Leh–Ladakh Royal Enfield Trip

Ladakh's classic motorcycle circuit starts and ends in Leh, climbing over Khardung La into the Nubra valley, running east to Pangong Tso along the Shyok, and dropping south to the high salt lakes of Tso Moriri and Tso Kar before returning to the Indus. Rented Royal Enfields line Leh's main bazaar for good reason — the roads are rough enough to want the ground clearance and simple enough to mend by the roadside. Nothing on the loop sits below 3,000 m and the passes cross 5,300 m, so the first two days belong to acclimatisation rather than riding.

These are army roads. The road over Khardung La runs to Nubra because Nubra leads towards the Siachen approaches. The road east along Pangong exists because the lake continues into Chinese-held territory — the greater part of it is not in India at all. Riders inherited a defence network and mostly ride it without noticing. Ladakh was closed to outside visitors until the 1970s, and the areas on this loop opened later still. That is why checkposts sit at North Pullu on the Khardung La climb, at Lukung on the Pangong road and at Chumathang on the way to Tso Moriri, and why each one wants a printed piece of paper rather than a photo on your phone. The motorcycling boom is recent and traceable. Pangong turned into a mass destination after a Hindi film shot its closing scenes there in 2009, and Leh's rental fleets grew to match. Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory in 2019, and the permit and fee arrangements have been revised more than once since. Treat any permit advice older than a year as wrong until you have checked it.

Khardung La, the Diskit Buddha and the Hunder dunes in Nubra, the changing colour of Pangong Tso, the Shyok river road, kiang and black-necked cranes at Tso Moriri, and Tso Kar on the ride back to Leh.

Good tarmac through the Indus valley and up the first half of the Khardung La climb, then long broken and unsurfaced stretches towards Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri — sand, loose gravel, and unbridged water crossings that run high by afternoon as the glaciers melt. Fuel is available at Leh, Diskit, Karu and Nyoma and almost nowhere else. Mobile signal is postpaid-only in Ladakh and absent across most of the loop.

Give Leh two full days before riding anywhere higher; altitude sickness ends more Ladakh trips than mechanical trouble does. Inner Line Permits are required for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and Hanle — arrange them in Leh and carry several photocopies, because each checkpost keeps one. Ride the water crossings early in the day, before the afternoon melt peaks. Carry cash, as ATMs are Leh-only and often empty, and pack a spare clutch cable, a tube and a puncture kit.

Days one and two belong to Leh. Walk up to the palace as a test — if that leaves you gasping, you are nowhere near ready for Khardung La. The permit position has changed and most blogs have not caught up. Indian citizens no longer need an Inner Line Permit for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri or Hanle; you pay the Ladakh Environment and Development Fee online at lahdclehpermit.in and carry the printed receipt. Foreign nationals still need a Protected Area Permit arranged through a registered agent in Leh. Carry several photocopies either way, because checkposts keep one. Ride order: Leh, Khardung La, two nights in Nubra at Hunder or Diskit, the Shyok road east to Pangong, then south to Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, and back over Tanglang La. Cross passes and water in the morning. Glacier melt peaks in the afternoon, and a stream that was ankle-deep at nine will be over your exhaust by three. Fuel at Leh, Diskit, Karu and Nyoma, and assume nothing in between. Cash likewise — treat ATMs as a Leh-only facility. Only postpaid Indian SIMs work in Ladakh, and none of them work across most of this route. Check the chain, brakes and tyres before signing a rental agreement, and carry a spare clutch cable and a tube.