India, Himalayan Mountains: motorcycle tours above the sky

Book the tour - 02 Aug - 15 Aug 2027

Join us on a motorcycle tour through the Himalayas. It's an unusual trip, because India is unlike any other country, and the Himalayas are unlike the rest of India. We spent a long time preparing this tour, paying close attention to acclimatization, food, the route, and everything in between.

Here's the main thing upfront – the route is as comfortable as it gets in terms of altitude gain. We climb gradually, and altitude sickness shouldn't be an issue for anyone, as a rule. Of course, everybody reacts differently, but we're not heading into northeastern Ladakh, where you're stuck at 4 500 meters the whole time with passes at 5 800 meters.

We do the opposite – we ride at 2 500–3 500 meters, crossing a couple of high passes along the way, with just one night above 4 000 meters near the very end of the tour. By day ten in the mountains, your body should be well adjusted. And just in case, we have a backup plan – a couple hours' ride down to lower altitude.

We're spelling all this out so you understand this isn't a "survival expedition," but a well-balanced motorcycle tour through the Himalayas with a carefully planned route, hand-picked hotels, restaurants, and everything else. That said, we should be upfront: despite all our preparation and planning, India (the Himalayas) isn't for everyone. We'll go into more detail on that in the Pre-Tour document, which we'll send to anyone who asks for it.

• Tour dates 2027:
  • 2-15 August (3 spots left)
  • 17-30 August (5 spots left)
  • 1-14 September (3 spots left)
• Start in Shimla, finish in Manali (You fly to Chandigarh via Delhi, and we will arrange the transfer from there)
• Duration: 14 days 
• Total mileage: 1 875 km
• Roads: 90% asphaly, 10% unpaved roads
• Price with Royal Enfield Himalayan rental – 4250 Euro
• Extra price for single occupancy – 700 Euro
• Price for passenger – 2900 Euro
• Deposit for the motorcycle – 300 EUR

The price includes:

• Motorcycle rental
• Accommodation in 3-5* hotels/camps
• Breakfasts (during all days)
• Lunches and dinners (most days)
• Drinks
• English-speaking guide
• 2 Support vehicle assistance
• Petrol
• Entry tickets to the places of interest and excursions
• Souvenir pack (t-shirt, paper maps, etc.)      
• Transfers

The price does not include:

• Air tickets
• Visa

Route

Shimla – Kalpa – Kaza – Kylong – Padum – Kargil – Leh – Tso Kar – Jispa – Manali

Day 1. New Delhi/Chandigarh, arrival

Arrival in Chandigarh, from where we will arrange a transfer to the starting point of the tour in Shimla. Evening free.

Day 2. Shimla, prep day

In the afternoon we'll meet in the hotel lobby for a briefing, get you set up on your motorcycles, and head out for a group dinner. After dinner there's time for a short walk around some of the city's sights.

We'll stroll along the Ridge and Mall Road - the pedestrian heart of the city, with snow-capped ranges visible in the distance. We'll pop into Christ Church, one of the oldest churches in North India, and climb up to the Jakhoo Temple with its giant Hanuman statue, which gives you a panorama over the whole city. If time allows, we'll swing by the Viceregal Lodge, once home to the British viceroy, set in a beautifully kept botanical garden.

Day 3. Shimla – Kalpa, 220 km

Our first riding day. After breakfast we roll out of the hotel. The first stretch winds through the pine forests of Narkanda with views over apple orchards, then the road drops down into the Sutlej River valley toward the town of Rampur Bushahr. We'll stop here to wander the old market town and check out Bushahr Palace, once home to the local rajas. From there the switchbacks get steeper as we hit the famous Tranda Dhank rock-cut section, where the road literally hangs over the drop. As we roll into Kalpa, we're greeted by an evening panorama of the snow-covered Kinner Kailash massif.

Day 4. Kalpa – Kaza, 210 km

Today we cross into the high-altitude desert of Spiti, and the contrast hits hard. The road follows the Sutlej gorge, with dramatic views where mountain rivers converge along the way. We'll stop at Nako village for a walk to the sacred lake and a look inside the ancient 11th-century Buddhist monastery on its shore. Further along we'll visit Tabo Monastery, founded in 996 AD and known as the "Ajanta of the Himalayas" for its ancient wall paintings - the cliffs above the village still hold meditation caves once used by monks. We finish the day in Kaza, the administrative capital of Spiti.

Day 5. Kaza – Keylong, 190 km

Today brings the climb over one of the highest motorable passes on Earth. Before setting off we'll visit Key Monastery, the largest and most iconic monastery in the Spiti Valley. From there we ride through Losar, the last village before the pass, where houses are still built the old way, out of mud. Then the long climb to Kunzum La (4,551 m) begins, opening up views of the Bara Shigri Glacier and snow-capped peaks all around. We'll stop for hot chai at the legendary roadside Chacha-Chachi Dhaba. Along the way we'll swing through Sissu village for a look at a scenic waterfall and views of the surrounding glaciers. We wrap up the day in Keylong, having dropped down through the pass into the Lahaul Valley.

Day 6. Keylong, rest day

Time to recover after some intense mountain riding and explore Keylong - the "valley of monasteries." In the morning you can head up to Kardang Monastery, the oldest and largest in Lahaul, with a stunning view over the valley and river. From there we'll visit Shashur Gompa, known for its vivid frescoes and masked dances, and the modest but atmospheric Tayul Monastery with its statue of Guru Rinpoche. In the evening, a walk through the local bazaar, where you can try legendary Himalayan dishes like momos and thukpa.

Day 7. Keylong – Padum, 160 km

Today we head toward the Zanskar Valley. Past Darcha the road climbs steeply up to Shinkun La pass (5,091 m). The landscape on the other side is a totally different world: bare reddish slopes, glaciers, and complete emptiness.

We'll make a short photo stop and then start the descent toward the Zanskar Sumdo checkpoint - the official gateway into the Zanskar Valley. There's almost nothing in between, so Padum in the evening feels especially cozy after all that solitude.

Day 8. Padum – Kargil, 230 km

We head out through the Suru Valley and climb Pensi La pass (4,400 m), where you're rewarded with a superb view of the 23-km-long Drang-Drung Glacier. Along the way we'll stop at Rangdum Monastery. Riding through the Suru Valley, we'll take in views of the picturesque mountain village of Panikhar. In the evening we roll into the Muslim town of Kargil.

Day 9. Kargil – Leh, 225 km

Our first stop on the way to Leh is Mulbekh, where a nine-meter statue of the Maitreya Buddha, over 1,000 years old, is carved directly into the rock face. From there we climb two passes - Namika La and Fotu La - and on the other side we're met by Lamayuru Monastery, built amid eroded rock formations, where you'll see the famous "moonscape" that looks like it belongs on another planet.

As we get closer to Leh we'll stop at Magnetic Hill, an optical illusion spot where your bike seems to roll uphill on its own, before finishing the day in the Ladakh capital.

Day 10. Leh, rest day

A day off after a hard stretch of road, and a chance to get to know this jewel of Tibetan culture. Leh is the capital of the former kingdom of Ladakh, a place where you can really feel the atmosphere of an ancient world. On the agenda: the 17th-century Leh Palace, the buzzing city market, and ancient Buddhist temples.

Day 11. Leh – Tso Kar, 170 km

Today brings the highest pass of the whole tour: Tanglang La (5,238 m), one of the highest motorable passes in the world. Beyond the pass an entirely new landscape opens up: the vast, empty Moore Plains, stretching out like a Martian surface.

At Debring we turn off the highway onto a smaller road, and after just over twenty kilometers we reach Tso Kar, a salt lake where you can spot wild kiang (Tibetan wild asses) and migratory birds. This is the only night of the tour spent above 4,000 meters.

Day 12. Tso Kar – Jispa, 230 km

We rejoin the Manali–Leh highway and continue along one of the most spectacular high-altitude stretches of road in the world. We'll take in scenic views of the Sarchu valley and the sacred Suraj Tal lake. By evening we reach Jispa, a cozy village on the riverbank — the perfect place to unwind after a long day at altitude.

Day 13. Jispa – Manali, 120 km

Our last riding day. We leave Jispa and head toward the Atal Tunnel, the longest high-altitude tunnel in the world, which now bypasses the once-treacherous Rohtang Pass. After the tunnel we ride to Naggar, a small town where the famous Russian traveler Nicholas Roerich - a lifelong devotee of Asia - once lived.

We'll come across traces of Roerich all across the Himalayas, but it's here in Naggar that you'll find his main home (he also had a house in Kullu, where he lived from 1929 to 1931). He's buried here, and there's a museum dedicated to him. We'll visit all of these sites and pay our respects to this great explorer of Asia, before heading on to the resort town of Manali, where our journey comes to an end.

We'll hand back the motorcycles, then you'll have a couple of hours of free time before our farewell dinner. In Manali we recommend a walk to the wooden Hadimba Devi Temple and a stroll down Mall Road for souvenirs. In the evening we'll all gather for one last dinner together, to look back on the whole adventure.

Day 14. Manali, transfer and flight home

We'd suggest staying on a bit in Manali to rest up after the road. It's also worth considering a trip back to Shimla to ride the legendary Shimla–Kalka narrow-gauge railway.

We'll arrange your transfer to Chandigarh or Shimla.