What’s Included
Airfare: Leh, Ladakh back to New Delhi. Airport pickup upon arrival in India. All hotel and tented accommodations. All breakfasts. Royal Enfield Bullet 500cc motorcycle equipped with saddle bags, petrol, spares, mechanics, & support vehicles with adequate space for seating and luggage. Pre-departure info pack including tour route map and Roadrunners T-shirt.
Sherpa Team & High Altitude Expertise!
Exclusive to Himalayan Roadrunners tours only, our tented camps on the Manali-Leh Road are our own production, we bring our own Sherpa's in from Nepal which gives our groups a self contained edge in the event of poor weather conditions and the need to change camp locations. Another plus is the ability to maintain highest standards in camp food provisions, unlike the pre-set bus park camps that have sprung up over the last few years! Also included on all HRR Ladakh tours is a portable decompression chamber known as Gamow Bag, for emergency use in severe High Altutude Illness situations !
What’s Not Included
Visa fees, cold drinks, alcoholic beverages, bottled water, laundry service, gratuities, overweight baggage charges, airport taxes, and any extra days in Ladakh due to flight cancellations due to bad weather. (unlikely)
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Day 1 - Arrive New Delhi, India
Roadrunners Staff will meet you at the airport, most flights arriving around midnight. Transfer to our hotel accommodations in downtown New Delhi for overnight.
Day 2 - New Delhi - Kalka - Parwanoo
Early departure by minibus or coach to our overnight skytop accommodations near Kalka in the foothills of the Himalaya, where Himalayan Roadrunners staff are waiting with motorcycles & equipment. Late afternoon briefing followed by bike assignment and a short "shakedown" ride to get a feel for the bikes. Evening free to relax and rest up after your long journey.
Day 3 - Shimla
Motorcycle tour starts today. After a quick rundown of road safety precautions and check of personal equipment, we will start out on the narrow adjacent road into the mountains. In the Days of the British Raj, the town of Shimla was the capital of India during the hot season. Situated on a steep mountain ridge, modern day Shimla is an amazing hodge podge of humanity, interconnected by steep stairs and walking paths! Late afternoo free to explore the town! Accommodations at a splendid antique Maharajas Residence now turned Hotel!
Day 4 - Shimla - Mandi
An early start this morning for our days ride to Mandi as we leave Shimla on some great backroads and contour the ridgetops thru remote Himachal Pradesh before decending to Mandi for overnight. Accommodations on the River.
Day 5 - Mandi-Manali - Solang Valley
Spectacular motorcycling today along numerous watersheds on cliff hanging highways, and with the heat of the plains behind us, we will enter the magnificent green of the stunning Kullu Valley and follow the Beas River to Manali, and on into the Solang Valley for overnight. Transfer back into town on our bus for dinner at a favorite Tibetan restaurant!
Day 6 - Manali - Solang Valley
Morning free to relax & explore Manali town for some last minute shopping before our High Road expedition on the Manali-Leh Road! After lunch acclimatizing ride up the Rothang Pass Road, and back down to Solang for overnight.
Day 7 - Manali - Jispa
Challenge begins as we ride up through glacier ice walls to the summit of Rothang La Pass (13,044ft) with fantastic views back towards Manali and the surounding Himalaya! Descend into the Lahaul Valley to Koksar, where we will follow the Chandra River to our tented accommodations near Jispa.
Day 8 - Jispa - Brandy Nala
Moving on past the police checkpost & river confluence at Darcha, and conscious of the shear drop-offs, we will work our way zig-zagging up the glacier and crosss one of the toughest passes of the journey, Baralache La (16,500ft!) , then descend to "Bharatpur" for a well deserved "Chai" and packed lunch, before following some fantastic bits of road along the valley bottoms to our overnight campsite near Brandy Nala.
Day 9 - Brandy Nala - Stok
Two more high passes today, we will get an extra early start and immediatly ascend the Bata Loop Switchbacks towards Lachhulang La (16,613ft) , and decend thru a Utah like canyon and on to our lunch stop at Pang. Keeping an eye out for Tibetan Nomads, we will ascend quickly again and emerge into an amazing high altitude valley known as the Moore Plain, and push towards Taglang La, the 2nd highest motorable pass in the world! at 17,582 ft! Descending the pass on an amazingly beautiful stretch of road, we will re-enter civilization , having arrived in Ladakh, with confirmation likely by smiling roadside faces yelling "Julay" "Julay", hello and welcome in Ladakhi! With what has to be the best stretch of road on the enitre trip, we will follow the small river thru picturesque oasis like hamlets accented by the phosphorescent green of the trees and the high red mineral content of the surounding valley walls. Meeting the main road, we will follow the Indus River past endless chortens and the important Monasteries of Stakna, Tikse and Shey Gompa, before turning off toward Stok Village to our own exclusive private accommodations just below the Royal Palace at the Stok Highlands Hotel!
Day 10 - Stok - Tikse - Shey Gompa
Morning free to rest after our hard ride over the high passes, or hike up to the Royal Place for a look around. After lunch group ride to Tikse Monastery for a guided tour, followed by a visit to Shey Gompa. Return to Stok for overnight. Optional late afternoon transportation into Leh for anyone who wishes.
Day 11 - Khardung La - Nubra Valley
First open to foreign motorcyclists (Roadrunners!) only in 1994, Khardung La is the Highest Motorable Pass in the World! Descend into the Nubra Valley for overnight at a deluxe tented camp with full facilities.
Day 12 - Nubra
Day free in the Nubra Valley to explore the area, check out Diskit Gompa, a ride to Hunder to see the Wild Camels, or just relax in camp at this absolutely amazing setting!
Day 13 - Nubra-Stok
Back over Khardung La this morning and another photo opportunity, descend to Leh and back to Stok for overnight.
Early evening group transfer into Leh town for last minute shopping and farewell dinner party!
Day 14 - Tour Ends - Fly Leh to New Delhi
Early morning transfer to Leh Airport in preparation for our flight back to New Delhi. Once in Delhi, transfer provided back to New Delhi city for pre-arranged day rooms or overnight accommodations, depending on onward travel schedules.
SCHEDULE
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