*Overview:
During the course of the 15-day journey you’ll cross several 4000+ meter passes, visit the world-famous Everest Base camp and enjoy the world’s longest downhill ride! You’ll also pass through a breathtaking scenic mix of alpine plateaus, high mountain ranges and lush jungle. The Lhasa to Kathmandu ride is a grueling 3-week journey if traveled purely by bike, but we include 4WD support transportation. This gives you the best of both worlds - all the sights of a 3 week tour without having to ride the most grueling uphill sections or some of the less exciting flats, condensed into 15 days.
*Is it for me?
Because we have full vehicle support and we drive some of the more taxing up hills, you do not need the usual advanced ability and training required for the Lhasa to Kathmandu journey. Nevertheless, you should be at least an intermediate biker and you should have a reasonable level of fitness. This trip is suitable for those who are accustomed to road biking, as well as for single-track and downhill mountain bikers because there are numerous opportunities to jump off the main road and take single-track ‘short cuts’.
*Highlights:
- Bike the World’s longest downhill
- Expert instruction & knowledgeable local guides
- Visit Everest Base Camp
- Explore mystical Lhasa & bustling Kathmandu
- Visit Tibet’s most important monasteries
- Stay in a 5-star hotel for 3 nights.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: We start our Nepal & Tibet tour in the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. This fabled city is a picture of contrasts – from pious pilgrims, elaborate palaces and ancient temples to frenetic streets filled with hawkers, monkeys, mopeds, beggars and endless movement. Our team will meet you at Kathmandu International airport and transfer you to heart of the city where you’ll spend the next two nights in a luxurious five-star hotel. With many days of camping ahead of you, we thought we’d pamper you with some nights of opulence in one of Katmandu’s finest hotels. Within easy walking distance of the city’s main attractions, you’ll be free to explore the city and dine in one of its many delicious restaurants.
Day 2: The second day of our Nepal & Tibet tour will dedicated to arranging your Tibet visas, making last minute equipment checks and re-packing our bikes ready for tomorrow’s flight to Lhasa. Nevertheless, there will still be plenty of time for you to enjoy the beauty and excitement of Nepal. Those who are anxious to get on their bikes can join their Access guide for a warm-up ride through the lush farmland and jungle trails surrounding Kathmandu. The rest of you can continue your exploration of Kathmandu’s temples, festivals and open-air markets. Tonight we’ll eat in the famous Thamel district - home to many excellent restaurants and shops.
Day 3: Early start this morning as we transfer to Kathmandu Airport for our one-hour flight to Lhasa’s Gongar International Airport. Arriving around 3pm local time, we’ll settle into our hotel and then you’ll be free to explore the ‘holy city’ of Lhasa. According to a Tibetan adage, ‘one who does not get to Lhasa, has only half a human life’! Despite this, very few Westerners ever make it to this mystical city and you will be one of a very limited number of tourists who’ve seen the Potala Palace, traditional home of the Dalai Lama, the Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s most sacred temple, or Barkhor Street, the center of 7th Century Lhasa. A visit to Lhasa, and Tibet in general, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and you will forever remember the gracious people, pious pilgrims, red-robed monks, ancient buildings, and stunning alpine scenery.
Day 4-5: We’ll spend two full days in Lhasa, ‘the roof-top of the world’, acclimatizing to the high altitude air, exploring the city, and immersing ourselves in Tibetan and Chinese culture. Those who would like to do some biking will have the opportunity to do some short rides in the outskirts of Lhasa. The rest of the time will be free for exploring, relaxing, sightseeing, eating and sitting back in the bazaar watching centuries-old Tibetan life happen around you.
Day 6: Today the biking section of our Nepal & Tibet tour begins! Were we to complete this journey purely by bike, we would need more than 3 weeks, a length of time that few people can afford to take. So we’ve shorted our tour by including a limited number of driving sections. This gives you the best of both worlds – all the sights that a 3 week tour provides without having to ride the most grueling up hills or some of the less exciting flats. We start today’s journey with a 100 km drive to the top of one of Tibet’s most impressive passes, Khamba La Pass (4794m).
Standing beneath the colorful prayer flags at the top of the pass, with sacred Yamdrok Lake in the foreground and 7000+ meter peaks in the distance, you will feel you’re on top of the world. From here we’ll jump on our bikes for a 45 km ride that will start with an exhilarating downhill and then take us alongside the lake where we’ll likely pass small yak-skinned boats carrying pilgrims and nomadic families paying tribute to the lake. As with most legs of our journey, those who are into single-track riding will have the chance to drop off the main road and take on some walking tracks and herder’s trails which will provide you with plenty of challenge. Tonight we’ll get our first taste of deluxe camping – an experience that tends to be one of the highlights of the tour!
Day 7: You’ll be woken with hot chocolate delivered to your tent and then a hearty breakfast will be served. Eating breakfast in the crisp Tibetan air with the mighty Himalayas glistening in the distance is an experience you won’t forget for a long time. After washing up (our tent camp includes a toilet tent and a warm-shower tent!) we’ll jump in the jeeps for a short drive to the top of Karo La Pass (5010m). Here we’ll be treated to the spectacular sight of a huge glacier tumbling down to within a few hundred meters of the road. We’ll unload our bikes at the top of the pass for an exhilarating downhill ride on a tightly packed dirt road that winds it way through a magnificent granite canyon. The rest of today’s 70km journey will take us through beautiful, open valleys and past colorful Tibetan villages before we arrive at tonight’s campsite a little before Gyantse. Tonight we’ll devour another delicious dinner served by our expert Sherpa crew.
Day 8: This day of our Nepal & Tibet tour is a sightseeing and cultural day. We’ll start with sightseeing in the Gyantse Dong, a 14th century castle (called the ‘crystal palace on the peak’) which offers spectacular views of both the town and the surrounding valley, and the Kumbum monastery, an unforgettable nine-story temple which houses 75 different chapels. Kumbum literally translates as ‘100,000 images’ and is so named for the 100,000 murals that line the chapel walls.
We’ll continue to Shigaste, a drive of 90kms, arriving in time for lunch. Shigaste is the second largest city in Tibet and is the last major town on our journey until we arrive in Nepal. The highlight of Shigaste is the Tashilumpo Monastery, home to Tibet’s second most important spiritual figure (the Panchen Lama), and a truly magnificent sight. There is much to see within the high surrounding walls of this working monastery and we will take our time to explore it. We’ll finish the day with another 90 km drive, taking us to a camping spot at 3950m.
Day 9: Today we’ll have a full day of mountain biking that will take us to the top of Tso La Pass (4520m), and will be followed by a fantastic downhill through mixed terrain switchbacks – a highlight for all those who love downhill. After 70kms of riding, we’ll set up camp at 4000 meters and prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s journey to Everest Base Camp!
Day 10: After our customary morning hot chocolate we’ll drive to the top of Gatos La Pass (5220m), the highest pass of the tour, and then continue until we reach the start of the ‘Everest Nature Preserve’. Here we’ll jump on our bikes for some memorable off-road biking that will take us to the summit of Pang La Pass and will be followed by a swift and exhilarating downhill run. From the top of Pang La we’ll get our best glimpse yet of magnificent Mount Everest and of our goal for today – the Everest Base Camp! In the afternoon we’ll transfer to Everest Base Camp where we’ll camp at the incredible altitude of 5000m!
Day 11: Awake to breathtaking, mesmerizing views of Mt Everest bathed in morning sunlight as the majestic North Face stands before you, almost close enough to touch. After taking in the sights of Everest Base Camp, we’ll jump on our bikes for a full day of riding. Conditions permitting, we’ll take a route that will provide us with a full-day of fantastic off-road trails that will take us along small herder’s paths and rough dirt tracks. Today will be a great day to hone your downhill and single-track skills and you’ll find the advice and guidance of your instructors to be invaluable. Tonight we’ll enjoy another delicious dinner with our Sherpas, this time camping at 4200 meters.
Day 12: This day of our Nepal & Tibet Tour will be a full day of biking. The riding is fairly easy and very scenic - Tibetan villages, grasslands, distant views of ruined forts, and of course the mighty peaks of the Himalayas. As we stop for our picnic lunch, we may well be joined by local herdsmen. After lunch, we’ll bike through a surreal-looking valley that’s more like a gorge with its high cavern walls and fast-flowing river. Today’s ride will be about 70km and will take us to a camp site at 4400m.
Day 13: Today’s the day – our last uphill before we begin the World’s longest downhill run. Before enjoying the ultimate downhill reward, we must cross two passes and the weather can be very cold – but this is a small price to pay for riding across the top of the world’s highest mountain range, the Himalayas. At the top of the final pass there is a magnificent display of prayer flags which mark the start of our long descent to the border. Its time to put your head down, your weight back, and enjoy an exhilarating ride down the world’s greatest mountain range! Today’s 85 kilometer ride will take us to Nyalam where there is a permanent tented camp and several restaurants.
Day 14: Our descent of the world’s longest downhill continues. We’re going to descend almost 2000m in less than 40km so prepare to fly! The variation in scenery and vegetation is breathtaking; in less than two hours we’ll go from snowy passes to lush, Nepalese rainforest. In the words of one Tibet to Lhasa veteran “this really is a mountain bike highlight, not of the trip but of your life!” (Kym McConnell). After crossing the Tibet-Nepal border we’ll jump in the jeeps for the scenic drive back to Katmandu. Here we’ll enjoy a welcome night in a five star hotel, hot showers, and delicious dinner and some cold beers to celebrate our Trans-Himalayan crossing!
Day 15: The last day of our Nepal & Tibet tour – time for some last minute shopping before we drop you off at the airport for your flight home.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Standard price includes:
- 14 nights accommodation (dbl room occupancy):
- 3 nights in a 5* hotel in Kathmandu
- 3 nights in a B&B in Lhasa
- 8 nights of deluxe, full-service camping
- Daily instruction & guiding (max. instructor-to-guest ratio 1:5)
- 9 days of biking
- Flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa
- Full support vehicle during the rides
- All breakfasts, 9 lunches & 9 evening meals
- Travel permits and visa for Tibet
- All transportation including airport pick-up and drop-off
- All entry fees (as per itinerary).
Standard price does not include:
- Airfare
- Insurance
- Remaining lunches & evening meals
- Bike & helmet rental.
Please note: Group bookings of 4+ people only. If you are less than four people, please contact us and we will endeavor to put together a group for you.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Tibet
Nepal
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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