You've booked your flights to Delhi. You've cleared three weeks of leave. You've been watching Himalayan riding videos at midnight for the past six months. Now comes the question that every international rider eventually has to answer: Ladakh or Spiti Valley?
Ladakh
The Manali-Leh highway is the main artery- 479 km of passes, river crossings and high-altitude drama. The road surfaces vary from smooth tarmac to broken gravel depending on the recent weather and army maintenance schedules. The passes - Rohtang, Baralacha La, Tanglang La, Khardung La are all genuinely challenging, but all are passable on a well-maintained motorcycle with a competent rider.
Spiti Valley
Spiti's roads are harder. The approach via the Hindustan-Tibet Highway from Shimla takes you through cliffhanger single-track roads above the Sutlej River- sections where the road is barely wider than your handlebars and the drop beside you is several hundred feet. The approach from Manali crosses Rohtang and Kunzum La on unpaved gravel that becomes treacherous in rain. Inside the valley, the roads are largely unmaintained dirt tracks.
Whether it's Ladakh, Spiti or the full Himalayan Heights Expedition, our team has guided hundreds of international riders through every Best Himalayan routes described in this article. We handle everything- motorcycle, permits, accommodation, meals, mechanic, support vehicle- so you can focus entirely on the riding.
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