Overview
This Bhotekoshi bungee and rafting adventure fits two of Nepal's best-known thrills into one overnight trip from Kathmandu. You drive out on the Araniko Highway to The Last Resort in Sindhupalchok, where a suspension bridge crosses a gorge that the resort gives as 160 m (525 ft) deep, set up for the bungee jump and the canyon swing. After the leap you drive about an hour back down the valley to a riverside resort at Sukute Beach for the night. Next morning you raft the lower Bhotekoshi, a steep and busy grade 3 run, then have lunch by the river and drive back to the city. No experience is needed, only nerve.
The itinerary
- Morning departure from Kathmandu on the Araniko Highway, about 97 km and three to four hours to The Last Resort in Sindhupalchok, with a lunch stop on the way
- Safety briefing, weigh-in and your slot on the bridge, 160 m (525 ft) above the river
- Bungee jump or canyon swing over the gorge, then a walk of about half an hour back to the resort
- Drive of about 31 km, a little over an hour, back down the valley to a riverside resort at Sukute Beach
- Snacks, dinner and overnight by the river, in a room or a standard tent
- Breakfast at the resort, then a short drive up the valley to the put-in near Khadichaur or Balefi
- River safety talk, then helmets, life jackets and paddles on
- Two and a half to three hours of busy grade 3 water down to Sukute Beach
- Lunch at the resort, then about 70 km back to Kathmandu, usually two and a half to three hours on the road
- Drop-off at your hotel in Kathmandu, where the trip ends
What the price covers
Your price covers the private vehicle for both days, one bungee jump or canyon swing, lunch on the way on day 1, the rafting on day 2, and one night at a riverside resort on Sukute Beach with snacks, dinner, breakfast and lunch.
Make it yours
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Things to carry
- Quick-drying clothes and a swimsuit for the rafting
- Secure trainers or river sandals with a firm strap
- A towel and a full change of clothes for after the river
- A light layer for the cooler gorge evenings
- A small dry bag, sunscreen and a refillable water bottle
Good to know
Complete guide
This is the two-day way to do the Bhotekoshi from Kathmandu: an afternoon on the bungee bridge, a night by the river at Sukute and a morning on the water. It gives you both thrills without cramming them into a single long day on the road, and without a spare day that is only a drive home.
What the Bhotekoshi bungee and rafting trip covers
You leave Kathmandu on the Araniko Highway, the road that runs north-east towards the Tibet border, and drive to The Last Resort in Sindhupalchok. The resort gives its distance as 100 km from the city, Google Maps measures about 97 km from Thamel, and the drive takes three to four hours depending on traffic and road works. You do the bungee or the canyon swing from the suspension bridge, walk back to the resort, which takes about half an hour, and then drive about 31 km back down the valley to Sukute Beach, a little over an hour, for the night.
On day two you start from Sukute, so the put-in is a short drive away, and raft the lower Bhotekoshi back down to Sukute Beach. You change and have lunch at the resort, then drive roughly 70 km back to Kathmandu. Google Maps puts that at around two and three-quarter hours, so you are usually back at your hotel by late afternoon. In the monsoon, or when landslides or road works slow the highway, allow longer.
The bungee and the canyon swing at The Last Resort
The bridge spans a gorge that The Last Resort gives as 160 m (525 ft) deep, with the Bhotekoshi running below. The bungee gives you about three seconds of free fall before the cord catches and bounces you. The canyon swing starts from the same bridge but gives a longer drop of around seven seconds before you sweep out across the gorge in a wide arc. Many people find the swing more intense than they expected, because the fall lasts longer.
On arrival the resort crew give a safety briefing, weigh you and give you a time slot. Weight limits are set by the operator: 40 to 98 kg for the bungee and 40 to 120 kg for the swing. Sports or hiking shoes are compulsory on the bridge. The resort also asks you to declare conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy, recent surgery or pregnancy before you jump, so tell us about anything like this when you book.
Rafting the lower Bhotekoshi to Sukute
The Bhotekoshi is a steeper, faster river than the Trishuli. The Nepal Tourism Board grades the river as a whole at 4 to 5, but the stretch used for day trips is its lower section between Khadichaur and Sukute, which rafting operators describe as continuous grade 3 to 3+ water. Expect roughly two and a half to three hours on the river, with the exact put-in chosen by the rafting company on the day to suit the water level.
It is a busy, splashy run rather than a gentle float, so you will be paddling most of the time and you will get soaked. No previous experience is needed, but you should be comfortable in water and able to follow the guide's paddle commands. The finish at Sukute means you can shower, change and eat at the resort before the drive home.
Who this trip suits, and who should skip it
It suits friends, couples and active families with teenagers who meet the weight limits, and anyone who has watched a bungee video and wants the real thing within a few hours of Kathmandu. Under-18s can jump at The Last Resort only with a parent who signs the liability form. It is not a good fit if you have a back, heart or neck condition, if you are pregnant, or if you dislike cold water. In that case the rafting on its own, or a gentler river, makes more sense.
Be honest with yourself about the jump. Some people freeze on the platform, and that is normal. Nobody will push you, and stepping back is always your choice. We would rather you enjoy the trip than force a jump you regret.
When to go, and other ways to do it
The Nepal Tourism Board lists October to mid-December and March to early May as the main rafting seasons. The bungee runs most of the year, weather permitting, but in the monsoon the rivers rise and rafting operators may shorten or cancel runs. Autumn gives the most settled weather and the clearest river.
If you want the river and the riverside camp without the jump, Sukute Beach rafting is the gentler choice. To string several adventures together over more days, the Nepal super adventure tour adds more to the mix, and for another quick adventure near the city, Hattiban rock climbing is an easy day out on real rock south of the valley. Tell us your dates and group size and we will say honestly which fits.
