Day one is just arrival. You're met at Kathmandu airport (about 1,345m) and taken to your hotel. The next morning there's a pre-trip briefing where you get fitted to your bike and helmet and go over the route and safety basics. Then you ride north out of the city and up to Kakani, a ridge village at roughly 2,100m. This is the biggest climb of the week, and the support vehicle stays close behind.

From Kakani the route drops back toward the valley floor at Budanilkantha (about 1,630m), home to a large reclining Vishnu statue. After that comes a stretch along the northern edge of the valley to Mulkharka, around 1,500m. These are the days for dirt roads through terraced fields and forest, small villages, and the occasional monkey or Himalayan pheasant in the trees. Evenings are spent in simple village guesthouses.

Day five takes you to Nagarkot, a hill resort on the eastern rim. Get up early here: on a clear morning the sunrise lights up a long line of the Himalaya. On the last day you ride 36 km back into Kathmandu. Depending on the route, you can pass through Bhaktapur's old brick squares and temples on the way in. The trip ends with a group dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant.

This trip differs from a city cycling day tour in two main ways. First, you sleep out in the hills rather than going back to a Kathmandu hotel each night. Second, it's built for mountain bikes, with a guide and mechanic, rather than for rental city bikes. It's also run as a private trip, so departures go daily within the season, even for one person.

The guides, porters and support staff are all locals who know these trails and villages well. Expect them to tell you a lot about the temples, the Buddhist sites, and village life along the way.

The riding is graded moderate. Most of it is non-technical dirt road, but a few trail sections are technical. The operator says some off-road riding experience is needed, so this isn't a first-time-on-a-mountain-bike trip.

What's included

- Airport pick-up and drop-off - Support vehicle throughout the ride - Good-quality mountain bike with helmet - Nepali mountain bike guide - Bike mechanic - Private transfers at the start and end points - All meals and accommodation on the route (except meals in Kathmandu) - Two-person tent with mattress where needed - Staff insurance, food, clothing and wages - All government paperwork - Applicable permits and entry fees - Travel and rescue arrangements - Farewell dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant in Kathmandu

What's not included

- Nepal visa fees - International flights to and from Kathmandu - Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu - Travel and medical insurance - Rescue, emergency evacuation and medical costs - Personal bike gear such as shoes, gloves and glasses - Personal expenses (phone calls, bar bills, laundry, etc.) - Tips for guides and staff - Anything not listed under inclusions