Manali to Leh Highway Expedition

Arrive in Manali independently. Check into the hotel and meet the support team. In the afternoon, we will assign your Royal Enfield motorcycles, help you mount your saddlebags, and conduct a brief test ride up the Solang Valley. In the evening, there will be a mandatory route briefing covering high-altitude safety guidelines and packing procedures.

We kick off early to beat the local tourist traffic. Riding through the Solang Valley, we enter the 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel, exiting into the dry, rocky river basin of the Chandra River at Gramphu. We follow the paved tarmac through Tandi (the last petrol pump for the next 340 km) and reach the quiet riverside settlement of Jispa. This day is kept short to help you acclimatize naturally to the increasing altitude.

Today we enter the high-altitude zone. Leaving Jispa, the road climbs steadily past Darcha and Zingzingbar. We tackle our first major water crossings fed by glacier runoff. We then climb to the top of Baralacha La (4,892m / 16,040 ft), where snow stands tall even in mid-summer. We descend past the emerald waters of Suraj Tal lake to reach the Sarchu plateau. Sarchu is a cold, wind-swept campsite where we sleep in insulated Swiss tents. Keep hydrated today to prevent AMS symptoms.

Our longest and most challenging riding day. We start early, navigating the 21 hairpin loops of the Gata Loops, climbing quickly onto the Nakee La (4,739m) and Lachulung La (5,065m) passes. We stop for lunch at Pang before hitting the More Plains—a flat, surreal highway stretch at 15,000 feet. The final challenge is climbing Tanglang La (5,328m / 17,480 ft), the second-highest motorable pass. After the summit, we descend into the beautiful Indus River valley, passing Upshi to arrive in Leh.

A relaxed day to let your body rest and recover. While our permit team processes your Inner Line Permits at the Leh magistrate office, you will ride to the historic Spituk Monastery, visit the Hall of Fame army museum, and ride to Sangam—the spectacular confluence of the green Indus and muddy Zanskar rivers. We return to Leh town in the evening to explore the local markets and dine at a traditional Ladakhi restaurant.

The ultimate climax of the ride. We climb north from Leh town, navigating steep asphalt and gravel sections up to the legendary Khardung La Pass (5,359m / 17,582 ft), widely celebrated by riders as the gateway to the Nubra Valley. We spend no more than 20 minutes at the top to avoid altitude sickness, capture our historic group photographs, and descend back to Leh for a celebratory farewell dinner.

Our tour concludes today. After breakfast, we organize transfers to the Kushok Bakula Rimpoche Airport in Leh for your flight back home, taking with you memories of a lifetime from the high Himalayan passes.