Nepal is fascinating and beautiful. The entire country has a backdrop of the Himalayas with curtains of fluttering prayers flags. The former Hindu kingdom is an important centre of Buddhist learning and philosophy. With its varied cuisine, and friendly Gorkhas and Sherpas, the Nepali culture will mesmerise you. As they say, Nepal - once is not enough.
For an adventure expedition, you could not have found a more unique geography and terrain than the Mustang Valley in Nepal where the tropical Terai opens into an arid near lunar landscape. The kingdom of Lo Manthang and Muktinath Temple is one ride that cannot be missed by a road tripper and explorer. Mustang is the last surviving kingdom of Tibetan plateau which not long ago, was a forbidden place. The Mustang-Muktinath motorcycle tour is a ride that must not be missed.
Nepal Climate
Whilst on motorcycle tours of Nepal, be aware that it is a land of extremes. The climate varies dramatically with altitude and the season.
Between Mid November and February, early mornings can be cold and it can get sub-zero at night. In the south of Nepal, at lower altitudes, it gets seriously hot in May. Between June and August is the wet season when the monsoons grip Indian peninsula.
When you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, we meet you moment you step out of Airport . We'll whisk you away to an excellent hotel with a bit of a comfort and luxury. After some rest you'll wander through a labyrinth of small shops and brightly-colored buildings . Its full of local art and artefact and that for you is the tourist hub of Kathmandu – t he Thamel .
Take in a massage, pick up a cashmere scarf, or dine at one of the many Nepali restaurants.
In the evening would be your preparations for Pokhara and a briefing on the ride plan.
Pokhara is known to be the most serene city in Nepal and you'll see why? It is a 6 hours drive from Kathmandu with some amazing views along the way.
We would check-in in to our hotel in Pokhara for a brief rest before setting out to see what Pokhara has to offer.
You have some more briefings lined up, some motorcycle introductions and gearing up. Time permitting we would attempt a short ride around the city to get you familiarised with your bikes. Don't worry, you would return back to Pokhara again, if you missed on something.
A relatively long ride up the Himalayas, today we gain an altitude of about 3000m. We will cross the Buddhist towns, monasteries and see the landscapes change dramatically. Its truly a magnificent experience to ride in this part of the world. The road is 65 km black top till Beni and a tough 45 km near off-road gravel ride till Kalopani. This portion of ride will put your biking skills to test.
We ride out after the breakfast in Kalopani. We ride along Kali Gandaki River with mesmerising views of Annapurna , Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri peaks. We reach Muktinath at an altitude of 3800 m - its a temple of salvation, where we offer our prayers before riding back to Kagbeni for a night halt.
Kagbeni is a beautiful Tibetan village, unique in every way. We will spend the morning soaking in the local culture and amazing views that Kagbeni region has to offer.
Today is the day we make a transition to the coveted area of Upper Mustang region. As we ride out of Kagbeni Village we would have to go through some inner area permit procedures. We continue our ride along Kali Gandaki River and some remote settlements. Our halt today will be at Ghami, yet another unique village in Mustang .
This is the day we arrive at our final destination – Lo Manthang – the last Tibetan Forbidden Kingdom. The Tibetan walls, handmade hutments and prayer wheels will become a common sight as we pass Upper Mustang. As we pass through a large village of Charang we would take a brief halt. On the final leg of ride today, we ascend to Lo–Manthang .
We have been through some tough riding terrains. Today is a day for some much needed rest and relaxation. In the day we will do a short trip to a beautiful local monastery and learn more about Lo and Buddhist cultures. The afternoon is all yours to wander the streets, speak with locals, drink local brewed tea, haggle and buy some souvenirs.
Today's ride will take us to the highest altitude of our journey as we reach the Tibetan border of Kora la - a high altitude pass. We ride high up on the Tibetan Plateau - a rare opportunity for a rider to come to this gateway to Tibet. It is not an official border crossing point yet. We ride back to Lo Manthang for the night.
Its time to bid adieu to Lo Manthang and start our return ride southwards to Pokhara. The vistas of amazing Annapurna, Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri begin to embrace you as we go down the plateau. We arrive at Samar - a quiet village dotted with some ancient ruins and barren hilltops.
We continue riding south to the Apple capital of Nepal – Marpha . It’s a white walled city which is so inviting to be explored. With some apple brandy to keep you warm, it would be a perfect end to a good riding day.
The ride goes downhill towards Tatopani. Tato means hot in Nepalese and Pani means water. Today we will quickly lose all the altitude that we gained in so many days. We would descend from 3000m to 1200m when we reach Tatopani. En-route we halt to savor the popular views of Rupche Fall, after Ghasa. We admire beauty of the fall and resume riding along the rugged highland road to Tatopani. As the name suggests, after reaching Tatopani, you deserve a hot water bath in the natural hot springs.
When you return to Pokhara - you would have a battle hardened soldier's look.
Back to the civilisation this is a day to yourself. You rest, savour a few drinks, go for a massage or just flip through the photos and videos of the tour. Once you deposit your bikes, you surely would miss the forbidden lands you have been riding.
From Pokhara, w e drive back to Kathmandu after breakfast. We reach Kathmandu by evening and check into our hotel. Shopping, buying some souvenirs and relaxing should be on the agenda this evening.
After breakfast, you'll be escorted to the airport for your flight back home. While the week may have flown past, but, your memories of this ride will last a lifetime.
- Airport Pick-up and drop
- Accommodation with breakfast in good mid range hotels in Kathmandu & Pokhara
- Transport from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back in an air conditioned vehicle. (Toyota Hiace or Similar)
- Lodges / Guest Houses with breakfast & dinners during the ride in upper Himalayas. (Day 3- Day 12)
- One Royal Enfield Himalayan or 500 cc – per person for the riding days (Day 3 – Day 12)
- Fuel and Spare parts for the ride
- A logistic support vehicle to carry luggage and spares or fuel
- All permits required for the ride. (ACAP/TIMS) P ermits costing USD 500 for Upper Mustang
- Group Medical Kit
- A Mechanic with a helper
- An experienced english speaking group leader on Bike
- Additional guide as we enter Upper Mustang (mandated by government)
- Sightseeing in Pokhara in an Air conditioned vehicle.
- Travel insurance
- Meals other than mentioned in inclusions
- Visa for Nepal
- Alcohol and Snacks
- Personal Expenses
- Repair to damages on bike you ride
