Lhasa to Kathmandu Mountain Bike Tour

Our representative from Pokhara Mountain Bike Adventure will welcome you at the Tribhuvan International Airport and escort you to the hotel in Thamel: A touristic and colorful town in Kathmandu. Upon arrival in the hotel, you will be given free time. Whether, you want to take a rest, explore the lively atmosphere of Thamel or find a bar for some drinks- it’s all on your decision!

Take a time to explore around the UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Pashupatinath Temple, Bhaktapur and the Monkey Temple with our local guide, while we prepare for the visa applications and logistics.  Taking a walk around these monuments will give you a wonderful and a unique taste of Nepalese arts, architectures and cultures untouched by the modernized society.

Your grand mountain bike tour starts here! Today, we will be riding from Kathmandu to Nagarkot: a hill station known for its panoramic views of the Everest Himalayan range. The ride takes us through scenic countryside trails enriched with traditional Newari culture and ancient architectures with a steady climb to Nagarkot. After, the good amount of time spent in Nagarkot, we will ride back to Thamel.

Distance:  50 km approx
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel.
Altitude Gain: 775m
Attractions: Mountain views, Newari villages.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

Our real MTB adventure is about to begin! We will take an early flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa. The flight connecting Kathmandu and the capital of Tibet, offers you with the incredible views of snow-clad Himalayas including Everest. As we land in the spiritual town of Tibet, we will meet our local team who will escort us to the hotel in Lhasa. Rest of the day, we will explore the ancient town of Tibet and let our body acclimatize.

Distance: No riding.
Accommodation: Hotel in Lhasa.
Attractions: Scenic flight over the Himalayas.
Difficulty: Easy.
Notes: Initial acclimatization in Tibet.

Our sight-seeing for the day is all about acclimatization. Our day starts with the visit to Potala Palace: former residence of Dalai Lama and an iconic landmark of Tibet. Besides this, we will also take the opportunity to visit the holiest Buddhist Temples of Tibet, known as Jokhang Temple and the busy Barkhor market popular for traditional Tibetan arts and crafts.

Distance: No riding.
Accommodation: Hotel in Lhasa.
Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple.
Difficulty: Easy.
Notes: Sightseeing day with light physical activity (hike).

Today, we will be visiting the Drepung Monastery – Tibet’s largest and significant monastic university. We will have the opportunity to communicate with the local monks and understand the Tibetan Buddhism, all while cherishing the beauty of the mountains around. After the complete visit of Drepung Monastery, we will head back to the hotel, relax and prepare for the cycling adventure to come.

Distance: No riding.
Accommodation: Hotel in Lhasa.
Attractions: Drepung Monastery.
Difficulty: Easy.
Notes: Relaxation day to acclimatize fully.

Finally, our long waited biking adventure begins! We will be cycling along the scenic Tsangpo River towards Kamba Pass. The biking trail from Lhasa to the base of Kamba Pass is relatively flat proving it to be the perfect start for the high-altitude cycling. We will camp the night at the base of Kamba Pass, under the starry Tibetan sky.

Distance: 85 km
Accommodation: Camp  at Before  Kamba Pass.
Altitude Gain: 1,094m
Attractions: Tsangpo River, high-altitude landscapes.
Physical Difficulty: Hard.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

The ultimate test to our endurance begins today! As we leave the Camp and proceed further, we will have to tackle the steady climb to Kamba La – the pass adorned with prayer flags creating spiritual vibrations, waiting to offer us with the sweeping view of Yamdrok Lake and the mountains around. As soon as we frame ourselves with the incredible backdrop, we will start descending towards the shores of the holy lake of Tibet where we will set up our tents for the overnight stay.

Distance:  77 km
Accommodation: Camp near Yamdrok Lake.
Altitude Loss: 353m
Attractions: Stunning lake views, prayer flags.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

Today, the ride is shorter compared to the previous days. However, the ascent to the Karo Pass adds significant challenge to our ride as we have to pass over 4700 meters on our bikes. As we scale the top of Karo Pass, with our pounding hearts and shortness of breath, we will take quick pictures of the glaciers and the mountain peaks. As we are done with the photo session, we will hop on our bike and roll down to Ralung where we will set up our tents for the night.

Distance:  56 km
Accommodation: Camp at Ralung.
Altitude Gain: 569m
Attractions: Karo Glacier, mountain views.
Physical Difficulty: Challenging.
Technical Difficulty: Hard.

Today, we will be riding through remote valleys of Tibet past traditional villages and Kharola Pass to Gyantse – a historical town popular for Palkhor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Before we ride down to Gyantse, we have to be ready to tackle the steeper climbs of Karola pass at an altitude of 5010 meters. The climb to Karola pass will be extremely challenging as we have to pedal our bike in the thin airs of Tibet over 5000 meters. Tonight, we will accommodate ourselves in the comfort of the hotel in Gyantse.

Distance:  55 km
Accommodation: Hotel.
Attractions: Glaciers, mountain views, monasteries.
Physical Difficulty: Challenging.
Technical Difficulty: Hard.

Today, we have to ride a lengthy distance! We will be biking on the flat roads of Friendship Highway with the countryside views to Shigatse. Shigatse is the second biggest city of Tibet which introduces us to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery: Referred as the traditional monastic seat of Panchen Lama. We will be staying the night in a hotel.

Distance: 95 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Shigatse.
Altitude Loss: 120m
Attractions: Tashilhunpo Monastery, local markets.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Easy.

As we leave Shigatse behind, we will be riding through picturesque valleys, over two small passes and past several Tibetan villages along the way. The ride from Shigatse to Gyachung Monastery is lengthy and weary; however, the incredible landscapes will energize and motivate us to keep going to our final destination where we will set up our camps for the night.

Distance: 97 km approx
Accommodation: Camp near Gyachung Monastery.
Altitude Gain: 240m
Attractions: Tibetan villages, monastic life.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

After having our breakfast under the open skies of Ghyachung Monastery, we will continue our adventure to Lhatse where we will relax our sore muscles in a natural hotspring and stay the night in a comfortable hotel room. The ride from Ghyachung Monastery takes us over Yulong Pass (4520m) before rolling down to Lhatse.

Distance: 62 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Lhatse.
Altitude Loss: 660m
Attractions: Yulong Pass, local hot springs.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

Today’s ride is significantly challenging as we will have to ride over the Lakpa Pass situated at an altitude of 5220 meters. If the weather favors us while breathlessly pedaling towards the top, we will have the first glimpse of Everest, waiting to be pictured. Having plenty of time spent with the glamorous view of the highest mountain in the world, we will start descending down towards the flat grasslands which then lead us to Shegar - a small town serving as the gateway to Everest in the Tibet side. We will stay the night at a hotel in Shegar.

Distance: 76 km
Accommodation: Camp in Shegar.
Altitude Gain: 340m
Attractions: First glimpses of Everest.
Physical Difficulty: Hard.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

Today’s ride is as challenging as the previous day! We will skip the main highway and ride the trail towards Everest. The biking trail features a series of switchbacks followed by a significant climb to the summit of Pang Pass. The top of the Pang pass offers us the incredible views of the world’s highest mountains: the Everest, Cho Oyu and Makalu. As we take sufficient amount of pictures, we will get on our bikes and cheer on a thrilling downhill ride to Rongbuk valley, where we will find our tents ready to welcome us for the night.

Distance: 67 km
Accommodation: Camp near Pang Pass in Rongbuk valley.
Altitude Gain: 950m
Attractions: Views of Everest and Cho Oyu.
Physical Difficulty: Challenging.
Technical Difficulty: Challenging.

Today is the most exciting day of our adventure! We will ride on a bumpy road along the Rongbuk valley, which unveils the sight of the Roof of the world –Sagarmatha. We will be installing our tents near the Rongbuk Monastery with the stunning view of Everest.

Distance: 28 km
Accommodation: Camp at Everest Base Camp.
Altitude Gain: 150m
Attractions: Everest Base Camp, Rongbuk Monastery.
Physical Difficulty: Challenging.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

Today, we will take a day off to relax and enjoy the incredible sight of Mount Everest from the base. We have the option to either bike or hike to the base camp which lies at the distance of 2 Km. We will take time to fully soak in the beauty of the highest mountain in the world and head back to the camp for a relaxed day.

Distance: Optional short ride to explore.
Accommodation: Camp at Everest Base Camp.
Attractions: Glacier views, serene Himalayan landscapes.
Difficulty: Easy.
Notes: Day to rest and enjoy Everest Base Camp.

Our heart and mind filled with the beautiful scenery of the Everest, we prepare to leave base camp and ride towards Old Tingri. Our adventure packed mountain biking trail leads us through shortcut mountain tracks, rugged Himalayan terrain and past canyons and finally to Old Tingri where we will find our tents set up for the overnight stay.

Distance: 86 km
Accommodation: Camp in Old Tingri.
Altitude Loss: 810m
Attractions: Remote valleys, Tibetan villages.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
Technical Difficulty: Hard/Challenging.

We will set up our ride after the breakfast at our camping site. We will be riding our bikes through the stunning and barren landscapes of Tibetan Plateau with the incredible sight of the towering peaks. As you near the glacier-fed, brackish waters of Peokutso Lake the stunning views of the surrounding mountains reflected on the turquoise high-altitude lake will leave you in awe. The Peokutse Lake, expanded approximately at around 300 square Kilometers, offers the opportunity to observe the rare wildlife such as the wild ass and the Bar-headed goose (the only birds, capable of flying over Everest). We will set up our tents on the Shore of Peokutse Lake.

Distance: 73 km
Accommodation: Camp at Peokutso Lake.
Altitude Gain: 50m
Attractions: Stunning lake and mountain views.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate.

We will wake up early pack our stuff, have breakfast and hit the final stretch of the highland trails. We will be riding our bikes to the Tibet-Nepal border at Gyirong through lush valleys and forests. As we leave the Tibetan highlands behind, we will be descending significantly to the warmer subtropical climate of Gyirong- also known as Kerung in Nepali. We will be staying the night in a hotel in Gyirong.

Distance: 74 km
Accommodation: Camp in Gyirong.
Altitude Loss: 1,600m
Attractions: Lush forests, terraced landscapes.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Easy.

Today is the final day of our incredible adventure!  We will cross the Tibet-Nepal border and descend towards the much warmer climate of the Kathmandu valley. We will be biking on the scenic roads past beautiful villages and terraced farmlands before reaching to Kathmandu for the final farewell dinner together. If you think you are enough of riding on the bike, we can take a scenic drive to Kathmandu after crossing the border.
Distance:  120 km (drive or ride, depending on road conditions).

Accommodation: Hotel in Kathmandu.
Altitude Loss: 1,300m
Attractions: Scenic descent, mountain and river views.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate.
Technical Difficulty: Easy.

As you have completed one of the most challenging mountain bike tours in the world, you deserve to have a well-earned rest and prepare for the departure back home. May be, you want to purchase some souvenirs for your beloved ones or you just want to walk around to stretch your sore muscles, we owe it all to you.

Today marks an end to your incredible adventure with us! We do truly believe to seeing you in near future for more adventure to come. We wish you a safe and wonderful flight back home!

(Note: This is just an outline of an Itinerary. It can be modified as per the need and pace of the group. In case of emergency situations with life-threatening risks, Pokhara Mountain Bike Adventures team reserves the right to modify the itinerary or even terminate the tour for the safety of our valued participants.)