“Experience the last remaining Tibetan kingdom”
13 Day Guided Motorcycle Tour of the Upper Mustang in Nepal
Dalai La Boutique Hotel, Chaksibari Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
High-Altitude Motorcycle Tour in Nepal
Riding at Upper Mustang in Nepal on a motorcycle is just epic! This will be a motorcycle adventure that moves all your senses: this is the jewel in the crown among Explore360°'s tours. The Upper Mustang area is close to the border with China and only a few tourists per year are allowed in this truly undiscovered area. This tour leads you to places where not many people have been, especially not on a motorcycle. With the Himalayan mountains and its 8000+ m. / 26.000+ ft peaks, it's hard to keep your eyes on those breathtaking mountains. Via Pokhara, you ride up to Lo-Manthang, the ancient walled city in Upper Mustang, and back, all the way to Kathmandu.
Key information
- Terrain: 80% off-road
- Bike: rental bike (Honda CRF 250 L including fuel and 3rd party insurance)
- Mileage: 905 kilometers / 562 miles
- Daily rides: 55 - 200 kilometers / 34-124 miles)
- Riding gear: not included, please bring your own helmet, hard boots (not soft leather touring boots), gloves, goggles, and motorcycling suit with knee, elbow, shoulder, and back protector
- Meals: Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners during the tour are included
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Kathmandu
- Experience high-altitude motorcycle adventure
- Guided tour through the town of Lo-Manthang
- Taste the cold beer and have a dip in the hot springs in Tatopani
- Visit to the ancient Hindu city of Muktinath
- 12 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
10 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Dutch, Swedish
Group size: 6-9 participants
Airport transfer included:
Tribhuvan International Airport
Accommodation
You will be staying in simple and basic guest houses when up in the Mustang but when in Kathmandu and Pokhara you will dwell in some well-earned luxury.
- Kathmandu: Luxury hotel
- Pokhara: Luxury hotel:
- Kobang: Tea house
- Chele: tea house
- Lo-Manthang: Hotel
- Kagbeni: Guesthouse
- Tatopani: Guesthouse
- Bandipur: Guesthouse
You will stay in the Dalai-La boutique hotel in Thamel, the tourist area of Kathmandu the first two, and the last night of the tour.
Program
This tour is for riders with some off-road experience as we ride through a variety of terrains. Because of the higher altitudes you'll ride on, you'll need a good general condition as well. You will experience water crossings, rocky de/ascents, and some dusty gravel roads on a light Honda 250 cc bike. If this sounds still exciting – you're more than happy to join this fantastic tour!
- Adventure level: 5/5
- Comfort level: 3/5
- Level of riding: 3/5
- Culture shock: 4/5
- Pillion is not possible, passenger, one in the support car
- Support car: The tour will bring a 4WD car with a mechanic, your luggage, snacks, water, and even fuel (there are no gas stations in Upper Mustang)
Highlights of the Upper Mustang tour
- Explore Upper Mustang, Tibet's lost forbidden Kingdom – more remote than you can not get!
- Ride the Himalayas – Tibetan plateau on 4600 m. - Annapurna mountains
- Visit Lo-Manthang – the walled city and capital of Upper Mustang
- Kathmandu – with Thamel, its buzzing city center
- Guided tour to Swoyambhunath ("Monkey Temple") and Pashupatinath (sacred Hindu cremation temple) in Kathmandu
- Visit Chosur - 2000 years old caves with 5 floors and 84 rooms!
- Drink tea with traditional nomadic yak herders
- The colored mountains of Dhakmar
- Gar Ghumpa - Mustang's oldest active monastery
- Muktinath – Sacred Hindu temple at 4000 m.
- Ride through the world's deepest gorge: Kali Gandaki Gorge
- Ride up to Kora La, the Tibet/Chinese border at 4600 m (if allowed by local police).
- Day trip to a very remote Mustang village with a hidden treasure (yes, you'll feel like Indiana Jones ;)
Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
- Day 2: Kathmandu
- Day 3: Kathmandu - Pokhara (200 kilometers / 124 miles)
- Day 4: Pokhara - Kobang (120 kilometers / 75 miles)
- Day 5: Kobang - Chele (55 kilometers / 34 miles)
- Day 6: Chele - Lo-Manthang (60 kilometers / 37 miles)
- Day 7: Lo-Manthang - Lo-Manthang (day trip)
- Day 8: Lo-Manthang - Lo-Manthang (day trip)
- Day 9: Lo-Manthang - Kagbeni (80 kilometers / 50 miles)
- Day 10: Kagbeni - Tatopani (95 kilometers / 59 miles)
- Day 11: Tatopani - Bandipur (150 kilometers / 93 miles)
- Day 12: Bandipur - Kathmandu (145 kilometers / 90 miles)
- Day 13: Kathmandu (departure day)
Note
- The itinerary can be adjusted due to rider skills, weather conditions, and/or the political situation.
- All prices are per person and are subject to change depending on accommodations, bike rental costs, etc., and applicable taxes, currency changes, VAT, etc.
- Explore360° can’t always guarantee single rooms in Upper Mustang, but most of the time it works out fine.
Riding abilities
Am I good enough to join this tour?
For sure you don’t need to be a hard-core off-road / rally expert, but you do need some experience with traveling in foreign countries and with riding on gravel. The days can be long, depending on many factors, so you have to be comfortable in most situations in order not to suffer fatigue too quickly.
The pace is relaxed. It is not a competition, you are traveling and will take a break frequently. There will be time enough to take pictures, videos, rest, etc.
On this tour, you’ll have a resting day in Lo-Manthang to enjoy local cultural highlights and refuel energy.
You will be at an altitude of 3.800 m, so your body needs to adapt.
Explore360° has different levels for different tours. The Upper Mustang tour is a level 3 (out of 5), where Explore360° does want to emphasize that for this you need to be healthy and in good physical condition (also because of the high altitudes). The riding, in combination with the weather and/or altitude, can make it challenging and strenuous.
Location
Nepal is a landlocked - between China and India - central Himalayan country in South Asia. It has a population of 26.4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area.
Bordering China in the north and India in the south, east, and west, it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state. In the past, there have been some political issues with India that resulted in the border being closed for import / export (such as fuel), which led to shortages and long queues.
Time: UTC/GMT +5:45
Food
The package includes all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners during the tour.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- 13 days of holiday with lots of good off-road riding and authentic cultural experiences
- 12 nights accommodations (luxury hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara and a few basic guesthouses and hotels in Mustang)
- Experienced motorcycle guide and experienced local staff
- 4-WD support vehicle for luggage, food, gasoline, spare parts, spare bike, etc.
- Mechanic (on a spare bike)
- Emergency equipment: first aid kit, tools, spare parts
- Garmin inReach - satellite emergency system
- Guided tours in Kathmandu and Lo-Manthang
- Entrance fees, tolls, and parking fees
- All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners during the tour
- Honda CRF 250L including fuel and 3rd part insurance
- Upper Mustang permits TIMS and ACAP (550 USD per person)
What's not included
- International flight tickets to and from Kathmandu, Nepal
- Alcoholic drinks (you will create a Kitty or common wallet for the payments of drinks / alcohol. When not drinking alcohol, you’ll contribute less)
- Travel, medical, and cancellation insurance (including helicopter Medevac). Make sure you have checked and arranged this!
- Visa; online or you pay upon arrival at the International Airport Kathmandu
- Personal expenses
- Tips for local Nepalese staff
How to get there
Recommended Airports
KTM
Tribhuvan International Airport
5 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). You will be picked up by a driver (with an Explore360 sign) when arriving at Kathmandu International Airport and brought back when departing. Please send your flight numbers and arrival and departure timings to Explore360°.
Airport: Tribhuvan International Airport
Airport transfer included: Tribhuvan International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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