ANNAPURNA EXPEDITION, NEPAL
A lightweight bikepacking adventure around the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, featuring all the best singletrack and side trips along the way.
Settle in for the long haul as you ride among the biggest mountains in the world and through its deepest river gorge. Climb over the highest mountain pass on earth and shred down the longest continuous mtb descent on the planet! This is the ride to end all other rides!
The journey begins in Kathmandu where your senses will spring to life the moment you step off the plane. After a quick introduction to Kathmandu culture and some fun singletrack, we’ll navigate out of the city and travel deep into the foothills of the Himalayas. Discover the allure of lightweight bikepacking: the simple joy of travelling by bike while living with only your most necessary belongings. Enjoy warm meals and comfortable accommodations in local tea houses along the way – pack only your riding gear, warm clothes, and a small sleeping bag. Visit the historic District of Manang and the sacred Mustang Valley. Celebrate your epic achievement in tropical Pokhara before flying back to Kathmandu in a small aircraft, with views of the entire Himalayan Range.
Suitable for fit riders only with at least intermediate technical skills. This epic trip starts at an elevation of 800m and climbs to 5416m at Thorong La Pass, before descending back down to 800m in Pokhara. The riding is roughly 50% dirt road or double tracks and 50% singletrack, with several challenging hike-a-bike sections. Get ready for an extreme adventure!
DATES
October 10-23, 2027
Trip Highlights
12 days of adventure riding among the biggest mountains in the world
Crossing suspension bridges and topping out at Thorong La Pass, 5420m
Riding some of the best trails in Nepal including the infamous Lubra Magic
A 3-day descent through the deepest river canyon on earth!
Discovering Buddhist and Hindu cultures and visiting sacred religious sites
Enjoying delicious warm meals in comfortable tea house accommodations
Endlessly spotting beautiful waterfalls and soaking in natural hot spring
Rolling into tropical Pokhara and celebrating your legendary achievement!
Itinerary
Distance: 27km — Climb: 500m — Descend: 500m
- Fly into Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), transfer to hotel and build bikes.
- Join us for an afternoon ride on the Helipad Trail and navigate through the streets of Kathmandu stopping along the way to check out a Buddhist and Hindu temple!
- Mandatory pre-trip meeting with your guides over dinner and drinks.
- We highly recommend arriving one or two days early to catch up on rest after a long flight, experience more of Kathmandu, and just in case of any luggage delays. Talk to us about booking extra nights for you at our preferred hotel.
Distance: 12.5km — Climb: 280m — Descend:185m
- After a delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel, we pack our bags and settle in for the long journey to Besisahar, the official starting point of the Annapurna Circuit, stopping for lunch en route. Approx 6 hrs drive on scenic winding roads.
- Upon arrival we’ll have a quick snack and a refreshing cold drink while getting our bikes and bikepacking bags all set up.
- And we’re off! After a fun downhill start to get the adrenaline flowing it’s an easy pedal on undulating dirt roads to our first teahouse accommodation, arriving just in time to get a glimpse of the sun setting over the Himalayas!
Distance: 22km — Climb: 1435m — Descend: 660m
- Our first full day on the Circuit begins! Wake up to the smell of crisp mountain air and fresh Himalayan coffee. Enjoy a casual morning with a warm breakfast and preparations for riding.
- Today is the perfect introduction to what life is like on the Annapurna Circuit. You’ll pass through several small villages and learn about local lifestyle.
- Surrounded by massive cliffs and tight valley walls, we’ll ride past countless waterfalls as we enjoy a good mix of singletrack trails and rugged dirt roads.
Distance: 23km — Climb: 1450m — Descend: 450m
- The climbing gets steeper today and a little more relentless, but the warm jungle climate and the sights and sounds of the Himalaya will keep your mind off of it.
- We’ll start our morning with a fun singletrack side trail and a short hike-a-bike section before crossing our first suspension bridge of the trip, linking back up with the road.
- Not your typical dirt road, this track is precariously cut in through vertical rock walls and features rocky technical challenges similar to those of your favourite singletracks back home!
Distance: 28km — Climb: 1210m — Descend: 355m
- The grind uphill continues but it’s mixed with some fun downhills and smoother sections of road along with short bits of side trail and interesting terrain, making for a great day of pedalling.
- You’ll begin to meet people from all over the world today as multiple routes converge into one, before reaching the end of the road in Manang.
- Tonight you’ll rest under the shadows of giants and you’ll wake up to awe-inspiring views of Annapurna II, Annapurna III, and Gangapurna.
Distance: 10km — Climb: 400m — Descend: 400m
- Today is an important day for acclimatization before we head up to higher elevations.
- Enjoy a casual morning soaking in the sun and indulging in fresh baked goods and western style coffee, before ditching the bikepacking bags and riding some amazing singletrack trails, the likes of which have been featured in Bike Magazine.
- This afternoon we’ll attend a mandatory high-altitude/AMS lecture at the Manang Aid Post, hosted by the Himalayan Rescue Association.
Distance: 15km — Climb: 1195m — Descend: 550m
- The road ends in Manang, meaning we’ll be riding only trails for the next several days!
- After another delicious and hearty breakfast we’ll leave our bikepacking bags behind and set off for a two day side trip to Tilicho Lake, where we’ll spend our first night above 4000m.
- This trail features exhilarating singletrack cut in through steep side hills, surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery!
Distance: 24km — Climb: 1210m — Descend: 1810m
- Rise early today for a challenging climb and hike-a-bike up a steep and challenging trail topping out at almost 5000 meters!
- Tilicho Lake is a magical place where crystal blue waters meet the clear blue skies of the Himalaya, seemingly fading into one another – have your camera ready!
- Go for a dip if you dare, and then we’ll ride all the way back down this incredible trail returning to our guesthouse in Manang, stopping for brunch at Tilicho B.C.
Distance: 15km — Climb: 1100m — Descend: 85m
- Strap the bags back onto your bike and we’ll continue to make our way around the Annapurna Circuit and up towards the pass.
- Today’s ride is a challenging one as it features a mix of steep but ride-able sections, and even steeper hike-a-bikes.
- Tonight we’ll be staying at the Thorong La base camp at nearly 4500m of elevation. Enjoy a warm dinner and get to bed early as we’ll be starting bright and early the following day to tackle the pass.
Distance: 17km — Climb: 925m — Descend: 1710m
- The most challenging and most rewarding day of our trip, today’s the day we cross over Thorong La Pass – the highest navigable mountain pass on earth!
- Entirely a hike-a-bike this morning we’ll be motivated to get to the top, rejoice in our victory, and shred down a steep and technical 1600m singletrack descent into the Mustang Valley.
- We’ll arrive in Muktinath Village around lunchtime where we’ll feast and celebrate, before taking the afternoon off to relax or visit the sacred Muktinath Hindu Temple.
Distance: 25km — Climb: 300m — Descend: 1310m
- As if you haven’t already climbed enough, we’ll do one last uphill push to the top of Lubra Pass where we’ll get amazing views of Mt. Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain in the world.
- The Lubra Valley trail is by far the most popular singletrack ride in all of Nepal, and for good reason – it’s one of the best trails we’ve ever ridden, anywhere on earth!
- We’ll finish today’s ride in Marpha, nestled along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River Valley, where we’ll enjoy fresh baked apple pies and homemade apple brandy.
Distance: 40km — Climb: 300m — Descend: 1310m
- As if you haven’t already climbed enough, we’ll do one last uphill push to the top of Lubra Pass where we’ll get amazing views of Mt. Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain in the world.
- The Lubra Valley trail is by far the most popular singletrack ride in all of Nepal, and for good reason – it’s one of the best trails we’ve ever ridden, anywhere on earth!
- We’ll finish today’s ride in Marpha, nestled along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River Valley, where we’ll enjoy fresh baked apple pies and homemade apple brandy.
Distance: 50km — Climb: 420m — Descend: 1965m
- An incredible final day on the Circuit as we descend through thick jungle and pass by ancient temples while making our way to the end of the circuit in Beni, where our private shuttle vehicle and some cold drinks will be waiting.
- We’ll drive up to a high mountain pass on the way to Pokhara and drop in on an unbelievably fun and fast urban descent rolling right into Lakeside Pokhara just in time for a beautiful sunset.
- Reunited with the rest of your luggage, we’ll freshen up and hit the town for a well deserved meal and check out the local nightlife. Get ready to celebrate!
- After a leisurely breakfast this morning we’ll pack up our bikes and hop aboard a small aircraft flight back to Kathmandu featuring majestic views of the Himalayas.
- Catch your afternoon or evening flights home from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), or choose to stay in Kathmandu.
- Until next time, Namaste!
- If you have the time, we highly recommend spending a few extra nights in Pokhara. It’s a tropical paradise and a great spot to relax and unwind after such an epic trip. Ask us about adding extra nights for you in Pokhara or in Kathmandu.
- If you have the time, we highly recommend spending a few extra nights in Pokhara. It’s a tropical paradise and a great spot to relax and unwind after such an epic trip. Ask us about adding extra nights for you in Pokhara or in Kathmandu.
Logistics
- 13 nights of double occupancy accommodation
- 1 night in Kathmandu — 4 Star Hotel
- 1 night in Pokhara — 3 Star Hotel
- 11 nights in traditional local guesthouses and teahouses.
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- Private room supplement available only in KTM and Pokhara – inquire for pricing
- If you are attending as a couple, you will get private rooms at no extra cost.
- All standard meals (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) for the entire duration of the trip
- We can accommodate any dietary requirements (vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, etc)
- .Local english speaking Nepali guides and drivers
- Professional, certified, and highly experienced Wandering Wheels mtb guide and trip leader
- Trip planning and packing assistance
- We’ll send you a detailed trip packing list and all the important information
- All riding permits, park entrance fees, and TIMS permit fee
- Bike maintenance support and access to our comprehensive tool kit
- Bike set up and riding tips from your guide who is also a level II PMBIA instructor
- All transportation as per itinerary, including airport pick-up, in private shuttle vehicles with safe and professional drivers
- Luggage transfers: Kathmandu – Pokhara
- One internal flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu
- International flights to Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)
- Mandatory travel & medical insurance with helicopter evacuation coverage
- We recommend Global Rescue travel insurance
- We recommend Global Rescue travel insurance
- Bikes and riding gear
- XC/All-mountain bike recommended
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fancy coffees, pastries or other delicacies available at certain guesthouses
- Souvenirs, snacks, laundry, other items of personal nature
- Nepali Tourist Visa (You must purchase this upon arrival at KTM)
- Any overweight/oversize fees incurred for the internal flight from Pokhara – KTM (Typically only $20-$40 for the bike bag)
- Gratuities for your guides – a sign of a job well done!
Eye Candy
