Pioneers Leg 15 · Friday 20 November 2026

Siddharthanagar to Chitwan

Out before the traffic, the Himalaya on the horizon and the first climb of the trip.

Distance
143km
88.8 mi
Climbing
981m
3,219 ft
Descent
903m
2,963 ft
High point
561m
1,841 ft

The day's digital “cloth” map

  1. Start
    0.0 km / 0.0 mi
    Siddhartha Vilasa, Siddharthanagar
    Breakfast from 06.00. Leave from 07.00 onwards (sunrise), before the border city traffic builds.
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    48.8 km · 30.3 mi to coffee
  2. Water stop
    45.8 km / 28.5 mi
    Morning water and toilet stop
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    37.0 km · 23.0 mi to lunch
  3. Lunch
    87.3 km / 54.2 mi
    Lunch
    Confirmed lunch stop at the marked location.
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    35.6 km · 22.1 mi to water stop
  4. Water stop
    120.8 km / 75.1 mi
    Afternoon water stop
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    37.0 km · 23.0 mi to lunch
  5. Main hotel
    141.6 km / 88.0 mi
    Royal Tulip, Chitwan
    Tonight's main hotel, where most riders stay, on the edge of Chitwan National Park.
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  6. Overflow hotel
    142.9 km / 88.8 mi
    Banbas Resort, Chitwan
    Overflow hotel, 1.3 km past the Royal Tulip. Only riders staying here carry on past the Royal Tulip.
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Ride25 crew

Call the crew for a lift, a mechanical or if you are lost. Everyone is also in the ride WhatsApp group.

100
PoliceAmbulance 102. Free from any phone in Nepal.

Tourist Police: 1144

Tonight’s arrangements

Royal Tulip, Chitwan; overflow: Banbas Resort, 1.3 km further on. Dinner together at Royal Tulip at 19.00 (Nepal time).

Route map

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  • Route
  • Stops
  • Wind, km/h

Elevation

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Wind and weather

Too far ahead for a forecast yet, so these are the conditions on the same day last year. Winds were light, around 1 to 5 km/h, mostly south easterly. Dry, about 18°C early and up to 26°C. The live forecast appears here automatically in the two weeks before the ride.

Typical conditions from Open-Meteo records for the same day in 2025. Check the live forecast on the morning.

Riding notes

  • The first real climb of the trip. The gradient is gradual, so pace yourself.
  • Traffic drives on the left in Nepal, as in India. Buses overtake hard, so keep left.
  • Fast, wide road for the first 10 km.
  • Landslide damage and roadworks from 32 to 60 km: road surfaces on the climb may have been washed away. Expect gravel and dust.
  • Watch for the broken bridge on the way into Bharatpur; its exact km is not yet confirmed. Follow the crew’s directions.
  • Only Banbas riders continue past Royal Tulip (141.6 km). Watch for the turn-off to Banbas Resort, finishing at 142.9 km.
  • Target finish 17.00. If you’re behind at the afternoon stop, the crew will ask you to take a lift.

The country you ride through

History on the road

0 to 50 km

The Terai

The Terai is the flat strip of southern Nepal at the foot of the hills. Until malaria was controlled in the 1950s it was thick jungle, home to the Tharu people, who have a natural resistance to the disease.

50 to 120 km

The Siwaliks

The route climbs into the Siwaliks, the youngest and lowest range of the Himalaya, and follows the river valley. On a clear day you can see the snow peaks of the Annapurna and Manaslu ranges to the north.

120 to 143 km

Chitwan

Chitwan was a royal hunting reserve before becoming Nepal's first national park in 1973. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the last homes of the one horned rhinoceros.

Look out for

  • The Himalaya to the north
  • Tharu villages
  • The Narayani river
  • Rhino signs near Chitwan

Local heroes

Famous faces from along the route

Chitwan's conservation story is one of Asia's great successes: from about 100 rhinos in the 1960s the park now has more than 600. Nearby Devghat, where the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers meet, is a sacred place of pilgrimage.

Call crew leader, Mel+44 7947 765600 Police100