This is a complete guide for a bike trip in Leh Ladakh.

One of the most challenging yet beautiful road trip routes in India is the Leh Ladakh Bike Trip. It’s everyone’s dream road trip. We’ll cover everything you’ll need to know about the Leh Ladakh Bike Trip, including which bike to use, bike rentals, route, things to pack, and more. Chirag Joshi, our travel expert, curated these notes from his 15-day bag packing journey to Leh Ladakh. You can use this article as a complete guide for biking in Leh Ladakh.

About Leh Ladakh

Our bike trip to Leh Ladakh included a German family who asked us, “Why would you guys travel to other countries when you have such beautiful places like Leh Ladakh?”. Leh Ladakh is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, thanks to its unique combination of Buddhist culture, Ladakhi hospitality, beautiful landscapes, and mesmerizing scenery.

When is the best time to visit Leh Ladakh on a bike

By June — August every year, roads and routes in Leh Ladakh are fully operational, so bikers are safe to travel during this time.

Bike trip duration ideal for Leh Ladakh

Several routes can be taken to do a Leh Ladakh bike trip, however, including buffer days, rest days, and taking in the scenery, a minimum of 9 days to a maximum of 15 days is ideal for a Leh Ladakh bike trip. When you hire a travel expert like Adventourist to arrange your road trip, you can complete the Leh Ladakh circuit in 7–8 days.

Best bikes for Leh Ladakh Road Trip

It is known as the land of high passes because of its difficult terrain. As a combination of great tarmac roads, slushy crossings of the Zoji-La and Shyok rivers and the Chang la Pass, one would need a high torque bike to cover such terrain in the olden days. Since Royal Enfield was the only high torque bike available at that time and hence heavy, people still preferred Royal Enfield because they had no other option.

There are many options today for bike trips that are just as good or even better than a Royal Enfield.

Following bikes are suitable for such bike trips

KTM Duke: For a bike trip to Leh Ladakh, the KTM Duke is the best choice for carrying your luggage and giving you superior control. It’s lightweight, powerful, and can carry your luggage.

Hero X-Pulse: It may not be great for mounting luggage, but the Hero X-Pulse is a great choice for beginners. It may be slightly underpowered, but it is light and great for beginners.

Royal Enfield Himalayan: It is by far the best and most practical bike RE has ever made. Despite the fact that there are a few quality issues, Himalayan is the most preferred because of its ease of availability and the ability of local mechanics to handle small breakdowns.

Bajaj Dominar 400: Great bike by Bajaj, which would be great for a Leh Ladakh bike trip.

KTM Adventure: KTM Adventure is the perfect bike for such road trips as Leh Ladakh, Spiti, etc. It is tall, powerful, and made for adventure road trips.

Bike rental for Leh Ladakh bike trip

There are many bike rental options available from Leh City, Manali, and Delhi depending on your route. Rental rates range from 800/day to 1500/day based on the season, the number of days, and the type of bike.

Leh City and Manali Rates: Rs.1000 — Rs.1800/day approx

Delhi: Rs.800 — Rs.1000/day approx

Leh City: Rs.800 — Rs.1000/day approx

Leh Ladakh Bike Trip Route

The three main routes for doing a road trip in Leh Ladakh are as follows.

Route 1: Srinagar → Leh → Manali

The benefits of this route is that you gain altitude slowly and hence fewer chances of AMS and fatigue. This is one of the most traditional routes to Leh Ladakh. Due to disturbances in the valley, this route is less popular now.

Route details

Srinagar → Kargil → Leh → Leh → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh → Sarchu → Manali.

Route 2: Leh → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh

As this route is best suited for people who find it difficult to get more than a week off in a row, if planned well one could do this route without any problems. Directly fly to Leh, take a break for a day and then start with your bike journey.

Leh Arrival → Leh Local Sightseeing → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh → Depart

Route 3: Manali → Leh → Manali

It is the most commercialized and marketed route in the region, because trips to Leh Ladakh are the main source of income for locals in Manali. It is easier to find travel guides, bike rental companies, and mechanics along this route.

Manali → Sarchu → Leh → Leh → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh → Sarchu → Manali

If you have more holidays on hand, then you may want to explore going to Manali via Tso Moriri lake if you have more time.

Important things to know

→ Ensure that your bags and luggage are properly mounted on your bike and that you are comfortable while riding it.

→ There is a lack of petrol pumps on the road from Manali to Leh and Leh Nubra pangong. In Pang or Sarchu, you can buy petrol in black. It is advisable, however, to carry a small amount of fuel with you.

→ Don’t depend on ATMs for your cash needs; carry cash instead

Things to pack

Tools

• Tool Kit
• Tyre Tube
• Bike Spare parts: Gear lever, brake lever, clutch cable,

Food and Snacks

• Energy bars
• Camel bags
• Chocolates
• Water
• Dry fruits

Safety

• Don’t try to save money by not buying DOT-certified helmets
• Head to toe riding gears
• Riding jacket
• Riding pants
• Riding shoes

Important Documents

• Valid photo identity documents
• Valid bike documents

Clothes and Footwear & cosmetics

• 2 Woolen Jackets / Hoodies
• Trekking shoes
• 2–4 Pants
• 2 pair of thermals
• Glairs
• Sunscreen
• Petroleum jelly

Others

• First Aid Kid
• Powerbank

Accommodation

There are a lot of accommodation options available in the area for an affordable price between Rs.500/day and Rs.3000/day. You don’t have to pre-book as you can find it easily.