Motorcycle Tour

Sikkim

Ride to the Hidden Paradise of Sikkim

Sikkim is a state in northeastern India that borders Nepal, Bhutan, and the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is home to Mount Kanchenjunga, which is the tallest mountain in India and the third-highest peak in the world. The hidden gem of the Himalayas, Sikkim is a motorcyclist’s paradise. The challenging terrain and stunning scenery make for an unforgettable adventure.

Sikkim offers both adventure and a rich cultural experience, owing to a strict tourism policy, basic road infrastructure, and a culture distinct from the rest of India. Lush green alpine valleys, majestic waterfalls, and old-fashioned roads with a mix of tarmac roads which were once a part of the ancient silk route makes Sikkim a must do motorcycle travel destination.

Tour Dates
  • Sikkim Tour 1 – Dates TBD
  • Sikkim Tour 2 – Dates TBD
Tour Price

Rider : USD 3,490
Rider & Pillion : USD 5,490

Tour price covers
  • Transfer to/from Airport to Hotels in Delhi & Siliguri
  • Economy class airfare between Delhi & Siliguri
  • Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle
  • Fuel, oil & routine maintenance
  • Stay on twin-sharing basis in hotels / swiss tents / home-stays
  • All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) & beverages (bottled water, juices, tea, coffee) on all days
  • Experienced English-speaking Road Captain
  • Back up vehicle for carrying luggage and other essentials
  • Mechanic throughout the tour
  • Transportation to and from local sight-seeing to select locations

Note: Anything not mentioned in the list above can be considered as not included in the tour cost.

Day 1

Arrive in Siliguri

Arrive in Siliguri by 12 noon. After checking you in into our designated hotel and meeting your co-riders, we head out for a short ride on the Himalayans so that you test the motorcycle you would be riding for the rest of the tour. While the mechanic makes final adjustments according to your riding style, the road captain briefs you on the route and day wise brief.

Day 2

Siliguri to Gangtok

We leave early in the morning and take the national highway, along Teesta river and say hello to the Himalayas. We reach Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim by lunchtime. It is of utmost importance that you rest in the evening for better acclimatisation. In the meanwhile, we start the process of procuring your inner line permits and bike permits for the journey ahead.

Day 3

Explore Gangtok

This day is reserved for you to rest and enjoy the happening city of Gangtok, also voted as the cleanest city in India. You can head out for local sightseeing, or visit the markets for shopping and souvenirs. Visit the casinos to try your luck, or ride to the iconic Rumtek Monastery during the day while we sort out your permits.

Day 4

Gangtok to Lachung

We start early in the morning to stop at Tashi Viewpoint just outside of Gangtok, to catch the majestic view of the Kanchenjunga range. As we start our sojourn to North Sikkim, the terrain becomes rough, but the views more rewarding. We refuel, at the last fuel station in Mangan and also pack spare fuel for all the bikes and head towards a small town nestled in the mountains – Lachung which is the district headquarters of North Sikkim. The highlight of the day are the several waterfalls we would cross and the evening campfire, with a beautiful view of the Himalayas and clear night sky.

Day 5

Lachung to Lachen

Lachung is the gateway to Yumthang Valley, also known as Valley of Flowers. The ride to Zero Point (Yumesamdong) at an altitude of 15,300 feet is when we touch the high altitude region of Sikkim. Zero point is where the road ends in India, before the Chinese border. The initial ride is through thick forests, but slowly the landscape becomes barren and with snow clad peaks all around, you witness the diverse beauty and experience Sikkim has to offer.
After a warm cup of tea and snacks close to the India – China border, we retrace the ride back and head to the scarcely populated and quaint town – Lachen.

Day 6

Lachen to Gurudongmar Lake to Lachen

This is arguably the most mesmerizing and challenging day of the tour. Gurudongmar lake, the source of the river Teesta, is one of the most pristine and sacred lakes in India and is located 5 km south of Chinese border, at an altitude of 17,800 feet. Today is undoubtedly the best Sikkim has to offer in terms of landscape. No words can describe the pristine beauty you will witness this day.’),

Day 7

Lachen to Gangtok

Today’s ride is a retrace to Gangtok. Before arrival in Gangtok, we halt at the famous Seven sister’s waterfall for some quick pictures. With this, we enter the hustle and bustle of colorful city life, as a contrast to the calm we experienced over the last few days. Today, the ROML crew will also renew your permits for the journey ahead to East Sikkim.

Day 8

Gangtok to Padamchen via Nathu La Pass

Today being a long ride, we leave early in the morning to ride towards East Sikkim on the Gangtok – Nathula highway, which is a part of erstwhile ‘Old Silk Route’. En route, we halt for tea and snacks at Tsongmo (Changu) Lake. Nathula pass would definitely be the highlight of the day and the tour. Just a common wall separates India and China here; you can see the road coming from China to India from where trading used to happen centuries ago. See the Chinese camp and even say Hi to them as they will be feets away from you!
After Nathula, we descend to ride along the beautiful views of Kanchenjunga mountain range, leading us to the famous 56 hairpin bends of Zuluk. Counting the bends and soaking in the beauty, we descend towards Padamchen, a small town in remote Sikkim.

Day 9

Padamchen to Siliguri

As the tour reaches its conclusion, we enter back into West Bengal to reach the bustling town of Siliguri, by afternoon. The ride marks an end with Sikkim making an imprint on your heart. You bid farewell to the Himalayas and your riding buddies, and head home after a ride of a lifetime.

Sikkim, also know as ‘The Last Utopia’ has been given many names. The Lepchas, original inhabitants of the land called it Nye-mae-el `paradise’. The Limbus named it Su Khim or `new house’ while to the Bhutias it was Beymul Demazong `the hidden valley of rice’.

People

The original inhabitants of Sikkim were the ‘Lepcha’ tribe. In addition to these Bhutia and Nepali communities of different hues intermingle freely in Sikkim to constitute a homogenous blend. Hindu Temples coexist with Buddhist Monasteries, Churches, Mosque, and Gurudwara. The predominant Communities are Lepchas, Bhutias, and Nepalese. These myriad Cultures has produced a quintessential Sikkimese Culture that encompasses all ways and walks of life but has also managed to preserve their own identity. These can also be seen in the various places of Worship, Festivals and Cultural dances that are celebrated through the year.

Terrain

Sikkim is a land of dramatic contours. Rugged mountains, deep valleys and dense forests consort with raging rivers, lakes and waterfalls to create a visual feast. The state has the steepest rise in altitude over the shortest distance and has within its 7,096 sq. kms the entire climatic range, from tropical to temperate to alpine.

Located between these towering mountain ranges are passes like Nathu-la, Jelep-la, Cho-la and many others which were at one time important corridors of passage between Sikkim and Tibet.

Floating high over the cloud-covered lower Himalaya, Mt. Khangchendzonga dominates the landscape of Sikkim. At 28, 208 ft is the third highest mountain in the world and the highest in India.

Weather

Sikkim’s geographical location with its altitudinal variation allows it to have tropical, temperate and alpine climatic conditions within its small area of 7,096 kms.

Temperature conditions vary from subtropical in the southern lower parts to cold deserts in the snowy north. Rainfall is heavy and well distributed during the months from May to early October. 

Biting cold is experienced at higher altitudes of 10,000 ft plus. The temperature rarely rises above 15-degree centigrade and heavy snowfall occurs during the winter months. Some also receive snowfall during April or mid-November.

Flora and Fauna

The flora consist of oak, chestnut, maple, birch, alder, magnolia and silver fir. There are about 35 species of Rhododendrons (declared as the state tree of Sikkim) in Sikkim and are found above the height of 10,000 feet. The state’ orchids are world-famous as the state has 556 species of them. Fauna includes Yak, Himalayan Bear, Red Panda, Blood Pheasant and Blue Sheep. In the arid cold alpine regions of Sikkim, roam the snow leopard and wild ass.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of frequently asked questions. If your question is not in this list, just contact us.

Each tour will have a road captain and a support vehicle with a mechanic on board.

Depending on the tour you select, it will either be a Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle or a 411cc Royal Enfield Himalayan dual-sport motorcycle with gears on the left and the brake on the right hand side.

We keep aside half a day at the start of your tour for this very important exercise. On this day, you ride with an experienced road captain and support staff to get the hang of riding a Royal Enfield on the left hand-side of the road.

On our tours, we have identical make and model of Royal Enfield motorcycles for all riders and road captains. This ensures that we have adequate spares and required tools in case of any breakdown. Hence we do not allow riders to do the tour on their motorcycle.

No, we have back-up vehicles on all our tours that will carry your luggage for you. But you should carry your valuables like passport, cash, camera and other important equipment with you at all the time. We shall be providing you with a tank bag for the same.

Yes, there is a restriction on the number of riders for every tour. The main reason behind this is to keep the group size small for us to interact with each rider personally and give them a Ride of their Life. The maximum riders we take on a tour are mentioned on the individual tour pages.

Yes, you surely can. We believe that the travel experience is more enhanced when you have your partner with you on the journey. That is why we have discounted couple packages for our tours. Please note that if you book the couple package, we only provide one motorcycle.
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Ideally, your partner should be riding with you on the back seat of your motorcycle. But occasionally, they can travel in the back-up vehicle. Back-up vehicle are primarily for support staff and to carry your luggage, motorcycle spares and tools. Each back-up vehicle acts as support vehicle and will always tail the group maintaining a certain time distance.
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We are motorcyclists and are well aware of the fact that when a motorcyclist really decides to do a route, he will do it come what may. But to join our tour, you should have a reasonable level of fitness at the time of the tour and at least one year experience of riding a motorcycle. Most of our tours are on routes that are physically enduring.

The same applies to your partner/ spouse riding on the back seat of your motorcycle with you. He or she must have some experience riding behind a motorcycle and fitness level appropriate for such an adventure.

You should also have a valid motorcycle driver license and additional permits to ride internationally. If your partner is also taking turns riding the motorcycle, he or she would require the same set of documents.

You would also need travel insurance that includes riding a motorcycle in India.

Different countries and companies have their own policies, but you should pick one that covers you for your entire period of travel. The policy should also cover you for riding motorcycles, unexpected curtailment of the holiday, medical expenses arising overseas, loss or damage to luggage & property and personal liability claims against the participant and emergency evacuation.

We definitely are not making you climb Mount Everest. But if you can climb few flights of stairs without getting breathless, you are fit enough! But you should consult your doctor if you want to join any of the tours to Ladakh, where all the action is at high altitudes.

The risk factor is about the same when you drive or ride to work every day in your country. Just because you are riding a motorcycle in India does not mean that all of a sudden you are in a high risk zone. Motorcyclists around the world get overwhelmed after watching images and videos of Indian traffic, but all our tours are in remote regions of India where traffic is minimal. It all depends on your mindset, whether you want to call tough riding conditions as adventure or risk, or understand the paradox behind this argument.

We will arrange transportation to the nearest doctor / hospital immediately. We do carry a basic first-aid kit with us.

Our motorcycles are covered under third-party insurance and don’t cover accidental damages. We trust that you will, in good faith, cover the cost of repairs in case of any unlikely damages caused by you.

Ideally, you should wear certified waterproof riding gear, riding boots, riding gloves along with a helmet. But if you do not have riding gear, wear clothing that will give you some protection in the unlikely event of a spill. As a minimum, you should wear the following: Footwear that protects your feet and your ankles (hiking boots are good). Durable pants-leather is best; but you can make do with jeans, work pants, or something similar. An abrasion resistant jacket that zips or buttons up close to the neck. For the Ladakh tour, you would also need a pair of thermal inner wear to combat the cold. Please make sure your riding gear is waterproof or you have a separate rain gear. You should also pack nightwear and casual clothing and footwear for your time away from the motorcycle.

To book a tour you have to fill this form. After receiving your details, we will send you the bank transfer information. You will then have to pay the booking amount as per the tour you have chosen. The balance amount will be payable not later than three months before the start of the tour.

You should book the tour as soon as you are sure of making it. For all our tours, we have limited seats, so book as soon as you can.

Yes, you should meet your doctor and he would be the best judge on the precautions you need to take depending on your medical history.

It is a tour specific question, in some tours, we cover all your expenses, but in some budget tours, we do not cover all your expenses. Details of the same are mentioned on each ride page. If you plan to shop around or need Indian currency for personal needs, you should bring INR (Indian Rupees) available at various establishments at the airport or in major cities around the world. You should bring cash depending on how much you intend to spend on personal shopping. Don’t count on Traveller’s cheques or credit cards being accepted at the places that we are visiting. You can check currency conversion rate to Indian Rupees at http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Since most tours are in remote parts of India, you will not have access to ATM machines every day, but once we are in small towns you can avail of this facility. You will need to check with your bank if they would allow withdrawals at Indian ATMs, though.

It is a tour specific question, for most of our tours, where night stay is at Hotels or campsites, a mattress/blanket is provided by the respective establishment. But for tours that involve a lot of camping, you would need to bring your own sleeping bag. Tents will be provided by us.

On all our tours, we would serve hygienic Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian food. Depending on the tour you take, your meals will be made by our cooking team while camping or by the hotel or campsite staff when we stay at their facility.

Bottled water is included only in the luxury tours.

Usually late in the afternoon, a few hours after lunch. In the luxury tours, we would also be providing you with biscuits, dry fruits and nuts that you can carry in your tank bag.

It is a tour specific question. For our budget tours, the stay is at guesthouses and for the other tours it is at well-established hotels.

If we are staying at a hotel or fixed campsite, you would have proper toilet facilities and if we have set up our own tents, you perform your duties out in the open. During a day’s ride, toilets would usually not be available.

Yes, lodging for all our tours are on double-occupancy basis, but you can choose to avail of single-occupancy lodging for an additional charge.

No, you will have tent a to yourself.

You should carry the medicines you have to take for your present medical condition. We would be carrying general medicines for basic illnesses.


Depends from person to person. If you are into photography, you can bring the camera of your choice. If not, a simple point and shoot digital camera to save your tour memories should be sufficient. Avoid carrying too much equipment because it will be very cumbersome to manage it on the tour.

You can recharge your electronics through power outlets on the days we have hotel accommodation. Note that in India, the power mains run at 220v. Most modern electronic device chargers support both 110v and 220v but do check each charger / device in advance since 110v chargers and devices will not work without a special adapter.

The standard plug socket is also of a different kind. You will need to get converter plugs to enable your chargers and devices to plug into standard Indian wall sockets.

While we are camping, you can recharge your equipment using the 12v DC connection in our back-up vehicles. Note that you will need 12v car chargers for your equipment in this case.

No, all your luggage would be carried in the back-up vehicle.

If you have international roaming activated on your mobile phone plan, it will work in places where network coverage is available. But you might want to check with your cell phone company for related tariff and compatibility.

You will have access to the internet in major town and cities, but in remote regions of Himalayas you will have zero access.

You would not be riding at more than 30-40 mph (60-70 kph) on any given day. Apart from the obvious safety reasons, we advocate riding slow for you to enjoy and absorb the landscape.

After judging the situation on the ground, the Road Captain will take a call on the alternate route.

No, but we can guide you to the best of our knowledge to make your stay in India comfortable before and after the tour dates. There will be no consultation fees for the same.

No.
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Our couple package entitles you to only one motorcycle. If both of you want to ride separate motorcycles, you will have to book separately as individual riders.