Manali Leh Bike Trip
Manali to Leh bike trip is among the best things one can plan in their lifetime. Offbeat roads, rugged terrains, snow-clad mountains and huge snow glaciers on the way to Leh are something which will surely make your heart pound widely.
The epic journey to Leh Ladakh starts from the Himalayan town of Manali. This town is situated in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh and is known for its impeccable beauty.
The journey from Manali to Rohtang Pass is pleasant and marked by huge snow glaciers and dense Deodar trees. It’s only after the Rohtang pass that one feels the real wrath of Himalayan roads, The downhill drive from Rohtang to Khoksar is adventurous and dangerous and needs great riding skills. After reaching Khoksar one can rest for a few minutes and have some food to rejuvenate oneself.
The journey from Manali to Khoksar is marked by a sudden change in the entire scenery, the view of lush green mountains changes to a barren landscape of Lahaul and Spiti. At Khoksar one also needs to verify the permits and documents issued by the Manali administration.
After leaving Khoksar one travels through famous villages like Tandi, and Sissu to reach Keylong, a pit-stop for the night. Later in the evening, after having dinner one can go to sleep.
Keylong to Sarchu is the drive for the next day, on this day one cross passes like Baralacha-la to reach Sarchu. This journey is also marked by the famous zing zing bar which is the most dreaded mountain Nala on the way to Leh Ladakh. After reaching Sarchu one can look for stay options, which are mostly camps and tents.
The third day is all about travelling to the famous town of Leh, One can stay here for a day or two to acclimatize and explore the local sightseeing points. The fifth and sixth days of the journey are all about exploring the famous Khardungla Pass and Nubra Valley.
Cost of Manali Leh bike trip
The cost of the Manali-Leh bike trip depends totally on how and when you plan. If you plan a bike trip in accordance with any travel company the charges generally range from 10000Rs to 150000 Rs per person, which includes bikes, backup vehicles, Food, and Stays and the duration of the trip ranges around 10-12 days.
In this tour package travel companies cover all the major sightseeing points, and the most important thing of all, you are always in the safe hands, of expert tour guides. The most common thing which we have noticed in the past is that people don’t understand the extent of adventure and risk the Manali Leh bike trip offers. Most people start their journey with minimum or no planning, which can cause many problems during the trip.
In case you are looking forward to planning the Manali Leh trip on your own then there are a few standard things, which will help you estimate the total cost of your entire trip.
- Manali Leh bike trip ranges around 8-9 days and the cost of bike rentals for bullet 350cc or Himalayan ranges around 1000Rs per day to 1300 Rs. So if you plan your trip for 9 days then bike rental charges will be around 9000Rs
- It generally takes 3 days to reach Leh from Manali, 3 days for local sightseeing and 3 days for return. The stay charges for 9 days range between 10,000 Rs to 15000 Rs depending upon the luxury level you want to achieve during the stay.
- Inner line permits for Khardungla, Nubra and Pangong cost between 1000rs to 1400 Rs.
- Petrol: The entire journey of the Manali Leh bike trip is around 2000km to and fro. The cost of petrol used during the entire journey is somewhat between 5000Rs to 7000Rs.
- Miscellaneous: Buying gumboots, riding gear, ropes, Trampoline and extra bike repair costs range around 4000Rs.
Verdict
Planning a Manali-Leh bike trip on your own is just a few thousand cheaper. Extra facilities which Travel company offers like Backup vehicles, Full-time Mechanic and First Aid in case of any emergency are not even present when on plans on their own.
So if you are planning a Manali-Leh bike trip, then we would suggest you always think that this is not just a bike trip but a lifetime dream ride. So choosing a good travel company for this expedition can change the entire way, In which you are going to experience the Land of High Passes, Ladakh.
Which bike is best for Manali Leh bike trip
This is one of the most frequently asked questions and every person will give you a different answer to this. The most appropriate answer is ” The bike which suits your riding style the best and is comfortable for you” is considered as best bike for the Manali Leh bike trip.
Motorbike Expeditions has been doing this business for a long time. If you ask us Royal Enfield Himalayan is among the top-rated and most preferred bikes for the Manali Leh bike trip. There is a number of reasons why people prefer this bike so much.
Powerful engine
Royal Enfield Himalayan comes with a 411cc engine which is perfect for the rugged Himalayan terrains. Most of the bikes start puffing when they usually climb around 10000 feet above sea level, but this is not the scenario with Himalayan. At times, at high altitudes when other bikes struggle to accelerate this bike just nails it.
Suspension and seating
When it comes to the Manali Leh bike trip one word which resonates with the bike is the Royal Enfield. During the early years, Royal Enfield 350cc classic and 500cc classic were the most common bikes used for the Manali Leh bike trip. Later in 2014 after the launch of the Royal Enfield Himalayan everything changed, and it became the most preferred bike for the people traveling to Ladakh.
The journey to Ladakh from Manali is through the most rugged terrains of North India, So all one needs is a good comfortable bike with great suspension and seating, hence Himalayan becomes a perfect deal.
Off-road beast on a budget
Most off-road bikes are so costly that half of the population of India can’t even dream of buying one. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is what people call the best budget offroading vehicle. Most people don’t plan to buy a bike, especially for 10-12 days Manali-Leh bike trip hence they prefer renting it from Manali or Bhuntar. The rental charges of this bike are also very low, it usually starts from 1300 Rs to 1500 Rs per day.
Hence we at Motorbike Expeditions consider Himalayan among the best bikes to choose from for the Manali Leh bike trip.
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The best month to plan Manali Leh bike trip
There are several articles on google describing the best month for a Manali Leh bike trip, but those will only confuse you. To know about the best month one needs to know about the basic geographic and climatic conditions of the place.
Roads to Leh Ladakh from Manali remain closed for nearly 6 months every year due to heavy snowfall on mountain passes like Rohtang la, Tanglang-la, Nakeela and Baralacha-la. It’s only around May and June when BRO starts the snow-clearing operations and opens the national highway to Ladakh. The roads remain open till October 15 depending upon the snowfall at the passes.
May – June
If you are a snow lover and want to experience huge snow walls on both sides of the road while riding towards Leh-Ladakh then May-June is a perfect month to travel. Crystal-clear snow, clean skies and Lush green landscapes during this time will surely drop your jaw.
The most important thing during this time is that one has to face minimum Nalas, as most of the water is yet frozen, making it an ideal time to travel for the Manali-Leh bike trip.
July-August
July is also among the most preferred times for the Manali-Leh bike trip. This time is for those who want some surplus adventure on the Manali-Leh bike trip. During this time all the major Nalas like the Pagal Nala and the famous Zing Zing bar Nala are highly active, making the bike trip more dreaded and dangerous.
Note:- July and August’s months are marked by the presence of monsoons in Himachal Pradesh. Causing heavy rain for a week or two, hence one should always plan according to the news and weather forecast during this period.
September
If you love peace and want to enjoy your engine roaring in the midst of the cold desert in Ladakh then September is a perfect time for you to plan Manali-Leh bike trip. The crowd during this month reduce tremendously making it an ideal time to plan for bike trip. The only disadvantage of travelling during this month is lack of snow at high-altitude mountain passes.
Are rented bikes allowed for Manali Leh bike trip?
The answer to this question is Yes, rented bikes are allowed for the Manali-Leh bike trip. When one thinks about Leh Ladakh, the first word that strikes a person’s mind is the “bike trip”. The Manali to Leh bike trip is a dream ride for many as it is among the most adventurous and beautiful rides one can plan in his or her lifetime.
The main problem with this dream is that it’s not practical for a person to carry his or her bike to Manali, hence renting a bike from Manali to Leh becomes a very feasible option. Some people have a misconception that one can’t ride a rented bike from Manali to Leh, which is false.
Note:- One can rent bikes from Manali or Bhuntar to travel to Leh, It is only after reaching Leh that one needs to rent the local bikes to explore the local sightseeing points like Magnetic hill, Khardungla Pass, Nubra Valley, Turtuk village etc.
Private Bike:- The scenario of renting a bike from Leh for local sightseeing applies only to people who travel on rented bikes to Leh Ladakh from Delhi or elsewhere. If a person is travelling by one’s personal bike then he or she can use that same bike for exploring the local sightseeing points in Leh Ladakh.
Where should we stay during Manali Leh bike trip?
Stays are the most crucial things to plan for when planning the Manali Leh bike trip. When one rides on the world’s most rugged terrain all day, crossing through water-clogged regions inserting oneself into 3 feet of ice-cold water, all he needs during the night is a good comfortable bed to sleep on.
So if you are planning a Manali Leh bike trip then here is the most effective itinerary which you can follow regarding your stays.
Everyone should stay in Manali for one day instead of directly leaving for Ladakh, as this helps in acclimatization. Exploring the town and connecting your soul to the bike is all you need to do on the first day.
Next day after leaving Manali one needs to travel to a place called Keylong. Keylong is the last big town on your Manali-Leh bike trip and your pit stop for the night.
On the third day, one needs to travel from Keylong to Sarchu. Sarchu will be your 3rd halt for the night and on the fourth day one ride from Sarchu to Leh.
The above-mentioned itinerary for stays is not just written, it has been part of the Motorbike Expedition travel chart for the past 5 years. We at MotorbikeExpedition have learned from our past experiences and then formulated these stays, keeping every high altitude and tribal issue in mind.
The land up there is not the same, it can be harsh and deadly at the same time hence one needs to plan the distance to be covered each day with great precision.
So if you are planning a Manali Leh bike trip and are confused about How and when then this article is surely for you. MotorbikeExpedition has formulated this article keeping all the questions in mind with which most of travellers get confused.
And if you still have any doubts regarding the Manali Leh bike trip you call us 24/7, We at MotorbikeExpedition are always available to help our fellow travellers.
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