There isn’t any better way to enjoy the trip to the Himalayas than driving or riding yourself in a self-drive car or self ride bike and especially to the adventure destinations like Leh – Ladakh or Spiti Valley or other parts of trans – Himalayas.

There are so many adventure lovers like me out there who are always looking out to live the passion of driving along with traveling to the Himalayas now and then. Sitting idle in a taxi driven by a chauffeur and just enjoying the journey is never a cup of my tea and never will be.

UPDATE from 20th July 2015
Starting this year, Rented Self Drive Cars in Leh – Ladakh Banned & Other Updates.

How to hire a Self Drive Car on Rent for Himalayas
How to get a Self Drive Car on Rent for Ladakh or Himalayas?

Self-drive trip to the Himalayas

Once in a while, it is fine to relax a bit, but making a habit withdraws you from your other passion, that is, enjoying the pleasure of a self-drive car as you travel to the Himalayas. And I believe all such self-drive adventure lovers will agree with me in totality 🙂 🙂 …

However, all of us aren’t blessed to own a self-drive car, and many times people traveling from different parts of the country cannot drive their vehicles to the far North and carry on with the self-drive further to the Himalayas.

This inability for a self-drive trip is especially true for places like Himachal, Uttarakhand, where people travel from other parts of India for a short vacation of 4-5 days. Even on the longer journeys to Leh – Ladakh or Kinnaur Valley or Spiti Valley or Kashmir, sometimes due to lack of leaves or time, it does not make sense to drive from down south or east or west coast of India even if you own a form of self-drive. So, what is the solution other than relying on taxis for traveling to the Himalayas??

In the past few years, I used to get several types of queries like “How to get a Self Drive Car on Rent for Ladakh or Himachal or Uttarakhand,” “Where to find such self-drive cars on rent?”, “What is the procedure to get a self-drive car on rent for Ladakh trip or Spiti Valley trip?”, “What is better between self-drive car to Ladakh or a taxi to Ladakh?” etc.

Since there wasn’t much available off the shelve for a self-drive car on rent for Ladakh or Spiti Valley or many remote/tribal parts of Himachal and Uttarakhand because most established rental services were reluctant to offer their services to these remote corners of Himalayas. Some who offered had a difference in prices or a huge amount of security deposits or a complicated procedure to get running on the road. Hence, the choice was almost non-existent, and it forces people to opt only for taxis. But, not anymore.

A solution to Self Drive Car on Rent for the Himalayas !!

Zoomcar has recently launched its Self Drive Car rental services in Delhi/NCR starting from Gurgaon after making immensely happy customers in many parts of Pune & Bangalore. They have launched around 50+ cars, including Ford Figo and Ecosport, Mahindra XUV 500, and Honda Amaze in their fleet. Soon they will have other SUVs too in Delhi/NCR fleet, which will interest many more adventure lovers seeking a self-drive car on rent through the rough terrains of trans-Himalayas.

However, for a weekend getaway from Delhi in Himachal and Uttarakhand or lower hills of Himalayas, I believe even the likes of Ford Figo and Honda Amaze will be an apt vehicle. For all details, you can always refer to their official website: Zoomcar – How it works?

The best part I liked about the Zoomcar is low-security cost and a simplified booking process. Plus, they will soon be providing a hassle-free delivery too with features such as Keyless entry, where you can unlock the car you have booked by just sending a unique code via SMS (a feature just launched in Bangalore).

Though all the details regarding the booking process and how everything works, etc.. can be found on their website, for a quick reference I am enlisting a summary of the booking process below:

  • Go to the Zoomcar website or mobile application.
  • Input the desired pick up date and time and drop off date and time. This step will direct you to a list of available cars and sites.
  • Choose your car, location and click checkout.
  • The tariff will be displayed. They also charge a fully refundable deposit of Rs 5000/- at the time of booking. This amount is refunded after the booking concludes. In case of damages, the liability is limited to Rs 5000. Make sure you read their policies in detail on their website.
  • Make the payment using Net banking, credit, or debit cards, and you’re ready to Zoom on a Self Ride Car trip to the Himalayas.
  • Arrive at the pickup site before your booking commences, their fleet executive will be available to help you out. No payments need to be made at this point.
  • Drop the car back after you complete your booking.

Also, another good part is that you need not carry any map or GPS with you. They provide GPS enabled tablets in all of their cars, which never let you lose the track along with music system with AUX cables that keeps you entertained all around the trip with your music from phones or iPods. Sounds interesting so far, right?

Where Can I take this Self Drive Car on Rent in the Himalayas?

Now the biggest question which I asked Mithun from Zoomcar was: “Do you guys have any limitation on the places where your cars can be driven in the Himalayas? Any hidden Charges?” The answer was simple and honest, “As long as one can bring our cars back in the single piece there isn’t any restriction and cars can be taken to any remote corners of the Himalayas including Ladakh, Spiti Valley or other parts of trans-Himalayas :)…

Such assurance is the real difference with Zoomcar as most other car rental services either do not provide cars for such remote places in the Himalayas or have price discrimination or very high-security deposits. Such constraints force many of us to opt for a private taxi rather than a self-drive car and the bargain/plead with the taxi drivers to let us drive their vehicles. But, with Zoomcar this is not the case, and hence, I feel it may prove a great helping hand in time to come as we plan for Self Drive trip to various parts of Himalayas…

And in case, if it interests you straight away, you can always check out 5 Must-Visit Offbeat Places in Himachal Pradesh and roll on a Self Drive trip to Himachal. Also, the Snowfall season will soon be knocking the doors in various parts of Himachal and Uttarakhand, and who knows you will be looking out for Self Drive trip to see snowfall near Delhi.

In case you are planning for a Self Drive Trip to see snowfall, then you can check out these 15+ snowfall destinations near Delhi listed under the series of articles starting from the link: Snowfall Near Delhi | 7 Places to Visit in Himachal

So, with no limitation on taking the car anywhere in India, Zoomcar will help many people coming from different parts of the country live their passion for driving with a Self Drive car to various parts of Himalayas.

Pricing for a Self Drive Car on Rent for the Himalayas?

Hey, wait, but what about the pricing of a self-drive car on rent for Ladakh or other parts of Himalayas? Guys, I think, if you will do the maths and compare the rates of the taxis on rent and with above rates of Zoomcar Rental Services where an XUV or Ford Ecosport is offered for Rs 99 per / hour, I am sure the prices will be more or less equal or less. However, the true return on the money spent is surely the pleasure and enjoyment of the self-drive as you travel with complete privacy with your loved ones.

Hence, it is the true experience for which you pay for rather choosing between cheaper options. But, still, for the sake of it, let’s take a short example. Say, you want to hire a self-drive car to Munsiyari in Uttarakhand for eight days (187 Hrs of booking) trip, which is approximately 600 KMs from Delhi, and you are coming from Mumbai or living in Delhi but do not have a car to drive.

So, what you do?

Considering a small family, you hire a Self Drive Ford Figo from Zoomcar, which is priced at Rs 60 / hr for weekdays and Rs 100 / hr for weekends. The total will come out to be Rs 14200 as rental only in which you will be given fuel price of 1870 KMs too. If you fill any fuel during the trip, please provide the receipt and Zoomcar will reimburse the entire amount to you. Hence, I think it should not go beyond 15-16K including the fuel prices too.

Travel Tip: Did you check my must-have list of things to carry on a self-drive trip to the Himalayas?

Now, considering the taxis which are charged for a minimum of 250 KMs a day for Rs 9-10 for Indica and Rs 12 for an Innova, these taxis will cost you about Rs 2000-3000 per day. About Rs 200-250 per day is charged for driver’s accommodation, food, and night halts. Hence, the figure of a self-drive car for eight days will be approximately similar or less than a hired taxi. Plus, you get the advantage of living the passion of a self-drive to the Himalayas along with having complete privacy with your family or loved ones too. So, all in all, a better bet unless you are one of those who refrain from self-drives 🙂

To make the pricing concept very clear, an example can be illustrated as if you rent a Figo for 10 hours, you get 100 km of fuel-free. Suppose you drive a total of 140 KMs during your 10-hour booking, you will be charged an extra amount of 40*12 Rs per km = Rs 480. Suppose you had to fill fuel of 1000 Rs, upon producing the bill, we will refund you Rs 520 (Rs 1000- Rs 480 for extra km).

Travel Tip: If you are planning first trip to the Himalayas, then do check these 7 important tips on planning a self-drive Himalayan trip?

Also, the key point is that all this does not have any discounted pricing put in place in comparison which is sometimes offered by Zoomcar like if you rent a self-drive car for more than 7 days then a 10% discount is there OR Up to March 2015, you can use the coupon code “ZOOMGGN01” and get 20% off on your first booking in Gurgaon. You can read the terms of this offer here.

You can always check with support email (delhi.support@zoomcar.com) or call center number 011 30018027 at Zoomcar to see if they can offer any special price to you being an avid reader or member of DoW Travel Platform and for this, you can refer my name or Discover with Dheeraj™ Website. Special offers for all DoW Members or readers will be available soon in this article 🙂

You can also check this less than 3-minute video on Discover With Dheeraj YouTube Channel about some practical tips for making a self-drive trip to Leh Ladakh. If you like my video, please do not forget to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel.

Practical tips for making a self-drive trip to Leh Ladakh

Conclusion

I am sure with the introduction of Zoomcar in the Delhi / NCR, the adventure lovers looking out for a Self Drive Car on Rent for various parts of Himalayas, will surely be able to live up their passion of driving while enjoying the drive with their loved ones to these magical places in the Himalayas.

Have a travel question?? You can follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel to ask your travel questions in a direct message on Instagram or comment on my YouTube videos.

The prices are quite competitive, including a low-security deposit along with a simple and easy booking process plus no limitation on taking the cars anywhere in the Himalayas as long as you have a valid license and bring the car back in a single piece. Don’t forget; you need not carry any map with you as they provide GPS fitted cars, which never let you lose the track along with the music system to keep you entertained all around the trip.

In the coming season, when the roads to many remote places will open, I am sure many of you will be looking out for such opportunities of Self Drive to the Himalayas and can test the services of Zoomcar. And of course, all around the year, you can always zoom on a self-drive to different parts of Himachal and Uttarakhand that remain accessible always.

In the end, please, in case you opt for these services, it will be a pleasure to read about your experience with it so that it also helps other fellow self-drive enthusiasts too. Hence, do leave your feedback as comments below in this article.

Special Note: Please note that the articles listed under the “Travel Services” category are part of DoW advertisement program which helps bridge the gap between people looking out for such services and introduce such travel services or hotels to such interested people.

DoW Website is only used as an advertisement platform for such travel-related services and is not endorsing such services in any biased manner. DoW Website (or its author), by any means, is not liable or responsible in any way for any collaboration or dispute between the advertiser and anyone availing these services.

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I am Dheeraj Sharma - a traveler, techie, and Himalayan lover. Since 2009, I have been helping thousands of travelers every year plan memorable & budget-friendly trips to the Himalayas - Smartly, Safely, and responsibly.

119 Comments

  1. Sir i shall be staying for at least 2 night at every place like 2 @ shimla.
    2 kullu manali. (Naggar)
    2 dalhousi. ( if needed one at dharamshala)
    1 @ Chandigarh
    Total 8 nights.

    Yes i shall be travelling a lot. Can u help in planning optimised iternary so that will save time as much possible

    • I will advise that you skip the Shimla side and focus on Manali and Dharamshala. That ways you cut some traveling.

      Day 1: Chandigarh to Manali
      Day 2: Rest in Manali and do local sightseeing in Manali
      Day 3: Manali – Snow Point towards Rohtang Pass (Marhi / Gulaba)
      Day 4: Manali – Dharamshala – Mcleod Ganj 
      Day 5: Mcleod Ganj and around
      Day 6: Mcleod Ganj – Dalhousie
      Day 7: Dalhousie – Gete (17 Km) – Jot (12 KM) – Gete (12 KM) – Khajjiar (7 KM)
      Day 8: Khajjiar – Dalhousie – Chandigarh

  2. Hi guys need help in planning my trip

    Shall reach chandigar on 30th aug till afternoon shall drive to shimla
    31 shimla
    1st via kurfi to mandi to kullu.
    2nd manali
    3rd to dharamshala
    4th khajjar
    5th dalhousi
    6th chandigarh.

    Need
    Help in regards with

    Need a car on rent other options than zoom a thar or so.

    Updates on the climate over there.

    Are the roads drivable.

    And please help with spots i.e ideal timing during day to visit etx or

    Airbnbs [except for shimla].. rather best stay .
    Even hostels are ok. Me and my wife are going to travell.

    • Amey, you are just running on road without enjoying any of these places. It seems like too much travel Are you sure you want to do this kinda of a trip to Manali and SHimla?

  3. Hi Dheeraj
    Can you please share your feedback about Keylong and Prashar lake? We are just two of us and planning to go Manali Keylong Prashar on coming October. Travel duration is 5 days.

    • Sanjoy, both are quite a different settings. While Keylong is high altitude, Prashar is a lake that is worth a visit in times when it is all green or all white of snow. What is the intent of the trip, may be I could better recommend something else?

  4. Great articles Dheeraj! I have been following most of your posts on Spiti valley now. I am planning a trip from Aug 12- Aug 19 from Delhi..I have a Hyundai Sonata Diesel engine. Do you think it will be an apt car for this terrain especially because I want to do it from the Manali side? Also, is it possible to enter form Narkanda and exit at Manali side in this time duration thinking I need more time in Spiti and not in Reckong or Chitkul? Will there be a lot of water in those nallas during this time? Because you indeed suggested getting a sedan from Zoomcar in your post, I am thinking if Sonata will also make it as we have a better ground clearance than swift Dzire for example.

    Thanks a ton!

    • Hi Priya,

      You have 8 days in hand and the whole circuit can be done. However, it is monsoon and roads are not so good. There was a weather warning as well from the MeT department. For sure Sonata will struggle and it won’t be that easy to make a trip in case you are not used to it. Water crossings also swell in monsoons and going from Kinnaur side is anyways not recommended. If at all you want to make a trip, I will suggest you go with a high ground clearance car.

      • Dear Dheeraj,

        I spoke to one of the drivers from Kaza that you recommended. He asked to start from Narkanda, Reckong, Tabo, Pin valley, Kaza, Losar (may be skipping chandertal) and then descend down to Manali. Sonata will be a heavy car and hence its much easier to do it towards the downhill I guess. He mentioned there are many people doing it this way because also for the car to get used to the terrain. I am thinking, worst case scenario would be just to ask him to drive till Manali from Kaza. This way I avoid doing the hard part myself since I also need to get back to Delhi by 20 August NOON at max. You have recommendations on this itinerary?

        Day 1: Starting around 11:30 from IGI airport. Drive till Narkanda
        Day 2: Narkanda to Reckong
        Day 3: Reckong to Tabo
        Day 4:Pin valley, Dhankar and Demul
        Day 5: Langza. Hikkim,Komic , Tashigang
        Day 6: Kaza
        Day 7: Kaza to Chandertaal
        Day 8: Chandertaal to Manali
        Day 9: early morning at 2 am start for Delhi

        • Hmm, well, once you enter Kinnaur Valley things will be different in case it rains. Then when you are in Spiti, some of the roads will be challenging especially when you travel to high villages. Manali to Kaza road is where the main struggle lies.

          I am not demotivating you rather suggesting you to be mentally prepared. I have been doing these trips in my dZire and Santro for last 8 years but I have to sacrifice sometimes some routes or under body parts of my car as I love adventure drive more than my cars 🙂 … So, it is completely possible. But, do not overdo anything.

  5. Hi

    Is mid October fine for travelling to the Himalayas. We are a group of 3 ladies and planning to take a self drive from delhi. Love road trips and want to explore the place well. Pls suggest a route ! Also as mentioned in many comments hope zoomcars will be the best option. Require SUV !!

    Eda

      • Hi Dheeraj

        Spiti valley ! But if that is not possible wouldn’t mind exploring some other place. That’s the advice I was looking for.
        The trip can be of 10-11 days in total !

        Thanks

        • Well, you can make a trip to Spiti Valley in mid October but will not suggest coming back from Manali side. Or may be then just go from Manali side and come back from Shimla side. The roads are bad in Spiti Valley and will suggest if you have experience with driving in such terrain then only making the trip.

      • GAURI NATU on

        Hi
        We are planning a self drive trip to Leh in early July. Could you please guide us to plan ? We are 2 of us from Mumbai.Would like to know the best car rental services & which route to take.

        • Firstly, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here

          You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.

          You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here.

          Alternatively, if you are one of those who want to get the whole package done through a single point of contact, you can also fill the form below and get in touch with one of our hand picked Destination Specialists to book your hotels, bikes or taxis at the special discounted prices for DwD Community members: Ladakh Hotels & Camps Booking Form.

          For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2018 – 19 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 12-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more. You can call the local drivers directly to connect with them and check the more comprehensive List of Taxi Drivers for Ladakh – Srinagar – Leh – Manali with recommendations/reviews for DoW community members.

  6. HI,

    I need a self drive open jeep in leh on 29th sept.

    Please share the cost if you can provide it.

    Rgds
    Umang

    • PLEASE note Discover with Dheeraj is a Travel Platform to share information with fellow like minded travellers for FREE. We neither organize any tours nor offer any travel packages. There are some people who do sell tours and run commercial things with same or similar names like ours with few spelling changes. Please BEWARE of such copy cats using our name to disguise fellow travelers, as they use our name or similar name to fool people for their own commercial purpose and in the past we have heard tons of complaints about them from the people who got confused in entities and ended up trips with them.

      We at Discover with Dheeraj Travel Platform offer sufficient information we possibly can from road conditions to routes to maps to hotel details to day by day plans and other advises that one need to make a successful Himalayan trip including Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand or North-East thoroughly. This will save you a lot of money and hassles too which you can use to buy something good for you or to help the ones in need in Himalayas 🙂 🙂

  7. Hi Dheeraj,
    We are planning a leh trip. from chandhighar-manali-leh-srinagar-chandhighar in the last week of june that is june 23rd or so. we planning to take a self driven car will take local taxi for sight seeing in leh though.
    will the manali leh route will be open by then (june last week) do we need to get any permits for self driven cars from manali to travel to leh ?
    thank you,
    bhushan

    • Yes Bhushan, Manali – Leh Highway will be open by last week of June for sure. Since, you are traveling from Manali to Leh direction, in order to cross Rohtang PAss, you will need inner line permits.

      • Thanks Dheeraj for your valuable and quick response will enable me to plan my trip well in advance.
        As you mentioned above the inner line permits….where can I get those from how much will they cost.

  8. Akhil Reddy on

    Hello dheeeraj,
    I am planning to have a road trip from Delhi by a self driven zoom or MYLES car in the first or second week of may.will all the roads be open by then.

    • Akhil, as you may have read the article, the self drive cars are banned in ladakh for sightseeing and also the roads to Ladakh will not be open by first week of May.

  9. Hi Dheeraj,

    Thank you for the informative post. I need your advice for our trip. I am planning a trip with my spouse and 6 yr old daughter to either Kashmir, Uttarakhand or HP. The idea is to see and play with snow as my daughter is really looking forward to that. Mid of March (11th-20th) which places would you suggest…preferably less crowded?

    I was thinking to reach Chandigarh by flight on 11th noon and drive to Dalhousie and then to Srinagar and Gulmarg and return to Chandigarh on 19th. Would it be a problem to hire zoom car and drive to all these places? Read somewhere that local taxi associations may not allow in certain areas.

    Thank you again

    Vinod

    • Vinod, that shall be fine. Gulmarg should have snow by that time in higher reaches. Also, the problem of taxi association is in Ladakh but you are just visiting Kashmir, so that should not be an issue.

  10. Hello Dheeraj,

    Great article!
    Me and my wife are planning to visit Kibber, spiti valley (May 2017) . Our plan is to take a self driven car from Shimla. What are the things we should be considering on Shimla – Kibber – Shimla route?

  11. Hi Dheerej,

    Really wonderful and very helpful information for first time travelers.
    Can one do Srinagar – Leh in a hatch back – say swift, wagon R etc. Petrol version.
    Appreciate your help.

    • For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.

  12. Hello dheeraj sir i love reading your blogs.

    I am travelling to ladhak on 5 of this month.
    and will be travelling to nubra valley and pangong lake.there is a bit confussion As i am taking my cousins cars so what are the documents required so that there is no problem ahead. Car registration is in the name of cousin. Would NOC from my cousin solve all the problems?
    Please reply as soon as possible sir.

    • Nishant, though it is up to that moment when you will be confronted and how you try to convince them. As per rules, it is not allowed. You should have NOC to help your cause though.

  13. Abhimat Singh on

    Hi Dheeraj, We 4 people are planning to go to leh by Zoomcar from Delhi. We noted that zoomcar is banned in leh site seeing hence we are planning to go to leh and in leh we will hire another taxi from locals in Leh. I understand this is acceptable by Taxi union.

  14. Akash Singhal on

    Hi Dheeraj,
    We are 4 guys planning to visit Leh Ladakh in June 1st week by renting a car through Zoom car from delhi .
    I would like to know would it be safe to travel via Zoomcar ? Or shall we go for some tour package instead.?

  15. Kunal Dutta on

    Dheeraj, I was great reading your article. I am actually planning to visit Shimla – Manali in Dec’15 and thinking of renting a self driven car. Zoomcar came as an lucrative option initially; but if you compare – their rates are actually higher than others (carzonrent) plus I went through customer review of Zoomcar – almost over 90% rated it one of the WORST experience ever. 5K deposit is attractive but their feedback is poor. I am in a fix now. I don’t wanna mess my trip because of one wrong decision. I hope Zoomcar works on the customer feedback so that we can consider them as a good option

    • Kunal, I am not sure if you can layout the other options as comparison here considering the fuel cost. However, they have also come up with daily rental plans too now. Regarding reviews, again not sure but many of my friends have used the services of Zoomcar and it has worked flawlessly for them.

  16. David Sarkar on

    Hi guys, did anyone face any issues in taking a Zoom car to Nubra and Pangong Tso? 6 of us are planning to do this trip in the second week of Oct. Please let me know if its worth to take a chance to rent Zoomcar or should we hire a taxi.

    Also, Dheeraj is 2nd week of Oct not advisable for the trip? I had enquired about tent rent from someone at Spiti and he said I shouldn’t come during Oct. Plz help with this question.

      • David Sarkar on

        Thanks Dheeraj. We have dropped the idea of hiring Zoom car. We are looking for some tour packages for the trip. Is Oct first half not a good time to visit Ladakh?

        • David but why, you can still go to Leh in Zoomcar and come back from Leh in Zoomcar. It is just that for local sightseeing you need to hire local taxi in Ladakh from Leh.

    • Dont take Self driven or other Outstation Taxi( yellow no plates) to Pangong. Usualy the guys will stop you before the check post at tell you that you cant take such cars. Its advisable to hire a local taxi ( i suggest innova). I had to park my Zoom car at a nearby restaurant overnight and take a taxi for Pangong

      However driving upto leh in self drive/taxi shouldnt be a problem.

      • Yes, Abhishek it started in July this year and has been updated as warning box in the article above at the top with a link to detailed article.

  17. Hi dheeraj,

    Would like to appreciate for all the information you have shared on this site. Me and my friends are very grateful to you!
    I have gone through almost all the comments on this blog. Like many others, we already have booked a zoomcar. Just wanted to confirm that there would not be any problem driving up till leh right? As per the comments and your replies, the objection is that self driven rented cars will not be allowed to nubra/pangong. correct me if i am wrong, or if you happen to get any latest update on this matter, please provide the same. Would be very kind of you.

    If we are not allowed to take zoomcar to nubra/pangong, are there bikes available for rent? if yes, can you tell me the rental for the same and will pillion riding be allowed? if not, what will be the estimated fare if we hire taxi to nubra and pangong with one night stay at both location respectively.

    I know my question/doubt sounds similar to many others and you might as well be tired of providing monotonous answers but still, i hope you would revert with same enthusiasm as you have replied to others.

    • Piyush, you are right, there is no issue to travel into Leh and travel out of Leh. The issue is with Ladakh sightseeing. Yes, you can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 800 to Rs 1300. Rather than booking over phone, it is much better to visit the Fort road, check 4-5 shops over there and get a good deal after checking the bike conditions. For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2015 – 16 & Reliable Shops

      • Thankss a lot for the quick response. 🙂
        Kinda sigh of relief for me. Thanks a tons!

  18. Hello Dheeraj,

    First my compliment on this excellent website. We are planning a self drive trip to Leh via Manali and will be borrowing a private Jeep Thar (White number plate) from a friend living in Manali for this trip. Do you know if they are creating trouble for even private cars in Leh?

    Regards,
    Dhairav

  19. Dear Sir,

    Good Morning. Start my day seeing your blogs every now and then, Thank you.

    We have planned our trip to leh during last two weeks of july and booked from Zoom cars. Now we are worried about these local leh taxi union. Is it better to meet SDM before proceeding to Nubra and Pangong Tso. Will they abstain from this nuisance if we carry any other ID like police or army. One of my group mate is Assistant Commandant from CRPF and other is captain with Indian Army. Will this work out.

    Regards
    Eswar.

  20. are we allowed to take our self driver Zoomcar with Delhi number plate from Leh to Nubra/ Pangong/ Moriri and roam around that area?
    my friends are in Ladakh right now. They had to Rent Bikes of J & K number plates to travel to Nubra etc. seek your clarification on this matter. ASAP.

    • Starting this year, there are many uncertainties over taking a self drive car with even black number plate to Ladakh as taxi union or local taxi guys have started creating nuisances especially on the route to Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley. There have been reports where tyres have been deflated, people have surrounded/questioned and asked for various documents and proofs to be shown even if you have a black number plate self drive car with you. Having said that, some people have fall victim of it and some have been able to escape the troubles and have visited Nubra and Pangong Tso in their self drive cars in this year itself. So, it appears all by luck that if you escape the eyes of such elements who are creating nuisances up there over self drive cars with black number plates, you are good to go. Otherwise, be ready for some confronting if the day is bad up there. This includes Zommcar self drive rented cars too. Not sure if it is legal or not yet as there was a resolution signed by many high ranked people of various authorities have put up to be approved by DM in Leh.

      • Dheeraj, thanks for information. We will plan accordingly. but you haven’t mentioned anything about Tso Moriri. We plan to visit Tso Moriri on the last day and return from there itself via Manali Route. Here, if we are not allowed to use our Car, that would make us return to Leh again and then leave for Manali. Please share your insights on this topic too.

        • Navin, AFAIK, Tso Moriri is exempted from the outside bike rental rules so I am assuming that Tso Moriri is also exempted from outside self drive rental cars as well

  21. Is there any entry permit fee for the zoom cars in the leh circuit? Going via srinagar ams coming bank from manali.

  22. Hi Dheeraj
    Very well written article. We are a group of 4 people travelling to Leh from Delhi. Do you think there will be any major concerns that we need to take into consideration if we hire a Mercedes GLA from zoomcar for this trip?

    • Avi, check about the collateral from them first. I am not sure how much ground clearance it has, in case it has good GC, then go for it after analysing the collateral that you might end up paying.

  23. Thank you for the article.
    It still leaves some question open regarding self driving in Spiti valley

    My husband and I plan to rent a 4×4 drive from Manali to go to Spiti valley and evtl Pin Valley. As we want to go also to Chandnatal (Full Moon) lake, we definitely want a 4 wheel drive.

    Is it possible to rent a car from Manali by Zoom Car? I checked their website and cannot find it as a renting point.

    So my questions are:
    1. Does Zoom Car has an office in Manali?
    2. Do they offer rental 4×4

    Thank you for your advice

    Julica

  24. Hi dheeraj,
    I am planning for leh on 1st june. I want to clear one thing if I will hire self drive scropio for 10 days, I read 240 km per day petrol free but If I will go more than 240 km like 500 or 600 first day oze I would like to leh or kashmir asap so I have to cover 500 km then I can enjoy in leh till 2 or 3 days . So my question was It will take charge per day more if I will cover limit of km or you guys will count in 2400 km oze in 10 days there will be 2400 km free in fuel.

    And my second question is I want to go to leh via manali and want come through jmmu and kashmir route so is it possible on 1st june

    • Nageen, for every hour you book, you get a fuel price of 10 KMs. So, for 10 days you will get fuel price of 2400 KMs adjusted in your final bill. Manali – Leh Highway will open around 15th June or may be few days late as per the current news from locals. So, that will not be possible.

  25. hi dheeraj
    i am here again 🙂
    one more query
    i have choose self driven and booked XUV 500 from ZOOM.
    i have experience of driving 4 wheeler from last 11 years.
    but the road of ladakh will be totally new for me,
    i heared the about the trickey roads there. will it be safe for me to drive there ?
    give me some tips for the safe driving.
    and rules for the mountain driving.

    thankyou 🙂

  26. Aromal Padmajayan on

    Hi

    Before i say anything let me say .. THank you Great article!!! Very helpful read …

    Me and few of my frds, we are planning for a leh ladakh trip from Delhi (we are coming from Bengaluru) in July. I had almost decided for zoomcar and were even thinking of booking for the whole thing within 2 days time. But now the guy who arranges tour mails me that he enquired with some taxi union and says that permit is given to only vehicles if RC is in the name of same person applying for it .. Is the regulation anything like that or is it just the union’s issue.

    Waiting for ur reply to all our book tickets

    • Aromal, I never heard of such a thing and there is no permit required for Indians to visit common inner line areas in Ladakh. Also for inner line permits, there is no direct connection with the vehicle. It is given for the person not for the vehicle.

  27. Hi Dheeraj,
    This is what I’ve read on Zoomcars app in HOW IT WORK->GOING OUTSTATION section “Zoomcar has a commercial vehicle designation (that’s why we have black with yellow plates)” . Are these vehicles allowed in Ladakh?

  28. hello
    i m planning to go ladakh in june with my friends.
    by self driven XUV. i am planning to hire it from Zoomscar,
    i heared that in leh they dont allow commercial vehicle for local sighseeing. (nubra vi khardungla and pangong)
    so my question is can i take rented self driven vehicelto nubra velly or pangong

  29. In a similar boat, looking for a self drive rental in second week of June for Ladkah. Did anyone use their services till now and any update as to how the experience has been. We will be a group of 6 and looking for a innova or xuv for 14 days. If anyone has rented from them already and driven to Ladakh please share the experience. Also if there are any other alternative options available.

    • Dushie, till Ladakh no one would have used from Gurgaon / Delhi as they have started operations here in this year only. But, people have had good experiences to other hill states so far, in fact I personally met a group of friends over Munsiyari trip in Uttarakhand who went there reading this article in a Ford EcoSport. They were pretty happy at that time with the overall process

  30. Shantanu Sen on

    Hi, ever since I got to know about your site, am glued to your articles. My sincere appreciation for maintaining such a resourceful site and continuously updating the same. Kudos !!

    I am planning for a Leh trip around September -15 . Can you confirm if Zoomcar does offer , unlimited KM per day , type package, which competitors like Carzonrent are offering specially for Ladakh (as per their website, Scorpio 3700/- per day, unlimited km) ?

    We are 2 families making 06 pax including children. I hope the car can be booked in name of any one member, with valid licence. Now, if any other family member wants to drive, having valid licence, can he/she drive also ? Do I need to mention this while booking ?

    If due to any mechanical fault of the car we are stranded enroute and local mechanics cannot resolve/start the vehicle, what shall be our role & responsibility ?

    Shall appreciate , if you can pls spare some time and help us know.

    Regards/Sen

    • Thank you Shantanu for the appreciation 🙂

      No idea about unlimited KMs per day packages, do not think there is any. They offer fuel for every hour you rent. So, you rent for 24 Hrs, they will provide you 240 KMs of fuel free. You can travel more than 240 KMs if reqd. as their charges are per hour basis. So, for 24 Hrs, they offer XUV/Ecosport for 24×99 Rs on weekdays and 24×135 on weekends.

      Yes, car can be booked in the name of anyone with valid driving license. Better to mention explicitly on the booking and produce a copy of license then and there.

      For the last one, I am clueless 😉 … You can check with Zoomcar Delhi number I posted in the article and also please update us too 😀

      Regards
      Dheeraj

      • i have asked the same question to zoomcar call center. as per them in case of any non repairable conditions we have to call the RSA number that is given inside the car and wait for the assistance to arrive. And they clearly said “Please don’t abandon the car” untill advised so 😛
        a friend of mine has already taken this route in zoom car and his feedback was very positive. he just had one flat tyre in the whole trip. m too taking zoom ecosports on july 24th. I will update the conditions and my feedback once m back.

  31. A perfect article read at a perfect time – I am planning get Lehed this June 15. And was looking for a self drive car. Its a big help in my planning.

    Hope the good work gets appreciated and shared so that more and more people get benefited.

  32. i just had a word with operator of zoomcar and the said me that zoomcar vehicles are not allowed for some locations in leh….but they are not clarrifying me those locations.. im confused that what to do now

    • Rahul, did you get a clarification. Else, you can write to the above email address and they shall be able to tell you clearly. If not, let me know and I can write to them too because while writing this article nothing such was told to me 🙂 🙂 … I believe they may not be restricting the normal places but some extreme places where people usually don’t go or know about them. Still, check them out.

      • Gautam Bhagwat on

        We are planning a 12 day Self Drive trip with Zoomcar to Sarahan Kalpa Sangla and Shimla in the month of May. We are planning to take the XUV 500. We would require the entire seating capacity of the XUV 500, and the XUV hardly has any boot capacity. I therefore enquired with Zoomcar if the vehicle could be fitted with a luggage carrier. But on enquiries I was told that Zoomcar does not provide any vehicles with luggage carriers. I had read on some other sites that they provide luggage carriers as an option. Is there any way in which it can be arranged by Zoomcar too.

        • Gautam, you can check with them by calling the Delhi/Gurgaon number given in the article above. I doubt if they will be providing it but you can confirm from them any case.

    • I had a conversation with zoomcar a week ago. They said many people have taken our car to ladakh

  33. I am planning a trip in June to Leh and would like to know if the zoomcar can be availed from chandigarh. I am aware they don’t operate there now and I have to go to Gurgaon. But I have a flight to chandigarh and would have to travel back to gurgaon and lose couple of days. If I am able to do the paperwork in their Bangalore office, are they able to arrange for a pickup in chandigarh if I pay for their charges.

    • Manoj, may be it can be worked out if you can check with them. You can call up at the number mentioned above or mail them. Also, please update it here as well for the benefit of others.

    • Hi Manoj, at present Zoomcar doesn’t operate in Chandigarh. You can complete the entire booking process online from anywhere and pickup and return the car in Gurgaon.

  34. Dear dheeraj ji,

    i wanted to clarify few things.

    once we rent a car from zoomcar, we can drive it through leh…. but can we drive that car in leh also??
    as private number vehicles are not allowed in leh…

      • Sourabh, only commercial vehicles having yellow number plate are not allowed. Self Drive vehicles with black number plates are all allowed.

    • Sourabh, Yes, you can do so. It is not private numbers but taxi numbers with yellow number plates which are not allowed. Zoomcar comes with black number plates, so no issues up there.

    • arunkumarparathody on

      Hey Sourabh,

      I’m in the same boat, renting a zoom car for leh in july. Was wondering if you made the trip and did you face any issues with the taxi people?

  35. farogh mahmood on

    dear dheeraj, great article. we did not make upto leh from manali in sep-2014. now we are again planning in june for our 14-15 day tour from allahabad via jammu-srinagar-leh and back from leh via manali. i am thinking of taking my chevrolet beat diesel.but i am bit frightened due to GC of my beat.but now after going through your article i have an option of taking ecosport from zoomcar.thanks a lots again.

    • Thank you Farogh, that is wonderful that you found the article helpful enough. Yeah, both XUV and EcoSport shall be good enough in terms of high ground clearance.

  36. mohit gupta on

    Hi
    Planning to hire a self drive car for 5 days to travel to Kutch in Gujrat. Need to ask few things
    1. Will the car have a yellow on black number plate (planning to hire from carzonrent or zoomcar)?
    2. If yes, do i need to pay state road taxes when i enter Rajasthan, Haryana or Gujrat?

    • Hello Mohit,

      1. Zoomcar have black number plates with them.
      2. Regarding road taxes, I do not think that Self Drive vehicles need to pay road taxes. Yellow plates need to pay it.

      Regards
      Dheeraj

  37. Shrinidhi Hande on

    Also tell us what kind of permits will be required to drive from different govt agencies..

    Uttarakhand govt had once banned taxis of other states from being used in Manali- is that ban still in force?

    • I do not think any permit is required for Self drive cars as long as they have black number plates which Zoomcar does have. The problem is with yellow number plates and yes Himachal Govt. has banned outside state vehicles from other states to ply on Manali to Rohtang Pass road which includes even private vehicles. In case you want to go beyond Rohtang Pass in your private vehicle or taxi or self drive car, you need to get a permit from the Gulaba Checkpost or Greetax barrier checkpost. Once you have the permit you are allowed to cross Manali – Rohtang Pass road which will be checked on the north end of Rohtang Pass that you eventually did cross it and going beyond it.

      In Ladakh again outside taxis with yellow plates are banned to do sightseeing but with black plates, all is fine 🙂

  38. Shrinidhi Hande on

    Good article. I am regular zoomcar user and their service is good. However, one may prefer a 4×4 SUV for himalayan terrain, which zoom doesn’t have. Few other operators have but it becomes a very expensive proposition.

    • Shrinidhi, great to know that and well it is not really required to take 4×4 as I still use by dZire for most of the trip in Himalayas that includes extreme roads of Spiti valley or Manali – Leh Highway too. It is just behind being careful with and knowing what is where to protect the damage. The main challenge is always Ground Clearance which Zoomcar does have by offering EcoSport and XUV like vehicles. Also, had a word with them and they will soon be launching Scorpios and Safaris to up here in Delhi. Unless you are not into extreme offroading or going at the time of very bad weather or roads, a normal high GC vehicle can do the job with peace at mind.

      • NITISHA SHARMA on

        Hi Dheeraj Ji,
        We are flying to leh from delhi in August End , Can we get self driven car on rent in Leh itself for covering all nearby places. If possible , can you please share the contact nos of them .

        Thanks A lot
        Nitisha

        • Hi Nitasha,

          Nopes, I am not aware of anyone who rent a self drive car in Ladakh or Kashmir. You will have to hire a taxi and then may be ask the person to let you drive.

          Regards
          Dheeraj