Top of the World

Most of the flights land at midnight at New Delhi IGIA. Please ensure you arrive with plenty of time to transfer to the domestic airport for your early morning connecting flight to Chandigarh. Alternatively, if you would like to arrive a day early and relax or sight-see let us know and we can arrange accommodation.

We catch a domestic flight (15kg weight limit so pack light) early in the morning to Chandigarh and then jump in private vehicles for a long but interesting drive north towards the Himalayas. There’ll be plenty of stops for food and toilet breaks along the way. We arrive at our very comfortable hotel where you can have a hot shower, meet your trusty two-wheeled companions and have a pre-ride dinner and drinks.

After breakfast, we’ll have a rider briefing with our adventure leader, check personal equipment and cover safety precautions before being properly introduced to the Royal Enfield motorcycles. We’ll take the bikes out on the adjacent narrow roads of the surrounding villages and through the mountains. This is your chance to familiarise yourselves with the motorcycles and get to know the roads. In the evening we get back to the hotel for dinner and rest before the tour starts proper.

After breakfast, we will ride to the unexplored area of Kullu District. The Banjar Valley is a lush green valley & the border area of the “Great Himalayan National Park”, home to many birds, fish & animals. Lunch will be in a local restaurant and we’ll explore the valley after lunch too. Overnight at Raju Guesthouse/ similar.

A scenic road goes up 2500m through a pine forest to Narkanda which has great skiing in the winter months. A gentle descent through villages to join the main road from Shimla that leads to Kinnaur in the Spiti Valley. We continue to Sarahan, the summer capital of the Rampur Busheher. We visit a 1500-year-old temple of goddess Bhimakali and we have an amazing view of the Shirkhand peaks. Overnight in Hotel/ Guesthouse.

One of the prime attractions of Kalpa is the Kinnaur Kailash mountain as it is considered to be sacred by the locals of the region. A Shiva Lingam measuring 70m in height sits on top of the peak which attracts a large number of devotees and tourists all year round. We will ride through Sangla Valley which is another prominent attraction after which we visit the Kamru Fort, the Naga Temple and Sapni, which are renowned for their architectural excellence and the city of Reckong Peo which offers a panoramic view of the Kinner Kailash Mountain. Overnight in A Hotel or Guesthouse.

We leave Reckong Peo and enter a restricted area after getting our passports checked at Jangi. The route to Khab where Sutlej river enters India and merges into the Spiti river is simply amazing. It is uphill along a cliff, high over the Spiti River until Nako, where a magnificent view awaits us. To the north of the village is the monastic complex belonging to the Drugpa order. We continue along the cliff roads, driving through several villages until Tabo Monastery which was founded in 996 A.D. We’ll explore the village by foot and in the evening join the Puja ceremony in the Monastery. Overnight in Hotel/ Guesthouse.

We head from Tabo via Dhankar, the ancient capital of the Spiti king and home to the most incredibly situated gompa, perched high on a barren rocky mountain. Continuing to Lallung and in the afternoon reaching Pin Valley, known for its national park which is home to snow leopards and ibex. We stay overnight in Kaza.

Today is a long, physically, challenging day as we ride some of the roughest roads of the adventure. We cross streams and dirt tracks with frozen puddles to navigate up and over the Kunzum Pass. We’ll take our chai and lunch break at Batal before continuing along the Chandra Valley. We head through Tandi and enter the Ghar Valley along Bhaga river through the town of Keylong. Another quick chai break and then finally head to the village of Jispa through the Tod Valley, where we will spend the night in a Hotel.

Another big day is ahead of us but the riding in the morning is easy and spectacular. After stopping at the police checkpoint, we follow the winding road and cross the Baralacha pass which demands your concentration but rewards you with stunning views. We then descend to Bharatpur for a well-deserved chai break and hot lunch. After lunch, we ride some fantastic roads along the valley floor, past the semi-permanent campsites in Sarchu, before leaving the road to take a cross-country shortcut to our evening destination next to Tso Kar lake. 

After a hearty breakfast, we climb aboard our steeds and head to the second highest motorable road in the world – Taglang La. We cruise into Upshi and turn right at Hemis into the narrowest valley of the adventure. Riding towards the 134km saline Pangong lake, one is blissfully unaware that 60% is in Chinese controlled area but that it’s claimed by India. We snake along the river, past farms on the left, up and over snow-capped mountains before we find our way to our campsite at the lake which is larger than Singapore at 699km2 and is 4250m above sea level.

There is nothing better than an early morning swim in a freezing lake. If you don’t die, you’ll never feel more alive! We head back out the same way we came for about 50km until we get to Durbuk where we make the decision to turn right and take the shorter route and follow the Shyok River into Diskit or choose to do the far more challenging, twisty route over the mountains to the left before pulling into Diskit for the night? Either way, a massive colourful statue of Buddha will be there to welcome you. We’ll stay in a guest house for the night before tackling the highest motorable road in the world the following day.

A short day but not easy by any stretch of the imagination as we tackle the highest motorable road in the world at 5350m. After enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime scenery and taking the obligatory picture in front of the sign, we usually have some noodles or walk higher up the mountain for a celebratory shot of whiskey. For those who are game, we highly recommend switching your engines off and rolling all the way from the top to the hotel 43kms below in Leh. Rolling silently at speeds of up to 70km/h is a surreal experience and is a great way to reflect on the phenomenal adventure you’ve just been on. You will arrive in Leh in the afternoon with plenty of time to explore the many sights it has to offer. We have dinner and stay overnight at a hotel in Leh.

That’s it, folks, you’ve just completed one of the most extreme motorcycle expeditions in the world. You’ve crossed three of the world’s highest motorable passes, seen huge hanging glaciers, ridden by high-altitude lakes and immersed yourself in the colourful cultures of Ladakh.

Time to board the flight back to Delhi and onward home. On arrival in New Delhi, we’ll transfer you to the hotel where you can relax before catching your flight home. If you are staying for a day or two, then explore some of the many interesting sightseeing options, for example: seeing old Delhi by bicycle rickshaw, exploring the spice market, India Gate, the houses of parliament, the legendary Red Fort, walk-in Lodi Gardens and much more. Back on home turf, you won’t be able to explain the scale of this journey; photographs and videos will fail to do justice to your adventure. Your memories of this epic adventure will stay with you forever.