A chain of majestic mountains with clouds hanging over them, awesome landscape, ever-changing weather and superb roads calling you out to experience and feel the beauty of this place. After all Leh Ladakh is one of the high rated road trip destinations of the world.
Suggested Read : Travel Guide for 5 Days Trip to Ladakh
We hired this beauty (Avengers@800 excluding fuel) in Leh and flew off to a memorable trip full of surprises until we called it a day.
This one-day bike trip of Sham Valley tour includes Alchi Monastery, Likir Monastery, Basgo Palace, Zanskar and Indus Confluence at Nimmu, Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib and Chilling Village. This round trip from Leh is around 180-200 km.
Table of Contents
Renting a bike in Leh
There are many shops in Leh that rent bikes. We got ours from Discover Himalaya Adventures which is nearby Leh Market.
Pather Sahib Gurudwara
Around 12000 feet above the sea level, Gurudwara Pather Sahib was built in the year 1517 to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak Dev ji to the Ladakh region. Tibet Buddhist respects Guru nanak Dev ji and consider him a saint.
Around 25 kms from Leh, this is the first stop of the Sham valley tour. Halt at this beautiful Gurudwara, offer prayers and relish the Prasad before moving further to your next stop.
Magnetic Hills
The magnetic hills are on a small stretch of road located about 30 kilometers from Leh towards Kargil. The layout of the area and surrounding slopes create the appearance of a hill. The hill road is actually a downhill road. Objects and cars on the hill road may appear to roll uphill in defiance of gravity when they are, in fact, rolling downhill.
Sangam – Confluence of Zanskar and Indus river
The confluence of River Indus (flowing from Tibet) and River Zanskar (flowing from Zanskar Valley) at Nimmu village is surely a treat to eyes. Around 35 km from Leh, it’s a place to relax and admire the beauty of the nature.
We stepped into the chilling water and had a great time there.
Chiling Village
Known to be the starting point for Chadar trek, this village is located at the end of a beautiful road running along the Zanskar River. It’s around 25 km from the Confluence of Zanskar and Indus river.
The way to the village throws such enchanting views that you may find yourself sitting by the riverside and gazing at the beautiful mountains. 10 kms further from the village, the famous Chadar trek starts.
Likir Monastry
Likir is a Buddhist Monastery located around 52 km from Leh and is home to 25 feet gold plated Buddha Statue. Originally the Monastery was built in 11th century and rebuilt in 18th century.
Alchi Monastery
Having monuments dating back to 10th century, this Monastery is one of the oldest in this place and is around 65 km from Leh.
Back of the Monastery offers a view of Indus river flowing. Sit here and relax in this peaceful environment for a while.
We had momos and soup at a restaurant there.
The roads are super smooth, well maintained and wide. For most of the time we felt as if ours was the only vehicle on the road. The rugged mountains, cloudy sky and clear roads – all will just blow your mind. This was our best bike trip we had so far.
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