BHAKTAPUR: With the arrival of the English New Year 2026, major tourist destinations in Bhaktapur, including Ranikot and Nagarkot, are witnessing a surge in visitors, filling hotels and boosting the confidence of tourism entrepreneurs.
A growing number of domestic tourists, alongside foreign visitors, have flocked to the hilltop destinations to celebrate the New Year, enjoy cultural programs, and witness the season’s first sunrise over the Himalayan range.
Tourist hubs from Ranikot to Nagarkot are witnessing a surge in domestic visitors. Hotels in historic Ranikot and Ghyampedanda, located at the junction of Suryabinayak Municipality wards 7 (Gundu) and 8 (Sipadol), are fully booked. Tourism entrepreneur and Village Highland Resort operator Ramsundar Bake said domestic tourists have arrived in large numbers to celebrate the New Year with music, dance, and overnight programs.
Situated at an altitude of about 2,000 meters on the border of Suryabinayak Municipality and Panauti Municipality of Kavre, Ranikot offers panoramic views of the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, and surrounding mountain ranges. Bake said Ranikot has recently emerged as a popular tourist destination, particularly during the English New Year, when hotels are filled with domestic visitors.
He added that from Ranikot, visitors can witness sunrise views of several Himalayan peaks, including Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Sagarmatha, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma, Manaslu, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, Gaurishankar, Dhaulagiri, and Langtang.
Improved road connectivity, including the Suryabinayak–Ranikot–Ashapuri and Suryabinayak–Ranikot–Phulchoki trekking routes, as well as shorter access via Panauti, has made travel to Ranikot easier, further boosting tourist arrivals.
Bake said the New Year crowd has energized tourism entrepreneurs, noting that Ranikot, named after a fort built by Prithvi Narayan Shah and later developed by the Malla kings as a royal residence, is both historically significant and scenically attractive. He said tourist inflow has now become year-round, with a noticeable spike during the New Year.
Rajendra Pyath, operator of Ghyampedanda Resort, said the heavy inflow of domestic tourists has brought renewed enthusiasm to hotel businesses in the area, with hotels remaining fully occupied during the English New Year.
Similarly, Narayan Shrestha, operator of Ranikot Resort, said it has become difficult to find rooms not only during New Year celebrations but also on public holidays, as domestic tourists increasingly visit for picnics, overnight stays, family gatherings, and organizational programs.
In Nagarkot, another major tourist destination in Bhaktapur, hotels are also filled with domestic and foreign tourists eager to bid farewell to 2025 and witness the first sunrise of 2026. Hotelier Badri Mak, owner of Hotel Chautari, said the appeal of Nagarkot has grown further this season, with an almost equal presence of domestic and foreign tourists. According to him, hotels are currently occupied by around 50 percent foreign and 50 percent domestic visitors.
Hotel Peaceful Nagarkot owner Ramshankar Djoju said the increased number of tourists celebrating the New Year and enjoying the sunrise despite cold nights has brought fresh optimism to the tourism sector. He noted that tourist arrivals are higher this year compared to last year.
Gokul Lamichhane, owner of Hotel Marigold Nagarkot, said he has been in the hotel business for 25 years and had feared slow recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he said hotels are now being booked a month in advance for both the Nepali and English New Year. “The increasing arrival of domestic tourists has boosted our confidence and enthusiasm. There is hope that the tourism business is finally reviving,” he said.
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