A complete guide to plan your Ladakh Trip

(Day-2) Started the bike trip from Manali, rode till Jispa covering Rohtang la and Baralacha la approx. 138kms, spent the night at Gemur Tent, with river view and surrounded by beautiful mountains. Enjoyed the bonfire at night and bonded with fellow riders from the group.

(Day-3) Rode from Jispa to Sarchu only 80kms, stayed there at a tent. Now here you must not forget wearing your gumboots and rain pants, since you have to cross Baratpur Nala, which is called a Nala but turns into a massive water crossing when it rains.

Well, many of you might think why to stay after riding such a short distance. The answer is, to get acclimatized. Now you are at a height of 14,070ft and yes! the night might be difficult for many. You may experience headaches and breathing difficulties due to a lack of oxygen, so I suggest pop up a Diamox the previous night.

But hey! hey! all the photographers out there, you all might just forget about oxygen scarcity because Sarchu has the clearest sky and you will certainly get to capture the Milky Way and Star Trails.

(Day-4) Now after a sleepless night, again we were all set to hit the roads and rode 250kms to reach Leh. After Sarchu, you will be entering J&K/Ladakh, also it is the day to encounter Nakeela Pass ( 15,647 ft) and Tanglang La (17,480ft) you will experience off roads till Pang after that the roads are as smooth as silk.

Roads in Ladakh are as scenic as they can be but I found nature at its best with mountains changing colors, a river on the right with all sorts of colorful flowers, few kilometers before reaching Leh.

Spent the night in Leh at a hotel, explored the market, bought ‘How I reached Leh’ T-shirts (they have all possible routes embroidered in all sizes and colors), had a hearty dinner at Tibet Kitchen (must-visit for local food.)

Oh yes! Here you get new bikes since H.P bikes are not allowed in J&K. Ensure that you check your bikes and get them fixed by the mechanic from your support team, though the bikes look shiny J&K bikes are not well maintained.

(Day-5) Rode from Leh to Nubra Valley (comprising of 3 main villages Diskit, Khalsar & Hundar) covering approx. 160.3kms. Today we also got to witness the ‘Mighty Khardungla.’

The road from Leh to Nubra is full of sharp and blind carves, so extra caution required here. After reaching we stayed at a hotel in Diskit.

(Day-6) Rode to Turtuk from Diskit approx 90kms. Well, they say this is the last village of India beyond which you can’t travel. I didn’t find it very exciting since I had already visited Wagah Border.

But yes, holding our ‘Tri-Colour’ high and singing the National Anthem definitely gave goosebumps. On our way back we visited Hundar, the Cold Desert (Khapa-Chan.) You get to watch traditional Ladakhi dance here, ride ATV, and watch the famous Bactrian Camel (two humps) I would only say watch because I am strictly against riding animals and would urge everyone not to do so. Remember, your holiday is their every day, so please don’t!

Spent the night at your Hotel, before you leave Diskit, make sure to visit Diskit Monastery in the morning.

(Day-7) Rode from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso covering a distance of approx. 150kms. Now here you are! Do not, I repeat do not leave without putting on your gumboots and rain pants. Today you will encounter 3 river crossings, the second one will have you looking for a route to ride, it did give me shivers when we had to cross these, though they were not as scary as some parts of the roads which we already crossed, I really didn’t want to fall down and get in contact with the chilled water, so I almost fought with Kartik (the husband) got off the bike, walked to cross these rivers (we were lucky, the water flow was not much as we traveled during ‘No Rain’ season.)

After arriving at Pangong Tso, we checked into our tents, took off the biking gears, and put on our best attires which we saved for this spot, and got ready to get photographed.

We reached there before sunset, experienced the best shades of ‘Blue’ and an unforgettable Sunset.

A con that I found is, the impact of Bollywood and 3 idiots at this beautiful lake site, I mean, I really would not have wanted to spot, yellow scooters and 3 idiot bums in a place as scenic as this, but what to do, Indians, our craziness for Bollywood and the want of earning money by the localities have made a certain spot at the lake site pretty commercial. So, I chose to ignore it and took shelter in a Yak tent with my friend Shishik to run away from the super cold breeze.

We got talking to a local who said that during winters, it goes down to -30/-40 degrees, and Pangong Tso freezes but only localities know how to cross it, others who tried stepped at the wrong spot and got drowned.

At night we had a great time playing games and listening to ghost stories from our captain Tenzin and driver Arun around the bonfire.

Crossing the river as we have just found a water crossing on the Moon

(Day-8) Rode to Leh from Pangong Tso covering a distance of approx. 225kms.

This was a difficult day for me! 20kms of off-road riding through snow avalanche area almost made my back numb but being the strong woman that I am ;) I made it, kidding. I actually forgot the pain after seeing another highest pass- Changlalng la.

I must say it was really cold, throughout our journey we had only experienced pleasant weather but the moment we started from Pangong Tso till Changlang la, we experienced cold that hit our bones while riding, so stay well-prepared!

In the evening the biker group decided to take a break, we all believe and swear by safe riding and hence we stayed away from all kinds of intoxications in the past few days. But as this was the last day of being together and we didn’t have to ride, hence we celebrated the night with loads of beer at our hotel, I must not forget taking the name of ‘Six Fields Wheat Beer’ here, it is manufactured in Jammu & Kashmir and can easily give a run for money to any imported wheat beer.

(Day-9) In the morning we said goodbye to our group who took the same way back and also to our bikes provided by The Great Next. It was an emotional moment :)

Post that the four of us decided to spend on food and shopping. Meanwhile, we hired 2 Royal Enfields 350CC for Rs.11,00 each/day, you can easily hire bikes in Leh, check with your hotel for assistance, or just google it.

We hit the World Garden Café, located and Changspa road followed by a visit to German Bakery for lunch later serves the yummiest desserts. In the evening, we rode up to Shanti Stupa, try to reach there before 8 pm so that you can grab a cup of kawa or coffee at the café and sit back to enjoy the view. Later we chose Café Il Forno for dinner.

(Day-10) Visited the Thiksay Monastery followed by Leh palace, Zanskar-Indus confluence, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, and Kargil War Memorial (be there before 7 pm to visit the museum and watch the light and sound show.) Oh yes, we also encountered Magnetic Hill on the way, which I felt is overhyped.

(Day-11) Left hotel at 6.30 am to catch our flight at 9 am. The airport is just 9kms away from the city, so you can stay away from the fear of missing your flight. And if you are fond of sleeping on the flight then please don’t! You will miss the scenic take-off and snow-capped mountains once you are up in the sky.

Well, this marked an end to our long-awaited, most discussed, and planned trip.

Someone in Manali told us that “when you go up there and come back, you come back as a different person”, now I can connect to his thoughts. The experience of seeing ‘Nature at its best’ and encountering some of the riskiest roads, makes you value ‘Mother Earth’ and your life more. Nature can be so surprising, it can mesmerize you every moment with something new.

I feel Ladakh is still so beautiful because not many have reached there and those who have, know how to value and protect ‘Mother Earth.’ So, let’s ensure that we all do our bit in protecting this ‘untouched-by humans’ part of our country from the species who travels & creates a mess that’s ‘human.’

I am thankful to Kartik, Pawan, Shishik, our group, and our travel partner for making it happen, it was a pure adrenaline rush that we experienced in these 11days.

So, till we meet again to hit the roads together, keep traveling, ride safe and save nature!

Things to keep in mind if you are riding during August-September:

1. Carry very few clothes- You actually won’t feel like changing so keep it a minimum, carry comfortable pants, jeans are not very comfy while riding

2. Carry a rain jacket, pants, baklava cap, gloves, polarized shades put them on every day (if you are not wearing a biking suit) my friends laughed at me for wearing a rain jacket every day but it saved me from the wind and dust also saves you from applying sunscreen

3. Buy a good pair of gumboots otherwise it doesn’t save you in the river crossings

4. Good quality helmet, knee, and elbow guard is a must, after all, safety is beyond everything

5. Dress in layers, so that you can take it off when you feel hot, if you are traveling in September then a sweatshirt and windproof jacket is more than enough during riding but keep your raincoats handy if you ain’t wearing them, the weather is unpredictable

6. Sarchu and Pangong Tso would be cold, keep thermals, woolen cap, and gloves for these places

7. While riding from Pangong Tso to Leh, make sure you wear thermals, a jacket and then a windproof jacket, as I said it will really be very cold

8. Never overtake or honk, especially when you see army vehicles. They will let you pass anyway when they see you coming

9. Do not miss a chance to salute our Army Men, my respect for them have increased more after seeing them live in the extreme climates just to save us

10. On the way back from the Zanskar-Indus confluence, pay a visit to Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, it said that Guru Nanak Dev Ji stayed there and now our Indian Army is maintaining the Gurudwara, you must experience the way they welcome you and make you feel taken care of

11. Save some space in your bag, if you want to shop in Leh but do not forget to bargain, visit the Tibetian Refugee market

12. Speak to the locals, they are very sweet and friendly people

13. While riding in Ladakh, survive on maggie is a total myth! At the smallest of cafes and highway Dhabas you get a long menu to choose from and the food is yummy. You must not forget to try the local delicacies

14. Well, I am going to end with a note for crazy dog lovers like me, throughout the way you are going to meet these fluffy and cuddly dogs known as ‘Gaddi Kutta’ please feed them and play with them, they have so much love to give and will only add to the memories of your trip

So, what are you waiting for? Get Leh'd!

Bon Voyage!

Disclaimer: This article has been published under my own interest, it is not a part of any paid partnership and not a property of any company or organization.

Trips cost mentioned is for 1 person.