Planning to rent a bike in Manali for your Ladakh trip, Spiti Valley adventure, or just a day ride to Rohtang Pass? The thrill of riding through the Himalayas on two wheels is something every adventure enthusiast dreams about. However, renting a motorcycle in Manali comes with its own set of challenges, and being well-prepared can make the difference between an amazing trip and a miserable one.
I have been watching the bike rental scene in Manali evolve for over a decade now. From a handful of shops offering beat-up Bullets to today’s wide selection of Royal Enfield Himalayans, Classics, and even adventure tourers, things have changed a lot. In this article, I will share 21 practical tips that will help you rent a bike in Manali the right way, whether you are heading to Leh, Kaza, or Zanskar Valley.
Last Updated: February 2026
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Should You Carry Your Own Bike or Rent a Motorcycle in Manali?
Before we get into the rental tips, let me address the most common question first. If your own bike is in decent condition, it is always the best bet to ship your own bike and make the journey on it. The rented bikes come no way close in terms of reliability, stability, fuel efficiency, and overall mechanical condition compared to your own bike.
I am not an ardent biker myself, but I have had countless conversations with bikers and members of the DwD Community who rent bikes from Manali every season. The consensus is clear: your own bike always wins. However, if shipping is not an option, then renting from Manali is perfectly doable as long as you follow the tips below.
The cost factor may not vary much when compared, but the RISK of taking hired bikes is far higher than what it can save you in cost terms. Depending upon your plan for a Ladakh trip, you can ship your bike to any of these places: Mandi, Chandigarh, Delhi, or Srinagar.
Similarly, in case you are making a trip to Spiti Valley, you can ship your own bike to any of these places and ride either from the Kinnaur Valley side or from Manali.
If you have your own bike and are confused about how to carry it via train, then please refer to the article: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
Where Can You Rent a Bike or Motorcycle in Manali?
There are several tour operators, mechanical workshops, and mechanics in Manali who offer bike rental services. The main areas where you will find bike rental shops are Old Manali, Mall Road area, and Vashisht. All three areas have plenty of options, and competition keeps prices relatively similar across shops.
Make sure that you test the bike thoroughly, understand the terms and conditions, and always try to rent after seeing the bike in person rather than booking over the phone. There has been a mixed response from travelers after booking bikes over the phone, and a few ugly instances have been reported as well.
Hence, I always suggest reaching Manali first and then looking among the many bike rental shops before making the call. In case you are one of those people who do not like to take any risk at all in peak Ladakh or Spiti season, then you may opt to book online or over the phone with some reliable bike rental shop in Manali. Just keep in mind that you will have less control over the bike you actually get.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Bike in Manali in 2026?
As of 2026, the cost of hiring a bike or motorcycle in Manali ranges from about Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500 per day depending on the model, make, and condition of the bike you choose. Here is a rough breakdown of the current rental rates in Manali.
| Bike Model | Rental Per Day (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Classic 350 | Rs 1,200 – Rs 1,500 |
| Royal Enfield Himalayan | Rs 1,500 – Rs 2,500 |
| Royal Enfield Meteor 350 | Rs 1,200 – Rs 1,800 |
| Royal Enfield Hunter 350 | Rs 1,000 – Rs 1,200 |
| Bajaj Pulsar / Avenger | Rs 800 – Rs 1,200 |
| Scooty / Activa (local rides) | Rs 500 – Rs 800 |
Keep in mind that the newer UCE and Himalayan models cost more to rent but offer significantly better mileage and reliability. As suggested by experienced riders in our community, paying more upfront for a well-maintained bike serves two purposes: fewer breakdowns and better fuel efficiency. The mileage difference between an old carbureted Bullet and a newer Himalayan can be well above 10 kmpl.
As for security deposit, be ready to shell out anywhere from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for local rides (Manali to Rohtang and back), and Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 for long-route trips to Ladakh or Spiti. The exact amount depends upon the bike rental shop and the bike you select. You will also need to deposit one of your original identity proofs like Aadhaar card, PAN card, or passport along with the money.
Important: Bikes rented in Manali are NOT allowed for sightseeing in Ladakh. You will need to rent a separate bike in Leh for local sightseeing to places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri. The locals have check posts and barricades on all tourist routes and they will stop you to verify that the motorcycle is locally registered. Some Manali bike rental shops have tie-ups with Leh rental shops, in which case the Manali shop will charge you about 50% of the per-day rate for the days their bike is parked in Leh. However, please confirm all terms and conditions in writing before you finalize any deal.
What Are the Essential Tips for Renting a Bike in Manali?
Let me share with you some very important tips on renting a bike in Manali and things to consider before finalizing the deal. These 15 tips are based on years of feedback from DwD Community members and fellow travelers.
1. Check the Rental Bike Condition in Manali
First and foremost, the conditions of bikes on rent in Manali are not always great after being battered in hostile mountain conditions for several years. Although things are improving and you can now find newer models, you still need to pay more upfront to get a well-maintained rental bike. I suggest spending extra time inspecting the bike rather than rushing into a deal.
2. Make Sure You Have a Valid Driving License
You must have a valid, permanent driving license (not a learner’s license) to hire a motorcycle in Manali. No reputable agency will rent you a bike without one. If you are a foreign national, you will need an International Driving Permit. Some amount of experience riding in the hills will be an added advantage. It is always better to avoid challenging roads like Manali to Kaza or Leh to Manali unless you have some prior hill riding experience.
3. Better to Rent a Bike in Person, Avoid Phone Bookings
Avoid booking your bikes over the phone or Internet and always prefer hunting the right bike once you reach Manali. You must visit a few bike rental shops and see what everyone has to offer. You never know, you may find an out-of-the-box solution right away. Booking over the phone does not leave you with many options, and you do not have much control over what they will actually give you.
Wasting time searching for the right bike rental in Manali is much better than wasting time stranded in the middle of Manali – Leh Highway with no help around.
Make sure you are finalizing the rates with the right person and handing over the security deposit to the right guy in the rental shop.
4. Avoid Renting an Old Motorcycle
Some dealers provide old bikes, and you should know how to detect them to minimize the chances of being stuck in the middle of nowhere. So, it is quite important that you have some mechanical understanding of the basic parts so that you can detect any fault or guess the age of the bike after inspecting the parts. Beware of shops that try to pass off an old bike as “recently serviced.”
5. Go for a Test Ride Locally Before the Big Trip
Whenever you rent a bike in Manali, spare a day for testing the bike locally and getting any necessary fixes done right there in Manali itself, or replace the bike with a better version. This one-day testing will minimize the chances of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. A breakdown at a place like Taglang La, where oxygen content is low and you might already be dealing with AMS symptoms, is not something you want to experience. Hence, it is important to test the rented bike thoroughly.
6. Learn Basic Bike Mechanics Before Your Trip
It always helps to have some mechanical knowledge for doing basic fixes and repairs. You never know when you will need such skills on these rented bikes on Manali to Kaza road or Manali – Leh Highway. At the very least, learn how to change a spark plug, fix a flat tire, and clean the air filter.
7. Carry Spare Parts and Check for the Basic Toolkit
Do not forget to carry extra spare parts (at least the basic ones) even if you are going on your own bike, forget about hired bikes. Always make sure that the bike rental shop provides you with the basic toolkit, at least a single rider helmet, spare tube, and other common spare parts like chain links and spark plugs. Try to get as much as you can. You can check a complete list of things to carry on a bike trip to Ladakh for a comprehensive packing list.
8. Consider a Backup Vehicle and Mechanic If Budget Allows
If you are OK with the budget, carrying a backup mechanic with you is an excellent idea. Some groups also take an extra backup vehicle (car) to carry luggage, spare fuel, spare parts, and the mechanic. It is a safeguarded approach, but carrying an extra mechanic and backup vehicle will add to the cost factor significantly. If you have a decent group size, like 4 to 6 people, it will be worth the cost to ride with peace of mind. Hence, you need to judiciously decide whether it fits in the budget or not.
9. Beware of Mileage and Carry Spare Fuel
Most hired bikes offer poor mileage, and hence it is always better to play safe and carry a sufficient amount of spare fuel after analyzing the fuel efficiency on the test run. Never count on what the bike rental shop claims about the mileage. For detailed information on fuel availability on the route, you can check fuel availability in Leh – Ladakh.
10. Verify All Rental Bike Documents
Make sure that the RC (Registration Certificate), Insurance, and PUC (Pollution Under Control) documents related to the rented motorcycle are provided, they are up to date, and are completely valid. After all, you do not want to land in some dismal situation on your lifetime trip. Keep these documents handy because you will be checked at multiple points along the highway.
11. Discuss and Understand All Terms and Conditions
Make sure that you have in writing what you need to do in case you crash the bike or damage some parts. Generally, the bike will be transported to the nearest garage and the cost of repairs needs to be paid by the renter. Also, check out the other details like who will bear the transportation cost, what happens if the bike becomes non-repairable, and how the security deposit refund process works. Get everything in writing.
12. Ask for Luggage Support or a Ladakh Carrier
Many bike rental shops in Manali provide Royal Enfield luggage carriers that have luggage support (Ladakh Carrier) as well as space to carry jerry cans. You may not find these things on other bike models though. Make sure the shop has bolted it properly and it is well equipped and will not fall off in the middle of the road.
13. Inspect and Document Any Scratches or Dents
Make sure you inspect the bike from all corners and call out any scratches, cracks, or dents to the shop person. Get them documented in writing or take photos and videos with a timestamp so that you can avoid issues when returning the bike. Otherwise, some bike rental shops in Manali may attempt to squeeze money from security deposits at the end of the trip. This is one of the most common complaints I hear from fellow travelers.
14. Confirm Terms in Case of Breakdown
You must confirm the terms and conditions about the pickup and replacement of the bike in case of a breakdown. This confirmation is important because you may end up in a mess if the bike breaks down in the middle of nowhere and there is no clear agreement. Most bike rental shops in Manali will provide pickup support in case of a breakdown, but it is better to confirm upfront and have it in writing.
15. Enjoy the Ride Instead of Reckless Riding
It is always helpful to ride safely and with caution. You will find lots of lonely stretches on roads to Ladakh or Spiti Valley, but better keep yourself in check. Riding at high speed will waste your precious fuel, may lead to an out-of-control situation due to a sudden bump, and puts unnecessary pressure on an already worn-off engine of a Manali rental bike. You do not want to spoil your bike trip just for speeding. Start early, sleep early is the mantra for a safe Himalayan ride.
What Are the Mechanical Checks Before Renting a Bike in Manali?
Now, let us look at the technical and mechanical tips for renting a bike in Manali. These checks will help you get more confidence before heading out to Manali – Leh Highway or the Spiti circuit.
16. Check and Replace the Engine Oil
Make sure you check and replace the engine oil of your rental bike in front of yourself before starting the long trip up in the Himalayas. You should go for low-temperature engine oils that perform better at high altitudes. Sometimes bikes will have less engine oil than required, so ask for a proper replacement.
17. Check the Spark Plugs and Carry Spares
You must check the spark plugs because most rental motorcycles will face spark plug issues due to high altitude and rarefied oxygen. Hence, replace one at the start and carry a couple of spark plugs as spare on your trip. This is one of the most common issues bikers face on high passes above 15,000 feet.
18. Check for Worn-Out Tires
Inspect the tires of the rental bike and make sure they are not worn out. Good tread on the tires will help you avoid puncture hassles in the middle of nowhere and give you better grip on wet mountain roads and water crossings. For tips on handling water crossings, check out how to safely handle water crossings on a bike ride.
19. Look for Oil Leakages
Inspect the bike you are renting for any signs of oil leakages around the fenders, usually caused by broken oil seals in the front forks. Oil leakage is a serious issue that can leave you stranded, so do not ignore even minor signs.
20. Inspect the Air Filter
Ask the bike rental shop to show you the air filter. In case of any signs of dirtiness or clogging, it is better to ask for a replacement to have a trouble-free ride to Ladakh or Spiti. A dirty air filter at high altitude will cause performance issues and poor fuel efficiency.
21. Replace the Bike Based on Your Test Ride
Take the rental bike for a local test ride and get it replaced in case you notice any of the following issues:
- Roll in 2nd gear and notice any occurrence of false neutrals to detect troublesome gear tooth
- Any unnatural sound from the engine means trouble
- White smoke coming from the exhaust
- Check battery by blowing the horn and starting the bike repeatedly
- A noisy ride around the chainset and sprockets means trouble as well
- Ride on a steep climb and notice if the bike ascends smoothly. If not, this could indicate clutch plate issues. Ask for a convincing reason and decide.
What About the Rohtang Pass Two-Wheeler Ban?
This is something many first-time riders are not aware of. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned two-wheelers from entering Rohtang Pass for environmental protection. This ban has been in effect since 2015 and continues as of 2026. If you plan to ride to Rohtang Pass just for a day trip from Manali, your rented motorcycle will not be allowed beyond a certain point.
However, if you are traveling beyond Rohtang Pass towards Keylong, Jispa, or Leh, you can obtain a special permit from the SDM office in Manali. This permit is different from the regular Rohtang Pass permit for day tourists. Your bike rental shop in Manali can often help you with this process. For detailed information on the permit process, check the Rohtang Pass Permit guide.
Also keep in mind that the Atal Tunnel (opened in 2020) does NOT require a Rohtang permit. If you are heading to Ladakh or Lahaul via the Atal Tunnel, you can bypass Rohtang Pass entirely. Many riders now prefer this route as it saves both time and the permit hassle.
Which Bike Should You Rent in Manali for a Ladakh Trip?
This is a question I get asked very often. The honest answer is: the best bike for a Ladakh trip is the one you are comfortable controlling and riding. If you cannot control a bike or you are not comfortable with the riding position, then that is not the right bike for you, no matter how popular the model is.
That said, here is my take on the popular rental options in Manali as of 2026:
- Royal Enfield Himalayan: The best all-rounder for Ladakh and Spiti trips. Good ground clearance, comfortable riding position, decent mileage (around 30 kmpl), and handles rough terrain well. This is what I would recommend if budget allows.
- Royal Enfield Classic 350: The classic Bullet experience. Slightly less suited for off-road compared to Himalayan but a reliable choice for highway riding.
- Royal Enfield Meteor 350: Good for cruising on relatively smooth highways. Not ideal for heavily broken roads.
- Bajaj Pulsar / Avenger: Budget-friendly option, lighter bikes that are easier to handle for less experienced riders. However, ground clearance is lower.
- Scooty / Activa: Only suitable for local rides within Manali. Do not take a Scooty to Ladakh or Spiti unless you know exactly what you are doing. For more on this, check Ladakh trip on a 100cc bike or Scooty.
Can You Rent a Bike One-Way from Manali to Leh?
Yes, one-way bike rental from Manali to Leh is available. However, keep in mind that it will make a big hole in your pockets, my friend! Unless you are a hardcore biker who cannot live without a bike ride, or someone with a deep budget who is OK to shell out Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 just for the one-way drop and pickup, I would suggest considering other options. Round-trip rental works out much cheaper.
Also remember, as mentioned earlier, you will still need to rent a separate Leh-registered bike for local sightseeing in Ladakh. So, do the math carefully before opting for a one-way rental.
What Documents Do You Need to Rent a Bike in Manali?
Here is a quick checklist of documents required when you rent a bike in Manali:
- Valid Permanent Driving License (mandatory, learner’s license will not work)
- Government ID proof (Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, or voter ID). One original ID will be kept as deposit by most shops.
- International Driving Permit (for foreign nationals)
- Security deposit amount (in cash, Rs 2,000 to Rs 18,000 depending on trip duration)
I suggest keeping a photocopy or digital copy of any ID you deposit with the rental shop. It gives you a safety net in case of any disputes.
What About Renting a Bike in Leh for Local Sightseeing?
If you have reached Leh by flight or by bus and want to explore Ladakh on two wheels, renting a bike directly in Leh is your best option. As of 2026, bike rental rates in Leh range from Rs 800 to Rs 2,500 per day depending on the model.
The advantage of renting in Leh is that these bikes are locally registered, meaning you can legally ride to all restricted areas including Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, and Hanle. For a detailed list of bike rental rates in Leh, check out our Leh Ladakh bike rental rates article.
Keep in mind that Leh has a bike rental union, which means rates are more standardized compared to Manali. You will also need your Ladakh permits in order before heading out on any sightseeing route.
What Clothes and Gear Should You Carry for a Bike Trip?
Riding a motorcycle in the Himalayas is very different from riding in the plains. The weather can change dramatically within hours, and you need to be prepared for everything from scorching sun to freezing cold, rain, and even snow. Here are the essentials:
- Good quality riding jacket with armor (knee and elbow guards)
- Full-face helmet (do not rely on the rental shop’s helmet, bring your own if possible)
- Riding gloves (waterproof preferred)
- Rain gear (lightweight rain suit that goes over your riding gear)
- Warm layers for high passes (temperature can drop below freezing even in July)
- Riding boots (ankle protection is important for water crossings)
For a complete packing guide, check out clothes and accessories to carry for a Manali – Leh bike trip.
Safety Tips for Riding a Rented Bike in the Himalayas
I cannot stress this enough. Safety should be your top priority when riding in the Himalayas, especially on a rented bike that you are not 100% familiar with. Here are some important safety considerations:
- Acclimatize properly: Do not rush to high altitude on your first day. AMS is a real threat and it does not care whether you are riding your own bike or a rented one. Read our detailed guide on AMS prevention.
- Start early, ride slow: Mountain weather deteriorates by afternoon. Start riding by 6 to 7 AM and try to reach your destination by 3 to 4 PM.
- Do not ride after dark: Mountain roads are not lit and animals, unmarked potholes, and landslide debris are real hazards.
- Carry basic medicines: Diamox for AMS, painkillers, band-aids, and antiseptic cream at minimum.
- Inform someone about your route: Mobile network is spotty on most of the route. Tell someone your planned stops for each day.
- Ride in a group if possible: Solo bike rides are adventurous but risky, especially on a rented bike. Having at least one companion provides a safety net.
Please take a sensible call for yourself and your loved ones waiting for your safe return. The Himalayas will always be there for another trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best bike to rent from Manali for a Ladakh trip?
The best bike for a Ladakh trip is the one with which you are comfortable in controlling and riding. If you cannot control a bike or you are not comfortable with the riding position, then that is not the best bike for the trip. That said, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is widely considered the best rental option for Ladakh due to its ground clearance, engine performance at altitude, and overall reliability. In 2026, the Himalayan costs around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per day to rent in Manali.
Can I find a Scooty or Activa on rent in Manali?
Yes, you will find various models of Scootys like Activa, Jupiter, and NTorq available for rental in Manali at around Rs 500 to Rs 800 per day. These are mostly used for local short rides around Manali and Solang Valley. Do not take a Scooty for a Ladakh or Spiti trip as they are not designed for high altitude mountain roads.
Which are the best bike rental shops in Manali?
There are many bike rental shops in Manali across Old Manali, Mall Road, and Vashisht. Some are reliable, but some do have old bikes which can cause trouble on your trip. Like I explained earlier, the best option is always to reach Manali and inspect the rental bike before finalizing the deal. Check with fellow travelers in the DwD Community for recent recommendations.
Can I rent a bike in Manali and leave it in Leh?
Yes, one-way bike rental for Leh Ladakh is also available in Manali. However, it will cost you significantly more, around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 extra just for the one-way pickup. Unless you are a hardcore biker who cannot live without a bike ride, or someone with a comfortable budget, consider the round-trip option instead. Also remember, you will still need a Leh-registered bike for local sightseeing in Ladakh.
Can I rent a bike from Manali to Rohtang Pass for one day?
As of 2026, two-wheelers are banned from entering Rohtang Pass by the NGT for environmental protection. If your plan is just a day trip to Rohtang from Manali, your rental bike will not be allowed. You will need to hire a local taxi instead. However, if you are heading beyond Rohtang towards Keylong or Leh, a special permit from the SDM office can be obtained. Check the Rohtang Pass Permit guide for details.
Which is the cheapest bike rental in Manali?
Manali has plenty of competition among bike rental shops, and you can find bikes starting from around Rs 500 per day for basic scooters and Rs 800 per day for motorcycles. However, do not make a deal that looks too cheap unless you have thoroughly inspected the bike. A cheap rental usually means an old, poorly maintained bike that can give you serious trouble on the highway. Spending a few hundred rupees more per day for a well-maintained bike is always worth it.
What is the security deposit for renting a bike in Manali?
The security deposit for bike rental in Manali depends on your trip duration. For local rides (Manali to Rohtang and back), the deposit is around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. For long-route trips to Ladakh or Spiti, the deposit ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000. You will also need to deposit one original government ID proof (Aadhaar, PAN, or passport) which will be returned when you return the bike.
Is it safe for beginners to ride a rented bike to Ladakh?
If you are a complete beginner with zero hill riding experience, I would suggest gaining some experience first before attempting a Ladakh bike ride on a rented motorcycle. The roads are challenging with steep climbs, sharp turns, water crossings, and high altitude effects on both the rider and the bike. At the very least, do a few shorter hill rides before taking on Manali to Leh. If you are set on visiting Ladakh but are unsure about riding, consider taking a bus or taxi for the journey and renting a bike only in Leh for local sightseeing.
Conclusion
In the end, I will say it again. If you have your own bike, prefer it over a hired or rented bike from Manali. But, if you still plan to rent a bike from Manali, then do carry a test run for a day and get the required fixes done right in Manali itself or replace the bike if it is too troublesome.
If budget is not a concern, opt to carry a backup vehicle or a mechanic along with the required spare parts. Do understand all the terms and conditions thoroughly from the renter before handing over the security deposit and documents. Do go through all the 21 tips mentioned in this article to better prepare yourself for a safe and memorable Himalayan bike ride 🙂 …
I hope this guide on how to rent a bike in Manali will be useful in planning your trip. If you know your friends or family are planning a bike trip to Ladakh or Spiti, feel free to share this article with them. I will be looking forward to your responses and questions in the comments below. Have you rented a bike from Manali? If yes, then kindly share your own experiences with other fellow travelers here. Your tips will help ensure them a safe and hassle-free journey.
For other details about traveling in the Himalayas, discussions, queries, and finding travel partners, please go through the DwD Community. You can also check the DoW Travel Calendar from the link in the Main Menu of the website.
Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.
If you know your friends or family are planning a trip to Ladakh, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable Ladakh trip.
516 Comments
Comments section gets closed in 90 days. To ask your travel questions, you can follow my YouTube Channel for a faster reply or for a much slower reply follow me on Instagram. :)
Hey hi Dheeraj !
Is it possible to ship our bikes to Srinagar by train ??
From Chennai ?
We have planned for August 1st to 9th…Intending to cover Srinagar – Leh – Manali – Delhi , ship back our bikes from Delhi..! Thoughts ??
Anand, up to Jammu you can ship. There is no direct connectivity to Srinagar from Jammu by train. Hence, up to Jammu and then you can ride ahead. Check the article: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
Instead of shipping back from Delhi and riding all the way, better ship from Chandigarh or Ambala whereever you get the direct train back. 9 days will feel short for a bike ride to Ladakh.
Thank you..! Will do !
Hi Dheeraj …. I’m planning a trip to leh … I’ll be reaching Delhi on 3rd June I prefer to go by bike … So can you give me info that from Whr to rent the bike or if I start from Jammu will that be ok … Will I get a bike on rent in Jammu .. N can u help me plan my trip … Plz thanks
Jatin
Jatin, best is that you reach Leh by public transport and then hire bike within Leh for Ladakh sightseeing. Please read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Dear Dheeraj what’s best way to see Manali Rohtang pass and manikaran by a bike or a car from heritage village resort which is located in a village.
Satish, in case you are into biking then go with the bike option else go with taxi/car option.
Hi dheeraj ji.i a also dheeraj
We are planning a trip to leh from manali from 7th june to 13 june will be road open by that time ?
We are 2 persen i know the trip possible with 2 persen in one bike or laggae?
Plz help me to plane the trip
Manali – Leh Highway will not be open by that time and also 6 days will not be ok for Delhi – Leh – Delhi trip. You need at the minimum 9-10 days.
Will the road be open after 20 june
Most likely yes.
I also want to know about this plan
When will be road open
Which road are you talking about? Manali – Leh shall open by mid of May this year and Srinagar – Leh is expected to open by mid of April
What plan Shubham and what do you want to know?
Hi Dheeraj,
I contacted a few people in Manali for Bike rentals and had some confusions about the facts. I am from USA and usually we book things in advance and most of the time we get what we booked. It is due to the big corporates and usually are good. In fact if you dont book in advance, you may run into issues at the last minute when they are sold out.
From the same mindset, I was thinking to book bikes in advance in Manali as well. So I called them and they said that they are getting sold out pretty fast and I may not get anything at the last minute. Since i am coming from so far, I do not want to take a risk of not getting anything.
So my question is if this is really true that lot of people are booking in advance and I may not get a good condition bike if I try to get it on the day I reach there? What is the general trend? I mean does majority of people book when they are there?
I could guess from your posts above that this may not be true but I wanted to be double sure as this will be my only shot at this trip.
Your help would be appreciated.
Best Regards.
By the way we are travelling there from 18th June to 28th June 2015.
As the Manali – Leh opens on 15th June as per last reports, it is going to be one hell of a ride during that time period 😀
“It is going to be one hell of a ride” meaning lot of traffic or difficult terrain due to ice and snow or difficult to get the bike during that time? Sorry, age is taking its toll on catching the slangs 😉
Yeah, the conditions will be tough. Slush, snow melting, streams, cold conditions all will be there 🙂
Awesome, Love it. Only thing I hate is human traffic. hopefully that will be less during this period.
Thanks.
Prasant, the risk is always there when not booking but there is a contradictory risk as well that you book a bike and get a bike or perhaps sometimes forced (when in wrong hands) to get a bike which is not so good in condition that can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere 😀 … So, with both the risks you can weigh which one do you prefer to take 🙂 🙂 … In Ladakh, bike rentals are still fine for booking as most of them have new bikes.
Thanks Dheeraj
hi,
i would like to plan a trip (five to ten days ) to manali and ladakh areas by rented bike on september 20th 2015. actually am from kerala i dont have enough knowledge about the places , so please guide me and suggest some options for my dream trip.
hopefully waiting for your valuable reply
thanks and regards
Romson A V
Romson, can you plan your trip from Srinagar side? How much biking experience do you have in hills?
Hi, what will be the approximate cost of hiring a mechanic and a car for hired bullets and if I choose delhi – jammu-leh route and return through manali – leg route then how and from where to hire bullets ??
Moksh, I wil sugest that you read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Apart from that a mechanic cost around 2K-2.2K per day and vehicle from Srinagar to Manali shal be around 65-70K. Check with info@ofbeatescapes.com if they can help in geting you the mechanic and back up vehicle aranged for the tour. In the past few readers have taken their services for such needs.
Hi I have Suzuki Fiero 150 cc Bike can i ride the same to Leh from Manali
Vinodh, power wise that shall not be any problem and it should be capable but since it is an old bike be assured of its reliability as there aren;t any repairs shops in miles of distance in Manali – Leh or Ladakh.
Hi Dheeraj,
I have planned for a ladakh trip with my friends in the month of July. Do you think we should book our bike by May (considering july is seasonal tym)? if yes then can you provide us with an agency from whom we can contact for the same….
Thanks & Regards,
Amit Bhandari
Amit, in general I do not suggest booking bike over phone. Always better to look at the bike yourself and then book after checking the condiiton.
I am planning to Leh in June first week with my wife. I want to Ride nearby places Khardungla Pass, Nubra & Pangong Lake with Bike on Rent. Do you suggest to travel using 1 Bike, few person says that we should ride solo on bike in these area. What problems are faced while travelling 2 person on a bike?
Thanks
At times, your pillion need to get down off the bike and you might need to push. Also, the days ride are long mostly in Ladakh and hence it creates un-comfort especially for pillion many a times.
I am planing a trip to leh by road with my friends by bike from manali.I have no idea of expenses and duration of the trip.what will be the cost for rented bike and is there any way that i cover one way distance by bike and leave the bike in leh?what should we must carry for this trip.I am planing this trip in september.will it be okey!!!
please friends help me out.I will be very thankful o you all for this life time trip.
Vikrant, Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2015 – 16 & Reliable Shops
the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, let me thank you for providing such a great info about leh. This is really helping us a lot in getting ready for the field.
I am planning for a 10 days bike trip to Leh with my friend.
Yet we haven’t finalized the route whether to choose Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi or Delhi-Manali-Leh-Manali-Delhi.
We will be landing in Delhi on 24th June early morning and our target is to at least attend one day of Hemis Festival which is on 26th and 27th June.
Could you please help us on managing this? Where I am struggling is to find best way to ship my bike (Dessert Storm) either to Delhi or Jammu as its quite new (2 months old)
Nayub, you can read: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
Regarding 10 days, It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
Thanks Dheeraj,
If we start from Jammu on 24th June, Will following plan work?
Day 1 Jammu – Srinagar
Day 2 Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi la – Drass – Kargill
Day 3 Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Day 4 Leh local sight seeing
Day 5 Leh – Khardung la – Diskit – Hunder
Day 6 Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung la – Leh
Day 7 Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso
Day 8 Pangong Tse – Thicksey – Sheg Palace – Leh
Day 9 Leh – Chumathang – Tso Moriri
Day 10 Tso moriri – Tso Kar – Debring – Moore Plains – Sarchu
Day 11 Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang – Manali/Mandi
Night 11 Mandi/Mandi – Delhi (Night Travel)
Thank you.
Nayub, yes very much this plan is feasible in last week of June 🙂
Hello Dheeraj,
we are finally planned our trip to leh via manali, i m from Porbandar Gujarat, we are just two friends to visit, now we have many doubts in mind, travelling to leh in bike tour from manali, or by hiring car, i just like to know the cost of both bike and car, even how risky in bikes too. we have planned to reach manali by 16th of june. and if we get any groups of bike there with whom we two friends can join up. pls suggest very confused about tour. between how many days required to tour leh-ladakh. meanwhile by tomorrow im going to book my air ticket from ahmedabad to delhi. so pls help
Kushal
+91 9909899099
For doubts related to budget for Leh – Ladakh trip, I am sure the link below will help you alot for getting an idea of overall budget:
How to calculate cost or budget for Leh – Ladakh trip
Also, check the article: 5 Tips for a Budget Trip to Ladakh
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
Hi Deeraj,
Very happy to see this blog, I am from Bangalore and we 3 friends are planning to start our dream drive in July month, we have to rent a bike, we are planning to start our journey form Chandigarh, Please advice if I rent a bike from Chandigarh will leh and ladakh people allow us to travel in that bike.
Thanks,
Jayakrishna
Jayakrishna, outside Ladakh rental bikes are not allowed for sightseeing for Pangong Tso and nubra Valley in ladakh which are the two major attractions. You have to hire the Leh bike again.
Thanks a ton for your reply, If I am hiring a Bike in Manali then how will that work. And we are planning to come by own without any paid groups and all,,, who will that work for this trip. Your guidance will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Jayakrishna.
As you will be hiring from Manali, you need to rent a bike in Leh as well. However, many of the bike rentals in Manali have agreed upon paying you back 50% of the amount of bike rent for the number of days their bike remain stand in Leh after showing the bills from Leh bike rental guys. So, confirm this clause before renting bike in Manali.
Hi. I m going to Srinagar in mid-April & planning to hire a RoyalEnfield bike for 2-3 days to Visit Gulmarg & Pahalgam. Contacted Kashmir bikers but they give bike on rent for minimum 7 days. Let me know any other option available in Srinagar with contact details.
Amit, not sure if they are the same but I have one contact by the name 09796188199 basharat. You may contact them as it was given by a member in the the DwD Community who hired bikes from them in Srinagar.
Thanku for information.
Hi Dhiraj ji, Iam a single person to want go alone bike ride of manali to leh please suges me what is the right time and what kind tour right for me to go.
Mohit, how many days do you have in hand and also have you done bike riding in Himalayas before?
Dear dheeraj.
We are group of friends travelling from delhi…for us the days are cramped from june 12 to june 21. can you pls help us how to plan. we wanna go by manali leh route and come via kashmir. and we are confused wether to take our bike or rent from tre.
Pradeep
Pradeep, all your doubts can be answered reading the article above for renting a bike v/s taking your own bike. Now, you have just 10 days in hand, It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
For night halt details, you can refer the below itinerary:
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
— Better stay at Solang Valley and avoid Manali as sleeping at Solang Valley does help in acclimatization
— If going by own car, get the permit made in advance to drive on Manali – Rohtang Pass road through hotel/travel agent in Manali
— Overnight at Manali/Solang Valley
Day 2 | Manali/Solang Valley – Keylong/Jispa
— It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you do not feel sick or hit by AMS.
— Avoid sleeping at Sarchu at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there.
— I prefer staying at Jispa more because Keylong gives the feeling of a town while Jispa is more closer to nature having Bhaga river running just aside the Manali – Leh Highway at Jispa.
— Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 3 | Keylong/Jispa – Leh
— Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Leh
– Head for Nubra Valley very early in the day and come back by late evening after visiting Deskit. If you have time go little further and see Hunder sand dunes too
– On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
– Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 6 | Leh – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
– Day trip to Pangong Tso
– Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Lamayuru – Kargil
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 8 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Sonamarg
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 9 | Srinagar – Jammu / Pathankot
— Overnight at Jammu / Pathankot
Day 10 | Jammu / Pathankot – Delhi
— Back Home
hi dheeraj,
we are a group of 10 persons from Bangalore.we have planned for one way Delhi to manali-leh bike ride from 12th july.we would be grateful if you would enlighten us about the weather conditions, own bike and staying/food options on this route.. its my fast trip
Nagaraj, are you planning to rent the bikes in manali? Also, how many days do you have in hand?
dheeraj,
i have own bikes CL 350 we plan july 12th to 26th
You can check the below itinerary:
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
— Better stay at Solang Valley and avoid Manali as sleeping at Solang Valley does help in acclimatization
— If going by own car, get the permit made in advance to drive on Manali – Rohtang Pass road through hotel/travel agent in Manali
— Overnight at Manali/Solang Valley
Day 2 | Manali/Solang Valley – Keylong/Jispa
— It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you do not feel sick or hit by AMS.
— Avoid sleeping at Sarchu at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there.
— I prefer staying at Jispa more because Keylong gives the feeling of a town while Jispa is more closer to nature having Bhaga river running just aside the Manali – Leh Highway at Jispa.
— Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 3 | Keylong/Jispa – Leh
— Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 6 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 7 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 9 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour OR you can do tour to Sham Valley
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey, Stakna and Shey monasteries. They come on the route of Pangong Tso but as you will be doing day trip, it will be a bit hectic to include them on that day only.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, , Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Lamayuru – Kargil
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 12 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Sonamarg
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 13 | Srinagar – Jammu
— Overnight at Jammu
Day 14 | Jammu – Delhi
— Back Home
Day 15 + 16 | Buffer days to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
Dheeraj this site is wikia for bikers like me thanks for all the updates, i need an info like do we have any option of renting bike in Chandigarh?
Thanks a ton Sri, I will suggest that you go through this topic in the DwD Community and also tag PreetKamal in the post as he is native from that region and should be able to help you in any way. Check the link: All About Bike Ride to Ladakh & Himalayas
Thanks a lot Dheeraj
hi dheeraj,
we are a group of 8 persons from Bangalore.we have planned for one way manali-leh bike ride from 5th Sept.we would be grateful if you would enlighten us about the weather conditions, about the bike rentals and staying/food options on this route.
Manoj, the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
Are you sure you want to do it? Weather will be cold in evening and morning rest pleasant.
Hi Dheeraj, say one plans a trip from Srinagar-Leh-Manali – then is there no way to take bikes from Srinagar and drop them off at Manali, without incurring additional cost?
The one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
wow Dheeraj, i really appreciate your willingness to help everyone by responding to each and every post. your site has helped me meticulously plan my itinerary to ladakh. i was wondering if anyone here knows of a good bike hiring agency in chandigarh for my trip next week. i already have bikes booked in manali but i want to get a bike from chandigarh. please help. thanks everyone
Ankit, if you have the bikes booked in Manali then why needed from Chandigarh and ride in plain, normal, boring NH21 that has traffic and potholes, plus truck traffic to equally frustrate you. Best is go by Volvo and enjoy the ride post Manali to Ladakh 😉
Hi dheeraj,
Good article. I understood the jist of what you are suggesting. It is better to go to manali and look for bikes rather than book them online. But i am sceptical of how many bike rentals will offer ‘one-way rentals’.
We have planned for a trip in september and we are about to book our bikes in manali. After reading your article, i am having second thoughts. It has to be one-way only(Manali-leh). We cannot change our plans on that. So, do you think we can risk going there and looking for bike rentals that give a ‘one-way’ service and negotiate the cost?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Anil, the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
we r 2 persons, planning to go manali to leh by bikes, on 16 aug 2014, we need 2,3 person for campany, if anyone interested, please contant me, 9876448848
Hi,
Even 3 of us are planning. Will let u know if it works out!
We are in a group of 7. Will start our journey by 25 july 2015 if anyobe wish to join us
Eliyas, DoW started an initiative couple of years back under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. There is also a DoW Travel Partners Calendar linked here which can be used to easily and quickly spot a travel partner with similar dates of all the people looking for Travel Partners for their trips. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
Hi Dheeraj, can u plz share the details of any trustable dealer for renting bike in Srinagar. we are planning trip via srinagar->leh>manali -> pathankot->srinagar.
If its possible to drop bike in manali also will be gr8 advantage.
You can get bikes on rent in Srinagar as couple of bike rentals have come up in Srinagar too starting this year though I do not have any feedback on them since it is too early. Even if you rent bike in Srinagar, the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not.
We are planning to take bikes from Srinagar to Leh and return. Trip start on 11th Sep and return back on 18th night to Srinagar. ANY GROUP GOING ON SAME DATES. PLEASE CALL ON 9008024835. We can share mechanic,petrol etc and support each other
Hi tarun, i am also planning for a trip on same route but on aug 30th..we already booked the tickets..let me kno if u can prepone ur plan..
also can u plz share the contact of dealer u arranged bikes in srinagar ?
Abhilash,
Yes v r also planning frm aug 30, leaving frm delhi, to manali
Leave comment..v ll see hw it gonna work out
Hai sharma,
We are decided to make a trip to manali -ladakh-Srinagar in september 10th. So we need a royal enfild only manali to ladakh Trip. so eny chance to get a bike in one way(manali to ladakh with out return. We need to submit bike in ladakh)???
Shai, there will be rental agencies in Manali who will offer you bike at rent for one side. But, that will leave a big dent in your pocket for the pickup charges which can go as high as 12K at times.
We are planning to visit leh in July end. We are directly landing in Leh, and then in leh, we will hire bike. So, is it a good choice to land directly in leh? or should we do bike ride from manali to leh? I think we will miss the scenery in Manali to Leh highway. If we miss this bike ride from Manali to leh, is there any nature’s beauty that can be seen in leh, so that we won’t feel bad that we have missed manali-leh highway beauty?
Hi Dheeraj, actually I too have the same question.
Avinash, like I said it is not the only thing as Ladakh also has lot of beautiful routes and journeys to offer. But flying directly means you need to completely rest for 2 days to acclimatize and if you come from Manali – Leh, you need two days to reach and then complete one day of rest in Leh to acclimatize.
AJ, when you are landing directly in Leh you have to rest completely in Leh to get acclimatized properly. There is plenty of explore in Leh – Ladakh too brother but yes Manali – Leh has its own charm too.
Hello Dheeraj Sharma,
I have planned my schedule for Leh trip from manali on 6th July.I hope its a good time to visit. We are renting bikes from Manali. My query was while on our journey if bike gets breakdown, in that scenario what are the options available for us.
Ankit, there is no option available in case of breakdown of bike. After Darcha, mechanic will be available in Sarchu and may be in Pang too and then directly at Upshi.
How many of you are going to leh from manali by bikes in july ? it will be great and save if we all go together so please drop your messages with your plan.
I also want to know that what will be the total cost of the trip if we take a bike on rent from manali, like bike rent ,petrol and all the other accessories for one bike ?
DoW started an initiative last year under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. There is also a DoW Travel Calendar linked here which can be used to easily and quickly spot a travel partner with similar dates of all the people looking for Travel Partners for their trips. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
Hi every one, I believe every one here is bike enthu….. and most of us are bound by time. I with 2 of my friends am planning to hire a bike from manali to leh, but the drop charges are very high. So I was planning if some one wishes to share the bikes on one way trip? If any one is willing… my plan for the trip is from 07 Jul 14 for about a week….. so please contact me at amarnath.cdt@gmail.com or mob 9248948213.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Ladakh in last week of July. I will hire bike from Manali and will have road trip from manali to Ladakh. We will be 4 people out there. So, should we hire 4 bikes, each for individual or 2 bikes for 2 people each (double seat) will do the job?
Better hire at least 3 bikes. Also, Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Since, this is the first time rule is getting implemented no one is sure what will happen or what will not. I personally feel larger groups will be targetted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
Better hire at least 3 bikes. Also, Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Since, this is the first time rule is getting implemented no one is sure what will happen or what will not. I personally feel larger groups will be targetted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
Thanks for the reply. Actually we have changed the plan and booked flight to leh directly. So we will hire bikes in leh only. So there also, will we need 3 bikes or 2 will do the job?
To be better or comfortable ride, I will suggest you again to hire 3 bikes so that some luggage can be dropped and pillion can be switched in between bikes. This will help all 4 of you a much comfortable ride.
Okay… Thanks..
hi dheeraj, thank you for the info
We are a group of 4 and planning the trip in July this year…
I wanted to ask if they charge extra in case we rent the bikes in manali and return in Srinagar, if yes, how much?
Also are there bike renting options available in Srinagar, if yes, Can you provide me with some reliable contacts regarding the same
Hi Dhruv, I believe u are every bit a biker I am.I with 2 of my friends am planning to hire a bike from manali to leh, but the drop charges are very high. So I was planning if some one wishes to share the bikes on one way trip? If at all, my plan for the trip is from 07 Jul 14 for about a week….. so please contact if interested me at amarnath.cdt@gmail.com or mob 9248948213.
Dhruv, yes and the charges are quite too much. Sometimes they go even beyond the price of a taxi if think about collectively 😀
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a ton for all this info and exp u r sharing here with us. :)Looking forward to here from you on couple of my concerns on my Aug-14 Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Srinagar-Delhi trip.
1. Can you pls share some contact person name and no. for bike rental for round trip of Srinagar to Leh? Any idea about charges?
2. Can you pls list out some must have while travelling Leh on bike to avoid any mishapp.?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Rajat, I am not aware of any bike rental in Srinagar. But For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
You should have riding gear and good experience of riding in hills to ride in Ladakh.
Ohh thats bad 🙁
any reliable Car rental contact person in Srinagar??
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2014 – 15 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Hi Dheeraj,
We will be visiting Leh between 4th and 20th July. I have heard this is the peak period, so will need to book in advance.
Can you tell me how to pre-book accomodation in Leh, Pangong, Tsomoriri & Nubra?
I wont need to prebook bike or taxi right?
Thanks
Ayush
You need to book taxi as well as accommodation because Kalachakra Festival period is this year. Otherwise, there should not be any problem. You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here
Hi Dheeraj,
Do I also need to book bikes in Leh beforehand ?
No need Ayush. Just be in touch with few guys and it should be fine I feel.
hi dhiaj,
we 3 friends have planned manali-leh-srinagar.
we want bike on rent from manali for MANALI-LEH only. so. we need to drop bikes in leh. then we wanted to go srinagar via public transport.
so is it possible to do so?
Yes, Hardik. It is possible and bike rentals provide one way riding options. However, the charges of one way drop are very huge that sometimes beat the price of a taxi too for a single bike getting returned 😀 😀
Unless you are one of those die hard bike ride lovers or have lavish money to spend, I will say you go this route. Else, better to use public transport over Manali – Leh and Srinagar – Leh and hire bike in Leh for Ladakh sightseeing.
Hi hardik,
We are a group of 3 friends, planning to go on a bike trip from manali to leh , but we are bound by time and the drom retes for one way biking is too much. If U wish to share the bikes on the other way trip, please ping me.
Hi,
I am planning a trip to leh via manali in the mid of September along with my wife n few friends.
is it fine travelling with girls on bikes and do we need to take some safety measures since would be travelling with girls and money?
Rupraj, yes it is completely fine to travel over bikes as couples and lot of people do it every year. As long as the girls in the group can withstand the fatigue over bad roads and long long day rides of about 7-8 Hrs on an average everyday, Ladakh trip can be under taken.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning to have trip from AUG 8th to Aug 17th.
can you suggest vch is a better way ??
1. Srinagar-leh-ladhak-manali
2. manali-leh-ladhak-manali
we need to hire bike so do we get from srinagar??
if so what would be the costs??
and when you say secure deposit of 10k-15k is it refundable??
Looking forward for your reply
You have less number of days, so will advice you to take Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali as it will save you a day. Also, bikes hired outside may not be allowed in Ladakh and you will have to hire the bikes again for Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley.
Hi,
Our group of 4 are planning to visit leh from manali by bike in the first week of October..is it a good time to travel…pls suggest..thanks in advance
Gopal, please read: 5 Reasons to Avoid Manali – Leh Highway in October
hi gopal. i m also planning to go to manali-ladakh-manali in sep.with rental bike.can i join u?
5 of us are planning to do the Manali-Leh-Manali ride. We intend to leave Manali on July 1 and return on July 9/10. Please suggest the best route and more importantly where to hire bikes from! We can go a day or two in advance to check the bikes.
Thanks a lot!
Nikhil, It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as you have 9 days in hand.
Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Since, this is the first time rule is getting implemented no one is sure what will happen or what will not. I personally feel larger groups will be targetted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
Hi Mr. Dheeraj,
I am planning a trip to Ladakh as mentioned below. Please go through it and then I have shared some queries:
Delhi-Manali-Spiti Valley-Jispa-Sarchu-Leh-Pangong Tso-Nubra Valley- Tso Kar- Tso Moriri-Manali-Delhi
We are four people on a self owned car and a bike we plan on renting in Manali.
Please help us regarding the kind of permits and where all we will have to acquire them. Also, if you can share the condition of roads on the above mentioned route and the temperature during two weeks from the date of this post, it will be of great help!
Any other information regarding anything will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Sorry, I am not aware of any company that provides cars for self drive to Ladakh. Even if you get hold of some, IMHO, not only they will cost a big deep hole in your pocket but also you will be carrying lot of liabilities of ifs and buts on these adventurous roads to Ladakh. It is much better to hire a taxi and then tip the drive to let you drive. It is more economic, less painful and have less liability + no security deposits. Not to forget a helping expert hand too in case you are tired or get the vehicle stuck on a trick patch.
Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Since, this is the first time rule is getting implemented no one is sure what will happen or what will not. I personally feel larger groups will be targetted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
Also, please keep in mind first two weeks of July is Kalachakra festival in Ladakh, means you can expect lacs of people in Leh – Ladakh during that time and accommodation will be very hard to find.
Hello Dheeraj,
we always get more info when ever we explore your website, you are doing good job, keep it up. We are planning for a road trip from Manali to Leh(16th July to 27th Jul 2014) , below is the itinerary I came across on a website and found quit interesting as it was quit different from other. Can you please suggest me, if this is a good option or not, as travelling to leh in the below itinerary is about 800 KM as compared to normal route 474 KM. Please have look below :-
Day 01- Manali to Jispa(164 KM)
Day 02- Jispa to Sachru(90 KM)
Day 03 – Sarchu to Tso-Kar(130 KM)
Day 04 – Tso-Kar to Tso-Moriri(180 KM)
Day 05 – Tso to Leh via Mahe Bridge(230 KM)
Day 06 – Rest in Leh
Day 07- Leh to Pangong Lake(160 KM)
Day 08 – Pangong to Hunder(150 KM)
Day 09 – Nurba Valley and Ride Back to Leh
Day 10 Leh to Sachru
Day 11 Sachru to Manali
Kindly suggest the above route is a good option for the road trip and what are the impracticality, if any in the above mentioned route, considering the the various conditions, Petrol,accommodations etc.
Please revert,
Regards,
Ankit
Hi Ankit,
You should not do Tso Moriri while going from Manali to Leh because first the taxi from Manali will not be allowed to visit Tso Moriri. Even if you manage Leh taxi or going on your own, then you will not be acclimatized to sleep at such high altitude so early in the trip and may cause some ugly AMS issues for you. Highly not recommended, because any help if required will be very hard to find in case you get hit with AMS.
Regards,
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj,
I m comming to manali on 24 and planning to go to lahaul and spiti on 25 by bike can u plz tell me that the roads are open for spiti and how much time will it take to reach there from manali.
Hello Dheeraj,
8 of us are planning Leh trip during second half of June from Bangalore. From Delhi we intend to hire 2 taxis (not self drive) and visit Leh either through Manali or Srinagar. The route is still not finalized and also the taxi renting. I was told that Delhi registered Taxis are not allowed to travel to Leh from Manali. I know that in Leh we need to use local taxis or bikes for site seeing. We are open to hire taxi from Chandigarh as well but from Delhi it would be convenient as we intend to visit Agra also.
Appreciate some suggestions and reply to the below questions.
Is it true that only HP registered taxis are allowed from Manali to Leh ?
Is it the same if we travel from Delhi – Srinagar to Leh?
If at all we hire Taxi from Manali then are we allowed to continue to Srinagar in that from Leh or should we again hire another taxi services as there is a 3 day gap planned in Leh? ( This sounds silly but i read somewhere in the forum that if a vehicle is hired from Manali to visit Leh, the same can not be used for return journey. Instead a vehicle from Leh to be used? )
Any good taxi service from Delhi, Chandigarh if you wish to advice.
Thanks in advance.
Ravi
Hello Ravi,
1. No. You can take other vehicles too but need to buy or get permits from Tourist Office to ply on Manali to Leh road.
2. No. if you travel from Srinagar side, then no permits are required from Leh to Manali
3. You need to park your delhi taxi in Leh, then hire local taxi for Ladakh sightseeing and then return in Delhi taxi
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj for the quick reply. Appreciate that.
Akhil are you planning in May? If yes, then roads to Spiti Valley from Manali is not open yet and will take at least 20 days to open.
HI Dheeraj.
We are hiring bikes from Manali 13 june.Will be hiring 2 bikes for 4 people.
Can you suggest some good places where we can get good bikes at decent rates.
Vivek, please check the article Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
I am Navid from Bangladesh.
I have a plan to visit Manali in august with my 3 friends, we are planing for a bike trip.
After reaching Manali from Kolkata, we have 5 days in our hand,pls suggest if we rent a bike for 4 days, then which places we can go in this 4 days.!!
Please help me with your valuable suggestion.!!
In which month are you planning this trip? If before 20th June then in 4 days you have in hand with you, you can go over to Lahaul Valley form Manali and explore it. Else if you planning after 20th June, you can go to Chandratal and also go over to couple of more places in Spiti Valley in these 4 days.
thank you so much!! 🙂
Hello Dheeraj,
Today I got news from Manali that this year bikes are not allowed from Manali,delhi into Leh.
Any updates on this?
Thanks,
Yash.
Yes Yash that is true. Please read more details at the DwD Community link here
Hello Dheeraj,
I am following DOW from last year.Thanks for the excellent information about Leh.Can you provide names of bike rental shops in Manali as i am already confused with the shops.Need to know some good dealers so that i can enjoy my bike tour this summer.
Yash, outside rented bikes are not allowed in Leh – Ladakh for sightseeing starting this year. Please read more details at the DwD Community link here
Please specify the operators from where we can hire bikes in Manali…if possible share their number also
Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Since, this is the first time rule is getting implemented no one is sure what will happen or what will not. I personally feel larger groups will be targetted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2014 – 15 & Reliable Shops
hi,
i am planning trip from manali to leh next weak i.e is 5th or 6th of may. will this time is suitable time to visit.
please do rply
Nitesh, Manali – Leh Highway is closed and will remain closed during time of your visit. It is only expected to open late in May this year.
hai,
1,what about srinagar -leh route in first week of june or second week 2014? will it be opened?
2,is it safe renting a bike from leh itself and using it to visit nubra valley and pangong lake ( only two places)? kindly suggest…
Well, yes Srinagar – Leh Highway should be open anytime around mid of May. It is in general safe to hire a bike in Leh and ride there. Just please ensure tat you have at least basic riding skills in hills. Also, avoid front brakes up there and first test run the bike within local Leh before going over to Nubra and Pangong
thanks bhai
Hi we have team of six guys for tour to Leh. Anybody wants to join us or join us in their team most welcome.This is our first time to leh by bike.
I n my friend can join u.we are also planning fot leh tour.when will you start your journey ?
Hi….we are also 6 guys…trip from manali to let to Srinagar…if you are interested in joining call me on 8092098272
hi i m also planning to drive from Chandigarh to leh ladak…..till now alone
U can join me in manali on 8 june
what are the dates and we are 3 guys.,
Hi Dheeraj
I’m planning for Delhi-Ladak trip starting july 1st week, 2014. when I was enquiring about the rental bikes, “ANU” a bike renting person from manali told me that, the ladak bike rental association has brought a new rule that, starting this year no rental bikes from non-Leh region will be allowed to be used inside Leh, and we have to hire a bike from any shop in leh only(to visit places lik pangong tso, Nubra valley, and so on).. IS THIS TRUE ? can you please confirm this news ? it was a real shock to me as I was planning to get a rental bike from delhi
Regards
Anbu
Unfortunately Anbu, it is true fact but Manali or HP guys are pushing lot of restrictions over it and pressure to hold it back. However, this does not looks feasible and I hope some solution is sought out before the season gets in full swing. Please stay tuned at DoW for updates over it as you are making trip in July so we will have updated from June.
Hope so.. Let’s see
only rental bikes from out side leh.not personal bikes??.right dheeraj bhai?? may be they are right.the roads are closed to leh from srinagar and manali side almost 6 months a year. they get revenue only from season to maintain their life a year..may be this the reason behind this issue..
Yes, only rental bikes outside Leh. Personal bikes are allowed. Yes, that is the only reason they are putting in this rule. The rule for taxi is already in place since the start of tourism in Ladakh that you cannot have rented taxi outside Leh ply in Ladakh. Now, they have forwarded a similar rule for rented bikes as well because they must have realize that they have capabilities to handle the demands which earlier was not present.
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and my friends are planning to go on Bike tour to Laddakh from Mid July. We were planning on starting our Journey from Manali all through Leh/Laddakh finally to Srinagar.I see ur Itienary is other way round. Any Issues if we plan our trip in such way?
Neeraj, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
Hi,
Thank you very much for a detailed info.
I own a Karizma R(220CC). Can I take this bike for Ladakh trip?
Surya, I do not see any issues in it. I have known people who have take Karizma all the way to Ladakh.
Hey guys, great job and great compilation. Honestly, first i was thinking of availing one of those holiday packages from those travel websites. But, i never thought that someone would take all the time and care to post such valuable information for helping others….Great going…
Now i just have a simple but starting trouble query….I am living in Delhi and i am planning for this trip in mid junes 2014…I just want to know which is a better option
1. Driving from New Delhi to Leh-ladakh. Or
2. shipping to the farthest distance (Jammu) by train and then Driving.
Please mention the pros and cons of both the options..
Also, i tried in google maps for delhi-leh by road…but i couldnt get the route that is being discussed in all the related articles…If it is possible, please just list the points from delhi to leh and the major arterial roads for this trip….
Thanks in advance man…great job keep it up
Hi Shankar,
Just that you have dropped the idea of taking a travel package, it serves the purpose of the success of this small blog, DoW.
Both options are viable and doable. based on the comfort you can drive to Jammu and carry on the trip or can take the bike to Jammu. All depends upon the comfort level you have with riding v/s the tedious process of parceling bike or taking it as luggage with you.
To get an idea of the routes in Ladakh along with distances, you can refer: DoW – Maps of Ladakh | Nubra Valley & Changthang. Keep in mind that, the remote routes are isolated and completely off track with almost no roads. Better stick to traditional routes in case it is the first trip to Ladakh.
To get an idea of the route map of Srinagar – Leh Highway, you can refer: DoW – Maps of Ladakh | Srinagar – Kargil – Leh
Regards
Dheeraj
as you have been answering all the quarries, i have a small such doubt that how to transfer a our bike from delhi to manali as we have planned to travel manali to ladakh.
Why don’t you book it via SAFEXPRESS or other courier services? That seems to be the safest option.
Umesh, I have updated the article above and provided the link for more details on carrying bikes. Please refer the article: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
For Manali, nearest easy to access rail head should be Chandigarh or Ambala. But, since you belong to Delhi, why not just ride there brother !!
Hi Dheeraj,
I’ve googled out the major spots in Leh-Ladakh, and some more spots on the way from Manali to Ladakh, which I’m mentioning below:-
1. Nubra Valley
2. Lamayuru Monastery
3. Pangong Tso
4. Zanskar Valley
5. Shanti Stupa
6. Khardung La
7. Magnetic Hill
8. Manali
9. Rohtang Pass
10. Keylong
11. Barlacha La
12. Sarchu
13. Lachung La
14. Tanglang La
15. Hemis Monastery
16. Shey
17. Thiksey Monastery
18. Spituk
19. Phyang
Can you please sort these places, so that we are covering some of the spots on the same day, then those spots should be on the same way.
Basically, we are planning to cover Leh-Ladakh in 6-7 days.
And then we’ll be moving to Manali.
So, please help me on sorting the spots so that we avoid redundancy of travelling the same paths again & again.
Also, can you please specify the contact no. of any of the bike providers on rent in Leh, if possible??
In the above mentioned list of spots, if you find any important spot missing, then please add it from your end.
Thanks,
Avinash
Avinash, that is fine but that is a long list of places 🙂 … How many total days do you have from Srinagar OR Delhi ?
From Delhi, we are planning to go for a max. of 12-13 days trip.
We are not covering J&K in this trip….
Avinash, Firstly, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
This will cover almost all the places for you in the given amount of time.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Eagerly reading anything/everything related to a bike trip? planning to have a trip in this June/July. appreciate if you could guide me on following-
1) I have R15 V2, 1 yr old, is it good for leh trip?
2) Is it advisable to transport bike through train as luggage till KALKA/Chandigarh by train considering SARKARI reliability and procedures of railway..? would you recommend any other reliable private transporter to & fro Mumbai?
3)Group package bike deals from manali is too expensive, is it advisable to travel solo with a rented bike (with pillion) from manali? technically not skilled to handle breakdown/other issues of bikes.
4) considering 3 day Manali-Leh Highway, 4-5 days for leh Ladhak & 2 days for return to Manali by same bike. is it sufficient? time crunch…
5) should plan to return by same rout?(returning bike is a binding)
6) Any other public transport facility to & fro Leh manali e.g. bus service etc.?
thanks in anticipation!
Vivek, please find my replies below in the same sequence:
1) Have known people who have driven it. Should be OK.
2) Better check the article: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
3) As long as you are comfortable, drive solo and you will find many bikers on the way with whom you can tag along. Best is to carry your own bike.
4) Do it reverse, 2 days for Manali to Leh, 4-5 days at least in Ladakh and then 3 days over Leh to Tso Moriri to Sarchu to Manali over Manali – Leh Highway
5) Yes.
6) Buses do run over Manali – Leh Highway by HRTC. Also, there is HPTDC Semi Deluxe Tourist Bus that do sightseeing as well which runs mostly from July.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for your suggestions. it has cleared doubts and given me confidence for this trip. will share details if able to make it…
Superb, best wishes for the trip brother !! Have a good adventure
hi, dheeraj..does tourist require any kind of permit to travel to khardung la pass..
what is the end point till where i can go?
Ankit, yes, you need Inner Line Permits to travel to Kahrdung La Pass and further to Nubra Valley. For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
You can go to till Turtuk on one end and Panamik on the other end in Nubra Valley, beyond which tourists are not allowed.
Hi Dheeraj
I will fly to Leh in May . By any chance you know of any good motorbike renter in Leh ? And also I will spend about one week in Nubra Valley and one week go to Pangong and Tso Moriri so I have to ask for inner line permit twice right ? Is it possible ?
Best
Hello Giang,
Yes, you can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 800 to Rs 1300. Rather than booking over phone, it is much better to visit the Fort road, check 4-5 shops over there and get a good deal after checking the bike conditions. I will suggest you read this for sure to understand few tips on hiring bikes from Manali or Leh: How to Hire or Rent a Bike or Motorcycle in Manali
Yes, you will need to get Inner Line Permits twice and yeah it is completely possible.
PS: I envy you for three weeks in Ladakh 😀
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj
Thank you for your reply . I have a plan which I reference from this website , can you give me comments or suggestion ? Beside google maps, do you think how can I acquire an actual map to travel while I am in Ladakh ?
27-Apr Arrive Leh
28-Apr Leh , ask for permit
29-Apr Leh- Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
30-Apr Hunder – Turtuk
1-May sleep in Panamik or Turtuk
2-May Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
3-May Leh – Chang La – Tangste
4-May Tangste- Pangong tso
5-May Pangong tso
6-May Pangong tso- Leh
7-May Leh – Hanle
8-May Hanle – Tso Moriri / Korzok
9-May Tso Moriri – Leh
10-May Leh
11-May Leh- Dehli
Hello Giang,
The plan looks fine to me apart from the fact of stay at Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri / Korzok. Actually, there will not be any options of stay available during that time of the year at both the lakes. Also, they will be partially frozen too. So, you will only have the option of staying in Homestays if at all otherwise, you need to come back to Tangste for stay near Pangong Tso and to Chumathang for Tso Moriri. At Hanle you can stay at Padma Home Stay: Padma (Sonam’s) Guest House/Homestay, Hanle | Review
To get an idea of the routes in Ladakh along with distances, you can refer: DoW – Maps of Ladakh | Nubra Valley & Changthang.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Im planning for bike trip on manali highway. My main intension is to enjoy the snow fall. When is the best time for the expedition ?
Navajeevan, believe me if it snowfall you will not enjoy the highway rather pray for it to stop 😉 … However, you can enjoy snow all around Manali – Leh Highway if you plan your journey late May or June. So, head there in June to be safe with the opening of Manali – Leh Highway
Hey Dheeraj, Hope u had a great trip. I want to hire bikes for my Leh trip. But as I am flying down, do u know of any good bike rentals in Leh. I am also looking for a rig/support vehicle.
Aman, yes brother we had a wonderful trip to Ladakh. Yes, you can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 800 to Rs 1300. Rather than booking over phone, it is much better to visit the Fort road, check 4-5 shops over there and get a good deal after checking the bike conditions.
Hello dheeraj,
I and my friens are planning a trip from coimbatore – leh, the trip is of 33-35 days, via mysore,goa,mumbai,daman& diu,ahemadabad,jaipur,delhi,leh.. The bike will be our own bike..Pulsar 220 & 200, plz give me your suggestions and is there any special permission required to reach at khardung-la..?
Kunal, when are you planning the trip. I can guide you ex. Delhi or Jaipur. How many days you have ex. delhi or Jaipur? You need Inner Line Permits for visiting places like Khardung La, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri in Ladakh. For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
PS: Sorry for delayed reply as I was traveling Ladakh for last couple of weeks.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi dhiraj
M planning to go leh ladakh, n as from ur advice, m willing to take my own bike up there, but I juz want this peice of advice, that there in manali, are those carriers available for carring luggage and fuel cans?
Farhan, not sure about it. But, you might get them. Otherwise, it shall be available in Delhi at Karol Bagh.
Hi Dheeraj,
Our group of 3 is planning to do a bike trip from Manali to Leh from 12Aug to 19Aug. We wish to do a online booking as we are on a tight schedule and need to start from Manali the day we reach there ( we cannot spend a day/two in manali, searching for a bike ). Is there a good trusted vendor from whom we could pre-book the bikes & start our journey without wasting much time.
Nasrullah, why not reach there and test the bike at lest. This way it will be more flexible for you and you will not need to stick to one rental provider. Few days back itself there was a comment on the FB Page where those guys were cheated for the services and all. Scroll over the updates by others on DoW FB page and you will come to know their horror story. Better not book online!!
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for wonderful info about spiti and leh trip.
We are 4 people, planning to go Spiti valley for 7days from 9th to 15th August. We want to do it on bike but I am not sure if it is a good idea as I have some doubts:
1.I have never ridden on mountains.
2.I don’t have any knowledge to repair any minor fault in bike if it malfuntions during the trip.
3.since it is monsoon, is it safe to ride, as there might be rain during the way to spiti.
Please clear my doubts.
Hello Lokesh,
Better not if you have never rode in hills. It is different game altogether, going through water crossings and back breaking bumpy roads. Have some trips first to lower foot hills if you OK with driving there and then try to increase the levels. This is my personal opinion though.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
helo, we r 2 person planning for manali leh manali on bikes , on 16 aug 2014
we need a company of 2 or 3 people, if anyone interested , please call me 09876448848
Is there any Bike rental at Manali renting out Hero Impulse for Leh tours? I want Impulse for my Leh trip in August middle. any help?
Vincent, not sure about it. Sorry!! You might need to check with the rental guys in Manali.
Hi dhiraj ji
i am Bharat. planning for manali to leh, as earliest, is there available, one enfield for me and my pillion, can we go 2 members in one bike
Dear Dhiraj,
Do u have any info whr to rent bikes in manali? If u hav any contacts please let me know.
Suvankar, there are plenty of options available in Manali. My take will always be as mentioned in the article that better go there, test ride the bike and then only book it. Unless you know someone really personally that is genuine, don’t rely on booking over phone.
Hello all,
This is samrat n I’m from Bangalore and me along with two of my friends have planned for manali to leh and back from leh to manali bike trip. We basically want to hire a bike in manali and head towards rothang pass.
We will be reaching manali on 9th aug and will hire a bike will start on 10th.
Please help me contacts where to fetch a good running bikes.
Next please let me know in which town I have to spend night on my way and next which are the places where we get petrol and also which are the places where we have mechanics to get a mid way check up on my way for safety.
And is rain , snow fall expected from 9th to 18th on d way from manali to leh?
Hi! Dheeraj
Firstly thanks for such a helpful article.
Can you please give any contacts of reliable bike(royal enfield) rental shop in manali?
I had gone through many online bike rental service provider but it’s always good to have some reference.
We will be in manali on 8th of August and leave manali for leh on 9th Aug early morning.
Will it be safe to book bikes upon reaching manali. I mean in case all goods bikes all already booked then?
Readers please share the contacts of any reliable rental shop if you think it’s worth of.
Thanks in Advance. Keep Touring.
Rudra, as mentioned in the article it is always better to go over and check for bikes before booking over phone. Then only after checking the conditions you should book them. You should be more worried that in case you book over phone and some one give you compromised bikes then you will stranded in the middle of nowhere. On the contrary, even if there are no good bikes when you land there, at least you money will be saved and you will not end up in a mess.
Thanks Dheeraj for your response.
Here is our Itinerary Alpha release –
Day 1 – Manali to Jispa
Day 2 – Jispa to Sarchu(TBD)??
Day 3 – Sarchu(TBD) to Leh
Day 4 – Leh to Khardung La and back.
Day 5 – Leh to Pangong Tso
Day 6 – Pangong Tso to Sarchu
day 7 – Sarchu to Manali
Please share your comments for the itinerary.
I also have following query –
1. Is there any option to stay after sarchu on Day 2?
2. Do we have road from Pangong Tso to Manali-leh Highway? Google Map is positive on this. But don’t know what is actually on ground.
3. Should we cover Pangong Tso in our onward journey or return journey?
Thanks in Advance.
Rudra, you vcan do it like:
Day 1 – Manali to Jispa
Day 2 – Jispa to Leh
Day 3 – Leh Local or get advance permits and head to Nubra
Day 4 – Leh to Khardung La and back.Or if heading to Nubra then on the way back cover Sumur, Panamik
Day 5 – Leh to Pangong Tso / Leh
Day 6 – Leh / Pangong Tso to Sarchu. Pangong Tso to Sarchu could get very long.
day 7 – Sarchu to Manali
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi,
we are a group of 15 are travelling to manali on 30th june and will be travelling back to delhi via flight from srinagar on 8th.would u help on travelling tips from manali ti leh ,renting bikes,and tour procedure,food and accomodation availability.please help us as we want to plan it as soon as possible.please how much would be the budjet on twin sharing basis
Paras, since there are loads of things to answer please start a thread at below link for your itinerary advice in more structured way 🙂 DoW – Himalayan Travel Community | Ladakh Itinerary Advice
are you going on a tour.if you are going than can we join your group..and what are the charges/cost or price for that and around how many days it will take to come back.and can we come through our bikes
Hi Dheeraj,
Considring your idea, If I choose to go directly to Leh from Delhi by flight, Will I miss the fun of driving to Leh or coming back from Leh to Manali should be same exicting ? As atleast one way I want to drive …….. or elase there is no fun 🙂 your links are very use ful it’ll be great if you can share your email Id or mobile number also.
Thanks
Shishir, you will get the mail once I reply to this thread. Yes, you can plan a return journey may be from Leh to Manali.
Hi Dheeraj,
I have almost finalized my trip outline, we are hiring a pvt cab from Delhi-Leh-Delhi an Innova as we are 6 people, and then for local side sceen we will hire bikes in Leh for 4 days.
8Aug – Del-Manali/Solang
9 – Manali/Solang – Jispa/Sarchu
10 – Jispa/Sarchu -Leh –> acclimatization at Leh
11 Aug – Leh-Nubra Vally — over night Camp (By BIKE)
12 Aug – Pangong Tso Lake (By BYKE)
13 Aug – Plz suggest(By Byke)
14th – Plz suggest(By Byke)
15th – Leh – Sarchu/Jispa –> Overnight camp
16 -Sarchu/Jispa – Manali –> Overnight Manali
17- early morning 4 am start for delhi.
Dose this looks ok for you, initially we wanted to drive one way but there are 2 couples therefore we avoided to drive and hire a cab but in this case we want to hire bikes locally in Leh for four days and do all side seeing by bikes , is this possible ??
Please suggest for the free days 13th & 14th Aug.
Do you think the cab from delhi can’t enter to Leh, or it can go till hotel?
Thanks
Shishir
Hi shishir,
Please do it like below:
11 Aug – Leh Rest, arrange permits and bikes. Do some short ride near by Leh to check bikes
12 Aug – Leh – Khardung La – Diskit / Hunder (Nubra Valley)
13 Aug – Diskit / Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
14th – Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
If you are OK with long rides and have good biking experience then only take a chance with bike else hire a taxi. Taxi from will be allowed for drop inside Leh and you can park it at hotel.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
As you said
11 Aug – Leh Rest, arrange permits and bikes. Do some short ride near by Leh to check bikes
Question – Can’t we do this the day we reach leh on 10th ?? And if not what near by places can we cover this day – Lep palace etc ??
12 Aug – Leh – Khardung La – Diskit / Hunder (Nubra Valley)
Question- How far is this place? Can we stay overnight at Nubra vally in camp & come back next day early morning or Directly go to “Diskit / Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La” ??
We can ride bikes and have hands off experiance, but long meaning how long and if the way is intresting Y not ? As we wanted to ride it from Manali-Leh but due to bike renting issues we choose to hire a cab & do biking in Leh, Is this not recommendable ? Or it will be fun also ?? Please guide
13 Aug – Diskit / Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
Question – Can we ride directly to Pangong Tso from here after staying overnight or its necessary to go back to Leh & start from there ?
14th – Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
As you said day 1 rest & next 3 days the above thing is this feezeable to do these places in 3 days and do over night camping etc and directly come back to leh after 3 days ??
Thanks
Shishir
Hi shishir,
1. Cover Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, may be Spituk or Phyang Monasteries.
2. It is about 130 KMs from Leh and will take about 5.5-6 Hrs to reach considering the slow travel over Khardung La pass. Regarding bikes, if you are fine with traveling over bikes then it shall be OK. Remember, that riding above 10000 feet is not same as riding in plains 🙂 … It takes some energy out of you with such bad roads. So, if you are good with it then only try it 🙂 …
3. You can go to Pangong Tso but it will be very desolate route over Khardung La pass and very long journey too, consider at least 10+ hrs.
I will suggest better keep 1 day rest, 2 days Nubra and then finally day trip to Pangong Tso. If you are OK with desolation of Wari La route with such long ride, then you can take achance with it.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks a lot u have any agency in chandigar who provide royal enfild and other bike,please suggest biking from chandigar or manali which is better we are from mumbai
Dipak, I do not think there is any agency in Chandigarh better go with Manali.
Hi Dheeraj ,
Very nice and detailed article .
This will further motivate me to plan the bike tour for safe and joyful experince.
Will appreciate if you could share your cell number .
Thanks ..
Sandeep
Mb -7588024180
Thanks alot Sandeep. Check it here top row.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning a trip from Manali to Leh in Aug 2nd week,i guess its the good time…
just few things to check i am travelling with my wife & 2 friends , want to check 1)is the road trip safe enough ? 2)8 days should be sufficent & 3)Should we spent more time in driving taking stop overs or spent more time in Leh….. what should be the best thing to do?
Thanks in advance
Hi Shishir,
1. Please put some light on safety in what sense?
2. 8 days will be very very tight. It takes 3 days to reach Leh and 3 days to come back from Manali side. One day is required for acclimatization and Permits.
3. It is better to spend time evenly every day and extend the trip by at least 2-3 days.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
I can extend a bit from 8th -17th morning,as 17th I have to be in delhi.If i start somewhere around 12 noon from Manali on 8th,in this case I have around 9 days,
What route should be the best one and short in order to save some time….
I need to reach delhi on 17th so may be Leh to Manali & manali to del by flight.
Please suggest
Can you also share your mail ID,
Thanks a lot for your help,
Shishir
Shishir, Well, if you have 9 days then why not you take a flight back from Leh or fly to Leh and then do Manali – Leh highway the other side? If that suits we can discuss the itinerary.
I am sure you will love to be at below link for your itinerary advice in more structured way 🙂 DoW – Himalayan Travel Community | Ladakh Itinerary Advice
Hi shishir.
I’m samrat and even I will be starting from manali till leh on 10th Aug.me along with 2 others will be hiring bikes in manali. Well I have no idea where will I get a good bike in manali.since you are one day ahead please let me know your contact so that I may get some help while hiring the bike.hope that we might meet on d journey.
Jule \m/
awesome article…..i was looking all over the internet to know the answers about ladakh tour. At last found DOW. a very good work you are doing buddy…
Regards.
Thanks alot Saurabh, glad you found the info. available on the blog pretty useful!!
Hii Dheeraj Sharma
i am planning with my 3 frens a roadtrip to leh via manali
we will be hiring bikes from manali itself
is it possible to cover manali to leh & come back to manali within 6 days.??
i am planning to go on 3rg june this year is it right time to travel??
how much it can cost us aprox??
please suggest me in this regard.
ur suggestions r valuable
Hi Ketan,
It takes 2 days from Manali to Leh and 2 days to come back. So, you are left with 2 days out of which you need one day for acclimatization and 1 day you can either visit Khardung La or visit Pangong Tso. For doubts related to budget for Leh – Ladakh trip, I am sure the link below will help you alot for getting an idea of overall budget:
How to calculate cost or budget for Leh – Ladakh trip
Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hello Ketan Mahajan
yes it is possible to cover manali leh but because of your short duration of trip you wont be able to explore properly….it gonna 2 days from manali to leh and 1 and a half day to come back to manali….you only got 2 and a half day left to look out….a local sight seeing with khardungla pass can be done first day when you reach leh,on 2nd day you can maximum go to pangong and come back….left half day rest….
Roads are officially closed nowadays but bro says it`ll open by may last for bikers…..it gonna cost you arround 35 to 40k…whole trip
What kind Of Bikes are you renting and from where???
Regards,
Pankaj bob Thakur
Hi Pankaj,
Generally, people should acclimatize atleast for a day before venturing out to other places from Leh. They may get away but sometimes things are such that they get stuck at some high altitude region and then chances of hitting with bad health are more as compared to a fairly better acclimatized body. So, I always assume first day in Leh is mostly Permits + Acclimatization.
Regards
Dheeraj
Any idea if a bike can be rented from Manali and taken upto Srinagar but not coming back on it? I mean do dealers provide such options to leave the bike at Srinagar, instead of bringing bacl to Manali? If yes, how to get back the deposit money + ID proof
You will be able to find some dealer who will allow you to drop the bike in Leh BUT very unlikely in Srinagar.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
Hey Dheeraj,
We are 6 in number planing a trip from manali to leh over rented bikes. We have fixed first week of june. Is it the right time or should we delayour trip fo few more days.
If possible, delay the trip by a week or two so that even if the Manali – Leh Highway is open, you give them a chance to stabilize to some extent to avoid any irrelevant delays!!
Thanks Dhiraj…
Road updates are usefull for bikers.Great job…I am hitting Manali-Leh road this july…Hope so dat it wil get cleared till den….In anyway…”Agar Raaston ki parwaah karunga to manzil bura maan jaaegi”….i will suffer you some more time for the route information and planning…hope u dont mind!!!
Dhiraj,
sounds gud…but someone told me that i will not be able to ride through glaciers….perhaps i will be only able to see it on mountain tops…in JULY season…!! and what about rain in july??
Omkar, yes you will not be able to drive through glaciers, may be perhaps just Baralacha La pass which might still have some with them. You will see them very near at passes. Rains in July are a bit delayed for the past few years though I am not a weather expert. Something upto July 20 should be fine enough, IMO. Also, once you reach Ladakh it is rain shadow region and you should be fine at anyday there.
Dear Dheeraj Ji please suggest that can we go leh through manali on 12.04.13 by hiring cab from manali
Rahul, no the route via Manali will open most likely after mid of May
hey dheeraj….i am planning my roadtrip to ladakh in july…. is july is best season?? i am transporting my bike from mumbai-delhi and we are riding from delhi-manali-leh-kargil-srinagar-delhi. m having Yamaha SZ-R 153CC…we are riding sigle…please guide me for
1.Season
2.Riding Machine
3.Route
Omkar, well why not ship the bike all the way to Jammu and then ride on from there. This will spare you from the boring ride to Jammu from Delhi. Bie should be fine to do the job while riding solo and the route you are taking is also good to start with as you can come back via Manali on the way back to Delhi or Ambala and get your bikes shipped back from there. July is a good time to Travel ladakh as most of the roads are stabilized as well. You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here for 14-15 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
i have also plan for leh ladakh from 22 june to 6 july. we are 4 friend. can you join us.
Hi Dheeraj ,
we are a group of two families planning a 8 day self drive trip from delhi in tented INNOVA to LEH LADAKH.
1. do you need special driving skills for driving in these areas.
how much can we cover in 8 days .
Should we start from delhi or some other location because I think gettting self drive cars would be easier in delhi .
any suggestions for the trip thanks in Advance.
Sunil, yes some good experience in bad terrain and long driving hours experience is required. If you want to explore Ladakh then you will need at least 9-10 days and drive for long hours to complete the journey by road. Otherwise, you can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here for 14-15 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
Thanks dheeraj for the suggestion any good agency from which we could rent a SUV
Sunil, do you need a self ride SUV without driver or you want a taxi?
Dear Dheeraj ,
we are looking for a SUV on self drive
I do not think now you get SUVs on self drive for Ladakh. Even if there are companies which are still offering, they would surely dig a deep hole in your pocket 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
I am back to ask you more questions. 😀 Last year we did a bike trip to Leh Ladakh from Manali but had shipped our bikes. This time we are again planning for the same and our plan is to hire the bikes from Manali. We are 12 guys in number and we want to hire 9 bikes and a car where the other 3 would follow us along with the driver.
Please let me know which is the best bike to for the trip that we have to hire and also i heard that if we hire more than 4 bikes then we will have to take a backup vehicle n mechanic. is this true? Also let me know the best place to hire the bikes in Manali. We dont to get cheated or get charged more. We would prefer a honest showroom.
Awaiting your response.
Thanks,
Bharath
Dear Dheeraj
I am planing to do this trip with my wife.Is it possible on Bajaj Avenger 220
Hi Aditya,
I do not think there shall be any problem, though I do not ride so cannot be 100% sure. I have read accounts of quite a few people who have done it on this bike itself.
Regards
Dheeraj
Bajaj avenger is comfortable bike for such route…..be sure about the proper bike checkups
Dear Dheeraj,
Would you know anyone in Manali who provdes 4X4 on rent for Leh trip?
Thanks
Sanjay
Sorry Sanjay, no information on this front.
Hey ,
No one in Manali provides not 4×4 but not any “self Driven ” cars….
regards
Dear Dheeraj,
We are a group of 10 planning to make the trip in late mid may-june. We are heading out from hyderabad. The following in the thought of itinenary:
hyd->jammu-train
day 1:jammu->srinagar
day 2:srinagar rest/buffer
day 3:srinagar->kargil/drass
day 4:kargil/drass->leh
day 5,6,7,8:Leh in and around
day 9,10,11:leh-Manali
day 12:manali->chandigarh
chandigarh->hyd train
I have the following questions:
1) Can we do it on bikes?
2) If yes, is it better to transport own bikes from hyd or rent out bikes..actually thinkin of bringin own bikes, therfore the srinagar-leh-manali
3)We hav 4or5 days in Leh. Can u please suggest an itinenary for these days
4)Return manali-leh, please suggest the breakup of the 3day journey, places to stay overnight etc.
5)I would like to know the places where we can camp out n stay in tents and places where we hav cant(hav to stay in hotels/guesthouse)
6)If we can stay in tents, do we get our own tents or are tents available for rent?
Sorry for the long essay questionaire..Jus really excited plannin it..wonder how much better will it actually be..
Thanq.
Regards
-Aditya
Hello Aditya,
1. Yes, you can do that on bikes as itinerary looks good.
2. Always best to transport your own bike and rely on them. Nothing beats that 🙂
3 + 4. Answered below:
5. If you carry tents then you can stay at all these places in tents. If you are not carrying tents, then do you really want to stay in tents? Because apart from Sarchu, you will be able to get some good to go guest house or accommodation in place.
6. Tents are available on rents at many places. It depends if you want to stay in them or not. Sarchu, Jispa, Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri, Pangong Tso. all have tented accommodations as well.
Day 5 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
–For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 7 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh– Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 10 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
— Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
— Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
Day 11 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you have any doubt or queries.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Thank You Dheeraj for the quick and informative reply. one doubt I have left is we have an assortment of 150cc(CBZ extreme, Pulsar etc)and higher than 150cc(Apache 160,KarizmaR etc) bikes. Are they good enough for the trip? Will they be suitable even if we have pillion rider+luggage??
Hi Aditya,
Lot of people do it on these bikes so more or less must be suitable enough. In some ascents/descents you might want your pillion to get off the bike and walk. Rest you shall be good to go with these bikes.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to ride from Manali to Leh in my 150cc Honda Dazzler. Do you think will it be good enough for the trip.Please let me know
Rana, I have seen many 150cc bikes or even less, which have been taken to these places in Ladakh. I feel you should not be much concerned if there isn’t any special case with your bike.
I would like to thank you for providing all the information about Leh ladakh trip. i was searching for a website where I could get all the information about the trip, fortunately I found discoverwithdheeraj.com. We are planning to visit leh in the month of August. I will definitely share my experience after coming back…….Thanks again Dheeraj 🙂
Thanks alot Vishal, have a great + wondeful trip to Ladakh, buddy 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to take my own bike for Manali -> Dharamsala -> Jammu -> Sringar -> Kargil -> Leh -> Sarchu -> Manali route. Me and my wife combined are ~150 kgs and we will have ~20 kgs of luggage.
Do you think the bike can carry the ~170 kgs?
Hi Vishal,
I think it will face few difficulties somewhere or the other riding with pillion, if you are riding less powerful engine and you will surely have to let the pillion get down to cross certain sections. Do get your bike serviced properly.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Many thanks for the information, me and 3 of my friends are planning to Travel to Ladakh on 17th July 2012.
* Is this the best time to Travel? as someone told that it rains alot during this time.
* We are going to follow below iternary (does anything needs to be changed)
Mumbai – Srinagar
Srinagar – Kargil
Kargil – Ladakh
Ladak – Nubra Valley
Nubra – Ladakh
Ladakh – Pangong – Ladakh
Ladakh – Manali
Manali – Chandigarh
Chandigarh – Mumbai
Also we are planing to rent a car from Srinagar to Ladakh and then Travel via Bike.
Does anyone rent bike for one way trip ie from Ladakh to Manali, As we would be going directly from Manali to Chandigarh.
Would appreciate your feedback on this.
Best Regards,
Kunal Lakhani
Hello Kunal,
You need to increase the number of days you have in hand or try to take chance with AMS and go via Manali and come back via Manali. Making Leh – Manali in monsoon time would be really difficult in one day and if planning on bike then very very difficult if you are not used to such rides. It is not a simple terrain, very harsh and unforgiving. Try increase the number of days and split Leh – Manali in two days with overnight halt at Sarchu or Keylong in between. Travel by HPTDC bus service if possible over Manali – Leh Highway, nice and cheap option if you traveling in small group or individually.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj, will make note of it. But what about "Does anyone rent bike for one way trip ie from Ladakh to Manali, As we would be going directly from Manali to Chandigarh."
Any thoughts?
Regards,
Kunal Lakhani
Hi Kunal,
Yes, there may be few operators in Leh that might provide you the bike on rent which you can drop at Manali. Just search a bit on Fort road. Go in day time when most of the shops are open, early morning they might not have opened all the shops there and you will have less options in that case.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
me and my threee friends are planning to go to manali next weekend and from there go to only rohtang pass on bikes. but we are not sure about the bikes rent and from where to get the bikes?
Hi Anuj,
The article above has answers to your queries, please read the article.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Do only bullet or some bikes can reach upto Ladakh,what about mopeds like activa or deo,is it possible to make them reach??This is a serious question..
Hi Tina,
It is not about vehicle but the spirit behind it. People have taken scootys, scooters, 100cc bikes, auto-rickshaws etc. to Ladakh and I know or have read so many account on them. Definitely the path is not all that easy but as I said, it is the Spirit and Passion for Traveling is what makes the difference.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
really it is very helpful information…….. really thanks alot.
Thanks alot Shantam, have a nice trip.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
what about the heavy woolen cloths and jackets …??
will it be available for rent.
knee and elbow guard.
Hi Nikhil,
Not sure buddy, if all this is provided but AFA jackets, you might get snow dress on rent, may be which you can use. I will advice that you carry your own.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear
I am planing to visit manali from 8th June to 12th june 2012. We are 7 boys. Can i know the price of budget hotels & is it possible that all of us can stay in one big room. Wt is rate of hiring bike for manali to Rohtang pass.What is the temp of manali in the month of june.
Thamks & Regards
ANIL KIRAR
Hi anil,
Budget hotels in peak season will be available around Rs 500 – 1000. You can find lots of budget hotels around Manali in Vashishth, Old Manali and hotels on the Manali – Naggar road near Beas Bridge. The one at Manali – Naggar road named The River View and one just before that hotel are real good and economic options of stay in Manali. Read the complete review of The River View hotel at the below link: The River View, Manali | Hotel Review
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
The information provided by you is very helpful for the travelers who want to plan the tour for Leh Ladhad. I have also done lot of research for last few months as we are planning to go start our journy on 4th july(4th to 19th). We are group of 4/5.
I have received quotes for the tour of 15days from country side , Make my trip and many more but most of them are costing upto 33-40 thousand. and Package starting from Delhi and ends at Jammu.
I am confused should we go with the travel company or we should manage the tour on our own.
Please suggest what should we do as we need to do the bookings of the entire journey .
One more very important decision we have take is regarding the rout to choose ..
1) Jammum- Shrinagar-Leh-Manali -Delhi.
Or
2) Mumbai-Delhi- Manali-Leh- Kargil-Shrinagar-Jammu- Delhi-Mumbai.
Please give your valuable suggestions.
Hi Sandeep,
Firstly, I will strongly suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey into almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
If these operators have not told you about acclimatization and its importance then better throw them aside because it is the basis of success for any Leh – Ladakh trip and shall be the duty of any tour operator to first convey these points to tourists. It is then tourist decision to take on the challenge or not.
For 14-15 days, you can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
For the current leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here
Check the list of things to carry for Leh – Ladakh or other trip at the link here.
I guess going after through above articles, you will not need any kind of tour operator at all 😀
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Is it possible to hire a car in Manali and self drive to Leh and back. If yes does anybody have contact information?
Hi Manish,
AFAIK, it is not possible to get self driven car in Manali.
Regards
Dheeraj
can nybody tell me…wats the requirement to hire a bike frm manali to ladakh? nd wats the price for one day??
Hi Akshay,
You can read the article above which has the most details, if you have any specific query then please ask here. When we hired it in Leh, we were supposed to submit our original driving license or passport or PAN card and then pay the rent in advance to take the bike with us. There are there formalities as well like signing of a bond etc.
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
HI,
CAN U CLEAR SOME DOUBTS REGARDING RENTED BIKE
* CAN WE HIRE BIKE FROM LEH?
*IF YES THEN WHAT WILL BE THE PER DAY RENT & DEPOSITE?
PLEASE SUGGEST ME.
Hello CK,
Yes, you can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 600 to Rs 1200.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi dheeraj,
thanks for ur guidelines. actually we planned 5-6 days tour to leh in these days 3 places we decided to cover first one is splitty valley,nubra valley and pennong lake. apart from these any other important places do u suggest me and how many days required to cover these places.
second thing how much taxi rent from leh to manali. Whether they will charge one side or both side and how many days require for travelling from leh to manali by taxi.
kindly provide these information.
hello CK,
Please forget about Spiti Valley as it is in Himachal Pradesh. You can cover Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso lake in 5-6 days you have in hand. Are you flying to Leh and then want to travel back by road over Manali – Leh highway?
Manali – Leh Highway will need two days atleast from Leh as Leh – Sarchu, Sarchu – Manali and taxi will cost you about 18K for a drop to Manali from Leh.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi All,
I am just trying to make a short trip ranging from 5-6 days, is it possible to go to and fro Manali to Leh by bike with such tight schedule.
All what i am interested is in bike riding rather than staying.
please suggest.
Hi Dheeraj, can you please provide some important pointers on hiring a bike in Leh, thanks Saurav
Hello Saurav,
Most of the pointers mentioned above are equally applicable to hiring bikes in Leh as well. Just ensure that you at least a day of local sightseeing test run before heading to other remote regions of Ladakh. This is perhaps the most important thing to remember. Plus in Leh, the roads are in better shape than Manali Leh Highway at least on major tourist circuits and you get less slush covered stretches and nallas on the way. Also, unless you plan to do some remote route, you will be seeing taxis going past every now and then, so help could be easier to find but only in comparison to Manali – Leh Highway.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any doubts or queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hello Everyone
I am looking for Hiring a bike for the raod trip to Leh. So if someone tell me how I can hire a good condition bike from Manali. Plz anyone can E-mail me the details.
Thanks
Hi Mohan,
Nothing is certain with the bikes and best bet is to reach there, check it yourself, do a test drive to and then finalize the bike for Leh trip. All other tips are mentioned above along with the contacts of bike rentals services in Manali. You can contact them and get more details.
I hope this helps.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Very helpful thanks, will be visiting again, closer to my date of actual travel!
Thanks and I am glad that you like the information available here on my blog. Feel free to get in tocuh for any planning required for your Leh – Ladakh trip, I would be more than happy to share my thoughts/inputs for the same.
Cheers!!
Dheeraj Sharma
You so much negativity towards the rented bikes ? we hired bikes form manali and had 0 breakdown and we had 3 bikes for 11 days ( manali- Leh ), no mechanics. Great info, but please dont scare people, its not bad after all… 🙂
Well Anku, it is great that you guys did not have any problems with the rented bikes. I will say lucky enough if you didn't test them or wise enough if you tested them a day before. It is all what I have read, seen (not experienced though) and heard from so many, so many travelers who hire them. I know things are changing, may be now they give rent bikes with certain age limit but they are just handful of them. There is no too much negativity and nothing there to scare people. I have just sketched out some points that should always be taken into account while hiring a bike so as to minimize the RISKs involved. Having said that this year only, several of my friends + readers reported such issues,so I felt the need of this article else I too believed that only unlucky ones are the ones who suffer. Even if that is true today, so again there is no harm to have all these points in mind and prepare for the worse.Those roads as you know are few of the most isolated roads in India with least civilization, so why not take every aspect of hiring a bike into account and calculate the risk factor. It should not be like go-take way thingy. You never know when luck run out your way in those trans Himalayan range
The too negative part can be considered as comparatively to the bike someone own. It is all what I can say 🙂 … But, I will try to go trhough it once again and see if there is something I have missed or have said too negatively. Thank again for your time for writing in here 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj
hey there.
understand your point. u know when you rent the bike there are a lott of things that affect wht you take. mostly people prefer to take cheap bike and often end up having endless troubles, just to save some bucks. but on the other hand you pay a bit more money ( 200rs or something ) extra and get a new bike, perfect condition… no problems.. why not ? People see about the money not that they are riding on a seriously dangerous routes, no mechanics, no nothing. and the bike and you is all that is out there.
u know so at the end of the day , you have the choices, but its up to you what you wanna go for … lol
🙂
P.s – its from My experiences. 🙂
Hey Anku,,
Thanks a lot buddy. I will surely update it as per your experiences. This information is highly welcome and will definitely help/warn people opting to choose some cheaply rented bike and end up jeopardizing their trips and paying more for a tow back or repairs 😀 … Thanks again for this piece of info.
Hope to see you here more often 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi anku, i read your comment and got to know that u guys hired bikes at manali, would u be so kind to provide me information about the approximate security deposit i would need to pay at manali for a rental bike of rs 700-900 range for around 6 days. I would really appreciate your reply as it would help me to prepare my budget accordingly. thanks
Hi Anku,
Can you please share the contact of the shop from where you had rent the bikes. We are planning trip in august but confused over the renting of bike.
Thanks in advance
Rudra
Not to forget, do not hesitate to ask for help in case you are stranded.
VEry nice. Too good
thanks a lot Tarun 🙂