Mystical Spiti & Mighty Ladakh Adventure

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Bike Tour Details

Ride to the roof of the world with Red Panda Adventures. Let us take you on a motorcycling pilgrimage, known among riders as one of the best motorcycle rides you can ever do in your lifetime. This Spiti Valley bike trip is one of the best and one the most challenging rides we offer and the rewards are yours to reap. Enjoy the breathtaking landscape, challenging terrain and immerse yourself in the local culture on our ride to the roof of the world.

We have been organizing guided rides on this route for over eight years and even now, every ride feels like the first time. We have deep local knowledge of this terrain and we understand, riders need a good mix of hard riding and comfort. This Khardung La Bike Tour offers a mix of everything, long sweeping tarmac highways, rough broken terrain, riding endlessly through valleys and high-altitude climbs.

This Spiti Valley bike trip starts in Chandigarh at 1,050ft (350mts) above sea level and in about 1300kms, climbs all the way to a whopping 18,379ft (5,602mts) above sea level at mighty Khardung-La. This is the highest motorable road in the world, open to civilians.

Pricing is based on twin sharing basis (2 riders, 1 room). For single occupancy (1 rider, 1 room), please email us on trips@redpandaadventures.com

Departure & Return Location

New Delhi

Price Includes

Airport Pickup & Drop
Flight from Leh to New Delhi
Hotel Accommodation
Tour Guide
Royal Enfield Rental Fee
All local transportation
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Fuel
Local Permits
Motorcycle Insurance*

Price Excludes

International Airfare
Personal Insurance
Any Private Expenses
Additional Meals
Visa Fees

Mystical Spiti & Mighty Ladakh Adventure

From Rs. 175,000

Date

Riders

Pillions

Explore The Tour Map

Tour Itinerary

Day

Arrive in Chandigarh

All our local and international riders will arrive at Chandigarh International Airport (IXC) in Chandigarh. We will arrange for an airport meet and greet (inclusive). All the riders will check-in into their rooms on Day 1 and meet for dinner around 20:00hrs for a group meet, ride briefing and welcome kit distribution. The ride will begin on Day 2 at 07:00.

Chandigarh to Narkanda via Shimla

Chandigarh to Narkanda (2,710m, 8,891ft) is roughly 180kms. It will take approx. 8hrs to cover. We start our gradual ascent into the Himalayas via NH 5 and head towards Shimla, which we will bypass en-route to Narkanda. We will cross the Shimla Reserve Forest Sanctuary. The breath-taking Himalayan views start from your first day on the road. By the time we get to Narkanda, you would have realised what this ride is all about. We will end the day with a hot meal and some good stories from the day’s ride.

Narkanda to Kalpa

From Narkanda, we start heading down towards Rampur. Onwards to Kalpa (2,960m, 9,711ft). As you push higher in to the Himalayas, human population thins out and you will start experiencing the remote wilderness. Riding along the roaring Sutlej River on your left is a constant reminder of the colossal magnitude of nature’s powers. The views are spectacularly breath-taking. On this day, you will ride on roads carved out on sheer granite cliffs. There will be tunnels and canopies that are blasted through solid rock. Keep your cameras ready. The ride ends with a superb 10kms climb from the village of Recong Pio to Kalpa through switchbacks cut across a pine forest.

Kalpa to Kaza

From Kalpa, we head towards Kaza (3,800m, 12,467ft) which is the capital of Spiti Valley, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The ride begins with a steep descend from Kalpa and onto NH 5. As we keep riding, the surroundings start becoming barren and the remoteness of the whole region begins to set in. This leg of the trip is our personal favourite and one of the most picturesque. We will stop on the way at Nako and Tabo monasteries before entering Spiti Valley. Kaza also happens to boast of having the "World’s Highest Fuel Station”.

Rest Day - Kaza to Komic (Asia's Highest Village) Ride

This is a rest day for the whole group to explore Kaza and the nearby areas at a leasurly pace. Enjoy the views, soak in the crisp mountain air and let the barren mountains reveal a 50 million year old story. At the foot of steep ridges, on the left bank of the Spiti river is the Ki (Key) Monastery. This is the largest monastery in Spiti and is over 1000 years old. Hundreds of Lamas receive their spiritual training in this monastery. It is famous for its Murals and ancient books. For those who want to ride, we will organize a 4 hours ride up to Komic, which is claimed to be the world's/Asia's highest village located at 4,520m (14,829ft) above sea level. Komic is home to clutch of robust indigenous people, who live here throughout the year.

Kaza to Keylong

The route from Kaza to Keylong continues to emphasize on the remoteness of this region. This is where we usually see most of our guest bikers connect with nature and truly relish the essence of motorcycling. The ride is relaxed for the first few hours. The morning Sun, chill and views are one of a kind. We will cross our first high altitude pass of this trip on this day. Kunzum La at an altitude of 4,590m (15,060ft). This route will take us thru dirt tracks, some interesting water-crossings and views of a hundred water falls before we eventually join the Manali – Leh highway. Our night halt will be at a hotel with spectacular views of rugged mountains.

Keylong to Sarchu

We start from Keylong at 0800 and head towards Sarchu. Pretty soon we will climb up to Baralacha La (Altitude 4890m/16040ft) and slowly make our way to Sarchu. Sarchu is a wind-swept, bitterly cold, high altitude (4290m/14070ft) plateau. This will probably be your life's highest overnight camp, ever. Stories of this night will be narrated over and over for many years.

Sarchu to Leh

It’s best to start early from Sarchu. You will experience phenomenal altitude changes on the ride to Leh. The first spectacle is a steep accent over 21 switchbacks called “The Ghata Loops”. We will cross three high altitude passes on this day. Naki La 4,740m (15,547ft), Lachlung la 5,019m (16,616ft) are the first two before the landscape flattens out at More Plains, a true wonder of mother nature. This stretch of flat 40kms long road across the More (pronounced: more-eh) plains is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides. Then climb up and over Tanglang La, the second highest motorable road in the world at altitude of 5,328m (17,480 ft) before descending into Tsokar and then ultimately Leh, via the highway that runs into the Indus Valley.

Rest Day - Leh

Leh is a charming little town with a history going back to over 1500 years. This is a good day to pack in to cars and visit old monasteries and other local attractions. Interact with locals, try out local cuisine and unique fruit juices. Sit with a cup of coffee in the local bazaar and watch the world go by.

Leh Khardung La

We begin our ride at 10:00. We gather around for a team breakfast and relax a little before commencing the ride towards Khardung La, the highest motorable road in the world (open to civilians). Khardung La was one of the most important passes of the silk route connecting Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia. Over 10,000 pack animals used to cross over every year. Depending on what time of the year you are riding, the weather could be pleasant or extremely cold. Riding up to 5,359m (17,582 ft) will be one of the most surreal and rewarding experience you will ever have on a motorcycle. It is an achievement in its own right, and we will have a celebratory ‘chai’ and a group photo before heading back down to Leh.

Leh - New Delhi (Flight)

Fly out from Leh to New Delhi and then to your respective destinations. Flight will be a morning flight between 6am to 7:30am. Leh being an air force station, check-in times are longer and there are double security checks. It will be an early start. It is advisable to book any outgoing flights from New Delhi to Dubai after noon to factor in any delays.

Tour Gallery

Explore Our Exclusive, Otherworldly Retreats From The Ride.

What to Expect

Riding in the Himalayas is a lot of fun and promises adventure around every bend. Formed over millions of years, the Himalayas command and deserve respect. We try our best to inform our clients of all the possible challenges they might face and also of all the key highlights and attractions along the way. However, the ultimate responsibility of safety lies with the riders. We have had the pleasure of riding with over 150 riders in the last eight years and we hope to continue building these relations with like-minded individuals across the world. This Spiti Valley bike trip is not ideal for someone who has just started riding. The terrain and the altitude can get overwhelming. We do not believe in rushing through this and we have a time table which allows for many stops along the way, for photographs and chit chat. There are a multitude of ‘chai’ stops along the way but we aim to start and finish the ride each day while the sun is up. The accommodation and food we provide is considered to be top of the line for this part of the world but we do expect our clients to set their expectations accordingly. Luxury in this part of the world is relative to the terrain and needs a bit of adjusting. With our extensive experience of operating in this region, we take full precautions for health and safety before and during our trips. We have a well-equipped support vehicle that is part of each Spiti Valley bike trip. We carry spares for all kinds of small and big breakdowns and a mechanic is always part of the crew. The team is trained in first aid and we carry a well-stocked first aid kit along with medicines to tackle altitude sickness, stomach bugs, nausea, fever and headaches. We have a list of all police stations, hospitals, military posts and emergency services for all our routes to handle all eventualities.