Detailed Itineraries
Did you read the outline itineraries? If yes, let us give you detailed information about each day of the itineraries. After reading all the itineraries in detail, you will learn more precisely about every day of the Upper Mustang Motorbike tour.
Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport (1,400m/4,592ft)-Transfer to Hotel and Trip Planning
First of all, Great Adventure Treks welcomes all tourists into the land of the magical Himalayas. After a beautiful flight from your respective countries, you will enter the territory of Nepal, where you will see the great hills, green forests, and high mountains. Finally, you will land at the International terminal at Tribhuvan Airport. Then you will be escorted to the hotel where you will stay overnight.
While you are resting, we will also discuss the plan for the whole tour. This day will also be a Kathmandu Durbar Square tour, where you can visit the Hanuman Dhoka Museum. This museum showcases the long history of Nepal. AlsoThe best thing about this day is trying the Nepali delicacies in the hotels of Thamel and DurbarMarg.
Day 2: Test ride to Nagarkot, Changu Narayan, and Bhaktapur – 70 km
Kathmandu to Upper Mustang is a long distance to cover. So, your bikes must be well-maintained and perfect for you to ride. So, on the second day, you will get the bikes for the first time and then head out for a test ride to some famous places in Kathmandu Valley. The first destination of the test ride will be Nagarkot, a renowned hill station located 30 kilometers east of Kathmandu.
After experiencing the panoramic view, majestic sunrise (if you reach here early in the morning), and the sight of Langtang and Ganesh ranges, we will head out to Changu Narayan. Changu Narayan is a two-storied pagoda-style temple of Lord Vishnu, also known as the oldest temple in the Kathmandu valley. This temple is located half an hour to the west of Nagarkot. Furthermore, you will also visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and finally, we will return to our hotel.
Day 3: Trip to Pokhara from Kathmandu (800m/2,625ft) – 200 km
On the third day, we will set off for the longest ride of the whole trip. Yes, we will cover a distance of 200 km while reaching Pokhara from Kathmandu. We will go slow and steady because it is such a long journey. Per our experience, the ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes 6-8 hours. Throughout the first half of the trip, Trishuli River will accompany you with breathtaking views of the hills and beautiful villages. You should remember that you must cross several offroad during this trip, so you must maintain a slow and steady pace.
Once the Trishuli River leaves your company, you will pass through the majestic views of the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre, which indicates that we have reached Pokhara. Throughout the trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara, we will stop at some places and eat some local delicacies in that area. After we enter the city of lakes, the first thing that we do is visit the island temple of Barahi (TalBarahi). You must take a boat ride on Phewa Lake to reach this temple. Finally, to end the day, we will have a perfectly prepared dinner at a hotel near the Phewa Lakeside in Baidam.
Day 4: Drive 110 kilometers from Pokhara to Tatopani Hot Spring (1,190m/3,904ft).
Reaching Pokhara is like coming halfway near Upper Mustang. After experiencing the nightlife at Pokhara, our riders set off for a 110 km long journey that leads them from Pokhara to Tatopani hot spring. This is near the border of Nepal and Tibet. What is the meaning of “TatoPani.” The English translation of Tatopani is “Hot Water.” and the name of the place is literally what the area is famous for.
Tatopani is a place in Nepal where natural hot water springs are found. Many people visit this place to bathe in the natural spring. However, this 110 km trip is the most challenging part because of the rough terrain we experience after crossing Beni. Before reaching Tatopani, you will ride under waterfalls through the narrow roads. The roads might be graveled, but most of the roads you go through will be off-road. At Tatopani, you will stay in a lodge, rest, and you can also test some Tibetan as well as Nepali cuisines. After that, you will visit the Narchyang waterfall, stay for the night in a lodge at Tatopani, and regain energy for the next day’s ride.
Day 5: Drive from Tatopani to Muktinath (3,760m/12,333ft) through Marpha, Jomsom, and Kagbeni.
Wake up early morning, have breakfast, and get ready, as today we will set off to our destination, Muktinath Temple. A hardly challenging ride will lead you to today’s first checkpoint, Lete. Lete is a village in the Mustang region that gives a scenic view of the Annapurna and Nilgiri ranges that surround the town. We will stay there for a while and take some pictures along with experiencing its majestic wind and outstanding natural beauty. Then we will head out to another checkpoint, Marpha (aka, the Village of Orchards), the apple factory in Nepal. This village is famous for its tasty apple and apple brandy, which you need to taste once if you want to taste the natural sweetness of Nepal.
Finally, we will leave Marpha and travel toward Muktinath via Kagbeni. This part of the trip contains several old caves, stony mountains, and beautiful residencies. The road takes you to Muktinath (one of the world’s highest temples). You will witness several national and international pilgrims in the Muktinath Temple, and the area is full of several hotels and shops. If you enter the Muktinath temple, you will see people running around under 108 natural taps, believed to wash all our sins. So, you can also try that, even if you think you have not done any sins until now. Finally, the night will be spent in one of the lodges at Muktinath itself for acclimatization.
Day 6: Muktinath to Lo Manthang (3,730m/12,235ft) – 46 km
On the sixth day, we will finally reach the tour destination, Lo Manthang, after a short hike to Muktinath and bathe in the holy water of one of the most sacred temples of Nepal.
Lo Manthang is the walled city of Upper Mustang, located in the North-West of the Muktinath temple. The trip from Muktinath to Lo Manthang will be full of rocky roads and off-roading experiences. The bikers who love adventures and off-roads. Furthermore, you can also witness several Tibetan settlements and deserted landscapes of the rainshadow area of the Mustang region. However, you need to take care of yourself because there are chances of altitude sickness as you ascend toward Lo Manthang.
In addition to the Tibetan settlements and deserted landscapes, you will also experience the majestic views of the Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri mountains. You can witness that the Tibetan lifestyle influences the overall settlement of Lo Manthang Village so that we can see many mud-brick walls and Gompas (meditation rooms without the attached living quarters). All these things are enough to relax your mind and body.
Day 7: Lo Manthang Excursion
Lo Manthang is famous for many reasons, so we will need at least two days to explore this beautiful city beside the Himalayas thoroughly. After resting for some time, we will visit the orange-colored beauty of Lo Manthang, also known as the great red cliffs. Wait! That is not the end, as another beauty of this city carries a long history of Nepal. That famous destination is the five-storeyed King’s Palace, built by the first king of Mustang, King Ame Pal. In fact, you will be shocked to know that this palace was built in the 1400s around the settlement of Lo and King’s Palace.
You will witness the white lime paint on the walls, and the wall is also filled with sacred texts such as Kanjur. Moreover, the inscriptions are craved in Ranjana Script, a Newari writing script developed in the 11th century. The beauty of these destinations at Lo Manthang will fade away all the tiredness and exhaustion that your mind and body have gone through during the trip.
Day 8: Lo Manthang Excursion Day continues
After an overnight stay at a lodge in Lo Manthang, we will still be in Lo Manthag on the eighth day to explore more of this magical settlement. The first thing we will do today is to visit the Champa Lakhang. This is a sacred destination, especially for the Buddhist people. Besides this religious site also has a giant Buddha statue with walls full of religious paintings.
Wait, our day does not end here, as we will again set off on a short hike and reach the Namgyal Gompa. As mentioned above, Namgyal Gompa is a religious courthouse, but currently, it also acts as a local courthouse. Besides, several other courthouses, such as Thubchen Gompa, the Choprang Gompa (the New Gompa), and many more. Visiting these Gompas will provide a sacred feeling to your soul, and you will feel spiritually relaxed. Furthermore, there is a monastery school named Tsechen Shedrub Ling Monastery School where you can still see student monks taking education.
Day 9: 82 km ride from Lo Manthang to Tatopani
After two days of excursion and exploration in Lo Manthang, it is time to set off on a journey back to Kathmandu. We will start the trip on the ninth day and stop at Tato Pani. Again you can take a bath in the hot spring. We will complete an 82 km long way from Lo Manthang to Tatopani and then stay a night in Tatopani to prepare for another day’s ride.
We recommend you take a lot of rest and also check your bikes if there are any problems. The next day, we will be on a long ride, so the bike must be well-conditioned.
Day 10: Tatopani to Pokhara (110 km)
After a day’s rest at Tatopani, we are ready to head on a 110 km-long journey from Tatopani to Pokhara. The route will again take you into the Beni-Jomsom Road, accompanied by the Kali Gandaki. You will witness everything you experienced from Pokhara to Tatopani but from the other side of the road.
The ride will not be continuous, as we will stop at Beni Bazaar to buy some essential items required for the long journey. Other than that, the riders will also take a break at some places to have lunch and relax their muscles. Finally, after a long trip covering 110 km, the riders will reach Pokhara again. On this day, you can either rest in your lodge or stroll around the city of lakes. Pokhara is best known for its nightlife, so you can also visit some clubs or restaurants and experience the nightlife and street foods of the city.
Day 11: Pokhara to Kathmandu (200 km)
We hope that you enjoyed the nightlife of Pokhara to the fullest. Then it is our time to head back to Kathmandu, which is 200km far from Pokhara. As mentioned, this is the longest part of the trip, so we must be well-prepared and physically relaxed enough to ride such a long distance.
The Prithivi Highway, accompanied by the Trishuli River, will be with you from Pokhara until you enter the Kathmandu valley. The 200 km-long rides might exhaust the riders, and indeed, the riders will be fatigued. So, we will go to the hotel and take a rest. However, it is entirely up to you to do other activities in Kathmandu, like visiting clubs or taking a night stroll in Thamel and Durbar Marg.
Day 12: Departure from Nepal
After an overnight stay in the hotel of Kathmandu and sharing each other’s experiences about the whole trip, it is time for the tourists to say goodbye to Nepal. Yes, the twelfth day is the day of departure. However, before going to the airport, our agents will take reviews from all the riders. This helps us to know if there is anything to change in our service and the whole package. We request the tourists be frank about their experience throughout the trip.
Also, remember to pat yourself on the back for completing such an exhausting and long motorbike trip and return to your respective countries with a heart full of memories from the Upper Mustang and Lo Manthang.
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