Nepal is recognised to be one of the world's great mountain biking destinations and this superb cross-country bike ride, pioneered by KE, is one of our favourites and an acknowledged classic. Linking together a maze of remote village paths between Pokhara and Kathmandu, this is a brilliant 2-week mountain biking adventure. Flying to Pokhara, we have a couple of days biking the area's classic routes, including the Kali Horseshoe, with superb views of the Annapurnas and of the beautiful Macchapuchare (Fishtail). We then ride eastwards, via the Marsyangdi River and the ridge-top town of Gorkha.From here, we have devised a superb new 2-day section that completely avoids the main Pokhara to Kathmandu road and follows instead a radical route alongside the Ankhu Khola (one of the main tributaries of the Buri Gandaki River). Finally, beyond Trisuli Bazaar, we make the testing, mile-high, road climb to the Kathmandu Valley rim, where we are treated to a breathtaking panorama of Himalayan peaks from our lunch stop at Kakani. The final afternoon's ride provides an entertaining downhill blast back to bustling Kathmandu, after which we can celebrate in style in the incomparable Nepalese capital. This is a trip at low altitude, with classic Himalayan off-road trails and a generally very pleasant climate. Stunning scenery and great cycling across diverse terrain, together with the friendliness of the local people, make this an unforgettable experience.

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu

Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only services begin with the evening meal. Meals included: Dinner (D)

Day 2: Sightseeing in Kathmandu

Our bikes (still packed) will be collected in the morning and are transported overland to Pokhara. After breakfast we’ll take a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, including the sacred Hindu site of Pashupatinath and the striking Buddhist Stupa at Bodnath. After lunch we have time to explore the bustling, narrow streets of the Thamel area of the city and visit the ancient palaces of Durbar Square. As a part of this trip package we have included complimentary evening meals at our hotel or favourite restaurants in Kathmandu on each night that we stay in the city. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Fly to Pokhara, afternoon ride

After breakfast we catch the morning flight to Pokhara, which provides superb aerial views of the peaks of the central part of the Nepal Himalaya, especially the Annapurna range. We also have views of the route that we will be riding on our bikes. On arrival at Pokhara, we check into a very pleasant hotel in the lakeside district of the city. Pokhara is at an altitude of just 800 metres and is warmer than Kathmandu. It’s also less hectic and has a very chilled, almost beach like, atmosphere. It boasts probably the best mountain views of any major town in the Himalayas, with the Annapurnas, especially the sacred mountain of Macchapuchare (the Fishtail) dominating the skyline. After lunch, we are reunited with our bikes, which we reassemble and check out by taking a short ride along the shores of Pokhara’s lake, Phewa Tal. Ride distance 16km (10 miles) with 150 metres of ascent and descent. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Sarangkot Circuit ride

Pokhara is too pleasant a place to leave immediately and so we spend an extra day here. Now fully recovered after our long journey, we set off on a quite challenging day ride, the circuit of Sarangkot. This ride is mainly on a switch-back blacktop road. Just before the top of the pass at Kaski, we turn onto a jeep track and a combination of short, steep climbs and contouring trails take us to a high viewpoint overlooking Pokhara and the lake. From here, there is an impressive panorama of the Himalayas stretching from Dhaulagiri to Manaslu. Descending now, we can enjoy a great 10 kilometre blast down to Pokhara on steep, fast mixed trails, then on through the town to our lakeside hotel. A cold beer as the sun sets over the Himalaya is a great way to finish our first full day of biking. Ride distance 48 km (30 miles) with 1000 metres of ascent and descent. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Bike the Kali Horseshoe

We now set off on our classic off-road journey back to Kathmandu - a route that includes a total of only about 90 km / 56 miles on tarmac. Leaving Pokhara, initially on the main Kathmandu highway, we soon turn off onto a narrow road and climb to 1270 metres (4166 feet), over a distance of around 11 km / 7 miles. The tarred road gives way to jeep track a couple of miles before our day’s high point, which is just after the village of Hot Chilli. Climbing out of the village we turn off onto a doubletrack trail just before the ridge and begin an awesome and sustained descent complete with (optional) technical sections - down to Begnas Tal (lake). Just before the lake, we pass through Begnas Village, before meeting up with our support vehicle and crew, who have already established our camp and have drinks waiting. For those who want more cycling there’s the option of a short flattish ride by the lake or the more adventurous can sample the stepped carry climb back up to the Kali ridge and repeat our earlier descent. Around 30 km / 19 miles of biking. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Dawn to Dusk

As the name implies this is a longish day, which provides brilliant biking. We cross two passes, via the ridge of Sundari Danda, to reach the Modi Khola at Bhorletar. At first we follow a jeep road - which is in the process of being improved - then its onto rougher, undulating, jeep and mixed trails before descending into the Modi Khola Valley where we join a broad jeep track which is dotted with semi sunken rocks. The locals have been very amused with our antics over the last few years as our groups are the only bikers that they have ever seen attempt this route and we’re sure they think we’re all crazy. Instead of crossing the river at Bhorletar, we have reconnoitred a new route on the western bank, passing through the villages of Pulchok and Poland and even including some sections of singletrack through the paddy fields. We finally cross the river at Sisaghat and ride the jeep road down to our camp at the small village of Kalasti. Again our support vehicle has had to go along the main highway and our crew will be waiting for us and have our riverside camp set up. Around 50 km / 31 miles of biking. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Ridge Riders

You may begin to wonder how can we sustain the quality of the off road riding - and today it gets even better. Starting out below 400 metres, we have a mix of up and down today, with a longish initial ascent and and lots of downhill rushes. To begin with, it’s uphill, on a section we named the 'jungle highway', to the start of the real climbing. We gain around 400 metres over the course of about 2 and a half hours, passing through completely unspoilt ridge-top villages that make this route so memorable. Although only a relatively short distance from the main highway, these villages have only ever had a handful of Western visitors and our recent groups have certainly been the only mountain bikers they had ever seen. The locals could not be more friendly and pleasant. A fast and rough descent leads to the narrow tarmac road from Dumre to Besisahar (the principle access point for the Annapurna Circuit Trek). We are only on the blacktop for half an hour, heading north, before we turn off and cross the Marsyangdi River. A short steep climb than takes us up to our campsite on the rim of the valley and beside a small village. From our camp, we have stunning views towards Manaslu, one of the world’s 8000 metre peaks. Ride distance 34 km (21 miles) with 550 metres of ascent and 44 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Sunset Boulevard

Today starts with a climb and then we have some outstanding cross-country riding, through small villages and past mud-brick kilns on a maze of footpaths and trails. Crossing a small pass - soft drink stop at the village at the summit - we then drop down to the Dorandi River. This is a magical jungle section that is 95% rideable - apart from the odd section of steep steps. Back down at 500 metres again, we cross the Dorandi River on a long, rideable, suspension bridge to find a suitably shady spot for lunch - either by the river or in the nearby village. After a packed lunch, we join a short section of jeep track that takes us to the tarred road leading to the ridge-top town of Gorkha. As this is an offshoot of the main highway, traffic is relatively light and we have a pleasant road climb up to Gorkha, which generally takes about an hour and a half. Tonight, we stay in a basic, but comfortable hotel in town with the added bonus of hot showers. Situated at 1200 metres, the hotel terrace is an ideal spot from which to watch the sunset. Ride distance 34 km (21 miles) with 1125 metres of ascent and 520 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Gorkha

Gorkha holds a central place in Nepalese history, as it is the hometown of the former Royal Family and is the ancient capital of Nepal. It is also where the original Gurkha soldiers came from. Today we have the option of 3-hour circular walk taking in the 300 metre ascent to the ancient Gorkha Durbar with its palace, temples and fascinating carvings. This climb is well worth the effort as the peaks of the Annapurna and Manaslu massifs suddenly come into view as we reach the top. Or, there is also the option of a circuit ride that contours through the cultivated terraces and loops back to the halfway point on the climb we tackled yesterday - the views of the Dorandi valley are outstanding. Alternatively, you can use this day as a rest day. Although Gorkha is midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, very few Western tourists come here and the terrace of our hotel makes the ideal spot for relaxing and taking in the spectacular views. We have a second night in the hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 10: The Corker from Gorkha

Still one of the best days of riding anywhere, we have made some changes to today's route to provide a better mix of off-road and jeep road riding. This is the first of 2 big days on this trip - long and over at times challenging terrain. On our original reconnaissance back in 1998 it was agreed by everyone that this was the one of the best mountain biking days that we had ever had - it may have been something to do with the fact that no one had a clue where we were going to end up, as nobody had ever biked here before. Leaving Gorkha it's straight onto rough, undulating jeep tracks, contouring at around the 1100 metre level to a viewpoint where we should see the peaks of Manaslu and Ganesh. Then, from the village of Mailung, we begin a wild 700 metre descent - firstly along the ridge and then dropping directly into the Buri Gandaki Valley, with some optional technical sections. Once we reach the valley floor, our amended route turns north (instead of south) and follows a largely forgotten jeep track towards the village of Sallentar, with some sections of paddy fields and several stream crossings. Before Sallentar, we cross the Buri Gandaki and follow village trails and jeep track above the Ankhu Khola to Hansi Bazaar and then Kali Sundhara Bazaar. Our support vehicles have made a long detour to reach this remote spot and the group's baggage and camping equipment now has to be taken by porters across the Ankhu Khola to our overnight camping place. The vehicles cannot cross the river here and will make another detour to meet up with us again tomorrow. Ride distance 45 km (27 miles) with 900 metres of ascent and 1420 metres of descent. (B, L, D)

Day 11: Cross country to Trisuli

Another long day as we continue our journey eastwards. We start out with a long and steep ascent on a washed-out and at times rocky jeep road, via Chisapani and Charanki Pauwa, to Katunje. There are fantastic panoramic views of the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh and the Langtang peaks. We drop down again into a tributary valley of the Trisuli River and then climb up to Samri, with some more short sections where we may have to get off and push. Beyond this point it's largely downhill on jeep road to Trisuli Bazaar and we set up our camp on the outskirts of this major bazaar town. Ride distance 50 km (31 miles) with 800 metres of ascent and descent. (B, L, D)

Day 12: The Vertical Mile

Whereas we have previously ridden on the main road to Kakani, this is another day that we have improved, by choosing to take a quiet and currently unsurfaced road across the Kathmandu Valley rim and down into the Nepalese capital. We ride just a few kilometres on the tarmac road to Dhikure, before turning off eastwards into a wide valley and following a rough jeep road at an elevation of around 500 metres. We cross another suspension bridge, pass several small villages including Thansing Phat and after an hour and a half begin the sustained climb up to the Kathmandu Valley rim. Gently winding our way between terraced farmland and forested ridges, we reach a high point close to 1900 metres on the Gurju Bhanjyang ridge after a total of around 6 hours riding. By this point, we have actually accumulated considerably more than the ‘Vertical Mile’. Stopping off for lunch en route, the views are fantastic all the way up and from the top you can see the eastern end of the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and almost the entire length of the Langtang Himal. We make our descent through the edge of a former Royal hunting reserve, a forested area still home to herds of deer and exotic species of pheasant. It's virtually downhill all the way into Kathmandu and shouldn't take us much more than an hour and a half. Arriving at our Kathmandu hotel, we pack up our bikes and then go out to celebrate the end of our Himalayan biking bonanza with dinner in one of Kathmandu’s top restaurants. Ride distance 48 km (30 miles) with 1720 metres of ascent and 900 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Morning free, depart Kathmandu

Depending on your flight schedule the morning is free for further sightseeing or last minute shopping. KE Land Only services end after breakfast. Airport transfers are provided. (B,L)