Upper Mustang Mountain Biking Tour- 16 days

Good to Know

    Highlights

    • Visit Kathmandu’s iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
    • Adventurous Cycling Tour to the Trans Himalaya Region, Upper Mustang
    • Explore Muktinath, a holy sanctum for Hindus and Buddhists.
    • Venture into the forbidden kingdom of Mustang.
    • Cycling with a professional biking guide with backup transportation.

    Nepal offers moderate to extremely adventurous scenic rides, from the tropical plains of Terai, mid-hills to the artistic climate of the high alpine mountain region. Some are swarmed with expeditors, but many are mysterious and yet to be discovered. One of the best ways to explore these hidden treasures is by mountain biking.

    It is a perfect method to relive and enjoy yourself in the serenity of nature, immersing yourself in the remote valleys and observing the lives here, unfolding the mythical landscapes, mountain terrains, trails, and tracks.

    For one such unique experience, you must do upper Mustang mountain biking. The trans-Himalayan region, also known as the Forbidden Kingdom of Lo, is rich in culture, pristine Himalayan spirits, and geographic diversity.

    It is heaven for bikers seeking spine-tingling intimacy with the high Himalayas that provides insight into amazing historical, cultural, and religious land. One must grab this opportunity to relinquish themselves in the holy ambiance of the mountain god and Tibetan Buddhism.

    Words alone cannot describe this incredible destination, which is popular among all the bikers in the world. Do add it to your bucket list right now!

    Itinerary
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    Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, you will see our airport representative waiting outside the airport terminal a few meters from the exit door with a placard of your name.

    He will bring you to your hotel in Kathmandu by our private vehicle, which is around 20 minutes drive from the airport.

    • AccommodationStandard Hotel
    • MealsDinner

    This day is to check the condition of your bikes and gear. For that, you’ll do a warm-up ride around some of the remote parts of the valley on a single track.

    The trails here are best to test the quality of your equipment for the upcoming journey with the never-ending accompanying temples.

    After the test drive, you will return to your hotel and start packing for the trip with essential materials.

    • AccommodationStandard Hotel
    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner

    Pokhara is a city of sightseeing with stunning backdrops of the Annapurna Himalayan ranges. Although it is one of the metropolitan valleys, unlike Kathmandu, it is extremely tranquil, with verdant hills and turquoise lakes.

    It takes you closer to the mountains and nature with a series of adrenaline-rushing canoe, rafting, paragliding, and kayaking activities.

    The journey to Pokhara from Kathmandu is approximately 7 hours, whereas via plane it takes only 35 minutes.

    You will have a wide range of things to do in Pokhara, whether it's to canoe, dip into the lake, or just enjoy the glowing sunset above the Himalayas.

    You can find every kind of lodging place as well, from small hotels, restaurants, and shops to international-level accommodations and shopping centers along the lakeside.

    • AccommodationComfortable Hotel

    The day today begins with an early morning domestic flight from Pokhara to Jomsom after breakfast.

    It is a short yet thrilling 25-minute flight to boast about.

    Upon arrival in Jomsom, you and the crew will start to build the bikes and hop for the first ride towards the glacial river, the Kali Gandaki, to the gateway of Upper Mustang.

    Kagabeni welcomes you with the narrow sideways to explore its popular Yak Donalds. Yak burgers and apple cider brewed organically from here are worth every cent.

    • AccommodationLocal Lodge
    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude2,804 m

    Muktinath is one of the Char Dhams of Nepal, which is highly revered by both Hindus and Buddhists.

    The roads from Kagbeni to Muktinath are mostly through the uphill jeep track that stops by Jharkot for lunch for some time.

    Then, you will move to visit some of the artistic and religious monasteries and local settlements.

    After a few hours of riding, you will arrive at the destination of the day, Muktinath, check in at the local guest house, and head for the pilgrimage. You will get blessings here and return to your hotel.

    Overnight stay in the teahouse!

    • AccommodationLocal Teahouse
    • MealsAll Three Meals
    • Max. Altitude3,710 m

    There are five villages in this immediate area linked by ethnic ties—Chele, Gyakar, Chuksang, Tangbe, and Tetang—related more to the people of the Mannag Valley than to those from Jomsom and Kagbeni or Lo Manthang in a tough existence with arable land limited and necessary trading to supplement income made from the soil.

    In the morning, you will follow the riverbed before crossing the Kali Gandaki on a steel suspension bridge close to the place where the river passes under a huge block of red sandstone.

    From here, you will ascent steeply to the village of Chele for lunch, surrounded by barley fields and nearby willow trees. Then, you will climb a cairn again at an elevation of 3,310 m in the afternoon to witness the gorgeous Gyakar village, lying across an impressive canyon of a patchwork of green fields giving a dash of color to the barren terrain.

    It is a trail that narrows in several places in a continuous ascend to pass at 3,550 m with great views of Himalayan peaks from the south, including Niligiri and Tilicho Peaks, that goes by a short descent to the village of Samar and a camping spot close to groves and irrigation channels.

    • AccommodationCamp Tent
    • MealsAll Full Meal Courses
    • Max. Altitude3,490m

    Today, the riding course consists of five passes, Bhena La, Yamdo La, Syanboch La, Nya La, and Ghami La, above 3,800 m. So, an early morning breakfast is much needed.

    The trails are slightly tougher than the previous day, with a much easier climb without steep. Indeed, an uphill, but with some fast-downhill sections to compensate during the day.

    Once you reach Ghiling, you will take a lunch break and head for Ghami, which is a maximum 2-hour walk from here, comprising a 5-kilometer climb and a long downhill on the way before the teahouse.

    • AccommodationLocal Lodge
    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude3,560 m

    On this day, you will cross two passes, the first one with a 4.5-kilometer ascent and the second without any taxing. The courses are more comfortable than the previous ones at a higher altitude.

    You will pass through the lovely village of Charang halfway through the day for lunch and observation of the beauty of the village before setting out for another ride.

    After this village, you will pass an isolated Chorten and spectacular caves etched into the surrounding cliffs before a ridge at 3,850 m for a first glimpse of Lo Manthang, the breathtaking scenery of Mustang Khola, and snow-capped Mansail in the west.

    From the ridge, you will descend to a small stream and climb briefly to enter the fabled walled city from the northern corner.

    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude3,760 m

    You can call it an exploration day as well. The city has around 150 houses and four monasteries, one of which is reported to date back to the 15th century.

    Inside the temples, you will see many images of the Buddha and other different religious paintings, which are often not permitted to be photographed. Additionally, be aware of the Tibetan Mastiff dogs that guard the monasteries.

    The city before was a center for the old salt and wood trade, which made it one of the prosperous lands that are suffering from decline since the invasion of Tibet, which is dominated by the buildings of the King’s Palace.

    The Royal Family are descendants of an aristocratic family from Lhasa in Tibet, and today, though their duties are largely ceremonial, the King is a well-respected horseman and breeder of Lhasa apso dogs. After exploring the city in the morning, you may take an optional walk towards Chosar in the afternoon.

    • MealsAll Three Meals

    Today’s ride is 21 km from the monastery, which encompasses grand views of the two neighboring villages, Marang and Charang.

    The day begins with a climb to a pass marked with a cairn at 4,100 m and goes through alpine meadows before twisting down a red and purple eroded gully to the village of Tanmar.

    From here, you will walk along lush fields, in stark contrast to the surrounding barren terrain, and climb further ridges, preceding a short descent to the village of Ghami (93,440 m).

    The monastery in this village is off-limits to tourists due to the theft of religious artifacts some years ago.

    When moving beyond the village en route to Nyi La (Nyi Pass), you will get to your camping venue. 

    • AccommodationCamp
    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude3,700 m

    Another long, slightly more tiring day on the bike through the same passes, crossing the opposite direction into Lo Manthang, the reverse trail.

    You will leave Ghami with the longest climb of the day, 7 km, which takes you to the Nyi La Pass at 4,010 m and passes through a rapid downhill to the Ghilling village, followed by a 4 km climb to Syangboche La at 3,850 m.

    From Syangboche, you will descend a few minutes into the village with a corresponding 3 km climb to Yamda Pass at 3,850 m that undulates for a while before a long downhill to Chele.

    Retracing the same trails from the previous days is unavoidable and comes with some really fast and fun sections of shortcuts while descending, blessed with an amazing view of the Nilgiri and Annapurna ranges.

    • MealsFull Meal Courses
    • Max. Altitude3,700 m

    This day, the air gets thicker, and riding gets easier with a few tough climbs to tackle while descending out of Upper Mustang. The first 3 kilometers from Chele are predominantly downhill or flat to Chhusang.

    You will cross a metal bridge on the way, from where you can see the river coming through a natural tunnel. The trails from Chhusang are undulating until Kagbeni, where you will again ride along the Kali Gandaki riverbank.

    Although the riding from here is flat, there is the possibility of very strong headwinds all the way to Marpha, which is a typical condition of the mountainous weather.

    • MealsAll Three Meals
    • Max. Altitude3,490 m

    The trails of today mostly fall downhill and start out smooth and flat through pine forests and some tiny villages.

    You will follow the river, relishing a great view of the blinding white, snow-capped peaks.

    • MealsBreakfast-Lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude2,670 m

    After breakfast in the early morning, you will ride along the bank of the river on a jeep track to Beni Bazaar, where you’ll meet the road to Pokhara.

    Our vehicles will be waiting for the crew and other members to take us back to Pokhara.

    • AccommodationComfortable Hotel
    • MealsBreakfast-lunch-Dinner
    • Max. Altitude1,190 m

    The drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu is an extraordinary experience through the picturesque scenery along the way that you can click on photographs on the bus break.

    It takes nearly 6–7 hours for you to reach Kathmandu with lunch at the lunch stop. farewell dinner in the evening with a Nepali cultural dance in a restaurant.

    Overnight stay in the hotel!

    • AccommodationStandard Hotel

    You will do a last-minute check of your essentials and bid farewell to the valley on this particular day. 3 hours prior to your flight, our representative transports you to the airport.

    We are thankful for trekking with Adventure Himalayan Travels.

    We look forward to seeing you again!

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      Route Map
      Upper Mustang Mountain Biking Tour- 16 days Map
      What's Included
      Includes

      • Airport pickup and departure private vehicle

      • 3 nights’ accommodation at 3 star hotel with breakfast in Kathmandu

      • 2 nights’ accommodation at 3 star hotel with breakfast in Pokhara
      • 9 nights 10 days trekking with lodge during the trek, lodges are simple and clean enough)
      • Kathmandu to Pokhara and back to Kathmandu  by Tourist bus and Beni to Pokhara by  jeep as per the itinerary
      • All the meal during the trek (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
      • Special permit for Mustang
      • Annapurna national park permit with TIMS card ( we need 3 photos for permit)
      • Qualified mountain bike guide, porters( porter carry maximum 20 k.g and one porter between two person)
      • Demostic Airfare ( Pokhara - Jomsom )
      • Equipment clothing for porter & staffs
      • Equipment (sleeping bag, first aid kit, oximeter etc.)
      • Insurance for all staff & porters.
      • Farewell Dinner in Kathmandu
      • Trekking achievement certificate
      • Adventure Himalayan Tshirt
      Excludes
      • Nepal visa - Multiple Entry 30 days - USD 50 (Details in Visa Page)
      • Mountain Bike. You can hire a full-suspension mountain bike for 50-65 USD per bike per day
      • International flight & all domestic departure tax
      • Insurance for clients (i.e. helicopter evacuation, etc.)
      • Lunch & dinner during hotel stay in Kathmandu and Pokhara
      • Alcoholic drinks, candies, etc.
      • Extra accommodation and meals outside of itinerary
      • Personal gears & clothing (available on hire)
      • Tips, any expenses incurred in emergency evacuation/road block due to any reason, table drinks, snacks while walking.
      Dates and Prices
      Date PriceAvailability 
      Start DateStarts: MondayOct 02, 2023End DateEnds: SundayOct 01, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: ThursdayOct 05, 2023End DateEnds: WednesdayOct 04, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: MondayOct 09, 2023End DateEnds: SundayOct 08, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: ThursdayOct 12, 2023End DateEnds: WednesdayOct 11, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: MondayOct 16, 2023End DateEnds: SundayOct 15, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: ThursdayOct 19, 2023End DateEnds: WednesdayOct 18, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: MondayOct 23, 2023End DateEnds: SundayOct 22, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: ThursdayOct 26, 2023End DateEnds: WednesdayOct 25, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Start DateStarts: MondayOct 30, 2023End DateEnds: SundayOct 29, 2023PricePriceUS$2375StatusStatusAvailable
      Custom Trip Inquiry
      Start fromUS$2375US$2575(Price varies by group size)
      We Offer Group Discount Price
        
      2 - 3 paxUS$2375
      4 - 6 paxUS$2325
      7 - 10 paxUS$2275
      US$2375
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