Leh Ladakh Bike Trip | The perfect plan to Leh from Manali
Travelling to Leh Ladakh and don’t know what to pack, or what to do? Here is how you can plan an Action-Packed Fun Leh Ladakh Bike Trip.
Are you planning to ride from Manali to Leh? Is this the first time you’re going to ride in the mountains? Are you excited but also scared? Well, you should be.
This was not my first time in Leh. The first time I visited this beauty was in 2013. That tour was an amateur journey, with a million mistakes but a billion memories. From my first experience riding a bike in Leh, you can learn WHAT NOT TO DO IN YOUR LEH LADAKH BIKE TRIP. It was an unplanned trip of friends, who had the only goal – riding in Leh, Ladakh. None of us was experienced riders and neither one of us had the right gears. But I must admit that Leh Ladakh Bike Trip was one of the best rides of my life.
But what I’m here to tell you are the things to make sure when riding from Manali to Leh.
If you are planning for a bike trip from Manali to Leh Ladakh and back, let me give you a head’s up for the following very important facts to remember:
- Once you’re on the road, there’s no turning back. Giving up is not an option in Leh Ladakh bike trip.
- If you do not have enough experience with riding bikes, I would strongly suggest against it.
- Do not compromise on biking gears and safety kits. Be prepared for unexpected expenditures and keep all documents secured.
- Do not take this ride lightly, Leh Ladakh bike trip is not a place for cheap thrills. It’s a serious business for riders.
- Carry extra cash because you will have to leave a deposit at the bike rental shop, and to purchase necessary permits. Also, bring all possible forms of personal identification cards (photo IDs), as you will have to leave one with the bike rental representative.
- Arrange for proper riding gears, by which I also mean warm clothes, gloves, warm socks, and bike riding accessories.
Keep reading to re-live my unforgettable Leh Ladakh bike trip experience of 15 days from Mumbai to Manali to Leh and back home. Are you ready to be homesick with me?
Delhi to Manali by bus
After taking a flight from Mumbai to Delhi, Manali is a 12 hours bus ride from New Delhi. We took an overnight bus and reached Manali early next morning. You can also get here by a flight to Kullu Manali Airport, but then you will again have to take a bus or cab to reach the final destination.
Manali is a very popular backpacking destination. Some of the famous places to visit in Manali are Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, shop at Mall Road, visit temples and monasteries. Solang Valley has a lot of adventure sports, such as parachuting, skiing and paragliding. You should definitely try these activities, we couldn’t because we were short on time.
Nature lovers can visit Kasol and can trek to Kheerganga, visit Shri Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara, trek to Tosh Valley and Chalal Trek. Kasol is all about living amidst nature with bare minimum. You will see a lot of nomads on foot, trekking, sitting by the river, just enjoying the natural beauty and camping.
Manali to Keylong
Before you start your bike trip towards Leh Ladakh, make sure you have all the necessary permits. Or you will have to come back to Manali or closest travel agency and arrange for the same.
We started our bike trip from Manali and planned to stop at Jispa for the night. But since we started late, we could not reach Jispa, and barely managed to reach Keylong by 9PM. It gets pitch dark and very cold, so you will not find food and restaurants anywhere.
Keylong is a small village on the Manali – Leh Highway. It has become an overnight layover spot for riders, buses and cars traveling between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. With the increasing stardom of Leh, Lahaul, Spiti the number riders are increasing every year. You can opt from the many homestays and hotels here.
P.S. Wear warm clothes while riding, it might feel warm during the day, but as evening gets closer it starts getting unbearably cold.
Rohtang Pass
Rohtang Pass, lying at an altitude of 13,054 feet, it is located around 50 KMS from Manali. You will inevitably cross this pass if you’re travelling to Leh, Lahaul and Spiti. This is one of the most famous high-altitude mountain pass, and you will see a lot of cars and bikes parked on the sides and tourists taking pictures in the snow.
One of the stark features of Rohtang Pass during peak season is that the sides of the roads are fenced by 7-10 feet high snow walls. Unfortunately, by July end, the snow was already melted. Rohtang Pass is open between June and October. This road is shut during the other months as it’s inaccessible due to heavy snowfall and blizzards.
There are no accommodation or restaurant options here. Please note that you will need a permit to visit or cross Rohtang Pass.
If you’re from India, the popular song ‘Yeh Ishq Haaye’ of Bollywood blockbuster ‘Jab We Met’ was shot here.
Road conditions after around Rohtang pass is pretty bad because of the snow and soil. Be prepared for a lot of off-roading.
P.S. After crossing Rohtang pass, you will notice the weather will be cold to very cold since, you enter high-altitude areas from this point on.
Keylong to Sarchu, via Jispa
After staying the night at Keylong, our next stop was Sarchu which is around 100KMS away.
To reach Sarchu, you travel across a beautiful village called Jispa. Jispa has a number of lodges, homestays and camps to stay the night. You are surrounded by mountains, snow and clouds. You can walk by the river and explore the many scenic spots around the Jispa village. But make sure to get to your rooms/camps before sunset.
Sarchu is an overnight layover with tented camps on the Manali – Leh highway. Two of the major passes, the Baralacha La pass and Lachulung La pass are located close to Sarchu. You will find an Indian army camp located on the banks of the river.
During winters, this highway and high passes along the road do not allow entry to cars, bikes or buses. June through October are the preferable months to visit Sarchu. You will not find hotels here, only camps with all the basic necessities to survive the cold.
We took a halt on the way after crossing Baralacha La Pass. We reached from Keylong to Sarchu after riding for over 8 hours and taking 2 halts.
P.S. The best thing would be to leave as early as possible, to reach safely before the sun sets.
To see the kind of stay available at Sarchu, follow the link to my vlog.
Sarchu to Leh
A greater part of the roads from Sarchu are rough and dangerous. A few kilometers from Sarchu is the Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal border. Now, you’re officially entering another state on a bike from Manali. Some people have shared their experiences where they didn’t allow their bikes, but fortunately, we didn’t have anyone stopping us. To be on a safer side for Leh Ladakh bike trip, always move with your group.
Ladakh is also known as ‘the land of high passes’. This union territory is surrounded by mountains, jagged with motorable roads, and simply standing on these roads is an adrenaline rush. And that’s why each year more and more people are planning for Leh Ladakh bike trip.
We took one halt at Whisky Nala which was around 60 KMS from Sarchu. Then we crossed Lachungla pass, which is at an altitude of 16616 ft. After that the only stop that came where we could grab a bite was at Pang. Pang is a small village at 15280 ft. Then we crossed Tanglangla pass – 17582 ft, 2nd highest pass of the world.
P.S. You might experience heaviness in the head, and breathing difficulties because you’re at a great height. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated and take breaks wherever possible.
Leh, Ladakh – the land of high passes
Ladakh is located at an altitude of around 11500 ft above sea level. Leh is the capital and extremely well-known tourist attraction for hikers, trekkers, riders and travelers. There’s no other place in India which could be compared to the rush one can experience in Leh. Colourful Buddhist flags, gigantic mountains in every direction and unforgettable landscapes, defining this place in words will be unfair.
This place is an ultimate destination for your soul. Soulful beauty, mind-blowing peace, and humble people, this place has it all. Some of the things to do around Leh are enjoy the mesmerizing view from Khardungla Pass and Leh Palace, visit Magnetic Hill, feel the peace at Shanti Stupa, pay your respects to the war heroes at Kargil, and visit Hall of Fame which is run by the Indian Army.
P.S. Avoid acute mountain sickness. It is of utmost importance that you acclimatize to the altitude before you start your activities. Rest well, keep yourself hydrated, eat well and take proper medicines for breathlessness, nausea and headache.
Spituk Monastery
The Spituk monastery offers a stunning view of the Indus river and whole of Leh. The Gompa was renovated recently, however, they have restored the old Gompa. After climbing a few steps, and courtyards, you will reach higher up the hill with the enormous statue of goddess.
We didn’t have a lot of time to explore the tourist attractions of Leh, but you should definitely spend 3-4 days to completely absorb the true magic of this place.
Leh to Pangong Lake
After riding for hours, enduring terrible roads, and drained, Pangong Lake in Ladakh took our breath away. We forgot all our worries and all of us were literally hypnotized for the first few hours.
Laying calmly at 14,270 feet, it’s also known as Pangong Tso. What’s interesting is that a major portion of the lake lies in China’s territory.
If you get an opportunity to visit this piece of heaven, there’s no way you can say no.
It is an amazing experience to witness the magnificence of Pangong in months of May-September with your own eyes. In the rest of the months, winters turn harsh and the lake is frozen. Adventurists still visit the place even in winters and find a way to survive here.
Pangong Lake is at a marked distance of 225 kms from Leh, and takes 7-8 hours. You need proper permits to travel to Pangong Lake, for security reasons. It gets so cold here, it’s almost impossible for any sports activities. Just sit at one place and enjoy the calmness and gorgeousness of nature.
The road conditions from Leh to Karu were very good. You have a do a lot of off-roading throughout the way. We took a halt at Chang La pass for a few minutes. We stayed the night in tents at Pangong Lake.
P.S. The temperature at Pangong lake falls towards freezing point, and you will need additional warm clothes. Also, try reaching here by 4-5 PM so you can enjoy the sunset.
Khardung La Pass – Highest Motorable
Being a rider, I was most excited to get to Khardung La Pass. At 18380 feet, it is known as the highest motorable pass in the world. Road conditions from Leh to South Pullu is awesome. From Pullu to Khardungla it’s only rough patches and muddy roads. It gets very tiring after a point to handle the bike and luggage weight and ride in the cold with numb fingers.
Once you’re across the Khardung La pass, you are geographically entering Nubra and Shyok Valleys in Ladakh. It is jam-packed with tourists stopping to click pictures in front of the legendary board. You will find a lot of bikers also. Khardung La Pass is 40 KMS from Leh and takes roughly 2 hours to get here.
P.S. Leave early in the morning to reach this place without any traffic. Also, push off from here within 30 minutes, because you might not realise but your body starts reacting to the high altitude. The longer you stay you will realise the mountain sickness symptoms creeping up which will make it tough to ride.
Leh to Nubra Valley
This high-altitude cold desert at an altitude of over 10,000 feet, Nubra Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Ladakh. Diskit Monastery and Hunder Sand Dunes are very popular. A few kilometers from the main village are small retreats of Turtuk and Panamik.
It is located about 160 km from Leh and took around 8-9 hours to get here because of the pathetic road conditions. We stayed the night at Hunder, which is famous for its white sand dunes. If you’re lucky you might even get to take the double-humped camel and ATV rides through the dunes.
The next morning, we visited Diskit Monastery before leaving for Leh.
The best time to visit is May to October when the roads are easily accessible as there are low or no rains and snowfall.
Diskit Monastery
For our last ride in Leh, we simply planned to go wherever the road takes us. We left from Leh towards Khardung La, going further to North Pullu and down to Khardong village and finally to Nubra.
Diskit Monastery is known to be the oldest and the largest Buddhist Monastery in Nubra Valley. At an altitude of 10,300 feet, the Maitreya Buddha statue is over 100 feet tall. It is one of the eminent tourist attractions, because the view from here is unbelievable. The gigantic valleys and cold desert of Nubra are never-ending.
The towering statue of Maitreya Buddha overlooks the entire valley and faces in the direction of Pakistan.
Trek to Kheerganga
Our riding expedition ended with Nubra Valley and we rode back to Leh. Our next destination was exploring Kasol and Manali to refill our energy levels and recharge our batteries.
This adventurous Kheerganga trek starts at Barshaini, which is an hour away from Kasol. Kheerganga is located at a height of about 3000 meters. Located deep in the Parvati Valley, it is a favourite trekking destination in Himachal Pradesh.
Kheerganga is well-known for the hot water spring pool also known as Parvati Kund and a splendid view of valley. Even in winters, when the temperature hits negative, the spring still blesses the place with hot water. There are two separate pools for men and women.
It is a lengthy but easy trek, suitable for both beginners and experienced. The trek covers a distance of 25-30 KMS for 7-8 hours. The path is mucky during the monsoon season with frequent landslides. However, this does not stop the travellers from visiting the heavenly abode.
We stayed in camps for the night. During the peak seasons, the managers arrange campfires, music session for the travellers. The people managing the place are very humble and professional.
Upon reaching Kheerganga, we headed straight to explore Parvati valley.
P.S. It would be best to carry luggage as lightest as possible, since you have the load on your back and it could get tiring. And carry an extra pair of clothes to avoid spending the night in wet clothes, because you might get some rains on the way.
Visiting the Taj Mahal
Before heading back to Mumbai our checklist included this monument which needs no introduction. The beauty of the Taj Mahal in Agra is magical. This white marble structure, with intricate designs and gorgeous Mughal architecture was built in the 1600s.
Shah Jahan commanded the creation of Taj Mahal in memory of his wife and to shelter the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, from where it derived its name.
The Taj Mahal includes a garden, a lake and fountains in perfect symmetry. It has not suffered any damages since it’s construction. However, in recent times the marble was believed to turn yellow because of rising pollution levels.
You need to purchase a ticket and footwear cover to enter the premises. They start to clear the crowd before the sun sets. Hence, make sure to reach the place early to spend as much time as possible with this beauty on the face of the earth.
P.S. There’s a lot of crowd, and you might have to spend hours to get a perfect shot with this wonder of the world.
To sum up my trip in a few pointers, here’s my itinerary in short:
- Mumbai to Delhi Flight
- Delhi to Manali by bus
- Reach Manali
- Rent a bike in Manali
- Manali to Keylong
- Keylong to Sarchu
- Sarchu to Leh
- Leh to Pangong Lake
- Leh to Hunder
- Hunder to Nubra Valley to Leh
- Leh to Manali
- Trek to Kheerganga, overnight stay at Kheerganga
- Manali to Delhi
- Visit Taj Mahal
- Take a flight from Delhi to Mumbai – 4th Aug
- Major places to visit in Leh – Khardung La Pass, Tanglung La Pass, Rohtang Pass, Chang La Pass, Baralacha La Pass (P.S. These are the passes that you will come across on the way to the above destinations, you don’t have to make a different plan to get to these passes.)
- Major things we planned to do in Manali – trek to Kheerganga, get lost in Parvati Valley, explore Manali wherever possible
Do visit my YouTube channel to see for yourselves everything that you’ve read. If you liked my blog and if it was helpful, please do leave a comment.
Thank you bhai this blog helped me very much on how to plan things, I’m trying to do my first and dream ride leh ladakh
Amazing Bro Your Are Going Good job keep Going And Love You So Much