Ride through a high altitude desert landscape, into a hidden world of ancient Buddhist monasteries and stupas Upper Mustang – the Forbidden Kingdom
A mountain bike adventure through stunning mountain peaks with true mountain people and a mystical sense of being in an ancient Kingdom. Upper Mustang, Nepal is easily accessible but feels like no other place on earth.
Mountain bike into Nepal’s Forbidden Kingdom!
A mountain bike adventure through stunning mountain peaks with true mountain people and a mystical sense of being in an ancient Kingdom. Upper Mustang, Nepal is easily accessible but feels like no other place on earth.
This is a tour for those with a BIG desire for adventure and a good level of fitness. Most riding is above 3000m with 16 passes over 3500m and living conditions are welcoming but basic!
Contact us for bespoke departures, or join our fixed departure on the following dates: from £2895 per person
- 22nd October – 5th November 2026
- 26th March – 9th April 2027
- 11th October – 25th October 2027
If the fixed departure dates aren’t convenient, please contact us to discuss bespoke options.
PHOTO GALLERY
Trip Highlights
- Length: 15 DAYS 14 Nights
- Location: Upper Mustang, NEPAL
- Conditions: TOUGH High altitude and cold condtions
- Trails: Dry and Dusty Up to 300km of high altitude trails
DAILY ITINERARY
The Multi Terrain Biking team wants your holiday to not only be the adventure of a lifetime, but also a relaxing and fun experience, so here's some info on whats included in each and every one of our tours.
You will be met at Tribhuvan International airport by a representative from Mountain Biking Worldwide and taken to the hotel which is in the heart of the tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel (approximately a 30-minute drive). You should allow yourself time to build your bike ready for your upcoming trip! Alternatively, hire a bike and remove the hassle of travelling with yours!
Depending on your arrival time, there may be time to explore the streets, sights, and shops of Thamel or to relax after your journey, before meeting your guide where they will explain more about the coming days tour and activities.
Whilst the riders get an early breakfast, the MTB-WW crew members will load the luggage and bikes onto the transfer vehicles for the coach transfer to Pokhara.
You will leave Kathmandu at around 8am for the approximate 7-hour journey to Pokhara. Along the way, you will stop for lunch just above the Trishuli River and arrive in Pokhara by mid-afternoon, leaving plenty of time to explore the lakeside city.
Optional 25-minute flight from KTM-PKR return is available to add on at time of booking.
Biking Details: 10km distance, 250m Ascent
After an early breakfast, you, your bike, and luggage will be transported to Pokhara’s domestic airport to take the short, yet beautifully scenic, 25-minute flight to Jomsom.
Upon arrival in Jomsom, you and the crew will build the bikes and embark on the first ride of the tour.
From Jomsom, you will ride along the glacial river, the Kali Gandaki, towards the gateway to Upper Mustang; Kagbeni.
Upon arrival to Kagbeni you will notice the labyrinth of narrow alleyways to explore and be able to visit the infamous Yak Donald’s to enjoy a yak burger and locally brewed apple cider!
Biking Details: 10km distance, 1100m ascent, 80m descent
Following a leisurely breakfast, you will start the uphill ride to Muktinath. The effects of the increasing altitude and steep climbs means it could take as long as 3-hours before you arrive at your destination.
During the ride you can enjoy the stunning snow-capped mountain views of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri.
Once you arrive in Muktinath, there will be ample time for you to embark on a short hike to explore the famous Hindu temple.
Biking Details: 29km distance, 1300m ascent, 1200m descent
The real riding starts here! You will need an early start today to ensure that you make the most of the stunning views.
A couple of km’s after leaving Muktinath, you will be riding through a beautiful village and start the climb up to the Gyu La Pass at 4066m above sea level. From the top of the Gyu La, you will drop 1200m on technical, but fast single track all the way to Chhusang. You will then cross the Kali Gandaki and start to climb for your destination of the day, Samar. This is one of the toughest climbs of the whole adventure, but there are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the breathtaking views of the vast uninhabited mountains.
Now that you are in Upper Mustang, the accommodation will become much more basic and the terrain more remote.
Biking Details: 28km distance, 1100m ascent, 900m descent
Day 6’s route consists of 5 passes over 3,800m, meaning an early breakfast will be needed! The passes are: Bhena La, Yamdo La, Syanboch La, Nya La and Ghami La.
The trail will be tougher than the previous days, but the climbing won’t be as steep as that to Samar. You will start on an uphill, but there will be some fast-downhill sections to compensate during the day!
Once you reach Ghiling, you will take a lunch stop and from there it will take a maximum of 2 hours to reach Ghami, comprising of a 5km climb and a long downhill before reaching the teahouse.
Biking Details: 21km distance, 10500m ascent, 820m descent
More than 50% of the riding today is single track. There will be two passes to cross, Chogo La (4280m & the highest pass of the trip) and Mui La (4170m).
From the teahouse, there is a ride or hike, (depending on your ability!) through trekking trails to Dhakmar where the climb starts towards Ghargumba. This is where the single track starts! There are some initial rocky sections that some may have to push over, but it is worth it to get the flowy ride all the way to Lo Manthang.
Once you have arrived and checked into the teahouse in Lo Manthang, there will be time to walk into the center and explore the ancient walled city. Lo Manthang is a colorful village, steeped in history with spectacular views all around. You will also be able to see the Kings Palace, where the last King of Lo Manthang lived.
Biking Details: 21km distance, 600m ascent, 600m descent
Following the previous 5 days riding, todays programme will be optional!
The riding today takes you to a village just above Lo Manthang, and close to the Chinese border; Kamaling, giving you perfect opportunity to take some stunning scenic photos! You will also ride out to Garphu to visit the ancient cave dwellings and a monastery where Tibetan people used to live many years ago. If the weather is clear, you can see a great panorama of Nilgiri and the Annapurna Mountains. You will be riding through villages that are as if time forgot.
Biking Details: 17km distance, 700m ascent, 790m descent.
The day starts with a climb to Lo Pass (4000m) that gives an excellent view of Lo Manthang. Take in the beautiful views, before taking on the loose, steep and fun downhill to the village of Dhee at 3400m.
From here you will follow the riverbed which connects the main road and the climbs to Yara, which will be home for the night.
Yara is a small village with limited teahouses. If you have spare time, and want to do a bit of extra riding, you can ride up to Ghara village. The trails to Ghara are approximately 4km and all above 3500m.
Biking Details: 18km distance, 850m ascent, 1000m descent
The days starts with a short climb, and undulating trail all of the way until you drop down into Dhey Khola which sits at 3400m. The last descent into Dhey Khola is steep with loose rocks and soil. Once you have crossed the river you will have a stop for lunch.
Following this, you’ll take on the ride/hike-a-bike to the top of the pass which sits at 3900m. This will be followed by an awesome descent into the village of Tange, with the last section of riding taking you through a canyon on loose, fast and fun terrain.
Biking Details: 25km distance, 1200m ascent, 1500m descent
Riding straight from the hotel with 3km of riding and a 5km hike-a-bike to Paa pass at 4180m. The climb will be hard but the views worth it to ride on the beautiful ridge line with views all around you.
From here you will drop from 4200m all the way to 2900m above sea level. The trails are super fun, fast and flowy, with the last section being rocky and loose before hitting the village of Chuksang. This is one of the best days of the whole trip!
Biking Details: 22km distance, 340m ascent, 1280m descent
Today you’ll be leaving Upper Mustang and heading back into Lower Mustang and the Annapurna Circuit.
From Chhuksang the trails will be up and down until Kagbeni. From Kagbeni we will shuttle bus to Muktinath, climb up to the Lupra pass at 4100m. From here you will be rewarded with an awesome 8km descent with over a vertical kilometer drop. The trail will eventually meet the Kali Gandaki and the trails to rode on the first day, returning to Jomsom for the evening.
We take a very early morning scenic flight out of Jomsom to Pokhara. Once you have arrived and checked into your hotel in Pokhara, there will be plenty of free time for exploring & shopping at the relaxing lakeside town. There is an array of international standard hotels, restaurants, and bars where riders and crew members can celebrate safely, after completing “The Forbidden Kingdom”.
If you would prefer to do a couple of days more riding, and an extra day onto the tour – let us know!
After breakfast you will return to Kathmandu via a 6–10-hour drive back to KTM or if you have chosen the optional flight a 25-minute short plane journey (please state at time of booking which option you would prefer).
Once back in Kathmandu, there will be time in the afternoon for some trinket shopping or to explore some of the many temples and places of interest in the city.
Please let us know at the time of booking if you would prefer to stay in Pokhara a few extra days to check out some of the adventurous (or leisurely!) activities that it has to offer!
Transfer to international airport or continue with own itinerary.
Please let us know if you would like to see the full list of activities and additional options that we can offer.
ESSENTIALS
What's Included
- Qualified & Experienced Guides: We understand that everybody is different. Some riders will want to push hard, others will want to take in the views and learn about the surrounding area and cultures. All of our guides are selected not only for their fitness but also for their local knowledge. The passion for mountain biking, fun loving nature and local connections, that all our guides have, ensure that your adventure will be an incredible journey. As an added bonus, our guides are great mechanics & awesome photographers. They'll be able to help you fix most things on the trail and they also know the best places to get the epic shot to make all your friends back home jealous!
- Most Meals: Your detailed adventure information pack will list the exact meal arrangements. In general, all breakfasts and evening meals are included in the price of your trip. Most dietary requirements can be catered for, even in the remotest of areas, and as all trips are guided by experienced riders you can be assured of loaded plates of high carbohydrate quality food to fuel you through the day.
- Adventure Accommodation: The nature of your holiday is to have an adventure, but that doesn’t mean you have to rough it. For all of our adventures we use the best accommodation that is available in the area. All our hotels / guesthouses have been personally vetted, so whether it’s a 3* hotel in the city or a basic teahouse in the mountains you can rest assured you will be warm, comfortable and well fed.
- Support: Each group will have experienced guides and we have a low guide to numbers ratio to ensure that everybody is well looked after. All our guides are mechanically adept and will be able to fix most bike problems out on the trail. There will also be porters to transport all the luggage and to ensure your hotel / guesthouse is ready for your arrival after a hard days riding. As an additional extra, where terrain allows, we can provide a dedicated support vehicle that will carry water, food, bike spares etc, with space to transport any rider to the hotel should the going get too tough. Let us know at time of booking if you would like this option.
- Transport: All in country transport costs related to the adventure are included in the trip cost.
- Adventure Information Pack: Being avid riders, travellers and adventure enthusiasts ourselves, we know how important it is to be able to visualise your trip before arrival. All Multi Terrain Biking guests will be sent a detailed PDF trip specific information pack. This extensive document will arm riders will all the details they need to plan and prepare for their adventure, and will include a day to day itinerary, photos, information relating to the country and much more.
- Adventure Advisors: Our knowledgeable Multi Terrain Biking team are always on hand via email or phone to answer any queries that you may have related to the adventure, during the booking process or after you have booked.
- Regular Updates: We will keep you informed with regular updates from the adventure, and closer to departure, with specific details of the guides, hotels, meeting times etc. If you "opt in" we will also give you contact details of other riders joining the adventure so that you can start exchanging information and getting to know other riders before arrival.
- Safety: Multi Terrain Biking tours take riders into some of the remotest and wildest areas on earth. The Multi Terrain Biking team takes rider and crew safety extremely seriously and only uses the most reputable and properly equipped ground logistics teams on location. All our logistic teams also provide the support for our races and have a track proven record for customer service and safety. By travelling with us you can rest assured that your safety and well being could not be in better hands.
- Multi Terrain Biking Merchandise: The Multi Terrain Biking team are proud of their branding and want to share their vision with the world. On arrival, all guests will receive a Multi Terrain branded kit bag. They are yours to keep as mementos of your epic adventure and as a thank you for travelling with us.
- Hire Bikes: All the Multi Terrain Biking team have flown to far flung destinations with their bikes. They understand that it is not the most relaxing of procedures, from checking it in at one end to the nervous wait for it to arrive unscathed at the other. To make your holiday even more stress free we have a range of high quality mountain bikes (nothing we wouldn’t ride ourselves) available to rent. Please enquire for prices.
- Compare Your Times: Via GPS data you will be able to compare your times with those of corresponding races & tours and the top adventure timings will be featured in a Multi Terrain Bikings timings leader board on the website.
What's NOT Included
- International flights to and from the adventure country
- Country entry visa fees
- Travel & Medical insurance (these are compulsory and must include helicopter evacuation in the event of an emergency at the respective altitudes)
- Medical expenses
- Accommodation before and after the adventure
- Transport to the adventure pickup location
- Equipment hire or rental
- Alcoholic and soft drinks consumed during the adventure
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Personal items purchased during the adventure
- Extra activities in the adventure location (these can be arranged for an additional fee)
- Guaranteed Available PackagesFriday26th March 2027Friday9th April 2027£28958Available
- Guaranteed Available PackagesMonday11th October 2027Monday25th October 2027£28958Available
Frequently Asked Questions
For all our destinations we cater for a wide variety of riders, from families embarking on a vehicle supported cultural cycle tour to the most adventurous of riders looking to ride the remotest and most technical of trails, and everything in between.
If you have any apprehensions about whether a tour or race will be too hard (or too easy), just get in contact and we’ll talk you through it
Yes!
Many of our tours and races travel through remote area’s, where in the event of an emergency, helicopter evacuation maybe necessary.
It is essential that you have travel insurance covering for this and we will need a copy of this for our records before your adventure commences.
We don’t have a partner policy with any specific insurance company but have found that Dogtag provide comprehensive insurance cover for most nationalities that is suitable for the majority of our holidays and races.
We don’t include international flights with our biking holidays which means you are free to shop around for the best deals and flight times to suit your budget and itinerary. We are however happy to recommend airlines and flight times based on your destination and tour should you be looking for assistance or advise. Just drop us a line!!
Yes you can and we actually recommend you do if it’s feasible! Bringing your own bike is the best way to ensure you’ll have maximum comfort on your chosen tour. Of courser, if bringing your own bike isn’t possible then we’re more than happy to provide a hire bike. Bike hire prices vary with location and the type of tour you are considering and we can let you know the cost and bike specification on request.
If you are bringing your own bike, most airlines have straightforward and affordable bike carriage policies and our staff can offer plenty of advice on the various methods of packing and travelling. We’ll even help you assemble it on arrival and pack it away safe and sound when you return!
It really depends on your chosen destination and tour and what you are previously used to riding. If you have any doubts about which bike is best for the job, or you wish to hire a bike for the tour or race, then please contact us and we will do our very best to advise.
Yes. Most dietary requirements can be catered for. Just let us know of any specific requirements and given plenty of notice it is usually possible to fulfill most requests. In the unlikely event it is not possible we will let you know before confirming your place.
Our nutritional partner, Torqfitness are offering discounts on all products and coaching services purchased through Mountain Biking Worldwide up to and during the race or tour. They are also able to give advice on the best products to suit your needs for training and during your adventure. Please contact us for more details.
TorqFitness have developed a bespoke nutritional package for Yak Attack. Please have a look at this link for further information. You can either add this on as an optional extra when you fill out the application form (to be delivered to your home country or to Nepal), or alternatively contact us to purchase.
If you are embarking on one of our tours, then you’ll receive a unique MTB-WW cycle top absolutely free of charge!
However if you just like the look of our cycle jerseys (and who can blame you) then they are on sale for US$100 + postage. Email us your size and address and we’ll take care of the rest!
Mountain Biking Worldwide has 3 chosen charities / projects that we support.
NCRR – a Nepal based NGO that rebuilt 7 schools in Nepal after the devastating earthquakes of 2015. Money raised for this charity will go towards the up keep of these schools and towards further school rebuild projects, and greatly assist in the education facilities for many rural children.
Helping Paws Worldwide – whose aim is to raise awareness on animal welfare and compassion through targeted vaccination and neutering camps and educational programs throughout Nepal and Sri Lanka. They also work closely with other in country charities such as Animal SOS Sri Lanka and Sneha Care to instigate neuter and vaccination programs.
The Yak Attack Foundation – money raised for our very own foundation will be used to support the growth of mountain biking in regions that host our races and provide platforms for the development of talented individual riders including the upkeep and development of the Nepal MTB coaching / training centre based in Kathmandu.
Any race participant raising over $300 for any of the above causes will be eligible to a 10% discount off the race entry fee or tour cost
If you do wish to support any of the causes close to our hearts then please make your intentions known at the time of applying and we will send you flyers to assist with promoting your fund raising.
And of course you are more than welcome to use any of our events to raise funds for any causes close to your heart.
Of course you are allowed to bring as much luggage as you desire , but we ask that you endeavour to limit the weight to around 20kg per person for the duration of the tour. You luggage will need to be handled by our staff, numerous times during the day and we als o want to ensure they are fit and happy at then end of the day and not incapacitated with a bad back!!
Bags must be clearly labelled with the riders / companions name so that it is easily identifiable to the owner.
No, but these can be purchased separately from local shops, the hotel or teahouse.
Your guide will have a medical kit to hand throughout the tour but it is also recommended that you bring the following items along for your safety and convenience.
Plasters (including blister plasters)
Bandages
Antiseptic spray and/or wash
Hand sanitiser and/or hand wash
Pain killers i.e. paracetamol, ibuprofen etc.
Any prescribed medication (in original containers, clearly labelled: check with your airline whether they should be packed in checked in or hand luggage) – including inhalers / epi-pens
Diarrhoea and vomiting tablets
Constipation tablets
Anti-allergy tablets
Throat tablets
Water filters and/or purifiers for areas of non adequate drinking water
Strong factor of suncream
High factor lip salve
Cat 4 sunglasses
We would also advise that all riders see their local doctor or travel clinic regarding getting advice and/or medications for the following:
Antibiotics or medications for gastroenteritis
Antibiotics for wound infections (if these differ)
Discussing whether or not they may need altitude sickness tablets (i.e. Diamox)
Pain relief
Any currently prescribed medication that you are taking
For more information on traveling abroad please visit FitforTravel.
At the moment, we can accept bank transfer in either £GBP, $USD & Paypal payments made in £GBP with an additional 5% charge to cover fees. All transfer fees must be covered by the paying customer. Full details will be included in the time of booking.
Tribhuvan airport, Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. There are a number of airlines that fly there which include (but are not limited to): Emirates, Qatar, Jet Airways, India, Turkish Airlines. Most flights either go via the middle east or India.
Yes, nearly all nationalities need a visa to visit Nepal. Certain nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport, for which you will need 1 passport sized photograph and a pen (on a busy day it can take well over an hour to pass through passport control, especially if you do not have a pen to complete the forms). A 15 day visa is $25 USD, a 30 day visa is $40 USD, or a 90 day visa is $100 USD (this has to be paid for in foreign currency, US$, AUS$, Euro, GBP etc). The necessary documents will be given to you either on your flight or are obtainable in the airport.
For those nationalities that can’t get a visa on arrival, or for the more organised travellers, visas can be arranged in advance at your nearest Nepali embassy. Please check well in advance of your trip with your countries embassy for specific details.
Please check with your local doctor prior to flying to Nepal. The following vaccinations are recommended for people visiting Nepal, but the list is not extensive;
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis A
Of course! We’d love for you to see more of your chosen destination and go to places your tour might not take you. With experienced local teams in place, if you so wish, we can assit in arranging extensions to your holiday, extra night’s accommodation, transport etc.
