Paragliding

Overview

Paragliding is a sport, with a flying Parachute which have design modifications that enhances its gliding capabilities. The pilot is seated in a separate seat in a seated harness who controls the wing through the lines attached to the trailing edge of the paraglider. These lines are helpful for turning the paraglider or simultaneously to influence pitch and speed. The glider can enjoy the view and seat comfortably and take pictures and videos. 

Nepal, being a country rich in Himalayas, peaks, hills, lakes, rivers etc provides this adventurous activity for the entertainment of people. There are few places where we can experience paragliding and enjoy all the scenery the place has to offer. 

Paragliding in Nepal is possible throughout the year as long as it is not raining. Meaning, besides the monsoon season (June-August), the rest of the season spring (March-May), autumn (September-November), and winter (December-February) are the best season for paragliding. There are hundreds of people visiting Nepal just to involve in paragliding. Here, you will get very experienced, professional, and vaccinated pilots. 

Pokhara   

Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destination of Nepal and is a very busy city. It is situated in the central Nepal, in Kaski district. The city is really beautiful tucked on several snow-capped mountains, along with numbers of lakes, temples, and monasteries. Pokhara city also offers many adventurous sports like boating, cycling and paragliding. Paragliding in Pokhara is a lifetime experience. Tandem Paragliding in Pokhara is popular all over Nepal and also people from different countries visit Pokhara just for Paragliding. Paragliding in Pokhara is considered one of the safest paragliding because of it thermal stability, easy take-off and landing, and the safety of lake. Also, the view of Pokhara during the paragliding is something different, something relaxing. You get to see different mountain ranges, Ariel view of many lakes and Pokhara city. The take-off point of paragliding is Sarangkot which lies at an altitude of 1592m. Paragliding in Pokhara is very safe and secured, and doesn’t require any experiences. You will have a pilot with you all along the way who will be sitting back in a separate seat. You can just relax and take pictures and enjoy the scenery. The pilots in Pokhara are well-trained and very experienced. 

There are local bus, a mini-bus, and a tourist bus available from Kathmandu to Pokhara.  A local bus takes around 5 hours and cost you 300-350 NRS. A mini-bus takes around 4 hours and cost you around 400-450 NRS.  A tourist bus takes around 3-4 hours and have more comfortable seats. It cost you around 500-650 NRS. Besides the road transportation, a flight is also available from Kathmandu to Pokhara which only takes 20 minutes and cost you 3000-3500 NRS. Once you reach the beautiful Pokhara city, you can take a taxi to Sarangkot. It is almost 40 minutes’ drive from the city. 

There are different agencies that provides paragliding tour. If you are traveling through agencies the price might depend on the services they provide. . The normal price of paragliding for Nepalese is 5500 NRS and for foreigners is 6000NRS.

Godavari– Paragliding in Kathmandu, is also known as Phulchoki Godavari Paragliding. It is located in Lalitpur district, Godavari, 15 km from Thamel, Kathmandu. The main site however is called Chapakharka and lies at the height of 2100m. Rachantar, which has a very well managed and smooth runway is the landing point of paragliding in Kathmandu. The flying duration here is 15-20 minutes, and you get to see a stunning view of mountains like Jugal Himal, Langtang Himal, and Ganesh Himal along with a view of beautiful Kathmandu city.  Paragliding in Kathmandu is very safe and secured, and doesn’t require any experiences. You will have a pilot with you all along the way who will be sitting back in a separate seat. You can just relax and take pictures and enjoy the scenery. The pilots in Kathmandu are well-trained and very experienced. However, it is better to do personal travel insurance for your safety. 

Being a capital city of Nepal, it is very easy to reach Kathmandu. You can get bus from almost every part of the country. Once you reach Kathmandu city, you can take a local bus, taxi, or bikes to Godavari. It takes around 30-45 minutes to reach Godavari. 

Price of paragliding

The price of paragliding for Nepalese is 8000NRS which includes photos, videos, and transportation. The price for paragliding for SAARC countries is 1000 NRS including photos, videos, and transportation and for foreigners other than SAARC countries is 11,300 NRS also including transportation, photos, and videos. 

Bandipur– Bandipur is also one of the very popular tourist destination of Nepal. Paragliding in Bandipur is not very popular as in Pokhara and Kathmandu, and this fact actually makes it more adventurous and thrilling. The scenery is very natural, un-spoilt, and very less explored hence less crowded.  Bandipur village itself is a very beautiful village with enticing houses. Paragliding in Bandipur however is getting the recognition slowly and getting attention of many people. Almost 50 people visit Bandipur on a daily basis for Paragliding only. The take-off point in Bandipur is Thanimai Danda and the landing point is Bhumserma. Paragliding in Bandipur is very safe and secured, and doesn’t require any experiences. You will have a pilot with you all along the way who will be sitting back in a separate seat. You can just relax and take pictures and enjoy the scenery. The pilots in Bandipur are well-trained and very experienced. However, it is better to do personal travel insurance for your safety. 

The price of paragliding for Nepalese is 8000NRS which includes photos, videos, and transportation. The price for paragliding for SAARC countries is 1000 NRS including photos, videos, and transportation and for foreigners other than SAARC countries is 11,300 NRS also including transportation, photos, and videos.