Stairway to Heaven – NEPAL

From: $3,990 USD


Tour Months
Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov

Duration
12 days

Start Location
Katmandu, Nepal

Difficulty
Challenging

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Dates & Prices

Our Prices

Riders: $USD 4190
Pillions: $USD 3490

Private Tours

Would you like your own private adventure with dates that suit you?
Do you have a group of mates that are interested in an adventure?

Then contact us for more information and we'll make it happen.
We can offer private adventures during Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov.

2019 -November 17th - 28th

15 places available

2020 - February 26th - March 8th

15 places available

2020 - November 15th - 26th

15 places available



Select A Date to Book

We only require an initial deposit of USD $500 to confirm your place.

Start by selecting the quantity of rider or pillion. You can only select one. Tour options are available in the checkout.

Raiders of the Lost Caves – NEPAL

Raiders of the Lost Caves – Nepal | A motorcycle adventure into the restricted Upper Mustang Valley to explore caves that date back to 1000BC.

Pay a deposit of $1,000 per item

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Key Information

Duration

12 days

Location

Katmandu, Nepal

Difficulty

Challenging

Tour Dates

Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov

Itinerary

1

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN KATHMANDU

CHECK IN DAY

As you descend from the clouds over the majestic Himalayas, you will see the bustling city of Kathmandu where we will start and finish our adventure. A Himalayan Heroes representative will be waiting for you as you exit the airport. They’ll accompany you to your hotel not far from the tourist haven of Thamel. After lunch, we’ll visit Pashupatinath Temple where you’ll see corpses cremated in a traditional Hindu ceremony on the banks of the Bagmati River. Later in the evening we will have a welcome dinner at an authentic Nepali restaurant to get to know one another, have the first of many culinary masterpieces and be entertained with a cultural show.
NOTE: We strongly suggest arriving at least 1 day early to allow you to relax, get over jet lag and enjoy the cultural aspects of Day 1

2

DAY 2: ESCAPE THE MADNESS

KATHMANDU TO BANDIPUR (approx  145kms – 5 ½ hrs)

Today is the day the adventure starts proper. The traffic in Kathmandu is similar to that in a lot of developing countries so we try to avoid it best we can by getting an early start. A quick breakfast while the support team load the back-up vehicles with your luggage before a refresh of the rider briefing and getting the keys to your motorcycles.

Keep your wits about you as we head west out of town and along the Trishuli River towards our first stop Bandipur. With a rich trading history dating back to the mid 1700’s, this mountain village still retains  an authentic old time cultural atmosphere even though trading has long gone.

3

DAY 3: TOWARDS ANNAPURNA

BANDIPUR TO POKHARA (approx 80kms – 4 hrs)

An easy day with not a lot of ground to cover will allow us time to take some detours and cross some of Asia’s longest suspension bridges. A great way to confront your fear of heights… unless its windy…then it’ll only make it worse!  There will be some free time in the afternoon for you to explore the town and its watering holes. Plan what you’ll do when you get back in a weeks time. Maybe canoeing, site seeing or even some parasailing.

4

DAY 4: GOING GETS ROUGH

POKHARA TO TATOPANI (approx 105kms - 5 ½ hrs)

As the roads become challenging, rough and unsealed with many river crossings for the next 6 days, we ask people to pack lightly, taking only what is necessary until we return. Starting out on tarmac, we’ll end up on some great dirt road routes that provide fantastic mountain vistas, picturesque terraced farmlands and an opportunity to walk on one of Nepal’s famous suspension bridges. There is a continuous change in the topography with every twist and turn until our arrival at Tatopani.

5

DAY 5: ENTER THE LOWER MUSTANG

TATOPANI TO MUKTINATH (approx 80kms - 5 ½ hrs)

A short ride through some of the most amazing landscapes of the adventure will see us tackle a large river crossing in Lower Mustang. The road to our hotel is spectacular as we travel through a number of remote villages. Muktinath is part of the Annapurna Circuit, and you’ll encounter many trekkers from across the globe here making their way to Chulu East Muktinath is the highest elevation we reach and while you might be short of breath walking around the village exploring, it is unlikely you will suffer from altitude sickness.

6

DAY 6: ENTER THE UPPER MUSTANG

MUKTINATH TO LOMANTHANG via GELING (approx 100kms - 6 ½ hrs)

We head back down to Kagbeni on the Kali Gandaki River, show our restricted permits and the checkpont and enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Upper Mustang. The roads are twisty and totally dirt from here on in. We cross the river at Chele and continue North, passing through a few small villages towards Geling.  

We say our adventures are mind blowing and this section is one of the reasons why. Riding into Lo Manthang is one of the best experiences a motorcyclist can have. The river below, the mountains above and the Sky Caves of Nepal in front of you. The Mustang caves are a collection of some 10,000 man-made caves dug into the sides of valleys. Several groups of archaeologists and researchers have explored these stacked caves and found partially mummified human bodies and skeletons that are at least 2,000–3,000 years old. Explorations of these caves by conservators and archaeologists have also led to the discovery of valuable Buddhist paintings, sculptures, manuscripts and numerous artefacts belonging to the 12th to 14th century, but no one has yet understood who built the caves and why they were built. The site is currently listed as a UNESCO tentative site since 1996.

7

DAY 7: EXPLORE THE CAVES

FREE DAY in LO MANTHANG

As early as 1,000 BC, the caves were used as burial chambers. During the 10th century, the region is thought to have been frequently battled over, and consequently, placing safety over convenience, families moved into the caves, turning them into living quarters. By the 1400s, the caves functioned as meditation chambers, military lookouts or storage units as people moved into villages. In 2010, a team of mountaineers and archaeologists uncovered 27 human remains in two biggest caves near Samdzong. The relatively intact skeletons – dating from the 3rd to the 8th centuries, before Buddhism came to Mustang – had cut marks on the bones. Scientists believe that this burial ritual may have been related to the Bon-Buddhist practice of sky burial. To this day, when a citizen of Mustang dies, the body is sliced into small pieces, bones included, to be swiftly snatched up by vultures.

8

DAY 8: BACK DOWN THE VALLEY

LOMANTHANG TO KALOPANI via MARPHA (approx 115kms - 7 hrs)

Although we only travel a bit over 100kms, it’s going to be a big day. We’ll start early and head back down the valley, stopping at Kagbeni for a short visit to the local monastery where many Yogi’s come to isolate themselves in the caves overlooking the village to practice their meditation and rituals. We’ll then continue on to Kalopani via Marpha

9

DAY 9: DEEPEST GORGE

KALOPANI TO POKHARA (approx 125kms - 6 ½ hrs)

Although we only travel a bit over 100kms, it’s going to be a big day. We’ll start early and head back down the valley, stopping at Kagbeni for a short visit to the local monastery where many Yogi’s come to isolate themselves in the caves overlooking the village to practice their meditation and rituals. We’ll then continue on to Kalopani via Marpha. 

10

DAY 10: FREE DAY

FREE DAY IN POKHARA

Today is a well earned day of leisure. Spend it recovering from the night before or visit the local shops, take a canoe ride on the nearby the Phewa lake or catch a cable car to the World Peace Pagoda or even visit one of the five museums and if you’re feeling adventurous then you could go parasailing.

11

DAY 11: BACK TO KAT

POKHARA TO KATHMANDU (approx 205kms - 7 ½ hrs)

Starting early, we head east alongside the Trishuli River as it winds its way towards Kathmandu. Reminiscent of the rice paddies of Vietnam and Thailand, the farming land between you and the river is busy with people working hard to make a living. We ride through some small villages, returning the vigorous waves directed at us while trying to soak in the stunning views that the terraced farm land present and descend upon the mayhem of Kathmandu. Upon arrival at the hotel we’ll have time to hit the town and celebrate our fantastic achievement with a dinner at a local Nepalese restaurant with great food and atmosphere.

12

DAY 12: HOMEWARD BOUND

CHECK OUT DAY

This is a free day for last minute shopping and packing until being transferred to the airport for your departure back to monotony 🙂

Optional Extras

Optional Add-On – Everest Sherpa Village Trek

For those that would like to arrange their own trek, this site has some great information.

The trek below is popular with our riders as a 5 day extension before or after their motorcycle adventure. We’re happy to arrange and customise it for your needs.

Flight to the World’s Scariest Airport and 5 Day Trek to the gateway of Mt Everest Base Camp.

The tallest point on Earth, Mt Everest (8848m) is so close yet so far, why not take a few extra days and fly to the world’s scariest airport described as “a strip of licorice in a wall of granite”. The primary goal of this trek is to see Mt Everest (8848m) and the villages of the world famous mountaineers, the Sherpas.

The view of Mt Everest, from above Namche Bazaar is truly stunning. We walk past a small airport towards the Everest view hotel. Here we’ll enjoy a coffee and the breathtaking scenery of Mt Nuptse (7879m), Mt Lhotse (8416m), Mt Lhotse Shar (8400m) and Mt AmaDablam (6812m) along with of course Mt Everest.

The Cost of the add-on trek includes:

  • Transfer to and from the Hotel / Domestic Airport / Hotel (Pre & Post Trek) in a private vehicle accompanied by Trek guide.
  • Airfare for the sector Katmandu / Lukla / Katmandu
  • 4 Nights / 5 Days trek in the Everest / Khumbu region inclusive of all meals (breakfast + Lunch + Dinner), accommodation in available local lodges or tea houses and the services of an experienced – Trek guide, Sherpas and the strong & reliable porters.
  • Sagarmatha National Park entrance fees of US$30 per person.
  • Trekker’s Information Management System (TIMS) card fee of US$10 per person.
  • All expenses for the guide, his daily allowances including his meals and flight from Kathmandu / Lukla / Kathmandu.
  • Gamma Bag (High Altitude portable chamber) in case of emergency arising due to altitude sickness. (The guide will be trained in First Aid specially relating to High Altitude Sickness)

Optional 5-Day Trek: US$1190

Photos & Video

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Testimonials

Val Zanotto, NSW Australia (2018 Nepal - Stairway to Heaven)

There are many experiences in life but not many that take us completely out of our comfort zone. Himalayan Heroes did that effortlessly while injecting a lot of challenges and fun. At the end of each day i could proudly say "mission accomplished".

Jenny Douglas, USA (2018 Sikkim & Bhutan)

I would recommend Himalayan Hereos to anyone that is looking for an adventure on two wheels. The don't so much as offer vacations, as they offer life changing experiences. From the second that we put our deposit down on the website for our trip, Rex was in constant communication with us via email. He sent us FAQs, recommendations for insurance, and shoes, and every minuscule question we had, he always answered and never got frustrated because it was already written on the website. He called us on the phone when our trip itinerary had to change due to border closures, and we felt overly taken care of. We had a Himalayan Hereos representative traveling with us, and he was the most approachable fun loving human on the planet. We've already mentally signed up for two other adventures because this is one of the best times we've ever had in our lives.

Ant Willis, UK (2018 Nepal - Stairway to Heaven)

Was a wild ride! An unforgettable trip of a life time!