Since this tour includes watching... - <p>Since this tour includes watching the sunrise, it starts very early in the day. My guide and driver met me in the hotel lobby on time at 04.30. The trip to Nagarkot Tower to watch the sunrise was well worth the effort. Having made this trip in April, the conditions were smoggy so you could barely see the tips of the mountains. The October-December time period would be best to see the mountain range is in full view.</p> <p>We had breakfast at small local restaurant with mountain views. It was literally a shack but that's also why I loved it. It was not touristy. The food was very good so absolutely no complaints. I paid for my breakfast, which surprised me since it was supposed to be included in the tour. I felt bad as I only brought an exact amount of money so the money I paid for breakfast was taken out of the money I budgeted to tip my guide and driver.</p> <p>After breakfast, we went on a hike to the Changu Narayan Temple. If you are in good physical condition, it will be an easy hike. This mountain hike offers beautiful views of the valley. It also allowed me to see how the locals live. What is heart breaking is that there are still houses that are waiting to be fixed from last year's earthquake. There was a random hotel during the hike and we stopped there to have a cup of tea. This was an unexpected but a welcome respite as it allowed me to further take in the local experience. The Changu Narayan Temple was a fitting end to the hike. I took in all that history and the outstanding sculptures and woodworking.</p> <p>Finally, my guide was very kind and informative. He was very willing to answer my questions and he answered them with just the right amount of detail. Unlike a previous tour that I took, there was absolutely no pressure from the guide to buy anything from the locals. Any item I bought was solely initiated by me. If you don't have a lot of time to spare in the Kathmandu Valley, I would highly recommend this tour.</p>