11-Day Himalayan Motorcycle Tour: Zanskar and Ladakh

The highest point is Umling La at about 5,800 m. Khardung La is about 5,359 m and Shinku La about 5,090 m. You only cross these. The highest places you sleep are Pangong and Hanle, at about 4,300 m. The route gains height in steps over the first week, which helps your body adjust, and the crew carries first aid and oxygen. Drink a lot of water, skip alcohol on the high nights and talk to your doctor before the trip about altitude medication. If you feel unwell, tell the road captain early.

Between 100 and 200 km on most days, which means five to seven hours on the road with the lunch stop. The total is about 1,480 km over eight riding days. Distance tells you little here. A hundred kilometres of broken road in Zanskar can take as long as three hundred on a highway. The longest days are Padum to Lamayuru, Nubra to Pangong and the Umling La day.

Ten at most. On narrow mountain roads a bigger group spends its day waiting for itself. With ten, the road captain can keep the whole group together.

A Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, one for each rider. It has a 452 cc liquid-cooled engine, six gears and a 21-inch front wheel. The bike and its fuel are in the rider price.

Yes. A pillion shares your motorcycle and pays the pillion price, which is lower than the rider price. A pillion must be over 16. Add the pillion when you book. Keep in mind that the rough days in Zanskar are harder work with two people on the bike.

Because sharing a room is where a Himalayan trip most often goes wrong. Snoring keeps people awake, and at altitude sleep is already hard to come by. The riding days start early, so two people sharing one shower and one washroom means somebody is always waiting or rushing. Adjusting to a stranger's routine for eleven days is tiring in a way that has nothing to do with the road. So we took room sharing out altogether. Every rider has their own room, in the price, so you sleep well and start each day on your own time.

Yes. Riders must be at least 24 and hold a full motorcycle licence. A pillion must be over 16.

Bring your own helmet, jacket, gloves, riding trousers and boots. You will be wearing them five to seven hours a day, and gear you already know is more comfortable than anything borrowed. If you cannot bring it, we have gear for rent. Ask us when you book.

Yes. You get your own room without paying extra, so you are not matched with a stranger. During the day you ride with the group.

Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 11. Drinks and snacks you buy for yourself are not.

Yes. All fuel for your motorcycle from Manali to Leh is in the rider price. Petrol pumps are far apart in Zanskar and around Hanle, so the crew plans the refuelling stops.

Yes, both, on every departure. The support vehicle carries the luggage, first aid and oxygen. The mechanic travels with the group and handles punctures and repairs on the road, so a small problem with a bike does not end anybody's day.

Yes. A dedicated photographer and videographer travel with the group on every departure and shoot the ride, so you do not have to stop and set up your own camera to get a picture of yourself on a pass.

In hotels in the towns, and in camps at remote stops such as Pangong and Hanle. The camps have large tents with attached bathrooms and proper beds. Every rider has their own room or tent.

Fly into Delhi. From there you travel to Manali on day 1 by Volvo coach, which is included in the price. If you would rather take a private taxi or a flight, we can help you arrange it at extra cost. The tour ends in Leh after breakfast on day 11. Leh has an airport with direct flights to Delhi. Flights are not part of the price.

If your licence was issued outside India, yes. Bring your home motorcycle licence, an International Driving Permit and your passport. Riders from India need a valid Indian motorcycle licence.

Yes. Riders from outside India ride to Hanle and over Umling La with us, and both are on every Ladakh tour we run. We arrange the permits from your passport details.

We do, and they are part of the price. Send a copy of your passport when you book and carry the original on the ride.

Yes, please buy it. It is not included. Check that the policy covers riding a motorcycle of this engine size, travel above 5,000 m and emergency evacuation. Many standard policies leave out one of the three.

It is an optional cover for the motorcycle, and its price is shown when you book. Without it, we take a US$300 deposit on the bike, and you pay for damage from a crash or a fall as set out in the expedition terms. With it, no deposit is taken. You choose it when you book.

It happens. Snow, landslides and local restrictions can close a pass with a few hours' notice. When a section is not safe, the road captain changes the route or the timing and the group goes another way. Safety comes before sticking to the printed itinerary.

It depends on where you are. Delhi and the lower valleys can reach 35°C in summer. Nights at Pangong and Hanle, at about 4,300 m, can fall to around -2°C, and the high passes are cold and windy at any hour. Pack layers you can add and take off during the day.

In Manali and Leh, yes. In Zanskar, at Pangong and at Hanle, expect little or nothing for a day or two at a time. Only Indian postpaid SIM cards work in Ladakh, so a prepaid or foreign SIM will usually go quiet after Manali. Tell people at home before you leave.

Umling La is at 5,798 m, or 19,024 ft, which is higher than both Everest base camps. It was certified as the world's highest motorable road in 2021, and it is still one of the highest roads you can ride a motorcycle over.

This one is the long road in. You ride from Manali through Lahaul and Zanskar before you reach Leh, which adds three days and the roughest riding of the trip. The 8-day Ladakh tour starts with a flight to Leh and stays in Ladakh, with Tso Moriri and Tso Kar added. Both go to Khardung La, Pangong, Hanle and Umling La. Pick this one for Zanskar and for arriving in Ladakh by road. Pick the 8-day tour if you have less time or less experience on rough ground.

Yes. If you have your own group, need different dates or want extra days, tell us through the custom expeditions page. We have added days and changed the route for groups before.

Choose a date, say who is coming, and pay either the full amount or a deposit. The checkout shows the exact deposit before you pay. Everything must be paid 14 days before departure, because permits, rooms and vehicles are committed against that date. The How booking works page explains the rest.