How to Motorcycle to Manang, Nepal

This guide explains everything you need to know about riding a motorcycle to Manang, Nepal. If you’re planning a ride into the heart of the legendary Nepalese Annapurna mountain range, start here…

Motorcycle Guide: Manang Nepal

By Maddi and Oli (Tilly2Wheels)

Round the world motorcycle travellers

Welcome to Manang

Known for its incredible natural beauty, rich culture and spectacular views, Manang is set high on the north of the Annapurna mountain range. This 99km long road to Manang remains mostly unpaved, and therefore untouched by tourists due to its challenging accessibility. And that’s exactly where the beauty lies, a road less travelled, endless and changing landscapes, little traffic, and all set amongst the mighty Himalayas. An adventurer’s dream…

It’s unpaved roads and rugged landscapes gives you a real adventure and challenge. And after you conquer the mighty Manang, you’re rewarded with not just spectacular views of almost 8,000m giants surrounding you, but a beautiful ride into the valley of Manang, and incredible people and culture.

And this guide explains everything you need to know about how to ride there on your own motorcycle and have your own Manang adventure.

Quick info

Route – This 99km journey starts from Besisahar, also known as the Gateway to the Himalayas; and finishes in Manang at 3,500m altitude. It is one way in and one way out, so after you conquer the this road you get to do it all again backwards!

Mileage –

Kathmandu – Manang: 269km
Pokhara to Manang: 200km
The road to Manang, or the deadliest road to paradise, starts from Besisahar and is a 99km climb.

Days – Minimum 4 days (riding days only) return to either Kathmandu or Pokhara with the slow valley traffic and off-roading

Time of year – The best time to visit Manang is Autumn from September to November, and Spring from March to May.

Permits – Permit required – ACAP permit, more info below

Our ride to Manang

This guide explains what you need to know about riding a motorcycle to Manang. But if you’re interested in what happened on our mad ride there (including the first crash and mechanical breakdown of our entire round the world trip!) then have a read of our story here.

When to ride to Manang

The best time to visit Manang is Autumn from September to November, and Spring from March to May. During these months, you can expect clear blue skies with temperatures ranging from 10-20°C during the day but can drop to below freezing at night. Pack the thermals!

Highly recommend avoiding riding to this area during both winter and monsoon season due to poor inaccessibility with either heavy snow or landslides from the heavy rains.

Motorcycle choice

A low to mid-range cc adventure bike with off-road tyres. If you can, avoid a heavy load, lighter the better. We did manage to get our loaded Triumph Tiger 800 up but less weight would have been helpful on the steep inclines and may have saved our clutch plates.

READ MORE: Adventure Motorcycle Guides

Accommodation

There are plenty of accommodation options in Manang village itself. Colourful huts, guesthouses and small motels. No need to pre-book. If you need to stop on the road going up, there’s plenty of village homestays and hotels available. Check out booking.com for decent rates and to book in advance.

Altitude

Manang is 3,519m high and you can expect to feel some symptoms of altitude sickness after climbing from 760m in Besisahar the same morning. Plenty of rest and hydration. Or a local remedy is raw garlic, chew on this and hopefully your symptoms subside like ours did. Not nice in the helmet though.

Things to see

If you are a hiker as well as a biker, there are plenty of hiking trails to suit all fitness levels with various durations. Some a short 20m stroll to 2 days or even 2 weeks. Tilicho Lake, Gangapurna lake or the mighty Annapurna Circuit to name a few.

Or if you prefer to sip on traditional milk tea and enjoy your homemade Nepalese momos while taking in the views, there is no shortage of places to eat or 8,000m high mountains and valleys to marvel at.

ATMs and money

There is one ATM in the Manang village however when we visited it was out of order. Recommend taking cash out in Besisahar to cover your accommodation, meals etc.

Finding fuel

Besisahar is the last town before Manang with a fuel station. Depending on your tank capacity, carry extra fuel. If you find yourself really stuck you can find bottles of fuel in some villages, you will just need to ask the locals and have a fuel filter handy just in case!

Permits for riding to Manang

You will need the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Permit – as of June 2024, this will cost you 3,000 NPR per person.

This permit is not available online and must be purchased at the tourism information centre either in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

It is important to keep this permit with you to provide to each check point on the route. There are 4-5 checkpoints that you will need to check in and check out of with your passport and permit details. They do take this very seriously and there are hefty fines if you miss one. They are however easy to spot at the entrance of the villages and there is always a person waving you down to take your details.

Road conditions

Manang remains mostly untouched due to its challenging accessibility. As of June 2024, 80% of the route is off-road with small paved sections near the villages.

We recommend having off-road experience to tackle this route, it will make your ride much easier and more enjoyable! This road is jammed packed with adventure and will give you a nice challenge! You will experience water crossings, mud, large rocky sections, steep inclines with tight curves, gravel and narrow sections along sheer cliff drops that will make your head spin!

Riding gear

In the recommended months for Nepal (mentioned above) you’re generally looking at good weather, but it can get cold at altitude and you may get a sweat on when off-roading. Outside of those months you can expect cold and wet weather. So it’s a good idea to choose the right riding gear for the job and that generally means a layered system approach with a waterproof throwover that you can just chuck on if the heavens open, a compressible down jacket to wear under your riding gear if it gets cold and a breathable and vented riding jacket.

For more info and guides on adventure riding gear have a look at the below guides.

READ MORE:

Rentals, tours and shipping

Whether you want to ride to Manang, Nepal on your own motorcycle or a fly in and grab a rental, you’ll find info on Mad or Nomad for each.

Check out our recommended rental and shipping companies for Nepal here.

READ MORE:

About the authors

Maddi and Oli first met in Brisbane, Australia. Oli travelled from Germany to study in Brisbane and when they met they immediately clicked with their shared passion for motorcycles. It wasn’t long until their love story began, and soon after they took the leap to quit their jobs and sell everything they owned to travel around the world on their beloved ‘Tilly’ Triumph Tiger XCA 800.

Starting in January 2024, so far they have ridden through SE Asia and conquered over 12,000 kms (and the 40C+ heat). They are now in South Asia riding through the Himalayas, Stan countries and into Europe before continuing around the rest of the world through South America up to Alaska and all the way back home to Australia.

Follow their awesome journey here:

+ YouTube @tilly2wheels
+ Instagram @tilly2wheels
+ Facebook @tilly2wheels

Check out more from them on Mad or Nomad:

+ Conquering Manang – Riding the Deadliest Road to Paradise
+ Why Riding Around the World is Beautifully Exhausting

Read more on motorcycle travel in Nepal

Thanks for checking out the Motorcycle Guide to Manang, Nepal. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel in Nepal that we recommend you read next.