The self-drive to Leh Ladakh is a dream drive for hundreds of adventurists all around the globe. As soon as the Leh – Ladakh season gets into full swing in May to September months, lots of adventure lovers prepare themselves to go for a self-drive run over the roof of the world. They travel up there via the ever-enthralling plus adventurous roads of Manali – Leh Highway or lush green beauty of Srinagar – Leh Highway.
So, how about looking into the details of a self-drive trip to Leh Ladakh in this article.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Self-Drive to Leh Ladakh – Important Tips
In this article today, I would like to share seven handy tips for your upcoming self-drive expedition to Leh-Ladakh that you might want to keep at the back of your mind, rather always on mind, before you dive into the dream drive of your life to Leh Ladakh self-drive tour.
1. Over-confidence is your biggest enemy, so keep it away on Ladakh self-drive!!
Never be overconfident that you are master of driving, you have done Rohtang Pass ‘x’ number of times, you are a champ driver in plains, etc.. because driving to Ladakh especially via Manali – Leh Highway could be one of the strangest and adventurous drive you will ever undertake in life.
Never think that any overlying stone will not hit the underbelly, never think that the road ahead is straight as an arrow-like a runway and you can cruise through it, etc..
Such thinking can get you/your vehicle stranded in the middle of nowhere for hours to up to days on a self-drive trip to Ladakh.
Even the smoothest and straightest of the roads, which look super fine, newly laid tarmac are washed in between or have sudden bumps in them which can badly hurt your vehicle.
If you see a big rock lying in between on-road especially at sections with loose gravel then it is always you better step out and throw it away to make your way instead of taking any chance and getting your car’s underbelly hurt with it.
Hence, make sure when you make a Leh Ladakh road trip by car, you remember to leave the overconfidence of being a driving expert at home else be prepared to be stuck in the middle of nowhere or a dangerous pass due to it.
2. Never rush through any tricky section of the road on Ladakh drive
On any Leh Ladakh self-drive tour, whenever you are in doubt about some rough section of the road, maybe landslide section or pathetically rough road or a water crossing, etc. then never, ever rush through it.
Rather, carefully analyze that tricky section of the road by parking your vehicle aside and judging the situation. Try to see how other vehicles are crossing that section. And, if required, check/inspect the trouble section on your foot to prepare an exit route through it in your mind. Then finally go for it.
Rushing through the tricky sections on a Ladakh drive can end up in trouble as you never know what is beneath such sections. Sometimes sharp stones can either cut the tire or even worse, puncture the engine sump.
Pro Tip: If you are doing a self drive to Leh – Ladakh, then make sure to check on 40 Must Have Things to Carry on a Self Drive Trip to the Ladakh
3. Know Your Car or Vehicle Well
It is essential to know about your car or vehicle because you might find some of the stretches or sections of the road on Ladakh drive which are not possible to cross without a hit or scratches under-belly, especially with hatchbacks and sedans due to low ground clearance.
In such situations, when you take a small car to Ladakh, you need to know which parts of the underbelly of your car you might need to protect especially oil sump (which you need to protect all around the trip) and which parts you can let get the hit from below or have some scratches on it.
Hence, knowing about your car will help you a lot in making the right choices in tricky situations on any Leh Ladakh road trip by car.
4. Do Not Use Heaters
Use of heaters should be avoided at any cost especially at high altitude places like Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh because the warm air by heater destroys the levels of oxygen content present inside and can make breathing very difficult and aggravate the AMS Symptoms.
Hence, it is best that you do not use the heaters in the car and maybe let the outside airflow in for proper circulation. Avoiding AMS or minimizing the chances of getting hit with AMS is a key factor in making a successful self drive Leh Ladakh trip.
Pro Tip: Do not forget to get your Car Insurance or Two Wheeler Insurance done before starting for the trip.
5. Do Not Drink & Drive
Should be first and foremost, but still, PLEASE do not take booze/drink at all while you are driving in the Himalayas, especially when driving from Delhi to Leh by road via Manali, which runs above 14000 feet at the major portion of it.
Drinking means you will have some real trouble in getting acclimatized with alcohol in your belly 🙂 and of course, will create the lapse in concentration while driving.
You already know the other perils of drunk driving apart from being a legal offense, so I am not going to stress upon this fact any further.
So, PLEASE do not mix drinks with your self-drive road trip to Leh Ladakh.
6. Always Help Others
While traveling in the mighty Himalayas, you must always help other people stuck on their way with whatever you can offer, be it a lift, push, pull, fuel, spares, rope, etc. because the help is always hard to find especially at places like Manali Leh Highway, Nubra to Pangong Tso, or Pangong Tso to Hanle, or Changthang or other remote routes of Ladakh.
Do not forget, this can happen to you at the very next turn, and it does not feel much good when someone comes after hours and passes by without offering any help on your dream Ladakh drive.
So, please always help others who are in need of your self drive Ladakh trip. It actually defines the spirit of a traveler inside you 🙂
7. Carry Essentials and other Spare Parts
On a self-drive to Ladakh trip, one should always try to carry:
- Basic Toolkit including Jack and Spanner
- Air Compressor and Foot pump
- Hydraulic Jack
- Spare Tyre (Check for puncture before leaving)
- Puncture Repair Kit
- Screwdriver Set
- Torchlight
- Jump Start Cables
- Spare Bulbs
- Tow Away Rope approx. 3-6 ton Capacity
- 1-2 Jerry Cans / Coke Bottles to carry spare fuel
- Funnel
- Spare Coolant and Engine Oil
- A Long Stick/Rod
- A Shovel and a Hammer
- 2-3 Packs of M-Seal and Quick Fix/Fevi-Quick/Elfy
- Plenty of Drinking Water and Snacks/Dry Fruits
- A water bottle to refill water and save the environment
For a more comprehensive list of spare parts & tools to carry with you in your car on a Ladakh trip, you can read our guide at the link: How to prepare your car for a Ladakh or Himalayan Trip.
Apart from the above driving related list for Ladakh self-drive trip, I use to follow my list of things to carry whenever I travel to Leh – Ladakh. Also, do not forget to get your vehicle serviced before 2-3 weeks when you go on a self-drive to Ladakh.
Leh Ladakh Self Drive – Frequently Asked Questions
There is nothing as such called the “Best” car for the Leh Ladakh trip. A lot of factors depend upon making a car the best for one or the other trip. We must understand that the driver sitting behind the wheels matters the most, and which car you have for the Ladakh trip is just a matter of commute option. Still, IMO, the best car will for Ladakh self-drive trip be the one with high ground clearance, spacious to carry luggage, comfortable for long drives and is in good mechanical condition.
You can certainly take a hatchback or sedan on a Leh Ladakh trip but surely there will be challenges. I have seen Tata Nano doing it so that any car can do it. It all depends upon your driving skills and how much you love your car. I have personally driven my Santro, Swift, and Swift dZire to many remote corners of the Himalayas. The tips in this article will help you with the majority of the challenges.
You can use the outside rented self-drive cars to reach Leh over Srinagar Leh Highway or Manali Leh Highway. However, these self-drive rented cars outside Leh Ladakh are not allowed to do any sightseeing within Ladakh including places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri.
There is no option to rent a self-drive car in Leh Ladakh. You can, of course, rent a local taxi in Leh and ask the driver to let you drive in some sections in case he agrees.
No, unfortunately, there is no option to get a self-drive rental car in Leh Ladakh. You will have to rent a local taxi in Leh to do sightseeing within Ladakh. At max, you can ask the local driver to let you drive in some stretches, if possible for him.
No, like Leh, there is no option to get a self-drive rental car in Manali. You need to take a taxi from Manali to reach Leh first and then rent a local taxi in Leh. At max, you can ask the local driver to let you drive in some stretches, if possible for him.
No, like Leh, there is no option to get a self-drive rental car in Srinagar. You need to take a taxi from Srinagar to reach Leh first and then rent a local taxi in Leh. At max, you can ask the local driver to let you drive in some stretches, if possible for him.
Road Conditions in Ladakh
It always a good idea to plan your self-drive to Ladakh well enough so that you do not come with a nightmare experience from this heavenly road trip in the remote Himalayas. I found many people going to Ladakh drive without knowing the road conditions and then curse the place for their ignorance.
Hence, one of the key areas to know before going on a self-drive road trip to Leh Ladakh is the road conditions and the fuel stations or availability of fuel within Ladakh or inroads to Ladakh like Manali – Leh Highway and Srinagar – Leh Highway.
I know that the road conditions keep changing, but still, I feel that knowing about such road conditions in Ladakh is extremely critical. You can make critical and informed decisions such as whether you should take your car on a Leh Ladakh self-drive trip or should you take a small car to Ladakh like a sedan or hatchback, or should you have a 4×4 vehicle on your Ladakh road trip. Thus, if one knows the road conditions in advance, it might be beneficial in deciding on such factors.
Index of Ladakh Road Conditions
For each and every route section elaborated below, I will suggest car types with difficulty level as Easy, Manageable, Tough, Very Tough, Car Killer.
I have taken into account the overall driving comfort as well when suggesting a particular car type. So it is not just the driving but overall picture of which car is best for the Ladakh road trip.
PLEASE DO NOT take it literally especially when driving small cars to Ladakh as Sedans and Hatchbacks. Even, if it is mentioned that route is manageable for Sedans and Hatchbacks, you still have to drive with extreme caution and care. Hence, the seven tips mentioned in the article above will help you too on your Leh Ladakh road trip by car.
Leh Local Sightseeing & Sham Valley
Most of the roads around Leh town as well as Sham Valley are good in conditions throughout the year barring few sections where water keeps running through, thus damaging them.
Only very few sections of these roads are in bad condition. Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib and Leh Local Sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa.
So, it is fairly easy to cover these places on your Leh Ladakh self-drive tour.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Easy.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Easy.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Easy.
Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley – Leh
The road conditions within Nubra Valley are very good but the ascent from South Pullu to Khardung La and then descent towards North Pullu has major sections of the road in tatters.
In winters or early summers like April and May, due to the presence of snow, it is extremely difficult to drive on this section (South Pullu – Khardung La – North Pullu). Once, you are in Nubra Valley most of the roads are in excellent condition including Turtuk and Panamik.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Easy (Nubra Valley) but Manageable (South Pullu – Khardung La – North Pullu), Very Tough in early summers.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Easy to Manageable, tough in early summers
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Easy to Manageable.
So, when making a self-drive trip to Leh – Ladakh, Nubra Valley is mostly manageable by small cars.
Leh – Karu – Shakti – Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste – Pangong Tso (Lukung)
The road conditions towards Pangong Tso are a mix of good (Leh – Karu – Shakti, Durbuk – Tangste – Lukung), bad (Lukung – Spangmik) and very bad (Shakti – Chang La – Durbuk).
Roads from Leh up to Shakti are decent in conditions but again the ascend from Shakti to Changla is something very treacherous and with bad road conditions. Similarly, as you descend towards Durbuk from Changla, most of the road is in bad shape. From Lukung to Spangmik, there is no road but a dirt track.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Easy to Manageable, at least the climb up/down for Chang La and Lukung to Spangmik.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Easy to Manageable, tough in early summers.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Easy to Manageable.
So, when making a self-drive road trip to Ladakh, Pangong Tso is mostly manageable by small cars.
Leh – Upshi – Chumathang – Mahe – Sumdo – Kiagar Tso – Tso Moriri (Korzok)
The road conditions towards Tso Moriri are a mix of good and few bad. Roads from Leh up to Mahe are decent in conditions, but once you cross Kiagar Tso ahead of Sumdo, the dirt road is present for about the last 30 KMs. If it rains or in early summers when snow is present around roads, many sections form slush on them which is difficult to manage at times on a Ladakh drive.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Easy to Manageable but can be tough in early summers.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Mostly Easy.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Mostly Easy without 4×4.
So, when making a Ladakh self-drive tour, Tso Moriri is mostly manageable by small cars.
Pangong Tso (Spangmik) – Man – Merak – Chusul – Tsaga – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe – Sumdo – Kiagar Tso – Tso Moriri (Korzok)
The major part of this remote but most beautiful route of Ladakh in Changthang runs on a dirt track due to the absence of any road.
Lukung – Spangmik – Man – Merak – Chusul – Tsaga does not have any road at all and has some terrible sections where getting through with low ground clearance is very difficult, especially before Chusul due to loose sand and water crossings.
Tsaga – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe is a blacktop tarmac where it will be easy to drive. Even the diversion road to Hanle from Loma is in very good condition barring few patches.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Mostly tough from Spangmik to Tsaga La, chances of getting stuck but Easy to Manageable after Tsaga Village.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Manageable, Tough at some sections when slush and ice are present on it.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Manageable, Tough without 4×4 but Manageable with 4×4.
Hence, if you are self-driving to Ladakh in a small car, it will be tough for you to traverse the direct route from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri.
Nubra Valley – Agham – Wari La – Shakti – Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste – Pangong Tso (Lukung)
This one is mostly used by tourists interested in reaching Pangong Tso directly from Nubra Valley. The major part of the ascend and descend towards Wari La from Agham Village is tough, and roads are a mix of average and bad.
You will very rarely spot a taxi or other vehicle on this route when you drive over it. So in case of any exigency, help will be very hard to find.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Tough, at least the climb up/down for Wari La and then again to Changla. Very Tough and not recommended in early summers.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Manageable, Tough in early summers.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Manageable, Tough in early summers without 4×4.
Making a self-drive to Leh Ladakh and taking the direct route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso via Wari La will be a tough route in a small car.
Nubra Valley – Agham – Shyok Village – Durbuk – Tangste – Pangong Tso (Lukung)
As of 2019, this route is mostly used by tourists interested to reach Pangong Tso directly from Nubra Valley. Some of the sections between Agham and Shyok villages are extremely difficult for a small car especially, very much landslide-prone and will most likely get your heart in the mouth.
On a bad day, this whole stretch has a variety of troubles to greet you – water crossing (some nasty ones), loose rocks, sharp stones, big rocks in water crossings or standing water, etc.
Always inquire about the road conditions either at Agham Village or Khalsar Village before attempting this direct route from Nubra Valley side and either at Shyok village or at a GREF hut that comes after Shyok village from Durbuk side.
- Sedans/Hatchbacks = Tough to very tough, at times car killer too.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×2) = Tough, maybe car killer when water flows heavily in July, August.
- High Ground Clearance SUVs (4×4) = Manageable to Tough even with 4×4 in some sections.
My recommendation is to attempt this route on your self-drive trip to Leh Ladakh only in a high ground clearance vehicle. In a small car, you may end up in trouble taking the direct route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso.
Loma – Hanle – Charchaghan La – Chumur – Tso Moriri (Korzok)
This remote route of Ladakh in Changthang runs on a dirt track due to the absence of any road. It also has some bad sections where getting through with low ground clearance vehicle is extremely difficult.
There is one VERY nasty water crossing near Charchaghan La; I guess which is very difficult to cross, especially post afternoon. Loma to Hanle is in excellent condition barring few patches.
Hence, it is not suggested to take this route on your Leh Ladakh self-drive tour, especially in a small car.
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Conclusion
I hope the above tips would be useful for your upcoming self drive Leh – Ladakh road trip. If you know your friends or family are planning a road trip to Ladakh, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable Ladakh drive.
You may end up taking some well organized Leh Ladakh road trip packages but if you are making a self-drive road trip to Ladakh, I hope you take these tips seriously.
Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.
In the end, if you have been to a self-drive trip to Ladakh before, kindly share your thoughts, and other information you might feel is worth sharing with other Ladakh self-drive enthusiasts.
628 Comments
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Hi Dheeraj,
Me & my wife are planning to travel Leh between 17-25 June. We both desperately want this to be our first road trip & want to drive our own car(Ford Ecosports). Having said that we both are little skeptical as we dont have any prior experience driving in hills, though both are good at driving in plains but I know for sure that driving in hills is a different ball game. Would you suggest us to drive on our own or do you think we should rather hire a taxi or a driver ?
Thanks
Hi Ankit,
If you are traveling from Srinagar side, things are a bit easy in comparison to Manali – Leh and then Ladakh roads are mostly good. A priori experience in driving in hills would have surely counted in tricky situations when there is jams, people block your way coming from opposite side and you have to reverse the car, they let you pass in a very little space, the water crossings, the slush, etc.. All these are tricky situation that you might face on the trip. Read the article above and try to keep these points in mind before going out. In case after reaching Ladakh from Srinagar side, you feel fine, take the Manali – Leh Highway back home.
Hi Ankit, We are also doing it June 17 to 25. We are also doing it in our own self driven car,. If you don’t mind, we can start it together of course in our individual car but following each other. If you are fine with it, please give me a call to discuss further. 09311109090. We are starting it from Delhi.
hi we r also planning on 17 june from mohali with my wife and two kids who r adults in my car. we can go togeather following each other, if yes then pl call me at my cell 9814017046 gurpreet singh.
Hi
Have you already done this trip ? We are a couple from south Delhi and want to go around July 1. We will drive on a Nissan Terrano. Looking for tag along company from Delhi.
Is there any issues on selfdriving rental car like zoomcar in leh
Yes Abhit, you cannot do sightseeing in Ladakh on a self drive rented car in Leh to places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri. You will have to rent a local taxi once you reach Leh.
Hi Dheeraj
We are three people (including my 9 years old doughter), planning to visit Leh in probably from June 10th to 24th. We are self driving with 6 months old Maruti Baleno Delta Petrol. After going through valuable suggestions from your blog I have decided to to do Dellhi-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi Circle. We will be following itinerary, which you have suggested. My questions are:
1. Is it advisable to use Baleno for entire trip (all locations on itinerary), it have ground clearance of 170mm. Keeping in mind that me and my wife are relatively new drivers. We have experience of driving of about 7000 odd kms in planes.
2. What precaution we should take, with respect to car, other then servicing, which I got it done mt April last week.
3. Do we have to make any changes in air filter or anything?
4. Should we come back via Srinagar?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Mahendra,
You will surely gonna feel pity for your new car man unless you love adventure more than your car. Otherwise, with some challenges, you should be able to make a trip as 1000s of people do it this Ladakh trip every year with hatches and sedans. Rest, please read the article above for precautions and tips.
In case you feel the Srinagar – Leh and then roads within Ladakh were a breeze and no nerve was moved inside while driving on these roads, may be give a try to Manali – Leh Highway else if you regret up to Ladakh, then please return via Srinagar side.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are four people (including my 8 years old son), planning to visit leh ladakh from 30th May to 8th June 2017. We are self-driving with New ford Endeavour 4×4, from Delhi.
I read your blog and understand that Manali –leh highway would not be open at that time. Is it possible to make a trip via kinnaur?
What should be our itinerary? We would also like to do self-camping.
Thanks
Rajeeve
By the end of May, Manali – Leh Highway might open. However, if you postpone it by a week it will really help. Also, if you go from Srinagar side it will help. The road from Kinnaur – Spiti meets Manali – Leh Highway only at Gramphu.
Only 9 days with family, road trip to Ladakh will be very tiring on them.
Thank you for the tip. We plan to take the srinagar – leh – manali route in July. Is it safe to drive with Chevy spark? Is it safe for women drivers?
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.
Hi any body pls tell me that i can go by i20 new 2017 from Chandigar to leh
Ya definitely u can done with I20 but with little care and alertnessn I done it with my 2004 Skoda Octavia in 2014. Via srinagar / kargil raod conditions was very good in 2014 except Zojjila pass but via manali/ sarchu u may face bad roads even no roads, u have to cross many water streams & be prepared for snow in some high altitude passes.
Before going u have to read out leh self driving tips and comments on leh section in DOW.
In addition to what Arun suggested, 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.
Hi Deeraj, we have XUV base model. Wanna drive in July first week to Leh and Nubra valley ourself. Is it advisable ?? Our car is ok for that ?? Coz I’m gonna starts it from Jaipur. Pls advise me.
Yes Ram, XUV will do just fine in whole Ladakh. Please read the article above for some tips that will help you for sure.
Hi Dhiraj, kudos for the the article… We r planning a road trip from Delhi to leh in d month of June (15-22). Pls suggest the route and also if we can go to Dharamshala or Badrinath en route..
We will hire an SUV from Delhi and travellers include my parents (age 53-55) and me n brother (25-28) any precautions that we need to take??
Thank you.
It will take 4 days to reach Leh from Srinagar side starting from Delhi and 3 days to come back from Leh from Manali side to Delhi. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days. You can fit in plan I suggested in above para in this plan
Heyy hlo I m from jammu and want to go leh via manali in my suv,so u plzz help me out how i complete this 475 km stretch from manali,and plz guide me where to stay in between from manali.,
Can you travel from Srinagar to Leh to Manali? It helps in acclimatization. Else you can also refer: How to plan a journey on Manali Leh Highway
Hi I am planning to drive in tata bolt , petrol with family 10 May 17, Delhi- Jammu-sonmarg-leh and return same road ..Is that fine with the overnight halt at respective locations…Car is 2 years old .. will it survive the trip..
Hi Amit, pretty much everything is covered in the article above for taking a sedan or hatch to Ladakh. Every year 100s of people take their hatches and sedan. Just follow the tips in the article above and you should be OK. Be cautious and smart, don’t try anything foolish.
Hi am planning a trip from delhi you leh-Ladakh , will try and cover both Manali And Kashmir, enter from one side and exit the other to round off the trip..
have the following queries –
I have a Mahindra XUV automatic, will it be wise to do the trip in it (since it’s an automatic and not a AwD or 4×4) or does it make more sense to hire an SUV for the trip ?
How much approx does hiring an SUV cost for the trip?
Is it safe to travel via the Kashmir route?
Is it advisable to have 7-8 year old kid (boy) make this trip ?
Thanks
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
Regarding taking your car, well, there should not be much of an issue but have you taken your car to Himalayas ever? How did it perform?
In general, it is fine to take the children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age or sex or any fitness level. It can happen to anyone of any age or sex or fitness I shall say :D.. The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With 5+ year child, I think he/she would be able to convey the uneasiness with little efforts. If you notice any such feeling or he/she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!!
Going for bike trip on 10th june manali to leh is it safe??
Manali – Leh road should open by that time. The road conditions will not be so good as the road would have just opened.
Hi dheeraj,i hv jst one question that i am planning to leh via manali in june.will fortuner 4×2 will help or i need to get 4×4 .
Plz help
Thanks and regards
Dev
No need of 4×4 if you drive sensibly and don’t try over adventurous off road things. Fortuner is capable enough to make the trip to LAdakh easily.
We are planning a trip from Mumbai to Leh.
PAX:
Me, wifey and a teenager
Car:
Duster (2013 NON-AWD version) done 40,000 kms, stock tires which have had multiple punctures in the past but are running flawless within city, spare tire untouched
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Mumbai – Ahmedabad
Day 2 – Ahmedabad – Udaipur
Day 3 – Udaipur – Jaipur
Day 4 – Jaipur – New Delhi
Day 5 – New Delhi – Chandigarh
Day 6 – Chandigarh – Mandi
Day 7 – Mandi – Manali
Day 8 – Day X – Manali – Leh
Return via Srinagar and follow similar route back home to Mumbai
Need your valuable inputs:
1. Will it be too hot to drive through Gujarat & Rajasthan in the month of April? What precautions should we take to avoid heat related troubles to the car and to ourselves.
2. In the past Rajasthan highways have been in the news for wrong reasons (read: loot / rape / murder). We plan to start driving early by 8 and stop and take shelter in hotel before sunset. Are the highways for the planned route safe? Will there be enough traffic on the road to feel “safe” or are the roads mostly deserted even during day time?
3. Will Duster survive on Manali – Leh route? Please note it’s a NON-AWD version.
4. Is April end a good time to visit Manali – Leh route safety wise? I mean will there be snow? Will the roads be drive-able? Will there be any tourists during that time? What precaution to take to drive in snow, like snow chains etc?
5. How to cope with high altitude? My wife has medical issues, she is anemic and generally weak.
Looking forward to your suggestions and valuable inputs.
Thanks in advance for your time to answer.
Sanju, the roads to Ladakh will start to open by mid of May from Srinagar side and first week of June from Manali side. So, you cannot make this trip in April.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am from Bangalore and I have planned a road trip from delhi to Jammu – Srinagar – sonamarg – Kargil – leh – sarchu – manali – Delhi. (Jun 2017)
Before booking Car for this trip I have two questions, Could you please give your advice on this :
1. Do we need 4wd car ? or any SUV will do ?
2. Some blog says that we can take rental/self drive cars till leh and there for nubra, pangong, and khardungla pass can be viewed by local cars only. Is it true ?
Please advice.
Thanks
Is it possible to know the current status of leh taxi union decision for this year ?
What decision you talking about? If Outside rental banned in Ladakh then well there will be no change.
Hi Pawan,
1. No, you don’t need any 4WD, a normal SUV will do just fine.
2. Please read: Rented Self Drive Cars in Leh – Ladakh Banned “FORCIBLY”. And yes, it is true that you can take the car to Leh and then hire local taxi.
Dear Friend,
Me and my wife and my son 13yr old were planning to do a trip from manali to leh through rohtang pass by self drive and we have a maruti wagonR, 2010 model. can you suggest this car can do it nice drive on mountain road and what is the right time to go to visit ?.
Right time to visit by a small car is September when it is easiest to make this trip. Apart from that you should read the article above and it should be able to help you out with your doubts related to taking small car.
Dear Dheeraj,
We’re planning for a road trip from Bangalore to Manali on our Honda Brio. My wife, son 4 year old and I.
Is it advisable?
Kindly key in your valuable comments.
Yes Kiran, there isn’t seems to be any issue with respect to roads up to Manali.
Hi,
Wonderful article there, helped a lot.
Planning a trip next year, I have two cars Skoda Rapid Diesel and Hyundai Creta Petrol, Let me know which one is better to go for the trip.
I planned to go via manali and return via Srinagar. Let me know if this is fine or should i do Vice-Versa. And which of the two Cars will be better to take?
Better to go with Creta owing to its high ground clearance. 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
Thanks for the response, then will plan will go as per your itinerary.
Will let you know as soon as i plan the journey.
Regards,
Abhinish
Sure, feel free to post any queries you have 🙂
Hi, I am planning to travel from Hyderabad to Delhi by train and Delhi to Ladakh by road. I will start from Hyderabad on 15th of October. Is this the right time.
No Ravi, it is not the right time to travel Ladakh. It is too late for the season. It is quite cold up there as of now.
ru going alone
Can i plan road trip to leh in my honda city idtec??
Well, the above article explains the challenges you will be facing. It depends if you love adventure more than your car 🙂
Sir
Is it good idea to travel to Leh via Srinagar with family (4-5) persons on Maruti CIAZ?
Rajnish, many people do Ladakh trip every year in sedans or hatch backs. You should read the article and you wil know about the pros and cons.
Thank you sir, for reply
HI ,
Thanks for a wonderful blog
We are planning to go Leh via manali on september 16, 2016, 4 person by road through Cheverlet Beet Car, can you suggest, it is the best time for travelling, and one more question , any permit required for this journey and how we can get this permit.
BRIJ KISHORE
Brij, September is a great time to visit Ladakh. Since, you will be going from Manali side, you need to get permit from SDM office in Manali to cross Rohtang PAss to go to Leh. Rest you do not need any permit if visiting regular sightseeing places in Ladakh.
No. There is no permit required for ladakh. Permit is required for rohtang pass from manali which you can get online before 2 days from your journey. We are also going to ladakh by mahindra scorpio from up on 23rd sept. Contact me on facebook.com/rstartx
Rohit, the online permit is applicable only to visit Rohtang Pass not to go beyond it. In order to go beyond Rohtang PAss to Leh or Spiti, you have to apply permit in person at SDM office in Manali by showing your RC, PUC and DL.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for such a good info. We are 6 people driving through Zoomcar (Scorpio) from Delhi to Leh via Manali. I just wanted to ask if there are any specific permits required on the way.Also is there any need for servicing of the car allotted.
Thanks.
Kapil
You need to get permits to cross Rohtang Pass from Manali side. Secondly, the car will not be allowed for sightseeing in Ladakh, so be prepared to get a local taxi once you reach in Leh.
Is the weather and road ok to drive we are leaving on 15th August
No major landlside has been reported, but be ready to face monsoons challenges and hassles in the lower hills if it rains. There will be slush stretches for sure.
Hi Dheeraj and others,
Appreciate this website, proving very useful!
Just some queries: myself and a friend are coming over from Australia for 14 days. And looking at flying from Delhi to Srinagar then traveling to Kargil – Leh -Manali and back to Srinagar and flying back to Delhi.
We do not have a motorcycle license but have international drivers permit. Can we hire a bike without a motorcycle license?
If not, am I correct that we have to hire a car with a driver for this trip? I would like to hire a car and self drive instead.
Any help would be appreciated.
Hello Cussa,
Well, I will suggest you go from Srinagar side and come back from Manali side. No need to go back to Srinagar again from Manali. 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.
I feel it shall be fine if you have a international driver permit and renter guy can help you out with it. You do not need to hire a taxi with driver at least to enter Leh and come back from Leh. So, you can rent a self drive car from Delhi to reach Leh from Srinagar side and come back from Leh from Manali side. However, for all sightseeing in Ladakh, you will have to hire a taxi with driver in Leh as outside rented cars are not allowed for sightseeing in Leh. Same is true for bikes as well. You have to rent a local Leh bike for sightseeing in Ladakh.
Hi Dheeraj.
Just wanted to know, we have planned trip from chandigarh – patnitop- srinagar-kargil-leh-sarchu-manali-chandigarh but as per current situation in srinagar,
1. can we pass from patnitop to directly to sonamarg?
2. Is it possible or shall we shift it to like chandigarh-manali-keylong-sarchu-leh-sarchu-manali-chandigarh.
We are bit confused what to do now coz thing are changed on srinagar route. Please help.
3. Also in manali route we wont b able to visit kargil And magnetic hill. So is there any other alternative please suggest.
4.if u have any other plan than this please feel free to suggest.
1. Best is to avoid Srinagar and go via Manali side
2. Yes, I will recommend that only unless things are settled for few weeks.
3. You can visit Kargil from Leh side. Make two day trip to Kargil from Leh
Hi Dheeraj,
Need a little counselling on this.
I recently got to know from a colleague that there is a little of trouble and irritation from Army/Militants in the Kashmir Valley? I mean there’ll be a female friend of mine alongwith me for the trip!
So, how to deal in those situations and how to beware of such persons… In fact, please tell me if you know, if such situations can be avoided as we’ll be travelling alone..
Thanks
I will suggest to have a word with some hotel guy in Srinagar 2-3 days before the trip and then take a call to go from Manali side. These things are dependent from person to person judgement call and what a person feels is OK to him or her given the circumstances. So, best is to talk to a local hotel guy in Srinagar and confirm about the ground situation in tourist places and Srinagar – Leh route. Having being stuck in riots/curfews myself at times, my personal suggestion will be to avoid unless unrest is over and take the Manali route.
Hi Dheeraj,
We a group of 9 people are traveling to Ladakh from Friday onwards.
I would be the only person on my ersonal bike & rest would be traveling using a tempo traveler.
As, I would be reaching Manali on Saturday afternoon, can I collect the permits on Sunday? Do we need permits for own bikes too?
Our planned itinerary: (please share if you have any suggestions/feedback for this plan)
Day1 Fly to Chandigarh. Collect Bike. Overnight at Chandigarh
Day2 Chandigarh to Manali
Day3 Stay at Manali, Permits
Day4 Manali to Jispa
Day5 Jispa to Leh
Day6 Leh
Day7 Leh to Nubra.
Day8 Nubra
Day9 Nubra to Leh
Day10 Leh to Pangong
Day11 Pangong to Leh
Day12 Leh to Tso moriri
Day13 Tso Moriri to Sarchu
Day14 Sarchu to Manali
Day15 Manali to Chandigarh
Day 16 Flight from Chandigarh
Thanks,
Varun
Hi Varun,
Couple of days before Manali administration has announced that permits will be issued on Sunday as well. So, rightly timed with your trip 🙂
Yes, you need permits for own bike as well. Your plan is well drafted and looks very nice to me. Do visit Turtuk on the extra day you have in Nubra Valley.
Hi Dheeraj,
Glad that you liked our itinerary.. 🙂
Yes.. would surely include Turtuk in the plan.
We are deeply grateful for the info that you keep on sharing with us, all the explorers.
Thanks again,
Varun
Have a great fun Varun in Ladakh, if possible do share some photo tale or travel tale back in DwD Community 🙂
Hi Everyone
Just Completed yet another Ladakh Trip by Road ( Self Driven Innova ) .Here’s How we did it .
1. 25 June 2016 – We left around 3:00 Am from Panipat and went straight to Gurudwara Anandpur Sahib ( Little off the way , but worth going ) . Reached Manali by afternoon , checked in hotel . Could not gather courage to roam around the overcrowded Mall Road . Had a good dinner at Johnsons Cafe and hit bed early .
2. 26 June 2016 – As warned by locals that there would be traffic jams enroute Rohtang , We left Hotel right at 4:00 A.M. AND we had crossed Rohtang by 6:30 A.M. just by showing our permit and literally no Traffic at all . Had Some aloo paranthas at Khoksar . Had earlier planned of staying at Jispa , but we had reached Jispa by around 11 AM so thought of crossing it . Croosed Baralacha LA with disappointment , Suraj Tal was not frozen , very less snow around and temperature was around 11 or 12 .Reached Sarchu around 3 or 3:30 , had some maggi and milk tea .Recalling bad experiences of staying sarchu we thought of trying some extra miles and reaching Leh only . And Yes we did it , though i felt power of my car decreasing as we scaled Tanglang La but the roads from More Plains till Leh Are Amazing and you can easily reach 90 – 100 KMPH at few streches . AND we reached LEH right at 7:30 with a beautiful sun set .
3. 27/28/29 June Enjoyed local sight seeing and visited Sanchi Stupa , A few Monastries , Hall Of Fame ( Must Visit ) and checked out almost every cafe on Changspa and Fort Road . I would rate dinner at KC Restaurant the best .
4. 30 June – We left for Nubra Valley , Roads are in seriously bad conditions just before Khardungla and till Khardung Village . As we had to visit Siachen Base Camp , we collected our permit from Partapur Brigade area and headed to our hotel in Hunder – Earth Homes Mystic Meadows – Amazing Property and Glam Tents with Concrete walls , good toilets and just tents in place of concrete ceiling and to top up with Home styled food .
5. 01 July – We left early morning from Hunder , got the Tank Refuelled from a makeshift Petrol Pump in Diskit .
A few bad patches but the Road till Sosoma Checkpost is almost fine , Army check post and they cross check the permit , Beyond SOSOMA only the locals living in nearby villages or civilians with permit can cross this check post . After Sosoma Checkpost the road is again fine till base camp with few nalaas and few bad patches . And we reached THE SIACHEN BASE CAMP . Yet another TCP , they verify our permit again and let us through .
It is the worlds most difficult battle field , Worlds highest battle school . We went straight to the Siachin War memorial and then headed for the OP BABA SHRINE . Suddenly a soldier from Palwal just seeing our Haryana number car comes sprinting towards us and gives us an amazing guided tour of the OP BABA SHRINE and we had goose bumps . He offered us prasad and after a short conversation we left . We got to interact with a young officer from Rajasthan who just returned from glacier posting , and the experiences he shared gave us the true feeling that it is the most difficult posting for army ppl and still they do it with great courage and smiling faces , HATS OFF . With very high spirits we left the base camp and reached back Hunder Hotel . The drive each side takes around 4 Hours .
6 . 02 July – We left for Pangong Tso . And the drive from Nubra to Pangong is indeed a good experience . with roads being built by BRO PPL , a few streches are bad and a naala crossing a few KMs after Agham has to be carefully Crossed . To our surprise we did not find much crowd at Pangong Tso . But later we came to know that road from Leh via Chang La was closed due to Land slides . We had to return to Leh and luckily by eve the road was open again .
7. 03 July – We left Leh around 12:00 , Crossed Kargil , Drass , Had Dinner at Sonmarg and stayed overnight at Srinagar .
8. 04 July – Srinagar to Jammu
9 05 July – Jammu to Delhi
Hello Karan, Thanks for your advice about traveling to Leh.
We live in UK and from Hyderabad and planning to drive to Leh next year.
Can you send me your email for future advice.
Thanks
Dr.Narayan
My email- vishwa.narayan@gmail.com
Hi,
I am planning a road trip from Udaipur to Leh Ladhak from 11 Oct 2016 to 25 Oct 2016.
I want to know that will it be the nice time to travel of I should plan it from 11 Sept To 25 Sept.
Yes Rahul, Ocotober is not a recommended month of travel to Ladakh, better plan in September.
Hi Deeraj,
We have plan of riding to leh on August 2nd and 3rd week of August. Our current plan in overview is Delhi – Srinagar – Leh – Manali – Delhi. We would be renting bikes from Delhi.
I have few clarifications on latest rule in leh where outside rented vehicle are not allowed to Nubra and Pangong.
I am hiring bikes in Leh to Nubra valley, now for Pangong we have a plan of returning to Sarchu directly from Merak via Pang instead of coming back to Leh. (I have done this route 2 years back).
Could you please let me know if we can ride bikes rented from Delhi. Will the there be any problems on the way to Pangong lake?
Requesting to replay on this post as this would help me to plan my itinerary better.
Yes Lohith, there are checkposts to sightseeing places in Ladakh which keeps checking the bikes every now and then for papers. If it is a lucky day, you may be spared but if not, you will have to return, waste a day and do Pangong Tso on Leh registered bikes. If you have to get Leh registered bikes, you have to come back to Leh to return them.
Thanks dheeraj. Much appreciated and required information.
Best wishes for the trip
Hi Dheeraj,
My compliments on a wonderfully informative write up. I am planning a self drive trip ( Jammu – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh and back) between 9th & 18th July. I plan to hire a taxi for Pangong Tse visit. Just one question – How would Volkswagen Vento Diesel be for the trip? especially Sonamarg – Kargil Section?
Firstly thanks to the Dow community for the immense help i got from reading all experiences while planning the trip to laddakh.
we were short of time so we planned a packed schedule
1. started from Lucknow at 2 pm on 15th June in my innova and a friend on his tata aria.
we crossed delhi by ten pm reached chandigarh by one pm. we had to halt here to pick one friend from his hotel in chandigarh which delayed us by 2.5 hours….but we continued to manali and reached there by 11am
2. Both the drivers of the cars me and my friend in his aria decided to have an evening meal and sleep so we could start early the next morning. unfortunately a flat needed to be repaired so we couldn’t start eatly.started at 830 am on 17th june then got caught in a jam at rohtang la for 3 hours.
about 30 km road down from rohtang to sissu was nonexistant. the road from sissu to sarchu was again bad with about every 30 km good alternating with 30 km dirt or gravel road. refueled at tandi and filled jerry cans to 80L per vehicle, as we planned to move in a loop after sarchu turning in from berring via tso kar lake then to pangong via hanle then either back to leh or through nubra back to leh. this however both fortunately and unfortunately we could not attempt and had to move to leh.
3 . we reached sarchu by 8 pm. and rested in red rock camps. everyone showed signs of ams to varying degrees. my aria friends wife was hit the worst so seeing this as a warning we scrapped going to tso moriri. fortunately as we later discovered about 50 km stretch of road from tso kar lake was in a bad shape. taking 4 to 5 hours to negotiate with risk of rupturing tyres.
4. 900am 18th june.The road from sarchu to pang was the worst kind with 80km being crossed in 4 hours. after pang the roads were excellent including the Moray plains, tanglang la pass right to leh. we reached leh by 5 pm. then we decided to rest and do a local tour next day before starting for tso moriri the day after.
5. 19th june.local leh tour includes hemis thicksay shey monasteries if you go to kharu and drive back visiting each monastery in that order from kharu. then come to leh for leh palace
evening in the market and dinner.
6. started 7 am from leh on 20th june for tso moriri which is 210 km from leh. 10km from kharu a forty km stretch of road was under construction. but not very bad as it was wide and levelled . after kairi the road was excellent upto Mahe. en route we saw hot springs at chumathang. turn right from mahe to sumdo move to korzok. the last 13 km to korzok is a gravel road. we reached at 2pm.
unplanned, on an impulse we decided to visit tsokar and come back via berring. after trying hard to drive through and 2.5 hours and 20km later we realized that it was not worth risking tyre damage so we turned back and stayed at tso moriri.
7.next morning 21 june we drove back starting at 7 am to kharu, refuelled and turned to pangong. about 40 km road to changla pass is damaged later roads are very good. reached pangong by 4 pm turned back for leh at 530pm
8. 22 nd morning we started for nubra at 8 00am. roads were good only 20 km near khardungla was in bad shape took 2 hours to cross.
hunder dunes are scenic
panamic springs were not worth visiting
we returned the same evening to leh
9 23rd june. starting 10 am the rest went rafting on zhanskar river. i drove through pathar sahab gurudwara magnetic hills picking them from nimu at zhanskar confluence. drove to kargil and stayed there.
10. 24 june started 7 am from kargil
drove to dras visited war memorial en route
the drive through zozilla was ok only about 15 to 20 km of bad roads
breakfast at sonmarg.
we drove straight to jammu reached by 11 pm
11. 25th june 900 am we started back from jammu
drove straight to lucknow it took 18 hours.
Thank you dr. Jaideep for sharing your experience. Glad yo had a wonderful trip
Hi dheeraj
I am a solo traveller from kerala. I plan to get lehd on july 14. I just want to know if i can get some cloak room or storage space at cheap rates so that i can keep a part of my heavy luggage safe at leh take a trip to pangong tsomoriri etc and come back and get the luggage and may be i will also need the same facility at manAli? Is it available?
Thanks
Most hotels will allow you to put your luggage in the store rooms.
Hi Dheeraj,
Great article, would help a lot of people.
We are 3-4 people, will be on bike from Manali to Leh (Delhi to Manali in a bus). Are 2 days sufficient? We are planning to ride Pulsar 220 and Avenger. Are these good for the trip? I have seen videos of crossing some rivers/nallah, they looked tricky and risky. We cant ride bullet/RE.
Thanks!
As long as you are a good ride, any bike shall be fine to make this trip. Do read the above tips as they do apply for bike rides too.
Thank you . Great article
Just returned from amazing journey (self drive in Inova) Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-KeyLong-Chandigarh-Delhi. The road conditions were better than expected with not major hurdle on roads. Some of the points which may help other travellers (although they are subject to change)
1. We started from Srinagar at 5:00AM, thinking that we can reach Kargil early or even try to reach Leh on same day, but we were not allowed to cross Sonmarg till 11:30 AM because they only allow inbound (Kargil-Srinagar) traffic to ensure clear passage for army trucks convoy.
2. Road from Sonmarg till Drass is dirt road, however crossing ZojiLa pass was easier due to mainly one way traffic
3. Road from Drass to Kargil is excellent high way and you can easily achieve around 70 to 80 KM per hour average speed. Same applies from Kargil to Leh with the exception of one bad patch of around 8 KM.
4. Road from Leh to Pangong lake is again not well maintained in hill areas, around 50% of the road is in bad shape
5. Road from Leh till Pang is excellent, therefore crossing Tanglang-La was very smooth.
6. Road from Pang till Darcha is not in good shape, with only few patches which are still not fully damaged,
7. Road from Jispa till Delhi is excellent with the exception of around 40KM area while crossing Rohtang-LA.
During entire journey, cross Rohtang-La was more difficult only due to heavy movement of trucks and bad road condition.
Tips:
You need a form (available from all travel arrangement for a payment of Rs 5) in case you want to visit Pangong or Nubra valley, though it looks like a formality only, but better to keep multiple photo copies.
You don’t need any other permit or permissions if entering from Srinagar side.
Thank you so much for sharing the updates. This will surely help others too.
hi Asif,
Can you please share your itentiary plan as we also have planning for leh with same route from 17 Jun.
Thanks
Lavish
Can I take honda Jass
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.
Thanks Asif for the status on roads. How do-able is it on Bike? How bad is the slush in Zojila & Rohtang passes?
Roas are mostly in better shape this year.
Hi Asif,
Please let me know, have you driven your own or along with any tour operator?
I am planning to travel in first week for 10-12 days but rout is not decided, from Srinagar to Leh and Back via Manali or From Manali to Leh and return back from Srinagar
Regards,
Varun
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
Hi Deepak
We are a group of 6 people planning to travel to Leh in August ( 2nd week) . Need your inputs/guidance on three points
1. Hope August second week is not a bad option ( actually we don’t have much of a choice due to office commitments but still wanted your suggestion in terms of weather conditions)
2. We are planning to take an Innova or mobilio for this trip . Hope it won’t be an issue with 6 people inside.
3. While going thru Srinagar route do I need to take any permit & which all places should I must stop at to enjoy the beauty
Hi Chandan,
1. August, you may find rain hassles in lower hills. Slush will be there too.
2. Innova should be OK but with 6 people always I feel tight for such long trips.
3. No permit required from Srinagar to Leh route.
we r a couple..planning for a road trip …complete circuit LUDHIANA-JAMMU-SRINAGAR-LEH-MANALI-CHANDIGARH-LUDHIANA-….starting 18th sep….if u have some flexiblity…pl reply
Hi
My concern was that can I take my duster to Leh but I haven’t got RC yet it will take few more days but I do have the Note that car showroom provided to drive the car out on Indian roads until I get my RC.
I have all others documents except RC
So, whether i’ll be allowed to go through such check post during leh journey or not……??
It should be fine Vineet.
Hello dheeraj . We are 5 persons planning our tour from delhi to manali then manali to leh By personal car diesel creta 2016.
Is it OK.
And please it’s a request if you tell me about permissions for taking personal car in other state.
Please reply dheeraj ji.
I listened from somewhere that we have to take permission from sdm office manali to go to leh.
Yes Yanky, you have to take permit from SDM office in Manali to cross Rohtang Pass from Manali side. If you are coming from Leh side, no permit is required
Sir please tell me how to get permit from sdm office . It’s easy to get permission? And where is sdm office, and how I contact there.
Any compulsory documents ??
Yanky, you have to get the permit from SDM office in Manali by showing the valid DL, RC of the car and polluction certificate. There is a congestion charges of Rs 50.
Hi Dheeraj,
I plan to take etios via Srinagar route in last week of June to Ladakh. Need your advice on the vehicle.
Thanks
Davender
hi dhiraj
we are planning to to gol leh on 3rd june 2016 route we will take from delhi to leh via srinagar and back to manali personal car i10 (1.2) 2008 model it will run 39000/- km 6 person
sir my all Tyre are new please suggest
You can read the article above which sums up everything. I am not sure how with entire luggage 6 people will fit in i10 😯
luggare in a carrier
my lotal luggage in a five bag in a carrier and hatchback and all family member is slim body
Can we take ertiga with people…
Yes Rahul, as long as you are aware of above tips.
Hello Dhiraj,
My Self Narender I am Planning to go leh around 6th June 2016 Via Srinagar From Delhi. So Please Take Me Advise if Possible From What will The Fir Stop For. If i leave delhi around 10-00 PM
I am not sure how much can you drive in night. Usually, people stop at Jammu/Patnitop, Srinagar, Kargil and finally Leh.
Hi dheeraj,
Can i reach srinagar directly easily ?
It will take 16 Hrs to reach there.
hello dhiraj we are planning to go leh on last week of august which route we will take from delhi
Dhiraj Ji I have safari 2008 model 70000km. Driven. it will be OK with safari to go to ladakh
As long as you have confidence in the vehicle reliability, yes perfectly fine for Ladakh trip
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning a trip to leh by self driven own car with my wife and kids of the age 7 and 11 years in june. I am very excited but as the days comes closer i am getting nervous and tensed too. Please confirm me one thing, can i get Ladhaki driver cum guide there for Nurba & Pangong trip .His company will boost our confidence.
Thanks
You can ask in taxi stand, I am sure someone should be able to help you out on that front.
hi dhiraj,
we are planning a trip to leh in july last week on tata indigo.. is it ok with tata indigo in this trip…
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.
I plan a tour for laddakh by personal car. I have both dire vxi and dire vdi. Which one is best to choose. Both are 5 mth old.
Well, nothing to choose between them. Both shall be fine and suffer from same issues. 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.
Hi Dheeraj shakti this side i just want to know you that we 3guys planing to leh ladakh on next sunday night by our car maruti swift can we go there with this car please suggest
Car can surely make it, BUT, it will surely be difficul especally Manali – Leh highway
Dheeraj ji, I am planning chandigarh to leh- ladakh via manali with own swift dzire,
Which route is good for me via srinagaer or via manali??bcoz frinds are suggesting manali route is good for going
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.
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.
Dheeraj actually we have two cars one is swift and secend is XUV swift is 3years old qnd XUV is 5months old so which is good for make this trip please suggest we dont have enough time
Shakti, go with XUV as it will give you peace of mind.
Hello dheeraj,
First of all thanks for giving valuable information to all about leh journey I am going to plan leh trip via Srinagar as suggested by u we are only two persons me and my wife I just wanted to know which car we should prefer Ritz or sx4 I will wait for ur advice thanks again
Pawan, both the cars will surely struggle a bit though manageable but most of the time hatch is more preferable due to non-hangging boot which trouble sedans in many cases.
Is this mean we should choose Ritz please help in making decision because we want to go on self driving and we are not easy with SUV segment and we want ur best opinion regarding this
Thankyou and Sry to disturb u
Yes Pawan. Ritz will be better with drriving rather than having something with boot. Please read the above article and you should be good to go.
Hello Dheeraj
Your informations really helps many of us. I’d also like to ask you that I am going with my family Manali, Manikaran and Tirthan valley with Maruti Ciaz. will it be OK? please suggest.
Yes Rajiv, it shall be fine.
Hello dheeraj ji,
We are planning to go to leh ladakh from 23rd June to 8th July through maruti Ritz car via Srinagar and we will come back via manali is it safe
I am not sure in what aspect you mean safe
I just wanted to know which car we should prefer Ritz or sx4 for this journey in June July and I have slight breathing broblem via Srinagar how much chances for AMS
Monika, it is alwaysbetter to make a trip via Srinagar side. Take it easy with night halts at Kargil and Alchi and you should do fine. DO NOT forget to carry your medicines or inhalers if you take and DO NOT exert yourself. both the cars will surely struggle a bit though manageable but most of the time hatch is more preferable due to non-hangging boot which trouble sedans in many cases.
HI PLANNING TO GO TO LEH IN MID JUNE IN MY EON IS IT SAFE TO TAKE IT TO LEH ,AND BY WHICH ROUTE I SHUD TRAVELL,BY SHRINAGAR OR BY MANALI
Hi Dheeraj,
Is there an age restriction for people travelling to Leh ? I am planning Leh via Srinagar and return via Manali. My father is 83 (an ex-army / Doctor / fit and fine). He is willing to do the road trip with me… is it advisable to tag him along ?
Please advise.
Regards,
Nitin
There isn’t age restrictions as per law but Nitin bhai, you must consult a doctor for sure and in fact he himself is doctor, I wont say much. Opt to go from Srinagar side and very slowly. May be stay at Alchi before reach Leh, then rest and do Nubra, Pangong Tso, Tso moriri in that very order.
Hi everybody! I was wondering if Ertiga is a suitable car for a road trip to ladakh via kargil and then return via manali! Do advise. Thankyou.
Ertiga is a fine for the trip. It is capable enough car to make a successful trip to Ladakh.
I Dheeraj this is Shrayance pandit I am planning to go to Leh in my Indica 2001 model to complete my dream of Leh should this Carl is perfect to go as all the functions mare working properly and recently I drove it to Shimla
Please read the article above and if you are confident that car is good enough to make a trip, you can go ahead.
Me n my friends are planing a tour from delhi to leh via manali rohtang in scorpio s6+ in july end. Is scorpio s6+ good for this tour?
Yes Amit, Scorpio is a great car to make a trip to Ladakh
Dear me and my frnd plan leh by bike from Delhi to ladakh so is it plan for us good or not means bike will be better or not so kindly suggest dear
Rohit, sorry I am confused about your question. lot of people do bike trip to Ladakh every year. What is your question here?
hi ,
Is Ertiga VXI is good for this trip from Manali to leh ? Planning in mid June .
Very much possible, just take care of tips mentioned in the article.
Thanks ,
Need any permit ?
If you following normal/conventional routes to all tourist places in Ladakh, no permit is required.
Me and my 3 friends were planning to do a trip from Srinagar to leh .Its a maruti Alto 800, 2008 model with a GC 160mm.can you suggest this car can do it and what is the right time to go this year for us.
Eric, I have known many people doing Ladakh trip in an Alto. You need patience and caution to make it through. September will be the best time to do so.
Hi Guys,
Any one travelling from Bangalore in June 2016 to leh by car????
I will be on a 22 day trip to Leh & Spiti.
You can check the DoW Travel Calendar from main menu
Date please ..I m planning but from Bangalore to Delhi flight ..Delhi to Manali by bus ..then by car or bike on rent …me along with my 3 friends
I am planning ,but exact date and number of days is still not confirmed
Hi Dhiraj,
Thanks for a wonderful blog. I plan to travel from Delhi to Leh and Ladakh by mid of June.
Can you please help clarifying below?
– We have a SWIFT 2015 model LDI. Is this a good car to take for the road trip. The other car , honda city is already ruled out for the trip.
– Are the Road condition good and safe?
– Is there a forum where people drive down from Delhi? Most of the links refer to two wheelers only.
Thanks for your help
Hello Saniv,
1. 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. Hundreds of people I know who have taken that car to Ladakh
2. The above link has road conditions article too, please read that.
3. You can check the DoW Travel Calendar and will find about 300+ travel calendar entries by people looking to travel or looking to find travel partners.
Hi Dheeraj – This is very helpful indeed. I need your suggestion on making a Ladakh trip as under:
Me and my wife wish to undertake this journey second half of June this year. (both close to 39 yrs)
We have two options for ride. I have a TB500 (close to 10K) and Maruti Ertiga ZDI (Close to 80K).
We will have 12-14 days to make this trip from Faridabad, Haryana.
Our intention is to go through Srinagar route and return via Manali.
Would really like to return via Kaza-Nako-Kalpa route instead of Manali, but I think it may not be open by then.
I wish to spend as much as I could camping overnights between destinations, rather than hotels/Inns, but not sure what are the options in this route. Any suggestions on camping enroute??
I’ve driven Spiti couple of times from Shimla side, till Kaza/Kibber, but could never do the entire circuit due to Kunzum closures.
Please suggest.
Thanks
Nikhil
Hi Nikhil,
1. 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.
2. Route from Manali/Gramphu – Kaza will be open in second half of June this year due to less snowfall.
3. For camping: Top 10 Tips for Camping in Ladakh & Spiti Valley
Better take car in case you have experienced Spiti
Hi DHEERAJ
m planning a 10-15 day trip from Jaipur (Jaipur-del-srinagar-leh-manali-del-jaipur) . i hv a Ford EcoSport Desl car is good or not…? and best tym to visit leh may last – june first week is good tym or not and any suggestion for trip.
Yes Chetan, you have a good car to travel to Ladakh and June first weel is a good time to travel too 🙂
is safe for family trip by car
Yes Chetan, thousands of families do this trip to Ladakh every year by car.
The ‘7 useful tips’ are very useful. Thanks for presenting these. I’m searching an sponsored opportunity to drive to Leh. Having experience of driving 75000 km., inclusive of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Shimla, M.P., Rajasthan, New Delhi, etc.
Good luck Ashwini.
And again is there any emergency contact numbers that can be used in case of emergency
Here you go: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/important-emergency-contact-numbers-leh-ladakh-t1369.html#p10377
sir we from chennai are planning to vist leh and ladhak on 1st week of august through bikes from chandighar i have following questions to ask
is it a suitable time to visit the place using bike ?
we are planning to use two royal enfield bullets and one apache Rtr is this bike are suitable for the trip ?
Dr. Rajan, Bikes are in general fine BUT in August you will have to go through monsoon hassles in lower hills with rains, slush and landslide common in lower hills. Within Ladakh region, due to rain shadow, it shall be OK
Hi, DOW
Is TUV3OO T8 good for this journey. It has lower BHP.
Yes, it has good GC, so shall be OK. You do not need high BHP when even scootys now a days make it to Ladakh 🙂
We are planning to go Leh-Ladakh in May onward from ahmedabad, Gujarat. Few questions r der. Like,
1) may onward is suitable or in June start is it ok?
2) we are not planning by any owned vehicles. but From Delhi, how can v travel by road with minimum time & distance? Pl provide options.
3) Or any alternate route from ahmedabad by passing delhi?
4) howmany days it take from delhi to delhi?
Thanks.
20th may onward…plan to go…
Hello Bhaumik,
1. Better to do it in June start as the roads will be stable by then
2. I did not get this question, please elaborate more.
3. Yes, there is no need to come to Delhi from Ahmedabad, you can take the road to Panipat directly and then move to Jammu from there on.
4. You will need about 13-15 days to make the ladakh trip at ease
Hi Dheeraj,
my most sincere and heart felt thank you for being a lone candle in this dark world , for someone planning this trip from Bangalore the web is truly a web….. a web of misleading and untrue facts… All being validated & scrutinized at the same time hence coming across your web site (unreal & still sinking in) where there is a whole lot of genuine and truthful information is just great, but what takes the cherry on the cake is being able to write to you guys with specific queries and having you reply back to them will all your attention & care.
Now regarding the adventure planned i have a few queries that i would like to be addressed hence i thought id write my mind out to you, so here goes.
We are 7 boys planning for the road trip. We plan to use 5 self owned bikes and i Rented 4×4 from delhi. We will be freighting the bikes from bangalore. So my questions are as follows//// FYI-we want this to be more of a road trip than a sight seeing trip.
1) What time of the year is best to travel ?
2) Can we hire a 4×4 from Delhi, if yes what or who can we contact, if NO then is there any other alternative?
3)I went through you link on hotels and accommodation however we are planning to carry our own tents, pitch tents and campfire and be self sufficient for the night. How feasible is this, can we camp in open predecided spots , is there camping grounds. we want to be as close to nature as possible.
4)What is the time(no of days & night) approx needed for a road trip from Delhi – Manali – Leh – Ladakh & Back
5)Is this the best route you would suggest , keeping in mind we want a scenic road trip.
6) Camping and staying in tents is a priority for us, any info to help us achieve this is highly appreciated.
7) Do we need any permission for the bikes( with Karnataka registration) or any other paper work?
8) How far is Ladakh from leh cause i have been unable to dig up nothing on it, even google maps is clueless.
Thank you for taking time out to read to so much of amateur questioning but i guess knowledge is wealth and id be happy to get as much as i can get from you.
We often undertake such expeditions & roads trips , each time being between 1000 – 3000 km in total however this is the first time for all of us to Leh-ladhak hence we do not know what to expect in terms of conditions and available resources.
The terrain & nature is something we come to respect hence im sure if we take care of mother nature she will in return take care of us.
Looking forward to your response and awaiting to interact with you. Is the a phone number or a dedicated email with which i can co-ordinate with you . I would not mind paying for the services rendered as long as its the plain truth.
Wishing you a pleasant week ahead
Regards
Sunil
Hello Sunil,
Sorry for a delayed reply:
1) Erly to mid June for Snow, for beautiful colors and best roads – September
2) Outside rented cars are not allowed in Ladakh. You will need Ladakh taxi only
3) Yes, you can camp on your own. May be ask permission of a villager to let you put camp in their farm and you tip them
4) For a relaxing trip you will need about 13-14 days
5) 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.
6) Suggested above.
7) You should have bike under your or your father name with all the related paper work.
8) Please read: Top 12 Myths About Traveling to Ladakh
Sir,
I m jst planing for leh-ladhak trip from delhi by xuv w8 front wheel drive Its nt 4wd. Is this car gud fr my trip or we hve to take bikes. plz tell me some serious stuff about trip n right way fr this trip.
Kartar, XUV will doo fine on Ladakh trip. 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.
Sir vr plani. To go Leh from Mumbai by road on 25 March is it de right time to go n v r takein mahmahindra that
No Ankush, rods will not be open during that time of the year to Ladakh.
Dear Dheeraj,
first of all i shall like to congratulate you and thank you for your website. the same does contain a lot of useful information.
I need a little bit of guidance from you.
I am planning to travel to Ladakh from delhi in June with my family and friends. it would be a group of about 10 people having two kids who are around 5 years each.
some of the group members are planning to fly into leh while some especially my family want to drive.
We are proposing the following itenary :-
day one reach srinagar by a morning flight and start the drive to kargil. overnight at kargil.
day 2:- kargil to Leh.
day 3 leh to nubra valley.
day 4 : Nubra valley to leh
day 5: leh to pangong lake
day 6: pangong lake to leh
day 7 leh to delhi.
would you have any suggestions regarding the aforementioned itenary. are we missing something or are we trying to overdo something.
is it advisable to try and travel from nubra to pangong directly or should be come back to leh, especially as we will be having small kids with us.
should we factor in another day for rest.
your guidance would be valuable.
thanks in advance
I will defintely suggest that you add one day of rest and acclimatization in Leh before going to Nubra Valley. Those who are flying to Leh MUST HAVE two days of acclimatization. Then you can plan for a day trip to Pangong Tso in case you do not have luxury of number of days on hand. I will not suggest direct route from Pangong Tso – Nubra unless you have multiple vehicles in your convoy because in case of break down it is difficult to get any help on such desolated route.
Hi ,
I have my own bike bullet 350 cc.
just to confirm own bikes are allowed in leh or we need to rent a bike there to complete trip .
as i am confused with previous comment above .
Karan, private bikes which are not rented from anywhere under your name or your father name or any relative’s name with whom you can prove the relation with valid document (mother, wife only I guess) you are free to take the bike.
If you have a bike in someone else’s name or have rented the bike, then only there are issues and you need to get a rented bike in Leh too.
I hope this clear your confusion.
Hey Dheeraj!
We are planning a trip to Ladakh. We haven’t finalized the mode of travel yet.
If we rent bikes, I want to ask about the kind of experience(Biking) you need to have before driving on the Manali-Leh route. Is it risky?
Shreyansh, outside rented bikes are banned in Ladakh for sightseeing. You can take them only to get in and out of Leh not for any sightseeing. You need to hire rented bikes again in Leh for any sightseeing in Ladakh.
Okay. No issues with that. I read your article on that.
What I meant asking was about the Manali to Leh route difficulty in terms of difficulty in driving.
I am a little skeptical about taking bikes since the route seems tough to ride on.
I’ve been driving bike since last 1 year so that’s why I was reconsidering about the bike.
Would be really glad if you suggest me something.
I will not recommend at least Manali – Leh Highway in case you have just started riding bike for last one year. May be you can reach Leh and then plan a sort bike ride around Leh only.
Dear Mr. Dheeraj,
Lot of thanks for the reply. Kindly let me know if any permit needs to be taken if I travel in my own car ( Punjab Number ) from Srinagar to Leh
Vikas ji, if you travel from Srinagar to Leh to Manali, you do not need any permit for your vehicle.
Want to go to Leh from Manali side by road in my own Zen Estilo car in mid June. Will the car make up in this journey.
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
i m panning to go to leh ladakh on june with my ford ecosport …..i want to knw that dis car will be good enough to complete my whole journey from delhi to leh, tso pangong, kardung la etc…………..also let me know dat is june is d ryt season to travel to leh
Akash, yes, your car is fit to make a trip to Ladakh and over Leh Manali and Srinagar Leh route. The time of mid June to mid July/lateJuly and September is a good time to travel to Ladakh
thank u so much sir for your suggestion………..
can u please also guide me dat wat other place r thre to go for a adventure with a beautiful nature of himalaya??also tell me d price of trip diesel cost from surat to leh n again back to surat??approx
Akash, 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
For doubts related to budget for Leh – Ladakh trip, I am sure the link below will help you alot for getting an idea of overall budget:
How to calculate cost or budget for Leh – Ladakh trip
Also, check the article: 5 Tips for a Budget Trip to Ladakh
thank u dheeraj sir for d guidence i ll choose srinagar to leh………
Best wishes for the Ladakh trip 🙂
Sir plzzz tell me 1 thing more is it nessesary to take a permission for leh if i ll chose manali to leh………however i have read that now leh government has said that indian r allowed to come to leh without any permissiton from manali to leh highway……
Hi akash,
Permissions are not required to travel to Leh rather permit is required to travel from Manali to Rohtang Pass and cross it. So, that is in Himachal and have different rules. Permits for Indians in Ladakh have been exempted since May 2014. But, since you will travel from Manali to Rohtang Pass you need to get Rohtang Pass permit. This will help you: How to get Rohtang Pass Permit Online
Hi,
I am planning to Leh-Ladakh in end of JUNE 2016. I have a EECO car and we are six people.
We are planning to traveling to leh ladakh by eeco car from Vadodara.
So please give me some suggestion.
Thank You.
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
Thank u sir…..
Best wishes for the Ladakh trip Akash
Hello sir me, my brother and my dad are planning to visit leh in june 2016 in Safari VX 2.2 Dicor . We are from Jammu and we are deciding to go from srinagar and come back from manali . Please give us some important tips about spare parts and do we take driver because my brother and dad drives and they have experince to drive in hilly regions.
Shivam, you have a high GC vehgicle and in case you have experience of driving then better drive your self in that case. Please read thearticle above for the rest.
Hi I am Deepika, I want to travel to leh but I do not know to ride a bike. My friends are riding from Manali to Leh. Is it possible for me to go doubles ride with one of my friend? Because He said there won’t be space in the bike(Pulsar) for me to sit because of backpack. Can you please suggest me a solution for this?
Deepika, a lot of couples or duos do Ladakh trip on bike every years. You can read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and my friend planning to do a trip to LEH from Coimbatore(Tamilnadu). Its a Suzuki Gixxer SF and Apache RTR 180. The trip is about 7000 KMS up and down. Do u suggest this bikes can do it and is 18 days enough for that? Pls Clarify…
Mithun, yes, the bikes can sure do the trips as long as you are confident about their conditions and reliability. 18 days is a good time to travel Ladakh
Hi I am planning to travel from Ahmedabad to Leh in June, 2016. Do you think roads are good enough for sedan cars, I am planing to take my BMW 520d do you think it might damage under belly of my car because of the road to Leh !!!
Chirag, you must have got all the insights already by reading the article above which also explains the challenges a sedan will face and being further low GC of BMW it will be more difficult without underbelly hits especially in water crossings. So, do take a wise risk.
Also, please note that you will not find anyone to repair anything for a BMW in 1000s of miles up there in Ladakh
Sir,Is it true that the zozila pass opens only for 5 hours a day from 2am to 7am??
if yes how should we plan our travel to srinagar from leh.
TIA
In the early months of opening of Zojila pass upto mid of July when snow is there and road is narrow the one way restrictions does apply with regulated timing. Timings are changed every year, so you should keep an eye on the updates here at DoW for the timings of Zojila as and when it will open next year. We start a dedicated thread for the status of Srinagar – Leh Highway where we post the details, please stay tuned there in.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for sharing useful information….
We are planing Mumbai to Ladakh in January last week by Swift desire can u please suggest some tips like where i can take halt and which rout is good for us…. can swift useful on ladakh road and can we complete this tour in 10-12 days.
or please suggest any other option…..
Regards
Sandeep
Sandeep, 12 days are good to make a Ladakh trip, but the roads are now closed. It will open back in June from Manali side and from Srinagar side mid of May next year, so you can plan the Ladakh trip next year.
I am also planning on my TATA NANO Car From delhi to manali in last week of Dec-15. but dont know how will NANo perform on hilly areas. lets me know is it safe.
Harish, lot of people run Nano in hills and it runs perfectly fine though as you understand speed does not make much difference in hills mostly.
Hello Mr sharma
Am leaving delhi to manali in swift lxi along wife on dec- 11 evening.
Can u suggest me the right time , am confused
Rahul, it is good time to visit Manali and you will be able to enjoy snow towards Rohtang Pass too
i’m planning to go leh in 2016 but i have not decided route.
-which Route is more preferable via shrinagar or manali?
-on which time it is better to go?
-basically i am from gujarat so should i start my trip to leh from surat(gujarat) or from delhi?
-i have my own classic 350 then should i go there with my own machine or rent a bike from delhi or manali?
-if i go there on my machine then which legal process required from the trip?
Hi Dave,
1. 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
2. Time depends upon if you want to see snow or you want to enjoy colors.
3. You should take your own bike only I will say
4. No process required just have a happy ride 🙂
hey dheeraj,
thanks for your suggestions.
Hello.. I am planning to leave for Ladakh in my Hyundai Eon (Magna). My point of worry is that my tyres are not tubeless. I am planning to go via srinagar and come back via Manali route.
It is just me and my wife going on this road trip.
Can you advise whether i can go with conventional tyres..
Thanks
Gourav, it is better that you carry an air compressor and few spare tubes with you 4-5 and does know how to fix a puncture.
I am also planning on my eon to Spiti via Kinnaur and return via manali suting md sep-15. but dont know how will eon perform on hilly areas. lets see what happened.
Leaving for Leh from Jalandhar on 1st Aug by car via Srinagar-Leh road. Any tips for the journey?
Divya there coould be many tips 🙂 … I hope you gone through above article. Any specific doubt or query you have?
Sir,We are planning to do Hyderbad-delhi-manali-leh-srinagar-amritsar-hyderabad on two royal enfields,The Thunderbird500 and classic 350,
My question is:1)Would we need to obtain any permit from manali to ride to Leh,
2)Which part of our journey would have the most treacherous road??
3)how should we tackle River crossings on the road?
4)Can we use our Telangana registered vehicles for sightseeing in LEH,LADAKH?
5)How is the drive to khardung La,Is it not advisable to stay for long there?
6)Is this trip not advisable for people suffering from asthama?
7)we are 3 people on two bikes,is is advisable to ride pillion on this terrain?
Hello Nivirth,
1. Yes, you need permits to cross Rohtang Pass from Manali side. Details: Rohtang Pass Rules & Restriction of Vehicles – Demystified
2. Manali to Leh will be tough on body as well as roads as your body is not acclimtized
3. Please read the tips in the article above
4. As long as bike is under your name or fathers name, it shall be fine
5. No, max stay there for 5-10 minutes only at the top and then go to Nubra
6. Had you gone in other direction that is Srinagar to Leh it would have helped much more but consult the doctor
7. Please read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Sir,Eventhough we are travelling by bikes, we need permits??
Yes, even bikes need permits to cross Rohtang Pass from Manali side.
from where do we need to obtain this permit sir?
Please check: Rohtang Pass Rules & Restriction of Vehicles – Demystified
I have a Indica which is old but well maintained. I wish to go to and complete this journey from New Delhi. Do you suggest that I can take my car? How many days do you suggest I should take for this trip? Also if you can provide me an approximate cost for this trip including fuel for 2 people traveling reasonably comfortably.
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.
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.
Hi Dheeraj
We are planning a trip to LEH via Manali, back from Srinagar from 18th to 28th of july this year by own Mahindra Scorpio.
Is that right time to go?
Is the legth of the trip OK?
If Anything awkward, Please Suggest..!!
Kanwar, if there are rains, you might face hassles in lower hills but once you reach Kargil you will enter in rain shadow region till Lahaul Valley from where rain hassles might again cause some issues. Length is OK, 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.
I have Innova car do we require snow chain in this season inova car I ok or not me and my wife planing too going Ladakh
No brother, no snow chain required at this time of the year.
Hi Dheeraj,
I’ll be buying a XUV soon. I plan to drive down to Leh from Bangalore. Is it ok if i start the trip after driving for 4000 kms and first service of my brand new XUV or you would suggest to postpone the pan by few more days. Tentative plan is to reach Leh in september first week.
Thank you !
I have SUZUKI SWIFT vdi. Can i comfortably go to Khardung la pass via manali or srinagar and back other way. When it will best to go ? Approx. how many days will it require and amount i should plan for this trip.
Rajeev, you must have read the article above. It will not be comfortably for sure but many people have done it in the past and so can you do it as well. 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.
Hi Dheeraj,
just got news that TAXI UNION has threatened to bring SELF DRIVE CARS (YELLOW on BLACK ) plate in Leh. Can you plz advise if it is true ? We were planning to take one from ZOOMCARS.com for this SEP.
Yes, this is correct. You can only use it to enter Leh and exit Leh but not sightseeing in Ladakh. Please refer the link from the post: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/himalayan-travel-guides/topic2618-10.html#p22017
If I hire a car from Delhi n Leave for leh.
N when my car crosses the HP border will I need any permit to do that?
And is it a good idea to take a zoom car?
No problems right?
Bhavesh, It is better to reach Srinagar by Air to save time and some energy. Then, hire a taxi to Kargil from Srinagar and fix a taxi of Ladakh number in Kargil (get help from drivers in the article of taxi rates linked below) which will allow you to do sightseeing on Srinagar – Leh Highway as well (Srinagar taxi will not be allowed) and keep that Ladakh number taxi with you for rest of the trip.
Taxis outside Ladakh are not allowed to do any sightseeing within Leh – Ladakh. You can use them for drop-in and take-away modes only. So, the taxi you are hiring locally must have private number plate otherwise you will have to again hire a taxi within Ladakh and pay for your local taxi without using it.
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 and they accept it too now formally.
hello dheeraj ,
i m planning for leh , route dilli-manali- leh. just want to no
1) is terrano car ok???
2) wat is d best tym to travel??
3)can i take honda city along terrano???
Hi Nitin,
1. Yes terrano will do fine
2. It is good to travel up to mid of July before the rains starts or in September now to Ladakh
3. Honda City will struggle due to low ground clearance. There will be under belly hits in water crossings, so take a calculative risk if you really want to take it as there will not be any mechanic as well to repair it in case of any issues.
I have planned to go via manali.
Bhavesh, in that case go to Manali, hire a cab to drop you to Leh and then hire another cab for rest of the tour.
Dear Dheeraj bhai
Do I need to carry a NOC for the vehicle I am carrying to travel to Leh. It is registered on my cousin’s name.
If yes, is there a format or just a declaration on a plain paper will do.
Shanky, got to Notary and get the NOC prepared there itself signed by Notory. He will be able to guide you.
Hi Dheeraj,
I and my husband are planing to self-drive to leh-ladakh starting 27th june from Delhi in Dzire(deisel). I need to know if we can go and come back to leh from Nubra valley via khardunga la pass on the same day. As i read somewhere that there is a way frm pangong lake to nubra valley. Out itenary is as below
Day1: delhi-patnitop
Day2: patnitop-srinagar
Day3:srinagar-kargil
Day4:kargil-leh(rest whole day)
Day5:leh-pangong lake(stay at lake for night)
Day6:pangong-nubra valley/leh-nubra n back to leh
Day7:leh-sarchu(on way to manali)
Day8:sarch-manali(stay in manali)
Day9:manali-delhi
Do lemme know if the plan needs any change.also we hv an option of taking ritz petrol instead of dzire deisel. Please suggest
Priyanka, your journey is quite prone to AMS after reaching Leh. You are not resting in Leh first which is a must, secondly you are going to Pangong Tso immediately which can cause severe concerns of AMS and make you very sick in case you get hit, which highly likely chances are. You do not have enough days to make a risk free journey to Ladakh but still if you want to undertake it, Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as you have 9 days in hand.
Sir;
I want to go leh from manali by my ritz car on 11july to 18 july . tell me is it right time n right car for this tour . i went to manali two times by ritz previous year .
Ravinder, please read the article above as it details out the issues in taking the small hatch car over the Manali – Leh route. You should love adventure or travel more than your car to take it up there to Ladakh
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to take my own bike (RE Desert Storm) for Ladakh expedition.
I have not received the Registration Certificate from RTO yet.
How complicated it will be to in case I take my purchase invoice, RTO tax receipt and number booking receipt with me.
I am concerned specially about security checkpoints Will these documents be enough or Should I drop my plan to carry my own bike?
Thanks.
Nayub.
Nayub, I believe it should be OK as long as you can prove that bike belongs to you. However, I am not 100% sure about the legalities here.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to travel leh-ladakh this September with my family.
We are trying to explore routes/ options to go to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley. Can you suggest some route or the best route?
How long will it take us?
Thx
Smita
Smita, for the first timers the best is that you stick to the conventional routes to these places to be on safe side. In case you really want to take up the challenge of desolation, then you better first check the article below and then take the decision for go or no-go.
Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Thanks Dheeraj, I am sure your suggestions would help
I am planning to move by road to Leh on the Srinagar route . I have a Toyota Etios Ground clearance 170mm, my doubt is the capability of the car in terms of ground clearance while crossing Zozila pass.
Please don’tgo wwith a sedan or hatchback toladdakh that wwill be a mistake coz road conditions are not good for such cars.
Sid, a lot of people do it every year. All that matters is a good experienced driver behind the wheels, a less love for car than adventure. Rest details have been provided in the article above.
Zojila will not be of much issue, just follow the tips mentioned in the article above.
Planning a tour for adventure events like rafting, sky diving, paragliding etc en route from amritsar- Manali -leh-Sri nagar- amritsar on 20th, June.
Advise the places and duration of days
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.
My IC Group planning to go leh via Manali on 20th June for adventure events like rafting, sky diving and paragliding etc.
Please advice where should we stay for these events e route and how many days we need for our tripe as coming back via Sri Nagar to Amritsar
Paragliding was banned in Solang as per last reports. Rafting will be available in Leh. 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.
Hi dow
We are planning a car ride from delhi to leh via Srinagar and returning via manali on 18th july. We are just two guys and both of us can drive but mostly we drive on plain areas never tried the steering in mountains. Should we take driver or is it ok for the two of us to drive.
Navin, there will be quite a lot of challenges for sure especially on Manali – Leh Highway and some other sections in Ladakh too. If you have never drive in hills, I will not at all suggest that you take Ladakh trip over the Manali – Leh Highway as your maiden trip to hills. Best is to have driver with you and drive wherever you guys feel comfortable and keep rest with the driver.
Hi Dheeraj , do u recommend me renting a self drive suv from Delhi to go to ladakh …is that gonna be alright because I read about that non leh registered commercial number vehicles are not allowed for sightseeing in whole ladakh region ??? please clearify
Pranjal, Regarding self-drive car to Ladakh, this year a lot of queries I am seeing on the questioning of self drive cars being allowed or not allowed. Seems I need to take a try myself 😆 😆
As per the rule, only yellow number plate is banned for sightseeing and both white and black plates are allowed. This is the basic rule, in case Ladakh taxi union has started creating nuisance about black number plate as well recently I am not aware but by the rule book upto last year black number plates were allowed and I did not read any bad instance for such matter though there could be but not in my knowledge.
Thank you Dheeraj ! …fair enough I would def wait for the article …