All routes
The reverse classic

Leh → Manali

Ride south from Ladakh across the same iconic passes, then finish among the cedar valleys of Manali.

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Distance
430 km
Recommended
5 days
Highest point
5,328 m
Best time
Jun–Sep
Difficulty
Challenging

The ride

Starting in Leh means you set off already acclimatised, which makes the reverse direction the gentler way to ride the highway. Tanglang La comes first, then the More Plains and the long drop to Sarchu.

After Baralacha La the land turns green again, and the Atal Tunnel delivers you to the apple orchards and cedar forests around Manali. Drop the bike there and you are done.

Destinations on the way

  1. 1

    Leh

    3,500 m

    Start acclimatised after a few days in Ladakh.

  2. 2

    Sarchu

    4,290 m · 1 night

    Tented camps on the Himachal–Ladakh border.

  3. 3

    Jispa

    3,200 m · 1 night

    Green fields and the Bhaga river.

  4. 4

    Manali

    2,050 m

    Finish among apple orchards and cedars.

Popular attractions

Tanglang La

5,328 m

The highest pass of the ride, early on day one.

More Plains

4,700 m

Fifty kilometres of high, open plateau.

Gata Loops

Twenty-one hairpins down towards Sarchu.

Baralacha La

4,890 m

The last big pass before Himachal.

Atal Tunnel

3,100 m

The shortcut under the Pir Panjal to Manali.