Are you having trouble deciding which World Ride trip to go on? Well, the answer is — all of them!
In all seriousness, we get a lot of questions about which World Ride trip is right for each person. They are all different and special in their own way. We have trouble answering which country or trip is our favorite because we simply love them all. We wanted to take some time to describe each trip in a little more detail to help you make your decision on which one to start with first.
Are you looking for a fun trip on trails that are more on the intermediate side?
If you are looking for a fun trip that is on intermediate level trails (from both a technical and fitness standpoint), then Guatemala, Jomsom Muktinath in Nepal, our Botswana mountain bike safari trip, or our newest trip in Bhutan are all great options. Just keep in mind that the riding in these places is going to be different than what you might be used to. In more developed countries, the trails are mostly purpose built for mountain biking. In the places where we do our trips, the trails are mostly hiking trails that have been used for centuries by villagers to get from place to place. This makes for a different experience that is a bit more adventurous and also allows you to see first hand how people live. Our most beginner friendly trip is our Botswana trip, but know that it will not be good for true beginners. We recommend being able to ride 10-12 miles per day on rolling terrain to get ready for this trip. It does not have quite the elevation change that some of our other trips have and there are frequent stops to view wildlife, so it is the easiest trip that we offer (and quite possibly the most unique experience we have ever had!).
On this ride in Guatemala, we descend down to Lake Atitlan, where will spend a couple of days exploring.
Maybe the best trail in Nepal? The Lubra Valley trail descends from the village of Muktinath and has amazing views of the surrounding Himalayas.
The trails in Botswana are definitely all about the wildlife viewing while on our mountain bike safari trip.
The trails in Bhutan are a combination of flowy and technical, with plenty of views of the mountains and villages!
Are you looking for an endurance challenge and a bigger adventure?
Our more challenging trips from a fitness standpoint are the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal our Lesotho trip in Africa and our Mt Kilimanjaro trip in Tanzania. Are you an endurance junky or just looking for more of a challenge or maybe just want something to train for? Then one of these trips is perfect for you!
The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal begins with a few days that include 3,000-5,000 feet of elevation gain to get you way up into the Himalayas. What goes up, must come down, so once you go up and over the high point on the trip, you are rewarded with thousands of feet of descending during the rest of the trip. We find that challenges help show us what we are capable of, so we love what people learn on this trip. Worried about how to prepare for the challenge? Don’t stress! We have worked with Sarah Kaufman of K Cycling Coaching to create a training plan for you to follow as you prepare for this trip.
Our Lesotho trip is more endurance focused as well. On this trip, we will cover 20-30 miles per day with moderate elevation gains. Lesotho is a mountainous country, so while we will not be at as high of an elevation as in Nepal, we will still be between 4,000-7,000 ft above sea level for the duration of the trip. We love that we get to take in such beautiful scenery while ticking off miles and seeing traditional villages along the way.
Another great option is our special Upper Mustang trip in Nepal. While this trip does not go to as high of elevations as the Annapurna Circuit, we will still see some days where we get to over 14,000 ft. This trip is one of our longest as well. There will be rest days, but still plan to ride most days on the 18 day trip.
Are you looking for the ultimate challenge? Then join us for our Tanzania trip where we summit Mt Kilimanjaro by bike! We will take our time acclimatizing by ascending 3,000-4,000 ft per day before one big push to the summit… then ride ALL the way back down! A true adventure to the highest point in Africa.
There is certainly nothing quite like the feeling of completing the challenging Annapurna Circuit! The challenge and the views are breathtaking!
The riding is Lesotho mountains is beautiful and a fun challenge.
Upper Mustang is an incredible place — both the landscapes and the culture. Our trip in May will coincide with the Tiji Festival to get to experience the best of both.
Do you want to summit Mt Kilimanjaro? How about doing is on your bike? The extra effort getting a bike to the top is well worth the reward of riding all the way back down!
Are you looking for a downhill focused trip with minimal climbing and more advanced trails?
Look no further than Peru! This is our most challenging trip technically. The trails are steep and rugged (Inca steps anyone?), but don’t worry- you don’t have to try to climb up to get to them. This trip is exclusively shuttled rides, which everyone will be grateful for because our hotel is at around 8,000 ft in elevation and all of the rides are higher than this! Bring your full face, a sense of adventure and join us in Peru!
Incan step riding, anyone? We love the technical aspect of the trails in Peru, especially when they combine the ancient culture of the Incas.
Does one of these sound like your kind of mountain biking adventure?
Check out our trips page to see all of our destinations and upcoming trip dates!
