Nepal is a landlocked country, it shares its border with India for East, West and South and Northern Nepal shares its border with Tibet Autonomous Region or Mainland China. Lo Manthang or Upper Mustang is situated in the Northern part of Nepal bordering with Tibet, that’s why still people of Upper Mustang follow Tibetan culture. In these 13 days, Motorcycle Tour to Upper Mustang we are gonna explore Lo Manthang which is the best-kept secret of Nepal. This Upper Mustang Motorbike trip starts from Kathmandu and ends in Kathmandu, we will explore Pokhara, Lete, Jomson, Muktinath (Lower Mustang), Kagbeni, Tatopani, and Lo Manthang. The route from Pokhara to Lo Manthang is full of adventure and extreme off-roading in the Himalayas.
Day 1 –
Arrival at Kathmandu
Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our crew member will pick you up and check in to the hotel.
We will meet in the evening for a briefing followed by a welcome dinner.
Day 2 –
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Miles – 125
The first official ride day of the Nepal Motorcycle Tour will start from Kathmandu; we will have early breakfast at the hotel and start our journey towards Pokhara. We advise leaving Kathmandu town a little early so that we can beat the heavy traffic of Kathmandu. The journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara is one of the best routes in Nepal to Travel on Motorcycle, the ride passes through beautiful small villages and rural towns. The altitude of Kathmandu and Pokhara are almost the same, but still, Pokhara is a little cold when compared to Kathmandu due to its close to the Himalayas. After riding for about 6-7 hrs we will be able to reach Pokhara by early evening.
Day 3 –
Pokhara Sightseeing to Sarangkot
Miles – 50
Pokhara is the base for most of the important trek routes in Nepal, soon after the breakfast, we will apply for Permits to lower and Upper Mustang and start our day to explore Pokhara. At first, we will visit Pokhara Shanti Stupa, Phewa Lake, and a few of the oldest temples as well. After lunch, we will start our ride towards Sarangkot where we will stay there for tonight. Sarangkot is a small untouched hill station located 30 miles from Pokhara at the height of 1650Mtrs. Sarangkot is the most popular tourist destination from where the tourists can enjoy the great view of the Pokhara Valley and the magnificent view of the mountains such as Annapurna Massif, Fishtail Mountain, Dhaulagiri range, and Manaslu.
Day 4 –
Sarangkot to Lete
Miles – 75
We will wake up around 4 am to witness a golden sunrise over the Himalayan Mountains, after that we will have breakfast and start our Lo Manthang motorbike trip towards Lete. The roads are in decent condition from Pokhara for the first 40 miles, later the road will disappear and a road full of slush will welcome us from Beni. After that, we will never get a tarmac for the next 6 days till we reach the same place after exploring the Muktinath Temple and Lo Manthang region. The roads are very slippery and narrow; we need to be very extra cautious while riding on these terrains. After riding for about 7-8 hrs we will reach Lete village which is situated in the lap of the Himalayan Mountains. Lete is about 2200 Mtrs ASL and the weather is mostly cold most of the time.
Day 5 –
Lete to Muktinath (Lower Mustang)
Miles – 40
After breakfast we will start our Nepal Motorbike trip further towards Muktinath, Muktinath is a Vishnu temple, sacred to both. Hindus and Buddhists. It is located in Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang, Nepal. It is one of the world’s highest temples (altitude 3,800 m).
Muktinath temple is also called as Temple of Salvation.
We will spend the whole day there exploring the unique culture of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Day 6 –
Muktinath to Lo Manthang (Upper Mustang)
Miles – 80
This day will be the longest and toughest ride of this Upper Mustang Motorbike trip; we will be riding from Muktinath to Lo Manthang through Kagbeni. Again we will be riding through off-road trails till Lo Manthang.
It will take 10-12hrs depending on the weather condition; we will be able to reach Lo Manthang during the evening.
The altitude of Lo Manthang is 3840Mtrs ASL.
Day 7 –
Explore the Forbidden Kingdom of Lo Manthang or Upper Mustang
After a tiring ride from Kagbeni to Upper Mustang, today we will explore Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang was the walled capital of the Kingdom of Lo from its founding in 1380 by Ame Pal who oversaw the construction of the city wall and many of the still-standing structures, the village is noted for its tall whitewashed mud-brick walls, gompas and the Raja’s or Royal or King’s Palace, a nine-cornered, five-story structure built around 1400.
There are four major temples: Jampa Lhakhang or Jampa Gompa, the oldest, built in the early 15th century and also known as the “God house”; Thubchen Gompa, a huge, red assembly hall and Gompa built in the late 15th century and located just southwest of Jampa Gompa.
Day 8 –
Lo Manthang to Kagbeni
Miles – 80
Again we will start our ride today a little early, we will ride on the same road to Kagbeni and stay there for a night. This is also gonna be one of the tiring rides on this 13-day motorbike trip to Upper Mustang.
By late evening we will reach Kagbeni, Kagbeni altitude is 2804Mtrs ASL.
Day 9 –
Kagbeni to Tatopani
Miles – 50
We will start ride towards Pokhara today, to begin with, we will ride through Jomsom and Marpha villages, Marpha is famous for its apple orchids in entire Nepal. After riding for about 6-7hrs we will reach a small village called “Tatopani”. Tatopani people are of ethnic Sherpa and Tamang.
Historically and today, it is a huge trading post between Nepal and China. There is also a natural hot spring in Tatopani, in the evening we can take a dip at Tatopani Hot Springs.
Tatopani altitude is 2400Mtrs ASL.
Day 10 –
Tatopani to Pokhara
Miles – 65
During our 10th day on the Nepal Motorcycle Trip, we will ride from Tatopani towards Pokhara; the journey will again take us through some mesmerizing small Himalayan villages and breathtaking views. By early evening we will reach Pokhara and in the evening one can enjoy the beautiful lake of Phewa Lake or go for massage therapy or just relax at the hotel.
Day 11 –
Pokhara to Kathmandu
Miles – 125
After breakfast, we will start our last day of the Nepal Motorbike trip towards the Capital of Nepal “Kathmandu”. It’s a 125 Miles journey which will take
6-8Hrs based on the traffic.
After reaching Kathmandu we will bid goodbye to our Royal Enfield Motorcycles, which was the vital part of this 12 days trip to Upper Mustang.
Day 12 –
Explore Kathmandu
Miles – 30
Today we will explore Kathmandu by private 4 wheeler and by foot, exploring the ancient town. We will be visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa, and Thamel area as well.
In the evening we will have a farewell dinner followed by photo exchange and a final debriefing session.
Day 13 –
Departure from Kathmandu
Today we will bid goodbye to Kathmandu and end our Nepal Motorcycle Tour on Royal Enfield. After Breakfast, we will drop you to the airport with the hope of meeting again soon on the “Roads Less Travelled”, Bon Voyage.
Terrain info –
Nepal one of the best countries for adventure tourism in Asia, providing several activities like trekking, hiking, heritage, and religious tours. But the most unique adventure is Motorcycle Tours in Nepal. Nepal Offers one of the best routes and diversities in terms of Landscapes and terrains makes Nepal one of the best places to travel on motorbikes.
Recommended season to visit –
April to June & September to November.
Skill Level- Experienced
Road Conditions-
50% Asphalt
50% Off-Road
Type of Food-
Authentic Nepal Tibetian Cruisine