About Kalinchowk Bhagwati Tour
Kalinchowk at an altitude of 3842m is a beautiful village located in the eastern hilly region in Dolakha District of Nepal. It is the perfect destination for a short vacation near Kathmandu which can be completed within 3-4 days or least days.
Kalinchowk is located in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area where two famous tributaries: Sunkoshi and Tamakoshi originate and meet at Koshi River, one of the longest rivers of Nepal. The top of the Kalinchowk hill provide the superb view of Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal, Shisha Pangma, Dorje Lakpa, Jugal Himal, Gauri Shankar and many more. One can even enjoy the clear view of the Kathmandu valley from the summit of Kalinchowk. During this trek, one would come across culturally opulent villages of Sherpa, Tamang, Brahmin, Newar and Chhetries living around Kalinchowk and get an opportunity to learn their culture and tradition.
Kalinchowk hill is named after the temple of Kalinchowk Bhagwati located on the hilltop which belongs to goddess Kali, a Hindu goddess associated with power and destruction. It receives thousands of pilgrims and trekkers throughout the year and can be visited in any season during a year. In Janai Purnima festival, thousands of Hindu devotees visit Kalinchowk Bhagwati to pray and worship. This temple is famous for the fulfilment of pilgrims pray and desire. During winter, it receives a good amount of snow which makes Kalinchowk a perfect destination for domestic tourist to visit Kalinchowk and enjoy snowfall.
Kalinchowk tour begins from the beautiful drive from Kathmandu to Kuri Village via Charikot. Charikot is the headquarter of Dolakha district which is approx. about 150 km from Kathmandu and is adequately developed in infrastructure. The 5 hrs drive to Charikot passes through beautiful landscapes, hill, mountains and rivers. On the way, you can stop at Khare Dhunga to enjoy the panoramic view of Himalayas. Dolakha Bhimsen temple is also possible side-trip which is about 20 minutes driving distance from Charikot.
Upon reaching Charikot, one can either hike or drive to Kuri. Kuri is a small village right below Kalinchowk peak with the settlement of lodges to accommodate the guest. Hiking to Kuri through the beautiful forest takes about 5-6 hours while one can drive to Kuri and it takes approx. 2- 2 ½ hours to reach Kuri village from Charikot. The road from Charikot to Kuri is extremely technical and challenging.
An hour hike from Kuri takes you to Kalinchowk hill summit. Kalinchowk also operates a cable car which is the third one in the country. With the operation of the cable car, Kalinchowk trip has been made easier for the tourists and devotees. Besides hiking, one can use a cable car service to reach on the Kalinchowk top and enjoy the beautiful views of villages, mountains and the Himalayas. It takes 5 minutes to reach the top from the cable car.
