Trip Overview
Kathmandu Valley Rim Biking Overview
The Kathmandu Valley Rim Biking Tour offers a captivating journey. It Provides the culturally rich and geographically diverse landscapes surrounding Nepal's capital city. This trek presents an ideal blend of natural beauty and cultural exploration within a relatively short duration. Spanning around 5-7 days, this trek takes trekkers on an unforgettable circuit around the Kathmandu Valley, revealing stunning views, serene villages, and ancient heritage sites.
Beginning from the outskirts of Kathmandu, the trek winds its way through lush forests, terraced fields, and traditional villages. The trail leads to vantage points like Nagarkot and Dhulikhel, where breathtaking sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas, including Everest, are a highlight. Along the route, trekkers experience the local lifestyle, interacting with warm-hearted villagers belonging to various ethnic groups such as Newars, Tamangs, and Gurungs.
Starting on the outskirts of Kathmandu, the trail meanders through lush forests, terraced fields, and quaint villages. Breathtaking sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas, including Everest, can be enjoyed from vantage points like Nagarkot and Dhulikhel. Interactions with local villagers, primarily Newars, Tamangs, and Gurungs, provide insight into their traditional lifestyles.
Beyond its natural splendors, the trek is a cultural odyssey. Trekkers pass by ancient temples, stupas, and palaces that illustrate the valley's rich history and architectural brilliance. Bhaktapur, an ancient city, stands out for its well-preserved architecture and vibrant markets, giving trekkers a glimpse into the past.
Accessible year-round, the trek has distinct seasonal charms. Spring (March to May) brings colorful rhododendron blooms, while autumn (September to November) offers clear skies and pleasant temperatures. The moderate altitude of the trek ensures it's suitable for varying fitness levels.
Conclusion and Summary
In essence, the Kathmandu Valley Rim Biking Tour is a mesmerizing expedition that showcases Nepal's natural allure and cultural heritage. It's an ideal choice for those seeking a compact yet fulfilling trekking experience that encompasses diverse landscapes, local lifestyles, and historical treasures.
Trip Highlights
- Sightseeing in and around Kathmandu, including the three primary Palace (or “Durbar”) Squares in Basantapur, Bhaktapur, and Patan.
- Tasting the delicious trout fish (locally farmed) available throughout the route to Kakani.
- Sunrise from Nagarkot with a magnificent view of the Himalayas.
- Riding along the lush paddy fields and traditional plantation and harvesting.
- Visiting ancient temples, Palaces, and villages to experience the local culture and age-old traditions on single trails and jeep tracks.
- Sightseeing at Budhanilkantha of Sleeping Vishnu, a Hindu deity.
- A relaxing time in the outskirt town of Godavari and visiting the pleasant Godavari Botanical Garden.
- A farewell dinner at a typical Nepali restaurant on the day before departure to celebrate our trip’s success.
Itinerary
Our airport representative will be receiving you at Tribhuvan International airport, Kathmandu and s/he will be displaying an Ace the Himalaya signboard outside the airport terminal. You will be then transferred to your respective hotel in our private tourist vehicle.
We host a pre-trip meeting at your hotel in Kathmandu which includes a final briefing and preparations for the trip. 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. 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 in elevation. Once at our destination, we enjoy the stunning views of the Ganesh and Langtang mountains.
The early morning breakfast prepares us for the long day ahead. We head out on the trail from Budanilknatha toward 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 where 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 rounds off a challenging day. 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.
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 up to a jeep trail onto a smooth path for 7km. Riding upwards we reach Nagarkot, another hill station with a splendid view of the Himalayas and sunset in the background.
Today we ride past the narrow roads toward Dhulikhel. Passing through the different jungles and riding downhill, along beautiful small villages head off to Nala from where the road leads you to the historical town of Dhulikhel. From Dhulikhel, we ride on the route to the sacred Buddhist monastery Namobuddha where we stay the night.
Today, we continue biking from Namobuddha 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.
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 Kathmandu.
The trip concludes – our airport representative will drop you at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight departure from Nepal.
Price Includes
- All (international and domestic) airport transfers on a tourist vehicle
- Twin-sharing/double accommodation in a 3-star hotel for 2 nights in Kathmandu including breakfast (Private room accommodation can be organized at an extra cost)
- Twin-sharing/double accommodation in a 2 or 3-star hotel in Nagarkot for 1 night including breakfast.
- Twin-sharing/double accommodation in a 2 or 3-star hotel in Budhanilkantha, Namobuddha, Balthali, and Panauti village including breakfast.
- Twin-sharing/double tourist standard guesthouse accommodation in Chisapani including breakfast.
- A farewell dinner on the last night in Nepal
- All ground transportation by Private tourist vehicle.
- Entry permits and fees for all temples, parks, monasteries, and cultural and historical sites.
- Friendship World Trek’s licensed English-speaking mountain biking guide(s). The number of guides and assistant guides is dictated by the group size.
- Mountain bike for the number of days riding. The brands include Cube, Trek and Giant hardtail or full-suspension bikes, depending on your choice.
- Wages, accommodation, meals, gear, insurance, and medications for all staff
- Filtered water in the trails using Water Filter or using water purification tablets
- 1 duffel/kit bag, trekking map, sun hat, Buff (Neck Gaiter) and trip completion certificate
- A farewell dinner on the last night in Nepal
- All administrative expenses and government taxes
Price Excludes
- Meals (lunch and dinner) – about USD 15 to 20 per person per day.
- International flight fare and airport departure tax
- Any beverages including bottled and boiled water
- Travel insurance along with high-altitude emergency evacuation coverage
- Nepal Entry Visa (Visa can be acquired easily after your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu with a fee of USD 50 for 30 days visa and USD 125 for 90 days visa)
- Biking attire and other personal gears.
- Tips for biking staff and drivers.
- Any expenses other than the Price Include section