Places to Go on a Ride Around Kathmandu: Day Rides, Weekend Loops and Longer Escapes

The Kathmandu Valley is a bowl about 25 kilometres across, ringed by hills that rise to 2,000 metres and more. Inside the bowl the roads are crowded and slow. The good riding starts where the ring road ends and the hills begin, and most of it is within two hours of Thamel.

This guide sorts the rides by how much time you have. Half-day trips stay inside or just outside the valley. Full-day rides climb to the rim and drop into the middle hills. Overnight routes reach the edge of the high Himalaya. If you do not have a bike yet, the Kathmandu Bike rental page lists what is available, and the Kathmandu destination page gives the wider picture of what the region offers.

 

Choosing a Bike for Valley Rides

Most of the rides below are paved. A Royal Enfield Classic 350 handles all of them, and it is comfortable in city traffic. The Himalayan 411 is the better choice if you plan to try the rougher upper sections of Phulchoki, Kalinchowk, or the Chitlang back roads, because of its ground clearance and suspension travel. The Hero Xpulse 200 is lighter and cheaper if you are comfortable on dirt and ride solo.

At the time of writing, the site lists these bikes from about USD 30 to USD 39 per day, with the Himalayan 450 and Honda CRF 250L higher. Confirm current rates when you book.

 

Half-Day Rides

Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan

Bhaktapur is the best-preserved medieval town in the valley, about 15 kilometres east of central Kathmandu. Park near the eastern entrance and walk. The Durbar Square, the pottery square, and the lanes between them take a slow morning, and they are quieter before 9 a.m. than at any other time of day. Try juju dhau, the local curd served in clay pots.

From Bhaktapur, a short climb takes you to Changu Narayan, a UNESCO World Heritage temple complex on a hilltop ridge. It is one of the oldest temples in the valley, and the stone carvings in its courtyard are better preserved than most. The road up is narrow but paved. The ridge has a view back across the valley, and a few tea houses serve simple food.

The round trip from Kathmandu is under 50 kilometres. It works as an easy first ride on a rental bike, and it is a good way to practise riding on the left before heading farther out.

Sankhu and Bajrayogini

Sankhu lies about 17 kilometres northeast of Kathmandu, in the part of the valley that few visitors reach. The old Newari town has brick-paved lanes, carved windows, and a quiet that the central heritage sites lost long ago. Above it, a long stone staircase climbs through forest to the Bajrayogini temple. The climb takes about 20 minutes, and the temple itself is small and active.

Combine Sankhu with Changu Narayan for a full half-day that avoids the busiest roads.

Budhanilkantha and Sundarijal

North of the city, the road to Budhanilkantha passes a large reclining Vishnu statue carved from a single black stone and set in a pool. Hindu devotees come to worship here daily, and visitors can watch from the edge of the complex.

Past Budhanilkantha, the road continues to Sundarijal on the edge of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. The ride follows the valley rim through pine forest, and the air is noticeably cooler. Sundarijal is a trailhead for hikes into the park and onward toward the Helambu region. A national park entry fee applies if you walk in.

Pharping and Dakshinkali

South of the city, the road to Pharping climbs gently through villages and terraced fields. Pharping is a pilgrimage town for Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus alike. The Asura Cave, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated, sits above the town and attracts steady streams of pilgrims.

A short ride beyond Pharping brings you to Dakshinkali, a temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. It is busiest on Saturdays and Tuesdays, when devotees bring offerings, including animal sacrifices. Visitors who are uncomfortable with that should avoid those days.

Chandragiri Hills

The Chandragiri cable car starts at Thankot on the western edge of the valley and rises to a ridge at about 2,500 metres. From the top, on a clear morning, the view takes in the Himalayan range from Langtang to Manaslu and beyond. Motorcycles park at the base station. The ride out along the Prithvi Highway toward Thankot is busy, so leave early.

 

Full-Day Rides

Nagarkot

Nagarkot is the classic viewpoint ride, about 32 kilometres east of Kathmandu at 2,195 metres. The road climbs through Bhaktapur and then up a series of switchbacks to the ridge. On a clear morning the Himalayan range from Ganesh Himal to Everest is visible from the Fire Tower viewpoint.

Sunrise is the reason most riders come. If you plan to be there before first light, leave Kathmandu at about 4:30 a.m. and ride the route once in daylight beforehand so the Bhaktapur junction is familiar. Bring a warm layer, because the ridge is cold and windy before sunrise even in October.

Dhulikhel, Namobuddha, and Panauti

This loop is the best full-day ride in the east of the valley. Take the Araniko Highway to Dhulikhel, about 30 kilometres from the city, and walk through the old Newari bazaar. From Dhulikhel, a forested road climbs to Namobuddha, a Buddhist pilgrimage site where, according to tradition, a prince offered his body to a starving tigress. A monastery now stands on the hilltop, and monks conduct daily prayers.

Return through Panauti, a Newari town at the confluence of the Roshi and Punyamati rivers. Its temples and old houses are among the best preserved in the region, and few visitors stop there. The full loop covers about 80 kilometres of mixed road.

Kakani and Nuwakot

Kakani sits on the northwestern rim of the valley at about 2,073 metres, 27 kilometres from the city. The ride up through Balaju and Tokha climbs through pine forest to a ridge with views of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and the Langtang range.

From Kakani, the road drops toward Nuwakot, about 70 kilometres from Kathmandu, where a seven-storey palace built in the 18th century overlooks the Trishuli River valley. The descent is steeper and rougher in places than the road up. The loop makes a long day but rewards the effort with a different Nepal from the valley floor.

Nepal Moto Tours runs a two-day Kakani Forest, Waterfall and Scenic Motorbike Tour on this side of the valley, which suits riders who want a guide and a night away without a long commitment.

Chitlang, Markhu, and Kulekhani

Chitlang is the least visited of the valley-edge destinations, about 30 kilometres from Kathmandu through Thankot. The road drops into a bowl of terraced fields and sal forest, then continues south through Markhu toward the Kulekhani reservoir. The road surface changes often, and the ride has more of an adventure feel than the others in this section.

Chitlang also has a historical connection to the old trade route between Kathmandu and the Terai. Sections of the stone-paved trail survive, and you can walk a short stretch from the village.

For a guided version of this area, see the Chitlang Khulekhani Motorbike Tour.

Godavari and Phulchoki

Phulchoki, at about 2,782 metres, is the highest of the hills ringing the valley. The road from Godavari, about 15 kilometres south of the city, climbs through rhododendron and oak forest to a ridge with radio towers and a long view. The Godavari Botanical Garden sits at the base and makes a good first stop.

The upper road is rough and steep in places, and conditions change after rain. Check locally before you ride, and take a bike with decent clearance.

 

Overnight Rides

Kalinchowk

Kalinchowk is the standout overnight destination east of Kathmandu. The ridge at about 3,842 metres holds the Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple, reached by cable car from the road terminus. In winter, snow covers the upper road and the temple area, and the view of Gauri Shankar Himal is among the best accessible from a motorcycle in the region.

The ride is about 130 kilometres each way, and Charikot makes a sensible overnight stop. The upper section needs care in winter because of compacted snow and ice in the mornings. Nepal Moto Tours runs the Kalinchowk and Dolakha Ride over five days if you would rather go with a guide.

Bandipur

Bandipur is a preserved Newari hill town on a ridge above the Marsyangdi valley, about 140 kilometres from Kathmandu. A short, steep road climbs from the Prithvi Highway to a car-free main street lined with old merchant houses. The sunrise view over the Himalayan range from the ridge is worth the early start.

Bandipur works as a stop on the way to Pokhara, and also as a destination in its own right for a quiet night. The Kathmandu Pokhara Bandipur Circuit covers it as part of a five-day route.

Syabrubesi and the Langtang Approach

North of the valley, the road follows the Trishuli River to Syabrubesi, about 120 kilometres from Kathmandu, at the gateway to the Langtang region. The ride crosses mid-hill terrain with sections of rough road, and it is more demanding than the valley-edge rides. Current conditions matter here, since the area has been affected by landslides and the 2015 earthquake.

If you want a longer route in this direction, the Langtang Valley Helambu Circuit covers both regions.

 

A Longer Escape: Everest View

If you have a week, the Everest View Motorbike Tour heads east from Kathmandu on paved highway to Pattale Danda, a hilltop viewpoint on the Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu border. From there, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and a wall of other high peaks fill the horizon. There is no off-road trail and no restricted permit, which makes it one of the easiest ways to see the Everest range from the saddle.

 

When to Ride

October and November give the clearest air and the best views from every viewpoint on this list. March and April bring rhododendron bloom to the hill roads and warmer mornings. December to February is cold on the ridges, and valley haze can hide the mountains, but snow at Kalinchowk is the reward for riders who choose winter.

The monsoon, from June to September, brings landslides to the hill roads and low cloud to the viewpoints. Valley heritage sites remain open, and Bhaktapur and Patan are pleasant in light rain, but the ridge rides lose most of their appeal.

 

Quick Reference

 

Riding Notes for the Valley

Leave early. Between 8 and 10 a.m. and again from 4 to 7 p.m., the ring road and the main exits clog up. A 6:30 a.m. start gets you out of the valley before the worst of it.

Fill the tank in Kathmandu. Petrol is available in most hill towns, but supply is less reliable than in the city.

Carry your licence, the bike registration, and the rental agreement. Traffic police run checkpoints on the exits from the valley, and helmet checks are routine. Saturday is Nepal's weekly holiday, when roads to the main viewpoints fill with local families.

Watch for livestock, buses cutting corners, and surfaces that change without warning. Slow down in the first hour of the first day while you adjust to the traffic and to riding on the left.

 

Planning a Motorcycle tour in Nepal? Get in touch with your dates, and Nepal Moto Tours can suggest a route that fits your time and riding experience.