Adi Kailash & Om Parvat Bike Tour
Nine days from Rishikesh to the last valley before Tibet. Ride to 4,500 metres, stand before Chhota Kailash at Parvati Sarovar, and watch the Om appear on the mountain at dawn.
Permits arranged. Backup vehicle and mechanic throughout. Small groups on Royal Enfield Himalayans.
Before You Read Further
Indian citizens only. Adi Kailash and Om Parvat lie inside the Inner Line area near the India–China border. Inner Line Permits are issued to Indian nationals only, and foreign passport holders — including OCI and PIO card holders in most cases — are not permitted beyond Dharchula. There is no way around this and no operator can arrange it. If you hold a foreign passport, our Chardham and Chopta–Tungnath rides are open to you and are extraordinary in their own right.
You must be 18 or over, and you'll need a medical fitness certificate from a registered doctor as part of the permit application.
You need a valid motorcycle licence and real riding experience. This is not the ride to learn on.
The Last Valley Before Tibet
Most people who ride in Uttarakhand ride the Garhwal side — Kedarnath, Badrinath, the Chardham circuit. This is the other Uttarakhand. You cross into Kumaon, follow the Kali river north along the Nepal border, and keep going until the road runs out at the point where India, Nepal and Tibet meet.
Adi Kailash — Chhota Kailash — rises to 5,945 m above the Jolingkong basin, and the resemblance to Mount Kailash across the border is close enough that pilgrims who cannot make the Mansarovar journey come here instead. You ride to Jolingkong at 4,572 m, then walk two kilometres to Parvati Sarovar, where the peak stands directly above the water.
Om Parvat is the other reason you come. Snow settles into the fissures of a dark rock face in a pattern that forms the Sanskrit ॐ. It's visible from the viewpoint at Nabhidhang, around 4,500 m — but only in the early morning, which is why we're on the road before six.
Between the two you pass through Vyas Valley, the village of Kuti where the Pandavas are said to have passed on their final journey, the Kali temple at Kalapani, and the meadows of Chialekh, which in late May are solid with wildflowers.
The road goes all the way now. Until a few years ago this was a multi-day trek from Dharchula. The Border Roads Organisation has since pushed a motorable road up to Jolingkong and Nabhidhang, which is what makes a motorcycle expedition possible at all.
The Route, Day by Day
Day 1 — Rishikesh → Almora
≈340 km · 9–10 hrs · 1,640 m
An early start and the longest riding day of the trip, out of the Ganga valley and across into Kumaon via Haldwani and Bhimtal. Evening briefing, bike check.
Day 2 — Almora → Pithoragarh
≈120 km · 4 hrs · 1,645 m
A short, beautiful day through Kumaon pine forest with the Panchachuli range on the horizon. Deliberately easy.
Day 3 — Pithoragarh → Dharchula
≈95 km · 3–4 hrs · 915 m
Down along the Kali river with Nepal on the far bank the entire way. Rest of the day on permit formalities — medical checks, document submission, ITBP briefing.
Day 4 — Dharchula → Gunji
≈120 km · 5–6 hrs · 3,200 m
The day everything changes. The road climbs hard through ITBP checkposts, then opens into the Chialekh meadows. You'll gain more than 2,200 m today. Overnight at Gunji in a homestay.
Day 5 — Gunji: Om Parvat at Nabhidhang
≈50 km round trip · 4,500 m
Out before six for the run up to Nabhidhang. Depending on melt and stream conditions above Kalapani, the final stretch may be ridden or done in the support 4x4 — safety decides on the day, not schedule. Back to Gunji by afternoon.
Day 6 — Gunji → Jolingkong → Gunji
≈70 km round trip · 4,572 m
The road runs through Kuti village and up the Vyas Valley to the Jolingkong basin, where the bikes stop. From there it's a two-kilometre walk to Parvati Sarovar with Adi Kailash standing over it.
Day 7 — Gunji → Dharchula
≈120 km · 5–6 hrs · 915 m
Back down. Losing 2,300 m of altitude in a day is a physical relief. First hot shower in three days.
Day 8 — Dharchula → Chaukori/Almora
≈180 km · 6–7 hrs
A relaxed ride back through Kumaon. Tea gardens, ridgeline roads, and the Panchachuli range at sunset.
Day 9 — Almora → Rishikesh
≈340 km · 9–10 hrs
The long haul home. Usually back in Rishikesh by evening.
Inner Line Permits — How It Actually Works
Everything above Dharchula is restricted border area. The Inner Line Permit — also called the Adi Kailash permit or the Om Parvat permit — is issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Dharchula and covers travel to Gunji, Kalapani, Nabhidhang and Adi Kailash. Without it you do not get past Dharchula.
We handle the application for you. Send us your documents when you book — but parts of the process require you in person.
What you'll need: government photo ID · address proof · passport-size photographs (bring four) · medical fitness certificate from a registered doctor on the prescribed format · completed application form.
The permit is issued at the SDM office in Dharchula; final verification is done in person. The office runs on weekdays, and processing usually takes two to three working days, longer in peak season. The fee is nominal — around ₹200 per person. This is why Day 3 is built as a full day in Dharchula.
On the road: there are ten check posts between Dharchula and the high valleys, and your permit is verified at every one. Each check takes fifteen to twenty minutes for a group. Keep the permit and your original ID accessible, and carry photocopies.
The honest warnings: weekends and holidays stop the process. Permits can be refused on medical grounds or during periods of border tension, and nobody gets advance notice — see our cancellation policy for what happens if it does. Send us your documents at least three weeks before departure.
Altitude Is the Real Difficulty of This Ride
Not the road. Not the distance. You sleep at 3,200 m for three nights and ride to 4,572 m, and almost everyone feels it to some degree.
How we manage it: a full acclimatisation day at Gunji before the highest day. We climb high and sleep low where the route allows it. Oxygen and a pulse oximeter travel in the support vehicle, and we check the group morning and evening at altitude. The tour leader can turn any rider around, and will.
What you should do: drink far more water than feels necessary — four litres a day at altitude, starting on Day 3. Eat, even with no appetite. No alcohol from Dharchula onwards. Talk to your doctor about Diamox before you travel. Tell the leader immediately if you have a headache that doesn't clear, nausea, breathlessness at rest, or you can't sleep.
Who should think carefully: if you have a heart condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe asthma, or you're pregnant, this ride is not appropriate. If you've had altitude sickness before at similar heights, tell us when you book.
What Rides With You
The motorcycle: Royal Enfield Himalayan — 411 or 450. Ground clearance for the broken sections above Dharchula, long-travel suspension, an upright position you can hold for six hours, and a service network that actually exists in Kumaon.
Prefer your own bike? You're welcome to ride it, at a reduced tour price. It needs to be 350cc or above with good tyres and a recent service.
The support: a backup vehicle for the full nine days carrying luggage, spares, fuel reserve, oxygen and a medical kit · a mechanic who travels with the group · a tour leader who has ridden this route · spare parts carried throughout — there is no Royal Enfield service centre above Pithoragarh · fuel planning — the last reliable pump is at Dharchula.
Is This Ride For You?
You'll be fine if you ride regularly, have done at least one multi-day trip of 300 km or more, are comfortable on gravel and broken tarmac, and can handle a fully-loaded Himalayan at low speed on a climb.
You'll struggle if your riding is city commuting, you've never ridden a 350cc-plus motorcycle for a full day, or you've never ridden on anything but tarmac.
Not sure? Message us and tell us honestly what you ride and where you've ridden. We'd rather talk you into the Chopta–Tungnath ride first and have you back next year for this one.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included — Royal Enfield Himalayan for the full trip, with fuel · all accommodation (hotels in Almora, Pithoragarh and Dharchula; homestays at Gunji) · all meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 9 breakfast · Inner Line Permit processing and fees · backup 4x4 with driver throughout · mechanic and spares · experienced tour leader · oxygen cylinder, oximeter and first aid kit · all check post and entry formalities
Not included — travel to and from Rishikesh · medical fitness certificate and any tests · personal riding gear (helmet provided free) · travel and medical insurance covering altitude riding · any evacuation or rescue costs · meals during long transit stops · personal expenses · additional costs from landslides, weather, road closures or permit refusal
2026 Departures
Adi Kailash is rideable in two windows. The best months are May–June and September–October, when daytime temperatures sit around 7–15°C and nights fall to around 0 to −2°C. Outside those windows the road is either under snow or under monsoon.
Departure dates: 20 September & 11 October 2026 · 16 May & 6 June 2027
Also run as a private group ride for four or more riders on dates of your choosing.
Price: TODO: tour price — TBD, reference point ~₹45,000 for a comparable tour
Enquire on WhatsAppFAQs
Can foreigners do the Adi Kailash Om Parvat tour?
No. Adi Kailash and Om Parvat are inside the Inner Line area near the India–China border, and Inner Line Permits are issued only to Indian citizens. Foreign passport holders cannot travel beyond Dharchula, and no operator can arrange an exception. If you hold a foreign passport, our Chardham and Chopta–Tungnath rides are open to you.
Do I need a permit for Adi Kailash and Om Parvat?
Yes. An Inner Line Permit is mandatory for everyone travelling above Dharchula. It's issued by the SDM office in Dharchula, costs around ₹200, and requires a government ID, address proof, photographs and a medical fitness certificate. We handle the application, but you need to be present in Dharchula for verification.
How long does the Adi Kailash permit take?
Usually two to three working days, longer during peak season. The SDM office keeps government hours and doesn't process on weekends or public holidays. Send us your documents at least three weeks before departure.
Can I ride my own motorcycle on this tour?
Yes, at a reduced price. It should be 350cc or above with good tyres and a recent service, and we'll inspect it in Rishikesh before departure.
Is the whole route motorable, or is there trekking?
The road now runs to Jolingkong and Nabhidhang, so there's very little walking — around two kilometres from Jolingkong to Parvati Sarovar, and a few hundred metres to the Om Parvat viewpoint at Nabhidhang. The challenge is altitude and road surface, not trekking distance.
How high does the tour go?
Jolingkong, the Adi Kailash viewpoint, is around 4,572 m. Nabhidhang, for Om Parvat, is around 4,500 m. You sleep at Gunji, roughly 3,200 m, for three nights.
Will I definitely see Om Parvat?
Not guaranteed — nobody can promise a mountain. Cloud closes in most mornings by mid-morning, which is why we ride out before six. In the May–June and September–October windows the odds are good.
When is the best time for the Adi Kailash bike tour?
May to June and September to October. Outside those windows the passes are either snowbound or the roads are unreliable through monsoon.
How difficult is it?
Moderate to hard. The riding isn't technically extreme, but it's long days on broken road at altitude in cold. If you ride regularly and have done multi-day trips, you'll manage.
What if I get altitude sickness?
Tell the tour leader straight away. We carry oxygen and an oximeter and monitor the group at altitude. Mild symptoms usually settle with rest, fluids and a slower schedule. If they don't, we descend.
Is Adi Kailash the same as Kailash Mansarovar?
No. Kailash Mansarovar is in Tibet and requires a Chinese visa and a separate government-run yatra. Adi Kailash — Chhota Kailash — is in India, in Pithoragarh district, and needs only an Inner Line Permit.
Do I need travel insurance?
It isn't compulsory but we strongly recommend it, and it must cover motorcycling and high-altitude travel — many standard policies exclude both.
What should I pack?
Layers, and more than you think. Nights at Gunji drop to freezing even in June. Riding gear, thermals, a down layer, waterproofs, gloves, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, lip balm, a headtorch, a power bank, and any personal medication.
Is there mobile network and electricity?
Patchy and intermittent above Dharchula. BSNL works best. Assume you'll be offline from Gunji onwards. Homestays have limited power — bring a power bank.
Anubhav Travel · Near Ram Jhula Bridge, Swarg Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249304