The Kathmandu Valley is ringed by forested hills, and almost every one of them has a trail. Within an hour of your hotel you can be climbing through the pine and rhododendron forest of Shivapuri, riding a ridge with the Himalaya on the skyline, or dropping through terraced farmland to a temple that has stood for more than 1,500 years.

We run guided mountain bike and e-MTB tours across the valley: day rides that start at your hotel and finish in time for dinner, a week around the whole rim, and longer routes between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Every ride runs privately for your group, on your own dates, with our own guides, bikes and vehicles.

We are Nepal MTB Adventures. We have guided riders in Nepal since 2004, and Kathmandu is where most of our riders arrive and where many of our longer routes start and finish.

Our Kathmandu mountain bike tours at a glance

Kathmandu day tours

Kathmandu Valley E-MTB Day Tour: Shivapuri to Changu Narayan

The most rim you can ride in one day, across the north and east of the valley on a full-suspension e-MTB.

The ride. We drive you about 45 minutes north to Budhanilkantha, at the gate of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. After a bike fit and a briefing on the assist modes, you climb through pine, oak and rhododendron forest.

• Look down over the whole valley from Tarebhir, a Tamang village on a cliff edge

• Stop at Dhap Dam, high on the rim, with Langtang, Ganesh Himal and the Jugal range along the skyline

• Sit down to a hot dal bhat lunch in the farming village of Jhule while your battery charges

• Roll along the eastern ridge through terraced paddies and mustard fields

• Finish with a 650 m (2,133 ft) descent on singletrack or jeep track to Changu Narayan, a World Heritage temple with stone inscriptions from the 5th century

Choose it if you want a full day on the rim with electric assist, or you are riding with someone fitter or less fit than you. It runs daily, and you can also book it privately on any date.

Kakani Sky Trail

A ride on the northwest rim, where the views open up to the big peaks.

Kathmandu Mountain Bike Day Tour: Thamel to Budhanilkantha

The ride that starts at your door: a loop out of the city and back, without a long drive.

The ride. After a briefing in Thamel, you ride out of the city and climb to Madhku Bhanjyang, a pass with views across the whole valley to the snow peaks.

• Ride gently down through the village of Tinpiple and the old Newar streets of Tokha

• Stop at Budhanilkantha, where a stone Vishnu lies on a bed of serpents in a sacred pool

• Ride back to Thamel on countryside trails, with a mix of dirt track and singletrack

Choose it if you want a proper climb and fast descents, and like the idea of riding out of the city itself.

Multi-day tours from Kathmandu

Kathmandu Valley Rim E-MTB Tour (7 days)

The whole rim in one week: six riding days on full-suspension e-MTBs, with a 4x4 support vehicle, driver and mechanic beside you every riding day.

Choose your riding style before you arrive. The route stays the same, but what you ride on it changes:

• Technical: the most natural singletrack and technical descending your guide can find on each day's route

• Balanced: a mix of singletrack, forest trail and scenic connections

• Recreational: forest roads, village trails and viewpoints, with fewer technical sections

E-MTB Tour Kathmandu to Pokhara (13 days)

Nepal's two cities linked through the middle hills, with electric assist and a support vehicle that carries your bags.

Route: Kathmandu, then Shivapuri to Trishuli, Dhading Besi, Arughat, Gorkha, Sundar Bazaar and Begnas Lake, then into Pokhara via Dhampus.

• Riding days of 40 to 65 km (25 to 40 miles), about 4 to 6 hours in the saddle

• The highest point is the Gurung village of Dhampus, at about 1,750 m (5,741 ft), so there are no altitude worries

• Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and the best local hotels in the hill towns

• All meals on riding days, and drinking water

• Batteries charge overnight at each hotel

Choose it if you want to see rural Nepal between the two cities at a steady pace, with the motor handling the steep climbs.

Pokhara to Kathmandu Cycling Tour (10 days)

The same journey from west to east, on a regular mountain bike, finishing in the Kathmandu Valley.

Route: Pokhara, then Bhorletar, Sundar Bazaar (1,406 m), Gorkha (1,200 m), Arughat (700 m), Dhading Besi (620 m) and Trishuli (663 m), then into Kathmandu over Shivapuri.

• About 291 km (181 miles), in riding days of about 30 to 55 km (19 to 34 miles)

• Repeated climbs and descents between river valleys and hill towns

• Rated hard: you need the fitness to ride day after day without a motor

Choose it if you are a fit rider who wants to earn every meter of the middle hills.

Private custom rides in the Kathmandu Valley

Some of the valley's best riding is not on a fixed tour. We run these as private days, shaped around your group, your level and your date.

Tell us the ride, the date and how many of you there are, and we will send you a plan: ask us.

Which Kathmandu ride is right for you?

How fit and skilled do you need to be?

An e-MTB makes the climbing easier. It does not make a ride effortless, and riders who arrive expecting a motorised holiday are the ones who struggle. If you are not sure which ride suits you, tell us how often you ride and on what kind of trails, and we will suggest one.

Where we ride in the Kathmandu Valley

The valley floor sits at about 1,400 m (4,593 ft) and is crowded and built up, so our rides climb onto the rim that surrounds it.

• North: Shivapuri, Nagarjun and Kakani. Forest climbs and descents in and around Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Foreign riders pay a park entry fee and a bike fee, and must ride with a guide.

• East: Nagarkot, Changu Narayan and Dhulikhel. Ridge singletrack, enduro lines and long descents.

• South: Phulchowki, Godawari and Lakuri Bhanjyang. The longest climbs and quietest trails.

• West: Chandragiri, Champadevi and Hattiban. Rough climbs and gravity trails.

• Valley floor: Khokana and Bungamati. Easy village riding.

For every trail in the valley, with grades and what each one asks of you, see our guide to mountain biking trails near Kathmandu.
What is included

On every Kathmandu ride:

• A Nepal government-certified mountain bike guide who rides these trails

• A full-suspension mountain bike or e-MTB in your size, set up for you

• A certified helmet. Knee pads on request.

• National park entry and bike fees, and any permits

• Tools, spare tubes and common spare parts

Also included:

• E-MTB Day Tour and Kakani Sky Trail: hotel pickup and drop-off, transfers to the trails, and lunch

• Kakani Sky Trail and Thamel to Budhanilkantha: riding gloves

• E-MTB rides: battery charging at lunch or overnight

• Multi-day tours: a support vehicle with driver, hotels and lodges, and meals as listed on each tour page

Not included: travel insurance, which you must have, and tips for your guide and support staff.

Each tour page lists exactly what is included in each package.

Our bikes

We ride and maintain our own fleet.

Our e-MTB batteries (625 to 750 Wh) cover about 40 to 65 km (25 to 40 miles) of mountain riding in the lower assist modes, so a full day on the rim needs only the lunchtime top-up.

Bringing your own bike? You are welcome to. Pack a spare derailleur hanger and tubeless sealant, because parts for your exact bike can be hard to find in Nepal, and tell us when you book so we can plan the transfers.

Your guides and your safety

Our Kathmandu guides are Nepali riders who grew up on these trails and know them in every season: where the trail gets slippery after rain, which line flows best, and which village lodge will have lunch ready. They are Nepal government-certified mountain bike guides, and the guides on our e-MTB rides also hold Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certificates and e-bike system training.

• Guides carry a first-aid kit, a phone and a repair kit on every ride.

• Most of our day routes stay close to tracks a vehicle can reach.

• We drive you past the city traffic, which is the riskiest part of riding in Kathmandu.

• Your guide points out the harder sections before you reach them, and offers an easier line where there is one.

• On village trails, we slow right down. Children, older people and animals use these paths every day.

What to bring

We supply the bike and helmet. Bring:

• Padded riding shorts and a breathable top

• Riding gloves (supplied on the Kakani and Thamel rides)

• A windproof jacket for cool mornings and the ridges

• A waterproof from March to September

• Trail-ready shoes, or your own pedals and shoes

• Sunglasses and sunscreen

• A hydration pack or bottles: 2 to 3 litres on full days

• Knee and elbow pads for Nagarkot or Hattiban, if you have your own

• A phone or camera for the viewpoints

Best time for a Kathmandu bike tour

We ride all year. More on the seasons across Nepal: the best time to mountain bike in Nepal.

How to book

1. Pick your ride from the tours above, or tell us about a custom day.

2. Choose your date. Every ride runs privately, so any date works. The E-MTB Day Tour also runs daily.

3. Choose your package, Standard or Premium, on the tour page.

4. Tell us about your riders: height and weight for bike sizing, riding experience, and any diet needs for lunch.

5. Send us your insurance details before the ride.

The price per person drops as your group gets bigger. If you are riding before or after a longer trip, tell us, and we will fit the Kathmandu days around it.

Why ride Kathmandu with us

• It is all our own. Our guides, our bikes and our vehicles. Your booking is never passed to another outfit in Thamel.

• Private, on your dates. Every ride is for your group alone, so the pace and the trails are set around you.

• Riding at your level. We choose the trails and the line for the riders in front of us, from first-timers to enduro riders.

• More than twenty years in Nepal. We have moved riders, bikes and vehicles in and out of Kathmandu since 2004.

• Rated 4.9 on Tripadvisor by the riders we have guided.

> "Really easy going crew. Excellent and well maintained equipment. They have a massive variety in bikes and helmets. Would highly recommend going with these guys."

> A rider on our Kathmandu Valley E-MTB Day Tour

Frequently asked questions about Kathmandu bike tours

1. Are your Kathmandu tours private? Can I ride on my own?

Yes, every ride is private for your group. We guide groups of two to six riders per guide, and solo riders are welcome at a supplement.

2. Is there a minimum age or weight limit?

The minimum age for our e-MTB rides is 14, and the maximum rider weight on our full-suspension e-MTBs is 120 kg (264 lb). For younger children, ask us about the easy Khokana and Bungamati ride.

3. Do I need travel insurance?

Yes. Your policy must cover medical emergencies and off-road cycling up to at least 2,500 m (8,202 ft). We check it before the ride.

4. What happens if it rains on my ride day?

We ride in light rain. In a heavy downpour, or if a ridge is unsafe, your guide moves the group to lower forest tracks or sealed village roads. If we cancel a ride because of the weather, you get a full refund or a free change of date.

5. Can I rent a bike and ride without a guide?

Yes, outside the national park. We rent hardtails, full-suspension bikes and e-MTBs: see our mountain bike rentals. Most of the valley's trails are unsigned, though, and riders on their own usually miss the singletrack beside the road. Many riders take a guided day first.

6. Will I get altitude sickness on a Kathmandu ride?

It is very unlikely. Our valley rides stay below about 2,800 m (9,186 ft), and you sleep in the valley or on the rim, well below the height where altitude sickness usually starts.

7. Can you see Mount Everest from Nagarkot?

Rarely. Everest is far to the east and small on the horizon, and haze or cloud hides it on most days. Langtang, Ganesh Himal and the Jugal range are the reliable view on a clear autumn morning.

8. Kathmandu or Pokhara for a mountain bike tour?

Both, if you can. Kathmandu gives you rim trails, heritage towns and an easy start to a trip. Pokhara, our home, is the gateway to the Annapurna and Mustang routes, with the mountains much closer to the trails. Many of our riders start in Kathmandu and ride or fly on to Pokhara.