Mountain Biking

The best way to explore the Kathmandu Valley is on a mountain bike. Nepal’s diverse terrain is a mountain biker’s dream adventure comes true. Mountain biking offers an environmentally sound way of exploring this magnificent country, its landscape and living heritage. There are plenty of dirt roads and trails in Nepal to meet every mountain biker’s wildest fantasy. Mountain biking is specially recommended if you wish to explore urban centers of Nepal such as Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as the countryside.

Adventurous souls may plan extended trips to such exotic locales as Namche Bazaar, and western Nepal. You could even do the entire length of Nepal across the plains. Mountain bikes are available for rent by the day or longer in many of the bicycle rental outlets in Nepal and around the city.

A classic off-road adventure is the 70-km Scar Road that starts from Balaju to the west of Kathmandu city, traverses the hill resort of Kakani, Trisuli bazaar and Shivapuri, and then descends back to Kathmandu. Another route is the two-day circular tour to Dhulikhel to the east of Kathmandu. You can combine this ride with a visit to the ancient townships of Bhaktapur, Namobuddha and Panauti which lie en route. Yet another possibility is the 75-km ride on the adventurous, hair-raising Tribhuvan Highway to the hill resort of' Daman southeast of Kathmandu that offer even tougher challenges. Pokhara and its environs provide equally great venues for this sport. And if' you have not brought your own mountain bike- you can easily rent one.