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Tours

Pokhara to Kathmandu Adventure 2022

£1,395.00

TOUR REF: MPK22
TYPE: Mountain Biking
LEVEL: Moderate
DATES:
Nov 2022 (dates TBC)
DURATION: 9 days
ACCOMMODATION LEVEL: Mixed
 
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    • 245 £

Pokhara – Kathmandu Adventure

Pokhara to Kathmandu – an incredible off-road adventure with the mighty Himalayas as your constant companion!

This journey is an unrivalled way to explore the heart of the Himalayan Kingdom on trails rarely travelled by tourists. You will have to test your mountain biking skills on wild and challenging trails through some of the most stunning scenic and cultural landscapes in the world.

From the stunning backdrop of the Himalayan ranges, deep valleys and ancient forests, to the charming terraced fields and bright smiles of locals in the timeless villages, you will remember this journey for its unique beauty as well as its challenging mountain biking terrain!

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu
We will save you from the mad crowd at Kathmandu airport and transfer you to your hotel. The Manaslu Hotel is situated right outside the tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel. We will put your bikes together and then maybe head into Thamel for a bit of shopping, a beer in a favorite bar.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu http://www.hotelmanaslu.com/

Meals: None

Day 2 – Fly to Pokhara , Ride To Begnas
Early in the morning our guide will meet us for our flight to Pokhara, we meet at the domestic airport in Kathmandu. This is a stunning half hour flight along the Himalayan Range, seeing four of the world’s fourteen giant mountains over 8000m; Daulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu and Shishapangma, before landing in Pokhara (800m). An experience not to be missed!

On arrival in Pokhara, we will, have a briefing about the trip ahead with the guide. We now set off on our classic off-road journey back to Kathmandu – a route that includes a total of only about 60 km on tarmac. Leaving Pokhara, initially on the main Kathmandu highway, we soon turn off onto a narrow road and climb to 1270 metres, over a distance of around 11 km / 7 miles. The tarred road gives way to jeep track a few kilometers before our day’s high point, which is just after the village of Hot Chilli. Climbing out of the village we turn off onto a doubletrack trail just before the ridge and begin an awesome and sustained descent complete with (optional) technical sections – down to Begnas Tal (lake). From here we have a final little 3 km climb to our guest house. Around 30 km biking

Accommodation: Rupa Guest House

Meals: B, L, D

Day 3 – Ride to Damauli
This is a long challenging day of mountain biking that sees us traverse two small ridges via Sundari Danda (‘beautiful ridge’ in Nepali) and descend to the Mhodi Khola (river) at Borletar. In the morning we head off on a jeep trails, but after climbing 350m at the second pass we find ourselves on a great downhill on a small fire trail that takes us through terraced fields and irrigation channels. As we ride through this sensational area we are continually met by amazed and amused local people who question our sanity for biking through their villages and along their everyday paths. We reach Bhorletar after about 20 km and from here we follow the river on a wide jeep trail for the rest of the day … but don’t be fooled there are some challenging little climbs on this section also. Around 50 km biking

Accommodation: Tea house or best available

Meals: B, L, D

Day 4 – Ride to Bandipur
Leaving Damauli, we almost immediately start climbing and will pedal through terraced farmland and villages that seem to cling to the hillside. It is a hard climb up to Bandipur but weather permitting we will be rewarded with amazing mountain views. Bandipur at an elevation of 1030m is an old trading point between the high Himalayas and the Indian plains. We check into an amazing little hotel situated in the middle of this lovely little mountain town. Around 25 km biking

Accommodation: The Old Inn Bandipur https://rural-heritage.com/accommodations/the-old-inn/

Meals: B, L, D

Day 5 – Gorkha
Today we start our ride with a fast downhill on tarmac to Dumre, deep in the valley below. Here we turn north towards the beginning of the Annapurna circuit. We ride on a paved road for 12km before crossing the raging Marsyangdi River and continuing up along a great maze of small jeep trails. After crossing a small pass we descend to the Daurandi River for lunch and a swim before heading off again along a jeep track and then paved road as we end our way up to the hilltop town of Gorkha. About 48 km biking

Accommodation: Gorkha Inn http://www.gurkhainn.com.np/

Meals: B, L, D

Day 6   Ride to Dhading
For the handful of mountain bikers who know this route, this section is regarded as one of the best riding days available in Nepal. A rough undulating track takes us 5km along to the village of Mailung at about 1100m altitude. We then drop down 700m on a wild, overgrown track into the Burdi Gandaki Valley where we meet an old jeep trail which has apparently never seen a jeep. We cross the river on a small suspension bridge and from here realize that what comes down must go up. We climb back up into the Himalayan foothills and eventually reach the road from Arughat to Dhading Besi and from here we have a nice final descent into Dhading Besi where we spend the night. Around 50 km biking today.

Accommodation: Simple Hotel

Meals: B, L, D

Day 7   Ride to Nuwakot
Another big day today, the ride starts off straight out of Dhading with a climb. We leave the valley floor behind for a ridge on undulating jeep trails. The terrain is unrelenting with numerous climbs and descents and riders skills will be tested with a mixture of rocky and sandy conditions. The reward for climbing is stunning views of Ganesh Himal (range) and the higher we get, the better the views. We reach Samari in time for lunch, after which we have an exciting 12 km downhill into Trisuli Bazaar, the major town of the Trisuli valley.

From Trisuli we follow the bottom of the valley south for 3 km before we climb steeply for the last 6 km up to the old fortress town of Nuwakot. Tonight we stay at a lovingly restored piece of Nepali heritage, The Famous Farm. It is a working farm in which the collection of farmhouses have been turned into guest rooms with a wonderful, classic Nepali feel, from the woven straw matting on the floor to the stunningly carved door frames.

Spend the afternoon exploring town, relaxing and make sure to recharge the batteries before the big climb back into the Kathmandu valley tomorrow. About 50 km biking.

Accommodation: The Famous Farm https://rural-heritage.com/accommodations/the-famous-farm/

Meals: B, L, D

Day 8 – Ride back to the Kathmandu valley
Today we start out with a nice descent on a jeep trail into the fertile valley below. We ride for the next ten kilometers along the river at the bottom of the valley, before we start our final big climb on the ride from Pokhara to Kathmandu, towards the Kathmandu valley rim. It is a 1300 metre climb over 20 km, so the gradient isn’t too bad. Once we get close to the rim of the valley we enter the Shivapuri National Park with its amazing greenery, we race down into the Kathmandu valley again from the top of the valley rim and end our ride with a ride through the crazy Kathmandu alleys and small roads right to our hotel in the heart of the city.

About 55 km biking

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu http://www.hotelmanaslu.com/

Meals: B, L, D

Day 9 – farewell, for now…..
This morning is free to relax and get the last bits packed until it is time for us to come and pick you up for your final ride to the airport. We hope you have had an amazing time in Nepal and we bid you farewell, for now and we hope to see you in the Himalayas again soon

Meals: B

The price Includes :
  • Transfers as per the itinerary, including your welcome at the international airport with transfer to your hotel and airport transfer from your hotel to the international airport on your final day
  • Hotel nights in the hotels specified in the itinerary; based on twin share, standard rooms
  • Meals as per the itinerary
  • Your awesome, English speaking, local bike guide / bike mechanic for days 2 to 8
  • Domestic flight one way from Kathmandu to Pokhara; including airport tax and airport transfers and accompanied by your guide
  • Back up 4WD for the entire ride.
  • A first aid kit with basic supplies appropriate for the group size– if you require specific medications it is critical that you discuss this with us prior to your trip departure
The price does not include:
  • Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary
  • Bike hire
  • Any gear or equipment that you may need to rent/buy – please ask us if you would like any advice about gear to bring/buy/rent
  • International Flights to and from Kathmandu
  • Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes
  • Any excess baggage charges
  • Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and rescue evacuation should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)
  • Rescue/evacuation costs (to be covered by your insurance)
  • Additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours outside the detailed itineraries above
  • Single supplement, please see single supplement charge
  • Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks etc)
  • Any extra charge that tea house owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms, or hot showers (if these facilities are available) and charging of batteries
  • Tips for your biking crew, city guide, hotels, restaurants etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)
  • Costs incurred due to changes in programs and reservations due to unforeseen events (eg landslides, strikes etc)
  • Sudden increase in charges due to gasoline and/or diesel price increases

 

 

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If you have any questions about any of our trips, please call us on 0800 002 9559 or send us a message below.