Tibet Motorbike Tour From Nepal

Why should I bike ride from Kathmandu to Lhasa?

Riding a motorcycle from Kathmandu to Lhasa along the stunning Sino-Nepal Highway allows you to travel at a relaxed pace, and explore hidden Tibetan villages and monasteries that are often overlooked by typical organized tours.

You will have complete control over your travel program, allowing you to take a break whenever and for as long as you desire. Additionally, you will come to know about your own limits as you make your way to Rongbuk.

You will have complete freedom that allows for a deep and personal exploration of Lhasa, so you can know the city at your own pace.

Safety during Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal

Our Tibet motorbike tour is far more safe than you think. Since you will be traveling to Tibet on an organized tour, you will be accompanied by both a Nepali and a local Tibetan guide, along with a support team until your journey ends.

Plus, our support team will follow you with the truck so you can take a break from riding whenever you feel exhausted. They also come with the supplies of medical kit, oxygen cylinders, basic bike spare parts, helmets, water, and repair tools so your road trip can be smooth.

The roads in Tibet are also well-maintained and wide with light traffic. However, some sections in Nepal and from Old Tingri to the Everest Base Camp require your careful attention. After EBC, the roads are wide and asphalted so you don’t have to stress at all.

Should I bring my personal bike or rent one for your tour?

If you possess our own quality and well-maintained bike and if you are used to riding only your personal bike, then yes, you can bring it on our Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal. This way, you will have a sense of comfort, confidence, and familiarity throughout the journey.

However, bringing the bike from your country and customs clearance can be a headache. In such a case, you can use the bike we provide on our Tibet motorbike tour.

We will supply you with five Royal Enfield 500 CC bikes, along with one bike for the Road Captain, and fuel will be covered for the journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

Please keep in mind that a deposit of USD 500 per bike is required, and you will be responsible for any damages to the bike due to unforeseen circumstances or loss of bike equipment. Additionally, an international bike riding license is required for this trip.

Attention

If you are bringing your personal bike, we suggest you give us the details of your bike so that we can check if you can find adequate technical assistance in Nepal and Tibet.

Weather And Best Season

The weather in Nepal is tropical in nature affected by the monsoon rain. On our Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal, most of your time will be spent in Kathmandu, so you can expect delightful weather except during the monsoon months of June to August when heavy downpours occur.

In Tibet, the climate is bright, windy, and deserty for most part of the year. It’s a little varied in the Everest region though. Lhasa and Shigatse are dry almost all year receiving only minimal precipitation even in the monsoon season of June through August.

On the other hand, the Everest region is thoroughly wet precipitating between 94 and 108 mm. In winter, the day heat can often drop to 7 degrees Celsius, with night heat between -12 and -17 degrees Celsius.

Therefore, considering the weather patterns both in Nepal and Tibet, the best window for our Tibet motorbike tour is from the last days of September to the initial days of June.

September through October influenced by the autumn season often makes the bike trip on the road pleasant with comfortable heat between 19 and 20 degrees Celsius.

On the other hand, the spring-affected months of March through May are also excellent choices, with warmer days that can reach 25 degrees Celsius with high oxygen concentrations in the Tibetan air.

Trip Difficulty

Our Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal is a medium-difficult tour, suitable for anyone who has a good spirit of adaptation and a love for biking. The road usually involves moving along well-maintained roads in Tibet (except for EBC). However in Nepal, over 100 km from the border are dirt roads but without technical difficulties.

Yet, you must ride along a winding road that twists and turns uphill and downhill, so you must have a good bike riding skill. Additionally, Tibet features a diverse range of terrains; at times, you will traverse flat trails, and at other times, you will climb over passes that rise above 5,000 m.

On the other hand, the actual daily stages have an indicative average duration of 5-6 hours with peaks of 7 or more hours for some stages. Therefore, a good level of training is required for those who ride a bike.

But the real challenge lies in the sudden altitude change. The entire Tibet motorbike tour takes place mainly between 3600 and a good 5000 meters. After leaving Kathmandu, it climbs up over 4000 m in altitude above sea level in Tibet.

Our guide will consider this factor and make certain that you adjust properly before ascending to higher locations.

Altitude Sickness and Acclimatization

In our Tibet motorbike tour, the high altitudes will be experienced only in Tibet as in Nepal, Kathmandu, and Syabrubeshi altitudes don’t exceed 2500 m. plus, the Tibetan air has also lower oxygen concentration which has already been studied.

Over the next three to four days, you will journey to Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk, reaching an altitude of 5,000 meters. When moving from the low grounds to high within a few days can trigger the condition of altitude sickness.

Remember, this condition is nowhere related to your age or fitness which means anyone can find themselves affected by this condition. It mainly develops when you exert yourself excessively during the journey.

You have to relax and take things gradually; it’s not a bike race, it’s a serene journey to seek your soul. That’s why, we have taken a gradual approach to our journey, with nearly a full day for acclimatization in Gyirong town before advancing to the Everest Base Camp.

Plus, in Lhasa, you will have two days for touring the city. Yet, some of you may go through headaches, insomnia, reduced appetite, and shortness of breath. These symptoms of altitude sickness generally resolve in a short period.

We request you to reach out to our support team before your issue worsens. You can consider taking Diamox before you enter Tibet so your adapting process can speed up.

Our support team carries portable oxygen cylinders for emergencies, but we request you not to use them for minor discomfort. Frequent use can lessen their effectiveness when you most need them at EBC.

It is always better to prevent issues than to treat them, so we encourage you to hydrate well and avoid sleeping pills, smoking, and alcohol.

Trip Preparation, Health, and Safety

Bike riding may seem to be an easy journey but in reality, tackling an adventure in a bike without the right preparation increases the risk of incurring injuries and risks.

In our Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal, you have to travel on your bike for maybe 50 to 70 km a day. It requires a strong determination but above all good physical resistance, especially when you are a beginner.

Therefore, good planning and training are needed that will allow you to tackle easily the most difficult points of the route. Such as the uphill ones for example, or the long rides on the flat.

The first step to take to prepare for a bike trip is to start spending as much time as possible on your ride. It is important to start gradually, for example by planning two or three weekly outings on flat routes and then gradually increase the mileage.

Also, dedicate your training to building up muscle strength preferring uphill routes. Carry out the slope repeatedly for at least 40 minutes and try to ride on different characterized terrain and altitudes.

Also do not forget to stretch and rest after each of your excursions which allows you to develop flexibility and helps prevent injuries, as well as allowing you to maintain good elasticity, which is essential for tackling every outing to the best of your ability.

A daily stretching session of at least 20 minutes is advisable, accompanied by correct breathing. And, don’t forget to dedicate the right space to relaxation and hours of sleep, also taking care to maintain a well-balanced diet.

Accommodation, Food and Drink

During the entire period of our Tibet motorbike tour, we will ensure you stay in the best quality lodging available both in Nepal and Tibet. In Kathmandu, Shigatse, and Lhasa, you will live in good tourist standard hotels with double bedrooms with your own bathroom with hot showers.

However, in Syabrubeshi, Gyirong, Old Tingri, and Rongbuk, the accommodations will be relatively basic. In the top season, it may be necessary to stay under tents in the monastic grounds of Rongbuk.

However, we will make sure each lodging has enough oxygen supplies and an effective heating system.

In terms of food, three times meals excluding beverages will be served beginning from Kathmandu. In Gyirong, there are choices between Tibetan, Chinese, Indian, and Nepali cuisine.

However, from Old Tingri up to Ronbuk, you have to be satisfied with the limited Tibetan cuisine of soup, noodles, bread, and eggs.

From Shigatse onward, the food choices will be wide with Western alternatives. There are numerous bars and pubs where you can taste wide variations of drinks.

Transportation, Communication, and Internet

For transportation in our Tibet motorbike tour, we will supply five Royal Enfield 500 CC motorcycles for your travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa. You need to make deposit of US$ 500 for each motorcycle. Fuel for the entire journey will be provided, along with basic spare parts and helmets.

A support truck will follow you throughout the journey, allowing you to rest whenever you feel tired. Please remember that you will have to bear the costs incurred due to damage to the bike resulting from your negligence.

In Kathmandu, our private vehicle will facilitate your travel for the Visa formalities and tours around the city.

You will have reliable communication and internet access in both Nepal and Tibet. In Kathmandu, you can utilize physical SIM cards from the Namaste and Ncell networks, or opt for their eSIMs.

In Tibet, our Tibetan guide will facilitate the obtainment of SIM cards from local Chinese providers. The availability of 5G service has now reached everywhere in Tibet including Rongbuk and the Everest Base Camp.

Wi-Fi will be accessible in various locations in Lhasa and Shigatse, including hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars. It is important to store a VPN to use social media applications, as they are prohibited in China.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is an important component when going on a Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal. After all, injuries occurred during biking can be severe and require costly hospital care. Additionally, any damage to the bike will come from your own pocket.

Therefore, purchase travel insurance that will not only cover the medical expenses in the event of an accident and evacuation but also the cost of losing or damaging your bike.

Your travel insurance should also guarantee civil liability for mobility, mobility injuries, mobility assistance, and legal protection for mobility, compensating for damages involuntarily caused to third parties while driving the vehicle.

So before purchasing insurance, it is advisable to clarify the details of the trip with an insurance company specialist.

Visa, and Permits for Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal

To go to Tibet on any type of tour, you must have special permits from the Ministry of Tourism in Tibet and you must be part of a group of minimum 4 travelers. And, for a Tibet motorbike tour, you must posses an international driving license.

If you lack any of these components, you will not be able to check into hotels, you won’t be allowed to ride on Tibetan roads. Our bike trip involves a visit to EBC in Shigatse, which is a specially protected region of Tibet.

So just like for the Kailash tour, our trip also requires a Chinese Group Visa, TTP (Tibet Travel Permit), Foreign Affairs Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit, and Military permit.

We cordially ask you to approach us at least a month before your trip. Please read carefully our itinerary and inform us if you like any modifications. Once it is confirmed, no alterations whatsoever are allowed after the permit application.

For the permit application, we need you to send us:

Passport color scanned copy with residual validity of more than 6 months with 2 free pages with no cutouts
51 by 51 mm photo, with no spectacles, no makeup, white background

• TTP – Tibet Travel Permit

Tibet Travel Permit is a mandatory travel document that must be obtained before your entry into the autonomous region of Tibet. This permit allows you to visit Tibet and is authorized by the Tibet Tourism Development Committee in Lhasa.

It cannot be obtained elsewhere, including Chinese embassies or authorities in other parts of the world. You can only get it through a travel agency authorized by the Chinese government and that agency will have a limited time to send it to you.

First, we will send all the details to our partner in Tibet (Tibet travel agency) about our Tibet motorbike tour from Nepal with information about each group member with all their documents.

We will then receive an invitation where it will also be mentioned that a certified Tibetan guide will follow us on the tour and that they will take responsibility for obtaining the special permit to enter Tibet.

All that is left for us is to wait for the arrival of all our participants. Meanwhile, our concerned guide in Tibet will acquire TTP and show it to officials at Gyirong.

•  Chinese Group Visa

Once everyone has arrived in Kathmandu, we will proceed to the Chinese Embassy the next day to submit your passports, photographs, and fingerprints for biometric identification.

The embassy will retain your passport for three business days, returning it to us once your visa is ready, which we will pick up for you. This Visa is one collective document for all participants, so a group entry and departure is a must.

•  Foreign affairs permit

The Tibet Foreign Affairs Office is the only one responsible for issuing this permit. We will forward copies of your passport and Group visa to our Tibetan Guide. Once he obtains your TTP, he will submit all these documents to the relevant office, which will process the permit within 10 to 15 working days.

•  Aline’s Travel Permit

Along with our Tibetan guide, we will go to the Tibetan Local Public Security Bureau and present our documents. The permit will be on our hands within few hours.

•  Military Permit

After our Tibetan guide has your documents and TTP in hand, he will take them to the military office for processing. The permit should be ready for you within 10 to 15 days.