What is the cheapest and best way to go on a bike trip to Leh/Ladakh?

Hi,I have spent a lot my life in Ladakh region. I am an ex Army and we run some of the safest road trips to Ladakh. The cheapest way to do this trip can be achieved as follows - - Take your own bike - saves your rental costs- Stay in Home-stays - saves a lot on Hotels- Eat local food or form Dhabas - do not eat meals on hotels you stay - they charge a lot and provide lot of variety you may not need. - Do not drive fast - that would give you more mileage for fuel- Drive long distances so that you will complete the tours in lesser number of days - that would save you cash.We could help you with planning your own trip or you could join one of our guided tours. Have a look at these blogs and videos - http://manojkeshwar.me/2014/07/27/photo-essay-motorcycle-ride-to-ladakh/ http://manojkeshwar.me/2014/04/20/best-advice-on-ladakh-motorcycle-ride/ Here are a few fantastic videos - Please connect with me if you need any other advice or want to book with us. +91-997 111 9102 ( Mike). Happy to help and advice anytime.

Not more than Rs, 30000 in a group expedition. GO through the link which will describe the entire trip itinerary & money, preparations etc. http://www.wenomads.com/blog/road-trip-to-ladakh/

Hiring a bike itself is a costly proposition. Delhi to Leh and back should be min 10 days trip and the bike rental will cost you approx 10000 for a 150 cc to 200 cc bike. You don't need a bullet anyway. I am sure you can buy a second hand bike for 10000 that will be fit to ride for another two to four years. Another best option is to take a road trip via Srinagar to Leh and hire a bike in Leh for as many days as you intend to stay. This is the cheapest option. Take a bus from railways station Jammu to Srinagar and then another bus (both run by J&KSRTC) from Srinagar to Leh and back. This is the cheapest and the most reliable mode of transport. Accommodation in Srinagar varies from 500 onwards for a single bed but Kargil and Leh is marginally expensive. Food in Kashmir and Ladakh is no issue. They make the best non veg food and there are many Punjabi dhabas as well in Srinagar. A word of caution.. Avoid traveling via Manali which opens by July and it is dangerous, unreliable and risky. I prefer Srinagar route coz there is hell of a lot to see and it's Kashmir after all.

1. You can save a lot of money if you are riding your own bike. 1400-1500 rs per day is the usual cost of Enfield 500cc. If you are planning for average 12 days trip, you will save around 18000 rs. 2. Stay in non-luxury tents which costs on an average 800-1000 rs. You can share a tent with your friend so it will cost you only 400-500 rs. Sarchu has expensive tents but you can always bargain. 3. Fuel will cost you around 10-12k (Delhi to Delhi). 4. Food cost completely depends on you. Have Maggi for 15 days (40rs per maggie) and save lot of money :P.

Travelling to Ladakh has always been considered as an expensive excursion trip. If you really require it to be done in reasonable expenses, you might want to plan out the travel in a manner that most of your time gets utilised without much of unnecessary halts and locations. There can be one option that a biking expedition can be undertaken. Rental bikes are always available from Chandigarh or Delhi, costing 1500 per person per day.Here, are two itineraries that might be of help. Write to in case you need any help or call/whatsapp to 09422141911 or visit http://www.tratoli.com for any further clarifications.The first one travels through the whole of Ladakh starting from Manali to Srinagar. However this might take more expenses as it involves halts in major destinations. No flying in is required. The journey is mostly driving through the valleys. Day 1: Delhi/Chandigarh to ManaliDay 2: Manali to KeylongDay 3: Keylong to LehDay 4: Leh to Tsomoriri lake and backDay 5: Leh to Shaam valley and backDay 6: Leh to Nubra valleyDay 7: Nubra valley to LehDay 8: Leh to PangongDay 9: Pangong to LehDay 10: Leh to KargilDay 11: Kargil to Srinagar/JammuThe second one requires travelling by directly flying into Leh, travelling in there through roads and flying back from Leh itself. Bike hiring facilities are available in Leh as well.Day 1: Fly in to LehDay 2: Leh to Nubra ValleyDay 3: Nubra valley to LehDay 4: Leh to PangongDay 5: Pangong to LehDay 6: Leh to Tsomoriri Lake and backDay 7: Fly out of Leh Most people feel like completing the Srinagar-Leh-Manali circuit when they visit Ladakh. Here is a vivid description of yearlong Leh-Ladakh excursion scenarios.April to July: April marks the beginning of tourism in Ladakh. The place begins warming up and all the camps begin setting up. By April end, the snow along Pangong Tso and Tsomoriri Lake begin to melt off, revealing its true hues and picturesque backgrounds. Around May, the Srinagar-Leh highway opens up around then. However, Manali highways are still clogged until June beginning, thus you won’t be able to complete the circuit due to recurring landslides. Mid-June opens up the complete circuit through Srinagar-Leh-Manali highway route.August to November: Monsoons swipe into Leh with full fervour during this time of the year. Travelling through the rain drenched passes can be a lot more dangerous than you think. Some parts on Leh-Srinagar (Zozi La pass) and Leh-Manali (Baralacha pass) highways aren’t much drained. But reaching them is tough. However, on to the arrival of mid September, the rainwater starts receding and initiates the best time in Leh, exposing all the colours and blue waters of the valleys. Occasional snowfalls happen. This time is considered as the busiest season out there. Until mid November, the snow starts ticking in. Sub zero temperatures are experienced around that time.November to March: The coldest span in Ladakh, where it gets completely cut-off from the rest of the India by road tracks. The only way to enter is by flying in. Roads from Leh to Pangong and Tsomoriri are still functional though. The lakes get frozen around January and the adventure tourists start visiting the place for the Chadar Trek over the frozen Zanskar River. Extreme cold makes survival much difficult.You can decide for yourself using the above information as to how you can plan your trip around Leh.