Nepal

Nepal » Beyond Kathmandu

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 - We'll gather today in Kathmandu. After checking into our unique boutique lodge, Dwarikas, we leave you free to explore or relax, as your guides gather the rest of your fellow riders. You will start your tour with traditional Nepalese music and dance during our welcome dinner at a renowned local restaurant in Kathmandu.

Day 2 - Kathmandu awaits you this morning, as we head out to explore some of this ancient, colorful city. Our journey will take us from the awesome Swamyambhunath Temple, to bustling Durbar Marg to ancient Hindu temples where public creamations are still held. Kathmandu is an interesting mix of new and old, with cars sharing the city streets with elephants and monkeys guarding colorful temples. In late afternoon, we will transfer out of Kathmandu to our hotel perched on top of Daman Pass.

Day 3 - Your wake-up call comes before dawn has a chance to crack. The whole reason for bedding down high atop Daman is to enjoy the awesome view of the Himalayas at sunrise. Before the clouds settle in, you will be able to see the entire length of the range from Everest in the east to Dhalagari in the west. Then it's a big downhill bicycle tour to our next overnight stop in Hetauda.

Day 4 - Today's cycling tour takes us across the Terai Plains, Nepal's breadbasket. This agricultural region sits slightly above sealevel, providing a stark contrast to the high altitude of the Himalayas. We will be sharing our roads here in the Terai Plains, with hundreds of cyclists, as the Nepalese still use bicycles as a primary form of transport in this region. Afternoon will find us at Chitwan National Park, where we are shuttled deep into the wild grasslands.

Day 5 - You have the day free inside the park. Our lodge offers walking tours through the lush forests or elephant back trips in search of the tigers and rhinos that inhabit the parklands. At dinner we can compare notes on what was seen.

Day 6 - After breakfast we will shuttle back out of the heart of Chitwan and down the road a bit before we start cycling. Todays bike tour takes us across more of the Terai Plains to the city of Lumbini, just north of the border with India. Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who later through enlightenment became Lord Buddha, the inspiration for the world's third largest religion.

Day 7 - We leave the flat Terai Plains behind today, as we roll back towards the foothills of the Himalayas. As we did leaving Daman, we will be following one of Nepal's older highways, the Siddharta Highway, built originally to connect India and Nepal but no only carrying local traffic as it winds through the valleys and mountains, enroute towards Pohkara. Tonight will be will bedding down in historic Tansen, in a hotel perched on the ridge offering great views of the Annapurna Mountains.

Day 8 - Our last bike tour of the Nepal trip, takes us further through the foothills to colorful Pohkara, with its lovely lake in town center and a backdrop of the towering Annapurna Mountains. You would be hard pressed to find a town with a more dramatic setting.

Day 9 - The day is free today, allowing you time to explore Pohkara or perhaps joining your guides for a hike to nearby villages offering spectacular photo opportunities. If you want some more miles on yoru bike, there are options here as well. In late afternoon, we will pack the bikes, as they head by truck to Kathmandu tonight.

Day 10 - We take the easy way back to Kathmandu today, catching a flight from Pohkara. The balance of the day in Kathmandu is free to explore some more of the city, or shop for those mandatory gifts for your house and pet sitters. We'll end the tour with another evening of Nepaleses music and dining in Kathmandu.

Day 11 - As they always say ... all good things must end. We'll shuttling you back to Kathmandu Airport to catch your outbound flights back home or on to more adventures.