Around the Kathmandu valley the options for mountain biking are endless. You can challenge yourself on long, hilly rides out on the valley rim or just explore the many temples and Newari villages in the lower valley. Or for the less energetic you can have a strictly down hill tour.
Exploring the area on a bike is a fantastic way to experience the local culture and way of life. It allows you to get off the beaten track and explore rural farming areas, National parks and Hill Stations. For long trips there are plenty of guest house scattered around the valley rim, so you can travel easily. You don’t have to bring your own bike; good quality front suspension mountain bikes can easily be hired from Kathmandu or Pokhara.
For the adrenaline seeker there is some really good down hill routes on offer around Kathmandu and Pohkara as well as a newly opened up heritage trail in Langtang to challenge your technical abilities. For the serious rider, there are also mountain bike races throughout the year that are open to foreigners. Please contact us for detail and information.
ATC can tailor any mountain biking trip to suit your needs. Here is a taste of some excellent tours you can do.
- Lhasa to Kathmandu
- Upper mustang
- Annapurna Circuit
- Pokhara to Kathmandu
- Valley rim Long
- Valley Rim Short
- Day Trips and Downhill
- Nagarkot
Mountain Biking Information
Fitness and experience.
For day trips around the valley anyone can do them from the novice to the advanced rider. If you are planning on longer rides then you should have a good level of fitness and some biking experience. If you have never ridden long distances or consecutive days before then it can become quite difficult and painful for you in the rear end department. If you are doing a long trip we suggest you try and ride 50km 3 or 4 times a week and do some uphill climbing as well. By being fit you will improve the enjoyment of your trip.
The guides
The guides are all highly qualified and expert riders. They know all the best trails and ways around the foothills. Your guides are also all bike mechanics and can fix any problems that should occur on the trail. Your guides will be trained in first aid and emergency procedure. Most importantly your guides are all locals, being well versed in the local culture and history to allow you to get the most out of your trip. They are fun and friendly for your upmost enjoyment.
The trails
Whilst in Nepal you will experience a great array of trails. For riding around the valley the first part of the ride you should expect to be riding in heavy traffic. Once across the ring road the trails will vary for bumpy jeep tracks, quite paved country roads and single tracks through rice paddies. In the national park areas the trails will be unused and very rough jeep tracks and single walking tracks. When you are going up into the mountain regions you should expect to carry your bike quite a bit. The trails are mainly single walking track with very rocky section and steep stair cases. In the Annapurna region, there are a lot of jeep size tracks which make for nice riding.
Best time of year
The best time of year for biking in Nepal is January to June and September to December. During the winter months it can be quite cold so bring some warm clothes. If you don’t mind getting wet and muddy, then august is a great time to come and slip and slide your way down the trails.
The bikes.
When doing a biking tour you can bring your own bike and helmet along with you. To transport your bike on the plane is no problem and as long as you are not over the weight limit you will not be charged extra. Your bike should be dismantled and packed securely in a box. We recommend you to take out t insurance for your bike and bring along a good lock and any spare parts. Spare parts such as tires and inner tubes, peddles, chains etc can be brought in Nepal, though the quality and price vary a lot.
You can hire a bike in Nepal. at a small extra cost the company will supply you with a top quality giant or Fuji bike with front suspension, a bike helmet, spare inner tubes and tools and a good lock and chain. You will be required to leave some form of identification as a deposit for any hire bike.
What to bring
For day trips shorts and t-shirt are fine as everything else is supplied for you. If you plane on a longer trip in the higher altitudes, apart for the normal travel things, you should bring along.
- Long and short biking pants
- long and short jerseys
- light thermal tops and pants
- good quality trainers or cycling shoes
- fleece jacket or vest
- water proof / wind proof jacket
- a light woolen cap
- sunglasses and sun cream
- tracksuit and jumper for when not riding
Cost included
- On long trips Bike, helmet, tools and spare parts. (At an extra cost form tour price)
- all meals and accommodation whilst biking
- qualified guides
- porters where necessary
- support vehicles with luggage drop and camping equipment where relevant.
- all road/air transfers
- visas and permits (for Tibet, Annapurna and upper mustang)
- On short trips
- On day trips you will be provided with a bike, helmet, spare parts and tools, a guide and lunch all included in the price.
