Bungee Jumping in Nepal: Kushma, The Last Resort & Pokhara Guide

Nepal packs some of the world's most dramatic bungee jumps into two clusters: the Bhote Koshi valley on the road to Tibet, a few hours northeast of Kathmandu, and the Pokhara area in the west, which now has both a gorge jump at Kushma and a tower jump at Hemja. Between them they cover everything from a gentle first-timer's leap to one of the highest commercial jumps on earth.

The three sites most travellers choose between are The Last Resort on the Bhote Koshi (the country's original bungee, a roughly 160 m free-fall into a river gorge), The Cliff at Kushma in Parbat district (about 228 m over the Kali Gandaki, marketed as the world's second-highest bungee and the highest canyon swing), and High Ground Adventures at Hemja just outside Pokhara (a lower tower jump of roughly 70 m over the Seti gorge). Kushma is the standout if height is the point; The Last Resort suits those combining it with the Bhote Koshi's rafting and canyoning; and Hemja is the easy add-on for anyone already in Pokhara.

Most sites also offer a canyon swing alongside the straight bungee. A swing gives a huge pendulum arc rather than a rope rebound, is often described as less abrupt, and at Kushma is itself a world record holder. Heights, prices and even which operators hold a valid licence shift from year to year, so treat the figures below as indicative 2026 bands to confirm, not fixed quotes.

The Last Resort was Nepal's first bungee operation and remains the best known internationally. The jump platform sits mid-way across a private suspension bridge slung about 160 m (roughly 500 ft) above the Bhote Koshi river gorge, close to the Tatopani/Kodari border with Tibet in Sindhupalchok district. The site was designed and set up by New Zealand bungee specialists to international standards, and also runs a canyon swing of similar height plus rafting, canyoning and a tented resort.

The resort is about 100 km from Kathmandu, generally a 3.5-5 hour drive on the Araniko Highway depending on road and traffic conditions. The company runs its own tourist bus from Thamel (typically an early-morning departure) and has a sales office in the Thamel/Mandala Street area; day trips are possible but many jumpers stay overnight to add rafting or canyoning.

Because it is combined with a river-adventure resort, The Last Resort is a good pick if you want to make a day or weekend of it rather than just tick off a jump. Note that the Bhote Koshi corridor has been affected by landslides and flooding in past monsoons, so check that the road and the resort are open before travelling in the wet season.

The Cliff at Kushma, in Parbat district west of Pokhara, is Nepal's flagship adventure jump. The platform hangs from a dedicated suspension bridge (around 500 m long) spanning the Kali Gandaki gorge between Kushma and Baglung, giving a drop of about 228 m. Operators market it as the world's second-highest bungee jump, behind the roughly 233 m Macau Tower jump, and as the world's highest canyon swing.

Kushma is roughly 57-60 km from Pokhara, about a 3-hour drive, and can be done as a long day trip or with an overnight stay at the on-site resort. You can jump the bungee, take the canyon swing, or do both (operators commonly give a discount on a second activity), and tandem/couple swings are available.

The scale is the whole point here: the Kali Gandaki is one of the world's deepest gorges, and the near-quarter-kilometre drop makes Kushma a genuine bucket-list jump rather than a casual one. Book ahead in peak season (autumn and spring) and around weekends, as slots fill up.

If you are based in Pokhara and want the shortest trip, High Ground Adventures runs a tower jump at Hemja on the city's northern edge, described as Nepal's first purpose-built bungee tower. The drop is lower than the gorge sites, commonly quoted at around 70 m (some listings cite up to about 80 m) over the Seti river gorge, with a free-fall of roughly three seconds.

Hemja is only about 15-20 minutes from central Pokhara (lakeside), so it needs no overnight logistics and works as a half-day activity. It typically opens through the day (roughly 9am-5pm) and offers single and couple jumps.

For most visitors the choice is simple: pick Hemja for convenience and a first, less extreme jump close to town, or make the trip to Kushma if you specifically want the big height. Both are in the Pokhara region, so many travellers do Hemja on arrival and save Kushma for a dedicated day.

Bungee pricing in Nepal is usually tiered by nationality and changes with the season, so the figures below are indicative bands for mid-2026 to confirm, not guaranteed quotes. At the Bhote Koshi's Last Resort, a jump has commonly been quoted around NPR 6,000-6,500 for Nepalis, roughly NPR 9,000 for SAARC/Indian/Chinese guests, and about USD 75-130 (very roughly NPR 10,000-17,000) for other foreign nationals. At Kushma, The Cliff has advertised a broadly flat rate for the bungee or swing (commonly around NPR 7,500-8,000 per person in 2025-26), with a tandem/couple swing near NPR 13,000-13,500 and a discounted combo for doing both. At Hemja/Pokhara, tower jumps have run roughly NPR 6,000 for Nepalis and around NPR 11,000-11,500 for foreigners, with couple jumps higher.

Check exactly what the headline price covers before paying. A basic ticket typically includes the jump, all safety gear, trained jump masters and the site fee; photos, video, a certificate, transport from Kathmandu or Pokhara, meals and accommodation are often extra. At Kushma there is also a small entrance ticket (around NPR 500, sometimes including a snack). Add 13% VAT where it applies, and remember that a second jump or a combo bungee-plus-swing is usually discounted.

One regulatory wrinkle worth knowing: when Nepal issued national bungee standards it was reported to have set a maximum price for a single jump (figures around NPR 6,000 have been cited). Published operator rates for 2025-26 often sit above that, so treat any 'cap' as unconfirmed, ask the operator to itemise the total in writing, and be wary of resellers who quote inflated USD prices with hidden mark-ups.

Every site enforces age, weight and health rules for safety, and they vary a little by operator and by whether you are doing the bungee or the swing, so confirm the current limits with your chosen site. Nepal's national bungee guidelines have referenced an age range of roughly 16-70 and a body-weight range of about 40-130 kg, while individual operators publish their own narrower bands.

For the bungee, weight ranges of roughly 40-100 kg are common (cord calibration needs a minimum and a maximum), and minimum ages of 12-16 appear across sites, with anyone under 18 needing a parent or guardian to sign consent. The canyon swing generally allows a wider weight range (Kushma's swing has been quoted up to about 145 kg, including a combined maximum for tandem swings), which is one reason heavier jumpers sometimes choose the swing over the bungee.

You will be asked to complete a health declaration, and jumps are not permitted for people who are pregnant or who have conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy, asthma, neurological disorders, recent surgery or injuries; artificial limbs are also flagged. Do not hide a condition to get on the platform: disclose it, and let the operator's staff make the safety call.

Nepal regulates bungee under the Adventure Sport Bungee Operation Standards, 2078 (issued under the Tourism Act and related directives by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation / Department of Tourism). The standards require operators to be licensed, to use internationally certified equipment that is inspected before and after use, to keep a minimum distance between sites, to submit environmental assessments, and to collect a health declaration and run a pre-jump check for every participant. Licences run for a set term and require a bank guarantee.

In practice, the established sites operate to recognised standards: The Last Resort was built and is run by experienced New Zealand bungee professionals, and The Cliff advertises internationally certified gear and trained jump masters. Modern bungee is statistically very safe when run properly, with redundant harnesses, cords rated well above body weight, and staff double-checking every attachment. The real risk in Nepal is not the physics of a well-run jump but operators cutting corners.

Reporting in 2026 highlighted that adventure-tourism regulation in Nepal is still fragmented across federal, provincial and local bodies, that relatively few operators nationwide hold full official licences, and that some sites have opened and been shut down over permit disputes. That makes it worth doing a little due diligence rather than assuming every advertised jump is properly authorised.

Book directly with the site operator where you can (The Cliff for Kushma, The Last Resort for the Bhote Koshi, High Ground Adventures for Hemja) or through a registered agency, and reserve a couple of days ahead in peak seasons and on weekends. Confirm the date, the activity (bungee vs swing), the exact price for your nationality, and precisely what is bundled (photos, video, transport, meals) before you pay a deposit.

To avoid being overcharged, get the total in writing and itemised, compare it against the operator's own website rather than a tout's quote, and be sceptical of resellers who inflate USD prices or bundle expensive 'packages'. Because rates differ by nationality and change seasonally, a same-day quote confirmed with the operator is the only reliable number. Prices for photos/video and transport are the most common add-ons where mark-ups creep in.

To avoid an unlicensed or unsafe operator, favour the long-established sites, ask whether the operator holds a current Department of Tourism licence and uses internationally certified equipment, and check recent reviews and that the site is actually open (roads to Bhote Koshi and Kushma can be disrupted by monsoon damage). If an operator dodges questions about licensing or safety gear, or pressures you to skip the health form, walk away.