Grand Himachal Motorcycle Tour (20D/19N)

from $5,700

Join us on a tour to explore the towering mountains, stunning valleys, and high-altitude deserts of Himachal Pradesh as we cover the best of the destinations in the state.

Reviews 3 Reviews

5/5
Vacation Style Holiday Type
- Desert
- Mountains
- Rustic
- Urban
Guided Tour, Off-Road
Activity Level Challenging
5/8
Min Group Size Small Group
4

All about the Grand Himachal Motorcycle Tour (20D/19N).

Spiti Valley is a cold desert mountain valley located high in the Himalayas in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name “Spiti” means “The middle land”, i.e. the land between Tibet and India.

Lahaul and Spiti district is surrounded by high mountain ranges. The Rohtang Pass, at 13,054 feet (3,979 m), separates Lahaul and Spiti from the Kullu Valley. Lahaul and Spiti are cut off from each other by the higher Kunzum Pass, at 15,059 feet (4,590 m).

The road trip will take you through the National Highway which turns into a single lane highway where the roads cut through mountains with deep gorges on one side and sharp hanging rocks on the other. Here you will find roads that disappear into the mountains, dirt roads with small waterfalls and streams flowing through it along with a view of the Sangla valley.

Chitkul is situated at an altitude of almost 3,500 meters (around 11,000 ft) and is the last publicly accessible village on the Indo Tibet border in this region. The drive is scary and not for the faint-hearted as there are no guard rails on this route.

During our Chitkul motorcycle tour, we will also cover the Queen of the hills, Shimla. The summer capital of British India, Shimla is now a popular tourist destination that has managed to retain its colonial past.

Total miles for this adventure ~ 1,100

Riding Days – 10

Road Conditions – Mix of tarmac, broken tarmac, and dirt roads

Motorcycles we provide

**All tariffs are on a per-person basis**

The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance

What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.

Stay for all dates on twin sharing basis
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on all dates
Daily tea, coffee, cold drinks, and packaged water
Moto Overlanders ride leader
On tour mechanic
Chase vehicle with a trained driver
Services of an English speaking guide
Cost of motorcycle rental and fuel with some spares
All transfers
Permits, road tolls, and parking fees
Goods & Services Tax for all services rendered
Transportation of 2 soft bags per person in the chase vehicle

Optional Add-Ons

Single room accommodation – $800
Pillion tariff – $5,000

What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.

Your flights, visa, etc
Any additional meals
Travel insurance and other emergencies
Modifications made to motorcycles
Single room accommodations
Alcohol, cigarettes, and personal items
Early check-in or late checkout at the hotels
Camera/video fee, entry fee at monuments
Charges arising due to breakdown of motorcycle, accidents, & replacement of parts

Day 1 Arrive in Delhi

The first day of the tour is for you to reach Delhi and check in to your hotels. If you have sufficient time left, we will collect your motorcycles and check them for any defects or modifications to be done. Today you will spend time with your tour leader who will answer any questions you might have and introduce you to the tour.
Day 2 Stay in Delhi

After a hearty breakfast, you will take a small ride around the city to get used to the traffic in India. It will be an interesting experience as you figure out the road rules, unsaid rules and dynamics of our roads. After your riding experience, we have lunch and then you have the rest of the day to yourself. You can choose to rest, work on your motorcycle, ride around the city or go shopping. But we recommend you to rest as much as possible.
Day 3 Delhi to Chandigarh (160 miles, 5.5 hrs)

The ride begins as we leave for Chandigarh early in the morning. It’s going to be a hot ride as we travel mainly through highways, stopping for breaks in between. Unless it’s a weekend, we should not encounter a lot of traffic and the journey time should be around 5 hours. We stop for lunch on the way, or in Chandigarh post which we check into our hotel. During the evening, we can explore the city or head to a watering hole.
Day 4 Chandigarh to Shimla (70 miles, 4.5 hrs)

It’s time to bid adieu to the lowlands as today we start our ascent into Himachal Pradesh. We again leave after an early breakfast as the 120 kms are going to take about 4-5 hours. The terrain will drastically change as we enter the mountains and the roads become narrow. Shimla is a popular Indian tourist destination with plenty to see.
Day 5 Stay in Shimla

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then you can either chose to relax or go out exploring. Walk through the famous Mall road and dine in some of the oldest restaurants in the region. We will also take you to a couple of heritage sites, town markets and viewpoints.
Day 6 Shimla to Rampur (80 miles, 5 hrs)

Rampur is our layover destination between Shimla and Chitkul. We will be staying in a hotel or homestay and the rest day will allow you to spend some time by yourself.
Day 7 Rampur to Chitkul (75 miles, 6 hrs)

After breakfast, we depart from Rampur and start our ride towards the Kinnaur region, where Chitkul is located. The roads get narrower, dustier and the overhanging rocks look perilous. With the mountain on one side and a deep gorge with a river on the other, we ride slowly towards the Kalpa region, where we stop for lunch. The route is spread across 120 kms which will take us 5-6 hours to complete.
Day 8 Stay in Chitkul

Wake up early to a dazzling sunrise, and then have breakfast in the Chitkul village. It’s a small area that can be covered by a walk. We get to visit the local cafes, temples, and hang out near the river.
Day 9 Stay in Chitkul

For our last day in Chitkul, we head to explore the nearby areas. We can visit an ancient city fort, a Tibetan wood carving center, nearby villages or go for a short hike.
Day 10 Chitkul to Nako (95 miles, 6.5 hrs)

Nako is located on the border to Spiti valley and is the last destination in the Kinnaur region. Since the ride from Chitkul to Spiti is quite long, we halt at Nako for a day. Here we get to see a small Buddhist temple and a village lake. Dine at the village restaurant or have a meal with our hosts. Spend the day relaxing or exploring the village.
Day 11 Nako to Kaza (70 miles, 3.5 hrs)

After breakfast, we start our trip to Spiti valley, and on the way, we visit, Gue. The tiny village is known to house a 500-year-old mummy, which is the remains of a 15th-century Buddhist monk. Today’s tour is spread across 130 kilometers and it will take 3-4 hours to complete. Late afternoon, we reach Kaza, have lunch and check into our rooms. During the evening we walk to the local market and explore the area.
Day 12 Stay in Kaza

Breakfast at the hotel/homestay post which we ride out to explore the sights around Kaza. The ride will take you to narrow tarmac and off-road stretches as we head to some remote villages. Lunch will either be on the way or back at our hotel/homestay. Lots of time to take photographs/videos since we stay out till evening. After a little rest, we have dinner and walk around the town.
Day 13 Stay in Kaza

After breakfast, we again set out to see the sites. We get to explore tiny villages, gorgeous lakes, and bustling village markets. If possible, we go on a fossil hunt to a nearby village. Plenty of rest time during the evening with a little bit of R&R.
Day 14 Stay in Kaza

For our last day in Spiti, we can either go out exploring or spend time in the town market. Or just relax, read a book or take a long nap. Tend to your motorcycles or spend some time at the monasteries. The schedule is open and you can choose from a list of activities.
Day 15 Kaza to Reckong Peo (125 miles, 6 hrs)

Wake up at your own time, have a local meal and then we head to our next destination, Reckong Peo 5 hours away. The village has gorgeous views of the mountains and walking through the town will give you a taste of the Himachali way of life. Spend the day exploring local sights, local food and interesting heritage buildings.
Day 16 Reckong Peo to Mashobra (140 miles, 7.5 hrs)

Mashobra is a town in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. The ride from Reckong Peo to Mashobra takes around 7 hours and we will check into our hotels in the evening. The small town is known for apple orchards, pine & oak forests, and a picturesque stream gushing through the valley.
Day 17 Stay in Mashobra

Explore the town and visit the Tibetan handicraft market. Plenty of temples and old buildings to visit as well and we can ride through the small town on our motorcycles. If you’d like to take a walk, we can head to forest walking trails or visit Fagu, a village located closeby.
Day 18 Mashobra to Chandigarh (80 miles, 5 hrs)

We are nearing the end of our tour, as we head back to Chandigarh. After breakfast, we leave Mashobra and reach Chandigarh in the afternoon. Take the day to go shopping, head to the watering holes or relax in your hotel.
Day 19 Chandigarh to Delhi (160 miles, 5.5 hrs)

Time to get back to Delhi and we check out of our hotels in Chandigarh after breakfast. After lunch on the way, we reach our Delhi hotels in the afternoon. The bikes will need to be returned today. If you are flying out, we drop you to the airport. Else we can take you around for shopping.
Day 20 Depart from Delhi

This is the last day of the tour. All motorcycles will need to be returned and post check out, we will escort you to the airport.

Himachal Pradesh Route Map

Local kids in Spiti Valley

Spiti Valley motorcycle tour

Himachal Motorcycle Tour

Road construction worker taking a break

Click on the below menu to see the list of questions

Every tour is personally delivered by both our trip leaders, who will be your tour guides and trip leaders respectively. Along with this, if required you will be accompanied by a mechanic and a driver. Here is an intro to our team

The choice is entirely yours. Once you contact us we can provide you with a list of motorcycles from brands such as Royal Enfield, Bajaj, KTM, BMW, Hero, Honda etc. Pricing will depend on the motorcycle you select.

We encourage our guests to experience the local cuisines of the destinations we travel to. In remote areas, we might not get options for eating different cuisines. We will ensure you get wholesome, tasty and hygienic food wherever we go. If you are from outside India, here’s a guide to get you going.

Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state, so most roads are a bit narrow with no dividers. The road condition will be a mixture of tarmac, dirt roads and rocky roads due to the weather conditions and altitude. But you will love riding through the state as its ever changing landscape is stunning, with plenty of sights to see.

Well, we will provide you with bottled water throughout the tour.

We try to blend in homestays, hotels, and resorts in each destination to balance comfort with the local experiences. All your accommodations will be clean, hygienic, comfortable and safe.

No, we have back-up vehicles on all our tours that will carry your luggage for you. But you should carry your valuables like a passport, cash, camera, and other important equipment with you all the time. If you like, we can provide you with some

While riding, we should have access to public toilets/hotel toilets. But there will instances where there are none and you will have to answer nature’s call in nature.

Yes, you can, and for pillion riders, we have a reduced tariff.

Ideally, you should be riding with you on your motorcycle. But occasionally, they can travel in the back-up vehicle. Back-up vehicles are primarily for support staff and to carry your luggage, motorcycle spares, and tools. Each back-up vehicle acts as a support vehicle and will always tail the group maintaining a certain time distance.

Different countries and companies have their own policies, but you should pick one that covers you for your entire period of travel. The policy should also cover you for riding motorcycles, unexpected curtailment of the holiday, medical expenses arising overseas, loss or damage to luggage & property and personal liability claims against the participant and emergency evacuation. We highly recommend this for foreign citizens.

We carry a basic first aid box with us and encourage you to carry your own medicines as well. In case of an emergency, we take you to the closest available medical center. We would also request you to share any pre-existing medical conditions and allergies, if any with us.

Overall Rating

5/5

Mark Wilhelm

Reviewed On 03/07/2020

5/5

Vidur has been an old friend and the himachal tour was exactly how he had described. Loved the passion and energy with which his team conducts the trips.