Overview
This bike tour gives you not only the thrill of the Indian mountainous road but will astonish you with the culture shock. This tour has been designed to give you the experience the Ladakh landscape and culture but in different region called Spiti valley. Spiti, once fabled as the forbidden land, is a part of India where the Tibetan Plateau crosses over into India. High-altitude deserts, lunar landscape, wide-open valleys and ancient Buddhist monasteries make this a motorcycling paradise. There are some tough dirt-roads to negotiate through Lahaul Valley, but the grassy meadows over in Spiti are a handsome reward for the riders who dare venture on their motorcycles into this corner of the Himalaya.
Highlights:
- Manali
- Banjar Valley
- Sangla
- Kalpa
- Tabo
- Dhankar Monastery
- Kaza
- Kibber
- Chandra tal
Itinerary
Arrive Manali. Upon arrival transfer to the hotel and later proceed to visit the beautiful sights of Manali. Rest of the day is free at leisure.
Overnight at the Hotel
Today we have an easy ride down the Kullu Valley. The valley is famous for apples, plums, pears and beautiful alpine topography. We ride down to Kullu town and go past Bhuntar airfield. After Bhuntar we cross over the Beas river at Aut into the Banjar Valley. The roads are fine till Banjar. After that the route becomes quite steep as we climb towards Jalori Pass (3134 m) and we need to ride all the way up till Shoja village, a beautiful mountain village located amongst thick cedar forests. We stay for the evening at Banjara Camps.
Meals: B, D
Overnight Camping
After breakfast we do the final climb up to Jalori Pass (3134m). This pass remains closed in winters for months due to heavy snowfall. After we cross Jalori Pass the road descends downwards and we reach Ani, a small township. In the afternoon we finally reach Sarahan and check into our hotel. After lunch we can visit the famous Bhimakali Temple and explore its unique architecture, which is believed to be 800 years old. We spend the night stay at a Guest house in Sarahan.
Meals: B, D
Overnight at the Guest house
Today we start our ride early. The roads are a mix of good tarmac and broken patches. The Sangla Valley (also called Baspa Valley) is named after the river Baspa. The valley is famous for its quality apples and trout fish found in the Baspa river. You can enjoy the beauty of the Sangla Valley while riding along on your Royal Enfield, the low-revving engine thumping lazily in the afternoon. After a long ride through the valley we reach Sangla, a small township. Here you can find ATMs, a petrol station, restaurants and shops. You can park the bikes and go for a walk around the place and experience the Kinnauri culture of this valley. After hanging around for some time in Sangla, we ride towards Kalpa towards our Guest house and check-in for our night stay.
Meals: B, D
Overnight at the Guest House
After an early breakfast we ride from Kalpa towards the main highway for Spiti. The topography gradually changes from green to harsh, rocky mountanous terrain. As we reach Nako (3625m) you can see the village below the Reo Rurgyal Mountain Range. Nako has a small lake called Nako lake, the gem of this village, and the main attraction here for many tourists. Nako Monastery dates back to the 11th century and is yet another attraction of this village. Apples and sun-dried apricots are the main cash crop of this village. After exploring Nako you can relax in your tents at the campsite.
Meals: B, D
Overnight Camping
On the way to Kaza we visit Tabo and Dhankar Monastery. The Tabo monastery is famous for its exquisite murals and stucco sculptures, described by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, as ‘a delightful expression of the Indo-Tibetan collaboration in spreading Buddhist culture’. The contrast between the simple mud brick exterior and the resplendent ornate interiors of the Tabo monastery is spectacularly striking and a must see for every visitor.
Dhankar Monastery dates back to the 12th century. It is built on top of a ridge, a precarious and strategic location that overlooks the confluence of the Pin and Spiti rivers. After exploring this magnificent monastery we ride to Kaza. Kaza is the main marketplace for all of Spiti. Here you can make calls, check e-mails, etc. In the evening we stay in our guesthouse in Kaza, with dinner and beer out in the garden, under the stars that light up the Himalaya.
Meals: B, D
Overnight at the Guest House
Next morning we ride to Ki Monastery, one of the biggest and oldest monasteries in Spiti valley. Ki looks like it is out of a fantasy story, with the fortress-like monastery located on top of a short hill and Ki village lying at its base. After spending a good time at this complex, we ride to Kibber Village (4400m), the second-highest village in the world with electricity and a motorable road. We ride back to Kaza in the evening and spend the night in Kaza.
Meals: B, D
Overnight at the Guest House
Today we ride to Chandratal Lake (4300m). From Kaza to Losar the road is fairly rough tarmac. Losar is the last inhabited place in Spiti valley. After this it is all wild Himalaya all the way to Manali. After we exit the Spiti border, right after Losar, the road turns into a dirt track, strewn with rubble and small rocks, so you need to ride cautiously from here onward. After Losar we have to cross our second pass of the tour, the Kunzum La (4590m). It is a beautiful pass and you get the feeling of climbing up to the sky, through the Greater Himalaya. We reach our destination - Chandratal - in the afternoon (chandra = Moon, tal = Lake). We spend the night at a campsite by the crystal clear waters of the Chandratal.
Meals: B, D
Overnight Campsite
This is the last day of our tour and we set out for Manali after breakfast. The roads here are very bad, we have to ride slowly and carefully. On the way we cross Batal and Chattru. This ride is probably the most beautiful part of the ride, through the truly wild parts of the Himalaya. Finally we reach Gramphu and climb all the way up to the Rohtang Pass (3978m). After crossing Rohtang we have to decend down 51 km to reach Manali. Its a visiual delight to see again all that greenry which was missing the past many days during our stay in the Spiti valley. After reaching Manali we check in to hotel rooms, relax and freshen up for a get-together in the evening.
Meals: B, D
Overnight at the Hotell
After breakfast depart to your respective places.
Meals: B
Inclusions / Exclusions
Inclusions:
- All hotel, guesthouse and camping charges on twin-sharing basis.
- Meals as per the program.
- Royal Enfields Himalyan for riders.
- Petrol included for whole tour.
- Bungee cords for strapping on your day pack.
- Backup pickup truck with mechanic.
- All your luggage goes in the truck.
- First aid kit and oxygen cylinder.
- Food and lodgings for the tour mechanic and back-up crew.
- All taxes are included in the tour price.
- Tour price includes all permits and toll charges.
Exclusions:
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Meals which are not mentioned in the program.
- Helmets, gloves, jackets, boots, strap-on luggage and other riding gear – riders are advised to bring their own.
- Please ensure that you have the appropriate medical insurance from your country of origin and that it covers activities of this nature.
FAQs
Yes, the ride in the Himalayas is every time give you a thrill and excitement with lots of fun and learning, but you should be very cautious while riding on these terrains, if you are not well prepared or you are not any part of a group rides then it’s going to be very tough in some stretch. Don’t jump into conclusion easily, do you homework well and study enough blogs and get practical exposure about riding the motorcycles and maintaining them. Apart from that Spiti valley is one of the safest places in India to travel; people are very humble and helpful.
Altitude sickness is one of the most common problems that in the high altitude places and Spiti is one of the valley, because of its altitude. A common cause of AMS is due to lack of oxygen and our body won’t get acclimatize to that altitude so easily. Minor symptoms of AMS are headaches, vomit sensation, fatigue, shortness of breath, and giddiness. Severe symptoms will be like shortness of breath even you are sitting or not doing any activity, severe vomiting, and inability to walk.
Avoiding AMS is pretty simple if you follow the instructions of your Travel guide on the Spiti valley bike trip, the primary thing is to avoid climbing the mountains quickly, take time and increase your altitude gradually, Drink at least 3-5 liters of water every day, this will keep your hydrated, Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol at least for first few days till your body gets acclimatize, avoid having heavy dinner and non-veg during the night because having heavy food will trouble you in your metabolism and most of the oxygen in your body gets used to digesting the food inside the body.
It goes without saying that warm, layered clothes are the most important things to carry for a Spiti trip. As it is a cold and dry region, you will need them to protect you from the harsh winds and the hot sun.
Manali – All mobile network and Internet available, both prepaid & post-paid
Chandratal – Only BSNL/MTNL mobile network sometimes, no Internet
Kaza – Only BSNL/MTNL mobile network, WIFI available at few hotels.
After crossing Manali the next place where you get Bank and ATM is at Kaza, so it’s better to carry enough cash for the entire trip. There are ATMs in Nako, Sangla, and the rest of the places throughout the trip.
Permits are required only if you are a Non-Indian, Permits can be obtained at Kaza, Reckong Peo, and Kullu tourist information center.
No currency conversion available in any place apart from Manali, but few hotels in Kaza may do, but that is not completely reliable.
Petrol station available at Manali, Kaza, Reckong Peo, Jeori, Rampur, Narkanda, Shimla.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the trip
We shall charge only the services which are paid and non-refundable and our professional charges on the actual basis. This means we will pay you nearly 90% of the payment and if you want to adjust your payment for the next trip then it will be adjusted. But also note that the balance payment for the future tour shall be paid by the client.
Cancellation between 24 days and 14 days to the start of the trip
We will refund you 70% of the payment and if you want to adjust your payment for the next trip then it will be adjusted. But also note that the balance payment for the future tour shall be paid by the client.
Cancellation between 14 days and 10 days to the start of the trip
We will refund you 50% of the payment and if you want to adjust your payment for the next trip then it will be adjusted. But also note that the balance payment for the future tour shall be paid by the client.
Cancellation less than 10 days to the start of the trip
It will be calculated and hence the refund is initiated.
