boltQuick Facts10-sec scan
navigationHow I Did It
- check_circleAcclimatized 2 full days in Leh before touching a bike — Khardung La on day 1 is the classic mistake.
- check_circleClassic 350 rental in Leh (~₹1,300/day), association-listed shop. Test-rode it, photographed every scratch.
- check_circle4-day circuit: Leh → Hunder (Nubra) → Pangong → Leh, via Khardung La up, Chang La back, Shyok route between.
- check_circleFilled up in Leh + carried a 5L jerry can — no reliable pumps between Diskit and Pangong.
- check_circleSorted the ILP online on day 1 (env ₹400 + ₹20/day + Red Cross); carried printouts for the Pullu checkpoints.
alt_routeMy Route
- 1Leh2 rest days, permit sorted
- 2Rented Classic 350~₹1,300~₹1,300/day) → Khardung La (5,359 m
- 3Diskit → Hunder, Nubra~₹2,000,night 1 — camp ~₹2,000, camel safari ~₹400
- 4Shyok route — cross streams BEFORE noon
- 5Pangong Tso, Spangmik~₹3,000, 4,250night 2 — camp ~₹3,000, 4,250 m
- 6Chang La5,360 m
- 7Leh
articleMy Experience
Day one: Khardung La at 5,359 m, where the bike sounds asthmatic and you sound worse. Ten minutes at the top, the photo everyone takes, then moving — lingering at that altitude is for people with oxygen to spare, which is nobody.
The descent into Nubra feels like riding into another country: brown and barren on one side, then greenery, apricot trees, and — absurdly — sand dunes. I rode the Hunder dunes at golden hour and did the double-hump camel safari (₹400, fifteen minutes, completely worth it for the sheer weirdness of camels at 10,000 feet).
The Nubra→Pangong leg via Shyok is the real ride: rough, remote, no signal, glacial streams across the track. I crossed every water stretch before noon — the melt swells them through the day, and that tip saved me a very wet afternoon.
Pangong at sunset shut me up completely — three different blues in an hour. I slept at Spangmik (4,250 m), moved very slowly that evening, woke with a dull headache that water and breakfast fixed. The ride back over Chang La was the victory lap.
account_balance_walletWhat I Spent
| Expense | Approx Cost |
|---|---|
| Bike rental (4 days × ₹1,300) | ₹5,200 |
| Fuel (~800 km + spare can) | ₹4,000 |
| Leh guesthouse (2 nights × ₹700) | ₹1,400 |
| Hunder camp (1 night, with meals) | ₹2,200 |
| Pangong camp (1 night, with meals) | ₹3,200 |
| ILP: env ₹400 + wildlife ₹20×6 + Red Cross | ₹570 |
| Camel safari, Hunder | ₹400 |
| Food on the road (4 days) | ₹2,000 |
| Leh food (2 days) | ₹1,000 |
Prices are approximate and may vary.
Travelled: June 2025
lightbulbMoney Saver
The shared-taxi alternative for this circuit runs ~₹3,500–5,300/person with 4–6 sharers — honestly competitive with biking once you add fuel and rental. I rode because I wanted to ride, not because it was cheapest. If budget is the only goal, find sharers at the Leh taxi stand.
verified_userReality Check
The Classic 350 (₹1,300/day) over the Himalayan (₹2,500/day) — it handled everything fine.
Booking the Pangong camp ahead — beds sell out in June–July.
No offline maps. Zero signal between Diskit and Pangong — I rode 20 km the wrong way at one junction.
The 5L spare fuel. Never needed it — but I rode the whole Shyok stretch relaxed because it was there.
Tomorrow. But I’d add a day in Nubra for Turtuk.
tips_and_updatesWhat I Wish I Knew
- Cross Shyok-route streams before noon — glacial melt rises through the day.
- Photograph every scratch on the rental bike before leaving the shop. Every single one.
- Pangong is a zero-plastic zone — carry reusable bottles.
- At 4,250 m, “take it easy” isn’t advice, it’s physics. Sleep low, move slow.
personAbout the Traveler
Written by the Wayfare founder — travelling the Himalayas on a budget and writing down everything, so the next traveler spends less.
Founder stories · real trips, real costs.
forumTara
Classic 350 vs Himalayan for this circuit — is the Himalayan worth double the price?
For this route, no. The Classic handled Khardung La, the Shyok rough stuff, and Chang La fine — save the ₹1,200/day difference for fuel and camps.
I’m a new rider — is this circuit too ambitious?
Honestly yes, for a first big ride. The Shyok stretch is genuinely rough and altitude punishes mistakes. Get a season of highway + hill riding first — or do the same circuit by shared taxi.
forum Traveler discussion (0)
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