Kathmandu Valley is a bowl encircled by a ring of hills, behind which, to the North, are the high Himalayas. This mountain bike tour begins in the centre of Kathmandu, soon leading on to undulating jeep and single tracks. The route passes through Buddhanilkantha, famed for its fifth century statue of Lord Vishnu reclining on the coil of the snake king, and then upwards through the Shivapuri National Park Reserve, and on to Chisopani from where may be enjoyed some of the best mountain views within the valley region. Other amazing panoramic viewpoints of the tour, include Nagarkot, Dhulikel and Daman, where the sunset and sunrise experiences are unsurpassable. The very varied off road, single track and rough trails of this tour are a unique and energizing experience for any rider, and include hair raising downhill runs which require extreme concentration and awareness of technical biking skills. Opportunities are included for making offerings at temples along the way to ensure safe passage! This biking trail passes through many of the World Heritage Sites in the valley, including Changu Narayan, an important Hindu temple with a fifth century stone tablet which is said to be the earliest known inscription discovered in the Kathmandu Valley. This temple is just outside the well preserved medieval city of Bhaktapur, after visiting which the trail moves on and through Khokana, the valley centre for mustard oil, which is still made using medieval methods of hand production with wooden oil presses. A visit to the important Buddhist monastery of Namo Buddha is included in the itinerary. This is a very important pilgrimage place as it is believed to be where the Buddha offered himself to a tigress as food for her hungry cub. Towards the end of the tour the route passes through the Tistung and Palung Valley where most of Kathmandu's vegetables are grown. The tour ends on the main highway at Naubise, from where there is transport back to Kathmandu, or from where it is also possible to ride if sufficient energy remains!

Altitude Chart