BhopalSanchiSanchi: an hour to the stupa
A short ride northeast of Bhopal to the Great Stupa at Sanchi, over 2,000 years old. Add the Udayagiri caves near Vidisha for a longer morning.
49 km ~1 hr Oct – Mar
Explore Rides
Browse motorcycle routes across India — distance, difficulty, best season and road conditions, at a glance.
BhopalSanchi
GwaliorOrchhaOrchha: palaces on the Betwa
Straight down NH 44 past Datia to Jhansi, and on to Orchha's palaces and chhatris on the Betwa river. An easy, flat ride with a lot to see.
121 km ~3 hrs Oct – Mar
IndoreOmkareshwarOmkareshwar: down to the Narmada
South out of Indore and down the Simrol ghat to the island temple town on the Narmada. An easy half-day, best early before the pilgrim crowds.
78 km ~2 hrs Jul – Mar
BhopalPachmarhiPachmarhi: the Satpura climb
South through Narmadapuram to Madhya Pradesh's only hill station, with waterfalls, caves and sal forest on top of the Satpuras.
190 km ~5 hrs Sep – Jun
PatnaRajgirRajgir: hills, hot springs and Nalanda
Southeast through Bakhtiyarpur and Bihar Sharif to Rajgir's hills, hot springs and glass bridge. Ride past Nalanda's ruins on the way.
103 km ~2 hrs Oct – Mar
RanchiPatratu ValleyPatratu Valley: Ranchi's switchbacks
Half an hour out of Ranchi to a valley road that snakes down in tight loops to Patratu dam. Short, fun and best at sunrise before the traffic.
33 km ~1 hr Jul – Mar
BhubaneswarChilika Lake (Satapada)Chilika: out to the dolphins
Down the Puri road and along the coast to Satapada, where boats go out to see Irrawaddy dolphins in Asia's largest brackish lagoon.
108 km ~3 hrs Oct – Mar
KolkataAyodhya Hills (Purulia)Purulia: the Ayodhya Hills
West through Bishnupur and Bankura to red earth, low forested hills and dams. Go in March, when the palash trees turn the whole landscape orange.
284 km ~8 hrs Nov – Mar
KolkataMandarmaniMandarmani: the quieter beach
Down NH 16 and the Digha road, then a turn to Mandarmani's long, quiet beach. Calmer than Digha, with good seafood and a flat, easy road.
165 km ~4 hrs Oct – Feb
VisakhapatnamLambasingiLambasingi: Andhra's coldest village
Inland through Narsipatnam and up a forest ghat to a hill village where winter mornings fall close to zero. Go in December and arrive early for the mist.
117 km ~3 hrs Nov – Feb
HyderabadLaknavaram LakeLaknavaram: the hanging bridge lake
Past Warangal and into forest country to a lake of small islands linked by suspension bridges. The Ramappa temple is a short detour on the way.
220 km ~5 hrs Sep – Feb
HyderabadBidarBidar: an easy fort run
West on NH 65 and north to Bidar's fort, the old Bahmani capital, with its tombs and madrasa. Flat, straightforward and good for a first long day.
144 km ~4 hrs Oct – Feb
HyderabadSrisailamSrisailam: through the Nallamala forest
Out on the Srisailam highway and into the Amrabad Tiger Reserve, a long forest ride down to the Krishna and the temple town. The gates shut at 9 pm.
219 km ~5 hrs Aug – Feb
ThiruvananthapuramKanyakumariKanyakumari: to the tip of India
South along NH 66 through Neyyattinkara and Marthandam to where three seas meet. Stay the night so you can watch the sunrise over the water.
94 km ~3 hrs Oct – Mar
ThiruvananthapuramPonmudiPonmudi: twenty-two hairpins
An hour out of Thiruvananthapuram through rubber and forest, then 22 hairpins to a misty hilltop. The easiest proper hill climb in south Kerala.
54 km ~2 hrs Sep – May