Upper Mustang Motorbike Adventure in Nepal
Some trips stay with you because of one big highlight. This one stays with me as a collection of moments – dust in the air, sunrise on snow-covered peaks, coffee stops high in the mountains, and the kind of laughter that only happens when a great group shares the road.
This women-only motorbike adventure took us through Nepal’s Upper Mustang, from the chaos of Kathmandu to the quieter, higher landscapes near the Tibetan border, and back down to Pokhara. Over eleven days, we rode through traffic, dust, altitude, temples, suspension bridges, and mountain views that never really became normal.
It wasn’t about speed or ticking off landmarks. It was about being there – riding through it, adapting to it, and letting Nepal reveal itself one day at a time.
Day 0 – Arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal
From Kraków through Dubai to Kathmandu – long travel, longer queues, and a suitcase that already looked like it had lived a full adventure.
We were welcomed with flower garlands (marigolds 🌼) and warm smiles. After some rest, we met the group, picked up our bikes – my black Royal Enfield Himalayan still waiting for a name – and kicked things off with Nepali food, local beer, and spontaneous dancing.
Day 1 – Kathmandu to Bandipur Motorcycle Ride
The plan: leave early. Reality: carburetor problems. 😅
Even with the delay, riding out of Kathmandu was an experience – left-side traffic, constant honking, and somehow it all worked.
After hours on “adventure asphalt” (the kind that shakes your bones), we reached Bandipur just in time for a golden sunset over the Himalayas. Street walks, dancing, and that first “we’re really here” feeling.
Day 2 – Bandipur to Kushma: First Himalayan Off-Road
5:45 wake-up for sunrise – totally worth it. Manaslu glowing in the morning light.
Then finally – proper riding. Rocky, muddy, twisty roads, suspension bridges, rice fields, banana palms. At times the mountains felt so close I had to remind myself to actually look up.
We ended the day crossing a 230m high suspension bridge to our hotel – because in Nepal, even arriving is an adventure.
Day 3 – Kushma to Marpha: Into the Mountains
Dust and fumes started catching up with me – and I realised I’d left my Kindle behind (luckily rescued later!).
Fuel stops were chaos, roads unpredictable, traffic fearless. But then – suddenly – the mountains opened up.
Dhaulagiri. Annapurna. Right in front of us.
And just like that, everything was worth it.
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Day 4 – Kalopani to Samar: Higher into Upper Mustang
Sunrise at 5:45 – Dhaulagiri looked like it was on fire.
The ride got more technical, the air thinner, and the views bigger. At 3,620 m, the cold kicked in (no heating in the guesthouses… but heated beds the night before saved us 😄).
Step by step, we were climbing into a different world.
Day 5 – Samar to Lo Manthang: Dust and High Passes
No asphalt today — just dust, rocks, and altitude.
We visited Ghar Gompa monastery and crossed passes above 4,000 m, where even the bikes felt the lack of oxygen.
By the time we reached Lo Manthang, we were covered in dust and laughing about what’s in our noses:
Everything. 😂
And the landscape? Pure magic – wind-shaped, colorful, almost unreal.
Day 6 – Exploring Lo Manthang and Jhong Caves
“Easy day”… Nepal style.
We rode up to 4,660 m to visit the highest golf course in the world, explored the mysterious Jhong Caves, and got lost in the narrow streets of Lo Manthang.
A slower day – but still full of surprises.
Day 7 – Lo Manthang to Muktinath: Wind, Dust and Laughter
Heading south again – same road, new perspective.
We created a small traffic jam (two bikes down in sand 😅), took a long lunch break, and paid for it with strong headwinds and dust straight into our helmets.
We ended the day in Muktinath with pizza, beer, and big laughs. The team energy? Absolutely amazing.
Day 8 – Muktinath to Tatopani: Temples, Dust and Apple Pie
Early visit to Muktinath Temple – hundreds of pilgrims bathing under 108 icy water spouts, believed to cleanse sins and karma.
Then coffee with Dhaulagiri, two unexpected police checkpoints, and yak burger and further apple pie testing in Marpha (serious business 🍎).
The ride was tough, the hot springs… questionable. So we improvised: rum + room = perfect evening.
Day 9 – Tatopani to Pokhara: Last Ride
Last day on the bikes. Bittersweet.
Winding roads, chaotic traffic, one more suspension bridge (344 m long), and then — Pokhara.
Pool, mountains, lake walk, farewell dinner, cake, live music.
The perfect ending to an incredible ride.
Day 10 – From Pokhara to Kathmandu and Home
Sunrise flight with Annapurna outside the window – one last look.
Back in Kathmandu: massages, souvenirs, slow moments. Then hugs, red scarves for safe travels, and flights home.
Kraków welcomed me with autumn. Different world – same feeling of “that was something special.”
Epilogue – What a Nepal Motorbike Adventure Leaves Behind
Looking back, it’s not one big moment that stands out, but a collection of small ones. Sunrise over Dhaulagiri. Dust hanging in the air behind the bikes. Coffee somewhere above 4,000 meters that tasted better than it had any right to. And that constant mix of chaos and calm that seems to define Nepal.
We rode through places where roads don’t always behave like roads, where traffic follows its own logic, and where a “highway” doesn’t make you faster – just higher. And somehow, after a while, it all starts to make sense. You stop fighting it and just go with the flow.
Of course, there were the big highlights – Upper Mustang, Lo Manthang, the endless views of Annapurna and “my” Dhaulagiri. But what stays just as much are the small, slightly messy details: the apple pie ranking, the “what’s in my nose?” joke (answer: everything), the lost Kindle that found its way back, and the kind of laughter that comes from shared adventure.
And then there’s the group – a bunch of strong, open, and genuinely great women who turned a trip into something more. Riding together creates a connection that’s hard to explain, but easy to feel.
It wasn’t the trip of a lifetime – it was one of many that remind me why I keep going.
Because every ride adds something. And this one? Definitely added a lot.
Now… where to next? 😉
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