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Meet the guide
Vitaly Tsalikov
Dnipro, Ukraine
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Our guide to the Kingdom of Mustang, Vitaliy Tsalikov, is a stunning personality, an adventurer and a kind soul of man. He was the first traveller in the world who got on motorcycles into the heart of the Kingdom of Mustang taking into account the total lack of roads. Moreover, he also rode up to the border with China through the Tibetan plateau. And until now, this route is still a little human and that provides the area with pristine purity.
Vitaliy also participated in the incredible adventure, round-the-ocean trip on the boat "Rusich", an exact copy of the Vikings and ancient Slavs X-XII centuries sailing ship. This expedition was recognized as "the best extreme project" of the former CIS.
Take on our greatest motor challenge and join this expedition-style trek into the heart of the Upper Mustang. Call now +380 67 453 01 48 & let's ride, explore and discover with #motorpilgrims #adventours!
Tour description

Start and finish in Kathmandu, Nepal

Expectant duration is 1000+ km / 17 days

Asphalt, mountains and off-road

Toyota Land Cruiser escort SUV or similar

Enduro Motorcycle Honda CRF250L or similar
Nepal, the Himalayas, Tibetan Kingdom of Mustang
read moreMuktinath
is a valley with a large number of temples, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists
Pokhara
is a tropical city on Lake Pheva, a picturesque view to the Great Himalayan Range opens from the city
Dhaulagiri
is the seventh-highest eight-thousander of the world, 8167 m.
Kathmandu
the capital and largest city of Nepal
Annapurna
is a mountain range in the Himalayas with the main peak of Annapurna I, 8091m high
Lo Manthang
is the capital city of the kingdom, the ancient city on the Tibetan Plateau surrounded by clay walls, at the height of 3800 m, founded in 1380
The Tibetan Plateau
the largest in the area (about 2.5 million km²) and the highest (average altitude is 4877 m) plateau of the world
$4950
What's
included
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The most extended of the existing programs: 17 days (12 days of motorcycling)
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Ukrainian-, English- and Russian-speaking guide and tour organizer
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The Nepali accompanying guide - the Tibetan monk Khyentse Lama Phuntchok Gurung
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Honda CRF motorcycles – 250 L injector (for 12 days) or similar. Reserve motorcycle.
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The maintenance jeep that carries the luggage, spare parts and fuel (12 days)
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Expeditionary preparation and motorbikes maintenance, a mechanic and substitute driver
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Program excursions to Kathmandu and Lo Manthang, Pokhara and Muktinath
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Bathing in natural healing hot springs in the village of Tatopani
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Photo and video filming of the best moments
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All permissions, including a visit to the kingdom of Mustang worth $550
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4 nights in Lo Manthang in the first-class hotel Royal Palace, breakfast included
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Comfortable stay in twin B&B rooms in Kathmandu and Pokhara
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All transfers, domestic flights Pokhara - Kathmandu and back, road taxes and fees
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There may be some changes in the motor-tour program due to weather and other force majeur circumstances
Additionally, you must consider:
- International flight to Nepal and back (approximately $600)
- $50 visa to Nepal is paid at the airport
- $500 refundable Motorcycle Security Deposit
- Meals, except breakfast in hotels ($20-30 per day)
- $800 (per group) tips to 4 accompanying Nepali guides
- Personal expenses, additional services and activities
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Tour program
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Arrival in Kathmandu, at the airport you will get a hearty welcome from our guide Vitaliy Tsalikov.
Transfer through Kathmandu to a hotel in the famous tourist area of Thamel.
Free evening, acclimatization, overnight stay at the hotel.
Kathmandu city tour to see major heritage sites of Kathmandu. We will visit the Pashupati temple complex (cremation), the majestic Bodnath stupa, Swayambhunath stupa (monkey temple), and golden Buddha. Registration and receiving entry permits.
In the afternoon you can get acquainted with the accompanying Nepali guides. In the evening, you can take a stroll around and visit shops in Thamel.
Kathmandu 1400m - Pokhara 800m. All-day asphalt. We'll start our motorcycle tour early in the morning. We will ride through incredible and extreme traffic of Kathmandu with a mass of trucks and buses.
We will go further from the pass along the mountain road. We will ride along the beautiful green foothills of the Himalayas. We will see many Nepalese villages and beautiful mountain rivers.
We will reach the most beautiful tropical city of Pokhara in the evening. If the weather is fine, we will definitely get a stunning panoramic view of the majestic Himalayan ridge. We will spend a great evening in very a picturesque tourist area on the shore of lake Feva. It is popular since hippie times and it still has its own heart and soul. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Pokhara 800m - Sarangkot 1500m - Tatopani 1200m. Half the day we will ride on an asphalt road, then we will ride along a mountain dirt road with lots of stones, dirt and dust and other interesting items of the Himalayan roads.
From Pokhara, we will ride up the narrower mountain roads to the local peak of Sarangkot. In good weather conditions, we will get a superior view of the Himalayan ridge and the valley.
And then while enjoying the picturesque roads of the Himalayan foothills and villages that are already less loaded with transport we will continue our motorcycle trip. In one of the villages, we will visit the longest in Nepal and one of the longest suspension pedestrian bridges in the world. And we will not just take a walk over the bridge, instead, to get a more unforgettable experience, we will ride our motorcycles over it.
Our asphalt road trip ends here. And further, we will ride our motorbikes on the dirt roads along with the the rough river Kali Gandaki, more scenic views of the path and our path on the asphalt ends. And a more interesting road will begin - the dirt road. Along the turbulent Kali Gandaki river in a beautiful tropical mountain gorge. And there we will begin to plunge into the Himalayan ridge perpendicular to its axis.
In the evening, we will come to a halt in a mountain village and bathe in pleasant hot springs along the river bank. We will spend the night at the guesthouse to the sound of a mountain river.
Tatopani 1200m - the foot of the eight-thousander Dhaulagiri 8167m - Kagbeni 2800m. Mountain dirt roads. It will be a very busy but pleasant day.
In the morning, in good weather, we will see the seven-thousand Nilgiri. During this day's journey, we will see the Nilgiri peaks much closer and we will drive very close to this magnificently snowcapped mountain. Our further road along the gorge will give us unforgettable impressions.
As we are going to cross the Himalayan ridge! We will follow extreme mountain dirt roads, off-road and fords. Spectacular views are guaranteed - waterfalls, including the enormous Rupsi Chaara, the diversity of nature, gorges and the grand beauty of the eight-thousanders Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. Dhaulagiri will be very close to us. We will come to a halt on a viewpoint with a stunning view of Dhaulagiri and its glacier. The grandiose Kali Gandaki River will accompany us. The contemplation of Her Majesty the eight-thousand snow queen Dhaulagiri so close is simply breathtaking.
We are going to cross the Main Himalayan Range along the deepest gorge in the world which is in the form of a huge valley! The depth of the gorge is about 6 kilometres relative to the peaks of neighbouring eight-thousanders. And we will ride right at the foot of Dhaulagiri! You can reach the foot of the mountain with your hand in the literal sense of the word! A beautiful extension of the Kali Gandaki Valley opens up with fantastic landscapes!
In some places there is no road; we will go straight along the bottom of the valley crossing numerous river fords. We will see three hillsides of Dhaulagiri during the day. The seven-thousand Nilgiri will also be right in front of us. Villages, buildings and people take on the form of Tibetan style. The main part of the Himalayan Range is left behind. Nature changes - the Tibetan plateau begins! Photos and video cameras are in action non-stop. We will reach the picturesque Tibetan village of Kagbeni where the monk of Tibetan Buddhism from Lo Manthang, Phuntchok Khyentse Lama, will meet us.
He is such a gorgeous and unique person. Such meetings happen once in a lifetime. And Phuntchok will accompany us the following days throughout the Mustang. We will spend the whole evening chatting with the monk Phuntchok. Overnight at the guesthouse to the silence of the Tibetan Highlands.
Kagbeni - 2800m - ascent to the shelter at the beginning of the trail to the Torangla Pass up to 4500 m - Muktinath - 3800 m. Extreme mountain dirt roads are in front of us. And again, the day is full of impressions of the majestic Himalayas. The main Himalayan ridge is already behind. But the giants Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri are even more breathtaking.
Early in the morning after having breakfast, we will have a walk in the streets of the Tibetan Kagbeni with Phuntchok. We will visit the temple in the ancient part of the village and register the permits for entering Mustang.
Further, our group will ride the motorcycles up to Muktinath through the Martian-like landscapes. Tibetan landscapes look ethereal. In general, breathtaking views are guaranteed again!
We will have a beautiful view of the gigantic hollow - the Torong La pass of 5450 m. We will take a motorcycle trip to the beginning of the pass trail at the altitude of 4300-4500 m. And we will take rest to drink Tibetan tea at a stunning viewpoint in the Himalayas. On our descent, to Muktinath, we will ride down steep hiking trails and cross a very extreme pedestrian bridge over a large and deep gorge. An unforgettable experience is guaranteed on this day.
In the evening, we will have a pleasant stay at the guesthouse with wonderful friends Maitreya and Nira. The view of the Himalayas from the hotel is magnificent. In the evening you will have a chance to spend a wonderful time in the company of amazing people Phuntchok, Nira and Maitreya under the starry sky of the Himalayas. Overnight stay at the guesthouse.
Muktinath 3800m – mountain passes 4000m - Ghami 3500m. Extreme mountain dirt roads. Mustang is waiting for us!
It is time to move through the territory of the kingdom of Mustang and through the Tibetan plateau! The road is difficult as there are a lot of steep ups and downs, cliffs, rocky tali. In some places, the mountain road is very extreme! Motorcycles and riders are overloaded. Nature and views are changing and breathtaking! There we will be able to see clear signs of an ancient ocean floor. You can even find fossilized molluscs (100 million years old).
Having reached the passes we will have overwhelming panoramic views of the Himalayas and the kingdom of Mustang. The majesty of unearthly landscapes is overwhelming. The impressions cannot be put into words. One should see it with his own eyes.
This place is really desolate, civilization is left behind. In the evening we will make a halt in the Tibetan village of Gami in the best guesthouse. Later we will have dinner with local residents in an ancient Tibetan house with an antique shop inside. You can feel the breath of the Tibetan region in everything. Overnight stay at the guesthouse.
Gami 3500m – mountain passes 4000m - Tsarang 3600 - Lo Manthang 3800m. Extreme mountain dirt roads. This day will be filled with overwhelming as well as culminating impressions. The area around is even wilder. The views from the passes are just fantastic and breathtaking.
There you will get acquainted with the most ancient temples of Tibetan Buddhism, experienced and young monks, local residents, the most ancient royal palace with the most unique relics, the Tibetan shrines, the longest Buddhist prayer wall, incredible ancient and charming stupas. You will find yourselves in a completely different world. And the views around are extraterrestrial. Every stone on our way seems alive and is rife with history of the region...
And here it is - the culmination day of our motorcycle pilgrimage - Windy Pass 4000m with a magical view of the city of Lo Manthang and Tibet. Real untouched Tibet is in front of us. And the Tibetan plateau is on the horizon. The Himalayan ridge is already far behind. Only Tibet and the sky are ahead. Views are imprinted in our consciousness forever. And we are entering Lo Manthang on motorcycles. Phuntchok is with us at this moment and welcomes us to his homeland. The goal is achieved. Motor pilgrims are in Lo Manthang.
We will spend the night in the best hotel in Lo Manthang. It is going to be a relaxing and peaceful evening.
Lo Manthang - 3800m above sea level. Hiking day in the unique Lo Manthang. And a day of rest for our steel horses. Accompanied by Phuntchok we will visit his native temple and other temples of Tibetan Buddhism in Lo Manthang. This will be an amazing moment and a lifetime experience. A true pristine Tibetan Buddhist temple which will carry us over the centuries into the depths of the universe and our consciousness.
Excursions along the streets of Lo Manthang to see a life of Tibetans.
Evening and dinner with Phuntchok and local Tibetan residents. You will have an opportunity to buy unique Tibetan items, amulets, medicines, etc. Photos are being taken and videos are being made.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Lo Manthang 3800m – the Tibetan plateau about 5000m, the border of Nepal and China - Chhoser village - Lo Mantang 3800m. Extreme mountain dirt roads. Motor Pilgrims will saddle their steel horses and will be on their way to the farthest and highest point of our motorcycle pilgrimage - the Tibetan plateau. We will take a kilometre ride up through a beautiful valley with unearthly landscapes. Before going to the plateau, we will capture the stunning views of the Himalayas and Tibetan Territory. The overview from the ridge is several hundred kilometres. And there you will definitely have a wish to stop time and behold this divine picture.
Our trip is at its zenith as we are on the Tibetan plateau. From this point on there is only the sky and the universe ... the views are simply fantastic. The state of consciousness cannot be put into words. You just feel the breath of the planet and the world ... in the past, present and future ...
Our friend Phuntchok will perform an ancient Tibetan ritual ceremony. And we will take part in this mystical rite. You will be impressed. The Himalayas and this Tibetan region will stay with us forever.
On the way back we will visit Chhoser village with the temple and school of young monks. And our group will also ascend to the oldest man-made multi-storey complex of caves which dates back over 2800 years! Overnight stay at the hotel.
Lo Manthang 3800 - Yak Shepherds' Camp 4300m - Heavenly burial - ruins of an old castle – 4500m - Lo Manthang 3800m. Extreme mountain dirt roads. We will spend another day in this unique and unrivalled region up in the saddles of our steel horses. And we will visit a stunningly interesting place - the Yak Shepherds' Camp.
The path to the camp is in a very rough and wild mountainous area. The signs of civilization there are almost dissolved. We will get to the unique place and get in close contact with the yaks, with these great centuries-old workers of the highlands. And we are going to chat with a family of shepherds. We will visit the tent where the whole life of these over-seasoned people passes. They live in such harsh conditions of life, climate and labour, but there are always sincere smiles on their faces. And they are always happy to see rare eccentric wanderers who seldom get to them. We will make a halt right inside the tent, the dwelling of these shepherds. Phuntchok will help us communicate with them in Tibetan. Also, we will be treated to real Tibetan tea, dairy products and yak meat. If lucky, you may get unique gifts from the Yak Shepherds’ Camp.
And now it's our way back where we come from. But the views and impressions are new as now we see with our eyes what we were looking at with our backs. On the passes, we halt to enjoy scenic views of the Himalayas. The nature of this region continues to give us pictures of the greatest artist - the nature itself. In the evening, we will get to Maitreya and Nira’s guesthouse in Muktinath. Overnight at the guesthouse.
Lo Manthang 3800m – mountain passes 4000m - Muktinath 3800m. Extreme mountain dirt roads. Motor Pilgrims are leaving the stunning land. Farewell to our friend Phuntchok. It is interesting how sometimes you just don't want to say goodbye to a person, especially if he is a very bright, kind, mystical and gracious man, a monk and lama.
And now it's our way back where we come from. But the views and impressions are new as now we see with our eyes what we were looking at with our backs. On the passes we halt to enjoy scenic views of the Himalayas. The nature of this region continues to gives us pictures of the greatest artist - the nature itself.
In the evening, we will get to Maitreya and Nira’s guesthouse in Muktinath. Overnight at the guesthouse.
Muktinath 3800m - Dhaulagiri-Kalopani massif 2300m. Extreme mountainous dirt roads. In the morning we will visit the famous mystical complex Muktinath. And we will pass under 108 holy springs. We will also visit a huge statue of Buddha contemplating the world, people and the Himalayas. The views are splendid.
After breakfast we will hit the road to pass the Himalayan ridge. We will see a tremendous variety of nature - from the desert unearthly landscape of the Tibetan highlands to the coniferous forests on the foothills of the Himalayas on the southern side of the ridge. Part of our way we will ride along a new road through the non-tourist villages and coniferous forests and cross the pedestrian bridges over the Kali Gandaki river. And in the evening we will come to a halt in the village with a stunning view of the two Himalayan eight-thousanders - Dhaulagiri 8167m and Annapurna 8091m.
Overnight at the guesthouse.
Kalopani 2300m - Pokhara 800m. Dirt roads/asphalt. The last day of motorcycling pilgrimage on steel horses. In the morning we will see the divine goddesses Dhaulagiri and Annapurna once again.
We will ride down the main Himalayan ridge to the tropical foothills. By afternoon we will have already reached Pokhara. The trip is complete. A very touching and heartfelt moment. Motor pilgrimage to one of the most unique places on our planet is over.
Here we will say goodbye to our beautiful and faithful steel horses, our motorcycles. After all, these mechanical creatures have helped us visit such a land and been through so many things with us. We have gained an unforgettable lifetime experience. Evening in Pokhara and a farewell dinner with our accompanying Nepali guides, who have been with us all the time and helped us a lot. Overnight at the hotel.
A day of relaxation in pleasant tropical Pokhara. Or spare day one. Regarding the fact that we are in the mountains there may be a delay due to possible landslides, landslips, impenetrable fords, lack of roads, etc. And if lucky, we will have a panoramic view of His Majesty the Himalayan Range.
As part of the program, we will visit an excellent and very interesting mountain museum. It is dedicated to the Himalayas, local people, culture, nature and, of course, mountain climbers.
You can optionally paraglide, hang glider or fly a small plane over Pokhara and closer to the Himalayan ridge. This is a brand new experience. Evening at the lakeshore. Overnight at the hotel.
Flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Or a spare day two. New views and a great flight experience in a small plane along the Himalayan Range.
In Kathmandu we will also have time for additional activities such as a flight to Everest, bungee jumping from the second highest platform in the world, etc. Or shopping at souvenir shops in Thamel.
Evening in Thamel. Overnight at the hotel.
Transfer to the International airport for onward flight.
You have done it.
And a tiny part of the Himalayas and Tibet will stay in your mind and your heart forever…
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Gallery
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