14D Biking India’s Nubra Valley,
Leh & Nubra Valley, India
Tour Cost USD $2,050 per rider, Single supplement USD $450
Tour cost DOES NOT include international airfares and airport taxes.
This exhilarating trip through the high altitude mountain desert of Ladakh takes you over passes, into remote valleys, alongside glacier–fed rivers and through Tibetan villages. Be among the first to bicycle a new road over Warila pass and cycle through the beautiful Sakti and Nubra valleys. This tour ends on the highest note possible, a cycle up (and of course down) one of the highest motorable roads in the world.
With a flight over mountains to Leh, we will ride to monasteries, villages and go rafting to get used to the thinner air at this high altitude. Once acclimatized, we cycle through areas famous for winter snow leopard sightings and pass several remote farming villages. Colorful granite cliffs rise from the ground to form gorges, archways and spires that are framed in brilliant blue skies. Ancient monasteries here are dramatically perched on top of cliffs and in caves, reflecting the ancient and rich Tibetan Buddhist cultural background of this land. You’ll look down into valleys and up to snow capped peaks on this adventure.
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Itinerary
14 days / 13 nights starting/finishing in New Delhi, India
Day 01 / Arrive Delhi
Meet at a hotel near the New Delhi airport for a trip briefing and welcome dinner.
Day 02 / Delhi – Leh
Take an early morning flight to Leh and take it easy the rest of the day to acclimatize to the sudden change in altitude of 3,500 m/11,480 ft. Go for a slow walk around Leh to visit the palace or the market.
Day 03 / Leh – Stok, Stakna & Thiksey
We visit the Stok Palace Museum and then try out our bikes and lungs with a ride to Stakna and Thiksey monasteries.
Day 04 / Leh – Nemo – Likir
We transfer to Nemo and start cycling along the Zanskar River through a spectacular gorge to Chilling for a raft down the river on Grade 3 rapids. Transfer to Likir.
Day 05 / Likir – Leh
Transfer to the top of Tsermachenla for a fantastic roller coaster ride back to Likir. Stop at a monastery with a huge Buddha statue before continuing the downhill blast to Nemo. Head back to Leh for dinner.
Day 06 / Leh – Nubra
We begin our trip to the Nubra valley with a gradual climb up through a valley to the village of Sakti. Looking ahead you can see where we are headed, Warila pass.
Day 07 / Nubra
It’s a long and steady climb to the top of Warila pass (5,195 m/16,972 ft) where you’ll be greeted by stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Down the other side we cycle through the large villages of Tangyar and Khyungru.
Day 08 / Nubra
We continue our downhill blitz passing traditional Ladakhi homes, before climbing gradually to the villahe of Khalsar. Here we join the Karakoram highway into the wide and fertile Nubra valley.
Day 09 / Nubra
The landscape changes to sand dunes as we cycle towards Hundar and then on to the Muslim village of Turtuk, which belonged to Pakistan until the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
Day 10 / Nubra
A rest day as we transfer to Khalsar and then set up our camp in pastures close to the North Pulu check post.
Day 11 / Nubra – Leh
Many switch backs will take us up to the top of Khardungla pass (5,359 m/17,582 ft) and the highest point of the trip. After soaking in the amazing views of the valleys and snow-capped peaks it’s an exhilarating downhill for 39 km to Leh.
Day 12 / Leh – Delhi
Today we head to the Leh airport for our flight to New Delhi and transfer to our city center hotel.
Day 13 / Delhi
Our local guide will take us on a tour of New Delhi, visiting the top sites of the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk and Qutab Minar. Meet up for a farewell dinner.
Day 14 / Delhi – Departure
Onward travel.
Trip Profile
The majority of this trip is on good paved roads with only a slight percentage on dirt roads and trails. The more adventurous can take side excursion for more off-road if preferred. This distance traveled is a tad more than 550km (342 miles) spread-out over the 14 day period.
The surface accommodates most types of frame styles from MTB, Hybrid, and Road depending on your cycling style and the experiences you wish to gain.
You will travel through small towns and villages, as well as rural areas where it will be just you, the tour group, the fantastic scenery and the road for hours at a time. The tour allows you many chances to engage in your own self reflection and to absorb your new environment. There are also numerous opportunities for optional hikes and a bit of climbing.
There are some challenging climbs, with one in particular being more than 7 hours and taking you over 2 miles (3,400 meters) in the sky. Your journey and efforts will be well rewarded with a view and experience that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world.
Riders should have an adequate level of fitness/stamina, and be secure with their cycling experience.
The tour is fully supported by a van that follows riders during the tour. This van allows riders the option to ride as little or as much as they desire.
Trip Prices
Prices per person in USD and on double-share rooming basis
- USD $2,050 Twin (2012)
- USD $450 Single supplement
- USD $150 for Bike Rental
Trip Dates
14 days / 13 nights starting/finishing in Paro, Bhutan
- Jun 03-16, 2012
- Jul 08-21, 2012
- Aug 05-18, 2012
- Sep 02-15, 2012
Facts & Figures
- Bike Rental USD $150
- Total Distance 518 Kilometres
- Number of Days 14 days / 13 nights
- Number of Cycling Days 08 full days
- Group Size Minimum 02, maximum 16
- Vehicle Support (SAG) This tour is fully supported by a dedicated support vehicle.
- Staff Support An English-speaking cycling leader (for groups of 10 or more), plus a local cycling guide, as well as drivers and assistants for all groups. Smaller groups will be led by our local guide and support team.
- Accomodations A variety of 3-star hotels and tented camps are utilized on this tour.
- Meals All set meals are provided for on this tour, with the exception of the first day and last day.