walking      Since Sanu's House is located just five minutes on foot from the old city, it is a very suitable place to begin a walking tour. When entering the old city, it is like going back to the medieval age, because the road is very narrow, with old Newar houses on both sides and many lanes leading to peaceful courtyards and thousand-year-old Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhist temples. Courtyards contain Buddhist and Hindu shrines and are in different style, depending on caste. These narrow lanes also lead to tourist spots throughout the city such as the Golden Buddha Temple, Kumbheswara Hindu Temple, Mahaboudha Buddhist Temple, Ashoka Stupas, and Dubar Square which in the very center of the city. It would take a full day just to walk down all the narrow roads, yard to yard and temple to temple, and, of course, one day would not be enough for those who want see everything in detail, to learn the history, and to understand the life of the local people.      A tour should begin from Tyagal Tole, which is the entrance of the old city and is the lowest caste's area, proceeding to the inner part of the city, through the farmer's area, to higher caste area in the center of the city. There are differences between each caste's area, such as the styles of old houses, the occupations, and the ways of life, which can be observed just by walking slowly through each part of the city. Maps are available at Sanu's House, and a family member, who was born there and knows every corner of the city, will guide you if you wish.       While walking you can go inside some well-preserved old Newari houses where the family is still living, see people doing their jobs according to their caste as has been done by generation after generation.      Besides walking in the old city of Patan, there are many small villages not far from Sanu's House, which you can reach by vehicle, by walking through rice fields, or by bicycle available at Sanu's House. All these villages are many hundreds of years old. The houses are in traditional style, and the way of life is completely different from the city. Entering one of these villages might make you feel as if you were going back in time.   Hiking      The Kathmandu Valley offers excellent short treks. Some of these treks can be completed in one day. It is also possible to turn the treks into overnight trips. The best place for trekking near Sanu's House is around Godavari to Phulchowki. Phulchowki (1759 m), the highest mountain of the valley, is about 10 km from Patan. From the summit, you can see the Himalayas to the north and the Terai plains to the south. Its forested slopes are covered with Rhododendrons of different varieties and colour, from pure white to dark red. The trail (about three hours to the top) begins behind St. Xavier's School at Godavari Botanical Garden. There is also a dirt road, accessible to a 4-wheel drive vehicle, up the mountain. On the top there are Buddhist and Hindu shrines.