Kashmir to Ladakh Trip

A bike trip to Leh Ladakh is a dream for many adventure enthusiasts and it remains on the top of the bucket list of most people. The reason is that Ladakh is in all literal sense, the land of high passes with jagged terrains and wicked roads that are perfect for offroading. Thrill-seekers from different corners of the world come to Ladakh to get a taste of the adrenaline high that driving on these high-altitude passes gives them.  Naturally, a bike trip to Leh Ladakh from Srinagar is something that a lot of bike riders wish to join because they get to experience the thrill of driving on the highways of Ladakh and get to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives in Srinagar. This Ladakh bike trip itinerary is a perfect blend of both adventure and peace.  

There are two ways to reach Ladakh by road, One of them being the Srinagar- Leh Highway and the other one being the Manali route.  The Srinagar - Leh Highway is an ideal choice, not only because it runs alongside the Indus river providing a beautiful landscape throughout your long drive but also because the gradual ascend helps make you acclimated to the region and weather conditions. When you drive to Leh from Srinagar, you are also traversing through the Kargil region, in close proximity to the LOC which makes the trip all the more interesting. In this Leh Ladakh bike trip starting from Srinagar, we first traverse through the iconic Zojila Pass to reach Kargil. Located at an altitude of 11,575 ft, the pass offers a stunning view of the great Himalayas and connects Ladakh with Kashmir Valley.  Situated on the banks of the Suru River (Indus), Kargil is the second-largest city in Ladakh, holding extreme historical significance as it was the site of the Kargil war back in 1999. After spending a night in Kargil, we will head toward Leh.

En- route to Leh, we will be traversing through Namika La. At an altitude of 12,139 ft, it is one of the two high passes in the Zanskar range of the Himalayas that connects Leh with Kargil. Riding on this pass with the rugged landscape of mountains in the backdrop will make the drive not only memorable but also thrilling. We will also be traversing through the Lamayuru Monastery, one of the oldest and largest gompas in Ladakh housing 140 monks at present. It’s also prominent because the annual dance festivals are hosted in the monastery where all the monks come together to pray. 

On our way to Leh from Kargil, we will also be passing through the highest point of Leh Srinagar, at an altitude of 13,478ft is the Fotu La Pass as well as the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers. The fascinating part about Sangam is that both of these rivers reflect different colors whereas Zanskar is more of muddy brown color and Indus is the perfect pristine hue of blue. 

The route to Leh from Srinagar also encompasses some of the best attractions of Ladakh likeGurudwara Patthar Ganj Sahib which is a place where Sikhs, as well as Buddhists, come together to pay their respects. The Gurdwara is dedicated to Guru Nanak Sahib and has an age-old legend associated with it, making it both spiritually and religiously significant. The Gurudwara is under the care of the Indian Army and people who come here to visit have to follow certain rules, one of them being that photography is prohibited inside the Gurudwara and hence, you have to witness the place of worship in person to understand its importance. Another must-visit place in Ladakh that you get to visit when you’re traversing through the Srinagar - Leh route is the iconic Magnetic Hill. It is believed that the hill is one of the rare places that defy gravity. When driving in one of the spots where the force is supposedly the strongest, your vehicle travels uphill even if you’re driving in the opposite direction. Although it has been said that the uphill driving part is nothing short of a brilliant optical illusion, people do feel some sort of turbulence when driving which makes the magnetic hill one of the most fascinating and mysterious places in Ladakh.