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How expensive is a Ladakh trip on a motorcycle? Ladakh bike trip budget

How much does a Ladakh trip on a motorcycle cost?

Many riders in India dream about a Ladakh trip on their motorcycle. The first step to realising your dream is to budget the preparation and ride.

This article will cover Ladakh bike trip budget for both beginner riders who don’t have riding gear to seasoned ones with all the gears for the dream trip on their to motorcycle.

Preparation cost of a bike trip to Ladakh

This section will include all the cost to prepare your motorcycle and you for the entire trip.

Personal gear

Riding gear

For someone who’s looking to start fresh, a package of basic riding gears would cost around 22k INR. Even though this amount seems a lot, trust me, it’ll serve many years to come through the toughest of conditions. For a detailed review of all my riding gears, check this article now.

Vlogging equipment

Having a basic vlogging rig can help your memories last longer. A basic action camera with a helmet mounting kit is enough to get you started. You can buy action cameras starting from as low as 6000 INR.

Make sure you carry adequate storage based on the amount of footage you plan to shoot. Keep an SD card or two extra if needed or if you carry a HDD and laptop, back up the data every day. 64gb SD cards would cost around 1500 INR. For a detailed review of my vlogging setup, check out this article.

Camping equipment

Camping is a must in Ladakh. Pitching your own tent gives you a feel like no other even though you have option to stay in all the major tourists spots in readily available camps. Moreover, the readily available tent stay is most of the times expensive than a premium Oyo room.

Get a basic 2/3 person tent from Decathlon for 2.5 – 3k INR so that you can keep your luggage as well.

A LPG canister or a portable cylinder will be necessary. A 5L cylinder is more than enough for a month’s cooking and it’d cost around 700 INR with the burner.

Get a sleeping bag for 1000 INR from Leh or Manali. A camping light worth 250 INR and powerbank will come in handy. Camping cookware kit is available in decathlon starting from as low as 1000 INR but I’d suggest you carry the smallest of home cookware you have to save money.

Packaged food items

Protein bars are life savers. Get a minimum of 10 to 20 protein bars. If you are on a budget, you can make them and freeze it. Get basic items like Oats or noodles which you can cook on the go. Bread, pickles and jams are other options. Together it shouldn’t cost you more than 2000 INR

Medicines & first aid kit

Carry few ORS sachet, diamox tablets, regular medications and tablets for common ailments like cold, upset stomach and fever, few bandages, savlon and a cotton roll. Together it shouldn’t cost you more than 1000 INR

Winter clothes 

It gets close to zero at some parts of Ladakh even in the summers. It’s better to carry a winter jacket or thermal wear. Best option is to get it in Manali or Leh local market. You can get a decent winter jacket and pants for less than 1000 INR. A pair of Winter gloves and socks shouldn’t cost more than  250 INR each.

Luggage organiser

Luggage organiser is a game changer when it comes to organising your luggage. Get one from Amazon for approx 300 INR and you can thank me later.

Toiletries

Sunscreen, moisturiser and lip balm are a must when travelling to cold and dry terrains. Buy the smallest packets of these and it shouldn’t cost you more than 1000 INR. 

Motorcycle gear

Jerry can

Ladakh region has enough fuel pumps  en route major tourists spots but it’s always safe to carry extra fuel for motorcycles with mileage less than 30 kmpl. There’ll be like 1 fuel station for a 100km stretch and if that’s closed for some reason, you are screwed.

A 5L Jerry can with mount costs 2500 INR. Don’t buy cheap cans. It’s not safe to carry petrol at high speeds and high altitudes in them.

Fog lamps

It’s never recommended to drive past sunset but if you find yourself in a inevitable situation, fog lamps will come in useful. A pair of decent fog lamps would cost around 2500 INR.

Luggage

 A basic tank bag, saddle or tail bag, a backpack and few bungee cords are bare minimum to carry luggage. I’ve reviewed my entire luggage system in this article and you can check that out for reference. A decent set of luggage system would cost around 9000 INR.

Spare parts

Here’s a list of must carry spare parts for your motorcycle

  • Tyre tubes – Approx 450 INR each for tube tyres
  • Puncture kit which includes glue, sandpaper and seals – 150 INR
  • Tyre inflator – get one from Amazon for 1000 INR
  • Spanner and Allen key set – get it from Amazon for approx 500 INR
  • Chain cleaner and lube – Motul C1 C2 combo from Amazon costs around 450 INR
  • Microfibre towel from decathlon which costs 100 INR
  • Colin glass cleaner spray for visors and lamps – INR

Phone / GPS mount with charger

Phone mount with USB charger is a must have for navigation and for charging your devices on the go. A generic one would cost around 250 INR

Ride Cost of a bike trip to Ladakh

Fuel

I travelled a total of 5200 Km over a span of 19 days. RE Himalayan gave an average fuel economy of 30 kmpl. Petrol cost was 115 INR on average. A total of 20000 Rs was spent on petrol.

Accommodation

I stayed mostly in hostels and twin sharing rooms. On an average, I spent 500 Rs per night for stay. 3 days I camped in my tent and 3 days in train. So I spent a total of 16 days staying in hotels and spent around 8000 Rs in accommodation.

Food 

Food was perhaps the most unpredictable expense. I resorted to cooking breakfast and dinner whenever possible but what took me by surprise was the expensive meals in the Ladakh region. A plate of momos or maggi will cost more than 200 INR in the inner line region of Ladakh.

On average, I’d have spent 600 INR per day for food. For 21 days that’d be around 12500 INR. I filled my 4 bottles usually from petrol pumps and hotels so I never paid for drinking water.

Train ticket

In the last leg of my journey, I shipped my RE Himalayan via train and travelled home in the same train. Train ticket cost me 800 INR and 5750 INR for bike parcel.

Miscellaneous

These expenses include –

  • Permits – 400 INR
  • Postpaid sim – 450 INR
  • Laundry service in Leh – 150 INR
  • Motorcycle service and washing in Manali and Leh – 1500 INR
  • Sightseeing tickets – 250 INR

Total Cost

For a beginner rider without any gear looking to travel to Ladakh on their motorcycle, it’d cost around 110000 INR. Keep in mind that the riding, luggage and camera gear that you invest in will serve the purpose for many years to come.

For a seasoned rider with most of the riding gears, it’d cost around 80000 INR. I hope this Ladakh bike trip budget article was helpful in getting you a step closer to your dream ride to Ladakh.

To see the entire Ladakh bike trip budget article in a video format, check the link below. While you are there, don’t forget to subscribe.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does a Ladakh bike trip cost?

For a beginner rider without any gear looking to travel to Ladakh on their motorcycle, it’d cost around 110000 INR. Keep in mind that the riding, luggage and camera gear that you invest in will serve the purpose for many years to come.

For a seasoned rider with most of the riding gears, it’d cost around 80000 INR. I hope this Ladakh bike trip budget article was helpful in getting you a step closer to your dream ride to Ladakh.

How can I go to Ladakh on low budget?

Few ways to cut down cost on your Ladakh trip are use public transport, pitch your own tent, cook your own food as far as possible and stay in hostels / dorms.

How many days are sufficient for Leh Ladakh bike trip?

7-10 days is sufficient to cover all the major tourist spots in Ladakh region. For a detailed itinerary of a bike trip to Ladakh, check this article – https://bulletstrings.com/itinerary-for-a-bike-trip-to-ladakh-and-kashmir/

Do we get Internet in Ladakh?

Most of the areas in Ladakh do not have cell reception. At places where you have cell reception, the internet speeds are slow. Leh is the main city where you have the best Internet and most hotels have WiFi. The only other place I found good cell reception is Hunder.

Is the food expensive in Ladakh?

Food in general tends to be expensive in the Ladakh region, For instance a plate of veg momos can cost you 150 – 200 Rs. So carry your own food and snacks if you are on a tight budget.