Delhi Manali Leh Ladakh Bike Tour

Itinerary for Leh Ladakh Motor Bike Expedition:

Day 00: Arrival in Delhi(216m)
Arrive in Delhi on your own and meet the Adventure Nation team and your fellow riders in the evening. In order to provide you the information regarding the expedition, it is essential that you participate in an orientation session. After the session, the bikes will be allotted so you may take it for a spin and check if it’s aligned to your riding style. Later, you are to go to your accommodation (arranged by yourself)  and retire early as tomorrow is going to be an early start.

Day 01: Delhi to Chandigarh(321m) | 260km

Grade/Duration – Easy/Approx. 5 Hours
Altitude Gain – 105m
Highlights – Breakfast at Murthal
Arrive at the decided location early in the morning and meet our team and your fellow riders. After a quick briefing, we flag off from Delhi and start riding on the National Highway 1. Today’s journey will take you through places like Panipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra. Arrive in the city beautiful and check in to your accommodation. Stay overnight in a hotel.

Day 02: Chandigarh to Manali(2050m) | 280km
Grade/Duration – Easy/Approx. 9 Hours
Altitude Gain – 1729m
Highlights – Entering the Himalayas, Riding along Beas River
After having an early breakfast, check out from the hotel and hit the road. Initially, we ride through the plains in the State of Punjab and after riding for a few hours, we enter the State of Himachal Pradesh, also known as the ‘Land of the Gods.’ We will pass through the towns of Bilaspur and Mandi. After crossing Bhuntar, the ride gets exciting as we ride along the Beas River until we reach Manali. Later in the evening, go out and explore the colorful lanes of Old Manali, if time permits. Stay overnight in a hotel.

Day 03: Manali to Jispa(3200m) | 140km
Grade/Duration – Moderate/Approx. 8 Hours
Altitude Gain – 1150m
Highlights – Solang Valley, Rohtang La(Pass)

Today, we are going to ride towards Jispa on the much-celebrated Manali-Leh Highway. Leaving early is pivotal as we need to cross the mighty Rohtang Pass (3978m) early in the day, before it gets too crowded. After crossing Rohtang, the landscape changes drastically as we enter the Lahaul and Spiti District. The lush green grasslands disappear and the barren slopes of the cold dessert take over. We continue the ride towards Jispa crossing the quaint mountain towns of Sissu and Keylong. Arrive at the destination early in the evening and have an adventurous overnight stay in tents.

Day 04: Jispa to Sarchu(4290m) | 90km
Grade/Duration – Difficult/Approx. 6 Hours
Altitude Gain – 1090m
Highlights – Deepak Tal, Baralacha La, Riding along Tsarap River
Keep yourself completely hydrated by drinking a tonne of water as we are going to spend the night at above 4000mt altitude. Today’s ride is one of the shortest rides of the expedition but the adrenaline level remains high as the terrain is full of adventure. After crossing Darcha, keep riding on the Manali-Leh Highway towards Deepak Tal. The road from here starts to ascend steeply towards the treacherous Baralacha Pass(4890m), negotiating Zing Zing Bar and crossing the stunning emerald lake, known as Suraj Tal. Just after crossing Baralacha, halt for some time and have some well-deserved lunch near Bharatpur. We continue our ride to Sarchu on the same road, although the terrain gets changed quite a bit along the way and Tsarap River is visible on the left side carving and raging through the mountains. Arrive in Sarchu later in the day and be prepared for a rather uncomfortable overnight stay in a tent.

Day 05: Sarchu to Leh(3500m) | 250km

Grade/Duration – Difficult/Approx. 8 Hours
Altitude Loss – 1090m
Highlights – Gata loops, Nakee La, Lachung La, Morey Plains, Tanglang La, Riding along Indus River
Start riding after an early breakfast as today’s going to be a long but exciting day of riding. Water-Crossings are a common sight on the road while riding to Leh and the ideal time to cross them is early in the day. Just after leaving Sarchu, we start to ascend towards Nakee La(4769m), crossing the zig-zag Gata Loops which is a series of 21 hairpin bends within a span of just 7km. The descent from Nakee La is barely even finished and the ascent towards another high pass, Lachung La(5059m) begins. The descent from Lachung La brings us to the town of Pang(4600m) where we halt for Lunch. The landscape starts to change after crossing Pang and the plateau of Morey Plains starts and stretches for 45km. Closer to the end of the plains, we start climbing the Tanglang La(5328m), the highest motorable pass on the Manali-Leh Highway. After crossing the 3rd high pass of the day, continue riding towards Leh along the mighty Indus River on the left side. Reach Leh in the evening and relax in the hotel.

Day 06: Rest Day in Leh
Replenish your energies with a healthy breakfast and enjoy a relaxing day in Leh. The first half of the day is saved for a regular check-up of the bikes and the rest of the day can be spent visiting a few sightseeing places in and around the city. Stop by the Leh Palace and enjoy the splendid panoramic views of the Stok Kangri mountain range from the terrace. You may also choose to visit the Shanti Stupa and the local market to indulge in some shopping and try out the Ladakhi cuisine at the local eateries. Spend the night at the hotel.

Day 07: Leh to Nubra (3048m) | 160km
Grade/Duration – Difficult/Approx. 7 Hours
Altitude Loss – 452m
Highlights – Khardung La, Diskit Monastery
After a rather relaxed day in Leh, we continue our expedition and start riding towards Nubra Valley through what’s considered the highest motorable road in the world i.e. Khardung La(5359m). The road towards the pass is well paved and tarred till the checkpoint near South Pullu and after crossing the checkpoint, the road starts to get slushy with loose rocks on one side. Get yourself clicked after reaching Khardung La and hit the road quickly as it is not safe to spend much time on top of the pass due to the high altitude and thin air. We stop for a quick lunch after climbing down from the pass and then continue our journey. After riding for another couple of hours, we make a brief stop to visit the 32m high Maitreya Buddha statue in Diskit Monastery. Our arrival in the valley will be welcomed by the white sand dunes and the sightings of the double-hump Bactrian camels grazing. Stay overnight at the hotel/campsite.

Day 08: Nubra to Pangong(4250m) | 260km
Grade/Duration – Difficult/Approx. 8 Hours
Altitude Gain -1202m
Highlights – Riding along Shyok River, Water Crossings
After having breakfast, we start riding towards the most photographed destination in Ladakh, Pangong Lake. Despite the fact that we are not going to cross any high pass today, the ride should be quite interesting as we ride on the much less traveled road via Shyok. Most of our ride is going to be along the beautiful Shyok River and through the villages like Agham, Shyok, Durbuk, and Tangste. The road remains slushy along with some exciting water crossings and rocky terrain so being cautious is important. After crossing Durbuk, the last stretch of the ride is going to be along the lake. From the very first glimpse, the lake leaves an everlasting impression on the visitors. Get yourself photographed and just admire the wonder that is this shimmering blue lake. Overnight stay in tents.

Day 09: Pangong to Leh(3500m) | 150km
Grade/Duration – Moderate/Approx. 5 Hours
Altitude Loss – 750m
Highlights – Chang La, Druk White Lotus School
Wake up to an enchanting sunrise over Pangong Tso and recommence your Ladakh expedition. Today we are going to ride the same route that we rode yesterday and after crossing Durbuk, we will start climbing the third highest motorable pass in the world, Chang La(5360m). After crossing Chang La, we halt for Lunch. After eating, we start our journey to Lah via Karu from where we start riding on the Manali-Leh Highway. Just before reaching Leh, we are going to pass through the Thiksey monastery and the popular Druk White Lotus School. There will be a short halt to explore the monastery and take some pictures. After riding for approximately an hour, we will arrive in Leh for the second time during the expedition. Stay Overnight in a hotel.

Day 10: Leh to Kargil(2676m) | 220km
Grade/Duration – Moderate/Approx. 6 Hours
Altitude Loss – 824m
Highlights – Fotu La, Namika La, Lamayuru Monastery
The ride from Leh to Kargil takes relatively less time as the roads are in pretty decent condition. We bid adieu to Leh and follow the mighty Indus River towards Kargil on the Leh-Srinagar Highway. The landscape is mesmerizing all along the way as we ride through a spectacular moonscape to reach Lamayuru, which is home to the highest located monastery in the region. Just after Lamayuru, we start the gradual climb towards the Fotu La(4108m) and after climbing down the pass we start the climb towards another high pass which is Namika La(3700m). Both of these passes are in the Zanskar range and take us into the Musbekh Valley. We pass through multiple picturesque villages en route to Kargil. Stay overnight.

Day 11: Kargil to Srinagar(1585m) | 202km
Grade/Duration – Difficult/Approx. 7 Hours
Altitude Loss – 1091m
Highlights – Dras War Memorial, Zoji La
Wake up the chilly Himalayan air and get ready for what is going to be one of the most incredible riding experiences. We check out of our accommodation and start riding towards the Kashmir Valley via Dras, which is regarded as the second coldest inhabited place on earth. Just before reaching Dras, we take a short break at the Dras War Memorial. After Dras, we start riding uphill towards Zoji La(3528m) and the views from the top are just indescribably beautiful. After crossing the pass we enter the breathtaking valley of Sonamarg which is a major tourist destination. Another couple of hours of riding through the valley take us to Srinagar. Stay overnight in a houseboat/hotel.

Day 12: Srinagar to Pathankot (332m) | 330km
Grade/Duration – Easy/Approx. 10 Hours
Altitude Loss – 1253m
Highlights – Riding down Himalayas, Jawahar Tunnel, Syama Tunnel
Today’s ride is going to take us through the stunning valleys of Kashmir to the plains of Pathankot in Punjab. Although the distance is rather long, the riding pace should be quite swift as we will be climbing down and the road conditions are pretty decent. On the way to Pathankot, we are going to pass through two of the biggest tunnels in the region i.e. Jawahar Tunnel(2.85km) and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel(9.2km). Arrive at the hotel and have a good night of sleep as tomorrow is also going to be a long day of riding.

Day 13: Pathankot to Delhi (216m) | 485km
Grade/Duration – Easy/Approx. 11 Hours
Altitude Loss – 116m
Highlights – Lush Green landscape throughout
Today marks the last day of this once in a lifetime adventure. We need to start as early as possible as the distance to be covered today is the longest on this 13-day expedition. The journey should be pretty uneventful as we are going to be riding on wide tarmac roads through the plains of Punjab and Haryana. Arrive in the capital by late evening and reach the very place where it all started from. Get photographed with the entire gang one last time on this epic voyage and bid farewell to your motorcycle and your fellow riders.

Trip Ends.