Kathmandu Day Biking

trip overview

The best thing about cycling in Kathmandu (Altitude: 1,338 m/4,390 ft) is the weather because it you will not feel exhausted at all if you spend a day riding your bicycle around. The second best thing is that a trip here offers almost all Oriental experiences there are as the Valley is a concoction of ancient religion, medieval culture and modern lifestyle. Kathmandu lies within and among historical heritage monuments, trendy neighborhoods, most-revered temples, bustling markets, vast farmlands, forests, parks and ponds so you have plenty to see here. The Himalayan Range always stands majestically in the backdrop of the Valley.

Easy country ride: Mudkhu to Tokha

Route: Hotel – Mudkhu – Tokha – Hotel

Distance: 33 km/20.5 miles

Time: 4 hours

Difficulty: Easy

This cycling trip is for people who want little exercise and plenty of fun. We begin our trip from the hotel to Mudkhu which is roughly two and a half miles from Kathmandu through city road. Paved road gives way to village trails at Mudkhu and we pass through vast farmlands and villages to reach Tokha. You can ride around Tokha to see this town which is rich in culture before heading back to Kathmandu. Recommended for a casual day out with family and friends.

All-in-one ride: Balaju to Budhanilkantha

Route: Hotel – Balaju – Mudkhu – Chaurgaun – Jhor – Tokha – Budhanilkantha – Hotel

Distance: 47 km/29.2 miles

Time: Five hours

Difficulty: Moderate

The route has been designed as such that you will get to experience all facets of Kathmandu in five hours. We ride through busy city to Balaju from where the rural areas start. You will travel through villages separated by paddy fields and linked by serpentine off-road trails till your final destination of Budhanilkantha. Some steep sections of the track will also provide a moderate thrill of mountain biking. Our last stop before heading back to the hotel, the Budhanilkantha Temple, is an open-air Hindu temple the statue of which was carved in the seventh century. It is one of the most popular temples in Kathmandu.

True mountain biking: Kakani to Budhanilkantha

Route: Hotel – Kakani – Budhanilkantha – Hotel

Distance: 57 km/35.4 miles

Time: 6 hours

Difficulty: Hard

We begin cycling in Kathmandu but soon we will leave the city to follow an off-road single track through Nagarjun forest. We ride past farmhouses and villages uphill to Kakani which offers scenic view of the Himalayas. From there, we ride through Shivapuri National Park with the Himalayas in the backdrop and different flora and fauna in the front to reach Budhanilkantha. The Budhanilkantha Temple located here is an open-air Hindu temple the statue of which was carved in the seventh century. It is one of the most popular temples in Kathmandu.

Hill climb racing: Budhanilkantha to Kapan

Route: Hotel – Thamel – Budhanilkantha – Staff College – NagiGompa – Helipad – Kapan – Hotel

Distance: 47 km/29.2 miles

Time: 6 hours

Difficulty: Technical

A splendid paved road through the city leads to Budhanilkantha from Thamel. The Budhanilkantha Temple located here is an open-air Hindu temple the statue of which was carved in the seventh century. It is one of the most popular temples in Kathmandu. The paved road continues uphill towards the Shivapuri National Park and is full of hairpin bends. The vantage point up here offers scenic views of the Himalayas and the Kathmandu Valley. The way downhill is very steep and requires a fine degree of expertise in maneuvering mountain bikes towards the Helipad. From there it is an easy and smooth ride to Kapan.

Culture and country: Changunarayan to Gokarna

Route: Hotel – Changunarayan – Sankhu – Gokarna – Hotel

Distance: 41 km/25.5 miles

Time: 5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

We begin our ride towards the district of Bhaktapur from where we ascend up to the Changunarayan temple, which is located on top of a hill, via a cycling trail. We descend from Changunarayan via a single track to the agricultural village of Sankhu. From Sankhu, we ride to Gokarna village which lies beside the Gokarna Forest Reserve. Beautiful scenes of rural Kathmandu and the Himalayas will accompany you throughout the trip.

Rural Kathmandu: Chapagaun to Chobhar 

Route: Hotel – Chapagaun – Khokona – Bungmati – Chobhar – Hotel

Distance: 47 km/29.2 miles

Time: 5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

We visit rural Lalitpur district and begin our trip from Chapagaun and make our way past the villages of Khokana and Bungmati. All these are traditional Newari villages which have retained their ancient culture and ways of living. These villages are also often called “living museums” as you will get the feel of being in medieval times as you pass these villages. The trail consists of off-road tracks through farmlands and narrow brick-paved roads through villages. The final stop in our trip is the Chobar hill from where beautiful scenes of the Kathmandu Valley can be witnessed.

Jungle run: Jamacho to Mudkhu 

Route: Hotel – Jamacho – Mudkhu – Hotel

Distance: 42 km/26 miles

Time: 5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

We will ride towards the Nagarjun forest at the beginning. Entering the forest, we ride through switch-back tracks uphill and then downhill to view the nature and the scenes of the Himalayas. We reach Mudkhu village after our excursion into the wild. From there, it is a two and a half hour ride back to Kathmandu.