Himalayas: Off the Beaten Path

This biking holiday in Nepal caters to a wide age range; typically between 30-55 years old, but age is simply a state of mind, as they say. Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome! As long as you have a good level of physical fitness you will enjoy this mountain bike tour no matter what your age.

This is a guided mountain biking holiday, ideal for intermediate mountain bikers. Riding here, on the roof of the world you’ll experience some tough climbs and descents, as well as some lovely flowing single track. You’ll take three internal flights to spectacular riding spots.

The distances you'll cover each day range from 15km to 25km, in accordance with the altitude and height gain/loss on each stage. You will gain height gradually over the course of the trip to ensure that your body becomes accustomed to the increased altitude. Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day's mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there's anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a day pack with you whilst riding. There is a support vehicle and driver who will transfer your luggage to your next accommodation each day, and have it ready and waiting for your arrival.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills training during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your Nepal mountain bike adventure. If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain biking holiday!

Your mountain bike guides are local to Nepal and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Nepal. Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of the tour. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

The weather during your mountain bike adventures in Nepal will typically be very dry and sunny, with daytime riding temperatures around 20C/68F. The temperature at night drops significantly to around 0C/32F, so make sure you bring warm clothing for the evening.

On this mountain bike tour in the Kali Gandaki Valley of Nepal you will be staying in the best quality accommodation available in each area. This ranges from a hill-top cottage outside Kathmandu to local tea houses in the heart of the valley.  Accommodation in the more remote villages up in the mountains is very basic, but you’ll often be staying in family homes, which gives you the chance to get to know
the local Nepali people and understand something of their way of life.

A good quality full suspension mountain bike with 120mm travel front and rear will be ideal for this mountain bike tour. The terrain you will be riding is rough in places and you will feel more comfortable on a full suspension bike for the duration of the trip. It is possible to ride every day on a hard tail, so if this is your preference, then feel free to come with your hard tail. There can be thorns on the trails in Nepal so we recommend that you bring tubeless tires or tires with thicker walls and extra thick inner tubes. We do advise that you travel with your own bike to Nepal.

Short-term tourist visas can be purchased on arrival at Kathmandu airport and should be bought in cash in US Dollars. Travellers’ cheques, personal cheques and credit cards are not accepted as payment for your visa at the airport. Alternatively, to save time after your long flight, you can purchase your visa online in advance.

The daytime and nighttime temperatures vary greatly in Nepal, so you must make sure that you have plenty of layers of breathable clothing to ensure that you are always warm enough and can remove a layer if you get too hot, and you should  bring a down jacket for the evenings. You should also bring cycling shorts/trousers, gloves, padded undershorts, flip-flops, specific shoes for cycling, sun cream, insect spray, and Advil or Ibuprofen