Should I do the bungee or the canyon swing?

Do the bungee if you want a short, sharp moment of commitment; do the swing if you want a longer ride. The swing starts from the same bridge but gives around seven seconds of free fall before you arc across the gorge. First-timers often start with the bungee. You can book both if you have the nerve.

Is there a weight or age limit for the bungee in Nepal?

Yes. At The Last Resort the bungee is for people between 40 and 98 kg, and the canyon swing between 40 and 120 kg. There is no fixed age limit, but anyone under 18 must be with a parent who signs the liability form. We check weights when you book so nobody is turned away at the bridge.

How hard is rafting on the Bhote Koshi?

It is a lively but manageable run for beginners who are reasonably fit. The river as a whole is graded 4 to 5, but day trips use the lower section to Sukute, which operators describe as continuous grade 3 to 3+ water. You paddle most of the time and you will get wet, but the guides brief you fully before you set off.

Is the Bhote Koshi harder than the Trishuli?

Yes, a little. The Trishuli is graded around 3+ and has more calm stretches between rapids, while the lower Bhote Koshi is steeper and keeps you busy for most of the run. If you want the gentlest first taste of rafting, the Trishuli is easier. If you want more action in a short run, the Bhote Koshi is the better choice.

What is Sukute Beach like?

Sukute Beach is a stretch of sandy riverbank on the Bhote Koshi, not a sea beach. It sits about 70 km north-east of Kathmandu on the Araniko Highway and is lined with riverside camps and small resorts that cater to rafters. Evenings are quiet, and the sound of the river is the main thing you hear.

When is the best time for bungee and rafting in Nepal?

October to mid-December and March to early May are the main rafting seasons, and autumn usually has the most settled weather. The bungee runs most of the year when the weather allows. In the monsoon the rivers run high, and rafting operators may shorten or cancel runs for safety, so we plan around the conditions.

Who should not do the bungee jump?

You should not jump if you are pregnant or have heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy, recent surgery, or back, neck or joint problems. The Last Resort asks every jumper to declare conditions like these first. If in doubt, check with your doctor before booking. You can still come along, raft and watch from the bridge.

Bungee Jump and Sukute Beach Rafting Trip - 3 Days

01Two thrills, two river nights

Overview

This bungee jump and Sukute rafting trip gives the Bhote Koshi valley three unhurried days instead of one rushed one. You drive out of Kathmandu on the Araniko Highway to The Last Resort, where a suspension bridge crosses a gorge 160 m (525 ft) deep and is set up for the bungee jump and the canyon swing, and you sleep at the resort above the river. Next morning you come back down the valley for a guided raft on the lower Bhote Koshi, which finishes at Sukute Beach, and spend a second night at a riverside camp there. Day three is an easy drive home. It suits first-time jumpers, friends and active couples who want the big leap and proper white water without a dawn-to-dusk day trip.

160 m bungee or swing, grade 3 raftingThrills

Moderate, no experience neededDifficulty

Oct to mid-Dec and March to early MayBest season

Araniko Highway, 100 km to the gorgeGetting there

02Day by day

The itinerary

Starts inKathmandu

Morning departure north-east from Kathmandu on the Araniko Highway towards the Tibet border
Three to four hours on the road to The Last Resort in Sindhupalchok
Safety briefing, weigh-in and your slot on the bridge for the bungee or the canyon swing
Walk of about half an hour back to the resort, then a night above the gorge

Short drive back down 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
Evening and overnight at a riverside camp on Sukute Beach

Unhurried breakfast by the river with no early start
Late-morning departure west along the Araniko Highway
Roughly 70 km back to the city, with timing set mostly by traffic
Drop-off at your hotel in Kathmandu in the afternoon

Ends inKathmandu

04Packing

Things to carry

Sports or hiking shoes with a firm fit, required on the bridge
Quick-drying clothes and a swimsuit for the rafting
River sandals or strapped slippers for the raft
A towel and a full change of clothes for after the river
A warm layer for gorge evenings, plus sunscreen and a hat

05Questions

Good to know

The bridge crosses a gorge that The Last Resort gives as 160 m (525 ft) deep, above the Bhote Koshi river. The bungee gives about three seconds of free fall before the cord takes over and bounces you. Afterwards you walk back to the resort, which takes about half an hour.

06Deep dive

Complete guide

This is a three-day version of the Bhote Koshi adventure run from Kathmandu: one day on the bungee bridge, one day on the river, and a night by the water after each. It exists for people who want both thrills without cramming them into a single long day on the road.

What the bungee jump and Sukute 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, and the drive takes three to four hours depending on traffic and road works. That afternoon you do the bungee or the canyon swing from the suspension bridge, then walk back to the resort, which takes about half an hour, and stay the night above the gorge.

On day two you come back down the valley for a guided raft on the lower Bhote Koshi, a run that finishes at Sukute Beach. Instead of changing out of wet clothes and heading straight for Kathmandu, you stay a second night at a riverside camp at Sukute. Day three is a short, easy drive of roughly 70 km back to the city.

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 Bhote Koshi 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 Bhote Koshi to Sukute

The Bhote Koshi 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 there is no long drive afterwards: you change, eat and spend the evening by the river.

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 how it compares with the two-day versions

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 have only two days, the two-day Bhotekoshi bungee and rafting adventure fits both activities around a single night at the gorge, and Sukute Beach rafting gives you the river and the riverside camp without the jump. This three-day trip adds the second night at Sukute so neither day is rushed. Tell us your dates and group size and we will say honestly which version fits.