Best / Most Common Itinerary for Leh Ladakh Road Trip in 2024

On request of some avid readers of the blog and so many like-minded travelers seeking guidance for their tour to Leh – Ladakh, I would like to sketch below one of the most popular Ladakh itineraries. Many of Leh – Ladakh lovers follow it, including me, as it covers all three major tourist destinations of Ladakh, including Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso Lake, and Tso Moriri Lake.

The itinerary also covers the Srinagar Leh Highway as well as the Manali – Leh Highway, so it is apt for those looking forward to covering the entire Ladakh circuit. If you are making a trip to Ladakh in winter, then better refer most common itinerary for a winter trip to Ladakh

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Why travel Ladakh from Srinagar side?

I have started from Srinagar side because it gives at least two benefits, if not more. First, the body gets better acclimatized due to gradual ascent by the time you reach Leh and when you return from Manali Leh Highway, hence fewer chances of getting stuck with Acute Mountain Sickness (more info on AMS) and more enjoyment of views on Manali – Leh Highway.

If you start via Manali – Leh Highway, then most of the terrain runs over 4000 Mtrs of altitude, and by the time you reach such altitude, your body is not properly acclimatized. Hence, many people fall sick on Manali – Leh Highway despite covering in a 25:75 ratio (Manali – Keylong, Keylong – Leh) in terms of distance.

Secondly, you save one day as Tso Moriri and Tso Kar Lakes can be adjusted once you start towards Manali from Leh. This way, you are not required to return to Leh from Tso Moriri to go toward Kargil or Srinagar.

Finally, you need to get inner line permits to travel to Tso Moriri which you will not get when traveling from Manali side. The permits need to be stamped in Leh Information Center or Leh DC office. Since 2022, permits are not required for domestic tourists to travel anywhere in Ladakh including the Umling La pass. You only need to pay the environment/green/ecology fee and carry a receipt of the payment

For now, these reasons are good enough to start your Ladakh journey from Srinagar side 🙂 …

12-14 Days Itinerary for Leh Ladakh by Road

When you plan for the Ladakh trip, it is better to plan the trip with a good number of days in hand. Cramming too many places in the Ladakh road trip does not make any sense because you will not enjoy the real beauty of the trip. Hence, I have kept about 12-14 days for this common itinerary of Ladakh trip.

Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu / Patnitop

• Overnight at Jammu or Patnitop
• About a 12-13 Hours drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 2 | Jammu / Patnitop – Srinagar

• Enjoy a walk around Dal Lake and maybe a Shikara ride as well
• Overnight at Srinagar
• About an 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 3 | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil

• Enjoy the vistas en route near Sonamarg
• Have a meal at Drass during lunch
• Overnight at Kargil
• About an 8-hour drive, depending upon the traffic movement at Zozila and the breaks you take in between.

Day 4 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh

• Cover Mulbekh Maitreya, Lamayuru Monastery, Lunar Landscapes
• On the way, you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, and other parts of Sham Valley
• Overnight at Leh
• About a 9-10 Hours drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 5 | Leh Local Sightseeing

• To know about the places to visit in/around Leh, check my Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
• Since 2022, permits are not required for domestic tourists to travel anywhere in Ladakh including the Umling La pass. You only need to pay the environment/green/ecology fee and carry a receipt of the payment.
• Check the Leh – Ladakh taxi union rate list for 2024 – 25 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh.
• You can call the local drivers directly to connect with them and check the more comprehensive List of Taxi Drivers for Ladakh – Srinagar – Leh – Manali with recommendations/reviews for DoW community members.
• Overnight at Leh

Day 6 | 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 the tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
• About a 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and at Khardung La

Day 7 | 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
• About a 7-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 8 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake

• Cover either of Hemis, Thiksey, and Shey on the go toward Pangong Tso
• Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
• About a 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 9 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh

• Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey, and Shey on return to Leh
• Overnight at Leh
• About a 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 10 | Rest day at Leh

• Enjoy local culture, shopping, or rest in Leh
• Sham Valley includes Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
• Overnight at Leh

Day 11 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang

• Cover Karzok Monastery
• Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
• About a 7-8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 12 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Sarchu

• Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than in Pang
• Overnight at Sarchu
• About 8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 13 | Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Atal Tunnel – Manali

• On the way cover Suraj Tal, and Deepak Tal which are on the roadsides only
• Overnight at Manali
• About 6 Hrs drive

Day 14 | Manali – Delhi

• Return Home
• About a 12-14 Hrs drive from Manali to Delhi, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Day 15 + 16

Buffer days are to be kept in case of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.

Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route Option

You can save a day by making a direct trip to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley as suggested below.

Day 7 | Hunder / Diskit – Shyok village / Wari La route – Pangong Tso

• Take the direct route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso either via Shyok village or Wari La pass whichever is open.
• Since 2019, the direct route between Nubra Valley – Shyok Village – Pangong Tso has stabilized a lot. It is not at all desolate in the season anymore as it used to be a few years back.
• A lot of people do this route nowadays, so it should be fine for you to do that route as well. Just enquire at Agham village on the safer side or wait for a couple of cars to tag along on the route.
• Overnight at Pangong Tso.
• About a 6-10 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and the route you take between Shyok and Wari La.

Day 8 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh

• Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey, and Shey on return to Leh
• Overnight at Leh
• About a 6-7 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between

Alternatively, you can also make a day trip to Pangong Tso (if Shyok village and Wari La pass routes are closed) as below but that makes it a bit in case.

Day 8 | Leh – Chang La – Pangong Tso – Chang La – Leh

• Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso via Chang La Pass.
• Overnight at Leh.
• About an 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between.

Additional Points for Ladakh trip from Srinagar

• You can also make a three-day trip to Nubra Valley so that you can spend one night in the beautiful village of Turtuk and remove the rest day at 9 or add one day to the above plan to visit Turtuk. I bet you will not regret it at all visiting Turtuk in Nubra Valley.
• In Srinagar, you can also visit the Floating Market> Shalimar Garden.
• For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in the entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels.
• Any doubts related to the budget of your Ladakh trip?? Don’t worry, check this complete guide on How to calculate the cost or budget for Leh – Ladakh trip

Conclusion

I hope this plan or itinerary for Leh Ladakh from the Srinagar side will be useful for travelers planning their journey at least for the first time.

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I look forward to any questions or doubts or valuable suggestions and inputs you have and would love to discuss your custom plan as well in the comments section.

You can share your valuable suggestions and inputs you have or you would love to discuss your custom plan as well in the comments section. If you want any customization or deviation from the above plan, feel free to ask any questions, and in case you know a friend who is interested in traveling Ladakh from Srinagar in such a plan, feel free to share the article with them.