Mountain Biking Around Kathmandu - 7 Days

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, a Himalayan Trekkers representative will greet you and escort you to the designated hotel at the center of the city. You will be assisted further till the check-in process. You may take a rest or roam around the streets after that. 

Later, we will meet at our office or your hotel lobby for a briefing about the journey with your guide. We will also prepare for tomorrow, and check the conditions of the bike, and the gears. 

After a nice breakfast, you will meet your fellow bikers and the guide and have a short briefing session if it was not done the previous day. 

Today, you will have the opportunity to stroll through the bustling streets of the famous Kathmandu where you will notice a temple or two on every corner. We make our ride through some of the UNESCO-listed world heritage sites as well as other cultural and historical landmarks in the city. Renowned Hindu temple Pashupatinath, the biggest Buddhist stupa – Boudhanath, Kathmandu Durbar Square with its artistic architecture, and Swayambhunath – the famous Monkey Temple feature in our today’s exploration. Ride around the market of Ason and Indrachowk and get what you require. Get back to your hotel, rest, and prepare for tomorrow’s trip. 

We depart our hotel after breakfast and get started with our riding journey. We travel through Thamel's bustling back alleyways and into broad, undulating jeep trails that run beside the Nagarjun Forest (Raniban meaning The Queen’s Forest). Spectacular mountain vistas along the way are rewarded for your efforts. We can make a brief stop at Ranipauwa village for good mountain views and a visit to a typical Tamang village before heading back up to Kakani for a truly fit ride. Enjoy the excellent trout fish cultivated locally along the journey — the path is known as the "Trout Highway." We cycle largely uphill to Kakani. Once we get to our destination, we take in the breathtaking views of the Ganesh and Langtang mountains, as well as the 1,000-meter-deep valley of Likhu Khola.

(Note: You can opt to ride further to Budhanilkantha from Kakani on the same day. But, an overnight stay at the Kakani hill is recommended as the dawn view from this view tower is flawless along with the panoramic Himalayan views and the lush green hills layering zigzaggy to each other to an unknown distance. Also, Kakani is considered one of the best picnic spots around the Kathmandu Valley.) 

We rise early at the dawn to observe the morning vista and the tranquil environment of the Kakani Village and capture the moments of the golden sun rays slowly hitting the mountains and get mesmerized by it. After breakfast, we ride down on a wide undulating jeep track and single track, passing through the Shivapuri National Park that offers one of the finest Himalayan views to the Budhanilkantha, on one of the best challenging tracks in the valley.

Budhanilkantha is a magnificent 5th-century statue of Lord Vishnu lying in the center of a tiny pond on the coil of the serpent king. We will be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic mountain vistas of Ganesh and Langtang Himal on our ride today. 

Paying our visits to the temple of Lord Vishnu and getting the blessing from the priest, we continue our rides again. We make descend from the temple and turn on the paved road towards the grand Kopan Monastery reflecting Tibetan Buddhism. Kopan Monastery is famous for meditation courses, spiritual training, and Buddhism learning. After spending some time at the monastery, we will head out from here and move towards Nagarkot hill for an overnight stay. Nagarkot is one of the best places in the Kathmandu valley to see breathtaking mountain views, captivating landscapes, lush green hills, and fascinating sunrise and sunset views. Relaxing and refreshment are the words for Nagarkot. 

(Note: If the time and your interest, we can visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square en route from Kopan to Nagarkot. Bhaktapur is famous for its majestic pagodas and delicate handicrafts with Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nyatapole Temple, Dattatreya Temple, and 55 Window Palace as the major attractions.) 

(Alternative route: This route takes you through the ridges of the Kakani and many hills towards the Nagarkot hill passing via the Shivapuri National Park. From the peak of Shivapuri, the panoramic view of mountains such as Mt. Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang Range, Mt. Dorje Lakpa, Mt. Shishapangma, Mt. Gaurishankar, and many others is just breathtaking. Also offers the best views of the surrounding hills, some filled with colorful houses, and terraced fields, and some bloomed with red and pink rhododendron blossoms during the spring.) 

We would have a sunrise view from the hotel or the view tower. We eat breakfast and prepare for the ride to Dhulikhel. We cycle through breathtaking natural scenery and charming tiny settlements. The trail winds its way through distant settlements, with a few ups and downs adorned with tropical greenery and mountainous woodlands, making for a delightful journey. Along the way, you can take in the Himalayan views. Nala and Banepa are among the places traversed before reaching Dhulikhel for lunch. 

After visiting the ancient Newar towns and exchanging smiles with the locals in Dhulikhel and being rewarded with views of the Himalayas such as Langtang, and Dorja Lapka Ranges, we make our way towards one of the important Buddhist sites, Namobuddha. It's a lovely site with 360-degree views of the rural area, lush jungles, the Himalayas, and windswept prayer flags. An ancient stone slab and a stupa depicting Lord Buddha's all-seeing eyes there tell a fascinating legend about the Lord Buddha; Lord Buddha as a small prince offered his flesh and blood to the starving tiger and its struggling family. As a result, Namobuddha is revered as a tremendous emblem of human sacrifice at its pinnacle.

Then the track winds through mustard and buckwheat fields, terraced gardens filled with ripe orange trees, ancient Tamang and Brahmin villages, and through a wooded hill down to the Roshi River. We are rewarded with views of the Himalayas' snow-capped mountains and rolling slopes during the trip. Balthali, a historic village with antique architectural buildings and countless temples comes into the picture after a short ride away. 

We relish the morning views of the Himalayan mountain ranges of Manaslu, Langtang, and Everest Plus, as well as numerous rice terraces in the west and the Mahabharata range's big body green forest in the south in Balthali village. Today, we take a leisurely stroll to Panauti, a rich Newari community wedged between the Punyamata and Roshi rivers, forming a triangle with a serpent idol at each of its three corners to protect the village from floods. It is home to magnificent temples and Rana-era mansions that have been renovated with the help of the French government. The ancient woodcarvings on the temple’s windows are very appealing. 

After exploring the village to the fullest, we shall ride to Kathmandu and relax. In the evening, farewell dinner with the team of Himalayan Trekkers in an authentic Nepali restaurant where we will share our experiences, laughs, and pictures. You will be driven back to your hotel after dinner and a cultural program. 

Our staff will assist you with the check-out formalities and escort you to the airport for the scheduled flight back to your home or onward destination. We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you on your next leisure/vacation. Have a pleasant trip.