very difficult because of the wetness. We followed the road and other hikers also did the same. Still, the hiking trail was a bit slippery even on the road. I showed that everyone was eager to get in the show like us.

After around one and a half hours of Shivapuri Peak Hike, on the road, we got the steps to walk up and say goodbye to the road. Climbing up the steps was even more challenging because of the wetland and many people walking at the same time. Following the same trail for around an hour finally we found the fresh snow.
We enjoyed the snow along the trail but our ultimate destination was to get to Shivapuri Peak 2632m. So our journey was continued to Shivapuri Peak. I showed some people who traveling with family were playing snow there and going back. But I decided to get on top and enjoy the Shivapuri Hiking in full energy.
This Shivapuri Peak Hiking was very special for me because, for the first time, my daughter showed snow and played with snow. She used to see snow in cartoons and my photos from the Mountain. Her first expression of seeing snow was so adorable. Before she first showed the snow I had to carry her on my shoulder for some time; after seeing the snow she wanted to walk herself and play with the snow.
Along the way, both of them (Wife and Daughter) played snow and enjoyed it a lot. Playing snow while doing the Shivapuri Hike, we almost forgot that we had to walk back. After around 4 hours climb we reached on Top. We played snow, we made a snowman took so many photos, and celebrated happiness together.
On the other hand, we were feeling very cold and moist because we hiked a lot in the jungle, snow, and shadow.

After spending quality time together on top of the Shivapuri Peak, we commenced our journey down. To descent was also not that easy because the trail was very slippery. For me, that was not a big deal I have experience and knowledge about how to walk on snow and icy trail. As a professional trekking guide I walked many times on snowy trails in my trekking career.
I taught my daughter and spouse how to walk properly and fearlessly on the snow. I saw many young people walking up and down there and they all seemed to enjoying the Shivapuri Peak hike. Even I met some aged people walking up to play snow when we were walking down.
Hike down was a bit easier and it took around 2 and a half hours to get to the starting point. We ate some snacks at Budhanilkhant and took a cab to our home. Overall today’s Shivapuri Peak Hike was very memorable and we enjoyed it a lot.
This was my private family hiking to Shivapuri Peak; this is suitable for everyone who is looking for an escape from crowded Kathmandu. This hiking route is one of the best hiking routes for hike and nature lovers. For such a hike just need to have one day and have the desire to walk up and down the hills.
How you can get there?
To do Shivapuri Hike there are different options. It all depends on how long you want to hike to the mountain and of course, your strength to do ups and downs. The easy option is to start the hike from the Budanilkhanta side and this journey also started from hereby.
To start from this side first you need to drive to Budanilkhant bus stop near the famous Budanilkhanta Temple. And the need to climb up to the Army check post where is the National Park office. In this place, you have to buy an entry ticket for Shivapuri Hiking. This is what I did this time.
If you are traveling by private vehicle then you can drive to Helipad and then hike up to the Shivapuri Peak. But to enter, your vehicle into the National Park need to purchase an extra ticket.

What to bring with you?
Better to have good hiking shoes, some warm clothes, and a pair of walking sticks means need to have hiking equipment. More importantly, need to carry enough water, and snacks, and pack lunch with you; because there are no vendors who sell food and water for travelers. For snacks energy bars such as Snickers, Marcs, Cookies, and some dried fruits. If you have a trekking water bottle filled with full water also take some extra bottle of water too. Although, in some places, you can refile the water from a small stream.
How to travel? With Group or Solo?
Traveling solo is sometimes very good to refresh and concentrate on yourself. But most of the time-traveling alone is very dangerous too. Because if something happens then there is no one to help you. And this is a National Park and there are chances to encounter wild animals too. So that I strongly recommend traveling with your group if not possible to have a group then travel with your one or two friends.
If you are traveling with a group of friends, at that time you can share your good and bad experiences with them. When you do that will give you more energy to attach to the group and you will learn about your friends too.
When to do the Shivapuri Peak Hike?
This hike is an all-season hike among them my favorite is Spring, Autumn, and Winter. I don’t like the summer season because during this season there will be rain and not a pleasure to walk in the rain. And also not that good views of the surroundings and the snowy mountain peaks in the distance.
During the Spring and Autumn seasons mostly the weather is clear and the temperature is good for hikes. On the other hand, during winter the temperature is a bit cold but the glimpse of the surroundings is perfect. Even, during winter there is the chance to play snow.

Special Note
Every time I hiked up to Shivapuri Peak. I see a lot of trash such as plastic bottles, plastics of chips, plastics of instant noodles, and biscuits. If we throw all the trash like that in the National Park. One day that will be a dumping site and we can not hike there like now. And our coming generation will just see the trash everywhere and this beautiful hiking trail will vanish.
So my dear lovely hikers, please don’t leave the things that you are taking with you for your pleasure while you hike up to Shivapuri. Collect that waste in your bag and put it in the proper place (dustbin). Or take it with you to your home and send it to the garbage collection. Or some of them you can reuse in your home.
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What a wonderful adventure! Your blog vividly describes the journey to Shivapuri Peak, overcoming challenges, and the joy of your daughter’s first encounter with snow. The details and emotions make it a delightful read. Thanks for sharing!
Thank You Himal Jee for your time to read my blog and put your time to write your though.
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