Kashmir & Ladakh

16-Days Guided Motorcycle Expedition

______________________

Dates: June 01 -16, 2024

Cost: INR 79,000* / USD 1190*

Overview

Embark on the ultimate adventure through the breathtaking landscapes of Kashmir and Ladakh, where rugged mountains meet serene valleys, and ancient cultures thrive against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty. Our motorcycle tour invites you to explore the majestic Himalayas, winding through remote villages, past turquoise lakes, and across high-altitude passes. Feel the thrill of conquering some of the world's highest motorable roads while immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of local traditions and hospitality. Whether you're a seasoned rider seeking an adrenaline rush or a nature enthusiast yearning for exploration, join us for an unforgettable journey into the heart of the Himalayas.

SKILL

Intermediate

DURATION

16 Days / 15 Nights

START & END

Chandigarh

ACCOMMODATION

Hotels / Guesthouses / Camps

SUPPORT VEHICLE

Included

DISTANCE

2800 Kms

GROUP SIZE

15 Max / 10 Min

DAILY RIDES

25 - 420 Kms

TERRAIN

70% Tarmac

30% Off-road

MECHANIC

Included

Tour Highlights

Conquer the World's Highest Motorable road - Umling La (19,024 ft)
Ride the Lake circuit covering Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Kar.
Boat ride in famous Dal lake in Srinagar
Visit the natural Hot springs near Tso Moriri
Learn about the lifestyle of monks at Hemis Monastery
Walk the Sand Dunes of Hunder
Take a ride on a Bactrian /double-hump camel
Ride thru the World's longest high altitude tunnels - Banihal & Atal tunnels

Itinerary

Patnitop - Srinagar (170 Kms)

After breakfast, our ride will take us to the beautiful Srinagar valley. Srinagar is the largest city in the Jammu valley and is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. Enclosed by splendid Pir Panjal mountains and Mughal Gardens, the city used to the summer getaway place for the Mughal & British Royalty earlier. Dal Lake is the most popular attraction in Srinagar. Check-in to the hotel. In the evening, we will take a boat ride in the canopied Shikaras sailing on the Dal Lake to watch the sunset.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Srinagar.

Srinagar - Kargil (210 kms)

After breakfast, get ready for an adventurous ride. Our first stop will be at Sonmarg where you can soak all the beauty of the grasslands and mountain peaks. Then we ride across the mighty Zoji La Pass to reach Drass Village, the second coldest inhabited place on Earth. Visit the War memorial. Soak in the amazing views of Kargil, Tiger Hill and other famous peaks from the Kargil War.

Overnight stay at the Hotel in Kargil.

Leh – Khardung La - Nubra Valley (130 Kms)

After breakfast, be ready for a scenic ride. Our first stop will be at the gateway to Nubra and Shyok valleys - Khardung La (18,380 ft), one of the world's highest motorable road. From here we descend into Nubra valley and head to Diskit monastery. The view of the tall Chamba (Buddha) statue overlooking the Nubra valley is beautiful beyond words. Last stop for the day will be the sand dunes of Hundar. Take a ride on the Bactrian (Double humped) camel and watch the sun set over the mountain ranges.

Overnight stay at Guest house / Camp in Hundar with Bonfire. If you love taking pictures then you must definitely try some astral photography here.

Hunder - Thang - Hunder (200 Kms)

After breakfast, we ride along the Shyok river to Turtuk and then to Thang which is the border village along the Indo-Pakistan border. Soak in the beauty of the lush green fields lined with apricot trees with the Karakorum range in the backdrop. Explore Turtuk or Tyakshi village of the Baltistan region and taste the local food of the Balti people who look completely different from rest of the Ladakhis. Post lunch, we stop at the Siachen warriors memorial and then back to Hunder.

Overnight stay at the Guest house / Camp in Hunder.

Hunder - Pangong Tso (180 Kms)

Today will be an early start as we continue the ride along the Shyok river to the breath-taking Pangong Tso. Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). This pristine mosaic of myriad shades of blue, is said to be one of the highest brackish water lakes in the world. You have the evening free to go crazy with photoshoots.

Overnight stay in Swiss tents in Spangmik / Man / Merak.

Arrive at Chandigarh

Arrive at the pre-booked hotel in Chandigarh. Tour briefing will be in the evening where you meet the tour leader and fellow participants of the tour. Tour leader will brief you about the route, various safety measures and riding tips followed by a quick check-up of the bikes and gear. Now you are all set for an epic adventure.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh – Patnitop (420 Kms)

After an early breakfast, we will leave the city and start riding towards Jammu along the lush green fields of Punjab. It will be a long ride on 4 lane highways till we reach the foothills before Jammu followed by a short ride in the hills in winding roads to reach Patnitop. The temperature gets a lot cooler once we reach the foothills and the mornings are very beautiful to take a walk around Patnitop.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Patnitop.

Pangong Tso - Hanle (200 Kms)

Get ready for some hardcore adventure as we ride to remote village of Hanle along Man, Merak & Chusul. This will be one of the most deserted roads most people would have ridden/driven in their life. Our destination for the day is one of the historic villages of Ladakh, Hanle. Home to the 17th century Hanle monastery and world's 3rd highest optical telescope, Hanle is a must-visit place for anyone visiting Ladakh. The night sky seen here is the most beautiful and magical with millions of stars visible to the naked eye.

Overnight say at Hotel / Guest house in Hanle.

Hanle - Umling La - Hanle (180 Kms)

Today will be adrenaline pumping day as ride to the world's highest Motorable road - Umling la (19,024 ft) thru some of the most deserted plains of Ladakh. We'll be able to spot few Himalayan Wild Ass - an endangered species, native to the high altitude plains of Himalayas. Spend few minutes at the World's Highest cafe and take a lot of pics to celebrate your achievement and also to make your friends jealous. Then we proceed to a kick-ass spot to watch the sunset over the Hanle River

Overnight stay in Hotel / Guest house in Hanle.

Hanle - Tso Moriri (160 Kms)

Today will be one more day of adventure riding. From Hanle, we ride to Tso Moriri aka the Mountain Lake in the Changthang plateau. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. The lake is at an altitude of 4,522 m (14,836 ft). It is the largest of the high altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region. This 26 km long lake and the laid back village of Karzok are way less crowded than Pangong and is a very peaceful place to watch the sunrise or sunset.

Overnight stay in Hotel / camp in Karzok.

Karzok - Tso Kar - Sarchu (210 Kms)

Rise early and watch the sun rise over the lake from your hotel room or swiss tent. After breakfast, we head towards the third lake which is part of the Ladakh lake circuit, Tso Kar. The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies: Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh. If we are lucky, we will be able to spot few some endangered birds. From here, we head to Sarchu riding thru More plains, Lachung la, Naki la and the famous Gata Loops.

Overnight stay at the Camp in Sarchu.

Sarchu - Manali (180 Kms)

Witness the effects of altitude and rainfall on the vegetation while we ride from Sarchu to Manali. From dry cold deserts, the terrain changes to beautiful greenery while we reach the Solang valley. One of the highlights of this day's ride is the newly opened 9 Kms long Atal tunnel. An engineering marvel, this tunnel is above 10,000ft in altitude and is certified as the world's highest highway tunnel. This day, we get back into civilization when we reach Manali. Vashist temple, Jogni waterfalls, Manu temple and Mall road are some of the places to visit in Manali.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Manali.

Inclusions

Overnights stay on a two-sharing basis in carefully selected Hotels / Guest houses / Camps
Breakfast and Dinner on all tour days
Water, soft drinks and coffee / tea in connection with the meals
Experienced English-speaking Tour leader on his bike
Experienced mechanic for the entire tour (Minimum 4 riders)
Backup vehicle with driver to carry your luggage (Minimum 4 riders)
Oxygen cylinder and Basic First-Aid during the tour
Evening Bonfire (wherever possible)
Inner line permits for all restricted areas
Driver expenses/ toll tax/ Parking charges
Ladakh Union Fee and Wildlife fees for restricted areas

Exclusions

Airfare & Visa
Cost of Lunch is not included
Damages to the motorcycle
Any expense incurred due to unforeseen circumstances like landslides, earthquakes, accidents etc
All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature such as snacks, alcohol, table drinks, laundry, tips to drivers or local guides or to any hotel staff.
Travel insurance (cover against cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident or illness). We highly recommend you arrange an appropriate insurance in your home country

Things to Carry

Passport, Visa & International Driving Permit (For Foreigners)
Original Driving License
DOT/ECE/ISI Full face helmet with visor / goggles
Riding Jacket
Riding Pants or Jeans with protective knee guards
Riding gloves
Riding boots with shin & ankle protection
Waterproof socks or Gum boots
Rain gear
Thermals, cold weather gloves & socks
Skull cap / Beanie / Fleece buff
Polarized Sunglasses
Hydration pack or Water bottle
Sun screen lotion - SPF 30 or higher
Lip Balm & Cold cream
Prescription medicines if any
Spare power glasses if applicable

Packages

Own Bike

Rider Cost - INR 79,000

Pillion Cost - INR 59,000

Rental Bike (Royal Enfield Himalayan or Bullet 500 cc)

Rider Cost - INR 1,19,000

Pillion Cost - INR 59,000

(Refundable safety deposit of INR 10,000 is applicable for rental bikes against any damages caused during the tour)

Seat in Backup Vehicle

Per person - INR 59,000

Upgrade to Single Occupancy room (Optional)

Per person - INR 15,000

Photography Package (Optional)

Portrait/Action Photoshoot by a professional Photographer in most scenic backgrounds during the tour with minimum of 20 printable HD pictures.

Per person - INR 10,000

(Above cost is excluding GST. 5% GST is applicable on all of the above cost)

Above pricing is exclusive for Indian Citizens. Foreign nationals who are interested in this tour, please get in touch with us for the cost.

Safety & Precautions

This tour is categorized as an Adventure motorcycle tour because of the various challenges it presents. Apart from the mind-blowing landscapes and various vistas you get to see, there is also the excitement of riding a motorcycle in such inhospitable terrains and treacherous roads.

Out of the many things that you need to be prepared for a trip to Ladakh, the most important thing is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Since we will be climbing very high altitudes in short span of time on multiple occasions and riding in border roads with politically sensitive regions, it is mandatory to follow the safety precautions set by the organizers for your own safety. Also, you are advised to get a health checkup done not more than 15 days before the start of the trip and provide a copy to the organizers. Other safety precautions will be shared during the briefing on Day 1 before the start of the tour.

Please note that Ladakh is geographically located at a very sensitive part of the country and geo-political situations can change at any point of time. In case of adverse weather conditions or any travel restrictions are placed by the government due to political situations or Covid-19 restrictions, Twisted Trails Adventures will adhere to the rules and can modify the route or cancel the tour as per the government's guidelines.

Kashmir & Ladakh

16-Days Guided Motorcycle Expedition

______________________

Dates: June 01 -16, 2024

Cost: INR 79,000* / USD 1190*

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