Cycling in India

This is because you would not have expected the area to be developed enough to have good roads while maintaining the magnificent beauty of the mountains. We've carefully crafted this particular route for you which covers the major attractions in North East India. It includes Darjeeling, Peeling, Gangtok, and Yoksom. We will go through the small villages, tea gardens, dense forests, and hill stations during this 13 days tour.

We start off by cycling from Siliguri to Samthar plateau, where a picturesque view of snow convered mountains is waiting for us. Later we will experience what it truly means to be off the grid, by cycling to a remote valley. The true wilderness will be experienced the next day when we cycle up the hills through a rough path towards Gumpa Dara. We are sure it will give you a once in a lifetime experience. Finally, we’ll reach Kalimpong going up a long climb and even longer descend. Descending on a cycle while having the cascading view of the Himalayas all around is a different feeling altogether.

The next day upon reaching Sikkim, through the scenic roads, the following few days will be spent exploring the nearby villages on cycle. The true beauty of this trip shines when we enter the picture post-card villages and get to experience the farmlands, and river valley and interact with the locals. The beauty of the route is that it has low traffic and is sparsely populated. This will give you a feeling of owning the road most of the time. We’ve designed the itinerary in such a way that it’s a mix of cycling and driving you to these beautiful locations.

It is a country with a variety of landscapes, embedded in a long and interesting history. An eviable culture that embraces the arts, nature, heritage, religion, innovation and a strong sense of justice for all.

This arid, rugged mountain range is home to some of the most ancient Buddhist monasteries you are likely to find anywhere in the world. We at Cycling In India have created our Ladakh Cycling Tour to exclusively cover these holy sites and shrines to make you feel the elevation of the other kind – spiritual.

The history of Buddhism in Ladakh is, to use a cliché, as old as the hills. It goes back to the 2nd century CE when Buddhism was first introduced in the region, but it’s not until the 10th century that the religion took deep roots here. Monasteries and many artifacts dating back to the 12th century are still extant and they provide the most authentic glimpse into ancient Buddhism. Our Ladakh biking trip takes you to all these pit stops of Buddhist pilgrimage for an eye-opening spiritual experience that unguided travel can’t provide.

Starting off in Leh, we first cover the gompas (monasteries) to the east of the city, and then to the west. We visit the former royal palaces, the monasteries, the shrines, the assembly halls, the sanctum sanctorum, and witness many exquisite Buddhist artworks in the form of murals, paintings and sculptures. Doing so we bike across the otherworldly terrain of Ladakh. And we cap our Ladakh biking holiday with the ascent of Khardung La, the highest motorable pass in the world.

It goes without saying that cycling in Ladakh is never easy on your body. We’re talking about altitudes more than 3000 meters high. Acclimatization is crucial, but so is physical strength and mental resolve. All through the tour, our support vehicle accompanies you and whenever you don’t feel like pushing yourself, you can always hop in for an enjoyable ride.

Check out our chockfull itinerary to see all that we have to offer on our Ladakh cycling tour.

Unlike our tour in Ladakh in which you get to cross some of the highest passes in the world, the Himachal Spiti Cycling tour is physically less demanding, but the landscape is just as otherworldly.

A world within a world’ is how Rudyard Kipling described Spiti valley, and we think the Nobel laureate was right on the money. It’s not until you leave behind the apple orchards and lush green mountains of Kinnaur in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and enter the sparsely vegetated cold desert mountains of Spiti that the heft of Kipling’s words begins to sink in. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call this landscape Martian. The intriguing hues and colors of the mountains can easily kindle the geologist in you. Cyclists have been known to spend endless moments gawping at the lay of the land while crossing a pass or rounding a high hairpin bend.

Starting out at the altitude of 2700 meters above sea level, the route through Spiti Valley takes you as low as 980m and as high as 4079m. On the way, you will come upon ancient trade routes, pass by quaint villages, and visit famous monasteries. Buddhism is the major religion of people in Spiti region and the local culture is a far cry from urban ways.

Our itinerary has been drawn to give you the best cycling experience under the circumstances. There may be some short steep ascents on which you gain more than 800 meters while cycling over a distance of just 15 km, but such challenges are par for the course. No two days of rough and tough cycling are put back to back. Our experienced guides and support staff for Cycling in Spiti Valley in Himachal will always be at hand throughout the tour, should you need any assistance.

Tour Features

• 500kms of cycling on Himalayan roads
• Ancient Buddhist monasteries
• Kinnaur and Kalpa
• Chandra Tal and Kunzum La
• See Spiti at a slow pace

Whether you are an avid cyclist, a culture aficionado, a photographer, a nature lover, or just a curious traveler looking for a good time, biking through the three South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu gives you a whole kaleidoscopic mix of cultural, religious and exploratory experiences to make your Indian holiday trip extraordinary.

Starting off in Bangalore, we tour southwards on a route that keeps us close to the South Indian heartland with its beautiful landscapes, quaint villages, paddy plantations, coconut groves, and pristine beaches. Along the way, we visit some of South India’s best tourist attractions, including a 14th-century palace, a 10th-century temple, and an ancient church which is claimed to be established in 52 AD by none other than St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.

For those who dig cycling challenges, our South India Cycling Tour has one such single-day 1251 meter ascent through 36 hairpin bends. However, for the most part, cycling on this tour is a breeze. Anytime you don’t feel like pushing yourself, you can hop into our support vehicle. But be assured you won’t find many occasions for that. The itinerary of our Kerala-Karnataka-Tamil Nadu cycling holiday trip has been designed to let you enjoy biking without much physical exertion. A whole evening is reserved for lounging around on a houseboat in Kerala’s backwaters. The final day is earmarked for leisure at a pristine beach rated as one of the world’s top five Hammock Beaches by National Geographic. One can’t ask for a better end to a memorable South Indian cycling trip.

It also boasts of some captivating landscapes, from desert plains to rocky hillocks. Ideally, our long cycling tour is recommended to fully appreciate the beauty of this unique place and to know its exotic culture. But if you are pressed for time, our Rajasthan Short Cycling Tour with its packed itinerary will let you have a good enough experience of this land of royals.

We begin the trip in Udaipur, which is called the ‘Venice of the East’ for its many lakes. Cycling through it is just pure fun.As the tour progresses, you will pass through picturesque landscapes at the foothills of the Aravalli mountain range (which - believe it or not - is older than the Himalayas). Along the way, you will visit ancient forts and temples. You may chance upon some wildlife like camels, blackbucks or deer.You will stop by at a village of camel herders where women wear distinctive black headscarves and heavy brass earrings. You will enjoy an overnight at apalace that used to be the hunting lodge of maharajas. Now, that palace is a hotel surrounded by a calm lake.

The tour will end at the ‘Blue City’ Jodhpur where you may go on a sightseeing tour of its many attractions.
All through the trip, you will overnight at comfortable hotels. Our Rajasthan Short Cycling Tour has been planned to let you make the most of the 8 days you spend in this intriguing land.

Our exclusive Kerala Cycling Tour has been smartly designed to provide you an unvarnished viewof the natural beauty of this land. Along the way, you will experience the unique culture, local arts, and different cuisines of Kerala.

You will cycle through lush paddy fields, green meadows, pine forests and spice-rich villages. If you happen to be a birding enthusiast, a stopover at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, which is home to more than 200 different varieties of birds, will be more than welcome. The itinerary has been planned to give you ample opportunity to do off-road cycling and high-altitude cycling through the undulating landscape that is dotted with tea estates, waterfalls and lakes. You will witness a whole range of flora and fauna. The tour includes a pit-stop at a tiger reserve and a guided walk into the forest. You will get to canoe and also enjoy a relaxing ride in a luxury rice-barge through the famous backwaters of Kerala.

Our professional cycling guide will accompany you throughout the tour. Whenever you don’t feel like cycling, for whatever reason, you can hop into our backup vehicle. No issues. Our aim is to make your cycling tour a memorable one.

Highlights

• Walk in Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Thattekad
• Tea plantations in Munnar & Vagamon
• Forest walk at Periyar National Park.
• Boat Ride in Periyar Tiger Reserve
• Cycling along the Cardamom Hills Reserve in Kerala.
• Exquisite healthy and local Kerala food all along.
• Professional Cycling guide & local experts.
• Boat Ride in Kumarakom narrow backwater lane in really small boat
• Premium Houseboat cruise at Alleppey

Manali is the starting point of our expedition, a place in the lap of Himalayas. During the expedition you you manage to cross 5 passes with a maximum altitude of Khardung La (5602 mts). Each one of these passes standing just next to each other and gives cyclists unpredictable and magnificent experience.

If all you need a passionate cycling tour through Manali, our Manali - Leh cycling tour is indeed a great idea. The journey through Manali is the most magnificent and scenic in the world as it passes through some of the most amazing landscapes across the region.

Manali - Leh cycling tour in Manali is an opportunity that you experience once in a lifetime. This is the best way to see elegance and opulence of Manali. Take a cycle ride through the mystical greenery, picture-perfect peak mountains and picturesque locales of the place that no one can even resist. The Manali - Leh route is indeed the top most favorite destination for cyclists and tourists.

The Manali - Leh cycling tour gives you chance to see magnificent places such as Rohtang La Pass, Keylong, Jispa, Darcha and Baralacha La along the Manali - Leh traverse. Its surroundings are best to be explored and may be the ride of lifetime.

Highlights

• 5 Major Passes
• Gata Loops: 21 zig-gagging hairpin bends.
• Two Passes above 5000Mtrs
• Highest Motorable Road Khardung La Pass
• Leh Town ( Little Tibet)

Our Kerala Cycling Tour is exclusively designed for those who want to experience Houseboat, Beaches and coastal landscape of Kerala in less than a week. Cycling through this part of God’s Own Country is easy on your legs and yet it throws up so many special moments, chance encounters, and little cultural explorations that by the end of this cycling tour in Kerala South India, you’d be half wishing to press further on.

The Kerala biking tour takes off in the town of Fort Kochi, which is sure to intrigue you with its rich Portuguese, Dutch and British heritage. The route will have you cycle right along the seafront, with the deep blue Arabian sea on one side and the fishing villages with their paddy plantations and coconut groves on the other.

On this biking tour, you will visit an ancient 5th century church, watch the traditional dances of Kerala, and even enjoy a canoe ride in the narrow backwater canals of Kumarakom. Despite the relatively short duration of five days, you won’t feel being rushed around. One whole evening is reserved for leisure at the beautiful, clean Marari beach. Another will have you soak in the serene surrounding of backwaters in a houseboat. Short, snappy, and yet wholesome, our Kerala cycling tour lets you make the most of your cycling holiday in Kerala South India.

Our cycling expedition takes a route of moderate difficulty through the mountainous terrain of India’s north eastern state of Sikkim and passes through all the important cultural and natural hotspots to give you a wholesome experience of the flora and fauna and the age-old Buddhist tradition of this unique but rarely explored land. The idea is to combine cycling adventure with cultural exploration in an evenly manner.

Starting out in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, our smartly planned Sikkim cycling tour weaves its way in the westerly direction through the lush forests of oak, elm and rhododendron and hillsides covered with terraced paddy fields to arrive at villages, small towns, tea gardens, and hill stations over the course of 10 days. Each place has something interesting to offer.

Take, for instance, the stopover at Temi Tea Garden, where you get to see up-close the cultivation and processing of some of the finest quality tea in the world. Or take the visits to the many Buddhist monasteries we come upon on the way. Each monastery has an intriguing legend or tale behind its founding. Each one houses a unique treasure of paintings, sculptures, idols and relics. In a way, our Sikkim holiday biking tour puts you on a circuit of Buddhist religious pilgrimage in Northeast India.

All through the tour, you cycle on a mostly metalled road winding up and down through stunningly gorgeous landscapes in the lap of Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. All along, you find a lot of fun things to do on the side, besides cycling.

Trip Highlights

• Seeing the first rays of the sun lighting up both Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga in the same panoramic view at dawn
• Enjoy ride on a narrow gauge toy train to the highest railway station in the world
• Visiting a lake which is said to have wish-fulfilling powers
• Dropping by at Temi Tea Garden and checking out the finest variety of tea in the world
• Souvenir shopping in the markets of Darjeeling