Kathmandu Valley Rim Biking-13 Days
(ETNNP084)  Nepal

Overview

The Kathmandu valley rim biking offers some great mountain biking trails. We travel along little-used dirt roads away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Only a short bike ride away lies a delightful world of wooded slopes, small villages, hidden temples and the views which include all of the principal peaks of the Nepal Himalaya – from Makalu to the Annapurnas providing some excellent, easy to semi – technical single track riding along old jeep roads.

Throughout the trip, we will experience all of the sights, sounds, tastes and smells that make up life in Nepal’s ‘Middle Hills’. We will visit the historic cities of Basantapur, Bhaktapur and Patan; hill resort of Nagarkot with its sunrise view of the entire Nepal Himalaya and the temples; monasteries and picturesque villages tucked away in the forests along the way. We are so close to the chaos of Kathmandu, yet so far off the beaten tourist trail.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu airport (1,345 m).

Our airport representative will be receiving you at Tribhuvan International airport, Kathmandu and you will be then transferred to your respective hotel in our private tourist vehicle.

Overnight at Hotel. No meals included

Day 2: Pre-trip meeting and ride from Kathmandu to Kakani (2,100 m)

At around 8:00 am, we host a pre-trip meeting at your hotel in Kathmandu and introduce your leader/guide. Please seek this opportunity to ask questions about the trip. This includes a final briefing and preparations for the trip. For the meeting, please make sure you bring your passport, two copies of passport-size photos, and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. During this meeting, please clear the due balance, if any, and sign the legally binding trip form as well as the non-liability disclaimer. Please inform us in advance if you will be arriving late and therefore are unable to attend the pre-trip meeting.

After the meeting, we prepare our equipment and backpack and then ride off to Kakani. We head through the bustling back streets of Thamel and on to good wide undulating jeep tracks alongside the Nagarjun forest. Your efforts are rewarded by spectacular mountain views. On the way, taste the delicious trout fish farmed locally – which gives the route the name “Trout Highway”. We bike mostly uphill to Kakani, which is at 2,100m elevation. Once in our destination, we enjoy the stunning views of Ganesh and Langtang mountains and the valley of Likhu Khola 1,000 m below.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast Included

Day 3: Ride from Kakani to Budanilkantha (1,630 m)

Head off on one of the best single tracks in the valley down towards the Budhanilkantha Temple (Sleeping Vishnu), passing through the Shivapuri National Park. Budhanilkantha is a remarkable 5th century statue of the Lord Vishnu, reclining on the coil of giant king snakes in the middle of small pond. Your efforts are rewarded by spectacular panoramic mountain views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal on the way. Moreover, the hotel you’ll be staying at in Budhanilkantha is true resort established in a rural setting with culturally rich and naturally pristine environment whose garden harbors nearly 75 species of birds and 2,000 flowering trees and shrubs.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 4: Ride from Budanilkantha to Chisapani (2,430 m)

The early morning breakfast prepares us for the long day ahead. We head out on the trail from Budanilknatha towards Shivapuri National Park. The paved uphill road will give way to an off-road jeep track once we enter the Shivapuri National Park and then we head towards Mulkharka.

From Mulkharka, we follow the jeep track up and down into the heart of the national park. Part of the route is on the Helambu trekking trail. Our final destination is Chisapani (which means cold water in Nepali), which rounds off a challenging day. From Chisapani, you can have good mountain views. The village is a mixed settlement of Brahmins, Gurungs, and Sherpas. The village also commands a beautiful view of the large section of the Himalayan range, which emits an ethereal glow in the setting sunlight

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 5: Ride from Chisapani to Nagarkot (2,175 m). Overnight at Hotel.

Early morning after having breakfast, we now move towards Nagarkot riding down the jeep trail 12 km and passing through the jungle and mountains on the North as a backdrop till the next junction where we rest for lunch. Descending down upto a jeep trail onto a smooth path for 7km and start climbing upwards to Nagarkot.

Riding upwards we reach Nagarkot, another hill station with splendid view of the himalayas and sunset on the background.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 6: Rest day at Nagarkot

We take time to explore the numerous biking trails around Nagarkot, or just take some rest and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere at Nagarkot. You may also wish to visit Changu Narayan, a culturally rich temple not far from here. The temple complex includes one of the oldest Hindu temples in the Kathmandu valley and has intricate statues and stone tablets depicting ancient Hindu folklore. From here you can also enjoy good views of the valley and surrounding hills.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 7: Ride from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel (1,550 m)

Today we ride pass the narrow roads towards Dhulikhel. Passing through different jungle and riding downhill, along beautiful small villages head off to Nala from where the road leads you to the historical town of Dhulikhel.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast Included

Day 8: Ride from Dhulikhel to Balthali (1,445 m) via Namobuddha

From Dhulikhel, we ride on the route to Balthali.  Along the way we also make a visit to the sacred Buddhist monastery Namobuddha. We then continue biking to the traditional village of Balthali with ancient architecture of the houses and innumerable temples welcome us. This definitely allows for a great spot for sightseeing. The greenery and the farms make our ride very pleasant. The village of Balthali is tucked away behind the forest of Panauti and is considered as a naturally and culturally rich destination. The cozy hotel you’ll be at sports a bird’s eye view of green terrace field, massive surrounding hills and faint streaks of the Himalayas to the north.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 9: Ride from Balthali to Suryabinayak (1,360 m) via Bhaktapur Durbar Square

We descend on the mixed jeep tracks and paved road to Panauti, another ancient village, then ride down to Bhaktapur. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a collection of pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The main attractions include the Lion gate, the Golden gate, the Palace of fifty-five windows, art galleries, and the statue of King Bhupatindra Malla. You get to experience the culture of Nepal at its finest in Bhaktapur and also the legendary “Jujudhau,” locally made yogurt. After sightseeing here, we head to the neighboring Suryabinayak village.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast Included

Day 10: Ride from Suryavinayak to Godavari (1,545 m)

Leaving Bhaktapur behind we head towards northwest on jeep tracks and single tracks, passing paddy fields along the gorgeous and serene forest of Phulchowki on our way to Godavari. The Godavari Botanical Garden hosts a wide range of exotic and indigenous plants in its famous gardens. It has been of prime importance for scientific research and observation and is popular among both the locals and tourists because of its pleasing landscape surrounded by evergreen natural forest. You can feel a sense of tranquility and refreshment in Godvari, which also has innumerable hiking spots, including Phulchowki hill – the highest point in the Kathmandu valley.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 11: Ride from Godavari to Kathmandu (1,345 m), via Patan Durbar Square

We spend time exploring some exciting trails near Godavari then onto excellent off-road trails close to Kathmandu, a pleasant conclusion to our thrilling biking session! On the way, we will pay a visit to the Patan Durbar Square, which is an enchanting combination of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. One remarkable monument here is a 17th-century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna, built entirely of stone. We return to the hustle and bustle of Thamel on tarmac roads and celebrate our completion of this rewarding trip.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast Included

Day 12: Sightseeing in Kathmandu (on a private vehicle)

Your sightseeing trip will start at around 7:00 am after a hearty breakfast. You will have a private vehicle and a professional tour guide at your disposal. We visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks praying in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. After Boudhanath Stupa we visit Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats. We then head towards Swayambhunath – also called the Monkey Temple – a Buddhist stupa perched atop a hillock on the western side. You get a magnificent view of the valley from here.

In the evening, have a relaxing stroll and a last-minute shopping spree in Thamel and Basantapur. We host a farewell dinner in a typical Nepali-style restaurant with cultural performances (dancing and singing with costumes) tonight to celebrate our hard work and achievement in the biking trip.

You have the option to extend your trip to continue onto Chitwan jungle safari, Pokhara sightseeing, trekking, rafting & bungee, Kathmandu valley shopping tour, scenic Everest flight, and other activities.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast and Farewell Dinner Included

Day 13: Final departure from Nepal

The trip concludes – our airport representative will drop you at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight departure from Nepal.

Breakfast Included

Tour Cost & Schedule in 2022 & 2023

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Value Added

We are ready to welcome you with all the necessary safety measures (Post -19 Pandemic Halt). Hence we assure you of safety and security by following the optimal precautions.

Safety Assurance from Us (Tour/Trekking Operator)

• Vehicles fully cleaned and disinfected
• Foot bath mat available at entrance
• Extra masks available (if required)
• Safe distancing
• We carry limited number of passengers
• Our crew wear full PPE while disinfecting the vehicle
• Temperature screening available
• Our crew tested fit to travel
• Sanitizers available
• We carry additional deep wipe down cleaning of high touched areas
• Hygiene kit available for sale
• Our crew wear face mask and face shield

Safety Rules for Travelers (You)

• Namaste over handshake
• Do not travel if unwell
• Wear face mask all the time
• Maintain safe distancing
• Use foot mat while boarding
• Undertake temperature screening
• Ventilators over air conditioning
• Avoid unnecessary surface touching
• Wash/Sanitize hands regularly
• Follow sneeze etiquette
• Follow safety instructions (from local authority)
• Carry your personal hygiene all the time

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