Manali to Leh Bike Trip: 9-Day Ladakh Motorcycle Tour

What we work through with you

1. Your dates and priorities

   Tell us when you want to visit Manali → Leh, Ladakh, who is travelling and what you would change in the outline below.

2. The route and pace

   We discuss the 9D / 8N starting itinerary, your preferred stays and how much you want to fit in. Any changes depend on availability and are agreed in your written plan.

3. Your written quote

   Review the final arrangements, total price, inclusions and payment and cancellation terms before booking. An enquiry does not reserve this trip.

The route we start from

These are the stages published for this trip. A stage can cover part of a day or several days; it is not a separate travel day.

1. Stage 01

   Manali Prep

   Bike allotment and a test ride around Manali, which matters more than it sounds: you want the machine that fits you before you are on a pass at 5,000 metres. A full briefing on the route, the altitude, the support truck and the rules, then a gear check and an early night.

2. Stage 02

   Manali → Jispa

   North through the Atal Tunnel, which is 9.02 kilometres under the Rohtang and has turned a day's crossing into ten minutes. Sissu falls on the far side, then the Chandra valley to Jispa at around 3,200 metres. A short first day on purpose, because altitude is the whole game.

3. Stage 03

   Jispa → Sarchu

   Over Baralacha La at 4,890 metres, which is the first serious pass and usually the first time anyone feels the height. Snow at the top well into summer, and a long descent to the camp at Sarchu at about 4,290 metres, where sleeping is harder than riding.

4. Stage 04

   Sarchu → Leh

   The big one. The Gata Loops are twenty-one hairpins climbing several hundred metres, then Nakee La and Lachulung La, then the More Plains, which are forty kilometres of dead-flat high desert at 4,800 metres. Tanglang La at 5,328 metres last, and down into Leh. Eleven hours in the saddle.

5. Stage 05

   Leh Rest

   A rest day that is not optional. Light riding only: the monastery loop at Shey, Thiksey and Hemis, a bike service, and a long lunch. A day at Leh's height before the high passes gives your body time to adjust and lowers the risk of altitude sickness; it cannot rule it out, so tell the ride leader at once about a headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.

6. Stage 06

   Leh → Nubra

   North over Khardung La at 5,359 metres, one of the highest motorable passes in the world, and down into the Nubra valley. Hunder has sand dunes at 3,000 metres with double-humped Bactrian camels on them, which makes no sense and is true.

7. Stage 07

   Nubra → Pangong

   The Shyok river road to Pangong, which is the most exposed and most beautiful riding of the trip: no barriers, river crossings, and a valley that keeps opening. The lake appears suddenly and is an unreasonable blue. Camp on the shore at 4,350 metres.

8. Stage 08

   Pangong → Leh

   Sunrise on the lake, which changes colour through the morning as the light moves, then the ride back to Leh over Chang La at 5,360 metres. A long day, and the last hard one.

9. Stage 09

   The Return

   Fly out of Leh. The bikes go back by truck. Eight days of riding, five passes over 4,800 metres, around 1,200 kilometres, and a forearm tan line that will take months to fade.

What this trip lists

Use these inclusions and exclusions when reviewing your quote. The displayed price starts from ₹36,999 per person; your written quote confirms the total for your dates and arrangements.

Read this trip’s booking terms →