Now and then I keep getting queries on the budget of Ladakh trip. So I believe a post around it will be helpful for many travelers looking forward to preparing the budget for their upcoming Leh Ladakh trip. To be very frank, the budget for any trip including Leh Ladakh depends a lot upon a person to person and the taste + comfort he/she prefers.
Ladakh is such a place where you can get varied stay options, unlike Spiti depending on your choice of comfort, preference, conditions, and circumstances. The variety may range from Rs 125-150 stay at some Dhabha tents to Rs 300 – 800 stay at low-cost hotels/homestays to Rs 1000 – 1500 at medium-cost hotels to Rs 3000 and above for hotels that offer much more comfort & luxury etc.
The same thing applies to food as well and depends on what you want to eat (Pizza or Dal Bhaat or Roti+Dal Fry or Maggie / Veg. Non-Veg. etc.). More importantly, where you want to eat and drink. But, in any case, I would try to sketch a basic average budget analysis for a Leh Ladakh trip based on the choice of accommodation and food by the majority of people.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
What is the budget of Ladakh Trip?
Given below is a basic itinerary for Leh Ladakh tour from Delhi (without any buffer days) covering all major tourist destinations of Leh Ladakh and followed widely by many travelers including me. We will be analyzing or finding the budget or cost for this Ladakh tour as a part of our exercise on what is the cost of Leh Ladakh trip.
You can roughly guess for yourself that for a similar Ladakh trip or based on your point of interest & preferences of stay, what will be the approximate cost or budget for your custom Leh Ladakh trip?
An example itinerary for Leh Ladakh covering almost all basic tourist places –
- Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu/Patnitop
- Day 2 | Jammu/Patnitop – Srinagar
- Day 3 | Srinagar – Kargil
- Day 4 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
- Day 5 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Rest
- Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit (Nubra Valley) – Hunder – Diskit
- Day 7 | Hunder/Diskit – Pangong Lake via Shyok route
- Day 8 | Pangong Tso – Hemis – Thicksey – Shey Palace – Leh
- Day 9 | Leh Rest Day or Sham Valley Tour around Leh including Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Confluence at Nimmu
- Day 10 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
- Day 11 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Moore Plains (Manali – Leh Highway) – Pang – Sarchu
- Day 12 | Sarchu – Manali
- Day 13 | Manali – Delhi
So, you can see that for our sample Ladakh itinerary, we have taken 13 days (with one rest day in Leh). You can add/remove and modify the days according to your needs. Of course, the budget outcome will depend a bit on that, but I guess that is very much trivial to say.
Also, consider that while traveling alone, the cost of accommodation and transportation is bound to increase. However, while traveling in evenly balanced groups of 3-5 people, the cost of the Ladakh trip will surely decrease. As of now, I will also assume that you guys are two in number so that the budget can be calculated on a twin-sharing basis.
Now, to analyze the budget for the above or any other itinerary, we can categorize the budget into two major parts described below –
Food + Accommodation + Miscellaneous Budget of Ladakh Trip
Let us break down each of these components to understand the breakdown of Ladakh trip cost in detail.
Accommodation Cost
This example trip will need about 12-13 days at the very least, so roughly you will be spending some Rs 12000 – 18000 per person for food, accommodation, and other misc. expenditures.
If you are living in an average budget hotel with decent comfort and are traveling in a group (at least 2 in number) then the average cost per day for food, accommodation, and other misc. things like tolls, permit fees, entry fees to monasteries, etc. come to about Rs 1000-1500 per day.
Again, Rs 1000-1500 figure could be a low budget for someone and a little high for others depending upon the choice of stay and food or other activities you plan to do on your Ladakh trip.
Food Cost
For example, if you dine at a dhaba tent, then the cost of the meal would come out to be around Rs 50-70 only per person, and the same meal if you take at a restaurant at Changspa road in Leh then you might pay Rs 150 – Rs 170 per person or maybe more. Furthermore, in some high-end restaurants, the cost of food will go up much more.
Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian also matters with respect to food pricing, so take that factor into account as well.
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Miscellaneous Cost
The same thing applies to different activities. Here I have considered what is unavoidable such as tolls, permit charges, entry fees, snacks, etc. If you are going paragliding, rafting, shopping, etc.. then that will surely be something additional for you.
Hence, if you are going with a budget hotel or guest house having decent comfort, eating decent quality food, and including only mandatory miscellaneous charges then you may need to shell out Rs 12000 – 18000 per person for your Leh Ladakh itinerary of 12-13 days.
Mode of Transportation Budget of Ladakh Trip
On a trip to Leh Ladakh, the major cost comes out to be for taxis or transportation or fuel depending upon your mode of transport. Using public transport inside Leh – Ladakh is a challenge as the frequency of such vehicles is feeble and based on their schedules you may require 18-20 days to complete the above trip.
So, in Leh Ladakh, travelers mostly commute either by privately hired taxis or shared taxis run by tour operators or by finding travel partners and sharing the cost with them or riding rented bikes or ultimately self-drive on their bikes or cars. All these options will present you with different costs for the trip.
Let’s look at each one of them below to get an idea of the total cost for a Leh Ladakh trip.
Cost of Ladakh trip on Self-Drive Private Vehicle
You will be traveling about 3300-3600 km for the above Ladakh trip. So, if your bike gives a mileage of about 25 KMPL on average in mountains + plains, then you are looking for about Rs 13200 – 14400 for fuel. If it gives less, then adjust accordingly. I have assumed the average cost of petrol as Rs 100 per liter as of January 2023. In plains, it will be less, and in mountains, it will be more.
Similarly, you can calculate if you are driving the car. Just keep in mind that in hills, your car or bike will give much lesser mileage than in plains. So, calculate accordingly and divide them among the people traveling in the car to calculate the per-person cost. It is difficult/uncomfortable to travel to Ladakh with a pillion on a bike, so the cost is calculated singularly above.
Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling to Ladakh by self-drive mode of transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 12000 – 18000) + (Rs 13200 – 14400) = (Rs 25200 – 32400)) as the total cost for the entire Leh Ladakh trip.
Self-Drive But Rented Vehicle
Here, the cost of fuel would be the same as for a self-drive private vehicle calculated above, but you will be adding the cost of bike/car rental as well. Usually, you get a decent bike in good condition at around Rs 1400 – 1500 per day depending on the make and model of the bike you rent.
You can check the updated Leh Ladakh Bike Rental Rates for 2024-25.
So, the cost of bike rent only from Delhi to Delhi Ladakh trip comes out to be around Rs 20,000 – 24,000 considering if you get a discount. Adding the fuel cost as calculated above, the cost here becomes approximately Rs 33,200 – 38,400.
This is a solo Ladakh ride cost. So, if you have a pillion then divide by two here.
Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling to Ladakh by self-drive rented bike mode of transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 33,200 – 38,400) + (Rs 12000 – 18000) = (Rs 45,200 – 56,400)) as the total cost for the entire trip.
Privately Hired Taxi in Leh
The taxis outside Leh are not allowed to roam in Leh – Ladakh, and you are always required to hire a taxi that belongs to Leh only. So, I am considering the case when you will be hiring a private taxi in Leh only and to reach Leh you will be using public transport.
It may be the case that you are coming in a privately hired taxi from outside Leh. Or you may be flying directly to Leh etc. but here I will assume that you have used public transport such as the train to reach Jammu, JKSRTC buses to reach Srinagar, and then to Leh, HPTDC buses to reach Manali from Leh and further to Delhi.
Also, I will assume that on Day 11 you will be going to Leh from Tso Moriri since in public transport you cannot travel directly from Tso Moriri to Manali. Traveling in this way means one extra day being spent in Leh Ladakh, making it a 13-day trip. I am again assuming you are 4 in number.
I will break down the private taxi cost and the other transport costs for the entire trip as below –
- Day 1 – Day 4 (Delhi – Jammu – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh) = Rs 3000 per person
- Day 5 (Leh Local) = Rs 2400 / 4 = Rs 600 per person
- Day 6 – Day 8 (Leh – Khardung La – Nubra – Pangong – Leh) = Rs 22000 / 4 = Rs 5500 per person
- Day 9 – Day 10 (Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Leh) = Rs 14000 / 4 = Rs 3500 per person
- Day 11 – Day 13 (Leh – Keylong – Manali – Delhi) = Rs 4000 per person
Considering a 10-12% discount on the rates of Leh Taxi Union after bargaining, the total cost comes out approximately to Rs 16,000 – 17,000 per person when traveling two in number.
This cost of a taxi in Ladakh per person will come down if more people are traveling with you to a maximum of 6.
Why only 6? Because one Scorpio taxi can accommodate 6 persons with ease :), anything more than that you need to hire two taxis.
However, I recommend that 5 people in one taxi are the optimum number to share the cost of a taxi.
Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling by privately hired taxi in Leh and reaching Leh in public/shared transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 16000 – 17000) + (Rs 13000 – 19500) = (Rs 29000 – 36500)) as the total cost for the entire trip including 1 day added to travel between Tso Moriri – Leh.
If by any chance you plan to hire a private taxi to travel on Srinagar – Leh Highway and Manali – Leh Highway then the cost will go much higher because charges for Srinagar – Leh, and Manali – Leh in a private taxi are about Rs 20000 and Rs 25000 respectively as per rates in 2023.
If you are less in number, like 2 in this example, it is always suggested to travel by public transport such as shared taxis, JKSRTC buses, HPTDC buses on Srinagar – Leh, and Manali – Leh Highways in Himachal.
Wondering if there is any cheap mode of hiring a private taxi to Leh Ladakh from Manali or Srinagar. I shall say Yes as well as No, as you can find the details in my article on Cheap private taxi to Leh – Ladakh | A Myth or A Reality?
Shared Taxis or Public Transport or Travel Partners (in a group)
Assuming that instead of hiring a private taxi in Leh Ladakh you plan to travel by shared taxis run by tour operators or join with other travel partners to share the cost or you are about 5 in number then you are looking at about Rs 13000 – 14000 approximately.
If you further plan to travel in Ladakh by public buses then this figure as well will go down further considerably. However, at the same time, you may be required to stay for a longer period adjusting to the schedule of these public buses which means an increase in lodging + food costs.
Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling shared taxis (or public transport or along with travel partners) in Leh and reaching Leh in public/shared transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 13000 – 14000) + (Rs 12000 – 18000) = (Rs 25000 – 32000)) as the total cost for the entire trip.
Conclusion
If I look at the above scenarios or examples, then, of course, it may not be the case every time. Sometimes you will be hiring the bike from Delhi only and sometimes partially. There can be cases where you will travel to Leh Ladakh by bus or public transport and then hire a bike in Leh to ride to only a few places.
DO NO forget to check the top 15 tips on Responsible Travel in the Himalayas.
Similarly, you may travel to Manali on public transport and then hire a bike from Manali, etc. There could be similar other cases as well as flying directly to Leh etc. I have tried to cover many general cases here, and we can surely discuss custom cases in the comments section below if you like or have any difficulties.
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.
Otherwise, if you are looking at them individually or day by day then you will be able to calculate the cost estimate of your Leh Ladakh trip for any such custom combination with fair ease.
I will look forward to your queries or doubts in the comments section below and know your perspective/tips of cost or budget analysis for the Ladakh trip as well. Kindly share your valuable thoughts/feedback/inputs etc. here with many other fellow travelers.
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I came across this website “pearladventures” and the trip from manali-leh and back got my attention. But they charge 52,000 per person. Obviously they also provide bikes, tour-guides and they travel in groups but still its almost double than the estimate discussed here. Can you share your opinion..
Kunal, If you are looking for bookings over phone and above kind of arrangement, you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past three years have had very good feedback about them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most. You can refer my name or DoW to Gaurav, the guy who runs it. He knows us very well and should be able to offer some special rates being a DoW Member. You can just refer him the DwD Community Member Username in such a case or screenshot of this reply here.
I want to do a bike trip to Leh this summer, anyone interested or if you know any group planning kindly do let me know.
It will be much better that you check the DoW Travel Calendar from the link in the Main Menu. There you can see about 300+ entries of the people planning their trips in this season and see if you can connect with the group. You can filter entries based on the preferences you have.
Hey we are planing for this summer, by mahindra thar, in june first week ,
Yes inder I also waiting for open the leh highway what’s your for leh and when you going there please tell me
Sorry inder I just want to know you that what’s your plain for leh please tell me
Hi
When r u planning to go??? As some of our frnds are also planning , we are 6 people, BT we will start our journey from manali to leh den back to Jammu.
We planning in mnth of Aug last week to see 1 week, date not yet fixed.
Hi Dheeraj
Have been following your blogs on the site which are informative and details oriented I must appreciate the gr8 effort by you,
we are group of 4-5 guys planning to travel to leh -ladakh by srinagar highway and return via manali we would be arriving at jammu by train after that we intend to take a private taxi (innova)for rest of our journey we have 13-14 days can we also cover zanskar valley in this time what do u reckon should be our budget per person keeping in mind we are looking for decent hotels n and decent food as well another thing can we carry our own liquor to leh ladakh
Sorry Dheeraj forgot to mention the time of travel that would be may end some time between 25-30th may
Replied to the other comment.
You can carry about couple of bottles but don’t worry there are shops available almost everywhere. Budget shall come around 25-30K per person considering 4 in one private taxi and moderate budget hotels.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.
Zanskar Valley requires another 4 days from Kargil.
hello dheeraj,
we are a group of 3-4 people & want to travel to leh – ladakh in our own car(small) in the month of June(or can you recommend the best time to visit).what would be the expense(budget), things to keep in mind and with us while travelling from Delhi. Road conditions,also any sort of restriction while travelling or self driving in leh ladakh. how many days trip it would be. and can we cut it short.
Hi Rohit,
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
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for the detailed article. I have a question.
We are a group of 4 coming from Kerala. We will be reaching Manali by bus from Delhi. If we rent a bike from Manali, can we take it all the way to Leh, then to Huder, Pangong Tso, Khardung La etc. and then back to Manali? Or do we still need to hire a Taxi for Huder, Pangong Tso and Khardung La from Leh taxi union?
Please advise.
You can take the bike rented outside Leh to Leh but then you need to either hire a local Leh taxi or local Leh bike from Leh for sightseeing in Ladakh.
Dear Dheeraj Sandeep this side we are ready for going on bikes
Day 1 delhi to jammu
Day 2 jammu to srinagar
Day 3 srinagar to kargil
Day 4 kargil to leh
Day 5 local leh sightseein
Day 6 leh to khardungla hunder diskit come back leh
Day 7 leh to pangong still here with my camp
Day 8 pangong to tso moriri stay here with my camp
Day 9 tsomoriri to sarchu
Day 10 sarchu to spiti valley
Day 11 spiti to kalpa
Day 12 kalpa to shimla
Day 13shimla to Delhi
2 day we will adjust in leh total 15 day trip we are 2 guys and our budget is 35k per man please suggest we are ready for going on trip at 15april 2016
Sandeep, the above plan is not posssible to do with Spiti Valley, you do not have enough days at hand. My suggestion is to do Ladakh at ease and enjoy it rather than just ticking off the places from the list. 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.
Dear Dheeraj,
Cheers for posting up a handy article!
We are 2-3 of us, planning a budget trip to Ladakh in last week of September.
My main concern is travelling part in Ladakh. As to and fro flight has been booked.
As i said we are 2-3 people and travelling Ladakh for 6 days. The places we want to cover are Leh/Nubra- Turtuk/Pangong and Tso Moriri if possible. My queries are as follows-
So how do we go ahead with the travelling part. Are shared taxis easily available in Leh in the month of Sept.
And how about the permits to visit these all places?
Is it possible to do it on the spot with the help of local driver there?
And can you let me know the approximate travelling cost to these places in private vehicle as well as shared taxis. Since its a budget trip we would prefer Shared Taxis.
Weather in the month of September?
Pangong lake camping charges.
Hello Vidhut,
1. Shared taxis are available buteasily is a question when it comes to Turtuk, you will surely find many taxis doing two day trip to Nubra and Pangong tso.
2. You do not need any permits now for these places unless you have a foreigner in the group.
3. Yes, you can book on the spot with the help of taxi driver
4. Private will cost you about 20K for Pangong tso and Nubra Valley with Turtuk around 23K. Shared is around 1500 per seat per person.
5. September is excellent month of travel
Thanks for the prompt reply Dheeraj. Just a last query. Can one travel to Nubra Valley the next day of the Ladakh trip? Since the first whole day will be for high altitude acclimatization. Just bothered because of high altitude via Khardungla to Nubra
First two days should exactly be like below to have a good trip:
Day 1 | Delhi – Leh (By Flight)
— Checkin at Hotel. Many hotels provide free pick and drop from Airport. Ask while you book them.
— Take ample of rest as well as water or anything that keep your body hydrated enough. DO NOT OVER HYDRATE. Take ORS Soluted water or ORS – L tetra packs from home.
— Do not over exert your body at any cost. Avoid too much up-down on stairs or avoid it in entirety, if possible.
— After 5-6 Hrs of rest you can visit Leh Palace, Local Leh market, Shankar Gompa .
— If you feel exerted go back to Hotel, have dinner at Hotel and take rest. Avoid any exertion. Else continue and,
— Follow the sunset by stroll at Changspa road and have a nice dinner on varied cuisines offered in-around Changspa road.
— Go back to hotel for overnight stay at Leh.
Day 2 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— Hire a taxi from Leh taxi stand or Hotel whichever suits you.
— Bargain hard with taxi driver. Book that single taxi for entire trip after explaining the complete plan.
— Take his inputs if you feel reasonable and if required modify the plan accordingly but should suits you best.
— Ask him to be with you guys starting first day itself, if required and charged reasonable else do it at your own.
— Again DO NOT over exert and take little steps and slow walks only.
— If feeling OK then do Local sightseeing. To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Do not use stairs at any of these places just to see them as it will exert your body much more.
— Overnight at Leh
Thanks a lot for the reply. God bless you. Doing a good job. Taking out some time from busy schedule and posting some helpful blog for travelers and helping out on our queries. I appreciate your efforts. Keep it up. Cheers!!
Thank you Vidhut, these wishes helps me in bad phases of life 🙂 🙂
Hi Dheeraj we are 2 guys for planning leh ladakh trip for 12 days and our budget is only 35k per head can we go there with our bike with 35k money
Sunny, it is a decent budget and I am sure you should be able to make a trip there within that budget.
Hi Dheeraj,
Firstly, thank you for all the information, it is extremely helpful!
However, we’re a group of 21 year olds planning a budget trip to Leh via Kasol (including the Kheerganga trek before we head to Leh)
Since we’re 21 year olds, we want to cover some fun activities too. Could you help us plan a 10-15 days trip?
Hello Rhea,
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.
Once you reach Manali, you can go over to Kasol from there. After reaching Kasol, you can trek to Kheerganga in two days and come back to Kasol early morning of Day 2, catch the bus back to Bhunter/Kullu and then back to Delhi.
Thank you so much Dheeraj. So for some reason we can’t make it in June. Is it safe to travel to leh from 28th May- 6th June?
Yes Rhea, that will be good time too this year as roads shall be open by that time owing to very less snow this year.
Dear dheeraj one more thing we are going from srinagar and come from manali so we need any permission to manali government
No you do not need any permission if you are going from Srinagar side and coming back from Manali side.
Hi Deeraj, I have another question. We were trying to figure stay and realised that it’s really hard to contact hotels from any place outside leh. We also spoke to a lot of travel agents and tour people who are giving absurd prices and are definitely fleecing us. How would you suggest we go about with our hotel and camp bookings? Is going there and booking a better option? (Keeping in mind that we’re a group of 15). Also, the places we want to cover are: Pangong, nubra and hunder, Tso Morir, Nimu rafting and perhaps turtuk. Do you suggest anything more that we should do? Or anything we can skip of the above?
Hello Rhea,
Well, booking over phone always will be costly but then it gives you luxury of trouble free checkin too 🙂 … And of course that will come with a price. However, if you are OK to search 3-4 places after reaching the place and DO NOT have any special hotel name in mind, it shall be good to go with on the spot bookings. Keep in mind you should not be too particular or fussy about the stay if you opt this option.
The places you have mentioned are good to go. 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
Okay that’s alright I guess. I’ve gone through your list of hotels before and the following are the stay options we picked. However, we’re flexible and aren’t putting our minds on just these.
Leh- Global Guest Home
Pangong- Watermark Camp (the old one)
Hunder- Sand dune camp
Tso Morir- Nomadic Camp
Are these good options? How much do you think we would spend approximately as per costs of today per head if we’re a group of 15? (Sharing rooms with 2 and 3)
They are fine to stay over. It depends upon how you are booking. If you are booking over phone then around 1200-1500 per person and if on the spot you get the deal around 800-1000 you can leep the deal.
Hi Dheeraj,
So we’re finally leaving on the 25th. However, on the 25th we’re just 3 of us and plan on going to Pahalgam for 3 days. We’ll come back to Srinagar on the 27th to pick up the rest and drive to Leh with the whole group.
Since we’re just 3 of us from srinagar to pahalgam, should we take a bus? Or book a car? Bus seems to be cheaper. I tried to look for timings and frequency but can’t find anything reliable. Please help me out!
Yes, bus will be cheaper and taxi will allow you to stop it and travel on comfort. You can make enquiry at following but AFAIK, the buses starts at 8 AM from srinagar to Pahalgam
TRC Srinagar: 0194-2452690, 2452691
TRC Pahalgam: 01936-243224
JKSRTC Srinagar: 0194-2455107, 2475360
Thanks for the numbers! We heard that there have been some terror attacks in Srinagar this morning. We’re leaving tomorrow night so are a little concerned. What do you think?
Rhea, cannot really say about that. Mostly tourist areas are unaffected, you can move to Sonamarg the same day if you feel there is some concern or bandhs in Srinagar
We’re going to Pahalgam so I guess thag should be okay. Thank you for all the help!
Hi Dheeraj, already got reply from the other members but just wanted to double confirm. We have opted out of travelling from srinagar to leh due to security reasons. We thought of flying into leh and come back via Manali. Since we have only 9 days the suggestion is that flying to leh directly will leave with 2 days acclimatization and not enough time. So now iam forced to come via manali – leh and fly out of leh. Will it be ok if we can stay a night at solang, next night at jispa and then jispa to leh in a day?
Also if I reach Delhi in the morning, are there any cheap means to reach manali / solang by night for a stay there? Please suggest as we are currently only 2 of us and private taxi to manali will be very costly…
Hello Sekhar,
Well, I prefer flying to Leh and resting in Leh for two days rather covering a hectic journey over Manali – Leh Highway to combat AMS. I will still suggest that you do it the way you initially though but in that case you end up having one more rest day in Leh. You can follow a plan like below:
Day 1 | Delhi – Leh (By Flight)
— Checkin at Hotel. Many hotels provide free pick and drop from Airport. Ask while you book them.
— Take ample of rest as well as water or anything that keep your body hydrated enough. DO NOT OVER HYDRATE. Take ORS Soluted water or ORS – L tetra packs from home.
— Do not over exert your body at any cost. Avoid too much up-down on stairs or avoid it in entirety, if possible.
— After 5-6 Hrs of rest you can visit Leh Palace, Local Leh market, Shankar Gompa .
— If you feel exerted go back to Hotel, have dinner at Hotel and take rest. Avoid any exertion. Else continue and,
— Follow the sunset by stroll at Changspa road and have a nice dinner on varied cuisines offered in-around Changspa road.
— Go back to hotel for overnight stay at Leh.
Day 2 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— Hire a taxi from Leh taxi stand or Hotel whichever suits you.
— Bargain hard with taxi driver. Book that single taxi for entire trip after explaining the complete plan.
— Take his inputs if you feel reasonable and if required modify the plan accordingly but should suits you best.
— Ask him to be with you guys starting first day itself, if required and charged reasonable else do it at your own.
— Again DO NOT over exert and take little steps and slow walks only.
— If feeling OK then do Local sightseeing. To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Do not use stairs at any of these places just to see them as it will exert your body much more.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 3 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 4 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 6 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Taglang La – Pang – Sarchu
— Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
— Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
Day 8 | Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
Day 9 | Manali – Delhi
— Return by overnight Volvo
Hi Dheeraj, brilliant detailed description as always :). I shall stick to this one.
1. Guess will be missing out sham valley tour due to extra acclimating, am I missing anything really good?
2. Also is it possible to cover tso moriri on the way to sarchu?
3. We are only 2 as if now. So will try for travel partners in the site, what is the optimal group size for us?
4. As we might have language problems is it preferred to book hotels and taxi upfront as bargaining may not be our strength?
Many thanks for your support. Regards, Sekhar.
Hi Sekhar,
1. You can do basic Sham Valley if you feeling well on Day 2 covering most parts but not exerting much.
2. No, you will need an extra day for over night at Tso Moriri and then next day reach Sarchu from Tso Moriri
3. Best is that you get at least 5 to share taxi cost optimally. 5 as a group is a good comfortable number, 4 much more comfortable.
4. Hmm on the spot bargaining is not much of problem, driver should help you. They are geniune helpers not commission agents, so dont worry on that front. But, if you do not want to hold it for the last minute of searching places here and there after reaching Ladakh, then you can book over phone.
Thanks again. Good to know that sham valley can be covered. Also comforting to know that the bookings can be done directly without any issues, will check with my partner and decide…
Was very confused with the plan for the last 3 weeks, now thanks to you I have s clear plan and itinerary… Will get back to you if I have any further questions. Regards, Sekhar.
I think I replied to your other comment sekhar? right?
Hi Dheerja, yes indeed… Currently in the process of booking flight tickets. Will definitely need your support with travel partners. Will get back on that post the ticket bookings. Thanks, Sekhar.
Cool, glad to know that. Feel free to post any doubts or queries you may have for your trip to Ladakh.
Hi Dheeraj, I am back. Have booked the flight tickets from Delhi to Leh on 1st July and will be reaching Leh at 10 am. We are a group of 4 now which I believe is a good number for booking a private taxi? Could you please help with the below questions?
1. What weather and temperature we can expect during day and night times in the 1st week of july? What kind of clothing required?
2. In Nubra valley trip, can we include Turtuk within the 2 days. If not and we have to choose between Sumur, Panamik Vs Turtuk which one would you suggest?
3. On day 6, is it possible to go to Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso. Are there good stay options at Tso Moriri. Would you suggest this or better to skip and go back to Leh from Pangong Tso?
4. What would be the rough estimated taxi cost for this itinerary including the drop to manali.
5. How to manage drinking water throughout the trip. Are water bottles / cans available there?
Thanks, Sekhar.
Hi Sekhar,
1. It will be pleasant in daym cool in nights in Ladakh
2. Turtuk need 3 day trip to Nubra valley
3. Better do at ease and come back to Leh from Pangong Tso
4. Nubra and Pangong Tso two day trips will cost you around 22K
5. Better help the environment and carry refillable bottles with you and fill them as an when required at dhabhas or hotels. Help us save environment with responsible travel
Thanks Dheeraj. Can you also suggest the taxi rate from leh to manali please and for sham valley tour…
Will the night temperature touch zero at that time?
Trust the water we get is safe to be had without boiling. Just wanted to confirm?
Leh to Manali shall be around 20K with overnight stop at Sarchu/Keylong and Sham Valley shall be around 2.5K. Mostly the water is safe rest depends upon the immune system of individual. We only use that water and in fact we fill bottles from the running stream and drink it.
Hi Dheeraj, thanks a lot. Hope our immune systems hold up too 🙂
Which vehicle is best suited for these conditions including the Leh to Manali. Will Innova be the best or are there any better options? Thanks, Sekhar.
Shekhar, Innova is good comfortable vehicle mostly does the job but at times gets stuck in water crossings. Xylo is a bit less comfortable but more peaceful at mind. With local drivers behind the wheels, you will not go wrong with anyone of them.
Thanks, thats comforting to hear. Given a choice, can I opt for Xylo compared to Innova?
In terms of clothing are we looking at near zero temperatures at that time, so that we can plan accordingly for jackets, gloves etc. Also do we need trekking shoes for this trip? Thanks, Sekhar.
I will say so. You should surely keep jackets and gloves with you. Regarding trekking shoes, if you have them better take them else other shoes can be fine too just ensure to carry good woollens socks.
Thank you. Have never done tent camp till now. Hope we would be able to cope up if we opt for tented accommodation at Pangong and Sarchu? Will there be any challenges?
Not really, you should be good. If you are opting for already setup camps, they already have beds in place. So, yo will not feel much of difference except cramped space when compared to room.
Great thanks. Will surely want to try a tented accommodation, that too at the shores of Pangong Tso.
One more doubt, is it ok to have alcoholic drinks after proper acclimatization there, may be after 3 or 4 days? Is there any risk of AMS if we have drinks? Thanks, Sekhar.
Pangong Tso is a wetland reserve and no body is allowed to pitch camps on the shores. The camps are pitched in the villages form where you can walk to the shores of Pangong Tso. I will not say it is OK and yes the chances of getting hit with AMS elevates.
Thank you, will follow your advise and no drinks until we reach Manali 🙂
Best wishes for your Ladakh trip 🙂
Thank you… Will get back when I start booking the accommodation and vehicles… One doubt, during Nubra and Pangong trips, do we need to carry the whole luggage or the Leh hotels accept to keep the luggage which will allow us to carry only what is required?
You can drop the luggage in the store rooms of the hotels you stayed in Leh. The only thing in thta case happens is you get bound to stay at the same hotel hotel after coming back to Leh. If you are fine with it, they will surely offer you the luggage/store room to keep you luggage with them
Cheers, yeah will try to get the same hotel so that the luggage can be taken care of…
Do we need thermals, both light and heavy jacket for july? On the other hand, is there possibility of sun burns due to heat on daytimes?
You can check out: Tips for Carrying Clothes for Ladakh Trip
Thank you, will take a look into that link 🙂
Hi Dheeraj, from Manali to Delhi do you suggest HRTC volvo bus or take some private Volvo. Which is better in terms of comfort and timeliness? We have flight from Delhi at 2pm on Sunday. So what would be the ideal time to start from Manali? Thanks, Sekhar.
Never go with private volvo. Either go with HRTC Volvo or HPTDC Volvo both are GOVT operated.
Hi Dheeraj, started looking for accommodation options. I have already asked this question, but wanted to confirm again just in case…
Considering it may be once in a lifetime trip for us, should we consider doing Pangong to Tso Moriri to cover this place which otherwise we will be missing. Do you see any problems in this for first timers like us?
Also Nubra to Pangong via Shyok? if it gives an opportunity to explore Turtuk… Sorry to keep asking but just wanted to double confirm before booking accommodation. Thanks.
Regarding Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso route, in order to take Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso via Shyok village, you need not need any permits. However, with such a small distance it appears tempting to be done BUT just to analyze the difficulty I will strongly suggest that you read:Trip Report | Nubra – Shyok Village – Pangong Tso Route. The report is from couple of year back in June & in July/August, most likely the route is washed away. Similar, reports are there from last year as well. So better confirm first, analyze the high risk involved and then only attempt it or better avoid it unless very much sure.
Next possible way is to attempt Wari La route, which is also a bit desolated but doable enough. If your driver agrees to travel on this route then take the Wari La route to Pangong Tso. Remember that any help required on both these routes will be HARD to find in miles of distance. If you have couple of vehicles then only take this route otherwise best is to avoid it.
Regarding Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri route or Pangong Tso to Hanle, the permits to Man – Merak – Chusul – Tsaga or remote Changthang routes are being given by DC office in Leh at ON and OFF basis, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best if they start issuing the permits by the time you visit or issue you on your lucky day. Also, even if the permits are given then as well there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to cross Chusul Post or not because since last year several such incidents happened and people with permits also had to return via same route. The story is same this year too and only handful of people have passed through Chusul this year too on their lucky days. Then this is completely a dirt track all the way with quite a bumpy ride upto Tsaga. That churns most things in your stomach 😀 … Finally, totally isolated with no one around you in miles. All this will mean that you will have to risk it for at least a day getting wasted if you are not allowed because there will be no guarantee until you cross Chusul and Tsaga post. Otherwise, you have to take the traditional routes only via Upshi – Chumathang.
Thank you for the detailed explanation, that really helped us to assess what to do. Discussed with my group on the same. Given the uncertainties and the risks involved, we want to stick to the original plan suggested by you 🙂 . So no more confusions with the plan.
Iam going through the accommodation options given by you and the review comments. Mostly will go for moderate budget of 1500 per double bed…Thanks again.
Good to know that, have a great trip to Ladakh
Hi Dheeraj Bhai, just back from our ladakh trip. It went perfectly as per your plan. Many many thanks for your help without which it would not have been this successful… will post my experience once I settle down. Thanks, Sekhar.
That’s wonderful to know Sekhar, will wait eagerly to read about your experience of Ladakh.
Whole credit goes to you for the success of the trip. We just stuck to the plan and did not deviate anywhere. My brief experience for the benefit of others below.
Leh:
In July, it was hotter than we expected during the day time, nights were pleasant though. Stayed at Hotel Shayanam which is walkable distance from the market. It was a very good stay with 24 hours hot water and nice space to sit out near the reception. The hotel manager Mr. Rinchin was awesome and totally down to earth. He helped us in every possible way to make the trip comfortable. He even sent us oxygen cylinder for our trip to pangong tso. The driver allocated for our trips, Padma Tamchose was an awesome guy. He is just 22 years, but drives very well, knows every person in that region and very handy in taking photos too… Mr. Rinchin arranged the full transport for the trip.
Day 1 and 2:
Reached leh by flight at 10:30am. did not do anything till 4pm. Went to leh palace, sankar gompa and shanti stupa after that.
Next day did the river rafting at zanskar and went till alchi. The road leading to magnetic hill was very good although nothing much at the actual site of magentic hill, looks like it is a hoax :). It was our first rafting experience and was awesome.
Nubra Valley:
More than the destination, the route and the total valley was really awesome with different landscapes and fast flowing rivers…
The driver cleverly took us to Sumur /Panamik on the first day itself and we had a bath at the hot water spring but skipped the sumur monastry. This enabled us to reach Hunder after 5 pm and was very pleasant at that time as per your advise. Mind you, if you are going to Hunder during day time it may be really hot and we may not enjoy the stay and camel safari there.. Next day morning visited Diskit monastry and came back to Leh. Stayed at Hotel Sten Del which did not disappoint.
Pangong:
Again route to pangong was awesome with the rough roads. But what we saw at the lake is not explainable. Never seen anything like that before… We were fortunate to have a clear sky on that day and were able to see about many shades of blues on the lake.
Stayed at Camp watermark tent which was of high quality. I think this is the closest to the lake amongst all the accommodation. Whoever choosing to stay in pangong, can go for this. It was the first tent stay for us and sort of a scary experience with the heavy winds blowing, but enjoyed the thrilling experience.
Leh – Manali:
First night halt at Sarchu, again a scary proposition but came out without issues as we got acclimitized better by that time and also used diamox tablets. We stayed at antrek tents which was ok but not as good as the camp watermark at pangong, given the location. Sarchu should only be selected for stay if 100% acclimitized, otherwise better to rush from jispa / keylong.
Leh to Sarchu is far more fascinating than the sarchu to manali bit. Particularly pang to sarchu stretch is breath taking with the different landscape and rocks…
Unfortunately, Padma was not allocated for this trip and the new driver was not very keen to stop at many places or showed interest to explain anything enroute. think he is more of a point to point driver keen on completing the trip. Once we crossed rohtang, the adventure part of the trip was over.
Snow: At this time of the year, very little snow including at Khardungla and other high passes, but had enough for us to play around. If you want snow covering fully, the july is not the time to visit. Having said that, people not accustomed to very low temperatures, this may be the best time to visit.
All in all, a great trip. Happy to answer any specific questions from anyone planning to go there now… Thanks Dheeraj again 🙂
Thank you so much shekar, have pasted your trip log in the DwD Community: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-tales/topic4643.html#p35756
I am sure this will help others alot. Sorry for replying late. Please post some pictures in the log, if possible.
Hi Dheeraj Bhai, coming back here after a long time but following all the updates in facebook. I am writing a travelogue on my last year trip. Will share it with you once done. Targeting 30th June to mark the one year completion of the trip 🙂
Sure, will look forward to it Sekhar !!
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and three of my friends are planning to drive to Leh from Goa (vehicle:Innova) .We have estimated a budget of 40k each.( includes fuel plus toll fares, food, stay and other miscellaneous costs). A fifteen day road trip commencing on July 8th. Your advice would be helpful regarding the following…
1. Should we book hotels at various destinations in advance or can we search for hotels once we get there (Leh, Manali etc). Is availability of rooms a problem during July?
2. Regarding the driving permits, where do we get them?
3. Is July a good month as far as the weather and condition of roads is concerned or should we consider a prior or later date?
4. We are worried about the acute mountain sickness, how can we prepare for it?
Please do let me know.
Thank you.
Hello Shawn,
Sorry for late reply.
1. Best is that you book them once you reach there to save money unless you are particular about a dfinite hotel, you should be good for on the spot search.
2. No permit required in case you travel from Srinagar to Leh to Manali
3. Yes, July is a good month to travel to Ladakh
4. Travel from Srinagar side and read about AMS and acclimatization including the tips to combat AMS, please DO READ: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization
Dear Dheeraj this my plain with my bike
Day 1 delhi to jammu
Day 2 jammu to srinagar
Day 3 srinagar to kargil
Day 4 kargil to zanskar
Day 5 zanskar to kargil
Day 6 kargil to leh
Day 7 leh to khar Dunblane
Day 8 leh to pangong lake still here with my camp
Day 9 pangong to tso moriri
Day 10 tso moriri to sarchu
Day 11 sarchu to manali
Day 12 manali to shimla
Day 13 shimla to Delhi
Please see and suggest because my budget is only 50000, 60000 now can I go with this if possible bike is new avenger 220 street milage is good please suggest
Sorry guys khardungla
Sandeep, Kargil to Zanskar and Zanskar to Kargil is like just being on road for back braking ride of 10-11 Hrs each day, very tiring. Then there is no rest day in Leh to acclimatize. I wil seriously suggest to reconsider the entire plan 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 Sandeep this side now I have purchased avenger 220 street for my leh trip can we go with this bike and please suggest when Sri nagar leh highway open
Sandeep, bike shall be fine. Srinagar – Leh is expected to open around late April in case the weather hold upp in march
Dheeraj,
This is what I am planning. We will be 6 of us.
Day 1 (18th May) – Leave Hyderabad for New Delhi via Rajdhani Express
Day 2 (19th May) – Arrive at New Delhi and take rest. Local sightseeing, Shopping and Food Trip at Jama Masjid area.
Day 3 (20th May) – Reach Leh early morning. Take the remaineder of the day to rest and get acclimatized to the place. We sincerely suggest that you rest on the first day for body acclimatization.
Enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 4 (21st May) – After breakfast leave for Leh – Monastery tour
Day 5 (22nd May) – Leh to Nubra Valley Via Khardungla Pass. Early morning proceed to Nubra Valley via the World’s Highest Motorable road (5602 Mts), Khardungla Pass. Arrive at Nubra Valley and proceed for check-in at the Swiss comfortable camps/hotel. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure. Have a pleasant dinner and overnight stay at the camp or hotel.
Day 6 (23rd May) – In the morning, after a delicios breakfast, proceed for Diskit Monastery. Post visiting the Diskit Monastery, proceed for a visit to the White Sand Dunes at Hunder. You can also enjoy a camel ride here (the camel ride is on direct payment basis). Post that, return to your camps. Enjoy a delicious dinner and a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 7 (24th May) – Nubra Valley to Leh Via Khardungla Pass after breakfast. In the evening explore Leh bazaar for souvenir and some shopping on your own.
Day 8 (25th May) – In the morning after breakfast, drive to to Pangong Lake on the Indo China border. On your way, you will cross Changla Pass, the third highest motorable road in the world.
Day 9 (26th May) – In the morning after breakfast, drive to Sangam (Confluence). On your way, visit Magnetic Hill and Gurudwara Patthar Sahib. Visit Confluence of Zanskar and Indus River and head to Tso Moriri Lake. Stay overnight.
Day 10 (27th May) – Sunrise at Tso Moriri and head back to Leh.
Day 11 (28th May) – Reach New Delhi and stay overnight. Local shopping, sightseeing, Go as you like.
Day 12 (29th May) – Head to Hyderabad from New Delhi via Rajdhani Express
Can you please give me an approximate cost & also make modification to the iterinary, if needed.
Rahul, your plan looks fine except:
Day 8 (25th May) – Are you planning a day trip to Pangong Tso?
Day 9 (26th May) – On this day you can go to Tso Moriri only not do Sham Valley tour as you mentioned. Both are in opposite directions and only one can be done. So, skip Sham Valley in case you want to visit Tso Moriri
You are looking for somewhere around 35000-38000 for the taxi only and rest you can plan about 800-1200 per person per day for food and stay
Hey
Me and my friends are planning on manali leh ladakh bike trip by august this year..
What kind of gears(jackets, fire kit, etc. ) are needed for the trip?
I will suggest that you go through the articles mentioned under the DwD Community thread for bike trip to Ladakh or any other part of Himalayas at the link: All About Bike Ride to Ladakh & Himalayas. This will help you cover almost all your queries related to bike trip to Ladakh or Himalayas.
Hi Bro, Kindly advice me a budget trip from Delhi to leh , we are coming to delhi via mumbai in train
we plan to spend 12 days for the trip
our budget is between 20-25 k
is the trip possible
if yes how to proceed and cover major destination through bikes / cars
Kunal, for a budget related to Ladakh trip, you can read the article above and it will answer all your questions and help you budget properly based on your needs.
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 this side is Sandeep I just want to know you that we need any permition to Jammu Kashmir govt for our bike trip
Sandeep, there is no permit required to visit normal / conventional routes within Ladakh to general tourist places if you travel from Srinagar side. But, in case you travel from Manali side then you need permit from Manali to Rohtang Pass
Hi dheeraj
Iwant to know is mid march is good time to visit ladakh as we want to njy in winter
Kindly suggest 🙂
Shabia, march is a time when winters are still there in Ladakh. Few hotels are open only. Lakes are frozen with just white colors. You need to decide based on your preference. Winters are such that you will not freeze but will surely feel the power of cold 🙂
Thanks Dheeraj
Have great Ladakh trip 🙂
Hi dheeraj
We are planning to go leh ladakh by our bikes on 10th july for 10 days tour.
I want to know that what it is the budget we get per head for 4 persons and our stay is as follows
Day1-delhi to manali
Day-2 manali to jispa
Day3- jispa to pang
Day4 pang to leh
Day 5 leh
Day 6 pangong lake
Day 7 nubra valley
Day 8 leh to sarchu
Day 9 sarchu to manali
Day 10 manali to delhi
As we travel 3000 km and for it rs 6000/- further for food on road and hotels and camp as it was my first tour on road and tolls so tell me the budget for 4 persons if we have 2 bullets on twin sharing and also tell that i book hotels in advance for the places there and go there and book
Vaibhav, above article describe in detail on how to calculate the budget for Ladakh trip. Please read and in case you still have any specific doubts feel free to ask. Regarding your plan, we never suggest staying at Pang whil from from Manali side and doing Pangong tso before Nubra valley is a recipe of disaster in itself.
Hi Dheeraj ,
We are planing to ladakh for mid of this september 2016 from mumbai. We will be traveling from train to delhi . Our Bugdet is 30000 per person. We want trip of atlist 10 days from delhi so please suggest us some tips how should we plan our road trip .
We want to rent bullet from manali or you can suggest us from where it will be preferable.
Please guide us some things like what things we should carry with us .
Any permit we have to take for ladakh .
Please guide us with good seight seen .
Planing for 2 or 4 person.
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.
Thanks Dheeraj for the above reply we are satisfied with..
What things are much needed from manali as we are planing bike ride from …
Jines, are you refering things from travel perspective or bike ride perspective?
Brother, we’re also 2 guys from Delhi looking to travel with same kind of budget in September. Please let me know if any option is available.
Hi Dheeraj this is Shishir from Lucknow planning for a trip of lifetime to leh-ladakh, request you to kindly suggest the the approximate cost to n fro including food, accomodation, road taxes or permission cost n fuel expense.
Shishir, please read the article above, it will clear all your doubts for budget for Ladakh trip
Im planing leh to manali downhill by cycle, for tat first i want to bring my cycle to leh. what is the best way to transport my cycle. It is packed in a bag neatly.
Viki, you should bring it in a car or if it is light weight carry on top of a bus. Also, it is not all downhill 🙂
Hi. It’s worth visiting your page as I got a lot of inside details for my Leh ladakh trip in the month of may. An inquiry as to know if u would suggest any group who can take us trekking in Leh. Don’t want to visit regular sightseeing. Will be traveling in a group of 4 pax and a child of 5 years. Waiting for your assistance. Thank you
Ravhi, are you looking for a short trek in between Ladakh trip or just a trek ?
Hi. I am looking for a short trek in ladakh. Say 4n/5d.
For treks in Ladakh you can refer: http://trek.micahimages.com/Ladakh/ladakh_trekking.htm
Hi dheeraj, ur almost a savior with ur advice! I want to travel alone to leh ladakh and I’ve a budget of 35000. Is it ok with your above suggested 14 days? And i will be okay with decent food and comfort! My main concern is whether I’ll get the shared taxis as they’re already booked and looking at im travelling alone will it be a problem? And one more thing as ur bear grylls of hills will i be fine with this trip as I’ve only been to one trip fee months back to hemkunt sahib and badrinath! I’ve no medical issues. Brother kindly help!
Pls mail ur answer at rohangangwani8@gmail.com
I’ll be waiting. Thanks:)
Yes rohan, 35K is sufficient enough budget infact more than sufficient to make a trip to Leh – Ladakh with decent comfort of stay and food. Please read: Top 10 Tips for a Solo Trip to Ladakh or Spiti Valley
Just read through the article and you shall do good, feel free to post any queries you have further
Hi Dheeraj I am sandeep we are 3 guys
planing a trip delhi to leh by bike we have two bikes 1 pulser 220 and apache 180 cc can we go leh with thats bikes it’s that possible
And we planing in June 2016 budget 80k per head and our route is jammu to srinagar then kargil,leh tso moriri and local sightseeing in ladakh then come back home via leh manali highway we have 20day can we go there with our bikes it’s that possible
Your plan looks fine and the number of days too as well as budget 🙂 … You can refer: Most Common Itinerary for Leh Ladakh
Yes Sandeep, you can go ahead with thos ebikes.
Thanks Dheeraj and thanks for your advice
Please read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Hi Dheeraj,
we are group of 5 people from Bangalore planing to do the bike trip from Delhi – manali – ladakh – Srinagar- Delhi and want to cover w all the possible places for 14 to 15 days in first week of July 2016. we want your advice on the below points.
1. In our group 2 ladies are also there, hence we are concerned that whether we can plan our own trip or going through trip operator, which one will you suggest us. if you are suggesting your operator please let us which one we can take.
2. we also planning take the rental bike from Delhi (3 bike) and one of my friend told me that we can’t take the rented bike to some of the places in ladakh. if it is true please suggest us what we can do to cover the restricted place for rental bike.
3. one of the tour operator cover the places we need however the bike ride is starting from manali and ends at Srinagar . And the package cost range from 60000 to 80000 excluding fuel. we thought the cost is expensive. Do you think the package is reasonable.
The above query is after reading some of information in your website. The information are very useful
Hello Bala,
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 the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
There have been some tensions now in taxi unions and to settle it out what they have done is that they have a transit point just before Fotu La while going to Leh from Kargil. All Leh taxis stop there and kargil taxis too. They exchange passengers and move back in respective directions. Leh taxis take passengers to Leh coming from Srinagar/Kargil and Kargil guys take passengers to Srinagar/kargil coming from Leh
For the list of good restaurants in Leh – Ladakh or eateries or food joints where food is enjoyed by many travellers including me, you can check the link here: List of Good Restaurants in Leh – Ladakh | Restaurant Reviews
Check the list of things to carry for Leh – Ladakh or other trip including basic medical kit, clothing, must haves etc. at the link here: List of Things to Carry for Leh – Ladakh trip.
Regarding your queries,
1. You can surely plan the trip on your own I feel but yes you might have to go through the pain of preparing everything yourself right from plan to stay but for that DoW is here 🙂
2. No rental bikes from outside please. Read more below.
3. All depends what he is promising and where stay he is giving.
Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
This year as per reports, rule is going to be stricter. Manali rental guys have formalized a deal that for the days Manali bike is parked in Leh and Leh bike is rented, they will charge 50% of the rent of the bike. So, confirm with Manali rental guys first about this signoff.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2015 – 16 & Reliable Shops
The one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
If you are looking for Ladakh tour and packages, you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most. You can refer my name or DoW to Gaurav, the guy who runs it. He knows us very well and should be able to offer some special rates being a DoW Member. You can just refer him the DwD Community Member Username in such a case or screenshot of this reply here.
Hi Deeraj,
I along with my friends are planning a road trip to leh/ladakh in August 2016. As there are two routes to reach ladakh i.e. via srinagar and via manali. Can we go by one route and come back by other ? If yes, which route should we use to reach ladakh and which one to come back ??? We will travel on our personal bikes.
Regards,
Dharmendra Singh
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.
hii dheeraj thanx for that advice above
we are planning a bike trip from delhi toh leh we have a group of 3 people and a budget of 30k which includes every thing we want everything on cheap rates is it enough??
Naveen, 30K is a good budget, I hope you are talking per head? If not then you might need to increase it by about 3-5K. How many days you have in hand for your Ladakh trip?
30k is our total budget like 10k per head we are taking and we have toh complete our trip in 7 to 8 days
It will be quite difficult to do in 10K and also 7-8 days is not sufficient to make a Ladakh trip.
30k is our total budget like 10k per head we are taking and we have to complete our trip in 7 to 8 days
Naveen going by the math/logic defined aboove in the article, I do not think you will be able to make the trip within 10K all inclusive and above all you need minimum of 9 days to make Ladakh trip where in you just reach Leh, take a days rest and start back for return.
Hi Dhiraj,
First of all, Thanks alot for such descriptive post 🙂
My query is below, I want to complete my travel in August 2016 and the plan that I have is as below
Mumbai to Delhi – Flight
Delhi to Jammu (Visit VaishnoDevi), Jammu to Srinagar (Sightseeing), Srinagar to Leh Laddakh(Complete all the major points in between, Stay around 4-5 days while travelling), Leh Laddakh to Manali(Stay and sightseeing), Return back to Delhi, Delhi to Mumbai
The difficulty that I am facing is to find the mode of transport and that I don’t want to invest that much in hotel luxuries.
Can you please suggest what should be the overall budget for transportation for above plan i.e. Delhi to Delhi and could it be possible to do hotel bookings as required on the spot while travelling
Mayur, You are alone and private taxis are very costly in Leh but you will be able to find the shared taxi without much fuss at all. There are lots of flyers which people put at cafes, dine-ins, restaurants, travel agent desks/shops/whiteboards wanting to share the taxis for different trips within Ladakh. Even travel agent organize such shared taxis trip as well but charge a little higher about Rs 200-300 more than it would ideally cost. So, in worst case you can always go back to them and book a seat for yourself. Gelling up with people in Ladakh is more or less easy because many people travel solo and look forward to meet new people and share cultural thoughts and values over the trip. No where else in the world you will find more smiling and helpful people as Ladakhis are 🙂
Bro, m planning a trip in 2016 what is the best time to visit ladhakh from delhi….
I would be using my RE 350 bike to travel the whole trip.
Anmol, you can check: Best Time to Travel Ladakh & Zanskar Valley
Hey dheeraj,very useful writeup!
Me and 3 of my friends planning for leh ladakh trip in 2016 for 7 days from karnataka!Keeping expenses at basics please suggest me the route map and the gross budget involved!
Thanks in advance
Pruthvi, are you planning to fly down to Leh and fly out? 7 days otherwise will be too less for a trip to Ladakh by road.
Hi!
I like the information you guys provide. Thanks for everything.
We are 3 young couples from Gujarat and want a trip organized to Leh Ladakh in May’16. Do you guys organize trips? If yes, what would be the cost? If no, do you know any reasonable tour person who could help us. We are looking to fly from delhi to Leh so we could spend around 7-8 days in Leh. I would appreciate your help.
Happy diwali 🙂
Happy Diwali Mihir !! 🙂 🙂
We do not deal in any tours or packages. If you are looking for Ladakh tour and packages, you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most. You can refer my name or DoW to Gaurav, the guy who runs it. He knows us very well and should be able to offer some special rates being a DoW Member. You can just refer him the DwD Community Member Username in such a case or screenshot of this reply here.
Regards
Dheeraj
hello my name is ARSALAN .. I am planning for a trip to ladakh with all the sight seeing and places to visit along with my friend Akbar from Kolkata … please help me with the hotel and transport in average budget and how many days required to cover my ladakh trip …
how many days ?
how much money required ( average budget)
Arsalan, how many days do you have in hand and can spare in June to September period?
We are group of 3, and all are in age group of 18-20, and we are planning to go from Delhi to Leh we will be on our bikes. I want you to guide me for the same i.e. route, perfect time to visit there, all the details regarding the tour. Thanks
Rohit, 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
Hi,
My husband and I are planning a trip to Leh and Ladakh from mumbai via srinagar by road. We dont expect luxurious hotels and can do with the basics. Can you share the minimum expense for the trip?
Sneha, all depends upon how many days are you planning. You can check the above article.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are in Bangalore and planing to visit manali to leh by raod, and then ladakh. Could you suggest the best route and estimate price we should be ready with.
-Nishant
Nishant, when are you planning to visit it Manali – Leh road?
Hi Dheeraj
Your planner is really helpfull for travelling.I am planning to visit leh in end of october with my wife and daughter (2 years old). Please suggest me whether it is safe to travel by flight in month of october
With regards
Puneet popli
Hi Puneet,
I will not recommend that you travel to Ladakh with a small kid at that time of the year
Hi! Dheeraj,your posts are great,
we are a couple planed a trip in the month for may first week 2016 to Srinagar (sightseeing for two days) to Gulmarg (sightseeing for a night) to pahelgum (sightseeing for a night) back to srinagar,stay for a day for shopping,next day back by train to delhi. our budget per head 8000. is it enough for this plan? please reply soon
Aveek, does this budget includes everything? Count at least 1200-1500 per person per day for food and stay only in Kashmir during that time of the year as it is peak season.
hi! Dheeraj,
actually our total budget is 30k,we will be fly in from kolkata to srinagar,maximum 15k to 16k, this amount for stay,food and local travel for five day 1 night at gulmarg,1 night at pahelgum and three night at srinagar. back by jammu tawai train to delhi. as of now i did not book any hotel,like book on the spot,is it possible to find hotel that time? which travel agency you prefer to go? my previous experience is very bad about agency. please inform me soon. thanks
Aveek, the problem is that you will be traveling in peak season time and especially the places like Pahalgam and Gulmarg are full and even at times most good hotels in Srinagar are also full. You can imagine that May being the holiday time in schools, everyone plan their vacation there only 😀 … Hence, the issue. If you are OK to try the luck on the spot that is a little dicey in case you do not want hassles. In case you and family is OK with some hassles, you should book in advance.
Also, in any other case of month, I would not have you suggested it but just because of peak season I am saying it to 🙂 …
If you are looking for booking the stay options in advance, you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies. You can refer my name or DoW to Gaurav, the guy who runs it. Knows us very well.
hi! Dheeraj
tried to connect with Gaurav,in the mean time ,would like to get an idea about my budget and plan also.you did not commend on my budget till. could you please?
Aveek, I think I replied that in season time I assume you should take into account at least 1500 per day for food and stay per person in a basic guest house or homestay in Kashmir. In case you will book before hand or in advance, it will for sure be higher to around 2000-2500 likes. Then it is all about transport which will be costly too. Keep around 3500-4000 per day in season time for taxis like Innova. So, a 6 day trip to Kashmir will be like 21000-24000 for taxi or may be a bit less and 9000-12000 per head for food and stay. Keep in mind that places like Pahalgam and Gulmarg only have few properties apart form home stays / small guest houses and those properties are in range of above 5000 mostly, AFAIK.
This is a general plan we recommend for Kashmir for first timers. You may add a day or so here and there in case you want to relax more.
Day 1 | Srinagar
– Take rest for the day. May be enjoy Shikara ride or stay in house boat itself.
Day 2 | Srinagar – Pahalgam
Day 3 | Pahalgam
– Just relax for the day and spend sometime around
– May be a visit to Chandanwari
– very ancient Mamleshwar temple
Day 4 | Pahalgam – Gulmarg
– Explore ruins of Awantipura
– Enjoy vistas en-route
Day 5 | Gulmarg – Sonamarg
– Enjoy vistas enroute, especially between Tangmarg to Gulmarg
– Enjoy in snow at ski slopes snow points and may be check out Golf course, if you feel like
Day 6 | Sonamarg – Srinagar
Day 7 | Back Home
Hello Dheeraj,
I have read your article and all the questions and comments. Wonderfully written article and adore your incredible patience, answering all the questions.
I have been dreaming about this for a very long 4 years. I will be flying in to Leh.
1) AMS: I am aware of the medication, however are there small o2 cans available to purchase? I have been to places that are 11,000 ft (cusco / machupichu) and touched up to 14000 ft during short bus / train trips.
2) Winter: What can I do in the Winter in Leh? Are there good WiFi available, so I can work? Are there places to visit during the winter months, Are the roads open to the tourist places?
3) Hotels: What are the best sites to look for hotel reservations that show moderate hotels?
4) Taxi: July – October: Are there shared taxies from Srinagar -> Leh / Manali -> Leh? what should the cost be? Is a bus more comfortable than a taxi? Are there volvo busses to Leh?
You have been doing an amazing job, please keep up the good work.
Hi Ajay,
1. Small oxygen cans are good for nothing. Past history does not assure anything when it comes to AMS. If can hit anyone anytime no matter what.
2. Please read: 6 Special Tips for a Winter Trip to Ladakh
3. Read above.
4. July to September, shared taxis are available. No vovlo buses but semi deluxe mini buses are run by HPTDC on Manali – Leh
Hey…Nice blog!
Hope you are doing great.
Actually we are 4-6 college friends (girls included) we are looking for a trip to Ladhak for a week. With 5k budget per person. Is it enough (if not what should be the budget range per person) for average food, accommodation and travelling in public or shared vechile or any other.we are travelling from Delhi and can travel in Indian railway till Srinagar or wherever it is suitable. What would be the best cheapst transportation during the trip. If you can plan our trip day wise like day 1 day 2… that would be very kind 😀 please reply….
Thanxs a lot!
Nikhil, it is too low a budget to make a trip to Ladakh. There is no public transport in Ladakh and hence taxi only will cost around 10K for you guys per head.
Hello Dheeraj,
Nice to see such a nice blog with all details . We are two and we are planning to travel Srinagar to Leh . We have 10 days in hand . We reaching srinagar by 2nd oct early morning . We planned to stay a night in srinagar and then start the very next day to kargil . We hav a army frd to meet in kargil and stay fa a day in kargil . Next day we ll b travelling leh from kargil . Monday to sunday in leh . Suggest us the places to be visited in srinagar, on the way from srinagar to leh and in leh . We are returning from leh on 11th sun . We don wanno miss any beautiful views or places . Pls give us the list of places we should be covered .
Jay you can follow below from Monday to Sunday
Day 1 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 2 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 3 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 5 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour OR you can do tour to Sham Valley
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey, Stakna and Shey monasteries. They come on the route of Pangong Tso but as you will be doing day trip, it will be a bit hectic to include them on that day only.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, , Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Fly back
Thx a ton Dheeraj . Is there anything in special to be visited in Srinagar which we shoudn miss in one nyt we staying ?
A shikara ride on Dal lake is what I loved most in Srinagar 🙂
hi,
dheeraj awesome guidance for the riders . i planning a bullet trip to leh for 10 days is it possible . which is best time for leh bullet trip replay me
When are you planning the trip. Do you want to see snow or you want to see beautiful colors? Read this: Best Time to Travel Ladakh & Zanskar Valley
Hello Dhiraj,
we are 4 girls planning a trip to Manali in the end of october. we also wish to see leh ladakh
can you help us out with some safe and affordable options. we have a budget of 10K per person.
PLease do reply.
Poojan, first of all for a trip to Ladakh your budget is quite low. Also, by end of October most things are closed in Ladakh so not a good time to travel specially by road. Please plan it next season now with a more budget.
Hello Dheeraj
We are planing to go leh ladhak from ahmedabad and we decide to take a route like shimla, to srinagar, kargil then ladak, so is that good route or we need to change it road is doesn’t matter for us but we want to see more place if you guide us than it will be helpful for us as well we need the information about the things what should we carry with us or not ? so please share me your contact detail if that is possible to you or whatts app me at 7698068863
Awaiting for your reply back soon
Thanks
Mohammed Chhipa
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 Dhiraj I want to visit Leh andPangong Tsumoriri and Nubra vally from 23rd October to 31stOct .We are 3adults .we want to travel in a share vehicle Kindly let me know the total fare cost per adult
There will be no place to stay at Pangong Tso during that time and the conditions will be quite cold during those days. Tso Moriri will be extremely cold and again no place to stay except Chumathang. Nubra Valley is still posible and some home stays or guest houses run late till the season.
Hi Dheeraj, hw r u? Just read your article and guidance. U are a masterpiece for suggestions to Leh trip. I am going to visit to Ladalh in last week of September with 5 boys in our group. Coming to Ladakh by flight from Delhi on 25th September 2015. Please suggest me to visit best places in two days only. I will be leaving from leh on 27th Sep to Srinagar by road at any time. I want to see Pangong lake and nubra valley and if possible Zanskar Valley along with local sight seeing. We have a budget of 15 to 20K each for 5 persons in my group. Please suggest me cheap and best and plan for my trip. Also suggest places to visit in Leh to Srinagar by road on our returning trip. I also want to see the beauty of Patnitop and Srinagar.
Vinay, two days are required just to rest in Leh and acclimatize to the high altitude of Leh. So, enjoy the views from Leh
Hi Dheeraj,
I want to go to leh-ladakh by riding my own classic – 350 .
I have searched online for leh-ladakh trip but they have opened their business for trip and asking around 48000 rs. approx , i saw that cost on Royal enflied blog post.
Let me know what to do if somebody want to travel leh-ladakh without any agents or any business mind people.
Thanks Raaj
Raaj, check the DoW Travel Calendar from the menu to find out travel partners.
Hi raj.
I have also wish to go with a bike to ladkh.my no 7373544010.
You can search DoW Travel Calendar from the menu in case you looking out for Travel Partners for Ladakh
dheeraj im from haryana n i plan a solo trip to ladakh n i have no queries how i.travel leh suggest me
Hi ,
What will be approximate cost for a solo traveller for 10 nights (standard single room/homestay) and shared taxi (if possible) in the month of Sept (18-28)
Regards
connectingsouls
hi dheeraj, we are 4 friend and thinking to visit spiti valley and manali…our budget is near about 20k for 5-7 days ..is it good enough for this visit??
Budget is OK but 7 days will be a bit less for a Spiti Valley trip. May be add couple of more days to enjoy a bit more.
Hi Dhiraj,
I have planned to visit leh ladakh in first week of october for which i have already booked the air tickets. I will arrive at leh on 3rd oct and leave ob 9th oct. I want to know how can i get a good package for 7 days/6 nights stay n sight seeing package. My budget is 15-20k apart from airfare. Pls help me thanx.
Replied here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/contact-us/comment-page-1/#comment-349503
Hi
I wanna see northern India which place is more beautiful laddakh or srinagar for September month. I mean I can visit either srinagar or laddakh.so which place is more beautiful and better for natural sightseeing
Both are unique to themselves in terms of beauty, you will not go wrong with either Kashmir or Ladakh 🙂
Hey dhiraj!! Ur articles have really excited me n I have to make this trip… We r two ladies. We are on a budget and r hoping to get the most out of 25k for approx 10 days. Wud 25k suffice for two people. We just want to visit Tso moriri and a few monasteries. Is this doable?
Shruti, in case you saying about 25K each for both of you then it is decent budget. You are two and private taxis are very costly in Leh but you will be able to find the shared taxi without much fuss at all. There are lots of flyers which people put at cafes, dine-ins, restaurants, travel agent desks/shops/whiteboards wanting to share the taxis for different trips within Ladakh. Even travel agent organize such shared taxis trip as well but charge a little higher about Rs 200-300 more than it would ideally cost. So, in worst case you can always go back to them and book a seat for yourself. Gelling up with people in Ladakh is more or less easy because many people travel solo and look forward to meet new people and share cultural thoughts and values over the trip. No where else in the world you will find more smiling and helpful people as Ladakhis are 🙂
hi dheeraj
your page is a great help to actually feel the journey to leh. i am planig to go there in mid september. i have maruti swift petrol….which have done 50,000 km till date..have new tyres…my place hoshiarpur(punjab) is 289 km form manali and 458 km from srinagar….so what you suggest ..which route should i take by keeping view of distance…if i go by srinagar, do i have to get registration or any other formalities? is maruti swift a safe bet….thanks
Hello Binny,
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.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are group of around 5-6 friends planning to travel in the last week of september. One of the package we agreed on is Srinagar-Leh-Srinagar. The total amount from mumbai including flights is 33k per person. Is it good enough? your suggestions are welcome..
Rashmi, I am not sure what is the cost of air tickets as of now but in case they are around 10-12K, it sounds a decent package to me.
Hello Sir,
I am planning trip to leh on 1st week of sept 2015 with a pillon rider(my friend(male)) . I am planning to rent bike from Manali . As we are both boys we don’t want to spend much on accommodation . I am wondering if 25k budget is enough for per head?
It will be more than enough Nikhil 🙂
Hi All / Dheeraj,
have already planned for LEH trip starting from july 31 2015 – August 18 2015.
Departing from mumbai on july 31 2015 and reaching jammu on Aug 1 2015 in the afternoon by swaraj express. we are two people travelling and need to reach LEH on 3rd at any circumstances since we are going for cycling (youth hostel association) . So i want to know the travelling route and schedule for the same.
1. What type of transport should i opt to travel srinagar from Jammu after reaching Jammu on august 1 2015 by 3 pm ?
2.What is the travel time between jammu and srinagar if we go for share taxi ? when would we reach srinagar if we catch taxi from jammu in the evening (august 1 2015)
3. Are these share taxi available all day ? and from where they can be hired? any specific location? and what would be the cost ? Hoping that i will reach srinagar on august 2 i.e the next day
4.Travel time between srinagar to leh in order to reach by august 3 .
Are these share taxi available all day ? and from where they can be hired? any specific location? and what would be the cost ?
5. Also planning to rent bullets for three days after finishing cycling trek on august 11 and tents for one day to stay at pangong . So what would be the cost of the bullet for single day and tent ?
Please find my schedule and let me know whether this plan can be achived .
August 3 – August 11 : Cycling trek (Trek ends on August 11 by 9 am)
August 11 – August 13 : For other places aroung LEH
August 14 – August 16 : travelling starts from LEH to Jammu
August 17 – August 18 : Borading train from Jammu and reaching mumbai on august 18
We have decided to visit few places in these three days.
Places to visit between the dates August 11 – August 13
Please advise whether all can be covered in these three days and what needs to be removed from the below list of places.
From G.H Road , Skara, Leh- Ladakh 194101(J&K) Nearest Landmark: Kartse Gompa.
1.khardung la pass – 40.3 kms 1.5 hours
2.magnetic hill – 27 kms 1 hour
3.thikse gompa – 19.5 kms 45 mins
4.namgyal tsemo monastery – 4.6 mns 10 mins
5.gurdwara pathar sahib – 23.2 kms 30 mins
6.leh palace – 2.5 km 30 mins
7.shanti stupa – 5.4 km 30 mins
8.spituk gompa
9.sankar gompa
10.phyang gompa
11.shey monastrey – 12.4 km 30 mins
12.diskit gompa – 118 kms 3.5 hours
13.pangong lake – 149 km 3.5 hours
14.nubra valley – 115 kms 3.5 hours
Please assist . Since i have only 4 days left to start the trip . My email id is reddyraj1789@gmail.com
Hi Rajesh,
1. Check in case there are any shared taxis leaving by evening from Jammu or night, I am sure there should be some.
2. Jammu to Srinagar is around 7-9 Hrs depending upon traffic.
3. Answered above
4. Again either go by JKSRTC buses or go by shared taxis. There are single day and two days taxis both available. Prefered is one night stop at Kargil
5. Tent not sure, bullets are around 1200-1500 depending upon model and make.
Your plan seems fine to me. In three days in hand you can actually do a day trip to Khardung La and two day trip to Pangong Tso where you can camp in the village
Regards
Dheeraj
Sir
we are planning to visit leh & surrounding areas in the month of august 2nd week ,own vehicle safari but we heard the roads from manali to leh are not in a good condition and there are a chances of rain. as per weather forecast
please suggest
thanks
It is monsoon time in general up there in North and at some parts of Manali – Leh Highway (like before Baralacha La) and Srinagar – Leh Highway (like before Kargil) you might need to face monsoon hassles but once you get closer to Ladakh, then Ladakh being rain shadow region is least affected by monsoon rains, though rains does reach Ladakh now but to minimum and mostly it might remains overcast conditions. There is no thumb rule of certainty about weather conditions but above is generally common pictures seen over last few years except ugly 2010 …
Heya, Very informative post.. I even thinking to visit leh ladakh complete on 2016…thanks for the information 🙂
Best wishes for the Ladakh trip, glad it was quite useful and informative 🙂
Hello Dheeraj,
We r pland a road trip by bike from bangalure to leh. What would be the road condition’s and which bike do u refer royel enfild or duke r15 such kind of bikes?
Nandy, when have you planned the road trip to Ladakh? Which month I mean?
Hi Dheeraj,
I plan t do the Leh-Ladakh circuit in the first week of September. Am really confused weather to include these places or not? Panikhar, Parakchik, Rangdum Pensi La. As i’ll be covering the entire typical circuit will these places be worth it? or i may give them a miss and spend more time elsewhere.
Zahoor, it will take about 4-5 days at minimum to include Zanskar Valley or in case just Suru valley then 2 days at comfort level are required.
Thanks for your promt response Dheeraj,
So its better that i skip these places for this trip and include them for my Zanskar trip some other time? A FWD XUV would do this route or a 4WD is recommended?
Yes Zahoor it is much better to plan a dedicated trip to Zanskar Valley some other time. XUV driven carefully shall do fine in Ladakh
Hello Dheeraj,
Wanted to know if there is a restriction when I rent a self driven car for travel in and around Leh from Delhi. I mean a self driven car does not have a while number plate. So any permit or cost I need to obtain or bear.
Hello Dheeraj,
To add self drive cars in Delhi come with black and yellow number plate, will that be an issue if taken for travelling in Leh…
Anurag, self drive cars will only be allowed to reach Leh and exit leh. After reaching Leh you need to hire local taxi for sightseeing within Ladakh
Anurag, they are simply not allowed to roam for sightseeing in Ladakh. You can just use them to enter Leh and exit from Leh.
Sir,
We are 6 people travelling from Gujarat.
Our itinerary starts in from Jammu on 12th July and reach New Delhi on 24th July. This includes
12 July – Jammu
13 – Srinagar
14 -Kargil
15-Leh
16-Leh
17-Nubra
18-Leh
19-Pangong
20-Leh
21-Tsomoriri
22-Sarchu
23-Manal
24i-New Delhi
We have following questions :
1) we booked through travel agent. Cost in above itinerary (including night-stay in all places, breakfast-dinner and 1 Xylo car) is 27,500 rs / person.
Is this prize less, average or more?
2) Is xylo casr comformatble for 6 people in the above itinerary? or we should go for Innova car?
Regards,
Ashesh
Ashesh, not sure which hotels are booked BUT still I will suggest if budget hotels or normal hotels for 6 people, I will suggest to cross check with info@offbeatescapes.com well because as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies offering packages at affordable prices too.
my itinerary for the leh trip, i need ur input
Date Activity
18-Jul-15 Delhi to Manali
19-Jul-15 Manali Sight seeing & Stay at Solang Valley
20-Jul-15 Solang Valley to Jispa (Stay at Jispa)
21-Jul-15 Jispa to Pang (stay at sarchu or pang)
22-Jul-15 pang to leh (stay at leh)
23-Jul-15 LEH to Nubra valley(stay at Nubra)
24-Jul-15 Nubra to pangong (stay at pangong)
25-Jul-15 pangong to leh (stay at leh)
26-Jul-15 Leh to Srinagar
27-Jul-15 Sight seeing at srinagar house boats
28-Jul-15 Srinagar to delhi
29-Jul-15 arrival in Delhi
Avoid sleeping at Sarchu or Pang at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there. It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you minimize the chances for falling sick or hit by AMS while going to Leh from Manali. And, then next day carry on the rest of the journey to Leh without sleeping in between anywhere by leaving early in the morning say, by 4-5 AM types. I prefer staying at Jispa more because Keylong gives the feeling of a town while Jispa is more closer to nature having Bhaga river running just aside the Manali – Leh Highway at Jispa. If you are coming back via Manali – Leh, then it should be OK to stay at Sarchu as your body will be acclimatized by that time.
Thanks a lot dheeraj…………..
is july the best time to visit Leh?????
Gaurav, now that we have crossed mid of July, it is not really a good time to travel Ladakh by road through lower hills where monsoon hassles are there.
Hello sir,I am from Gujarat..we are planning a bike trip to leh ladakh via srinagar..I want to know that,how can we transport our bikes till Delhi..I mean wich is the safest and cheap way to transport our bikes??and what is the procedure…please reply..and one more thing that we want to reach kargil at 26 july so how should we plan our trip..26 july because is kargil vijay divas..so we want to give a tribute our brave soldiers who sacrifice there life for us..thank you.
Kaushal, please read: How to Carry your Bike in Train to Ladakh or Himalayas?
dear dheeraj,
last year i asked u some questions regarding my quaries and u gave me the answers,but we could not go thats the different thing by some personal reasons,
but this year we are surely going 4 guys with my petrol ford ecosports…
so my questions are…..
1-do i need any kind of permit if i m going along with my personal car from srinagar to leh…
2-do we need inner line permit after reaching leh..
3-we have plan 10 days for this entire trip from delhi (suggession required) or can be extended for more 2 days
4-we have idea of budget is rs 15000 per person for this trip is it enough..
5- we are going on 8th of september 2015 is this good mont to travel
6- will my petrol ecosports do the job for us for this trip
plz reply all the answers if you get time………..waiting for reply
thanks and regards
deepak sharma
Hi Deepak,
No worries happens to most of us 😉 …
1. No from SRinagar to Leh to Manali you do not need any permit for the personal car
2. In case you are sticking to normal tourist places, then you do not need any inner line permits as well being Indians
3. Better extend by 2 days to make it 12.
4. 15K could be a tad less, may be 20K is more realistic but who knows you get better deals as you traveling in September
5. September is best month to travel Ladakh
6. Yes, it will run through it with ease.
sir i want to go leh ladak i have bullet 350 plz tell me good and afordable bike tour company so i can go with them
Sorry on this front Lalit.
Hi Dheeraj
I have a couple of questions. Would be greatly helpful for the help.
I plan to do a rented bike trip(bullet 350 cc) with pillion(female) in a group in the second week of July.
Planning to follow the common Itinerary mentioned with some changes.
Day 1: Arrive at Srinagar and rest there.
Day 2: Same as days 3 of your itinerary
Rest is same as your itinerary.
1. Would I be able to make the trip under 30k considering I am willing to stay at places with basic amenities(nothing luxurious). Willing to stay at places which offer just stay and self service for cooking.
2. On an average what accommodation cost can I aim for per night in this budget ?
3. I would be the only person driving. Any precautions or suggestions ?
4. Have heard that you should carry spare parts and be able to basic repairs for the bike. Any ideas
Expecting your reply soon.
Mudit
#mdtaggarwal@gmail.com
Hi Mudit,
1. Are you considering per person or both?
2. Stay and food will range about Rs 500-700 per person per day in case you considering basic homestays and guest houses.
3. You must be used to long rides. Do read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
4. Yes, very much. I will suggest that you go through the articles mentioned under the DwD Community thread for bike trip to Ladakh or any other part of Himalayas at the link: All About Bike Ride to Ladakh & Himalayas. This will help you cover almost all your queries related to bike trip to Ladakh or Himalayas.
Sir,
Are there buses which ply between leh and manali? I’m planning to go 25th June 2015 from Manali. I will be following your basic itenary.
And I wanted to know about the public transport buses for Pangong so from Leh and other places around leh.
is it a good option to travel there by bus as we students cant afford 20-25k.
I’m planning a super budget trip under 10k with my own tent , no i guess no accomodation costs.
Please let me know other budget cuts that can help me.
I will leave delhi by 23-24th june. Please let me know soon
Thank you
Beas, please refer: Rates & Time table of Bus Services in Leh – Ladakh
hi dheeraj,
we two friends are planning to leh-ladakh. can you help us to give an idea about the cost to leh per person.
our planning is:
01 day – Flight from delhi to Srinagar
02 day – Srinagar to leh
03 day – Leh local sightscenes
04 day – Pangogong Lake
05 day – Nubra valley
06 day – Leh to Manali
07 day – Manali to Dehi
08 day – Delhi reached
Please suggest that out planning is ok or not??
or also tell that how much it will cost to per person for entire trip including all expenses like, hotels, meals, transportation, if we takes shared taxi for round way from Srinagar to leh and leh to manali.
Srinagar to Leh in a day will take about 18+ hrs. 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
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for this site.
Dheeraj , we are 3 friends and have a 12 day trip planned to Ladakh starting July 1 via Sri nagar.
The road taken is more or less the same as mentioned above covering Srinagar – Kargil – Lamayaru – Leh – Nubra – Pangong – Tso moriri – Tso kar and back to Leh.
We want to visit the Aryan villages of Dha and Haanu on the way and wish to stay in a Monastery for a day.
Also, we are wanting to stay in nice , clean home stays through out the trip.
We have a quote of around 40k per person which comes to One Lac Twenty Thousand for the whole trip for Stay and travel through Mahindra XUV. We have Breakfast and Dinner almost all places and Lunch at a few.
Could you please tell us if this quote sounds good and what is ur take on it.
Also, any offbeat routes ? Thank you very much.
Regards,
Varsha.
Hi Varsha,
1. On the way from Kargil to Leh, you can visit Dah Hanu and stay at Alchi, reach next day to Leh
2. 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
3. You can plan yourself as well else you can also cross check a quote from info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies.
HI Dheeraj,
Firstly, thank you for all the invaluable information in the most comprehensive way that you have shared here. I am travelling to Ladakh in a couple of days and had a lot of questions in my mind when I came to your blog but after reading articles, comments and your replies they have been reduced to the following:
1. I am travelling solo with a lot of time in hand and wish to cover as much Ladakh as it is possible. I want to know if it is feasible and economical that I make Leh my base and travel to the other places for day trips.
2. Also, if you can suggest that what are the places where I should stay overnight and the others where just a day trip would be better.
3. I want to experience (atleast once) a stay in a Monastery. Would you know of the Monasteries that offer accommodation to tourists and how should they be approached?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Neha,
1. Yes, that is the best way to do it. Make Leh as base and travel to other places as couple of days trip.
2. Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri are the top most places
3. Yes, you can stay up at Alchi/Likir/Phey/Stok/Stakna etc..
Hello dheeraj,
We are a group of 5 friends..we are planning a trip to leh ladakh from 21-27..I am considering 21st as
-we are travelling from mumbai by train..
My first doubt is what is better?
1)jammu-srinagar-leh or
2)delhi-manali-leh
We are planning for nubra valley and pangong lake and rotang pass.. I want to know about the budget of whichever route is better..
Aswe are five, we will use shared taxis there and ordinary accommodation is fine for us..
It would be a great help if you can give us estimate budget per person..
Thank you..
Just for 7 days? Hemant, it will take 3 days from Manali side to reach Leh and 4 days from Srinagar side to reach Leh from Delhi. So, if you do circuit all 7 days are just on ethe journey and being on the road only.
Hello,
There was a mistake while posting earlier.
The tour we have planned is like this
Day 1: Leave for manali in the morning from Delhi. Rest in Manali.
OR
Day 1: Reach Jammu in the afternoon by train, take a bus to reach Srinagar late at night
Day 2: Leave for Leh. Reach Keylong. Overnight in Keylong
OR
Day 2: Leave for Kargil. Night at Kargil
Day 3: Reach Leh in the evening. Rest
OR
Day 3:Reach Leh in the evening.
Day 4: Go to Nubra, Camping in Nubra
Day 5: Nubra sightseeing, Diskit monastery. Come back to Leh
Day 6: Leh-Pangong-Leh
Day 7 and Day 8: Travel back to Manali
Please let me know about the feasibility of the plan, and which one is better, via Manali or via Srinagar. Also, suggest improvements to this plan.
Thanks in advance.
Hemant, yes the above plan is feasible enough and can be done.
हमारा भी 6 दोस्तों का 21-28 दिल्ली से यही प्लान है सेल्फ ड्राइव …कौन सा रास्ता आसान होगा कम समय में ?
Dear Dhiraj,
we are 2 couples, willing to go these places – Leh,Nubra Valley,Tso moriri Lake,Alchi ,Lamayuru,Stok Khangri,Zanskar,Hunder,tso pangong lake by hired taxi or car.We will go to leh by air and fly back from leh. suggest us about the tour like sequence for visiting these places, where to stay,and cost as we can manage on a budget hotel and simple food.
what about package tour, as indian holidays offering a tour including these places on Rs.30000/-
Brajesh, these are too many places to be covvered. How many days do you have in hand?
anskar itself need about 4-5 days from Kargil. Are you sure it is Zanskar?
hi Dhiraj
it’s Indus zansker conflict and alchi and huder are not included in the packs..
Where Brajesh? what packs?
Hi Dheeraj! Thanks for sharing such valuable information. I have queries regarding bike trip from manali to Leh.we are 4 people planning for Leh trip by rented bike in this July 2015. can you please suggest budget for 12-15 days trip. Also wanted to know if it is safe for 2 couples to choose a bike trip for Leh from manali. Please reply soon. Thanks .
Riya, please read the article above to get an understand on the budget for ladakh trip. Going over as 2 couples is good to go.
Hi Guys,
We are three friends in Chandigarh, plaining for LEH on Bullets and we have only 10 days 2015 ( 20th June to 29th June.)
What would be the better way to go and stay places. anybody please help us out.
CHD to Manali or CHD to Shirinagar
Places to Stay ?
How much travel per day
Thanks
Hello Varinder,
It will take 4 days to reach Leh from Srinagar side and 3 days to come back from Leh from Manali side. 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
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for such an informative post.
I will be driving from Bangalore to Ladakh with my wife in the month of August in my Honda Amaze Petrol.
The itinerary is for 21 days i.e 15th Aug to 5th Sep 2015.
Would you kind give me a rough budget as to how much can be the expenditure per person for this trip , including fuel, accomodation, toll, food etc.
We will not be staying in any high end hotels and medium range hotels are just fine.
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards,
Arnab Mukherjee
Arnab, please read the article above for getting to understand or darft the rough budget for the trip. It covers all the aspects from public transport to self drive car.
hii dhiraj we 4 friends plan a jurny to sri ganga nagar ,rajasthan to ladhakh in a car sugges me plz
Vikas, how many days you have in hand? 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,
Thanks for sharing these awsm information. We are group of 10 people planning to travel jammu-srinagar-kargil-leh-manali-delhi from 13-24/25 July.
Following is our itinerary :
13 – Jammu-Srinagar
14 – Srinagar-Gulmarg-Srinagar
15 – Srinagar- Sonamarg- Kargil
16 – Kargil –Lamayuru – Alchi -Leh
17 – Leh to Nubra
18 – Nubra Valley (Local Sightseeing) and back to Leh
19 – Leh local sight seeing
20 – Leh to Pangong Lake via Shey & Thiksey
21 – Pangong to Leh via Hemis Monastery
22 – Leh-Tanglang La-Lachulung La-Sarchu – Jispa
23 – Jispa-Keylong-Rohtang-Manali
24 – Manali-Delhi
1) Is this itinerary Ok?
2) If we want to include Tso Moriri – Tso Kar when in the dates between? we can 1/2 more days in this itinerary.
3) Total from Jammu-Delhi accommodation and stay cost us around 30000/person. Is the expense Ok or high?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Ashesh,
1. Itineary is fine just move the rest day of Leh before going to Nubra valley where acutally it is really required in terms of acclimatization, rest looks OK
2. Tso Moriri – Tso Kar just require a day to be added. From Leh you can go to Tso Moriri for overnight stay, then next day leave Tso Moriri to Sarchu covering Tso Kar lake and then finally Sarchu – Jispa Manali.
3. Looks OK. I hope it included travel cost as well becoz 30K just for stay looks high scale to me.
Hey
“Great detailed writing there. Would like to know how to do a road trip if u have 2wd urban suv (ecosport) with just 10 days for the trip. Places to avoid and must go places. Plus i am an avid photographer don’t wanna miss out on anything but dont wanna get stuck anywhere either. This will be my first this long road trip any precautions to take and we are 3 guys. Want the trip to be cheap and safe. What would be the best time to visit? Is alcohol allowed in cars or easily available there(read 3 bachelors), no drink and drive for sure. Would 30000 per person be enough for this trip? Please advice on all the above mentioned things.
Aryan, your budget is quite decent and doable considering just 10 days in hand. However, it will be more like a on the road journey only. It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. 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.
there is a new rule passed out that entry from manali rohtang pass has been been limited to 1000 cars per day plus 2500 per car entry. Is there anything that can be done to avoid it. And i plan to take rohtang pass while coming back not while going as it is a bit hard.
Aryan, nothing can be done to avoid this rule now. If you are planning to come down from other side of Rohtang Pass not Manali, then you need not worry about this rule as the rule is only applicable for vehicles going towards Rohtang Pass from Manali.
Hi Dheeraj,
You are doing a fantastic job.. We are planning a leh ladakh trip by September end and we are planning to do a road trip from Srinagar – Kargil – Leh – Manali.. Can you please advise me the iTernity and also any good and some what cheap Tour wala for the same with whom we can hire the SUV with chauffeur and also accomadation + food..
Thanks.
Hi MAnish,
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. If you are looking for a travel packages, then you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
I would like to plan a trip from Mumbai to Leh-Ladakh.
Can you help in planning the trip of 10 days in July-Aug timeframe, in terms of what places to visit?
We are group of 4-5 guys.
Bhaven, are you flying in to Leh?
Plan is to Fly till Delhi or Manali (else Delhi-Manali by bus or other public transport). From Manali I would like to cover Manali-Leh journey via jeep or hired taxi. Return journey would like to cover Leh-Srinagar.
But it all depends on time, as we will have only 10 days.
Please suggest what is a good plan for 10 days trip.
It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. 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.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are group of 5 ppl planning to travel via road to Ladakh (Mumbai-Delhi-Manali-Ladakh-Srinagar-Delhi-Mumbai) satrting on 17th June. Can we finish the complete trip in 10 days and is this route proper. Ur advice would be of great help.
Thanks!!
Savio, 10 days for a road trip to Ladakh are a bit less. It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. 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.
Hi,
We are a group of 8 people and planning visit Leh in the month of September 2015. We are planning the follow. Could you please suggest if this will be possible and help plan in a cost effective way?
Our plan is like—
13 Sep : Early Morning at Leh airport and transfer to hotel and rest.
14 Sep : Excursion to Sham Valley (Upto Lamayuru)
15 Sep : Leh – Nubra Valley via Khardungla Pass. Post breakfast we drive to Nubra Valley.
16 Sep : Nubra Valley – Leh.
17 Sep : Leh – Pangong Lake
18 Sep : Pangong – Tso Moriri. Via Chushul, the famous Indus bend and then past Nyoma and cross Mahe bridge and reach Tso Moriri Lake.
Night at Tso Moriri
19 Sep : Tso Moriri – Leh
drive back to Leh via Tsokar and Tanglang La
Stay at Leh
20 Sep : Depart Leh (Fly out)
Can you please let us know that can we go by a single car or we have to hire two? Will it be more costly for group of 8 people than a group of 6?
On Day 2, better stick to Local Sightseeing only to give your body rest else at least do not push the body to a drive to Lamayuru and stick just to Sham Valley in case you really want to do it. Regarding Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri via Chusul, please read the article: Tips for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri Direct Route
Hello Dheeraj,
we are seven people and plan Delhi – srinagar leh manail delhi trip in our Mahindra Quanto 7 seater.
Luggage on the top ..
we plan it a 10 or 11 day trip.
Your advise / suggestions please.
Manmohan, when are you planning the trip. Can you extend it by couple of days?
Hey Dheeraj,
Awesome Info Bro…!!!!
Can You Help We Are 2 Families Looking to Plan Trip From Ladakh To Kashmir total 6 Peoples including 1 Child for 11 to 12 Days….!!
Thanks
Nikunj
Nikunj, 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
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all I want to thank you for the help you are doing.
We (a group of 4-5 friends) are planning for a Ladakh trip from Delhi in end June, we are looking for a week trip.
Can you pleae help us with the planning. nothing is finalized yet.
Please help us with the best rough to Ladakh and approx budget.
Thanks
Ajeet
Ajeet are you planning to fly in to Leh and fly out of Leh? Or are you planning a road trip to Ladakh?
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to go by road by any shared resource.
Let me know the most convenient way. We are all boyz so we want to make this trip a bit exciting too.
Ajeet, you need to go with public transport in that case.
Hi dheeraj
I am planning my trip from jalandhar to leh via srinagar on 20 june 2015 To 30 june 2015.
Suggest me how to plan my journey? we r 2 person and will go on bike.
Manish, I see you have about 11 days and you can follow something as below:
Day 1 | Jalandhar – Srinagar
Day 2 | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Drass is you are a vegetarian as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 3 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 6 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 8 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour OR you can do tour to Sham Valley
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey, Stakna and Shey monasteries. They come on the route of Pangong Tso but as you will be doing day trip, it will be a bit hectic to include them on that day only.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Leh – Taglang La – Moore Plains – Pang – Sarchu
— Stay overnight at Sarchu
Day 11 | Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
Day 12 | Manali – Jalandhar
Hello Dheeraj,
Appreciate your effort to helping other travellers.
Can you please suggest me regarding below query?
I am planning Solo trip to Leh from Gurgaon in Mid June and will have to rent a bike.
As suggested by many and even by yourself, It is better to go on Srinagar-Leh route and then return back in Leh-Manali route.
So my problem is i have to rent bike in Manali, as there are no services in Srinagar.
So is the below route recommended or is it long ? and which route shall i take?
Take a Bike from “Manali” and take srinagar-Leh route and return in Leh-Manali route?
My main doubt is from where should i start my journey as i have to return to the same place where i have started as i have to return that bike and want to experience both routes.
Please do suggest.
Thank you
Ravi, For Srinagar bike rental you can refer the link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/outside-rented-bikes-banned-ladakh-t1009-50.html#p12858
Also read article: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh – Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 3 friends planning to visit Leh-Ladakh via own bike on 5th June 2015 onward
We have planned to go via srinagar & return via manali route.
So now my question cum help required from your side is :-
1. Hotel cum budgeted guest house name in complete journey ( if you can refer with detail with places)
2. Places to visit accordingly night staying availability.
It will be very help full for us making our budget cum making preparation for Tents or sleeping bags etc.
From
Dev Bachhas
+91-8130199888
Hi Dev,
It is better to postpone the trip by a week or so because Manali – Leh is expected to open by 15th June. Rohtang pass was supposed to open tomorrow but it has been pushed by 5 more days to 25. So better you shift the plans to have it open and a bit stable.
Regarding budget the article above can be read and all your doubts will be sorted. 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.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj, first of all I appreciate your prompt response. Thank you for sharing numbers will connect with them by tomorrow. I am sure it will be of great help to me. I would also request if anyone travelling to leh by road with family than do let me know so that we can plan the road trip together from Srinagar. I will reach Srinagar on 18 th May’15.
Dev, for seeing people traveling together, please check the DoW Travel Partners Calendar from the main menu of the site and explore the entries, may be submit yours too 🙂
I am travelling to Ladakh on 17th May’15 starting from Ahmedabad by my car with my family. i am planning a halt in Delhi – Srinagar & Kargil enroute to ladakh. I wish I could get one driver for my car from Srinagar who also can be a guide to us so incase if I am tired somewhere he can drive my car. Incase anyone has some contact for the driver from Delhi or Srinagar kindly let me know. Regards, Dev – +919724505982
Dev, check the article if these guys can help you connect to someone you need: List of Taxi Drivers for Ladakh – Srinagar – Leh – Manali
Hi Dheeraj,
First and the foremost things many thanks for doing a great job and helping all around.
I am planning to Visit Leh ladakh in July. Would like to know what is the transportation cost on a rented vehicle like innova for the following route for approximately 9-10 nights 11 days.
Sringar ( 1 night)- kargil (1 night)-Leh (2 night)-Nubra valley (2 Nights)- turtuk-pangong lake (1 night)- tsomoriri lake (1 night)- leh (1 night)
Regards:
Sambhav Shah
Sambhav, For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Hi,
i am plannig for a trip to leh via srinagar with my wife in june.I am confused in many things as of which mode of transportation to choose where to stay and all.
i am planning srinagar kargil leh as mentioned in the itenery but should i opt the j&k srtc or private cab as i would not like to leg go any moments in our journey i am a photography enthusiast and i doubt if i would miss out the best in the route if i opt the Bus and the cost of taxi is so high.
i am a passionate rider but i am confused if riding with pillion and baggages would make the ride tiresome and practically impossible? concerned about the safety aspects as well.
can i go in taxi to leh and opt rental bikes from leh for ladakh-nubra pangong and all will that be practical.i would either ride down to leh or fly from leh to delhi.
looking forward for your advice and additions into my vague description.
Darshan, in most aspects you know yourself better and can help yourself decide. Regarding rental bikes in Leh that you can do, may be do a trip to Nubra first after trial run of Sham Valley tour and then see if you can do same to Pangong Tso. Bikes will be available in Leh. I hope you have experience in riding in hills and bad roads else it can get risky.
Dear Dheeraj,
we are a group of 10-12 people from Delhi and planning to go leh ladak in last week of may near about 20. can you please help me when is the road from Srinagar to leh will open.
rdgs
jaipal
Jaipal, Srinagar – Leh road has been opened today but traffic is one way as of now and cars reaching up to Kangan at present from Kargil side over Zojila. By that time things might settle when you plan to travel.
I have almost fully understood the trip from Manali to Leh and its cost estimations. But what about the cost estimations after we have reached Leh as in to travel in and from Leh to places like Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso. Its kind of a dream of mine to travel Leh-Ladakh and I would really appreciate your help on this. Every page on this page has helped but I can’t help but have doubt in my mind. I want an extensive detailed discussion. Is it possible to contact you in person? If not that, then here itself?
Ankit, the above article explains the budget for whole of Ladakh journey starting from Srinagar to Manali covering all the places in Ladakh. What plan are you following?
hey
i and my 2 frnds are planning to busit ladakh via road trip…
mostly in the month of august..we are frm mumbai..
kindly suggest us a plan… and our budget is around 30 k including bike rent staying eating mumbai manali leh round trip… v r traveller so v wud prefer budget hotel
Karishma, if you are looking for travel packages then DoW is just an info. sharing platform for traveling to Himalayas. If you looking for packages to Ladakh, you can check with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies.
i am also planning for ladakh but will go on my beast tata safari storme if interested joining from delhi whtsapp 9871534094
when would u go
June July and August is the best season . But already full of tourist here:)
Hello Mr.Dheeraj,
First of all, i would like to thank you for sharing your ideas and experience for Ladakh- Leh trip.
coming to our plan, we are in the group of 6-8 people from chennai and planning to visit leh somewhere around 3rd week of august. its gonna be a 7-8 days trip within the leh and additional three more days for to and fro journey to chennai.
though i have done some online research for the places to visit, i’m still confused with the same. i request you to kindly suggest us places which in the order which can be visited and which could help to live the each moment happily.
we are planning for road trip from delhi to leh using public transport and may be one way trip by flight. for now we are to go with budget of 20-22k per head including entire trip from chennai -leh-chennai. to minimize the cost, we would be prefering public transport like train from chenaai to delhi and to leh. we are looking for jus an average hotels to stay.
thereby, i request you can you please help us out to plan the sketch for the places to visit and is the budget of 22k per head gonna be sufficient? thanks a ton in advance..
Mrunal, 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 take the references in the above article as required by you guys.
Hi Mrunal
we are also planning to go leh for 10 days from delhi on 19th june 2015 with 10-20 people group, for more detail and to join us mail me at siwansunil1983@gmail.com
Thanks
Jaipal
Dear Dheeraj,
We are plannning for a trip to Leh-Ladakh in July. We are a group of 6-8 people.
Please can you give us a tip on how to commute from Delhi (except public transport) as we are travelling in couples. And what cost impacts it would have on the entire trip. Also please suggest as to from where to hire taxis as you have mentioned in yout post that outside taxis are not allowed in Leh.
Thanks a lot in advance. Waiting for your reply
Hi Mohammed,
Best is that you reach Srinagar by flight and then book a taxi from there to do entire trip up to Manali. From Manali you can get HPTDC volvo tickets to reach back Delhi. This will be the cost effective means to execute the trip to Ladakh. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Is it possible to get travel companions in Ladakh as I am travelling with my wife and I fear that the cost of transportation will go through the roof.
Vijay, you will be able to find the shared taxi without much fuss at all. There are lots of flyers which people put at cafes, dine-ins, restaurants, travel agent desks/shops/whiteboards wanting to share the taxis for different trips within Ladakh. Even travel agent organize such shared taxis trip as well but charge a little higher about Rs 200-300 more than it would ideally cost. So, in worst case you can always go back to them and book a seat for yourself. Gelling up with people in Ladakh is more or less easy because many people travel solo and look forward to meet new people and share cultural thoughts and values over the trip. No where else in the world you will find more smiling and helpful people as Ladakhis are 🙂
Hello Dheeraj,
I along with 15 other boys seek a tour to ladakh and nearby tourist places for about 4 to 5 days,
What is the minimum and maximum budget range for the trip from Mumbai. We prefer travel by train if its cheaper.
Thanks and Regards
Vishal Shinde
Vishal, 4-5 days is not ideal for a trip to Ladakh as 2 days will be required just for the acclimatization only. Train does not reach Leh, you have to take flight to Leh.
Hello sir!
I have some questions regarding bike journey from leh to Manali.
1-First of all is it possible to rent a bike from leh and drop it at Manali? And if yes who will provide such facilities.
2-And we are not a huge chunk of group just 5-6 peoples on their back.. So is it safe or not?
3-in how much days we can ocomplete journey comfortably?
4 – And what will this journey roughly cost?
Regards
Chintan
Hi Chintan,
1. the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
2. That shall be fine.
3. If you are looking for just Leh to Manali, then you can do it in 2 days with overnight stop at Sarchu
4. Depends upon the mode of transport.
Hey dheeraj I n my husband wish to do a combined trip of Kashmir n ladhakh. What could the itenary be. Also how much will it cost us if we come by plane from Mumbai. We like to cover both places in 8/10 days next week.
Raadhaa, please look into the plan of Kashmir + Ladakh posted and my replies to it at the link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/srinagar-leh-highway-status-2015/comment-page-1/#comment-325981
You can tweak it to suit 10 days by skipping last day of rest and Gulmarg.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of All, Thanks a lot for providing so much details regarding the Leh-Ladakh trip on various aspects. The detailed information on dow site is really helpful and I have been through many posts in the last few weeks.
I am planning for a 16 day solo trip in Ladakh on a rented bike. The places I want to visit are Manali – Tso Kar – Tso Moriri – Leh – Pangong – Nubra Valley – Hunder – Diskit – Panamik – Kargil.
I am having lot of confusions over the last 1 week regarding couple of things:
1) I am not interested to travel back to Manali to return my rented bike. Some of my friends suggested against starting the bike journey from Manali and asked me to start from Leh instead so that the bike can be returned in Leh.
2) A more serious concern is regarding the bike breakdowns. I am very much worried about being stranded at some remote place where help is not easy to get. Since this is a rented bike we cannot be sure about the condition of bike whether it will withstand for such a long journey. I do not have much mechanical experience to fix things in royal enfield. On the positive side, I have heard that army vehicles are there to help sometimes and it is not a huge concern that may ruin the trip.
Could you please answer my queries as per your experience and give me a suggestion that suits me best. I can stretch the budget a little but I am really looking forward to doing this journey alone and experience the thrills of Ladakh.
Hi Aravind,
1) Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
I personally feel larger groups will be targeted more than smaller groups or individuals.
For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2015 – 16 & Reliable Shops
the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike. So, hire bike within Leh – Ladakh only.
2) The concern is genuine and will always be present. However, one or other person does help in such situations though with its own hassles. That is where I suggest certain things in the article on renting bike: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/how-to-hire-or-rent-a-bike-or-motorcycle-in-manali/
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj. But in another forum, I was told that renting a bike in Manali and travelling in Ladakh is not a problem at all as some people get rented bikes from Delhi and other far off places also. I also heard that this is not a government order that has been implemented. How much of a concern it is really for solo bikers like me since I am really looking forward to doing the journey from Manali to Leh and I would not like to rent a bike again in Leh which will significantly fatten up the budget and add to the concerns. I can use that to deal with the one way rental which I am planning by just using a single rented bike. Its quite a big headache I guess from Leh Bike Union. Can you share your thoughts on this since I am confused as to what to believe and what not to? Also, I have heard from people who did the last years trip that there was no such concern for non local rented bikes.
Aravind, you are correct but this order was introduced from last year only to disallow bikes rented outside Leh. Last year few bikes were even impounded and people did face lot of hassles. This year as per locals rules will be stricter in enforcement. I still feel to an extent it will affect group of bikers but still you need to go over and check for ground reality and take a call. What Manali guys agreed was that for the duration Leh bike is rented and if slip is shown back to them, 50% amount of rent will be refunded. There are both sides of the stories, some were left alone and some went through the hassles. So, it all depends on your luck if passed the eye or you get caught 🙂
Hi,
We are group of 22 people took package from himalayan riders. Our trip is of 10 days. They are charging us 31K per person. It’s a bike trip from manali. Below is our Itenary. Please let me know your thoughts on this, if this is fine. Thanks a bunch in advance 🙂
Itenary
Day 01: 19-Jun Friday Chandigarh/Manali (320 kms/8hrs)-By tempo traveler
Day 02: 20-Jun Saturday Manali/ Rohtang Pass/ Keylong/Jispa (140 kms/ 8 hrs)
Day 03: 21-Jun Sunday Jispa/ Baralacha Pass/ Sarchu/ Tsokar (200 kms/ 8 hrs)
Day 04: 22-Jun Monday Tsokar/ Leh (145 kms/ 06 hrs)
Day 05: 23-Jun Tuesday In Leh- excursion to Khardungla pass (34 kms one way)
Day 06: 24-Jun Wednesday Leh / Pangong Lake/Leh same day excursion by Car (150 kms/ one way)
Day 07: 25-Jun Thursday Leh /Tsomoriri Lake (240 kms/ 8 hrs)
Day 08: 26-Jun Friday Tsomoriri/Sarchu (200 kms/ 8 hrs)
Day 09: 27-Jun Saturday Sarchu/ Manali/ (222 kms/8-9 hrs)
Day 10: 28-Jun Sunday Manali/ Chandigarh drop by tempo traveler . End of our services
Ravi, please do not opt for this itinerary as it will end you up somewhere in hospital with unacclimatized bodies and night stops at high altitude places that early in the trip at Sarchu and Tso Kar. It is not recommended at all. In fact, it appears that even basics are not correct so further better to drop the travel agency completely. If you are looking for a package, you can also connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past couple of years have had very good feedback about them and their transparent policies.
Hi Ravi,
we are also planning for leh ladak via Srinagar for 10 days on same date (19th June) by tempo traveller .
16.5k per person for detail and joining contact at siwansunil1983@gmail.com.