2024 Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | All You Need To Know

Tourism in Ladakh has risen in the last few years, and many people prefer to self-drive to Leh – Ladakh to satisfy their hunger for adventure. This rise in tourist footfall means that you must know about petrol or fuel availability in Leh Ladakh.

You should also learn how to carry spare fuel for your Ladakh trip, important places where petrol pumps exist in Ladakh, and other tips.

This article talks in detail about the topic of petrol availability in Ladakh.

Should I care about it?

Ladakh is a remote place with a lot of desolate routes in Ladakh. There are many tourist places in Leh – Ladakh like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Sham Valley, etc and most of them are connected via Leh town except the adventurous connecting routes that exist between them.

However, it is always a good idea to plan your Ladakh journey well enough so that you do not come with a nightmare experience from heaven, which I found many people had this time when I was present in Ladakh.

And, one of the key areas or things is to know about road conditions that you might expect along with the fuel stations or petrol pumps or availability of fuel/petrol/diesel within Ladakh or inroads to Ladakh like Manali – Leh Highway and Srinagar – Leh Highway, once you reach Ladakh and drive on your own.

Hence, it is important to know about the diesel or petrol availability in Leh Ladakh, so that you are not stranded in the middle of anywhere in a desolate place in Ladakh without any fuel in your car or bike.

Petrol/Diesel Pumps or Fuel Availability in Ladakh

In the first article of this series “Ladakh Self Drive Tips“, I talked about the important tips for a self-drive road trip to Ladakh. In this article, I will talk about petrol/diesel or fuel availability within Leh – Ladakh. Knowing about the petrol pump in Ladakh will help you in your Ladakh drive.

Without fuel (petrol or diesel), one cannot drive or ride, and we all have a limited capacity fuel tank in our vehicles. The mileage of the vehicles also decreases in harsh terrain like Ladakh, where hills are not the only thing that results in low fuel efficiency but rough or non-existent roads, rarefied oxygen (just guessing on this one) also joins the party. Most of the time you drive or ride in low gears. Hence, overall vehicle mileage is reduced on a Ladakh trip.

You must account for about 70% mileage that you are used to getting in normal conditions back home. Hence, one thing that you should always keep in mind when self-riding or driving within Leh – Ladakh is that petrol or diesel is available in Leh town (2 petrol pumps are in/around Leh) and one petrol pump is present in Karu town which is about 34 km from Leh on Manali – Leh Highway.

There is one petrol pump in Diskit, Nubra Valley town as well. As of 2016, the Diskit petrol pump is fully functional now and also works in winter.

In 2023, there is one more petrol pump that has opened up at Tangtse Village which is about 34 km from Pangong Lake. As of 2023, the Tangtse petrol pump is fully functional now and also works in winter.

In 2024, the Nyoma petrol pump was made operational as well and a lot of tourists have already used it in the current season so far to reduce the amount of fuel to carry on your Ladakh trip.

Petrol availability in Ladakh has tremendously improved over the last few years.

Pro Tip: If you are doing a self drive to Umling Las Pass and Leh – Ladakh, then make sure to read my article on 40 Must Have Things to Carry on a Self Drive Trip to the Himalayas

So what is this problem with fuel in Ladakh?

The biggest problem is that most of the tourist destinations within Ladakh are not near Leh rather about ~150+ km away from Leh, and a return journey will make them about ~300 km.

You will be able to quickly get away with it if you are coming back to Leh every time you go to one or other destinations because you can get your vehicle refueled, and ~300 km trips can be managed in most bikes and cars very easily.

The problem starts when some of us do not want to come back to Leh but rather do circuits like Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Leh or Leh – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Leh or Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Leh, etc. by taking the direct route in such places.

You cannot travel on some routes without carrying spare fuel (petrol/diesel) along with a tankful of petrol/diesel in the vehicle or relying upon the black fuel availability in remote villages.

Routes to Carry Spare Fuel in Ladakh

Listed below are some of the common long routes in Ladakh along with the approximate distances that you will be covering on them without any fuel (petrol/diesel) pumps:

• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Leh via Wari La = 180 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Leh via Shyok Village = 119 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Leh = 291 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Keylong = 420 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Hanle – Tso Moriri – Leh = 291 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Hanle – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Keylong = 420 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Hanle – Umling La – Tso Moriri – Leh = 425-450 km
• Leh – Nubra Valley – Pangong Tso – Hanle – Umling La – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Keylong = 425-450 km
• Leh – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Leh = 291 km
• Leh – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Keylong = 420 km
• Leh – Pangong Tso – Hanle – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Sarchu – Keylong = 420 km
• Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Sarchu – Keylong = 420 km
• Leh – Karu – Rumtse – Taglang La – Sarchu – Keylong = 323 km

Hence, you can keep these routes in mind and plan to carry spare petrol with you based on the distance you will be traveling if required. In case you run out of fuel on any of these routes, you can also try villages on these routes (especially Chumathang, Khalsar, Chusul, Hanle, Pang, etc.) where you may find the black diesel/petrol sold by the villagers, (of course, highly likely, with quality compromised) which can be handy in such odd circumstances.

Status after opening Nyoma Petrol Pump in 2024

The opening of the new Nyoma Petrol pump in Ladakh Changthang region means that now you can carry about 130-400 km less fuel depending on how long of a direct circuit you are planning to take.

Here are the distances between the new petrol pumps of Tangtse, Nyoma, and Keylong.

• Tangtse petrol pump to Nyoma petrol pump = 156 km
• Nyoma petrol pump to Karu petrol pump via Chumathang = 147 km
• Nyoma petrol pump to Karu petrol pump via Tso Moriri – Chumathang = 270 km
• Nyoma petrol pump to Karu petrol pump via Tso Moriri – Taglang La = 291 km
• Nyoma petrol pump to Keylong petrol pump via Tso Moriri = 420 km

Within Ladakh, the circuit’s maximum distance without Umling La will be 291 km and 330 km with Umling La pass. When exiting Ladakh via Tso Moriri the maximum distance will be 420 km v/s 550 km earlier distance. Of course, I have assumed the detour to the Nyoma petrol pump in these calculations to optimize it for the lowest quantity of fuel to carry.

An example of how to manage spare fuel in Ladakh?

As an example, from Leh to Hanle to Umling La to Tso Moriri to Keylong, you are looking for about 450 km without a petrol pump. Now considering 13 liters of the fuel capacity of a Royal Enfield 500cc bike, on the mileage of 25 kmpl in mountains, it will do 325 km but you need about 18 Ltrs.

So, you will need to carry an extra 5-8 ltr at least. You can do the math depending on how you got the mileage in the initial days of the trip while doing circuits from Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, etc.

I have just taken a tentative number, which I believe should be but please tweak the math accordingly. You can carry it in a spare backup vehicle/car or use two ten ltr jerry cans, travel light, and have the carrier on the bike

Petrol Pumps in Leh Ladakh

Let us look at the availability of petrol pumps in the Ladakh region and on which routes they exist. This information will help you plan your self-drive trip to Ladakh with some peace of mind and do the math about where and when you need to carry spare fuel on these routes in Ladakh.

Petrol Pumps on Manali Leh Highway

The journey on Manali Leh Highway is 430 km long from Manali to Leh. After Manali, once you cross Rohtang Pass, there is one petrol pump in Tandi village which is about 10 km before Keylong and now there is another petrol pump just opened before entering Keylong. Tandi and Keylong petrol pumps are the only places where you will get fuel on Manali Leh Highway. The next petrol pump will be 323 km away at Karu just before Leh town.

You will get fuel in black at the dhabha tents of Zingzing Bar, Sarchu, and Pang. So, in the worst case, you can always get petrol at these places though at a higher price and compromised quality.

Petrol Pumps on Srinagar Leh Highway

Unlike Manali Leh Highway, the other road to Ladakh from Srinagar to Leh has few petrol pumps and there is no need to carry any spare fuel on this route.

Once you start from Srinagar, you will get fuel pumps at Ganderbal, Kangan, Sonamarg, Kargil, and Khalsi. After Kargil, Khalsi petrol pump is just 95 km from Leh. So, you can see no shortage of petrol pumps on Srinagar Leh Highway. About every 100 odd km< there is a petrol pump on the Srinagar Leh Highway. Hence, no need to carry fuel with you or buy fuel in the black when traveling from Srinagar to Leh.

Petrol Pump in Leh & Karu

When you reach Leh from Srinagar or Manali side, you can always get petrol at the fuel pump in Leh and Karu. There are a couple of petrol pumps in Leh, and one petrol pump is in Karu, about 35 km away. Leh petrol pump remains functional throughout the year. So, you can get petrol even in winter in Leh, but unfortunately, you cannot drive to Ladakh in winter.

Petrol Pump in Nubra Valley

There is one petrol pump in Nubra Valley at Diskit village. As of 2018, the Diskit petrol pump remains fully functional even in the winter season. So, a trip to Nubra Valley including the visit to Turtuk will not require any spare fuel to be carried.

You can always top up at Leh and then at the petrol pump in Diskit for making a trip to Nubra Valley, including Turtuk. Hence, no need to buy any petrol in black for a higher price and compromised quality on your trip to Nubra Valley.

Petrol Pump near Pangong Lake

As of 2023, there is a new petrol pump at Tangtse village, about 34 km before Spangmik, Pangong Tso Lake. Then about, 130 km away from Leh, Karu petrol pump is the other petrol pump near Pangong Tso. However, you may get black fuel at Chusul village in case needed.

Petrol Pump near Tso Moriri

As of 2024, there is a new petrol pump at Nyoma near Tso Moriri Lake. The Nyoma petrol pump is around 75 km from Tso Moriri and about 180 km away from Leh, the Karu petrol pump is the other closest petrol pump near Tso Moriri. However, you may get black fuel at Chumthang village.

Petrol Pump on Pangong Tso – Chusul Route

As you read above, there is one petrol pump at Tangtse village near Pangong Tso and one petrol pump at Nyoma as of 2024. You may need to carry spare fuel with you from there in case you are planning a trip on the direct route of Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri or Pangong Tso to Hanle via Chusul to cover about 291 km.

If the need arises and you do not carry spare fuel with you on this route, you may get petrol available at Spangmik, Chusul, and Chumathang villages, of course in black only.

Petrol Pump in Hanle

Hanle is about 270 km from Leh and the nearest petrol pump to Hanle is Nyoma which is about 76 km away and then there is Karu petrol pump which is about 220 Km away from it. So, for a round trip from Leh to Hanle to Leh, you may need to carry spare fuel or rely on petrol available in villages in black. You may get petrol in the villages of Chumathang, and Hanle itself too.

If you are planning to travel to Hanle from the Chusul route from Pangong Tso, you may get the fuel in black at the villages of Tangtse, Chusul as well.

Important Tips for Carrying Spare Fuel for Leh Ladakh Trip

• The best way to carry spare fuel is to take them in sturdy metal jerry cans, which are leakproof. Those used in the army are the best ones.
• If you cannot get hold of the Jerry cans, carry two-litre cola bottles with you as they are leak-proof plus they are easy to stock up.
• Avoid carrying spare fuel in Ladakh in plastic containers or plastic jerry cans as they might burst. In a car, 20 ltr water containers are much better and sturdy than any other cans.
• Always use plastic to seal the opening and prevent spillage.
• No matter what type of container you take to carry spare fuel, always leave space and fill about 90% of the capacity to avoid spillage.
• When carrying spare petrol on a bike in Ladakh, I highly recommend protecting the plastic containers you are using from stones or pebbles that might cause a crack or leak in them. So, use a protective layer below or around it, tarpaulin could be used too.
• Make sure you always carry a thin cloth to filter in the impurities in case you need to buy fuel in black.
• If you rent a bike in Leh or Manali; those bikes do not have good mileage due to wear and tear and rough usage. Hence, do not take the words of the bike rental guys and take the bike for a local Leh ride to see how much mileage you are getting from it. Using that as a baseline, take its 80% mileage to do the calculations as in remote routes, it will further decrease.

FAQs on Petrol Availability in Ladakh

In the end, let us look at some frequently asked questions about fuel or petrol availability in Leh Ladakh.

Conclusion

I hope the above article will be useful in planning your trip to Leh – Ladakh by giving you a better idea of when you might need to carry spare fuel (petrol/diesel) and how much based on the mileage your vehicle offers.

If you have ever self-driven to Leh – Ladakh and have some valuable tips to share, please share it with me too, so that they could be helpful to other self-drive enthusiasts and fellow travelers planning their upcoming trip to Leh – Ladakh 🙂 …

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LAST UPDATED: July 2024
This article has been updated with the latest information about fuel availability in Leh – Ladakh and is kept up to date every season to reflect the current status. Feel free to suggest any further updates you deem fit.