Cycle Tibet & Nepal - Across the Roof of the World

Lhasa to Kathmandu - the adventure of a lifetime

This trip is not for the faint of heart!

You will be cycling across one of the most romantic regions in the world, the Tibetan Plateau, which has the highest average elevation on the planet. From the Buddhist monasteries of Lhasa to the bustling markets of Katmandu, this trip will take you over several passes in the vicinity of 5000 metres the majestic Himalayas as a backdrop all the way!

Add to that an ascent to Everest base camp, as well as the biggest descent in the world into Nepal, and you have the adventure of a lifetime. It doesn't get better than this!

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Kunming
This is arrival day and you’ll be met by your Bike Asia leader in the evening to go over the trip ahead.

Kunming is a great place to explore with its wide boulevards and modern shopping centres giving way to back lanes and old wooden buildings. There are plenty of things to keep you busy if you arrive early. Check out the Tang Dynasty Pagodas or join the Buddhist pilgrims to the 1000 year old Yuan Tong Temple, the largest of its kind in Kunming. This temple is a great place to try Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.

We will meet in the evening for the group meeting to go over the formalities of the trip. For dinner, we will head to sample some of the local cuisine – maybe dinner at one of the nearby Muslim restaurants with their array of spiced meats, fresh vegetables, noodles and stuffed sweet breads!

Day 2: Kunming - Lhasa
Today we take a three and a half hours flight to Lhasa We transfer from Gonkar airport by bus to our hotel in Lhasa. You are likely to feel the effects of altitude right away so we will be taking things nice and slow with a Tibetan dinner and a briefing.

Days 3-6: Lhasa
We take a few days in Lhasa to acclimatize to the altitude so that when we jump on our bikes we'll be ready to ride.

This will give us plenty of time to visit the amazing Potala Palace- the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama - and explore the many other spiritually significant city sights such as Sera, Ganden, and Drepung monasteries. We stay in the Tibetan quarter which is the home of the Jokhang Temple, the most important shrine to all Tibetans.

Pilgrims arrive in Lhasa daily from all corners of Tibet and make the traditional circuit of the Jokhang. This circuit, the Barkhor, has become an attraction in itself and it is an experience just to wander along with monks and nomads, to get lost amongst the stalls and discover the many smaller nunneries and shrines. You’ll have plenty of free time to soak up the unique ambience of Tibet’s capital and its friendly people.

On our last day in Lhasa we’ll cycle to Drepung monastery to test our legs and get the bikes set up for the big ride.

Days 7-10: Lhasa - Gyantse
Off at last! We wave goodbye to Lhasa as we hit the road for four days of some pretty hard riding to find our legs.

The first section of our journey will take us to Gyantse where, after camping under the stars, we will enjoy the comforts of hot showers and hotel beds. Highlights will include riding the Kamba La Pass (4900m) to view the spectacular Namdrok Tso, one of Tibet’s sacred lakes, and another big climb over the Karo La, our second big pass, before descending into Gyantse. This leg takes us on a combination of paved and dirt roads.

There are some challenging climbs, made difficult by the altitude and some nice descents but the majority of the cycling is fairly flat. You will still be acclimatising so the daily distances aren’t huge so as to allow you to work yourself into the ride.

Day 11: Gyantse – Free Day
This is a free day to check out Gyantse and rest those weary legs.

This small historic town has retained much of its old Tibetan charm and is a great place to wander around. Visits to Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum, one of Tibet's most famous and architecturally unique buildings, are a must. Gyantse Dzong, the 14th century fort that rises over the town’s centre is a great vantage point to view the nearby monastery and surrounding valley.

Day 12: Gyantse - Shigatse
We are on the road again for a big day’s ride through some beautiful rural scenery on generally flat, sealed roads. We should make the most of the tarmac and get some speed up!

Our goal today is Shigatse, Tibet’s second biggest town. This is the home of the Panchen Lhama, a spiritual figure who is revered throughout Tibet. His traditional seat is Tashhilunpo Monastery and you’ll catch the sun glittering on its gold-tipped spires as we get close to town.

Day 13: Shigatse – Free Day
Another free day? What’s going on?! Tashhilunpo monastery is yours to explore for the day. Or, if you have seen enough temples to last you a while, then walks around the Tibetan quarter and hiking in the surrounding countryside are highly recommended.

But remember what lies down the road! Everest is looming large in the distance and it’s a long way before our next rest day!

Days 14-16 - Shigatse to Shegar
Three days will take us from Shigatse into Shegar.

This is tough, though rewarding, riding over the passes of Tsuo La (4500m) and Lhakpo La (5220m), camping in the Tibetan countryside along the way. Our campsites will be a welcome sight at the end of these days and the culinary magic of our Nepali and Tibetan cooks will be most appreciated. You'll be surprised by the variety of food they can produce on a camp stove!

Days 17-21 - Shegar to Everest and Old Tingri
We turn off the Friendship Highway and head south on rough dirt roads over the Pang La pass (5200m) with its unparalleled panoramic views of the Himalayas.

If the weather is kind this is the view that most will remember, a first clear view of Everest (known as Qomolangma to Tibetan people), the world's highest mountain! From this spot you can really sense the power of this mountain as it rises above a string of snow-capped peaks, all impressive in their own right. This leg will be the highlight for many as we pedal to Everest Base Camp (5150m).

Along the way we'll see the ruins of civilizations lost to the past and the last few Tibetan villages before setting up camp at Rongbuk monastery. You'll have ample opportunity to take in the experience of observing Everest with a whole day to ride the last few km to base camp where you can view the mountain up as close as you are allowed to get without a climbing permit!

Riding back to our camp you can fall asleep with a moonlit peak to close your eyes to. We'll head back to the Friendship Highway and travel across country to Old Tingri where we will put up our feet with the Himalayas as our backdrop.

Days 22 & 23 - Old Tingri to Zhangmu
This leg is one of the most thrilling of the whole trip!

First, we ride out of Old Tingri into a dry moonscape passing ruins of destroyed princedoms and towns that seem to be slowly turning to the dust of their surroundings. This land is truly awe-inspiring and it gets ever more dramatic as we ascend our final pass, Lalung (5050m), to be confronted with another view of the Himalayas.

Nepal beckons beyond, and cycling down through these mountains we begin a huge drop in altitude to Zhangmu, a thrilling downhill which is a part of the biggest descent on the planet. From the dry rarefied air of Tibet down to the lush green rainforests of Nepal all in a matter of hours, this is a great ride! We stay on the border for the night at Zhangmu.

Day 24 - Zhangmu to Sun Kosi Valley
After crossing the border it's back on the bikes and riding along the Sun Kosi river.

You'll be amazed by the sudden change in scenery, people, culture and cuisine. The roads are suddenly jammed with traffic of all kinds and you'll have to have your wits about you. After a spectacular ride we arrive at our deluxe campsite for a well-earned rest.

Day 25 - Sun Kosi Valley Rest Day
This is a rest day in a great location where you can shake out the dust, breathe a deep lungful of oxygen, put your feet up and reflect on an epic journey. If there's still some adventure left in you then you can always do some white water rafting, canyoning or bungy-jumping to keep the pulse racing!

Day 26 - Sun Kosi Valley to Dhulikhel
Our last uphill! On this night we will stay in the hill station farming community of Dhulikhel.

An early morning wake-up with sunrise could provide you with a last view of the Himalayas before heading into the bustle of Kathmandu. This is a special way to say goodbye to a special region.

Day 27 - Dhulikhel to Kathmandu
Our last day's ride is an easy flat one into Nepal's most populous valley although negotiating our way through the traffic of this busy capital could make it one of the most difficult! We'll check into our hotel and then freshen up before hitting Kathmandu's Tamil district for our final night dinner, celebration and a well-deserved beer!

Day 28
Today is departure day. You are free to leave at any time.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

The accommodation on this trip is varied to say the least. 15 of the 27 nights are spent camping. We provide tents for all passengers and the sleeping arrangements are for twin-share so if you are a single traveller you will be paired up with someone of the same sex. This ensures that whether you are travelling solo or with friends, everyone is paying the same rate.

We also provide one foam mat for each participant. Should you want to bring your own super-deluxe self-inflating, ultra-light, ergonomically designed mattress... you're most welcome!

For those non-camping nights, we will be staying in a mixture of hotels and guesthouses. We choose hotels (where possible) that are comfortable, centrally located places which are adequate in every way, with twin-share facilities and private bathrooms. Guesthouses are more basic with shared washing and toilet facilities.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

2012 Departures 26th August - ALMOST GUARANTEED TO DEPART
2013 Departures 13th April, 1st September

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