Ladakh
Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it is a high-altitude desert located at the western edge of the Tibetan plateau. Its awe-inspiring landscape has been modified and sculpted into its spectacular shape by wind and water over the millennia.
The moon-like scenery is extraordinary: stark and barren but interspersed with isolated settlements of green oases full of swaying poplar trees, apricot orchards and cultivated farmland.
Despite the rugged terrain and high altitude, the people of Ladakh exhibit a natural joie de vivre and their customs and lifestyle are a continuum from the past; these friendly and gentle people will all contribute to make your visit to this stunning area both fascinating and memorable. The vibrancy and colour of their cultural traditions can be seen in the many local festivals that take place all through the summer.
Ladakh’s rich Buddhist heritage is on display during the annual monastic festivals at the numerous Gompas that dominate the area. Perched high up in the mountain ridges, these enchanting medieval monasteries, surrounded by fluttering prayer flags, are still places of active worship and hold treasure troves of superb artifacts, images and ancient frescoes.
Whatever you do here you can be sure of an extremely unforgettable unbeatable experience in one of the most mind-blowingly beautiful places on earth.
Trip Highlights
- Cross the famous Manali-Leh highway and some of the world's highest motorable passes and roads.
- Stay at a high altitude campsite at Sarchu, known for its fascinating landscapes and captivating night skies.
- Stay at camps at Keylong, Turtuk, Hunder and Pangong Lake.
- Visit Khardung La, known to be one of the world's highest motorable roads.
- Drive deeper into the Nubra Valley than ever before – for 2 nights at Turtuk!
- Take the lesser explored back road from Nubra Valley to Pangong along the Shyok River.
Daywise Itinerary
Days on Trip
Total Distance Traveled
Maximum Altitude
(Elevation: 2,050m/6,726ft)
Our trip starts in Manali, with all the participants expected to arrive and be ready by or before noon.
We spend the day around Manali, familiarizing ourselves with riding together as a group, an important aspect of the days activity is to ensure all riders are comfortable on the bikes and taking care of any last minute adjustments or fine tuning.
At the end of the Kullu valley, Manali is a spectacular Himalayan hill station with an unbeatable location. The river Beas meanders through the town, surrounded by deodar and pine trees, tiny fields, fruit orchards and grassy meadows carpeted with wildflowers which give way to stunning views of lofty snow-capped peaks.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Dinner
(Distance: 51km/64km – 115km; Travel Time: 4-5 hrs
Elevation: Rohtang– 3,978m / 13,051ft,Keylong– 3,350m/10,991ft)
The toughest part of the journey, the long drive from Manali to Leh. The highway is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley and Kullu valleys to Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh. On Day 2, we spend the night at Keylong, heading into high altitiude on Day 3. The broken journey helps us better acclimatize.
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 30km/43km/42km– 115km; Travel Time: 5-6 hrs
Elevation: Jispa– 3,182m/10,439ft, Baralacha La - 5045m /16,551ft, Sarchu – 4,290m/ 14,075ft)
We continue on the Manali - Leh highway, crossing some of the highest mountain passes in the world. These few days promise to be one of the most memorable and scenic experiences of all time.
Starting with the Baralacha. The "Big Pass" is the first of a few 5000m high mountain passes we will be crossing. Night stay at Sarchu, a high altitude camp site known for its captivating landscape and night sky views
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 54km/81km/109km– 244km; Travel Time: 6-7 hrs
Elevation: Lachulung La – 5,059m/16,598ft, Tanglang La – 5,359m/ 17,582 ft, Leh – 3,505m/11,500ft)
Depart early morning , crossing the More Plains and the scenic Tanglang La to arrive in Leh by the afternoon. Could choose to relax after the long journey and acclimatize or walk around Leh town including a visit to Leh Market, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa & Leh Gompa.
Note: the broken 3 day journey to Leh is what we recommend for biking groups. If all participants are traveling by SUV's, we can cut short a day here. Please contact us for more customized trip plans and options.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast
(Distance: Shey – 3km; Thiksey – 23km; Hemis – 42km; Leh – 45km: 113km)
We start our explorations with the Shey palace and then the Thiksey monastery, an impressive complex rising tier upon tier on a hill above the village. It has a beautiful 30 m high gold-plated statue of Maitreya Buddha and bears close resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. From Thiksey, we head to the Hemis Gompa, the biggest monastery in Ladakh. Located 45 Km to the south of Leh. Hemis Gompa was built in 1630 and houses monks of the Brokpa or Red Hat sect. Tourists can see beautiful frescoes (paintings) on the walls and the largest Thangka painting in Ladakh, which is over 12 m in length.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast
(Distance: 37km / 90km / 90km – 217km; Travel Time: 6-7hrs
Elevation: Khardung La – 5,602m/18,380ft)
Driving from Leh, we cross the Khardung La, known as one of the world’s highest motorable passes, into the Nubra Valley.
The Nubra Valley, on the Nubra and Shyok rivers, is a mix of desert sand dunes and interspersed lush green villages. The valley is one of those rare places on earth where you can see in one place the splendid beauty of a desert complete with bactrian camels (two-humped), sand dunes, rolling mountains, flowing streams and snow peaks. giving it a surreal, dreamlike quality.
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
A highlight on this trip, the remote village of Turtuk, once a part of Baltistan. Besides the amazing scenery, there is an ancient fort and a monastery and the area boasts of rare wildlife: marmots, ibex and the elusive snow leopard.
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
(Distance: 90km, Travel Time: 3-4hrs
Elevation: Hunder –3,048m/10,000ft)
Heading back we stop at Hunder for overnight stay. In evening we visit Diskit Gompa dating back to the 14th century on the silk route and get some time exploring the sand dune areas around Hunder with the Bactrian Camels.
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 89km / 65km –154km, Travel Time: 6-7 hrs
Elevation: Pangong Tso–4,250m/13,943ft)
We take a lesser explored back road from the Nubra Valley, a scenic route along the Shyok River into the Changthang region of Ladakh.
Broken roads and dirt tracks, small patches of flowing glacial streams to ride through, making this one of the most adventurous of our days on the road as we head up to Pangong Tso – a high altitude lake in the Ladakh Himalayas. The lake is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. Two thirds of the length of this lake lies in Tibet. The lake is 5 km (3 mi) wide at its broadest point.
Overnight at a camp by the lake. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 82km/78km – 160km, Travel Time: 5-6 hrs
Elevation: Chang La – 5,360m / 17,585ft)
After spending the morning at the shores of the beautiful Pangong, we drive back to Leh crossing over Chang La, another of the highest motorable passes we cross. The rest of the day at leisure to explore Leh town.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport to catch the early morning flight back to New Delhi or next point of transit.
End of Trip
Pricing and Inclusions
| with 4 participants | with 8 participants | with 12 participants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Rider Plan | INR 80,900 | INR 63,900 | INR 57,900 |
| SUV Plan | INR 47,900 | INR 43,900 | INR 41,900 |
Inclusions:
- All accommodation on twin/triple sharing basis in comfortable guest houses, hotels or camps.
- Meal inclusions as specified in the plan.
- A pickup jeep as backup vehicle for entire duration of the trip.
- Mechanic included for the trip along with spare parts backup.
- One Royal Enfield 500 cc per rider.
- Fuel for bikes.
- Relocation cost of bike at the end of the trip.
- A dedicated trip leader with a bike for the entire duration of the trip.
- Wireless communication support and backup oxygen with the crew.
- All Inner line permits and road permits as required.
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