Exploring Leh Laddakh on a bike is a dream for many travellers. The roads, the altitude and the scenic landscapes of Laddakh gives a thrill like nothing else. However, the bike tripping across Laddakh needs a lot of time and stamina and not everyone can indulge in the challenge. Does that mean that biking in Laddakh is not for all? Yes it is! Instead of biking the entire trip, you can choose to explore Leh on a bike on the two days that you would be staying in Leh and you can explore the rest of Laddakh on a locally hired four wheeler. In this way you can experience the best of both the worlds.
Here is all that you would need to know about exploring Leh on a bike.
Read about All You Need To Know About The Iconic Manali To Leh Road Trip
How should you plan you bike tripping across Leh
Well, there are lots to explore in Leh. The first day is definitely the 'Resting Day'. Book you flights so that you arrive at Leh early in the morning. Check in at your hotel, have a good breakfast and sleep for a few hours. You should not indulge in over exhausting yourself on that day and just plan for two places on the first day- The Leh market and the Shanti Stupa. On the next day start your day early and bag all the experiences that you can grab from Leh.
Where can you hire a bike and what would be the charges?
There are lots of bike rental shops at Upper Tukcha Road near the Leh Market. You can go and try them out before you find the best one suited for you. The charges are approximately Rs. 600/- for half day and Rs. 2200/- for an entire day.
A brief Itinerary
Day 1
On day 1 explore just two places and rest the entire day.
Leh Market : Visit the Leh market and explore the uniqueness of this market. The market looks beautiful with the colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind while the Leh palace dominates the backdrop. Local ladies dressed in Ladakhi clothes can seen selling apricots and dry fruits and a lot of other items. Stroll along the lanes and explore the beautiful souvenirs. If you feel tired, just walk in at the Maryul cafe and order a glass of soothing apricot juice.
Tip: If you have a prepaid sim, you sim would not work in Leh Ladakh. Utilise this time to get a local sim for your trip at the Leh Market.
Shanti Stupa: Visit the Shanti Stupa in the afternoon for experiencing a beautiful sunset. This white pagoda housing the relics of Buddha is perched on top of the Changspa hill. A bike ride to this stupa is absolutely delightful and you would experience a panoramic view of the surroundings mountains. The twists and turns on the road would warm you up for the thrilling bike trips awaiting you on the next day.
Read more about exploring Shanti Stupa here.
watch how we explored Leh on our First Day in Leh by Clicking here.
Day 2:
Thikshey Monastery : This is one of the most important monasteries located at about 19 kms. from Leh. This majestic 12 storeyed monastery resembles the Patola Palace in Tibet. The best time to visit this monastery is early in the morning during the prayer time which starts at 7am in the morning. The bike ride would be one of the most beautiful experiences and you would get some majestic views of the Mountain ranges. The morning prayers would be a lovely experience that you would definitely cherish forever.
Watch us experiencing the morning prayer at Thiksey monastery by clicking here.
Shey Palace and Monastery: Shey palace is located at about six kilometers from the Thikshey monastery. On the way while returning from the Thiksey monastery ,one can also explore the Shey palace. The Shey monastery was built in 1665 and has a remarking 39 feet statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Read more about Shey Palace on Tripoto by clicking here.
After this morning exploration, the best thing would be to have a hearty breakfast. You can choose to eat from the many cafes located in the Leh Market.
Read about places to eat in Leh here.
After breakfast, head off on your bike on the Leh- Kargil highway and start exploring.
Hall of Fame War memorial : The first important place to explore is the Hall of Fame War memorial. This two storeyed memorial is a tribute to the soldiers and people can know about how dark the days of the war had been and how the brave army men fought to protect our country.
Guphukhs View Point: This is a view point on the Leh Kargil highway from which the Indus Valley looks absolutely stunning. You must stop here for sometime to absorb the beauty of this land.
Gurudwara Pathhar sahib: Another important stop on the Leh Kargil highway is the Gurudwara patthar sahib dedicated to Guru Nanak ji. This is a very peaceful place maintained by the Indian Army.
Magnetic Hill : This is one of the most iconic places in Ladakh. The magic of this place is such that a car with its engine turned off moves up a hill slope defying the laws of gravity. However, you cannot feel this on your two wheeler. However, stop here to observe the cars of other tourists moving up the slope.
Sangam: The river Indus and Zanskar meets at Nimmo village and this place is known as Sangam. This place is beautiful and you can sit here at the stairs and dip your feet into the cold waters of the river. One can also enjoy river rafting.
Leh Palace : After exploring sangam , ride straight back towards Leh to explore the Leh Palace. This nine storeyed palace is one of the most important places to visit. This ancient royal palace would allow you to have a glimpse of the the life of the royals. It was constructed in 1553.
Tip: Do not follow the google maps during your bike trip as you would be never able to find the entrance!!! Head to the Leh market and ask the locals for the direction.
Tsemo Monastery: From the Leh palace you would be able to spot the Tsemo monastery located on a much higher hill. So, right after exploring the Leh palace get ready for another thrilling bike ride to the Tsemo Monastery. The winding roads would take you higher and higher till the Leh city becomes a sea of sparkling lights. This monastery is ancient and you can feel the vibes in the Monastery. A thousand colourful prayer flags would be fluttering as you start climbing the steep ancient stairs. You would feel peace and serenity like never before.
That is how you can explore Leh on bike and enjoy the thrills of tackling different types of roads in this beautiful land. However , points to remember are that this trip would be hectic as you would have to ride on long routes and climb a lot of stairs at the different places that you would stop at. Carry water and keep yourself hydrated. Use sunscreen to protect yourself from the harsh sunrays.
So when are you planning your Leh Ladakh trip?
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