Days 1-2 London to Kathmandu
We fly from the UK to Kathmandu, where we stay overnight before a scenic drive West to Pokhara, where our mountain biking journey will begin. We will return to the capital at the end of our expedition, and will have time to explore this fascinating city. On arrival, we transfer to our accommodation where we have time to settle in and acclimatise to our new surroundings, before enjoying our first team dinner in Nepal.
Day 3 Pokhara
Today we continue our journey by driving to Pokhara, the city of the Lakes. We’ll have time to relax here and explore this beautiful lakeside town, exploring the many shops, cafes and activities on and round Lake Phewa. We’ll get a good night’s rest here before beginning our exhilarating biking journey in the morning.
Days 4 Scenic flight to Jomson
Today we take an early morning scenic flight from Pokhara to Jomson, the headquarters of the Mustang district. We’ll fly over the stunning mountain range before arriving in windy Jomson, where we’ll have time to acclimatise and learn a little more about the fascinating Tibetan culture and customs here.
We’ll also collect our bikes and equipment today, ahead of our mountain biking journey which begins tomorrow. We’ll get familiar with our bikes, and meet our mountain biking guides who will brief on the next part of our exciting Himalayan adventure.
Days 4-12 Himalayan Mountain Bike Journey
Our ride begins in Jomsom at 2,767m and heads towards Kagbeni (2,870m). Following jeep tracks, the first day of our ride reaches heights of 2,900m, followed by an adrenaline-filled downhill section to reach Marpha where we’ll spend our first night.
Our second day takes us downhill with a descent of 1,480m, taking us through the World’s Deepest Gorge, the Kali Gandaki Gorge. Today’s ride offers spectacular views, and finishes at a natural hot water spring in Tatopani.
We then make our way back towards Pokhara via Beni at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi River. We arrive in Beni within a few hours, and jump back in a vehicle to reach Pokhara once more.
Our biking journey doesn’t end here though: from Pokhara we ride via the stunning lakes in this region, including Begnas Lake where we’ll camp overnight. We continue through the rural Nepalese foothills, and ride cross-country along jeep trails to Kalasti, a small village on the banks of the Mardi River.
We move from lakes to foothills, to rice paddies and ancient forts- the landscape is fantastically varied and spectacular at every turn!
From one of Nepal’s most famous towns, Gorkha, we journey into Nepal’s inner Terai, riding through tiny mountain villages who rarely witness Western visitors. This is journey that truly takes us off the beaten track, and showcases the very best of Nepal and the mountains.
On the final stage of our journey, we take on the challenging trails through the Trisuli Valley and Nuwakot District. A 1,200m ascent takes us to Samari, but we are rewarded with yet more spectacular views and a well-deserved downhill descent into Nuwakot where we’ll spend our final night in the mountains. Nuwakot means ‘Nine Forts’ and was once home to several magnificent temples and palaces throughout history, the most striking being the Saat Tale Durbar, a seven-storey fortress built in 1762. Unfortunately, it and several other temples, palaces and buildings were badly affected by the 2015 earthquake, but restoration work is on-going in order to restore it to its former glory. The Nuwakot area has huge historical significance, as well as rugged mountain scenery that makes it perfect for mountain biking.
The vast majority of our route will be off-road, offering a truly exhilarating and challenging mountain biking experience, with plenty of single-track and technical sections, and <exciting> downhill routes to test our skills as well as teach us new ones! We’ll ride between 20-50 miles each day. Each night will be spent in traditional lodges and teahouses, or in overnight camps under the stars, with hearty meals cooked by our team of mountain guides.
Day 14 Kathmandu
Our magnificent Himalayan journey ends in the vibrant, bustling capital of Kathmandu. Here we will have time to explore as well as visiting local markets, hidden temples and ancient shrines in the little back streets of Thamel.
We may also have time to explore the ancient Buddhist monastery of Swayambhunath, over 2,000 years old. Perched on a hillside overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, it is truly one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world! We might also visit the stunning Tibetan Stupa at Boudhanath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where thousands of Buddhist pilgrims gather every day.
In the centre of the old city is Durbar Square, from here the city’s king ruled in days gone by. We may encounter the living goddess, Kumari Devi, peering from her upper window from her chambers. Then it is time to dive into shopping mode and try out our bartering skills, as well as fitting in a last celebration dinner!
Day 15 Return to London
This morning we are transferred to the airport for our flight to London, finally arriving back in the UK with memories to last us a lifetime!