He has set up Vintage Rides and has now expanded its presence in nine countries. An explorer by heart, he's always looking to discover new adventures around the world.
The Leh-Manali Highway, aka the Trans-Himalayan, is definitely the most beautiful motorbike raid in India. Your target: Khardung La, the world’s highest motorable pass (5,602m/18,379ft). Prepare for an extreme expedition on the edge of beyond. In this land of mountain passes, from verdant, mainly Hindu valleys to desert-like high plateaux where the Tibetan Buddhist culture is in clear evidence, you will cross bewitching lunar landscapes, only encountering nomadic goat and yak herders. A physical challenge for explorers seeking the ultimate, who will join the club of Himalayan motorbiking devotees. This new 2019 itinerary will take you through a less frequented, yet quite formidable pass, that we spotted in 2016.
Period July to September
Duration 15 days incl. 10 days riding
Level Demanding
English-speaking tour leader
Accommodation Standard
From €2,590/pilot
Pick up at the airport and transfer to a hotel close to the airport of Delhi. Your room is available from midday.
In the morning, transfer to Delhi airport for your internal flight, in direction of Dharamsala. You may choose to take rest in the afternoon, or to stroll and enjoy this unique atmosphere.
We spend the day in Dharamsala for your acclimatisation day. And so your motorcycle circuit in the Himalayas begins. We get to know our Royal Enfield 500, by going for a small ride in the area. The Himalayan foothills in Himachal Pradesh is green and full of charm.
This amazing first leg is perfect for you to familiarise yourself with your motorcycle and the Indian way of the road. The mountain roads are in an overall good condition and we quickly find ourselves navigating winding roads up and down the green valleys that skirt beneath the towering glaciers of the Dhauladhar range.
We tackle the mighty Sach Pass (4,420 m), which is not your ordinary Great Himalayan pass: it may not be the highest, but it certainly is the most difficult! Unlike the route from Manali, which was well-tarmacked and busy with traffic, this road is stony and reminiscent of the roads of yesteryear. The ride down to our destination for the night is just as impressive as the road up.
Waking up in the Pangi valley is a treat! This rocky stretch along the Chenab river will lead us to Lahaul, a gateway to Ladakh, where Buddhism and Hinduism intermingle perfectly. We will progress slowly at the beginning because an eternity has passed since the tarmac was laid! We end this leg with a much easier road, which is nicely tarmacked.
We enter Ladakh: a geological and mystical feast of a place, where the landscapes become more and more desert-like. The road goes up to the dizzying heights of the Lachulung La pass (5,060 m), our first pass above 5,000 m altitude, and then pushes down into Pang’s superb gorges. Finally, we can pick up some speed on the high More plains and we arrive at Tso Kar salt lake, at 4,600 m altitude.
We leave the incredible Kar basin and head back up to Tanglang La (5,315 m), the second highest motorable pass in the world. We lose altitude on a road that is nothing more than a double track made up of twists and turns: something that would make any racetrack driver drool! We pass back under the 4,000 m mark and arrive in the vast Indus river valley, one of the seven most sacred rivers in India.
Today we climb north up to Khardung La, highest motorable road in the world: 5,370 m! We’ll discover a magical panorama going from the Zanskar chain on the southern side to the great Karakoram chain on the northern side. We go back down for lunch, rest, shopping, walk and spend a second night in a comfortable hotel in Leh.
We ride back up the Indus valley towards the Tibetan border. We stop at the iconic Thiksey Monastery. After Upshi, we continue along the river through stunning gorges. We reach the beautiful turquoise Tso Moriri lake through a small road and gravel tracks at a 4600m altitude. Camp along the lake.
We ride many tracks early in the morning, before getting near Tso Kar, where we slept some days before. From there, we take the same road in the opposite direction, but the landscapes are so awe-inspiring under a different light, you will ask your tour leader if you have already been there! Then, we push on through the More plains, Pang gorges, over more passes above 5,000 m altitude.
After stopping at the only petrol station between Leh and Manali, it’s time for a new road heading through Lahaul to the legendary Rohtang Pass (3,980 m). We leave the Ladakh desert and ride through some lush landscapes, forests and humidity after the pass, as we ride down on several bends to the Kullu valley, a great road for your last stint in the saddle.
Today, you can spend the day in Manali (a buffer day just in case). You can stroll around the town, do some shopping, etc. In the late afternoon, you will take an air-conditioned overnight bus to Delhi.
You arrive in Delhi in the morning. You are transferred to the hotel and can spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
You are transferred to Delhi international airport for your flight where our services end.
You're taken to Agra from New Delhi in a private vehicle with driver. During 2 or 3 days, visit the fabulous Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and the Red Fort of Agra.
2 days to discover the sacred town of Varanasi. An English-speaking guide shows you around the Buddhist city of Sarnath, one of the four holy Buddhist cities. As the sunsets, you take a stroll along the Varanasi ghats and attend Aarti, a daily worship ritual. On the second day, you take a boat tour at sunrise, visit the University, Bharat Mata Mandir and the rest of the city.
“Absolutely fantastic. The pre-trip organization and communication was stellar. The itinerary and accommodations were well planned and our guide, mechanic, and support driver collectively allowed for a trip where any risk of stress was quickly replaced with nothing but pure delight. I took the Spiti Valley tour ("Gateway to Tibet") which offered otherworldly views and rich cultural exposure. The remote area was particularly enjoyable as even when compared to other Himalayan routes there was very little traffic... truck or otherwise (The last thing I want to do is to go to a remote location to be stuck endlessly maneuvering around slow trucks). I sing the praises of Vintage Rides at every possible opportunity. I've ridden motorcycles all over the world either independently or with a tour group and this trip was tops! I wish I had sooner discovered Vintage Rides and they will certainly be my choice again. Vive la Moto! (If you like to see the video of the trip it is at advmotorbike dot com under "global moto"... it will say in image more than my words can convey!)”
“I would recommend Vintage Rides to any rider contemplating a guided motorcycle tour. Right from my initial email with Denise, the professionalism and attention to detail was reassuring. Everything was organised for us and our tour guide Josh was fantastic from start to finish. The Royal Enfields were a lot of fun and suited the type of riding we did, the scenery was simply mind blowing and the tour was the best holiday and adventure ever. On top of all this, the value for money was excellent. I will be touring with Vintage Rides again. I did the Trans Himalayan in India.”
“My group of 12 friends had a wonderful experience riding in the Himalayas with Vintage Rides. From the fantastic Pierrey our tour guide to the work done by the backroom staff to ensure this unique experience went without a hitch, this a very experienced and highly recommended company to put your trust in for such a journey. Will definitely use them again at some time in the future - perhaps Mongolia.”
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