Himalayan Heights

You’ll be met at the airport in New Delhi and brought to your hotel – ideally located, it is the perfect base from which to explore this chaotic and stunning city.

Yes, the traffic is INSANE, but thankfully you will not have to ride in any of this! We will all meet in the afternoon where your tour leader will give a full briefing of the adventure that lies ahead. We’ll all then head out to an excellent restaurant for a welcome dinner.

• Accommodation: 4* hotel.
• Included Meals: Dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel we will board our private coach/minivan and head for the hills! The journey to Shimla is a comfortable 9-10 hour trip on good roads. Sit back and enjoy the views as we begin the climb into the Himalayas.

Shimla is simply a beautiful and fascinating town that was the old summer capital of British India. We’ll arrive at the hotel mid-afternoon where our support team will be waiting with welcome drinks on the front lawn.

• Accommodation: Hotel.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

The first day of riding on this Himalayan motorcycle tour and boy – is it a good one! We leave the chaos of Shimla behind and quickly find ourselves on beautifully paved winding roads that are simply a joy to ride! Next you descend into a river valley where you’ll stop for lunch in an air conditioned restaurant.

In the afternoon we will steadily climb on winding roads that cut through pine forests up to our first high pass of the trip – the Jalori Pass at 3,100m above sea level. We will stop at the top outside Mahakali Temple for a cup of chai before riding the newly paved road down to our hotel, perched on the hillside offering spectacular views over the trees. Sunset beers followed by a big meal and a roaring campfire: a great end to a great first day of riding!

• Accommodation: Hillside hotel.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

We’ll ride down into the Banjar Valley, through the pine forests and quaint rural villages. We’ll descend until we meet the Beas River which we’ll then ride alongside all the way to Manali. The traffic gets a bit manic so you’ll need to keep your wits about you as you weave around trucks, rickshaws, dogs and cows! We’ll escape this as best we can by crossing to the other side of the river and riding tiny winding roads through small villages, all the way up to our excellent hotel.

Manali is a beautiful ski resort style town sitting at 2,000m. We’ll arrive mid afternoon, giving you the chance to do a spot of shopping in Old Manali, explore the village of Vashisht, or even hike up to a nearby waterfall.

In the evening we’ll go out for dinner at Johnson’s Cafe where we strongly recommend you sample the trout from the local rivers – it’s delicious! After dinner we’ll enjoy drinks around the fire pit.

• Accommodation: 5* hotel.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Leaving Manali, we continue the ride alongside the Beas river before starting our climb up to our second high pass of the trip – Rohtang La at 3,876m. The roads up to the top are incredible, with countless hairpin turns and spectacular views across the hills.

As we descend into the Lahaul Valley the roads get a bit rougher, but with its cascading waterfalls and rugged terrain, the scenery is no less impressive. Tonight’s destination is the small town of Keylong… if your beard needs a trim, we recommend the local barber experience!

• Accommodation: Hotel.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

We’ll ride smooth tarmac in the morning that curves its way up to the scenic Baralacha La pass which sits at a whopping 4,883m above sea level. We stop just on the other side for lunch and there are three things that might now happen:

1. You might feel a bit queasy;
2. You might feel a bit drunk and giddy – happy days!
3. Nothing at all.

Don’t worry though, this is just your body acclimatising to the high altitudes and it should not last long. Our medic will be on hand to monitor your blood oxygen levels and we have oxygen bottles to hand if required.

Back on the bikes, we’ll descend onto the Sarchu plateau where our campsite awaits. After enjoying a buffet dinner in the food tent we will light a bonfire to keep our toes warm and toast marshmallows! Perfect.

• Accommodation: Large tents with attached WC and proper camp beds.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

After breakfast we will saddle up for what might well be the most beautiful days riding you’ll have ever experienced – this is certainly the opinion of Toby, one of the Ride Expeditions owners!

A great start to the day as we ride up Gata Loops – 21 hairpin turns that snake up the mountainside. Riding towards the Upper Indus Valley and over two more of the world’s highest passes – Lachalung La at 5,085m and Tanglang La at 5,330m – the winding roads are joyful to ride and there are breathtaking views around each and every corner.

We do have a larger distance to cover today, but the road conditions are excellent – with exceptions of course – we’re still in the Himalayas – so we’re able to increase the pace.

• Accommodation: Hotel just outside of town.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Enjoy a day of rest, local sightseeing and exploring the fascinating mountain town of Leh – the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ladakh. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, cafes and markets. There are many monasteries and ancient temples that are well worth a visit, as is the impressive 9-storey abandoned Leh Palace that overlooks the town.

If you can not bear to be separated from your steed then we will arrange for your tour leader to ride the awesome roads out to Alchi Monastery – Ladakh’s oldest monastery – for lunch.

• Accommodation: Hotel just outside of town.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, dinner.

Riding over Chang La pass at 5,280m we’ll cruise over towards Pangong lake – the highest salt water lake in the world. Watch out for the huge Himalayan Yaks that patrol the valley! We’ll stop for a picnic lunch alongside a stream in this beautiful valley, before continuing down towards the lake. Careful because the horses will try and eat your sarnies…

The lake, shared by both India and China, is 134km long and a spectacular sight with snow capped mountains and orange rock faces reflecting off of the perfectly clear blue waters.

• Accommodation: Comfy yurts with big beds and attached WCs.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

After enjoying breakfast and a couple of cups of chai tea down by the lake, we’ll saddle up for another days fine riding through the mountains. We’ll travel through an incredibly remote region along an old military road alongside the Shyok River. The smooth road surfaces cruise us down into the beautiful Nubra Valley.

• Accommodation: Luxury campsite.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Today we ride out to have lunch in the small village of Turtuk, located just 7km from the Pakistan border. You might’ve thought that you’d already seen all the different types of terrain the Himalayas has to offer – think again! This road is an incredible ride and the views are smack-in-the-face amazing.

After arriving back at the camp and sinking a cold Kingfisher or two, it’s into the support vans and out to the sand dunes to visit the camels and enjoy a spectacular sunset.

Back at camp – you’ve guessed it – another camp fire awaits!

• Accommodation: Luxury campsite.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

We’ve saved the big one ’til last – Khardung La Pass! Join the elite handful of motorcyclists that have stood on top of the world with their motorcycle by their side. Reputed to be the highest motorable road in the world (actually, it isn’t, but it’s pretty damn close!), Khardung La pass sits at 5,380m above sea level – that’s the same height as Mt. Everest base camp!

We’ll ride down the other side on rocky dirt roads until we reach our final destination. We’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel restaurant and say goodbye to the support team.

• Accommodation: Hotel.
• Included Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel we will say our goodbyes and transfer you to Leh airport (airport code: IXL) where you can fly back to Delhi (airport code: DEL), or other major domestic airports. Buckle up for an exciting flight – no fighting over the window seats – which passes over numerous mountain tops and glaciers.

• Accommodation: Not included.
• Included Meals: Breakfast.
• N.B. The Leh-Delhi route is operated by GoAir, SpiceJet and Vistara. Flight costs vary from £38 – £160 depending on when you book… earlier is of course better! Flight departure times vary from 7am to 12pm and the duration is approx 1hr30.