We offer two different bike tours to the “Roof of the World”:


1. LADAKH OVERLAND – the classic tour from Manali, crossing three 5,000-meter passes, into the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Ladakh along the Indus River.

We’ll be getting acclimatized in Kullu Valley, the Switzerland of India, at a hotel next to Nagar Castle, the former seat of the kings of Kullu. Once we leave the “civilized world” behind, we’ll be camping in spectacular settings and sleeping in remote mountain lodges. Our local crew will keep us supplied with food, water, fuel and spare parts, and will take care of the logistics and catering in our camps. Once we arrive in Ladakh, we’ll have 8 days to visit the renowned Hemis, Tikkse, Mathko, Likkir, Lamayauru and Alchi monasteries, and to ride up the Khardung La, the world’s highest motorable pass at 5,605 meters. The equally breathtaking Fatu La pass will take us back down into the lower Zanskar Valley to Chilling.

In Leh, we’ll have time to shop and relax. We’ve run this tour over 20 times since 1994, taking over 250 bikers onto the world’s highest pass.



2 . WILD ZANSKAR AND THE BEST OF LADAKH

This exciting tour will take us deep into the Himalayas, into the remote Zanskar Valley that until recently was only accessible on foot.

We start by flying from Delhi to Leh. From there, we’ll follow the Indus downstream toward the west until we reach the confluence of the Zanskar. Crossing the Fotu La pass (4,094 m), we’ll enter another river valley, the Sangeluma Chu. At its end, we’ll head up Namika La pass (3,720 m) and follow a mountain stream, the Wakh, to its confluence into the Suru near Kargil, the gateway to Zanskar Valley.

 From Kargil, we'll head south into Baltistan’s Suru Valley. Our route will take us up the wild, rugged valley on a steady climb to Penzi La pass (4,400 m) and into the heart of Zanskar.

We’ll roll downhill past huge glaciers, taking it slowly and carefully on the rough track. Our destination is Padum, the end of the motorable world as we know it...

After exploring Zanskar, enough time will remain to get to know the highlights of the Indus Valley. We’ll be visiting the Likkir, Tikkse and Hemis monasteries and spending the night in Chilling on the lower Zanskar River, as well as in the Alchi oasis. One of the genuine high points of this tour – literally – is our ride up the world’s highest motorable road, the Khardung La pass (5,605 m).

The TOUR PROFILE – applies to both tours:

Solid riding skills, a sense of adventure and flexibility are a must when taking part in our Himalaya motorcycle expeditions, which cover around 1,700 km and considerable altitude differences. Road conditions vary from freshly-paved to rough tracks. While we never actually leave the road, off-road skills can come in handy on some of the tracks we use. It’s also important to note that it’s virtually impossible to predict the weather and road conditions in the Himalayas in the months following the monsoon. Landslides and abrupt weather changes can force us to change our tour program on very short notice.

CLIMATE AND BEST SEASONS

The temperatures during the tour vary in the range you would expect on a summer tour of the Alps or Rockies. Warm riding gear is a must, but you can also expect tropical heat at times. In extreme cases, you can expect night-time temperatures below freezing when camping in the Himalayas, with daytime highs typically around 10°C. The humidity is extremely low – virtually a desert climate. Skin lotion, lip balm and sun blocker are a must.

The PARTICIPANTS

A maximum of 11 bikers on Enfields, of which up to six can also ride in the jeep. A seat is reserved in the jeep for every pillion passenger.
A minimum of six participants is required for the tour, which has a maximum number of 14 participants plus the crew. We recommend booking early due to the great demand for this tour and its complex logistics.

The TOUR PROFILE

Wherever possible, we stay in hotels, tourist bungalows and government rest houses, in double rooms with en-suite showers/WCs. Sometimes we have to fall back on dorm-style accommodations in places where our usual standard isn’t available, however. Our crew also carries camping gear to give us the greatest possible autonomy. In some places, local accommodations are so poor that we simply prefer camping in a beautiful spot in the countryside. It also ensures that we’re always ready for sudden weather changes, delays or detours, thus avoiding long, forced rides to often-remote hotels. Our catering crew prepares breakfast and dinner for us when camping. We’ll also eat in hotel restaurants whenever they seem suitable. Lunch will usually consist of a snack on the road. Participants should bring their own sleeping bags, truly warm foam mats, and suitable rain gear.

The CREW

Our English-speaking German tour guides are skilled motorcyclists and inveterate travelers who have spent years on the road in the Himalayas. They’re resilient in the face of stress and have considerable knowledge of the history and culture of the regions they cover. Our local mechanics also have years of experience accompanying us on the road, following groups in the support jeep. Our local catering and camp crew is responsible for setting up and tearing down camp, cooking, and handling our water and fuel supplies.

INDIAN BLOOD, ENGLISH HEART
Our ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 500

Essentially 1950s English technology with only subtle updates, our Bullets have been fitted with touring gear and optimized as reliable workhorses that are at home on rugged terrain. The English pedal arrangement – brake on the left, gear change on the right with a reversed pattern – isn’t as daunting as it may sound. The Bullet weighs 170 kg dry, and its 500cc, single-cylinder four-stroke engine delivers 23 horsepower with the torque characteristic of a steam engine – a living classic with the stuff of a cult bike. Our talented mechanics have the tuning skills to ensure that our Bullets keep going strong, even at the highest altitudes.






The Ladakh Overland motorcycle expedition – the route

5,605 meters (18,390 feet) above sea level – welcome to the world’s highest motorable pass! The way up is tough and adventurous, however. We’ll be heading northward through the Himalayas on National Highway 21 – a narrow road that snakes along a precipice. It’s mostly paved, but frequently strewn with rocks, or slippery with mud or snow. 3,975 m, 4,980 m, 5,065 m, 5,328 m and finally 5,608 meters altitude at Khardung La pass – it’s the ultimate challenge for bikes and bikers – the Highway to Heaven!

In this awe-inspiring landscape, we’ll get to know the warm hospitality of the Buddhist Ladakhis, experience the spirituality of their impressive monasteries, admire the colorful royal city of Leh, and let our minds take us back in time at the ancient campsites of the caravans. By nature, tours through this utterly remote region have the character of expeditions, and only the external framework can be planned with complete certainty.

With the Taglang La (5328 m) and Khardung La (5608 m), we’ll be tackling the two highest motorable passes in the world. The 480 km overland route from Ladakh to the upper Indus Valley was not opened for civilian traffic until 1989. We’ll be entering it from Manali Valley, camping in a variety of environments, exploring inaccessible side valleys, and approaching the whole tour without a rigid schedule.

Day 1: Delhi and transfer to Kullu
Arrival in Delhi early in the morning. Transfer to hotel in the city center. During the day, you’ll have time for sightseeing. The transfer to the departure of the deluxe semi-sleeper bus, with two seats reserved for each participant, is scheduled for the afternoon. We’ll be departing for the Himalayas in the early evening.

Day 2: Relaxation and a short hike, hotel in Nagar (1,760 m)
We’ll arrive in Kullu Valley in the morning. Our hotel is beautifully situated on a slope next to Nagar Castle, with a view of the lush vegetation of the valley and gleaming snow-capped peaks. The day starts with a meeting with our crew and an introduction to the bikes and the immediate surroundings. Group dinner.

Day 3: Warm-up tour, 80 km, hotel in Nagar (1,760 m)
Today is the start of the tour – and perhaps a beautiful friendship – with our faithful Enfields: We’ll explore the Beas Valley on roads and tracks overlooking the river.

Day 4: Manali and Solang Valley, 60 km
Idyllically set among forested hills, Manali is perfect for shopping in the bazaar, visiting the Buddhist temple, or relaxing on the veranda of one of the many cafés overlooking the old town. We’ll be spending the night in a comfortable resort on the edge of town.

Day 5: Over Rohtang Pass (3,890 m), hotel in Keylong (3,350 m), 100 km
In Tibetan, “Rohtang” means “a pile of corpses”, and the pass once marked the end of the inhabitable world in the imagination of many Indians. Even today, crossing the pass can be an adventure, with convoys of trucks and a track muddy with meltwater providing our first proper challenge. From here on out, the road is our destination, especially for the next four days. On the ninth day of our journey, we’ll reach Leh, an exotic green oasis in the otherwise arid Greater Himalayas – at the point where our highway meets the old Silk Road from China to Persia. Near Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul, we’ll be spending the night in a hotel near the confluence of the Bagha and Chandra rivers (3,350 m).

 Day 6: Baralacha Pass (4,890 m), camp near Sarchu (4,250 m), 100 km
The vegetation is getting sparse at this point and the rugged mountain ranges are becoming ever loftier. After crossing the pass behind the tiny mountain village of Sarchu, we’ll be setting up camp at Brandy Nalla.

Day 7: Lachalang Pass (5,065 m), Taglang La pass (5,360 m), camp near Rumtse (4,200 m), 180 km
Today will be a tough day in the saddle. We’ll ride from Sarchu over Lachalang La pass (5,065 m) to the vast lunar landscape of the Moore Plains at 4,300 meters. From there, we’ll begin our ascent of the Taglang La pass (5,360 m). After a stop at the crest for a quick toast and summit photo op, we’ll be descending to 4,400 meters, setting up camp near the first Ladakhi village.

Day 8: Indus Valley – Tikse monastery – Leh, hotel (3,550 m), 100 km
At Uphsi we’ll enter the Indus Valley, rolling on to the Tikse monastery. We’ll be spending the night in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. At 3,550 meters, the air is noticeably thicker.

Day 9: Leh, sightseeing and rest, hotel in Leh
We’ll be starting the day with a leisurely breakfast, followed by a stroll through town to the royal palace, shopping in the bazaars of the old city, or a ride up to the stupa overlooking Leh. We’ll be having dinner in a restaurant with a beer garden (!)

Day 10: The Khardung La pass – 5,606 meters! Hotel in Leh, 100 km
Today we’ll tackle the 50 km ascent to the highest motorable road in the world, the Khardung La pass (5.606 m). After a quick breather and photos at the summit, it’ll be time to descend. In the evening, we may make an excursion to Stok to a local family for a dance presentation and dinner.

Day 11: Into wild Zanskar, camp near Chilling, 100 km
In the early morning, we’ll be able to take part in the Buddhist morning meditation in the Tikse monastery. After breakfast, we’ll start our day’s journey from Leh, through the rugged Indus Valley, down to the mouth of the Zanskar. We’ll be following it upstream through a wild valley to Chilling (3,400 m). The only way to ascend further from here would be on the often brittle ice of the river in winter...

Day 12: Westwards to Alchi, guest house, 180 km
Back down at the Indus, we’ll continue to Basgo, the ancient capital of western Ladakh, with its impressive temple and palace ruins. We’ll cross the Indus on the way to the idyllic oasis of Alchi. Alchi’s monastery contains impressive murals dating back to the 10th century – the greatest artistic treasures of Ladakh.

Day 13: Fatu La pass and Lamayura, guest house in Alchi, 180 km
After a morning visit to the monastery, we’ll be heading out to the westernmost point of our tour, into little-known regions of the Indus Valley. We’ll be crossing Futu Pass to the panorama road overlooking Moon Valley. Our destination for the day is the Lamayuru monastery, situated in an amazing craggy landscape at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. We’ll be returning to Alchi for the night.

Day 14: To Hemis in eastern Ladakh, camp near the monastery, 160 km
We’ll once again pass through Leh, first visiting the idyllic Matho monastery, then traveling on a side road to Hemis, the wealthiest and most ornate monastery in Ladakh.

Day 15: Last night in Ladakh, hotel in Leh, 100 km
The beautiful grounds of the monastery and the bejeweled Buddha statue inside will be our last contact to the living Buddhism of the red-robed monks of Ladakh. We’ll spend the last night in Leh.

Day 16: Flight to Delhi, sightseeing and shopping
Our domestic flight back to the capital will be leaving in the morning. Our good midrange hotel with day rooms is centrally located in downtown New Delhi, the modern business center of the city. We’ll take time for sightseeing in the bazaars of Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk. After our farewell dinner and one last round, a bus will take us to the airport.

Day 17: Flight back home
Early in the morning we will start back to europe.

Total length approx. 1,500 km


 

Wild Zanskar and the Best of Ladakh – the tour route


Day 1: Flight to Leh, time to acclimatize.
Pick-up at the international airport, transfer to domestic airport, flight to Leh with Jet Airways, departure around 6:30 am, arrival around 7:45 am, transfer to hotel, free time for the remainder of the morning to acclimatize to the elevation of 3,600 m. In the afternoon, we’ll meet to prepare for the motorcycle tour, and have a group welcome dinner in the evening.

Day 2: Warm-up tour – Tikks and Hemis monastery, 80 km
Time for the warm-up tour: our first excursion with our Enfields to Ladakh’s most famous monasteries, Hemis and Tikse. That evening, we’ll be having an Indian tandoori dinner in the beer garden restaurant.

Day 3: Start of tour to Alchi – Basgo and Likkir, 70 km
At the start of the tour, we’ll visit the ruins of the ancient Basgo royal fortress and the picturesque Likir monastery with its huge, free-standing snake Buddha on the way to Alchi. We’ll spend the night in a simple guest house in Alchi (3,200 m), an oasis on the Indus River which is home to the oldest monastery in Ladakh. Our catering crew will pamper us today for the first time.

Day 4: Over Fatu La pass to Kargil – Lamayaru monastery, 190 km
We’ll pass the impressive Lamayuru monastery – and visiting it on the way back –, continuing ever upwards to Fatu La pass (4,000 m).
We’ll then descend into Baltistan Valley to the garrison city Kargil, the gateway to Zanskar valley. A hotel at the bazaar (2,600 m) will be our home for the night.

Day 5: Suru Valley – camping, 90 km 
Through the beautiful, wild Zanskar valley. We’ll be leaving paved roads behind today, continuing on a dusty track at average speeds of around 20 kph. Ascending to the herdsman’s village of Parkachik, we’ll set up camp in a meadow at 3,900 meters, surrounded by towering mountains.

Day 6: Penzi La pass, Rangdum monastery, 90 km
Today, we’ll ascend the adventurous track further until we reach Penzi La pass (4,401 m) and visit the tiny Rangdum mountain monastery before descending along a huge glacier at the entrance to Zanskar Valley. We’ll be camping on a meadow at the Zanskar River at nearly 4,000 meters.

Day 7: Zanskar Valley, Padum and Karsha monastery, 90 km
Around noon, we’ll reach Padum, the only small town in Zanskar, which has a population of over 1,000 in the summer. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Karsha monastery, a medieval oasis of peace and an important center of the Buddhist faith. We’ll be spending the night in the best guest house in town, the simple but comfortable Hotel Ibex (approx. 3,500 m).

Day 8: Half-day tour to Thongde monastery, relaxing in Padum, 80 km
Today, we’ll be heading out to the Thongde monastery, which overlooks the Zanskar river from a rocky outcrop – a special highlight and the favorite of our pilot group in 2006. The afternoon is set aside for relaxing in the hotel garden and shopping in Padum. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Day 9: Zanskar Valley, riding to Parkachik, 170 km
Our return trip starts with a longer ride. We’ll be crossing Penzi La pass (4,401 m) and spending another night camped on a meadow near Parkachik Glacier.

Day 10: Suru Valley, filling up in Kargil, camping in Mulbekh, 110 km
Descending through Suru Valley to Kargil, we’ll come across our first filling station in 550 km! We’ll spend the night camping in Whaka Chu Valley near Mulbekh at around 3,800 meters.

Day 11: Lower Zanskar Valley to camp in Chilling, 150 km
Crossing Fatu La pass, we reach the Indus Valley. A new track begins at the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers, leading us up to the village of Chilling (3,400 m), which is known for its copper work. We’ll be setting up our camp one last time in an idyllic location nearby.

Day 12: Back to Leh, 120 km.
We’ll visit the village of Chilling in the morning before returning to Leh, the start and finish of the ride.

Day 13: Day trip to Khardung La, the world’s highest pass! 110 km.
Today we’ll be reaching the high point of our tour – literally. 40 km on the road and 2,000 meters ascent to Khardung La pass, the highest motorable road in the world – a unique experience! There will be time for relaxation and shopping in the afternoon. Farewell dinner with the crew in the evening.

Day 14: Flight to Delhi, excursion to Old Delhi
Morning flight to New Delhi with Jet Airways 9W1610, departure at 8:25 am, arrival in Delhi at 9:40 am. Transfer to a hotel near Connaught Circus in central Delhi, followed by a short sightseeing tour in Old Delhi and our farewell dinner. Spätabends Transfer zum internationalen Flughafen und Check-Inn zum Abflug nach Europa.

Day 15: Return flight
Departure from Delhi to home country...

Tour Map:     
           

The TOUR PROFILE:

Challenging. Solid riding skills and a sense of adventure are essential. Total length of the Ladakh Overland tour: approx. 1,500 km, nearly all on paved roads.

Total length of the Zanskar tour: approx. 1,350 km, of which around 500 km are on unpaved trails.

If we consider key parts of the route to be impassable due to inclement weather before the start of the tour, we will offer alternatives – possibly even an entirely new tour.

TOUR SERVICES:

On the Ladakh Overland tour: transfer from Delhi to Kullu/Manali in semi-sleeper luxury tour bus (2 seats per person); flight from Leh to Delhi

On the Zanskar tour: domestic flights from Delhi to Leh and Leh to Delhi / All airport transfers

On both tours:

• hotel accommodation in double rooms, mostly with en-suite shower/WC, accommodation in the camps in alpine 2-man tents, large separate common tent for breakfast and evening meals
• breakfast and dinner, including non-alcoholic beverages, lunch and mineral water during the motorcycle tour 
• all road and bridge tolls and admission fees for the entire program
• Enfield Bullet 500 rental motorcycle with comprehensive insurance (€500.00 deductible)
• touring gear, fuel, oil and all replacement parts
• English-speaking guide for the entire duration of the tour
• support jeep for baggage, second 4WD vehicle for crew, tents and catering
• catering and camp crew
• experienced motorcycle mechanics
• reserved seat in support jeep for all pillion passengers
• warm-up program for all riders