BBoonchai
Have a very good moment and vibe there, unforgettable experience
01Fly over the valley
Overview
Chandragiri paragliding is a half-day adventure that puts you in the air over the Kathmandu Valley without leaving the city for long. After an early pickup from your hotel and a short drive to the launch, you take off on a tandem flight strapped to a licensed pilot who handles the wing while you take in the ridgelines, terraced hills and, on a clear day, the mountains beyond. Flights depend on the weather, so on a calm morning you fly soon after the paperwork is done, and on a gusty one you wait for a safe window. It is an easy, high-thrill outing that needs no experience and has you back in Thamel by early afternoon.
September to JuneBest season
Tandem with a licensed pilotFlight
About 5 to 6 hours with transfersTotal time
Chandragiri hills, near KathmanduLocation
02Day by day
The itinerary
Starts inKathmandu
- Early pickup from your hotel for a 40 to 60 minute drive, depending on traffic
- Complete the safety paperwork and briefing at the launch
- Fly when the air is calm, or wait for a safe weather window if it is windy
- Take a tandem flight over the valley with a licensed pilot
- Explore the nearby area, then drive back to your hotel in Thamel
Ends inKathmandu
03Includes & excludes
What the price covers
Standard
Hotel pickup in Kathmandu and drop back (shared transfer)
✓
Tandem paragliding flight with a licensed pilot
✓
GoPro photos and video of your flight
✓
Third-party liability insurance and a flight certificate
✓
Overweight charge for guests over 85 kg
✕
Tour guide
✕
Lunch and drinks
✕
Travel insurance
✕
Tips and personal expenses
✕
04Packing
Things to carry
- Comfortable clothes you can move in
- Closed, sturdy shoes such as trainers
- A light windproof jacket for the cooler air
- Sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen
- A securely strapped camera or phone (no loose items in the air)
05Questions
Good to know
Tandem paragliding uses certified equipment and trained, licensed pilots who fly the wing for you, and flights only go ahead in safe wind and weather. As with any air sport there is inherent risk, but operators follow international safety standards and brief every passenger before take-off.
No. This is a tandem flight, so you fly with a licensed pilot who controls everything. You need no training or experience, just a willingness to run a few steps at take-off and then enjoy the ride.
Yes, it is designed for first-timers. Most people who fly here have never paraglided before. The pilot handles the launch, flight and landing while you sit back in a harness.
Morning is best, when the air is calmest, which is why pickup is early. Across the year, the clear, stable months from autumn to late spring give the most reliable flying and the best mountain views; the monsoon often cancels flights.
Wear comfortable clothes you can move in, closed sturdy shoes such as trainers, and a light windproof layer, as it is cooler in the air. Sunglasses and sunscreen help, and secure any loose items before you fly.
The flight itself is short, a matter of minutes rather than hours, but the experience is intense and memorable. The rest of the outing is the drive, the wait for good conditions and the briefing.
Operators apply a safe weight range for tandem flights, typically excluding very light children and very heavy passengers, because the wing is rated for a combined pilot-and-passenger weight. Tell us the passenger's weight in advance so we can confirm.
Paragliding is entirely weather-dependent. If the wind or cloud is unsafe you wait for a window, and if conditions do not clear the flight is rescheduled rather than flown, because safety comes before the schedule.
06Reviews
What travellers say
5.0
out of 5
1 review
07Deep dive
Complete guide
You do not have to travel to Pokhara to fly in Nepal. The hills on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley give tandem paragliding pilots enough height and open air to launch, and the whole thing fits into a morning. Here is how a Chandragiri paragliding trip works and what to expect.
What Chandragiri paragliding involves
The outing is simple: an early pickup, a short drive up to the launch, a safety briefing, and a tandem flight when the wind allows, before heading back to the city by early afternoon. Because it is a tandem flight you bring nothing but yourself and a sense of adventure. If you would rather have your thrills on the rock than in the air, Hattiban rock climbing is another easy half-day near Kathmandu.
Why the weather decides everything
Paragliding lives and dies by the wind. Mornings are calmest, which is why the day starts early, and a clear, stable sky gives both a safe launch and the best views. On a gusty or cloudy day the pilots wait for a window, and if it never comes the flight is moved rather than forced. A little flexibility on timing is part of the deal, and it is what keeps the sport safe.
What the flight is like
After a short run at take-off the ground simply falls away and you are airborne, seated in a harness beside your pilot. The flight is quiet apart from the wind, with wide views over the valley’s ridges and villages and, on a clear day, the Himalaya on the horizon. It is over in minutes, but it is the kind of few minutes people remember for years.
Who it suits
This is for anyone who wants a big thrill without a big commitment: no experience, no training and only a half-day needed. It suits couples, friends, families with older children and solo travellers alike. If you catch the adventure bug, the multi-sport Nepal super adventure tour strings together bungee, canyoning and rafting over several days.
