Kashmir & Ladakh

16-Days Guided Motorcycle Expedition

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Dates: Sep 3-18, 2022          

Cost: INR 69,000* / USD 1190*

Overview

This tour will take us through Kashmir valley and Ladakh, which are completely different from one another. Everything is different starting from the terrain, culture, language, ethnicity to food. While Kashmir boasts of having scenery comparable to Switzerland; Ladakh, known as the land of high passes is a cold desert. Get ready to tackle some tough terrain and freezing cold water crossings while enjoying the scenery of snow capped mountains and azure blue lakes.

Tour Highlights

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• Conquer the World's Highest Motorable road - Umling La (19,024 ft)

• Ride the Lake circuit covering Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Kar.

• Boat ride in famous Dal lake in Srinagar

• Enjoy the natural Hot springs near Tso Moriri

• Learn about the lifestyle of monks at Hemis Monastery

• Walk the Sand Dunes of Hunder

• Take a ride on a Bactrian /double-hump camel

• Ride thru the newly opened Atal tunnel

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Itinerary
Day 1. Chandigarh

Arrive at hotel in Chandigarh. In the evening, our tour leader will brief you about the various safety measures, riding tips, and gear checkups. Collect your motorcycles and check it with a short ride around the town. Get acquainted with the fellow riders at dinner time.
Overnight stay at Hotel in Chandigarh.

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Day 2. Chandigarh – Udhampur (380 Kms)  

After an early breakfast, we will leave the city and start riding towards Udhampur along the lush green fields of Punjab. It will be a long ride on 4 lane highways till we reach the foothills before Jammu followed by a short ride in the hills to reach Udhampur. 

Overnight stay at Hotel in Udhampur.
 

Day 3. Udhampur - Srinagar (200 Kms)

We'll start climbing altitude this day and reach the beautiful Srinagar valley. Srinagar is the largest city in the Jammu valley and is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. Enclosed by splendid Pir Panjal mountains and Mughal Gardens, Dal Lake is the most popular attraction in Srinagar. The canopied Shikaras sailing on the lake are one of the major attractions of Dal Lake.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Srinagar.
 

Day 4. Srinagar

Local sightseeing - Dal lake, Pari Mahal, Hazratbal shrine etc  

Day 5. Srinagar - Kargil (210 kms)

After breakfast, get ready for an adventurous ride. Our first stop will be at Sonmarg where you can soak all the beauty of the grasslands and mountain peaks. Then we ride across the mighty Zoji La Pass to reach Drass Village, the second coldest inhabited place on Earth. Visit the War memorial. Soak in the amazing views of Kargil, Tiger Hill and other famous peaks from the Kargil War. 

Overnight stay at the Hotel in Kargil. 

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Day 6. Kargil - Leh (240 Kms)

Begin the day with a delicious breakfast and then head towards Leh on the Srinagar-Leh Highway.

This day will be packed with lot of sight-seeing spots such as Invisible Village, Hall of Fame, Lamayuru Monastery, Alchi/Likir monastery, Indus-Zanskar river confluence, Magnetic hill & Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. 

Overnight stay at Hotel in Leh.

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Day 7. Leh  - Rest day

Get acclimatized to high altitude. Local sightseeing - Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, Bazaar etc
 

Day 8. Leh – Khardung La - Nubra Valley (130 Kms)

After breakfast, be ready for a scenic ride. Our first stop will be at the gateway to Nubra and Shyok valleys - Khardung La (18,380ft), one of the world's highest motorable road. From here we descend into Nubra valley and head to Diskit monastery. Last stop for the day will be the sand dunes of Hundar. Take a ride on the Bactrian (Double humped) camel and watch the sun set over the mountain ranges.

Overnight stay at Camp in Hundar with Bonfire. Try some astral photography.

Day 9. Hundar - Turtuk - Sumur (225 Kms)

After breakfast, we ride along the Shyok river to Turtuk or Tyakshi which is the border village along the Indo-Pakistan border. Soak in the beauty of the lush green fields lined with apricot trees with the Karakorum range in the backdrop and taste the local food of the Balti people who's looks are completely different from rest of the Ladakhis. Post lunch, we ride back till Khalsar village and then head north to Sumur.

Overnight stay at the Hotel / Guesthouse in Sumur.

Day 10. Sumur - Pangong Tso (180 Kms)

Wake up relaxed and enjoy the good breakfast. 

Today we will ride along the Shyok river to the breathtaking Pangong Tso. Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). This pristine mosaic of myriad shades of blue, is said to be one of the highest brackish water lake in the world.

You have the evening free to go crazy with photoshoots.

Overnight stay at the Hotel / Swiss tents in Spangmik or Man.
 

Day 11. Pangong Tso - Hanle (160 Kms)

After an early breakfast, we ride to remote village of Hanle along Man, Merak & Chusul. This will be one of the most deserted roads most people would have ridden/driven in their life. First stop will be at the Rezang La war memorial in Chusul, to salute the martyrs of the 1962 Indo-China war. Then we ride to one of the historic villages of Ladakh, Hanle. Home to the 17th century Hanle monastery and world's 3rd highest optical telescope, Hanle is a must-visit place for anyone visiting Ladakh. The night sky seen here is the most beautiful and magical with millions of stars visible to the naked eye.

Overnight say at Hotel in Hanle.
 

Day 12. Hanle - Umling La - Tso Moriri (300 / 180 Kms)

Today will be one more day of adventure riding, where we ride to the world's highest Motorable road - Umling la (19,024 ft). Later, we ride to the highest lake which is entirely in India - Tso Moriri aka the Mountain Lake in the Changthang plateau. Less crowded than Pangong, the Tso Moriri is a very peaceful lake to watch the sunrise or sunset. 

Overnight stay in Hotel in Karzok.

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Day 13. Karzok - Tso Kar - Sarchu (210 Kms)

After a hearty breakfast, we head to the third lake which is part of the lake circuit, Tso Kar. The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies: Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh. If we are lucky, we will be able to spot few Himalayan wild asses and some endangered birds. From here, we head to Sarchu, along the beautiful More plains. 

Overnight stay at the Camp in Sarchu.

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Day 14. Sarchu - Manali (180 Kms)

The ride from Sarchu will show the effect of altitude and water in nature. From dry cold deserts, the terrain changes to beautiful greenery while we reach the Solang valley. One of the highlights of this day's ride is the newly opened 9Kms long Atal tunnel. An engineering marvel, this tunnel is above 10,000ft in altitude and is certified as the world's highest highway tunnel. This day, we get back into civilization when we reach Manali.

Overnight stay at Hotel.  
 

Day 15. Manali - Chandigarh (300 Kms)

Being the last leg of the journey, we start descending to the plains when we leave Manali and head towards Chandigarh. At Chandigarh, we return the bikes and bid adieu to the mountains while ending the tour with a farewell dinner and lot of beautiful stories from this adventure tour.

Overnight stay in Hotel.
 

Day 16. Transfer to Chandigarh Airport or Train station

After breakfast, checkout and taxi will drop you to the airport or train station.
 

Inclusions

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• Overnights stay on a two-sharing basis in carefully selected Hotels/Camps

• Airport transfers in Chandigarh

• Breakfast and Dinner on all tour days

• Water, soft drinks and coffee / tea in connection with the meals 

• Experienced English-speaking Tour leader on his bike

• Experienced mechanic for the entire tour

• 4x4 backup vehicle with driver to carry your luggage

• Oxygen cylinder and Basic First-Aid during the tour

• Evening Bonfire (Wherever possible)

• Inner line permits for all restricted areas

• Driver expenses/ toll tax/ Fuel/ Parking charges

• Ladakh Union Fee and Wildlife fees for restricted areas

Exclusions

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• Airfare & Visa

• Cost of Lunch is not included

• Damages to the motorcycle

• Any expense incurred due to unforeseen circumstances like landslides, earthquakes, accidents etc

• All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature such as snacks, alcohol, table drinks, laundry, tips to drivers or local guides or to any hotel staff.

• Travel insurance (cover against cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident or illness). We highly recommend you arrange an appropriate insurance in your home country

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Things to Carry

• Passport & Visa (For Foreigners)

• Original Driving License / International Driving Permit

• DOT/ECE/ISI Full face helmet

• Riding Jacket

• Riding Pants or Jeans with protective knee guards

• Riding gloves

• Riding boots with shin & ankle protection

• Waterproof socks or Gum boots 

• Rain gear

• Thermals, cold weather gloves & socks

• Skull cap / Beanie / Fleece buff

• Polarized Sunglasses

• Hydration pack or Water bottle

• Sun screen lotion - SPF 30 or higher

• Lip Balm & Moisturizing cream

• Prescription medicines if any

• Spare power glasses if applicable

Packages

Own Bike (without Petrol)

Rider Cost - Rs.69,000 + 5% GST

Pillion Cost - Rs.59,000 + 5% GST

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Rental Bike (Royal Enfield Himalayan or Bullet 500 cc + Petrol)

Rider Cost - Rs.1,19,000 + 5% GST

Pillion Cost - Rs.59,000 + 5% GST

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Seat in Backup Vehicle (with Diesel)

Per person - Rs.69,000 + 5% GST

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Upgrade to Single Occupancy room (Optional)

Per person - Rs.15,000 + 5% GST extra

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Photography Package (Optional)

Portrait/Action Photoshoot by a professional Photographer in most scenic backgrounds during the tour with minimum of 20 printable HD pictures.

Per person - Rs.10,000 + 5% GST

Above pricing is exclusive for Indian Citizens. Foreign nationals who are interested in this tour, please get in touch with us for the cost.

​Safety & Precautions

This tour is termed as an Adventure motorcycle tour because of the various challenges it presents. Apart from the mind-blowing landscapes and various vistas you get to see, there is also the excitement of riding a motorcycle in such inhospitable terrains and treacherous roads.

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Out of the many things that you need to be prepared for a trip to Ladakh, the most important thing is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Since we will be climbing very high altitudes in short span of time on multiple occasions and riding in border roads with politically sensitive regions, it is mandatory to follow the safety precautions set by the organizers for your own safety. Also, you are advised to get a health checkup done not more than 15 days before the start of the trip and provide a copy to the organizers. Other safety precautions will be shared during the briefing on Day 1 before the start of the tour.

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Please note that Ladakh is geographically located at a very sensitive part of the country and geo-political situations can change at any point of time. In case of adverse weather conditions or any travel restrictions are placed by the government due to political situations or Covid-19 restrictions, Twisted Trails Adventures will adhere to the rules and can modify the route or cancel the tour as per the government's guidelines. 

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