Motorbike Tour through the Buddhist Valleys of Kinnaur and Spiti

Sport & Abenteuer Reisen

Motorrad Reisen

Overview

The twin valleys Spiti and Kinnaur in the north-eastern corner of Himachal Pradesh offer spectacular wild nature. The Lahaul Plateau is bordered by the Chandra and Bhaga rivers. Dry and very cold, it is surrounded from all sides by high mountains. There are many glaciers, the largest of them is the Bara Shigri Glacier. The two valleys are also very interesting because of their Buddhist culture and art. The monasteries, which were impressively built on steep rocks, are still very well preserved and serve as a deposit of ancient paintings, wood carvings, thankas and golden paintings of Padmasambhava.

The people here are friendly and like to demonstrate their traditional dances and ballads and tell their stories.

The valleys are located at an altitude of more than 3000 metres. The summers are cool and pleasant with green grass, alpine flowers and barley fields.

Spiti is located in the rain shadow and is therefore perfect for a visit during the monsoon season from July to September.

On this tour you get a great insight into the rich culture and life of the Spiti inhabitants and maybe be lucky to spot some rare animals. (snow leopard, blue sheep, Tibetan wolf).

Kinnaur is surrounded by Tibet and is located in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh. The beautiful district has only recently been opened to visitors. There are secluded green valleys, orchards and remote villages.

This tour offers pure driving fun on lonely but also very challenging roads! Lots of loose debris, crossing smaller streams and a lot of dust are the challenges of the local roads! A landslide that blocks the road for hours is nothing unusual here and is part of the experience. Have fun!

This trip is accompanied by Yuvraj or Pinku

Program

Day 1 Start of the journey from home and arrival in Delhi

Day 2 Delhi Sightseeing and Night Trip to Manali by Volvo Bus

In the early morning you will arrive in Delhi and be taken to the hotel. We use the half day to explore New and Old Delhi by metro and rickshaw. In the afternoon we start with the air-conditioned Volvo bus to Manali (night trip, 14 hours) (B/-/-)

Day 3 Arrival in Manali (2050 m ) and small test drive with the motorcycles

Early in the morning we reach Manali and check into our hotel. Today, each participant is assigned a motorcycle. On a test drive we will explore Manali’s surroundings together. (Overnight stay at the hotel) (B/-/-)

Day 4 Manali to Jhibi 104 km

From Manali it goes through the Kullu valley to the small mountain village of Jhibi. Only a few tourists come here and you have a little rest to relax. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 5 Jhibi to Saharan 123 km

Sarahan is a tiny but beautiful village in the Sutley Valley. It is surrounded by apple orchards and is dominated by the Shrikhand Mahadev peak (5777 m). It was the ancient capital of Rampur Bushehr, one of the largest empires in the mountains of Shimla. We can visit the Bhimkali Temple with its 6 silver gates. It consists of a mixture of Hindu and Buddhist elements and is world famous. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 6 Saharan to Chitkul 112 km

Today the tour takes us to one of the most romantic and beautiful valleys of Kinnaur: the Sangla valley. It is 95 km long, the pastures on both sides of the river are green and full of fruit trees and flowers. The mountain ridges are covered with snow all year round. The wooden houses in the Sangla Valley are an example of the unique architecture.

Chitkul is the last inhabited village in the Sangla Valley. One thinks that one is in a fairy tale: green fields, high, white mountain peaks, temples and monasteries… (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 7 Chitkul to Recong Peo to Kalpa 77 km

Recong Peo is the capital of Kinnaur. Here we get our official permission to continue our journey.

Kalpa, 51 km from Sangla, is a good place for buying scarves and the typical Kinnaur hats. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 8 Kalpa to Nako 123 km

Nako, located at an altitude of 3662 m in the Hingrang valley, is the largest village in the area. Here yaks, horses and donkeys graze peacefully next to each other. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 9 Nako to Tabo 68 km

On the right side of the spiti river lies the ancient village of Tabo, flanked by high mountains on both sides. Here you will find one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries: more than a thousand years old, the Tabo Gompa has exquisite frescoes and stucco statues. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 10 Tabo to Kaza 97 km via Dhankar and Kungri Monastery

To visit the Kungri Monastery, built in the 14th century, we drive into the narrow Pin Valley.

Dhankar is the ancient capital of the Spiti king. The incredibly beautiful monastery is located between high rocks. Kaza is the district capital of Spitis. It is worth visiting the local market. Every year in August there is a big folk festival here. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 11 Kaza to Kibber/ Ki/ Komik and back to Kaza 90 km

Today we visit the famous Ki Monastery. It is the largest monastery in Spiti and participating in the daily morning prayer is something very special! You should also try the traditional butter tea! Kibber was for a long time the highest permanently inhabited village, which had electricity and was connected by road. In the afternoon we make our way down to Kaza. Then a road leads us up to the two villages Langza and Komik. The path is unpaved and the area is famous for its fossils. In comedy there is the Thangyud Monastery and in Langza the highest post office in the world. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 12 Kaza to Lake Chandratal 100 km

First we go to Losar, the last inhabited place in Spiti, before it goes up to the Kunzum Pass. It is inhabited by 242 people, there are 4 shops, a school, a health center and even a post office! Then we climb the Kunzum Pass (4551 m). We enjoy the descent down the dirt road and then turn to Chandratal Lake. “Chandra” means moon and “Tal” lake. The beautiful lake has the shape of a crescent moon. (Overnight stay in the luxury camp) B/-/D

Day 13 Chandratal Lake to Manali 126 km

It goes along the rough Chandra River. The road is crossed by small streams and there is a lot of loose rock! We fight our way through the dry mountain desert and enjoy the beautiful view of the Shigri Glacier, the largest in the area. Today we go up the Rothang Pass (3950 m), the gateway to the Kullu valley. We enjoy the view of the green valley and go down to Manali. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 14 Manali to Delhi

After a relaxed day in Manali, we return to Delhi in the afternoon by night bus (14 hours, overnight on the bus) (B/-/-)

Day 15 Arrival Delhi and flight home

Early in the morning we reach Delhi. A hotel room is available for your flight. Until then, they use the last hours in India for a little more sightseeing and shopping. (B/-/-)

Services

Motorcycle:

Own motorcycle Royal Enfield 500 CC for entire tour
Petrol, oil and all spare parts
Full insurance with 500 € excess

Tour:

English-speaking local motorcycle guide
Accompanying vehicle for luggage and spare parts
Helpers and mechanics
All fees, entrance fees, customs duties, permits

Accommodation and meals:

Overnight stay in mid-range hotels/inns in a double room or in deluxe camps in tents with double beds and attached bathrooms with electricity and hot water, subject to availability
Meals as advertised (B: breakfast, L: lunch, D: dinner)

Arrival and departure Manali:

Volvo Bus Delhi/Manali and Manali/Delhi
Sightseeing in Delhi

~~International Flights~~
~~Visa fees approx.~~
~~Unmentioned food and beverages~~
~~Tips if needed~~
~~Private insurance (health insurance, cancellation insurance, etc.)~~

Highlights

Prices and Dates

Fixed Departure:

29.06.-13.07.2024

Nr Participants Rider Pillion

ab 2 3399 € 3199 €

ab 4 2699 € 2450 €

ab 6 2399 € 2049 €

ab 8 2099 € 1850 €

Tour Info

Requirements

Good driving skills on a motorcycle are a prerequisite. Partly it goes over rubble, through streams and soft sand.

Further Information

Region

We are located in the middle of the Himalayas in the Federal Valley Himachal Pradesh, in the valleys Spiti and Kinnaur.

While the green Kullu valley, from where our tour starts, is relatively densely populated by mainly Hindus, it is getting drier, higher and lonelier in the direction of Kinnaur and Spiti. The people in the high mountain desert are predominantly Buddhist and there are countless ancient monasteries that invite to be visited.

While in the southern area of Himachal it can rain heavily, especially during the monsoon season, rainfall in Kinnaur and Spiti is extremely rare. The temperatures range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius during the day, at night it can get quite cold, even below freezing point.

Dangers

During the tour we are constantly in the mountains at an altitude between 2000 and 6000 meters.

Even if we work with trained mountain guides and take all measures on our mountain tours to counter emergencies, we can never rule out dangers in the mountains. Time and again there can be weather changes, landslides (especially during the monsoon season) or accidents and you should always be aware of this.

Due to climatic conditions or organisational reasons, we reserve the right to change the tours in the suburb as it is safest for all involved.

Altitude and altitude sickness

Altitude sickness is a very important topic that should not be underestimated, especially during our tours in the Indian Himalayas. At altitudes above 3500 m, our body has to slowly get used to the low air pressure, which also causes less oxygen to enter our lungs. The first signs of altitude sickness are headaches, which are accompanied by dizziness, nausea, insomnia and loss of appetite. It becomes problematic when water accumulates in the lungs and brain and edema occurs. Then only the immediate descent to lower altitudes will help. To prepare for the heights on our tours, we will either spend a few nights at high altitudes before the tour or slowly ascend during the tour to acclimatize. If we notice that there are problems with our guests (each person is otherwise able to acclimatize, regardless of age, gender and fitness level), it may happen that either the entire group or the concerned participant descends/returns with a team. In addition, it makes sense to take an emergency drug for altitude sickness. For this, it is best to consult the pharmacy or the travel doctor. For certain tours we will also have oxygen with us.

Accommodation

During the tour there will be simple, clean local accommodations in the 2 to 3 star area. One night we will stay in a Deluxe Camp with a bed, an attached bathroom and electricity.

Meals are adapted to the local cuisine and mostly vegetarian.