India’s diverse terrain and deep, diverse history and culture is not one to be experienced from the inside looking out. The Indian way of life is a natural one, close the land and appreciative of all of the diversity and abundance it brings. The best way to experience india is as close to the land as possible via bike. Biking through India gives the opportunity to move quickly across the ever-changing terrain to see as much as possible. It’s also an environmentally friendly way to see India. Conservation of India’s natural wildlife while supporting local communities with responsible tourism is the key to preserving this beautiful blend of culture and nature. India is home to two of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and stunning landscapes that are best explored by bike. It’s the perfect destination for those who seek culture and adventure.
Here are top mountain biking tours in India:
Rajasthan Bike Tour:
An 11 day, 400 km bike tour, this is the perfect mix of adventure and immersive cultural experiences. The region has a rich history that has left it dotted with forts, important holy lakes, and palaces that are the perfect contrast against a green and rolling mountain background. This tour is a perfect balance of cultural tours of historical sites and villages and time spent exploring the terrain on bike. It’s a moderately difficult tour and perfect for someone who regularly bikes. There are some decent climbs but also plenty of flat road to enjoy the scenery. Aside from 50-70 km rides to our different destinations, travelers have the opportunity to explore traditional markets, trek up to ancient forts, and explore historical cities and temples. Travelers stay in completely local run homestays and live off of traditional cuisine prepared the traditional way. It is truly an immersive experience into both the physical challenge of the terrain and the diversity of Indian culture.
Karnataka: Chasing the Monsoon:
On this tour, bike through a different kind of atmosphere than anywhere else on earth during the monsoon rain season high in the India’s Western Ghats. Unlike other places and tours, this region worships and thrives in the heavy rains and 24/7 dampness of the monsoon season. If you’re up for adventure, this is the tour for you. You will spend eight days biking from the high peaks of the Western Ghats down to the beautiful east Indian coastline while exploring the culture, traditions, history, and wildlife of this unique region. A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots on earth, the Western Ghats is the perfect destination to explore close to nature on bike. During this tour, travelers stay at local plantations and homestays that live naturally off the land and monsoon. Travelers get to explore ancient temples, monasteries, and forts all while challenging the exotic terrain and weather. Read more about what it’s like to spend eight days chasing the monsoon on bike through the Western Ghats.
Goa: Susegad Goa Biking Tour:
When you think India, you may not think tropical beaches, but this tour will change your thoughts entirely. This is the perfect bike tour for those who want to have a physical adventure, spend time along a beautiful coast, and experience a completely unique culture and history. This eight day, 250 km tour goes through the Goa state of India. Goa is completely unique to the rest of India in that is has a past as a Portuguese province until 1961. This interesting blend of two worlds has produced a culture unlike any other. Goa is relaxed and tropical but still holds a lot of Indian traditional aspects as well. This influence has affected all parts of life including cuisine, language, and architecture. During this tour travelers stay in local homestays to learn this culture from locals themselves. This is a relatively moderate tour that boasts stunning beach scenes, incredible natural reserves, and unique cultural experiences. This is the perfect end of summer bike tour.
India boasts one of the earth’s most unique combinations of landscape, culture, climate, people, and religion. To explore it any other way than at one with the elements is to miss out on a huge part of the experience. Explore other biking tours throughout India here.
