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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Let's quickly dive into the details:
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.
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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.
2,495 Comments
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dear all,
do you know any reliable fair price driver who can pick us from srinagar-full leh tour and then srinagar drop.
i talked to one driver..he is charging 25000 for srinagra leh pick and drop and 20000 for leh sight seeing for 5 days(including nubra, pangyong, local sight and river rafting point). i guess that is too much..?
and one more dubt…due to time constraint of our trip we can plan either nubra valley night stay or tsomori lake night stay…plz suggest which to take??
panyong we are making it a one day return affair..
plz help….
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
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Day 1 | Thu, 08th Aug
Meeting Point 6:00PM NEW DELHI: Catch Night Bus to MANALI. People who are coming from various Hyderabad/Mumbai/Bangalore please plan your travel accordingly.
Day 2 | Fri, 09th Aug
Manali Sight Seeing & Acclimatize : Night stay in Manali
Day 3 | Sat, 10th Aug
Manali to Keylong (cover Roahtang + Khoksar) : Night stay at Jispa
Day 4 | Sun, 11th Aug
Keylong to Sarchu (cover Darch + Zing-zing bar + Barlachala) : Night stay at Sarchu
Day 5 | Mon, 12th Aug
Sarchu to Leh – We’ll pass through 3 passes (cover Pang + Moore plains + Upsi)
Day rest in Leh and arrange permit for Pangong lake and Nubra valley : Night stay at Leh
Day 6 | Tue, 13th Aug
LEH : General Zorawar’s Fort, Stok Palace & museum (14km) and It will take around 4 to 5 hours to explore the whole palace. Hire a bike/Bullet. Visit Magnetic hill + Pathar Sahib Guridwara.
Day 7 | Wed, 14th Aug
Day visit Pangong Tso lake(round trip-360km) start early at 7am (Shey Palace + Thiksey Monastery ) : Night stay camp at the banks of Pangong Lake.
Day 8 |Thu, 15th Aug
Independence Day : Visit local Leh market and monasteries (Leh palace + Shanti Stupa at Sunset) : Night stay at Leh.
Day 9 | Fri, 16th Aug
Day visit Kardungla (highest motorable road) and Nubra-(round trip-340km)
Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and Bacterian camel safari : Night stay at Diskit.
Day 10 | Sat, 17th Aug
Return to Leh and further town visits to Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road and Stroll in evening : Night stay at Leh
Day 11 | Sun, 18th Aug
Leh – Delhi – Hyd by Flight /People who have different plans can hire a car go via Kashmir Amrutsar or Manali etc and need to plan travel accordingly.
Dheeraj, Can you please validate this.
Hello Kishore,
I will suggest few changes in the itinerary keeping in mind that you guys will be in for Photography. Sarchu stay is a BIG NO brother as it may make you sick due to AMS. Then, since you are not staying at Pangong overnight, you might miss the golden hours of light both evening as well as morning. Thirdly, Nubra Valley is quite scenic in terms of photogenic places and sand dunes in hunder with backdrop of mountains can produce dramatic results. I will suggest you guys go with following itinerary:
Day 1 | Thu, 08th Aug
Meeting Point 6:00PM NEW DELHI: Catch Night Bus to MANALI. People who are coming from various Hyderabad/Mumbai/Bangalore please plan your travel accordingly.
Day 2 | Fri, 09th Aug
Manali Sight Seeing & Acclimatize : Night stay in Manali
Day 3 | Sat, 10th Aug
Manali to Keylong (cover Roahtang + Khoksar) : Night stay at Jispa
Day 4 | Sun, 11th Aug
Keylong to Leh
Day 5 | Mon, 12th Aug
Day rest in Leh and arrange permit for Pangong lake and Nubra valley : Night stay at Leh
Day 6 | Tue, 13th Aug
Start from Nubra Valley over Khardung La and reach Diskit. Visit Hunder Sand Dunes in the evening
Day 7 | Wed, 14th Aug
Back to Leh from Nubra Valley. Visit Diskit Monasteries
Day 8 |Thu, 15th Aug
Independence Day : Visit local Leh market and monasteries (Leh palace + Shanti Stupa at Sunset) : Night stay at Leh.
Day 9 | Fri, 16th Aug
Leh – Hemis – Chang La – Pangong Tso
Day 10 | Sat, 17th Aug
Pangong Tso – Thicksey – Shey – Leh
Day 11 | Sun, 18th Aug
Leh – Delhi – Hyd by Flight /People who have different plans can hire a car go via Kashmir Amrutsar or Manali etc and need to plan travel accordingly.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi,
I am planning for a road trip to Leh in the 1st week of June. Herewith are my queries
1. We are 2 families with 4 Audults and 4 Children. The age of the Children varies from 10 years to 4 year. Is it safe to take the kids along for this long journey? Will they face AMS?
2. Does the route from Srinagar to Leh have too many twist and turns? I am checking on this as my wife generally feels sick if there are too many Hair Pin Bends or turns.
Hi Sameer,
It is fine to take the children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age. It can happen to anyone of any age. The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With 5+ year child, I think he/she would be able to convey the uneasiness with little efforts. If you notice any such feeling or he/she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!!
Yes, it does have hair pin bends, in fact all throughout the journey you will encounter them.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj,
Your Post is really useful.
I have some queries abt Srinagar to leh and Leh to Manali Root.
I want to cover Srinagar – leh – Manali root by rented bike.
1) Can I get the bike on rent from Srinagar and leave it at Manali?
2) Can we cover Srinagar to Leh route in 2 days by rented bike and also can Leh to Manali route be covered by bike in 2 days.
3) What is the estimated expenditure per person we 2 are planning to go there.
4) Do we need to carry all in cash or ATM’s are available there.
5) We are planning to follow same route mentioned by you in this post is the route can be covered in mentioned time frame by 4 wheeler only or it is possible by bike as well.
6) We are starting our Journey from Mumbai to Srinagar by Flight on 22nd of June and then rest of tour is as you suggested can it all be covered by bike in 15 days (need to reach Delhi at 6th of June).
7) Should we book bike over internet as I read in some articles booking of bike over internet is not suggested.
Waiting for your early reply.
Thanks
Ankur
Hi Ankur,
Your queries are answered below:
1. No, you will not get any bikes in Srinagar on rent.
2. Yes, both can be covered in 2 days with overnight halts at Kargil and Sarchu/Kylong/Jispa respectively.
3. 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
Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
4. ATMs are available but only in Leh. Carry mix of both and be ready to be in queues.
5. Can be done on bike as well if you are very much into riding.
6. Yes, very much it can be covered.
7. Check the article: How to Hire or Rent a Bike or Motorcycle in Manali. It is always better to test them and then hire rather over Internet.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj,
You have already provided tons on useful information here. Thanks for that!
Iam planning the trip Chandigarh-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi. What yould be the earliest time this year to be able to complete this, considering specially the opening of Leh-Manali route?
Dinesh, thanks alot. Glad hearing it. Try to go for it in June first week brother, though the Rohtang Pass has been opened for light vehicles but it is too risky up there right now and things will take sometime to settle down. So, I am expecting it would get stabilized by late may.
I was planning to start june 1st-2nd week and by the time I reach Leh through Srinagar it would be June 3rd-4th week. At that time I assume Baralacha, Nakeela, Tanglang la, on Leh-Manali and Khardungla, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri etc. would also be open?
Dinesh, yes by that time these passes will be open. Just as FYI, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are kept open all round the year 😉
Dear Dheeraj,
We are reaching Srinagar by flight on 23rd June and starting our journey towards Leh in Four wheeler by road. After spending 3 days in and around Leh, we are planning to go to Manali via Manali-Leh highway.
Is that highway suitable for travelling? If yes, do we need to take a break (one night halt) in between Leh<>Manali or its favorable to go directly to Manali. I am asking this due to time limitation…
Rushi, you wqill have to halt at either Sarchu or Jispa/Keylong from Leh towards Manali on the highway. Doing Leh to Manali is a very very tough ask and plus you misss the beauty too 🙂
I just wanted to know the cost of your itinerary? ? Dheeraj
Naimish, which itinerary are you talking about?
Hello Dheeraj, First of all Thank you so much for this forum. I am sure if anyone reads this forum his 99 % doubts will get resolved. This is really helping all.
I would like to show you my itienery and get it approved from you. My air tickets and train tikits are confirmed and suggestions to following itinery are welcome. I am also asking some questions herewith.
We are travelling in a group of 8 with my parents and family from pune.
Day 1 -: Reach Delhi and take night train for udhampur.
Day 2 -: Taxi will pick from udhampur railway station in morning and will drop at Srinagar then onwards enjoy Dal lake and stay.
Day 3 -: Gulmarg and day leisure in Srinagar
Day 4 -: Srinagar – Sonamarg – Kargil (stay at Kargil)
Day 5 -: Kargil to Leh
Day 6 -: Inner Line permits and local LEH sight seeing
Day 7 -: Leh – Khardung La Pass – Nubra Vally – Diskit and back to Leh.
Day 8 -: Leh – Pangong Lake – Stay at Pangong
Day 9 -: Pangong Lake to Tso Moriri Lake Stay at Tso moriri
Day 10 -: Tso Moriri to Leh
Day 11 -: Fly from Leh to Delhi.
Could you please suggest me
1. Places to stay where I can get good accomodation.
2. Is the distnace travelled per day suites to a family especially parents for 60+ age.
3. Is journey on Day 9 is fine because I do not see many people travelling from Pangong to Tsomoriri directly.
4. The routes I need to mention on the Permit (Just to ensure I am not missing some inbetween place)
5. Some onroute places if you can suggest.
Any more things you want to add/suggest to the above.
I will be greatful to you if you can help.
Thank you so much.
To add couple of more questions -:
It has been suggested by many people that you keep a day spare for Day 4 and Day 5 journey. So can we merge Day 2 and 3 and make a day spare arrangement as the flight schedule is fix for us.
Is the Day 7 consist of too much journey in a day. Is it possible? Or we should drop Pangong or Tsomoriri as both being lakes and utilize a day to stay at Diskit.
Is prior hotel booking must for a family? In that case what if the day or two needs to be adjusted at live go. Or just booking a hotel in Leh would be fine and then booking other hotels at Kargil, Pangong, Tso moriri on the fly would do for us.
Amogh, some changes have already been suggested. I feel it looks fine to me if you want to spend time at Gulmarg otherwise go ahead and merge it. Regarding Day 7, I have already removed Tso Moriri. Regarding hotel bookings, it depends upon if you really want to book them or not or stay at some specific properties. If you want to stay at some specific property and are not OK with little search here and there then better go with hotel bookings else land up directly and bargain for space 😉
Hello Amogh,
I will suggest the following plan for you keeping in mind everything!!
Day 6 -: Inner Line permits and local LEH sight seeing
Day 7 -: Leh – Khardung La Pass – Nubra Vally – Diskit.
Day 8 -: Diskit – Leh
Day 9 -: Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 10 -: Pangong Tso to Leh
Day 11 -: Fly from Leh to Delhi
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
You will need to mention just Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley in this case.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hey Dheeraj,
I am in a fix cos i only have 10 days for a complete trip from Mumbai.
Can you suggest which which route should i take … Srinagar to Leh or fly till Leh and then take the Leh manali route?
Thanks !
Shyam, better fly directly to Leh and then rest there for couple of days. Then do Ladakh tour and come down via Manali.
We are 2 -3 european girls doing backpacking in India.
We are on student budget, so its as good as indian travelling on budget.
What is average cost of shared taxis to go from
1) srinagar – kargil (halt at night) – leh
either in first fortnight of june
or 2nd week of august
2) Is it possible to come back from leh – kargil – srinagar
3) If are just 6 days trip in Ladakh, which are best options
I mean tell me top 3 or top 5 options to visit from leh
Example
Leh – Nubra
Leh – Pangong Tso
Looking for co traveller in month of 2nd week of june or 2nd week of august
thanks
sara
Hi Sara,
Your queries are answered in the same sequence:
1. Most likely about Rs 1500-1800 per person
2. Yes, possible but if 6 days are included then it will leave you with just 4 days in Ladakh
3. If you have 6 days better split them as: 1 Day Acclimatization, 2 Day Trip to Nubra Valley, 2 Day trip to Pangong Tso, 1 Day Monastery tour or Sham Valley tour.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks for immediate response, its very kind of you….
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Qn 1) So 2nd week of june or 2nd week of august is fine.
Qn 2) Would it rain in august?
Qn 3) My itinerary would be as follows… comment if any improvements.. for kashmir – ladakh sector
3 Days Delhi
3 Days Agra
8 Days Kashmir
8 Days Ladakh
Are these distances correct
—————————————————————————————————-
srinagar – kargil – 202 kms
srinagar – pahalgam – 94 Km
pahalgam – kargil – 80 km
srinagar – sonmarg – 84 Km
sonmarg – kargil – 77 km
srinagar – gulmarg – 38 Km
gulmarg – kargil – 241 km
pahalgam – gulmarg – 151 km
pahalgam – sonmarg – 42 Km
gulmarg – sonmarg – 116 km
kargil – leh – 135 kms
—————————————————————————————————-
OPTION 1A: Srinagar – Leh – Srinagar
=======================================
Day 01 | Delhi – Srinagar flight
Day 02 | Srinagar
Day 03 | Srinagar – Gulmarg
Day 04 | Gulmarg
Day 05 | Gulmarg – Pahalgam
Day 06 | Pahalgam
Day 07 | Pahalgam – Sonmarg
Day 08 | Sonmarg
Day 09 | Sonmarg – Kargil
Day 10 | Kargil – Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Inner Permits.
Day 12 | Leh – Hunder
Day 13 | Hunder – Leh
Day 14 | Leh – Pangong
Day 15 | Pangong – Leh
Day 16 | Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 17 | Tso Moriri – Leh
Day 18 | Leh – Kargil
Day 19 | Kargil – Srinagar
Day 20 | Srinagar – Delhi
OPTION 1B: Srinagar – Leh – Manali
=======================================
Day 01 | Delhi – Srinagar flight
Day 02 | Srinagar
Day 03 | Srinagar – Gulmarg
Day 04 | Gulmarg
Day 05 | Gulmarg – Pahalgam
Day 06 | Pahalgam
Day 07 | Pahalgam – Sonmarg
Day 08 | Sonmarg
Day 09 | Sonmarg – Kargil
Day 10 | Kargil – Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Inner Permits.
Day 12 | Leh – Hunder
Day 13 | Hunder – Leh
Day 14 | Leh – Pangong
Day 15 | Pangong – Leh
Day 16 | Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 17 | Tso Moriri – Pang/ Sarchu
Day 18 | Pang/ Sarchu – Keylong – Manali
Day 19 | Manali –
Day 20 | Manali – Delhi
OPTION 2: Manali – Leh – Srinagar
=======================================
Day 01 | Delhi – Manali
Day 02 | Manali
Day 03 | Manali – Keylong – Pang/ Sarchu
Day 04 | Pang/ Sarchu – Tso Moriri
Day 05 | Tso Moriri – Leh
Day 06 | Leh – Inner Permits.
Day 07 | Leh – Pangong
Day 08 | Pangong – Leh
Day 09 | Leh – Hunder
Day 10 | Hunder – Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Kargil
Day 12 | Kargil – Sonmarg
Day 13 | Sonmarg
Day 14 | Sonmarg – Pahalgam
Day 15 | Pahalgam
Day 16 | Pahalgam – Gulmarg
Day 17 | Gulmarg
Day 18 | Gulmarg – Srinagar
Day 19 | Srinagar
Day 20 | Srinagar – Delhi
—————————————————————————————————-
If i have to reduce 2 -3 days from above itineary in Option 1A/1B/2
which places i can reduce stay of time.
Thanks
Sara
Q1. 2nd week of August will be better as rain would have cooled rest of India.
Q2. No, it doesn’t rain in Leh as it is in the rain shadow area.
Q3. Dheeraj will comment on itinery but looks OK
Hello Sara,
I will suggest that you go with June because in August rains will start troubling you in larger context especially in Kashmir as well as exit from Manali. I will go with Option 1B at any day and since you doing almost everything it is difficult to take out any dya considering everything is jam packed. At max. I can suggest that you make day trip to Gulmarg and save a day there else leave it as is. Now, considering June timing Kashmir will be full of tourists and specially at these places for sure. So, on one side you have tourist rush and on other side you will have to face the rains.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Sara
I did the trip last year in August.
I am not sure about the shared taxi cost. However, I also had only 6 days in hand and after a lot of research I decided to go to Nubra as going to Nubra will take 2 days with overnight stay there and you will cross the highest motor able pass, Khardung La. You also will need 1 day to acclimatise in Leh. It will take you 2 days to go to Leh from Srinagar. You certainly can return back to Srinagar via Kargil. I would suggest to return by road if that is what you want, to Manali rather than Srinagar. Don’t forget, you will need to obtain the permit for Nubra at Leh which will be on your rest day in Leh and most Hotels/Guest Houses will arrange that for you.
Thanks
Rajesh
UK
so will it be raining in august in kashmir during that time
True. Ladakh will be dry though due to being in rain shadow area. For rest of India June is the hottest month. We normally go to India in August when it cools down a bit but have no experience of Leh-Manali route as to what it would be like in August. Dheeraj has most experience of that area. However, you have travel plans for rest of India as well. If you don’t mind the heat, June will be better. Don’t go in July as it is the full monsoon month.
Hi dheeraj,
We are a group of photographers from an online group Hyderabad Weekend Shoots.
We would like you to validate our plan and make any suggestions in the itinerary below
It would be very helpful if you could make recommendations keeping Photography as the prime reason for our travel.
Day 0 | Thu, 08th Aug
Hyd to Delhi by flight/Train and reach by evening , 7pm we need to catch Night Bus for Manali
Day 1 | Fri, 09th Aug
Manali Sight Seeing & Acclimatize : Night stay in Manali
Day 2 | Sat, 10th Aug
Manali to Keylong (cover Roahtang + Khoksar) : Night stay at Jispa
Day 3 | Sun, 11th Aug
Keylong to Sarchu (cover Darch + Zing-zing bar + Barlachala) : Night stay at Sarchu
Day 4 | Mon, 12th Aug
Sarchu to Leh – We’ll pass through 3 passes (cover Pang + Moore plains + Upsi)
Day rest in Leh and arrange permit for Pangong lake and Nubra valley : Night stay at Leh
Day 5 | Tue, 13th Aug
Day visit Pangong Tso lake(round trip-360km) start early at 7am (Shey Palace + Thiksey Monastery ) : Night stay camp at the banks of Pangong Lake.
Day 6 | Wed, 14th Aug
Visit local Leh market and monasteries (Leh palace + Magnetic hill+ Pathar Sahib Guridwara + Shanti Stupa at Sunset) : Night stay at Leh.
Day 7 |Thu, 15th Aug
Day visit Kardungla (highest motorable road) and Nubra-(round trip-340km)
Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and Bacterian camel safari. Optional: Night stay at Diskit.
Day 8 | Fri, 16th Aug
Return to Leh and further town visits to Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road and Stroll in evening : Night stay at Leh
Day 9 | Sat, 17th Aug
Leh to Srinagar /Amritsar – This is tentative plan
Day 10 | Sun, 18th Aug
Delhi to Hyd Flight
Other places to consider if time permits: Tsomoreri lake(240km), General Zorawar’s Fort, Stok Palace & museum (14km) and It will take around 4 to 5 hours to explore the whole palace.
Things to do: Mountain Biking, Zanskar white water rafting, Bacterian camel safari, Trekking
Thanks a lot
Best,
Darshan
Darshan, 9 days are tad low for a road trip to Leh – Ladakh. You need more time for it. Still, if you want to cover in 9 days then check the itinerary below:
Day 1 | Delhi – Srinagar
— Fly to Srinagar if you are not self driving because it will almost cost the same and help you save one day plus fatigue of traveling unnecessary in plains or boring hills for 2 days
— Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride as well
— If you have time then check out, floating market, Shalimar Garden.
— Overnight at 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 + Inner Line Permits
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Leh
— Head for Nubra Valley very early in the day and come back by late evening after visiting Deskit. If you have time go little further and see Hunder sand dunes too
— 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 | Leh – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— 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
You can cover only by road from Delhi if you plan only to do Manali side and leave Srinagar side. But, above oone will help you better stay fit and acclimatized.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Which route is easy and more safe for motor biking. We just wanted to drive bike for a day trip . What about Leh to lamayuru ?
Ankur, it will be good option to ride from Leh to Lamayuru and back
Thanks for the response Dheeraj 🙂
I am from same group as Darshan, I just heard of people getting stuck in Srinigar sometimes even for as long as two days, due to some military operations. Considering the independence day during our trip what is the probablity of getting stuck there? And for photography in Mid Aug is Srinagar side more good or the Manali side?
Hello Aparajitha,
No one can predict these things but yes situation could be tense and you might not want to around at that time of the year. Both have their own beauty, while both of them would be full of greenery, you will be able to see loads of barren scapes over Manali Leh highway than Srinagar – Leh highway.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a lot Dheeraj. It is really great of you to help us 🙂
All the best for the journey brother, have a tour full of pictures!!
hi! i am planning a 1 week trip to leh ladakh and i was looking through the comments and saw that you had recommended a 1 week itinerary for a person named virinder … i was just hoping if you could name a few good hotels that my family and i could stay in ?
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning to go leh through your guided route srinagar to leh and in back leh to manali can you please tell me can we cover lahaul-spiti valley in the way back to manali . I am very much interested to see it
Yes, you can cover it for sure. How many days you have in hand after Sarchu in the above itinerary?
Hello Dheeraj,
we have 2 days after sarchu can we cover lahaul spiti valley in that time ?
Nopes, abhi. You can spend 1 day at Jispa and explore Udaipur and Guru Ghantaal in the day. Other day will be required to do Sarchu to Jispa at easy pace.
Hi Dheeraj,
I have decided to go to do the sri-leh-manali-delhi circuit from jul 6th- jul 18th.
I will get to sri on 6th jul.
as its only me my cuz, we will be going in the volvo bus. I wanted to know how difficult is it to get the bus reservations on jul 6th for jul 7th to leh?
Also can you please let me know how should I go about finding rides to places around leh.
the places I will be going to are
1) hunder, diskit, sumur, shardung la (Can I do all these in one day?)
2)pangong
3)tso Morir
4) Tso kar
I mainly want to know how should I go about finding rides to get to these places.
Thanks.
Pratik, 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 🙂
Hello bro, I have been following your blog for quite some time now and it is very informative and that too in very simple language to understand. We are group of four friends deciding of doing ladakh roadtrip this year. There are few queries as of now:
1) Which time most appropriate – june/july or late aug/early sept…query regarding july (monsoons and rush of amarnath yatra) and sept. (start of off-season may be)..what do you say ?
2)I have Ertiga vdi almost 1yr old,approx. 23000kms… will there be any sort of issues with this car w.r.t. lack of power/torque on steep climbs or anything like that…do i need to do any modifications in the car..has anyone got experience of taking an ertiga to ladakh ?
dr darvesh
Hello Drdb,
Thanks alot for liking the information about Ladakh on my blog. I wish one day it expands to other parts of Himalayas too.
1. Either do it from mid-June to mid-July OR mid-Sept to first week of October. In between the inroads to Leh would be in messy state due to monsoons.
2. Well, not much worry about anything other than GC what I see. Though it has igher GC than other sedans or hatches, so with little careful driving I think you should be able to do it. 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
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thank you Dheeraj for the advice. I surely ll go through
the above mentioned link..anyways, I ll again disturb you in near future.
Hello dheeraj once again. I had gone through your blog and have charted out a 14-days itinerary for us, not very different from yours, starting from 7-20th july.
D1 (7th) – Delhi-Pathankot/Udhampur
D2 (8th) – PTK/UDM-Srinagar
D3 (9th) – Srinagar-sonmarg-zojila-drass-Kargil
D4 (10th) – Kargil- lamayaru-Leh
D5 (11th) – Leh local + Permits
D6 (12th) – Leh-khardundgla-Hunder/Diskit
D7 (13th) – Hunder/Diskit-sumur-panamik-khardungla-Leh
D8 (14th)- Leh-hemis-shey palace-changla-Pangong
D9 (15th)- Pangong- changla-thicksey-Leh
D10 (16th)- Leh-Chumathang-Tso moriri/Karzok
D11 (17th)- Tsomoriri-tsokar-debring-Pang/Sarchu
D12 (18th)- Sarchu-baralacha-keylong-rohtang-Solang/Manali
D13 (19th)- Manali-Delhi
20-21st july – buffer days.
Q1. Is it ok or hush-hush type ?
Q2. Can we go directly from Pangong to Tso moriri via Man-merak-Chusul ?
Q3. Out of all these places, where do we need ILP’s, plz explain all palaces completely.
thanks
drdb
Hello,
1. It is generally OK given the amount of time yo have in hand. If you have couple of days more then add them as rest days in between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri
2. It is very hard to get permits for the Chusul route since last year. If you can get them, though unlikely, you can dash for it but keep in mind it is very isolated, rough and very long route.
3. You need to write Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Nubra Valley on the permits form.
Regards
Dheeraj Shaarma
Tour Program for Leh
3rd June
Reaching Leh
4th June
From Leh to Pangong Lake
Rout :- Shey (15) , Thiksey(20), Sakti(50), Changla(78),Tangtse(126),Spangmik(156)
Drive is around 5 to 6 hrs.
5th June
From Pangong Lake to Tso Moriri Lake
Rout :- Spangmik , Man , Mehak, Khaktse, Chushul, Rezangla, Tsaga, Loma, Nyoma, Mahe, Tso Moriri Distance around 120 km
Drive is around 6 to 7 hrs. Road less traveled Keep food and water.
6th June
From Tso Moriri Lake to Leh
Route :- Tso Moriri Lake, Chumathang, Karoo, Thiksey, Shey, Leh Distance around 220km
Drive is around 7 to 8 Hrs.
7th June
From Leh to Nubra Valley
Rout :- Khardongla(39), Diskit(118), Hunder(125), Panamik(140)
Drive is around 4hrs.
8th June
Back to leh
9th June
Free day can be adjusted as per need
10th June
Back to Jalandhar
Please see if this programe is fine thank you
Hi Virinder,
Better follow the following plan:
Day 1 | Leh + Acclimatization
Day 2 | Leh + Acclimatization
Day 3 | Leh to Deskit Nubra Valley
Day 4 | Nubra Valley and back
Day 5 | Day trip to Pangong Tso Lake
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri Lake
Day 7 | Tso Moriri Lake and back to Leh
Day 8 | Fly back
It is very important you acclimatize first before taking over to high altitude places in Leh – Ladakh. Above plan will help you best manner!!
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi buddy…surfed about munsiyari and chaukari…it seems beautiful and calm place…kindly tell me the itinerary for these places, and also what hotels and food joints u recommend…we r planning this visit totally on ur recommendation and plan….
Thanks bro..
Regards
Anurag
Anurag, generally itinerary or plan for Munsiyari trip is like:
Day 1 | Delhi – Nainital/Bhimtal
Day 2 | Nainital/Bhimtal – Almora – Binsar – Chaukori
Day 3 | Chaukori – Patal Bhuwaneshwar – Chaukori
Day 4 | Chaukori – Birthi Falls – Munsiyari
Day 5 | Munsiyari
Day 6 | Munsiyari
Day 7 | Munsiyari – Chaukori
Day 8 | Chaukori – Kasauni via Baijnath
Day 9 | Kasauni – Delhi
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj; thanks mate for your itinerary..
We are going Munsiyari/Chaokori on 22 june from Lucknow. My itinerary is :
Day 1| Lucknow- Nainital/Bhimtal
Day 2 | Nainital/Bhimtal – Almora – Binsar – Chaukori
Day 3 | Chaukori – Patal Bhuwaneshwar – Chaukori
Day 4 | Chaukori – Birthi Falls – Munsiyari
Day 5 | Munsiyari
Day 6 | Munsiyari
Day 7 | Munsiyari– Kasauni via Baijnath
Day 8| Kausani-Lucknow
My query is: why do we need to go Chaukori while returning from Munsiyari on Day 7? Can’t we go directly to Kausani?
Kindly help us finding the budget hotels in the places where we need to stay and do help us in taxi fares.
we are a family of 7 adults and 4 kids….
Thanks in advance buddy…
With best regards
Anurag
forgot to ask: should we book the hotels in advance or when we reach on the spot?
thanks again…
regards
Anurag
If you are going with KMVN then book them and also since it is June, it is peak time in Himalayas, so go ahead and book them
Anurag, I doubt, AFAIK, there is only one route to come back from Munsiyari that is via Chaukori only. Best of the budget hotels will be KMVNs, location wise as well as budget wise 🙂 …
Sir I have been following your posts on IndiaMike and now on DoW. I think for a Ladakh trip one really doesnt need to look anywhere else for answers beyond DoW. Thanks for this great effort Dheeraj Ji.
Hi
We are a family of 9 members (a couple in their 50s another young couple and 5 young adults) planning a Self drive trip in 2nd week of june to Ladakh. We will be starting from Delhi via Srinagar to Leh and return via Manali. We have 12-15 days and want to drive steady and comfortably, with adequate overnight halts at the beautiful and scenic areas and no over adventurous drive routes. We also want to do homestays and tent house if possible especially in Nubra and pangong, plz advice.
I would be greateful if the experts could share their views and help us –
1. In editing the itinerary on basis of easy no. of hours on road, and provide detailed route plan for the return journey.
2. What are the various permits we would need to obtain and for the itinerary set.
3. We would like to take the Tata Manza and Fiat Punto/Vista, which would be better on these roads or should we rent one 4WD?
4. Plz tell me the estimated hours of drive each day as per the rough itinerary set below.
Sir, the rough Itinerary that I prepared is as follows-
Day1: Delhi-Amritsar (or Patnitop) (alternatively spend the day at Amritsar – wagah border – golden temple and rest)
keeping driving hours comfort in mind which would be better a halt at Amritsar or Jammu?
Day2: Amritsar – Srinagar/Sonmarg
Day3: Srinagar- kargil via Drass Veg late lunch, Zozila Pass
Q.Where to eat at Drass?
Q.Accommodation in Kargil?
Q.Can we do overnight at Lamayuru monastery keeping hours of drive in mind?
Day4: Kargil-Leh via Lamayuru Monsatary, Shaam valley, Alchi, Likir, gurudwara pather sahib , Magnetic Hill, Confluence (sangam) at Nimmu.
Day5: Leh local sightseeing like Hall of Fame, Palace, walk around the market (Also taking permit)
Day6: Leh – Deskit via Khardung La, Nubra Valley
Q.Accommodation in Deskit?
Day7: Deskit – Leh (sand dunes and camel ride in Nubra Valley, Hunder, Sumur, Panamik) via Khardung La.
Q.Is there an alternative route to reach Pangong lake without going back to Leh? Pros/Cons, More details on it plz.
Day8: Leh– Pangong Lake via Hemis monastery
Q.Tent house type accommodation in Spangmik over looking the lake?
Day9: Pangong Tso Lake – Leh Via Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Q.Alternatively, I read about the a route (pangong- man/merak- hanle), (hanle-tso mariri), (tso Mariri). Is it okay driving route?
Day11: Tso Moriri–Sarchu/Keylong
Q.Plz suggest if i should take this route considering drivability, hours and accommodation?
Day 10: Leh–Keylong/Jispa via Upshi, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Debring, Chumathang,Pang, Sarchu, Baralacha La.
Q. Hotel in Keylong/Jispa? Would you suggest a break journey between leh-keylong?
Day 11: Keylong– Manali via Rohtang Pass
Day12: Manali – Chandigarh/Shimla
Q.Considering hours on road in mind which would be better?
Day 13: Chandigarh – New Delhi.
Is there anyway we can cut on the days or you think we should add a day. Plz suggest.
Hello Piyush,
Thanks alot, really appreciate your comments/feedback for the DoW blog. There are so many queries 😉 … I will try to answer though 😀
2. For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
3. Best option is to hire a MUV/SUV (4WD not required, just high GC) if you are not keen on adventure, second best will best Manza. Be ready for some adventure in case you take sedan. 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
4. Refer the itinerary in the article and it will answer most of your queries.
Day3: Srinagar- kargil via Drass Veg late lunch, Zozila Pass
Q.Where to eat at Drass?
— There is a Dhabha just opposite JKTDC rest house run by an old uncle. Great Rajma Chawal he serve.
Q.Accommodation in Kargil?
— There are many, what is your budget.
Q.Can we do overnight at Lamayuru monastery keeping hours of drive in mind?
— better stay at Kargil to distribute the journey
Day6: Leh – Deskit via Khardung La, Nubra Valley
— For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Day7: Deskit – Leh (sand dunes and camel ride in Nubra Valley, Hunder, Sumur, Panamik) via Khardung La.
Q.Is there an alternative route to reach Pangong lake without going back to Leh? Pros/Cons, More details on it plz.
— Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso is connected by two routes, one by Wari La Pass (very isolated and very long) and other by Shyok village (shorter one but dangerous and more isolated than Wari La).
Day8: Leh– Pangong Lake via Hemis monastery
Q. Accommodation?
— Refer above answer for Day 6. Stay with Camp Watermark, you can get DoW discount there too.
Day9: Pangong Tso Lake – Leh Via Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Q.Alternatively, I read about the a route (pangong- man/merak- hanle), (hanle-tso mariri), (tso Mariri). Is it okay driving route?
— You will not get permit for this route. Permits have been stopped for this route since last year.
Day11: Tso Moriri–Sarchu/Keylong
Q.Plz suggest if i should take this route considering drivability, hours and accommodation?
— You need extra day here to stay at Tso Moriri.
Day 10: Leh–Keylong/Jispa via Upshi, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Debring, Chumathang,Pang, Sarchu, Baralacha La.
Q. Hotel in Keylong/Jispa? Would you suggest a break journey between leh-keylong?
— Better stay at Sarchu as it will evenly distribute the journey and your body will be acclimatized too by then
Day12: Manali – Chandigarh/Shimla
Q.Considering hours on road in mind which would be better?
— Go with Chandigarh
I hope the above answers help. Please let me know in case you need any help or have any queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks for the quick reply Dheeraj.
1. In the article itinerary i think the hrs are inclusive of stops right?
I needed a rough estimate of driving hours (without stop). I dont tend to rely for time estimate on Google for hill drive, want to hear from you. Could you feed in plz-
delhi to amritsar
amritsar to srinagar
srinagar to kargil
kargil to leh
leh to nubra
leh to pangong
leh to sarchu
sarchu to manali
manali to chandigarh
chandigarh to new delhi
2. Also, among the 9 members, two would join from srinagar and will bid goodbye in chandigarh. So we are planning to take our Tata Aria and hire another car with driver from Srinagar onwards journey till chandigarh. Plz put in your thoughts and ideas for this purpose.
Thanks a lot 🙂
I would really need contact details of leh drivers or tour operators who can arrange a car&driver for us from Srinagar to Leh to Manali/chandigarh.
Am also skeptical about making hotel bookings in advance but we have 9 ppl so.. plz throw some light in this regards.
Hi Piyush,
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Since, you are 9 in number I guess you should book the hotels instead of searching them over there.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hello Piyush,
1. Yes these are inclusive of stoppages but not too many and you are also bound to take such stoppages. Keep the lower limit given above as your figure without stoppages. In Hills, the average speed comes out to be 25-30 KM/Hr on most stretches.
2. Aria would be the best option. You will need to hire two times, one in Srinagar that will drop you at Leh ad then again one taxi in Ladakh because you cannot do sighseeing in Ladakh with taxi of different place.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
You have been an encyclopedia man!! Thanks.
Have been reading about Batalik!
So on way from Srinagar o/n at Kargil,
Next day get permit from DC office head to Batalik o/n at Lamayuru,
Next day head for Leh.
Now can this ILP be taken from srinagar? or may be Min of External Affairs, Khan Market, Delhi?? or is it all rubbish that i read somewhere!!
Finally i need to learn some technical knowhow for handling minor car issues i think. Got a guide book or link i could look upto and head to my mechanic for practicals??
Hi Piyush,
Queries regarding to permit have already been answered in the last reply.
I do not have anything formal for driving or mechanical stuuf but yeah 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
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
There is some great info about Leh and surrounding areas on your website.This has been of great help for planning our trip from 01st Jul (leaving Srinagar by road) to 08th Jul (leaving Leh by flight).
In the above post you suggest that we can directly go from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso.Is that feasible to take up in a day as we plan to do Sumur – Panamik in the morning after check-out from Hunder.
Also while driving from Kargil to Leh is Alchi good place for an overnight stop?
Thanks alot Namrata. However, I will suggest that Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso is connected by two routes, one by Wari La Pass (very isolated and very long) and other by Shyok village (shorter one but dangerous and more isolated than Wari La). Only in worst case try these routes else go via normal route from Leh – Changla Pass. Alchi would be a good option to stay overnight though you can make it all the way to Leh. But, staying at alchi would ensure more acclimatization for you guys which is always good to have before one reaches Leh.
Thanks a ton for your revert.Considering your advice we might as well stick to the common road to Pangong Tso via Leh – Chang La, considering we are an all girls group.In this context, it may sound too skeptical but is it safe for girls to travel around the region with hired taxi?Also is it feasible to hire a taxi for the entire trip, starting from Srinagar on 1st to 8th Jul till it drops us to the airport covering all sightseeing in between? Would you know how much it costs roughly? (we are 4 adults travelling, so i guess a small vehicle would be enough).
thanks
Hi Namrata,
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Get one taxi for yourself for the whole Ladakh tour and one for Srinagar to Leh. If you can get hold of Ladakh taxi in Srinagar then nothing better to take it so that you can also cover sightseeing if required.
Talk to Rigzin, he knows me very well. He will be able to help even if he is not available for you. And regarding safety, Ladakh is one of the safest places to be at where people are wiling to help with smile even in oddest of circumstances 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj;
Accept my congo for doing such a great job. we have a family of 5 adults(25-35),my mother(65), 2 kids(7 yrs and 11 yrs) and two babies (1.5-2 yrs). What will the proper time to go to srinagar or Laddakh? will one week be ok for these places? if you do not find these places for my family can you suggest any other place? Kindly reply, we will be waiting…thanks in advance
Dear Dheeraj;
We r eagerly waiting 4 ur reply….
Anurag, well brother frankly speaking I will never suggest taking the infants over a trip to Ladakh from my personal experience though technically people shall say you can take a baby of more than 3 months or think 6 months high altitude places BUT I will not suggest to do so because it is the issue that they are unable to express any kind of uneasiness they feel which is very important to detect always in a high altitude trip. Hence, better spend time leisurely at some other place may be Himachal or Uttarakhand.
In Himachal you can go for a trip to Kinnaur Valley and in Uttarakhand you can go for Munsiyari, Chaukori.
I was too much into working weekends now a days so could not reply earlier and hence the delay 🙁
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks for suggestion bro…We will surly go by the expert advice…I will see net for munsiyari and chaukori(Its bound to be good if u r suggesting) and ask for the itinerary suggestion. We are going der from JAUNPUR(Near Varanasi)…A big THANKS from us…
regards
Anurag
Anurag, munsiyari and chaukori are one of the most awesome places in himalayas. do not miss on Patal Bhuwneshwar near Chaukori!! Awesome place, you will never forget the experience if you into mythology a bit. Feel free to come back for any queries. You can also check Photo Albums section for Chaukori pictures.
Hi Dheeraj,
Grateful to you for sharing such valuable information with regard to travel to Ladakh. Thanks a lot man. It is really helpful.
We are planning a trip of 7-8 night during first week of July from Dehi and we don’t want to take flight during this trip. We are a group of six people and actually more interested in exploring natural beauty instead of spending time on forts, museum etc during this trip. Is it possible to travel via Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Laddakh-Manali in such a short span of time or we have to travel Manali-Leh-Manali?
Please help us to design a plan for 7-8 days.
Vikas, just answered your query to the earlier post linked here
hi,
Dheeraj, plz reply as I hv not received any suggestions from ur side ,I am reaching manali on 15 june manali
16 june sarchu
17 june leh
18 june leh
19 june nubra
20 june leh
21june pangong
22 june leh
23june kargil
24 june Srinagar
25 back to Mumbai
plz suggest if I am ok with above
Gaurav, it has been posted at multiple places and has already been replied at the link here. Please let me know on the same article comment thread if you have any queries.
As inquired some time back, i will be flying for Leh on 22nd may, and since 25th may is budhpurnima(Full Moon) which area should be the best to be at? Like on 25th shall v plan for a stay at pangong lake, which would deviate us from going to nubra valley first.. also, i will be going back from kargil route to srinagar, so can the places like pather saheb gurudwara/alchi/magnetic hill be covered on the same day while going to kargil – where i am planning for a nite stay and does share taxi follows the same route for the same??
Vahuja, nopes. In any case you should never sleep at Pangong Tso on the 3rd night itself. Keep Nubra first and then only try to sleep at Pangong Tso, no wonder you will be 2 days later than full moon night. Also, if you leave early then you will be able to cover Sham Valley on the way to Kargil. But, that might not be possible in shared taxi unless all the people in that shared taxi agree for it.
Hi Dheeraj,
Grateful to you for sharing such valuable information with regard to travel to Ladakh. Thanks a lot man. It is really helpful.
We are planning a trip of 7-8 night during first week of July from Dehi and we don’t want to take flight during this trip. We are a group of six people and actually more interested in exploring natural beauties instead of spending time on forts, museum etc during this trip. Is it possible to travel via Srinagar-Leh-Laddakh-Manali in such a short span of time or we have to travel Manali-Leh-Manali?
Please help us to design a plan for 7-8 days. Can we hire private car from Manali for entire 7-8 days trip and any idea of rent of car price?
Vikas, at minimum you will need at least 9 days for a long hectic run over Ladakh if you go by road. Adding more days will just add a bit relaxing mode into the journey. It takes 4 days from Delhi to reach Leh via Srinagar and 3 days from Delhi to reach Leh via Manali. You need atleast one day to acclimatize as well in Leh. You are left with just one day even in case you have 9 days and hence you will not explore Ladakh but just the routes to Ladakh
Regards
Dheeraj
mr dheeraj,
after going thru your suggestions i have finalised the following itinerary. since i have two kids 14 and 9 travelling with us i would like to cut the travel time wherever possible and perhaps spend one extra day. do u recommend that i go to pangong from nubra? is there a way i go to tso morriri from pangong without coming back to leh. if yes then what is the condition of the connecting roads . please suggest
20 June Chandigarh –Patnitop
21 June Patnitop – Srinagar
22 June Srinagar
23 June Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
24 June | Kargil – Lamayuru /Ule
25 June Lamayuru /Ule– Leh – Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
26 June Rest day + inner permits.
27 June Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
28 June Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
29 June leh local
30 June Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
01 Jul Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
02 Jul | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
03 Jul Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
04 Jul Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
05 Jul Manali – Local
06 Jul Manali – Chandigarh
Rakesh, trust me the plan is good. Please do not fiddle with it to include more. Just one thing that you can do is to move the rest dy from 29th June to 1st July. That is, take rest when you return from Pangong Tso.
thank you so much. i will go as per your advice and will book the hotels accordingly. is the link to hotels from ur blog still working. i would love to reserve them thru your link.
thanks
again
rakesh
Rakesh, yes you can book through the link for Pangong Tso as well as Tso Moriri, they both provide about 10-15% of discounts to all the readers of DoW blog depending upon the season and tourist rush.
I have contacted the off beat thru your link and they are heLping me with the reservations. I need some help from you dheeraj on one point which I have not been able to figure out yet is the directions of sham valley.
As per my itinerary I will be staying at lamayuru or ulle on the way to leh from kargil. What do you recommend? Which will be better option. kindly also enlighten me what all I can see the day I reach which should be by lunch and what all I can see next day covering road to leh.
Rakesh, that is good to know if they are proving helpful to you. Just got one more recent feedback too by another reader who returned from the tour and had praising words for them. Will help me more in relying on their services, wish same for you too.
I will suggest better stay at Uley because Kargil to Lamayuru will be done in less time and by staying at Uley you will be able to optimize the drive time and sightseeing in Sham Valley. Between, Uley and Kargil, you can see Lamayuru Monastery, Moonland, Redzong Gompa, Mulbekh Maitrey. And then next day you can cover Sham Valley which has Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Magnetic Hills, Pather Sahib Gurudwara, Confluence at Nimmu. You can check the details of Sham Valley at: Sham Valley Ladakh | Sightseeing and Travel Guide
I, Dr. B. P. Dubey, 59.5 yrs old, am planning to visit Leh in mid June 2013. I am alone. I would like to go to Leh by road from Sri Nagar via Kargil and return via Manali. My trip would be of about 9 days. Most of the time will be spent in sight seeing in Leh. I would prefer Sri Nagar – Kargil – Leh – Manali trip by bus. I am looking for like-minded people to form a group for this trip so that we can hire a vehicle, if required, for any section of this trip. I will start my journey from Mumbai. My journey from Mumbai to Sri Nagar and from Manali to Mumbai would be independent. Interested persons are requested to contact me as soon as possible on following contact details.
Phone : (Office) – 022-25594420,
Phone : (Residence) – 022-25571392, M : 09594257653 (after office hours only)
email = bpd@barc.gov.in
continued to my earlier comment my arrival and departure is by flight regards uday dave
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your earlier responses. I would like to seek your advice for my trip to Leh-Ladakh lasting for 12 nights and 13 days. Please suggest me a suitable itinerary starting from Leh on the 3rd of May.
Hello Uday,
IN that case you can follow the below itinerary:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 | Deskit/Hunder – Turtuk – Deskit/Hunder
Day 5 | 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 6 | 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 7 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
Day 9 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 10 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Sham Valley – Lamayuru
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, , Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Lamayuru
Day 12 | Lamayuru – Leh
— Overnight at Leh
OR you can make day trip to Sham Valley only on Day 12, skip Lamayuru and use Day 11 as rest day in Nubra Valley.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have some queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Just to add to my previous comment, we are planning in Mid August, is that an advisable time to visit leh
Hi Dheeraj,
My husband and I are planning a 10 day trip to Leh/Ladakh. We plan to fly to leh and back . I have gone thru ur 7 day itinerary for leh. We are intersted in going trekking for 2-3 nights, can you please let us know the best plan . Thanks a lot .
Shubhi, since you have gone over the 7 – 8 day itinerary then I feel it is the best to take up undertake the trip. In just 6-7 days of time and that too directly flying to such high altitude, you will not be able to undertake any high altitude trek for 2-3 nights or if you want you may try for some short 1-2 day hike from Stok Kangri Village, may be after skipping Tso Moriri from that 7-8 days plan.
August should be fine to Travel since you will e flying directly to Leh. Ladakh is a rain shadow region and rain affects the region least.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj , i wanted to stay at pangong lake for a night , so if we omit day 2 from your itinerary and extend a day at pangong , do u think it will cause acclimatization problems. Thanks.
Yes, very much. I do not even recommend passing over such a high mountain pass on third day itself if someone has time, doing it on second day is NOT NOT at all suggestible. Please do not ommit and rest at Leh on second day if you are flying directly to Leh
Hi, This is the itinerary that i have planned after speaking to couple of travel agents ,mostly based on ur itinerary , please let me know if ok
Day 1
Arrival at Leh airport, to be received by our representative and transferred to the Hotel. Check in to the hotel for a Complete day of rest wherein welcome tea and coffee will be served by the Hotel. Lunch will be served at 2.00 PM, after lunch visit Leh Market, Leh Palace, Hall of Fame and Shanti Stupa. Overnight Hotel.
Day 2
03 June: After breakfast drive for full day River Rafting on Zanskar River enroute visit Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, Hall of Fame museum and Sangam (Confluence of Zanskar & Indus River). Back to Leh by evening. Overnight Hotel.
Day 3
04 June: Leh to Nubra Valley (120 Kms) After Breakfast drive to Nubra Valley via Khardungla (Highest Motorable road in the World, 18,380 ft). Arrive at Deskit by Afternoon. Rest of the day one is free to explore Deskit, Hunder Villages and camel Safari in Sand Dunes between Deskit and Hunder Village. Overnight Hotel
Day 4
05 June: Nubra Valley to Leh (120 Kms) After Breakfast visit Deskit Monastery and drive back to Leh by same Route, crossing Khardungla Pass. Overnight Hotel.
Day 05:
Leh – Pangong Lake 140 Kms / 4-5 hrs
After Breakfast leave for Pangong Lake 14,500 ft, through Changla Pass 17,350 ft. (third Highest Motorable road in the world) Arrival at Camp, Hot Lunch will be served aat Camp, Later free time at Leisure and enjoy the color changing lake and the sun set on the banks of lake. O/N On the banks of Pangong Lake.
Day 06:
Pangong Lake – Leh 140 Kms / 4-5 hrs
Early morning enjoy the pictuereque view of Sun rise on lake. After Breakfast drive back to Leh, enroute visit Hemis, Thikse Monastery and Shey Palace. O/N Leh.
Day 07:
Leh to Tsomoriri Lake 240 Kms / 7-8 hrs
Morning after breakfast drive to Tsomoriri lake (14000 ft abov sea level) by passing Chumathang (Hot Spring) along the Indus river. Tsomoriri Arr. 1600 Hrs. Afterwards take a walk around the Lake to enjoy the scenic beauty. O/N Korzok Village.
Day 08:
Tsomoriri – Tsokar – Taglangla – Leh 260 Kms / 9-10 hrs
Morning after breakfast leave to Leh passing Puga (Sulphur Mine), Tsokar Lake, Taklang La Pass 17,585ft, 2nd Highest motorable road in the world. Arrival at Leh by evening. O/N Leh.
Day 9
Transfer to airport and fly back to Delhi
Hello Shubhi,
Please take complete rest on first day and NEVER do river rafting on the second day else high chances of falling sick due to AMS. Rafting does exert body and your body will not be acclimatized to such altitude. Not sure which travel agent suggested it to you. Do some local sighseeing in easy fashion on day 2.
Rest looks fine to me. If you really want to do rafting then leave early from Nubra Valley and then try your hands in the second half of the day after reaching Leh from Nubra Valley
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
we would be flying in and out of Leh,most likely from 12 th to 19th of May.Please advise on itinerary as well as the weather conditions…….
Hello Bhavani,
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh by Air followed by many travelers including me at the link here for 8 days: Leh – Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am from Pune and we (3 – 4 Couples and a couple of stags) are planning for a Leh – Ladakh Trip in August, which we believe is the best time to visit this part. We want to plan a 10Night Trip from Pune, which would include the following:
1. Bike Tour (Hired locally)
2. Rafting in Zanskar
3. Leh Ladakh and the must visit places around.
4. Drass – Kargil patch
5. Moderate Accommodation so that we can experience the true Ladakhi essence.
6. Would it be better to take a flight from Pune to Delhi and then Delhi to Leh or Pune to Srinagar and Srinagar to Leh?
So kindly guide me so that we can plan our trip well.
Hi Vinit,
Best time to Travel will be September. Also, 10 nights from Pune would make it tough if you are not flying directly to Leh.
1. Bikes can be hired locally and there are loads of tour operators over there at fort road Leh.
2. Do it in the last leg of your trip, may be a day before you come back.
3. For this you will have to take flight to Srinagar and then drive or take taxi from there.
4. For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
5. Considering the number of days in hand, best option is to take flight to Srinagar and then by road to Leh and then take flight back from Leh
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the prompt revert.
1. Well, there is no direct flight from Pune to Leh, so we have to go via Srinagar or Delhi.
2. Can we do the entire Leh to Leh trip on bikes or there are places where only cars would need to be hired?
3. So to experience the Drass – Kargil sector, we would need to come via Srinagar. How strongly do you suggest us to visit this sector?
Thank you so much bro.
Hello Vinit,
If you have any a decent experience of biking in Hills then only I will suggest you to with bike trip. Keep in mind terrain is a bit different and a bit challenging too. Once, you travel Srinagar to Leh in taxi, you can judge if you can drive in that terrain or not. Roads would be much similar in Leh as well and hence can better give you self judgement for the rides in Leh. Well, Srinagar to Kargil to Leh is quite a nice experience to have on your Ladakh trip. A must do is Kargil War Meomorial and Lunar Landscapes at Lamayuru.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
We want to go ahead with above suggested plan. But need to reduce 2 days. We have planned to skip Day 10 (Leh local culture). Can you please advise…How can we reduce 1 more day without making Canon ball.
Alok, in that case you can make a day trip to Pangong Tso and come back or skip Tso Moriri.
Dheeraj..HI ..read your blogs on leh-ladakh and many suggestions.
I have set below my itinerary for a trip from Delhi to Srinagar to Leh to Srinagar to Delhi (18 May 2013 – 31 May 2013)
Please give me your suggestions on the same and also places to see during each leg. Also i have put the trip to Pangong Tso as a 2 day trip with an overnight at Pangong. Let me know if this is required or a day trip is enough. Alternatively should Pangong and Nubra be combined as a 3 day trip.
18 May 2013 – Delhi to Srinagar (overnight in srinagar)
19 May – Srinagar Local
20 May – Leave for Kargil (overnight in kargil) by road
21 May – Kargil to Leh (overnight in leh)
22 May – Leh Local
23 May – Leh to Pangong Tso (Overnight at Pangong Tso)
24 May – Pangong Tso to Leh (overnight at Leh)
25 May – Leh to Nubra Valley (Overnight at Nubra)
26 May – Nubra to Leh (ovenight at Leh)
27 May – buffer day in Leh
28 May – Leh to Kargil (overnight at Kargil) by road
29 May – Kargil to Srinagar (overnight at Srinagar)
30 May – Srinagar local
31 May depart for delhi
Would appreciate a quick reply as need to make bookings for stay. thanks
Priya
Hello Priya,
I will suggest the following two options to you and always do Nubra Valley first and then Pangong Tso:
23 May – Leh to Nubra Valley (Overnight at Nubra)
24 May – Nubra to Leh (ovenight at Leh)
25 May – Leh to Pangong Tso (Overnight at Pangong Tso)
26 May – Pangong Tso to Leh (overnight at Leh)
27 May – buffer day in Leh
OR
My preferred option 2 where you also cover Tso Moriri :):
23 May – Leh to Nubra Valley (Overnight at Nubra)
24 May – Nubra to Leh (ovenight at Leh)
25 May – Leh to Pangong Tso to Leh Day trip (Overnight at Leh)
26 May – Leh to Tso Moriri (overnight at Tso Moriri)
27 May – Tso Moriri to Leh
Regarding places to seee on the way to these places, please refer the above itinerary for these routes.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Many Thanks Deeraj..i would take the 2nd option. You are doing a wonderful job and your blog contains very useful information for people like us. i will def. post my trip feedback.
Regards
Priya
Hii Priya…
Your’s and mine itinerary is somewhat matching… I will be directly reaching to leh on 22nd may.. and will be leaving 4 srinagar on 29th may via kargil. I will be travelling along my wife. So do lemme know if things suit and how many are you in number such that we can share our travel in leh.
Dear Dheeraj
Your Blog is indeed excellent , full of unbiased information which is no doubt is very useful for all . I really appreciate your efforts .
I am following your Blog from last one year . I am from Gurgaon and planning a trip Delhi – srinagar – Leh- Manali –Delhi trip by road in my Fortuner SUV ( 4 * 2 Manual ) .
I am planning this trip in 2nd week of June 2013 and made one itinerary with help of your blog , request to pl go through same and guide me how to improve same . Also few columns are blank if you can help me in filling same like , place to get permit , hotel details so booking can be done now , etc
Also I want to Invite others through your blog if anyone wants to join me for this trip .
Regards
Pawan kalra
Itinerary for June 2013 ( Delhi – Srinagar – Leh – Ladakh – Manali – Delhi )
Day Dep Time From To Night halt total KMS Expected Remarks Hotel Detials
Drive ( Hrs ) Name & Contact detials
1 4.30 Gurgaon Patnitop Patnitop 700 13
2 Patnitop 2 Relax and Enjoy Patnitop
3 7.00 Patnitop Srinagar Srinagar 200 9 Enjoy Dal Lake , Shikara Ride
4 8.30 Srinagar Kargil Kargil 210 9 enroute visit Sonamarg , Zozi La , Drass
5 8.30 Kargil Leh Leh 230 10 cover Mulbekh Maitrey , Lamayuru Moanstery , Lunar Landscapes , Gurudware Pather Sahib , Magnetic Hills , Confluence at Nimmu
6 Leh Leh 5 Local sight seeing Namgyal Compa , Leh Palace , Shanti Stupa ,Shankar Gompa , Main Market , Hall of Fame , Spituk Gompa , Changspa Road stroll in evening
7 9.00 Leh Hunder /Diskit Hunder /Diskit 175 6 Nubra Valley , Highest Motorable Road , Monastries at Khandung La , Tallest Lord Budha statue , sand dunes camel safari
8 9.00 Hunder Leh Leh 200 8 Samur , Panamik , Khardung La
9 9.00 Leh Pangong Pangong 200 6 Pangong Tso Lake
10 9.00 Pangong Leh Leh 200 6 Hemis , Thicksey , Shey
11 10.00 leh leh 100 3 rest day at Leh or Sham vally trip
12 11.00 Leh Tso Moriri Tso Moriri 150 8 Karzok Monastery , Chumathang
13 7.00 Tso Moriri Sarchu Sarchu 250 12 Tso kar – Debring – Moore Plains – Pang – Sarchu
14 6.00 Sarchu manali Manali 250 12 Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
15 manali Manali rest day at Manali
16 8.30 manali Delhi 550 15
3415
not able to add excel sheet in this , can you let me know your email id so I can forward my mail 🙂
Thanks alot Pawan. You can use the link of “Email Us” on the sidebar to reach me through email. I will go through your itinerary as well as details in the excel and reply you back there only.
Hi Dheeraj,
Your blog is indeed excellent, full of unbiased information and “must refer to” while planning any road trip. I really appreciate your effort and the “share your love for travel” spirit behind.
Dheeraj, I am from Chandigarh, own a bolero 4X2 jeep and I am very much interested in travelling to leh via manali and back to chandigarh via srinagar. Now the twist is that my wife and 2 year old daughter are very excited about the trip and I am confused. Is it going to be wise to take them along? If you ask me, I want to take them along but your expert advice is what matters the most. Secondly, I have no clue how to plan such a long road trip, how to get started from permits to things to take along, decide places to stay, the cost..I mean I need help with everything as I know nothing. You set the guidelines and I will follow them :)If you could do that for me, I will be grateful.
Best Regards
Prashant Sharma
Hello Prashant,
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 follow the above itinerary in the article for ease and less burden on you and your family.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
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
Technically it is OK to take children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age. It can happen to anyone of any age. The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With 2+ year child, I think she will not be able to convey the uneasiness as such. If you notice any such feeling or she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!! It will be much better to spedn a day at Alchi which is lower in altitude than Leh after Kargil to be more acclimatized and do Pangong Tso lake as day trip.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Much Thanks! for such a detailed reply. After posting you my query yesterday I analyzed your blog further and found answer for almost all of my queries. Only one thing I would like to ask is that do I need to pre-book the hotels? I assume that I will be visiting Leh in the first week of August. If accommodation isn’t a problem in August, I won’t like to pre-book, may be I am able to save some money. In fact, I want to visit Leh in most cost effective season :)Please advice.
And yes, the trip will be now as you suggested starting Jammu and then coming down to Manali. I am fully convinced and excited now.
And thanks again for being so detailed. Though I may trouble you again 🙂
Regards
Prashant Sharma
Hi Prashant,
It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Secondly, it provides you with more and more flexibility in terms of dates you reach on a particular place and allow you any last minutes changes. In places like Ladakh where road conditions are uncertain enough to force a change in plan, the flexibility always top the list.
Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hello Dheeraj,
This is an intinerary suggest to us for travel period 19th April to 27th april. What are your thoughts on this? We are 4pax traveling together.
19April2013 Day-1: Delhi-Leh (10,500ft) morning flight. From the airport drive direct to Uletokpo for acclimatization. Eat, rest all day. A short walk along the banks of river Indus in the evening. Eat early, sleep early, rise late. Overnight at Uletokpo.
Day-2: After b’fast, go for river rafting. Drive to Lamayuru enroute visit Liker Monastery, Magnetic hill and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. After Lunch drive to visit the mesmerising Moon landscapes and the Lamayuru monastery (one of the oldest Monastery in central Ladakh) O/N Ule.
Day-3: After the Breakfast drive to Leh enroute visit Alchi monastery and Hall of Fame. Arrive at Leh by afternoon. Hot Lunch at Hotel. Leh local sight-seeing. Shanti Stupa and Spituk monastery and Leh palace. Overnight at Leh.
Day-4: Start early and drive to Nubra. On the way stop at Khardung La pass (18,400ft) for a cup of hot Ladakhi Tea at the World’s highest cafeteria and buy gifts at the World’s highest gift shop.. Upon arrival visit Deskit monastery. Lunch at Camp, rest of the day one is free to explore Deskit, Hunder Villages and camel Safari in Sand Dunes between Deskit and Hunder Village. O/N Nubra Valley.
Day-5: Nubra to Leh. Reach Leh by afternoon. Evening free to explore Leh town. If you are a foodie, try the large variety of cuisines available, especially Ladakhi. Overnight at Leh.
Day-6: Start by 7am for Pangong. On the way stop for a while at Chang La pass (17,680ft) for a free cup of hot tea, courtesy Indian Army. Reach Pangong by lunchtime and go for a long walk on the banks of Pangong. Overnight at Spangmik.
Day-7: Pangong to Tso Moriri via Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Khaltse (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) = 235 KMs
O/N at Korzok.
Day-8: Tso –moriri to Leh via Chumathang . Visit Thiksey & Shey ,Hemis. Evening free for shopping in the Leh Main Market. Overnight at Leh.
27April2013 Day-9: Leh-Delhi morning flight.
Regards
Pranita
Excellent blog!
Please tell me if a Ladakh trip is easily doable in April incl. Nubra valley, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
Flying into and out of Leh.
Approx. how many days reqd. for a leisurely trip with the above itinerary plus factoring in acclimatisation time.
Also any recommendations for hiring a taxi for the trip and will the same taxi driver help getting the permits or we have to do it ourselves?
Many thanks.
Hi Gita,
You can do Ladakh trip in April but not with that easiness and you will have to fly into Leh and out of it because both Srinagar – Leh highway as well as Manali – Leh Highway are open by that time of the year. Also, both Pangong Tso as well as Tso Moriri will be frozen.
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% 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 Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj for your prompt reply.
I would like to see the lakes more than the monasteries but also avoid the tourist season. Anyway it is all very tentative at the moment so let us see.
I will revert if I have more questions.
Thanks again.
Hi, we are a bunch of friends planning to do Delhi- Leh on road.
I want ask what vehicles are best suited for this? are sedans good or not? if not, can we get driver-less SUVs on rent?
Hi Vishnu,
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
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi dheeraj,
in which year & which month u travelled to srinagar, gulmarg & leh ladakh.
pls mention ur starting & end whole kashmir region tour date.
waiting for ur reply
Imran, you will not be able to fine tune the balance between snow in Gulmarg and Ladakh trip. If you want to see snow, not in Gulmarg but on the trip to Ladakh then better make a plan in June, mid June types. If you want to see beautiful colors of nature then plan a trip in September mid to October first week at max. I generally travel in end of September after 20th Sept.
Hi Dheeraj,
Really a commendable job at putting up such detailed information. I have been following your website since last year! Hopefully I will manage to go this year in mid-June. We want to see some snow.
We are a family of 6 (now) based in Mumbai. We are very keen on following the above itenary. But I need your advise on the following:
1. We plan to start from Jammu directly. From Mumbai to Jammu by Train. Is it alright to skip Patnitop and head for Srinagar directly?
Alternatively, we are considering Mumbai to Srinagar via air also.
2. The other issue being, we want to hire a vehicle with a driver.
Would it be possible for you to give me a link or some contact details for hiring?
From what I understood, I will need a different vehicle
– From Jammu/Srinagar to Leh
– Within and around Leh
– Leh – Manali – Chandigarh (Chandigarh to Mumbai)
Since I have family members 50+ age travelling with us, I am not counting on the condition of public transport.
So some information on hiring vehicle would really help!
3. Would a budget of Rs.30k to Rs.35k per person for mid range hotels & veg meals suffice?
(from Jammu/Srinagar to Chandigarh)
Your advice will really help me a lot! If you could give me your email that would be great, so I can contact you for any other advise.
Thanks a lot and good luck with ur endeavours!
Hello Shachi,
1. Yes, it is perfectly fine to skip Patnitop and head to Srinagar. Better do Mumbai – Srinagar by air, I will say to spare yourself from boring journey.
2. Hire one vehicle for Srinagar to Leh and then one in Ladakh for rest of the whole tour. Or you can ask any of the ladakhi driver to pick you from Kargil. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. Get in touch with Rigzin as he is more of friend to me and one gem + jolly of a person.
3. I guess it should suffice. 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
Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
You will get my email as I reply to this comment.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks for the quick reply!
I have gone through the list so I will be making use of that with first preference to Rigzin!
Also I read a lot of your articles and comments, and now I am a little confused if mid June would be a good time? I know its a little too early since we don’t know the conditions that would be prevalent later in June and I just read today that its been snowing heavily in Ladakh.
Yet from your experience what would you suggest?
Thanks in advance.
If you want to see snow then mid of June to mid of July is the apt time to visit Ladakh but if you like to see burning colors of Ladakh then surely September mid to October first week is the best time 🙂
Hello Dheeraj,
I have been following your website since last year and I highly appreciate your efforts in guiding tourists for a trip of their life. I am planning to visit Leh (by road) from Pune somewhere between 25th June 2013 to 20th July 2013. I have a Wagon – R and am a bit worried about the road conditions during the period mentioned. Is it the best time to visit Leh (considering a hatch-back)? If not, please suggest a suitable time period. I would be travelling from Srinagar to Manali. My itinerary would be almost similar to what you have written above. Your assistance will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.
Sanket, between June to July, the roads will be just opened and not stabilized. Water levels in Nallahs are at peak due to snow melting or frequent WDs, so not ideal for driving a small car. If you are fond of adventure and ready to take risk to feel the real adventure then only will suggest you for driving a hatchback to Ladakh in June or July. Otherwise, I will suggest that you plan in second half of September. Though the winters set in and season is about to close but colors are just out of the world and in comparison best road conditions.
Hello Dheeraj,
Thanks for the valuable information. In the month of September, will there be a problem due to the start of rainy season in that area? How would you compare this risk in July to that of September?? How about August??
Upto July 15th, things seems to be OK as roads get stabilized by then but still you have to deal with water level in water crossings and bad roads. After 15th September, generally the monsoon fades away even after being delayed and once you cross Sarchu from Manali side and Kargil from Srinagar side, you are into rain shadow region which gets very less rainfall but roads conditions does improve by that time (late the better), cold increases and water becomes less in water crossings. Forget about August 🙂
Regards
dheeraj
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,
We are 7friends planning to visit Leh, this august. Following is the itinerary we have thought of:-
9th Aug- Kolkata-Srinagar(By flight)
10th Aug- Srinagar. Daytrip to Gulmarg.Stay in Srinagar.
11th Aug- Srinagar – Kargil
12th Aug- Kargil – Lamayuru+Sham Valley Tour including Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Confluence at Nimmu. Stay in Alchi.
13th Aug- Alchi– Leh
14th Aug- Leh Local Sightseeing(Around the city) + Inner Line Permits
15th Aug- Leh – Khardung La – Diskit (Nubra Valley) – Hunder – Diskit
16th Aug- Hunder/Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
17th Aug- Leh – Hemis – Pangong Lake
18th Aug- Pangong Tso – Thicksey – Shey Palace – Leh
19th Aug- Leh-Jammu-Kolkata(By flight)
Is this plan feasible? In Leh, do the hired cars allow 7 people in 1 car(Tavera or some other SUV)? Is Tso-Moriri Lake something which cannot be missed? If yes, then is there any chance of us covering the place with any alternative travel plan?
Please suggest.
Hi Rahul,
Plan looks feasible but part of Sham Valley would be covered the next day while you move from Alchi to Leh because lots of above places comes after Alchi when you go from Srinagar to Leh. Also, day trip to Gulmarg might make it a bit hectic the very first day. Tso Moriri will need 2 more days which I think might not be able to adjust in the time you have in hand. I think you might be able to get accommodated in one car but a tad less comfort thought.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Thanks a lot for your help Sir….:)
Hello Dheeraj,
Awesome Job ! You seem to be a mini google of snowy India !
We,a group of 2 families from Bangalore are planning to spend 7-8 days in Kashmir-leh-ladak during April last week to May 1st week. Children of 7 years & above would be with us. Request you to suggest a suitable itenary from Delhi.
Thanks alot Vidhya. I will suggest to keep Leh – Ladakh for a separate trip at some suitable time because in 7 – 8 days it will not be feasible with Kashmir. Stick to Kashmir only and you can follow the below plan:
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
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
Day 7 | Sonamarg – Srinagar
Day 8 | Back Home
Regards
dheeraj Sharma
Hi,
I was wondering which month is the BEST time to go? I have heard this for the following months. june/july snow melts and it gets difficult to get around, and in aug/sep it rains. is that true? I wan planning on going in aug-sep trip but if it rains in that time i will waste alot of time and money. please advice. thnx
Pratik, It is always nice to plan your journey in last 15 days of June or first 2-3 weeks of July when you can find ample of snow on roads and roads will be open by that time from both Srinagar as well as Manali side to Leh – Ladakh. However, please keep in mind that road conditions hardly improve on Manali – Leh road and remains almost quite challenging + adventurous all throughout the season. It improves slightly towards the end of season that is September or October first week but by that time snow is all gone and risk of road closure increases. So, you need to be prepared for all the adventure that Manali – Leh Highway offers a traveller in the month of June – July and situation worsens when monsoon comes in late July, August and early September now a days. So IMHO, overall whatever best window you will get so that you avoid monsoons, see ample of snow and roads are open for you will be like 15th June – 20th July window.
If you want to see beautiful colours of Ladakh then second half/late of September is THE best time to visit Leh – Ladakh when these colours are oozing and burning out vividly and of course, the road conditions does get better in late September type when rains reside the region completely. It is my favorite time to visit Leh – Ladakh region and yeah, tourists head count all dips a bit in late in the season.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi,
i m planning to go leh – ladakh on 15th may’13 by road.
i want to ask that i have 8 month old baby with me, can i plan along with him?? if yes what precautions we have to take for him??
Vipin, I will seriously request that please do not attempt that. May be once he/she grow older perhaps > 4-5 years then come back.
dear frd.if u can go to single then its much bettr……..
Hi Deepak!
Thanx for the detailed write-up. I am also planning a trip to Leh in aug…just needed a few tips from u..My itinerary includes:
2 aug- reach leh, rest, shanti stupa, leh palace
3 aug- local sightseeing- monastries, leh palace, Gurudwara
4 aug- nubra valley via khardungla & overnite stay
5 aug- hunder, panamik & back to leh
6 aug- pangong lake & back to Leh
7 aug- zanskar & kargil;back to Leh
8 aug- back to delhi-flight.
Now I had a few questions:
1)We were thinking of an overnight camp-so is one feasible at Nubra?
2)Is it possible to cover Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathir sahib & hemis , thiksey monastries on same day(3 aug)
3)Is it possible to cover zanskar & kargil on same day?
4)Is the trip too jampacked & should we cut down on kargil? Though i would love to include kargil/siachen in my trip.
5) How much time does it take to reach kargil from Leh or is it closer from Nubra valley. If that is the case we can directly leave for kargil from Nubra instead of coming back to Leh.
I know they are quite a few questions, would really appreciate if you could provide some insight.
Also, if any modifications/tips u could recommend,,would be very helpful.
sneha
Guess, already replied and apart from 7th Aug day modification, rest of the plan looks good.
Hello Sneha,
1. Yes, but guess you can also stay overnight at Pangong Tso as well and utilize the 7th Aug day.
2. Hemis and Thicksey will be alot as they are on opposite side. Keep them for Day 6 or Day 7 when you go to Pangong Tso or come back from there.
3. Zanskar is not possible. From Kargil it requires about 3 days if you do it in a hurry and reach Kargil will need 1 more day. So, in all from Leh you will need 5 days if you wanna do it in hurry.
4. Yes, cut down on Kargil trip and either rest at Leh or do two day Pangong Tso trip.
5. No direct route from Nubra to Kargil and better leave it.
I hope this helps.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
we like 5 night leh package in month of July. 1 couple pls send us tour detail with costing.
Mohit, brother I am not a travel agent and neither suggest any travel agents. But, number of such queries are definitely luring me to be, one day 😉 :lolz:
We are group of 4 people planning to visit ladakh in April.
Srinagar – Leh highway will open in april?
Hii Dheeraj,
You are simply doing awesome job by giving vital informations to all tourists.
I am planning to go to Ladak in my honeymoon trip for a week during May end. I am planning one week stay at Leh with return flight from Delhi.I want to make my itinerary comfortable and luxurious. I am planning to visit Pangong lake and Nubra Valley with overnight stay at both places.
Can you please suggest a best possible itinerary for a week with palces to stay.
Hello Tarun,
BTW, Ladakh is not ideal from honeymoon but now a days people have started going there but I am not sure about their experiences there. Still, you have 7 days and below is the itinerary you might like to follow:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 – Sham Valley Tour – Leh
— Sham Valley includes Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Confluence at Nimmu.
— Overnight t Leh
Day 4 | 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 5 | 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 6 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any doubts or queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi,
We are two or three couples planning to visit Jammu Kashmir Srinagar and Leh Ladak in April end or May 1st week 2013, first of all would like to know if this is the right time for these places as we do not want to miss out any major attraction, if yes what should to the complete and perfect itinery for 8 to 10 day, and if there are any other places should be cover(kulu Manali etc)in and around if required time can be stretched for the same.
Sabita, if you want to make a visit to Ladakh then plan the trip in post June mid that is when all the roads Srinagar to Leh as well as Manali to Leh gets opened and even a bit stabilized. So, you can do the whole circuit entering form Srinagar and coming from Manali.
Thanks Dheeraj for replying, i understand your concern as i have also read the same in review, but i think i can max push my start journey to first week of May as i have no other option, i will have to take a chance however i can first finish kashmir and srinagar so by thani touch leh it will be almost second week of may, we have total 9 days, would appreciate if you can suggest itinerary accordingly for 2 couples.
Hi Sabita,
Well, in that case better stick to taking chance and after seeing if Srinagar – Leh is open then go ahead by road to Leh and on the way back can you fly back from Leh or you want to cover the journey by road only on the way back as well? I will suggest the plan accordingly.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi,
Would prefer road journey, last option will be by air.
Also want to know what are the chances of getting Srinagar – leh road open in mid May.
Chances of Srinagar – Leh road being open in mid May will be good. Most likely it gets open my that time. You have just 8 days and in that case you might have to fly at least one way, better do it from Leh to Delhi. You can follow the below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi – Srinagar
— Fly to Srinagar if you are not self driving because it will almost cost the same and help you save one day plus fatigue of traveling unnecessary in plains or boring hills for 2 days
— Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride as well
— If you have time then check out, floating market, Shalimar Garden.
— Overnight at 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 + Inner Line Permits
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Fly back home
Now, you can see that to return back via road from Leh you will need 2 days. If you can manage then you can follow the route to Kargil and from there to Srinagar and go back.
Let me know for any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for your reply, it gave me some confidence as i had almost dropped my plans. the itinerary looks perfect only except i also want to cover gulmarg pahalgam and other must see place of Kashmir, I know the time is less, you can suggest the best possible with minimum time required.
It is the best possible thing you can do in such time window. You can see that there is no day even as rest day already in the itinerary 🙂 … If you want to cover Gulmarg and Pahalgam, I will suggest drop the plan for Ladakh and better do Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Srinagar and Sonamarg as your trip.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj,
Buying your idea and has dropped leh for this time as i do not want to take chance of road opening and see half of the place because of less time. now idea is we want to leave on 27th for srinagar and return from srinagr on 4th or 5th may. the route we have choen is pune to Amritsar, see amritsar for one day, night stay if required and from Amritsar to srinagr, request you to suggest an itinerary for the same, also would like to know what is the chances of getting snow in srinagar in this time.
Regards
Sabita
Hi Sabita,
Would be very difficult to get snow at this time of the year in Kashmir apart from Glaciers. As for itinerary, you can follow something like below:
27th | Amritsar to Jammu/Patnitop
28th | Jammu/Patnitop to Srinagar
29th | Srinagar
30th | Srinagar – Pahalgam
1st | Pahalgam – Srinagar
2nd | Srinagar – Gulmarg
3rd | Gulmarg – Sonamarg
4th | Sonamarg – Srinagar
5th | Fly out.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hii Dheeraj
Thanx for ur reply.
I have one more doubt as I have made my mind to fly from Delhi on 15th May that road to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake will be open by mid May or not.
My revised Itinerary is like that
15th May: Delhi to Leh. Rest Day
16th May: Leh sightseeing and innerline permit.
17th May: Leh to nubra Valley and overnight stay at Nubra
18th May: Nubra to Leh with sightseeing on d way back to Leh.
19th May: Rest and local sight seeing
20th May: Leh to Pangong Lake and return same day.
21st May: Local sight seeing
22nd May: Leh to Delhi
Questions I have in mind:
Is this itinerary ok?
In May road to Nubra Valley and Pangong lake will be opned
I am planning to stay in Ladkh Residency in Leh and in some camp in Nubra. Is it ok or please suggest me better option.
Tarun, the itinerary is very well done and relaxing enough. Spend couple of days in Nubra Valley instead of Local sightseeing on 19th and visit Turtuk as well. do mention Turtuk on permits. Not sure about Ladakh residency. In Nubra, you can stay at Sten Del Hotel or Snow Leopard if not very much keen on camps.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Tarun the in roads in Ladakh are usually kept open all round the year barring few days of heavy snowfall in between when the roads get closed for a day or two.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Ashim January 6th 2013 Dear Dheeraj ji,
An extra ordinary site of hard work to help & guide people like us who never visited Leh. Lot of Thanks. We want to go during last weak of April 13 by air from Delhi & to have 7-8 nights stay there and come back by air. You have mentioned once that the road to Pangong, Nubra valley, Tsomo riri & others remain clear. Will it be possible to enjoy the Lakes with water and colours properly or to see the snow only. Guide the appropriate timings and provide the travel Itineraries. Thanking you – Ashim Maitra ( A senior citizen from Kolkata)
As a senior citizen , should I take any extra precaution or take more rest initially Thanking you Ashim
Hello Mr. Ashim,
Thanks alot. Well, in April most likely both Pangong Tso as well as Tso Moriri would remain partially frozen. You can check the pictures from last week of April 2012 at the links here and here from both Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri respectively.
Do you still want to visit these places in April because if you want to see the colors of these lakes then better plan it in mid of May types or June. Let me know and I will suggest the itinerary accordingly.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dhiraj ji,
Thank you very much for early reply.I (& my wife) have to come back Kolkata by 15th May and no time to go till October this year.(Last year also we tried but failed).Who knows about the next year! So, let’s see whatever stored in our fate.
Please give an idea with itinerary (keeping in mind that I am 62 yrs of age) so that we can enjoy Leh-Ladak in 8 nights, 4th-11th May going by air from Delhi, & back on 12th morning.
Should we book the Hotels in advance or spot booking is preferable? Will you pl suggest the Hotels of walkable distance on arrival at different location you seem best.
Thanks in anticipation-Ashim Maitra
Hello Dhiraj Ji,
I am eagerly waiting for your reply of my letter dt:- February 8, 2013 at 5:45 pm. Next year, most probably I would not be able to go and I must have to go this year by 1st weak of May. So pl guide.
Thanking you Ashim Maitra
Hi Mr. Ashim,
Really sorry on missing that comment. Guess, missed in loads of other comments 🙁 … Well, for 4th to 11th May you can follow the below plan:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Please let me know in case you have any queries. I will make sure I do not miss them this time 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thank you very much. I shall follow your guidelines and may knock you again in future as and when necessary .
Thanking you again
Ashim
Sure, my pleasure. Let me know anytime you have some query regarding planing your trip to Leh Ladakh
I have made my plan based on the itinerary you gave with few changes. I have exactly 14 days so I had to cut few things.
I am MOST LIKELY going to have to rent a car as that is much more safer way of transport.
I am have two options, either come from July 2nd week- 3rd week OR Aug 4th week- Sep 1st week. I need your help in finding out which dates are better. At this moment I am leaning towards Aug.
14 Days Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh
Day 1 | Bombay- Delhi (probably flight)
Day 2 | Delhi – Jammu / Patnitop
Thinking of taking TRAIN if possible to save time, if not then will rent/hire car/taxi
Day 3 | Jammu / Patnitop – Srinagar
Again thinking of taking TRAIN if possible.
Day 4 | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
– From here we will have to rent a car. Wanted to go on bikes but don’t think its possible.
Day 5 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Day 6 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
Day 7 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder- sumur – Panamik- hunder
From what I understand, all of these places are basically one after another (google map). I do not see a reason why I cant do all at once. As I am not planning on taking more than half an hr AT MOST at each place.
THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP as all of this will change upon your opinion
Day 8 | Hunder / Diskit – Khardung La – Leh OR
Hunder- Pangong Tso
This is the day I was hoping to actually go directly to Pangong tso.
I have not decided basically if I will go there or come back to Leh and do water rafting and then sightseeing for the rest of the day ie. Sham valley
Also I wanted to do a camping for a day at Pangong. Do you know if this is possible?
Day 9 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake OR
Pangong Tso- Tso Moriri- Tso kar
I am not sure if the road shown on google map for Pangong to Moriri is viable. I need your help on this the MOST
Stay near Kar or Morrir depending on where we end up at the end of day
Day 10 | Pangong Tso- Tso Moriri- Tso kar OR
TsoMoriri – Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
If all of these places are on the way, then I can just cover them all. Again, I am not planning on staying there too long.
Day 11 | TsoMoriri – Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali OR
Manali- Shimla
Day 12 | Manali- Shimla OR
Shimla- Manali- train to Dehli or Shim to train to Delhi (I don’t know about the train issues)
Day 13 | Shimla- Manali- train to Dehli or Shim to train to Delhi
Day 14 as buffer. If we are on time, I can always go to Agra from Delhi for a day.
Day 15 Delhi- Bombay
Hi Partik,
If you wanna have a easy and enjoyable trip then do it like:
Day 8 | Hunder/Deskit – Khardung La – Leh
Day 9 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 10 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
Day 11 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Sarchu
Day 12 | Sarchu – Manali
Day 13 | Manali – Delhi
Day 14 | Buffer or rest day on Manali
Day 15 | Delhi – Bombay.
You will be able to do the camping at Tso Moriri in this case otherwise take chance with the buffer day and make a two day trip to Pangong Tso after checking the long term or weekly weather forecast and deciding judiciously.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Sorry for very late reply. Thanks for getting back to me. I think I will do it the way you have planned it, especially because the renting of a car option has been scratched and I will have to take a bus from jammu-leh and leh-manali. do they have bus option from sarchu-manali?
thnx and really appreciate your help keep it up 🙂
Pratik, nopes. No bus from Sarchu. You will have to book the bus service from Leh which will stop at Keylong. Buses do not stop at Sarchu overnight, may be for a meal or tea snacks.
thank you dheeraj bhai . for such a wonderfull post. . i have 1 question . , we are a group of 7 . and will be travelling to ladakh in mid sept. in quallis . . so is quallis good enough to take there .. ? and we have 20 days and our place of interest will be srinagar, kashmir, gulmarg . leh ,somoriri. khardungla , pangong lake . merisimik . nubra valley and sham valley . and on return v also want to njoy games at rothamg pass . and river rsfting in leh and cable ride in gulmarg . so is it possible to cover all this in 20 days . . i know its too much but if u can pls make an iternery for this . . we will be leaving from mumbai . .thank you brother in advance . ..
Hello Ayaz,
Qualis shall be able to manage it. But always it depends upon who is behind the wheel 🙂 …. Now, you have above itinerary for 14-15 days. Since, you have about 20 days, so I will suggest you to add 1 day in Manali or for Manali – leh Highway to do it in 3 days. And rest 4 days can be used in Kashmir for 2 day trip to Pahalgam, 1 Day Trip to Gulmarg, 1 Day full sightseeing in Srinagar. This way you will be able to utilize all your 20 days.
I hope this helps. Let me know in case you have some queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi, can i plan to go from leh to pangong tso and from pangong tso to tso moriri, then back to leh? off course with one day halt at pangong or tso moriri. thank you.
Praneeta, well there is a route but I am not sure if you will get the permits for it or not. If in season time, then I think there is slight chance that you will get its permit.
Regards.
Dheeraj
thank you dheeraj. ur suggestions are really helpful. what is th eacomdition of accomodation and food outside leh? say in korzok or nubra valley? how abt completing the jorney from kargil to leh with 1 night halt? so that the shyam valley sight seeing van be done. please give me suggestion. thank you.
Hi Praneeta,
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Regarding food outside Leh, you will have to stick to whatever hotel guys have on offer. Yes, if you have time then better night halt at Sham Valley so that it can also be done on the way to Leh from Kargil. It will also help in acclimatization too 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj
You can check the link below for the route details and its conditions: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/routes-and-road-conditions-in-leh-ladakh-ladakh-self-drive-tips/
thnks a lot dheeraj. i want to know abt the ILPs. how do i suppose to know the names of the villages that should be written in the form for ILP? or do the persons in the office support? what could be the road condition from leh to tso moriri? what will be the weather condition in june july?will it be cold?
Hello Praneeta,
They do support but where are you planning to visit. Most people visit – Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, nubra Valley and writing these names suffice all requirements. If you want to follow any other route between them apart from traditional route, this is where the requirement comes in. Still, for details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
My Iternary kindly suggest if it will work or i need to do any changes as mode of transport will be train and local transport.
June 1st Get into Passchim exp at 12:00 from Borivali (Mumbai) to Mathura JN
June 2nd Reach Mathura JN early morning at 8 get fresh see Taj Mahal in the afternoon leave for Delhi
June 3rd Local Sightseeing in Delhi.
June 4th Leave from New Delhi at 13:00 by Delhi-Amritsar Super fast Reach Amritsar by 21:30
June 5th Early Morning visit Golden Temple visit Wagha border
June 6th Early Morning leave by 05:20 by Amritsar – Chandigarh Duronto for Chandigarh have breakfast and lunch from there move ahead to Manali around 250km by Local transport spend Night at Manali.
June 7th Leave from Manali to Leh by Local transport reach Keylong or Sarchu sepend night there
June 8th Move ahead toward Leh reach Leh by the end of the day
June 9th Local Sieght seeing in Leh Ladak
June 10th Local Sieght seeing in Leh Ladak
June 11th Leave from Leh at Night Halt at Kargil
June 12th Leave from Kargil reach Srinagar
June 13th Jammu Kashimir Seight seeing
June 14th Leave by Jammu Tawi exp to mumbai
June 15th In the evening reach Borivali (Mumbai)
Hi Kunal,
You are covering too many places on one trip and leaving just 2 days for Ladakh which is not that good for visiting Ladakh. I will suggest that you drop some places and make a dedicated trip to Ladakh only to see the entire beauty. Other places can be covered in different trips. Also, do the trip in reverse order that is going via Srinagar side and coming back via Manali side.
Let me know in case you need more help or have any doubts.
Regards
Dheraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj, I must say you have a wonderfully organised site. Truly helpful, one doesn’t need to go anywhere else for info and expert guidance.
I and my family (4-6 adults and 3-5 kids) wish to visit Leh Ladakh in May 2013, and request your help in planning the itinerary and arrangements. This is low-budget trip (as far as possible) without cutting corners on safety, hygiene and health. No luxury frills required.
Following is a tentative itinerary, please suggest if this can be improved.
1) 12 May 2013 – Bhopal-Jammu train (Malwa Exp.)
2) 13 May 2013 – Reach Jammu in afternoon (4.30 p.m.). Spend the night at Jammu/Patnitop
3) 14 May 2013 – leave for Srinagar in the morning. Reach Srinagar on 14th evening/night, and spend the night in Srinagar.
4) 15 May 2013 – sightseeing in and around Srinagar. Spend 15th night at Gulmarg/Sonmarg.
5) 16 May 2013 – Leave for Leh by road. Stopover on the way at Kargil/Lamayuru (1 night) for acclimatization.
6) 17 May 2013 – Arrive in Leh by evening/night. Spend the night resting at Leh.
7) 18-21 May 2013 – sightseeing in Leh-Ladakh
8) 22 May 2013 – Leave Leh for Manali by road (if the Leh-Manali road is open) else leave for Srinagar by road. Stopover on the way for one night.
9) 23 May 2013 – Arrive in Manali by evening/night. Spend the night at Manali.
9) 24 May 2013 – Leave Manali for Ambala early morning.
10) 24 May 2013 – Reach Ambala by 2.30 p.m.
11) Catch the Malwa Express at Ambala Cant (3.35 p.m.) for Bhopal
Need your help/suggestions on the following specific items. More help in terms of recommmendations, alternative plan etc. would be more than welcome.
Will write to you with specific queries on road travel, sightseeing and accommodation, once I get your views on the itinerary.
Thanks in advance.
Ashish
Hi Ashish,
Most likely the Manali – Leh Highway will be closed. So be prepared to come back via same route, may be after getting the permits via Batalik side to enjoy different route on return with overnight stop at Kargil. You might like to follow the below plan once you reach Leh.
May 18 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here:
— 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.
— If feeling OK then do Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— Do not use stairs at any of these places just to see them as it will exert your body much more.
— Overnight at Leh
May 19 | 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
May 20 | 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
May 21 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Do not plan to stay overnight at Pangong Tso as you will not be acclimatized and may fall sick. So, make a day trip only.
— Overnight at Leh
Also, either stay at Srinagar only on 15th for some rest or go over and stay at Sonamarg to enjoy its meadows. It will help cut short the journey to Kargil next day and provide you with some rest too.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
For the current leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
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.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need more info. or have any doubts/queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thank you so much Dheeraj. Really appreciate it.
With your suggestions, I’ve modified my plan as follows, so that it gives me a couple of days more in Leh.
1) 11 May – Pune-Jammu train travel. Reach Jammu 13th morning (around 10). Head straight for Srinagar
2) Reach Srinagar on 13th evening/night. Spend 13th night in Srinagar.
3) 14 May – sightseeing in and around Srinagar. Spend 14th night in Sonmarg.
4) 15 May – Leave Srinagar for Leh by road. Stopover on the way at Kargil/Lamayuru (1 night) for acclimatization.
5) 16 May – Arrive in Leh in evening/night. Spend 16th night at Leh.
6) 17-23 May – sightseeing in Leh-Ladakh
7) 24 May – Leave Leh by flight for Jammu. Reach Jammu in morning (around 9.30). Spend the day in Jammu.
8) Leave for Pune by Jhelum Express on 24th night
Can you please suggest an improved itinerary for Leh, now that I’ve 7 days in Leh.
Should I explore the option of spending one more day in Srinagar?
Also, what can be covered in and around Jammu in a day (on the way back).
Thanks,
Ashish
Ashish, it will be really nice to have 7 days in Ladakh to explore the whole Ladakh at easy pace.
Day 1 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Was planning to follow your itinerary, with a few changes.
Our schedule is as follows:
Day 1 – Delhi to Srinagar
Day 2 – Srinagar to Kargil
Day 3 – Kargil to Leh
Day 4 – Leh local sightseeing
Day 5 – Leh – Nubra valley
Day 6 – Nubra valley – Leh
Day 7 – Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 8 – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 9 – Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 10 – Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Day 11 – Sarchu – Manali
Now my questions are:
1> Is this tour possible, somehow, in 10 days?
2> Is there a route to enter Leh from Srinagar through Nubra valley? In that case are there good options to change cab in Kargil, and also getting the ILP from DC Kargil?
Thanks for all the help with this informative article.
Hi Indranil,
1. Well, make a day trip to Pangong Tso and it will be possible then
2. No there is not any route. Even if there had been, you will still need inner line permits from Leh DC office. DC Kargil cannot provide you the permits for Ladakh. You can contact any of the drivers mentioned in below link of prices for Leh – Ladakh taxi union and they can come to pick you in Kargil if you want.
Also, I hope you are planning to fly to Srinagar from Delhi because doing it in a day might not be feasible by road.
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you need any inputs or queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi dheeraj,i am planing to go leh by my indigo-ecs from rajkot. is indico-ecs good for leh road ?
Hi Hardik,
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any query or doubt.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Leh in June/July 2013. I am planning to go by bike from Srinagar to Chandighar.
My plan is
Day 1: Reach Jammu
Day 2: Jammu to Srinagar
Day 3: RestDay
Day 4: Srinagar to Kargil
Day 5: Kargil to Leh
Day 6: Rest Day and Inner Line permit
Day 7: Leh to Nubra Valley
Day 8: Nubra to Shakti
Day 9: Shakti to Pangong Tso
Day 10: Rest Day
Day 11: Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri
Day 12: Tso Moriri to Sarchu
Day 13: Sarchu to Manali
Day 14: Rest Day
Day 15: Manali to Chandighar
Please let me know if we can take Pangong Tso –> Tso Moriri–> Sarchu –>Manali route.
Please let me know your comments on the plan.
Thanks,
Vijay
One more question, do we need to reserve accommodation?
I am planning to pitch my own tent in Pangon Tso and Moriri. Do we need to take permission for this?
Hi Vijay,
It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
You can pitch your own tents anywhere but I will suggest you pitch them at a place where there are some dhabha tents put up by locals or where other camping guy pitch theirs. All you will need is to gently ask them for permissions. Most likely they will allow, other wise negotiate for small little tip or move on to other such place nearby.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any query or doubt.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Vijay, itinerary looks good to me. Just concerning that if you will get the permits for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri direct route or not.
Regards
Dheeraj
HI Dheeraj, Lot of information thru your website. Me along with my friend are planning for a bike expedition to Ladakh. I have gone thru your itinerary. As you recommend, we also plan for a 14-16 days trip. Some queries.
1) we plan to travel from either on 13th to 28th April 2013 or 11th to 26th May 2013.this is total days avaialble with us for Mumbai – Ladakh-Mumbai. a) Is it the right time to travel. b) which is the right destination for us to start our trip. (Manali or some other place)
2)are permits issued in these months
3) some suggested that i need to keep my base location as Leh. and stay there for couple of days and do day trips to near by places. is it so?
4) while you mention (About 7-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
) does this include sight seeing also. or is it just travelling to one place to another.
Request you to suggest… i may still be wanting more info, will be surely writing whenever i need more info.
Hi Satya,
Thanks alot.
1. On both these dates it is highly unlikely that the both highways, Manali – Leh OR Srinagar – Leh will be open. You will have to plan it by air.
2. Permits are issued for inner line all round the year.
3. Yes, very rightly suggested. This is how Ladakh tour is planned.
4. Yes, it does include sightseeing on the way but not too much lazing out at one place only.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any query or doubt.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
your effort is absolutely amazing.so…. much up to date information.Kudos.i am planning to go to ladakh by air in the last week of jun.i have about a week.can you please tell me the ‘must’ visit and ‘should’ visit places in and around leh alongwith the itinerary?Thanx.
Hi Ashutosh,
For flying by Air to Leh you can consider the following 7-8 days itinerary:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Flyback OR Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— fly back home
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any query or doubt.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning to go next year. Which is the best time to go? From what I’ve read it’s July/September. Also, if we go by flight(unlikely) how bad will be the AMS? And are bikes easily available in Leh and are they in good condition?
Hello Ashwin,
It is always nice to plan your journey in last 15 days of June or first 2-3 weeks of July when you can find ample of snow on roads and roads will be open by that time from both Srinagar as well as Manali side to Leh – Ladakh. However, please keep in mind that road conditions hardly improve on Manali – Leh road and remains almost quite challenging + adventurous all throughout the season. It improves slightly towards the end of season that is September or October first week but by that time snow is all gone and risk of road closure increases. So, you need to be prepared for all the adventure that Manali – Leh Highway offers a traveller in the month of June – July and situation worsens when monsoon comes in late July, August and early September now a days. So IMHO, overall whatever best window you will get so that you avoid monsoons, see ample of snow and roads are open for you will be like 15th June – 20th July window.
If you want to see beautiful colours of Ladakh then second half/late of September is THE best time to visit Leh – Ladakh when these colours are oozing and burning out vividly and of course, the road conditions does get better in late September type when rains reside the region completely. It is my favorite time to visit Leh – Ladakh region and yeah, tourists head count all dips a bit in late in the season.
Bikes are available from Manali as well as Leh and are in OK conditions.
I hope this helps. Please let me know incase you need any further details or have any queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
I’m confused about the route. If I go in July from what I know Srinagar route is best and Manali route is fine in September. I would love to see some snow too. But there would be chances of Rain in July???
Please let me know.
Hi Ashwin,
Both route have their own beauties in respective terms. If you want snow you will have to go before late July. As I said before, road conditions hardly improve all round the year barring late in the season.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi! I am planning a trip to Leh – Ladhakh in early May next year (4 May to 12 May). Is it a good time to be there? Will either of the highway open by that time? If the roads are closed, I am thinking of taking air route – will that be fine? Thanks.
Hi Meenu,
O yeah, it is nice time just before the season kick starts. All you will be relying heavily on luck for the road trip via Srinagar but I will say keep the tickets handy and be open for Air Travel too. You will get good deals in advance. Also, 9 days by Air will make much more sense and make a complete trip 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning with my 6 friends for a bike trip to Leh Ladakh they have decided this itenary from Delhi.We want to ride for 5-7hrs on an average.But also visit all the places like NUmbra Valley,Kargil,Dal lke ,TSO moriri,SPITI Valley and all the other attractions we have planned it for 16th days so kindly suggest if i need to tweak the itenary.We are planning to go in the month of June.Kindly give us tips on how to ship our bikes from Mumbai to Delhi.(Which train and what is the cost and how and when to book it)that will help us a lot
Find Below the Itenary and the Kms we our covering
1st Day NEW DELHI PARWANOO 276 kms
2nd Day PARWANOO NARKHANDA 158 kms
3rd Day NARKHANDA KALPA 213 kms
4th Day KALPA KAZA 210 kms
5th Day KAZA kms
6th Day KAZA KEYLONG 188 kms
7th Day KEYLONG SARCHU 160 kms
8th Day SARCHU LEH 178 kms
9th Day LEH
10th Day LEH- HUNDER 130 kms
11th Day HUNDER- LEH 130 kms
12th Day LEH- DEBRING 120 kms
13th Day DEBRING KEYLONG 235 kms
14th Day KEYLONG MANALI 130 kms
15th Day MANALI CHANDIGARH 320 kms
16th Day CHANDIGARH NEW DELHI 240 kms
Waiting for an Early reply
Thanks a ton
Hello Roberto,
The 6-7 hrs clause might not be applicable on all days. Also, you are not making too much into so many places. Will not be good fun at all. What I will advice you is that you do it from Srinagar side and depending upon the days left in hand, choose either to come from Manali or Spiti Valley side.
To start with, you can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here for 14-15 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
Work on it and then decide if you want to add Spiti Valley to it or not. I will prefer to add 4-5 days to it to explore Spiti Valley or make entirely a exclusive trip tp Spiti Valley 🙂
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dheeraj, first of all many thanks for your support to all the fellow travelers.
We are 6 friends from Mumbai planning to visit Leh – Ladakh in July – 2013, I have seen your blogs and understand it is better to start from Srinagar – Leh – Ladakh – Manali route, but to some reasons we want to start from Delhi / Manali and reach Leh and go to other places. If the Leh – Srinagar Road Route is not very scenic (I mean just a plain drive) than would prefer to spend a day more in Leh and take a flight back to Mumbai. Can you suggest ideal itinerary.
Regards
Ketan
Hi Ketan,
That’s fine. Can you please tell the number of days you have in hand? Both Srinagar – Leh and Manali – Leh have their own beauty, while former is more beautiful and looks romantic all the way while latter is more rugged, tough, barren and unmatched. If this is the only trip you will make here, then don’t miss on any of them 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dheeraj,
We have not thought on days, but given that we are working we can look around 12 -14 days of trip (we could do one way flight from Mumbai to Srinagar or Delhi as per route). But yes this will be ONLY Trip we would be able to make to Leh- Ladakh (with only hope that we would make another), last year we visited Kashmir with family. Let me know if these days are enough or need to add in days..
Hi Ketan,
In such a case, you can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here for 14-15 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
You can certainly opt to fly directly to Srinagar instead of going by road upto there. That would certainly help you enjoy more in heavenly land 🙂
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need any help or queries.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Leh-Ladakh in the month June, 2013 with my wife (dates are not yet fixed). I got lot of information and suggestion from the web site.
I need small information from you. I have Chevrolet BEAT LS model and I am planning to go by my BEAT. So is it a good option to visit Leh-Ladakh with small car??
How is the road condition?? Any information from you will help me in planning my trip in advance.
Regards,
Amit Singh
Hello Amit,
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any queries or doubts!!
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I just came back after a Jammu trip and we are planning to go to Leh-ladakh and if possible to Kulu-Manali for 7 days trip inanother 3-4 months,Can you please advice what would be the budget like and also an Itinerary for the same.
Hi Saran,
Please let me know if you want to visit Leh – Ladakh or Kullu Manali? Both are different propositions and required different planning especiall in the extreme cold conditions after 3-4 months.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi dhiraj
thanks to ur information and suggestions i had a wonderful 5000km trip of leh. it was real fun and a lifetime experience.
regards
Glad to know that Deepak and really happy to see that blog was helpful for your trip 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hey Dheeraj,
Kudos to you man for writing down such a vital information and replying each and every comment. Well here I require a piece of information from you..we are planning to go Leh-Ladakh on 31st of May in 2013 by Air. So please tell me will it be right time to visit? Will Panong lake will be melted and I will be able to see the lake instead of snow? I know you can’t forecast..but in the case you have any information on it.
Thanks in advance man.
Hi Mukul,
Thanks buddy!! Yes, it will be right time to visit if you are planning to fly-in and out of Leh. Most likely you might find Srinagar – Leh Highway open if you want to return by road and who knows if more lucky then Manali – Leh as well by the time you complete your trip within Ladakh.
Yes, generally by June, Pangong Tso does melt completely, infact I was there in late April this season and it was all melted from Spangmik. Only the section at Lukung was frozen.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi Dheeraj, im visiting ladakh from 07oct12 to 11oct12 can u guide me the places to visit for these days and suggest me the best accommodation including good food. plz reply me at the earliest.
Regards
Srinivas
Hello Srinivas,
I ope you are flying in and out of Leh and as I see you have 5 days in hand you might be interested in the following itinerary:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here:
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Do not plan to stay overnight at Pangong Tso as you will not be acclimatized and may fall sick. So, make a day trip only.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Fly back home
— Fly out of Leh
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
For the current leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hey Dheeraj,
Me and wife completed motorbike trip from Manali -> Mcleodganj -> Jammu -> Srinagar -> Kargil -> Leh (Nubra valley , Pangong Tso) -> Tso Moriri -> Manali.
It was an amazing and life time remembering trip. Got lots of information from your website and also thanks for answering all our questions. Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Vishal & Rashmi
Hey Vishal,
It is so nice to read that you had a wonderful trip to Ladakh. I am glad that information on my blog proved really useful for making your trip that amazing!!
Thanks for the wishes and praising words.
Cheers!!
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
kindly guide can we visit tso kar lake without leh permit as it is on the way to LEH just 22 km apart from main road or it is also a restricted area like pangong tso & Tso moriri lake where we required permission.
Thanks in advance
Praveen
Hello Praveen,
You do not need permits for Tso Kar Lake, AFAIK. If you are coming via Manali – Leh only and planning to visit Tso Moriri, then better keep in that circuit otherwise, you can make a short trip to Tso Kar lake from Manali – Leh Highway.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I wanted to ask you if it’s possible to do Sonmarg to Uley tokpo / Alchi in one day? I want to save one night by avoiding the stay in Kargil. Will Sonmarg to Uley be manageable in one day or will it become very exhuasting?
Waiting for your reply…
Thanks & Regards,
Disha
Hello Disha,
Yes, I think you can do Sonamarg to Uletokpo but yeah, do start early in the day as it will easily be 12-13 Hrs of journey.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj. Firstly, brilliant job! Really don’t have to go anywhere else for travel info on Leh.
A friend and I plan to do a trip to Leh Sep13-22. We get there by flight 13th 7am. Putting aside the first day for rest and local sightseeing, we plan to visit Pangong Tso, Khardung La and also fit in a day of river rafting. We plan to hire bikes for travelling and leave Leh on the 20th to ride to Srinagar, from where we fly out 22nd morning. Is it possible to do all this in that many days? If not, what would you recommend?
Thanks a ton!
Hi Vivek,
May be you should 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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Then on 20th start for Srinagar from Leh with night halt at Kargil on 20th and reaching Srinagar on 21st.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj, I am mighty impressed with all that you have put together on this website for those who wish to visit Ladakh, hats off, Bro. Am planning a trip from Delhi to Ladakh starting 12th Sep to 22nd Sep. Route I intend to take is Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi. While your 14-day itinerary is good, its a couple of days more than I can afford. Can you suggest something more suited to me, and at the same time, I don’t want to skip any of these places of desire. Pls suggest. Also request if you could share your contact number, just in case.
Hello Anurag,
What you can do is that you can make a day trip Pangong Tso or take Wari La route to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley. This will save you one day and then you can skip Day 10 i.e. the rest day. This way you will get 2 days spared.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi dheeraj…me n my wife are going to leh on the 21st sep we are planning to take a flight from mumbai to leh ….we plan to stay for 8 or 9 days there could u help us plan an itinerary which includes nubra ,tso morriri,pangong and some placces which are a must see near leh … thank u
Guess, I have replied to your comment. Let me know if you need any other info.
Regards
Dheeraj
ME n my wife are planning to go to leh on 21st sep …we are taking a flight from mumbai to leh we are planning a eight day tour wht will be the suitable itinerary for us which includes tso mirriri and nubara and pangong and the local areas ..and is it advisable to start the trip from srinagar ….:) thank u
Hi Vasif,
For 8 days you can follow something 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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
thanks alot dheeraj for your prompt reply. i m finding it the above program perfect and will be following this for sure. plz lemme know the approx taxi fare for the above program, plus can you suggest any taxiwala and his contact info..
shud we book the hotels for various locations in advance or we can get the booking after reaching there??
thanx & regards,
vasif
Hello Vasif,
For the current leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi vasif,
Me and my wife r also going to leh from srinagar on 21st, and will be in leh on 22nd night. Please reply if want to share taxi. Beneficial for both of us.
Panna
Dheeraj,
Thanks for so much of useful information. Just 1 query:
we have 6 days for ladakh, inclusive of 1st day of local trip/shopping etc.
So, to cover (in rest 5 days) all 3 major points – Nubra, Pangong and Moriri, I want to club either Nubra with Pangong, or Pangong with Tso Moriri.
What do you suggest.
Or, Will you suggest skipping 1 point of these 3, and cover Sham valley in 1 day.
Thanks,
Saurabh
Hi Saurabh,
For a better and relaxing trip, try to skip one of them and cover 2 with Sham Valley on last day. 2 Day Nubra, 2 Days Pangong Tso, 1 last day for Sham Valley would be most apt here.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Sorry for the delayed reply.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi sir, can we travel directly from nubra valley to pongong lake, if so hw much time it will take and by which route
Hi Laxman,
Yes, you can travel to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley either via Shyok Village route (closed as per last status) or via Wari La pass (write this name on permit too). It will take about 10 Hrs I feel via Wari La pass to reach Pangong Tso.
Sorry for the delayed reply.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
1) How far is Sarchu from TSO Moriri? And how much time it takes to reach Sarchu from Korzok?
2) Is TSO Kar worth spending time after staying at TSO Moriri?
3) How far is Jispa from Sarchu and how much time it will take?
4) How far is Manali from Jispa and how much time it will take to reach Manali?
5) If we start from TSO Moriri in the morning, which place has decent options for Lunch on Leh – Manali highway?
Hi Shalu,
Tso Moriri – Sumdo (53 KMs) – Polakongka La (21 KMs) – Tso Kar (22 KMs) – Moore Plains (Manali – Leh Highway starts here) (22 KMs) – Pang (35 KMs) – Lachulung La (19 KMs) – Naki La (13 KMs) – Sarchu (42 KMs) = 227 KMs
For distances and altitude at Manali – Leh Highway, check the graph in the link here: Places on Manali – Leh Highway | A Detailed Description
Best option will be Pang for lunch when you drive from Tso Moriri to Sarchu via Tso Kar
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj. How much time will it take for TSO Moriri – Sarchu stretch? And how much time from Sarchu to Manali?
Hi Shalu,
Both Sarchu to Manali and Tso Moriri to Sarchu will easily take about 9-10 Hrs.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your previous response. Also, I would like to follow the same itinerary mentioned by you. We are 6 members.
Can you let me give some idea how much this journey will cost if we start the journey from Delhi. Just give us an average idea considering that we don’t need any hi fi accommodation.
Waiting for your response.
Hi Rohit,
For queries 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
Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj!!
Kudos to you for helping all of us!!
Pls have a look at my itinerary (of course taken completely from your blog!!)
18th Aug: Reach Srinagar by noon
Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride
Overnight at Srinagar
19th Aug: Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
20th Aug: Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
On the way see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
21 Aug: Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
22 Aug: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
23 Aug: Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
24 Aug: 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)
25 Aug: Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
26 Aug: Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and shopping
27 Aug: Morning flight from Leh to New Delhi
I have the following questions:
1. Being a bit too ambitious but Is there any way Tso Moriri Lake can be covered in the above plan?
2. How’s the weather now? & do we have to carry heavy jackets/Woollens??
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Santosh,
1. The only way that can be done is by making day trip to Pangong Tso and using the rest day on 27th to make a 2 day trip to Tso Moriri.
2. Weather is rainy now a days. It is monsoon time 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 certainity about weather conditions but above is generally common pictures seen over last few years except ugly 2010 …
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a lot Dheeraj. Looking forward to the holiday!!
Hi..We are planning a trip to Leh at the end of August and I really liked your itenary. Its very systematic and covers all the places very nicely. However, I have a few doubts. Is this time good to visit these places or are we a little late? Will it be very cold this time around? What About the monsoons and rains? And a very important question…DO YOU THINK ITS SAFE for normal average drivers like us to drive through according your itenary or do we need to carry a special driver? Do u require a 4×4 vehicle or can u manage in Innova? What about small cars like Swift Dzire? Do u need any special kind of tyres to do this trip? Please reply and help with your valuable inputs..
Hello Aneez,
Well, it is OK time to travel to Leh considering rains would be on the verge of going away but yes, you might see rains as well. If you directly flying to Ladakh then being rain shadow region you will not face much trouble. But, yes if going by road then of course you might face monsoon hassles on Manali – Leh and Srinagar – Leh highways.
4×4 would be best, Scorpios and Safaris 2×2 is also fine, can be managed with Innova as well. For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a ton Dheeraj..Your suggestion has been really helpful..Planning to do the trip in a Tata Safari. I guess it will be more spacious as well as more comfortable. Will bother you if I need further help..
All the very best wishes for your Ladakh trip Aneez, have fun 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj..
I’m just a little skeptical about Srinagar because of the issues there. Anything happens anytime there.
Do you think it’s safe to be there?
Also there is nothing to explore in Jammu i think. So one day gets wasted.
If i take a halt in Jispa, do you think acclamatisation will still be an issue?
But in any case can you suggest me the best possible itinerary for both the routes i.e via Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi and via Delhi – Manali- Leh- Manali- Delhi.
also as i mentioned in my previous post that i will be the only one driving so i don’t want to exhaust myself by driving non-stop every day. So rest days will really help me if possible.
I can spare 17-18 days for this trip.
Also can i accomodate kaza in the itinerary?
Looking forward to your reply..
hi Sunny,
Well, nothing can be predicted or said with 100% certainty for there. For 17-18 days, you can follow an itinerary like below. If you plan to go via Manali, it will give you an extra day which you can use to rest somewhere in between whenever you like.
Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu / Patnitop
— Overnight at Jammu or Patnitop
Day 2 | Jammu / Patnitop – Srinagar
— Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride as well
— If you have time then check out, floating market, Shalimar Garden.
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 3 | 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 4 | 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 5 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
–For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder – Turtuk
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Turtuk
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— enjoy the culture in the Turtuk Village
— do mention Turtuk on the permits
Day 7 | Turtuk – Hunder/Deskit
— Spend half day at Turtuk and reach Hunder by evening
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
— Overnight at Hunder
Day 8 | Hunder – Deskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Enjoy drive upto Panamik, visit Yarab Tso Lake
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | Sumur/Kyagar – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik)
Day 11 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 12 | 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.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 13 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 14 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – 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 15 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Jispa
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Jispa
Day 16 | Jispa – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
Day 17 | Manali – Delhi
— Return home
Day 18 + 19 | Buffer Day
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
How much time it takes to visit Shey Palace and Thiksey Monastery from Leh?
How far is Hemis Monastery from Karu? Can we cover Hemis while going from Pangong to Chumathang? How much time it will take in your opinion from Spangmik to Chumathang? And houw much detour it is if we visit Hemis from karu before proceeding to Chumathang?
Hi Shalu,
Both Shey Palace and Thiksey are not far from Leh within 30 KMs only, so reaching there would hardly take about 40-45 minutes r may be less. Shey is quite close even. Again Hemis is about 8-10 KMs type from Karu and will not take more than 20-25 minutes to reach there. We went from Stakna to Hemis via shortcut road and it took about 25-30 minutes to reach Hemis. You can cover it provided you leave early from Pangong Tso becaus it will take about 1.25-1.5 Hr stoppage from the highway including the time you will explore Hemis monastery.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you for your valuable suggestions.
I was planning to go to Ladakh via Srinagar earlier but now i will be going through Manali. I have around 16-17 days in my hand and i will be traveling by my personal car. Can you please suggest a nice itinerary for the same. I really want to explore Ladakh to the fullest. Also since i am the only one driving in the group, i don’t want to exert a lot by driving non-stop.
Your advice will really be of great help.
Hi Samay,
Any reason, why you do not want to go via Srinagar side now. Before I suggest any plan, 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
If you still wanna go via Manali, then let me know I will suggest the plan accordingly.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj sir We are planning to go to leh in sep and We decided to opt the itinerary describe below:
1. 8th sep: Flight from Mumbai/Delhi to srinagar
Sringar sightseeing, Dal Lake, Ovrnight stay at House Boat, Srinagar Local etc.
2. 9th Sep: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
About 8 Hrs drive, depend upon the traffic movement at Zozila and breaks you take in between
3. 10 Sep: 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
About 9-10 Hrs drive, , depending upon the breaks you take in between
4.11 Sep: Leh to Nubra Valley (120 Kms) After Breakfast drive to Nubra Valley via Khardungla (Highest Motorable road in the World, 18,380 ft). Arrive at Deskit by Afternoon. Rest of the day one is free to explore Deskit, Hunder Villagesand camel Safari in Sand Dunes between Deskit and Hunder Village. Overnight Hotel.
5. 12 Sep: Nubra Valley to Leh (120 Kms) After Breakfast visit Deskit Monastery and drive back to Leh by same Route, crossing Khardungla Pass. Late afternoon visit Liker and Alchi and then drive back to leh.Overnight Hotel.
6. 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)
About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
7. 14 Sep: Pangong Lake to Tsomo-riri -After Breakfast drive back to Tsomo-riri. Overnight in Tsomo-riri.
8.15. Sep: Tsomo-riri to Leh -After Breakfast drive back to Leh via Mahey bridge. Overnight in Leh.
16 Sep: Flight from Leh to Delhi/Mumbai
Please suggest about this itinerary and recommend some changes if necessary.
Thanks & Regards
Rohit Khandelwal
Hi Rohit,
The initial part looks decent of the itinerary but here are few points worth noting:
1. 11th Sept, you are doing Leh to Nubra Valley. You have to get the permits in advance to start for Nubra Valley or get the permits early in the day and by 11 AM leave for Nubra Valley.
2. I will suggest skip Tso Moriri and better stay a day before in Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping and relax yourself. This will give you a chance for a two day tripp to Pangong Tso which will be quite relaxing. Above all, the permits to Man – Merak – Chusul or remote Changthang routes including Marsimik La and Wari La are still not being given by DC office in Leh, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best if they start issuing the permits by the time you visit. Otherwise, you have to take the traditional routes only.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, a big thanks for such a detailed blog which seems like a life-saver! 4 of us guys are doing a trip to Ladakh in the coming week, and while all the bookings etc. are done, I’d still like to get some feedback from you on possible modifications to the itinerary. Our existing plan is:
10-Aug: Del to Manali
11-Aug: Manali to Sarchu
12-Aug: Sarchu to Leh
13-Aug: Leh (for ILP and local sightseeing)
14-Aug: Leh – Pangong – Leh
15-Aug: Leh to Kargil
16-Aug: Kargil to Srinagar
17-Aug: Srinagar to Del (by flight)
I know your recommendation is to do the other way round, but I guess we’re booked for now – so will take this chance. 🙂 A few questions for you though:
a) Is it possible to do Sarchu to Pangong Tso directly? That way, we might end up saving a day in Leh. Need confirmation both from a road/terrain and ILP perspective.
b) Can Leh – Nubra Valley – Leh be done as a day trip (if we were able to either extend our plans by a day or save one day due to a) above)?
c) Is it possible to get the ILP’s done before hand to save some time?
d) Anything glaring that you feel we should address ASAP?
Many thanks in advance!
Madhur
Hello Madhur,
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.
a. No you cannot do Sarchu – Pangong Tso in a day both in terms of getting hit by AMS and the distance to travel.
b. It can be done, provided you leave positively by 6 AM from Leh.
c. Yes, this can also be done through some travel agent or hotel guys who will ask you to mail the photoids and payments and they will fax/email back the permits.
d. Just mentioned above, if possible extend by a day and do Nubra Valley day trip before Pangong Tso. But, guess you have done your bookings.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks for your inputs Mr. Dheeraj – we will try to alter our itinerary basis your suggestions. Hope the trip goes well! 🙂
All the best Madhur, have a rocking trip to Ladakh
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
we are six friends are planing for leh. we are reaching Manali on 13th August 2012 and would like to go by road to leh and will leave leh on 22nd August.
My kind request to suggest itinenary/ any suggestion ?
Hello Shailesh,
You can follow something like below:
Day 1 | Manali/Solang Valley – Keylong/Jispa
— It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you do not feel sick or hit by AMS.
— Avoid sleeping at Sarchu at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there.
— 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.
— Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 2 | Keylong/Jispa – Leh
— Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 3 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits (6th August)
— Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | 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 5 | 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 6 | Leh – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
– Day trip to Pangong Tso
– Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 8 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway 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 | Fly back
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
So, you are flying back!! I have updated the itinerary in the previous comment. Please check and let me know if you have any doubt.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dhiraj,
Thanks for your suggestion.
I found that you have made a very good itinerary for us.
Will give you feedback on return.
again thanks a lot.
Dear friend,
we are planning visit to ladakh in month of january last week with 5-6 member. can u give me some idea about tour planning and budget(approx).
Hello Shantonu,
First be sure that you guys are well prepared in terms of woolen clothing because it gets very very cold up there and the cold conditions does hinder with acclimatization, meaning more chances of AMS. I am not sure how many days you have in hand, so cannot comment much. Both lakes will be frozen by that time with no accommodations around. For queries 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. Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dheeraj,
We are a group of 8 people (3 couples + 2 bachelors) going to Leh from August 11th to 20th.
Please review our itinerary below and answer our questions.
Aug 11th – Reach Srinagar by 1pm. Get acco. Dal lake. Overnight stay at houseboat, Srinagar
12th – Srinagar – Kargil. Overnight @ Kargil
13th – Kargil – Leh. Overnight @ Leh
14th – Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits. Overnight @ Leh
15th – Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley. Overnight @ Diskit
16th – Diskit – Leh. Overnight @ Leh.
17th – Leh – Pangong Tso. Overnight @ Spangmik / Tangtse
18th – Pangong – Tso moriri. Overnight @ Tso moriri.
19th – Tso moriri – Leh. Overnight @ Leh.
20th – Flight to Bangalore at 8am.
Our questions
————–
1. Do you have any recommended Boat houses @ Srinagar? Is it recommended to stay in boat house? Or, can we stay at a good hotel and do Dal lake over boat?
2. Any recommended taxi drivers/numbers from Srinagar to Leh? We want to go by 2 Innovas.
3. Any recommended hotels/family stays at Srinagar?
4. Any recommended hotels/family stays at Kargil? I read through your 5 articles about Acco. But, could not find any info about Kargil Hotels.
5. We are thinking of doing Leh-Nubra valley-Leh by bikes. Do you recommend that we go by bikes with our spouses being our pillions and our backpacks for the night? If not, can we take 1 Innova and 2 bikes to this trip? Any thoughts on being hectic for the rest of the trip if we do this bike trip?
6. We dont have a buffer day during the last leg of the trip. Is it risky for us to reach Leh on 19th night and fly to Bangalore on 20th morning? Do you suggest us to skip Tso moriri and directly reach Leh on 18th night?
7. How is the road between Pangong Tso and Tso moriri? Is it manageable?
Hello Satya,
Itinerary looks fine to me but with a suggestion of skipping Tso Moriri and spending overnight at Spangmik and on last day (19th) do Sham Valley tour before you fly out on 20th to make it easier and a bit comfortable vacation. Regarding queries:
1 + 3. Sorry, never stayed in Srinagar
2. You will find plenty of them at Srinagar taxi stand, do not mind booking then and there itself and get some good discount being off-season.
4. PC Palace, Siachen are two OK option other then JK Tourism bungalow.
5. It will be better to have one car with you in case of any issues and hire two bikes. You can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 600 to Rs 1200. Rather than booking over phone, it is much better to visit the Fort road, check 4-5 shops over there and get a good deal after checking the bike conditions. It will surely be somehow a bit hectic but would be some fun if you are good at riding.
6 + 7. Already suggested above to skip that part and enjoy at a comfortable pace. Direct route between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri is almost no road, quite bumpy and tiring long journey of about 13-14 Hrs very easily. Going via traditional route is would be fine in terms of road conditions but again will not take any less than 12 Hrs.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Awesome. Thanks for the detailed reply. Will consider your suggestions.
Hi,
Must appreciate your brilliant blog. Its a mine of info for Ladakh. Can you please let me know the feedback on my following itinerary and also recommend some good contact for a cab from Manali to Leh who would be fine with the itenerary as well. I’ll be travelling with my wife and both of us prefer being as close to nature and as away from buildings as possible! It’s after 4 years of cancelled plans that I am finally going there now with no bookings except return ticket.
1)3rd August arrival in Manali
2)4th Manali to Jispa – Stay in tents
3) 5th Jispa – Sarchu (Accomodation preferably in tents)
4) 6th Sarchu – Leh – Rest in Leh
5)7th Pang – Leh – Local sight seeing
6)8th – 12th
a. Nubra
b. Pangong
c. Tso Moriri (if possible)
Hello Abhishek,
Do it like below:
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley (3rd August)
— Better stay at Solang Valley and avoid Manali as sleeping at Solang Valley does help in acclimatization
— If going by own car, get the permit made in advance to drive on Manali – Rohtang Pass road through hotel/travel agent in Manali
— Overnight at Manali/Solang Valley
Day 2 | Manali/Solang Valley – Keylong/Jispa
— It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you do not feel sick or hit by AMS.
— Avoid sleeping at Sarchu at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there.
— 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.
— Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 3 | Keylong/Jispa – Leh
— Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits (6th August)
— Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
– Day trip to Pangong Tso
– Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 9 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | 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 11 | Fly back (13th August)
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Abhishek – My wife and I are also planning a trip starting on the same date with similar itinerary. If you guys wish to hire a common cab, please ping me.
Cheers!
Hi Ankit,
There is a change of plan for us wherein we are reaching Manali on 4th and planning to leave for Leh on 5th morning. Do let me know if that’s suitable to you then we can plan something.
Regards,
Abhishek
P.S: To avoid spam on Dheeraj’s Blog you can mail me directly on abhishek162@gmail.com
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for the detailed information. We are planning to take a trip to Ladakh this year starting first week of September. We will be driving a Logan. I have prepared an itinerary for the Ladakh portion and would really appreciate it if you could give your opinion about the route and schedule especially about our ability to do it based on the Logan being able to handle the roads.
D1 – Srinagar => Kargil, Halt at Kargil
D2 – Kargil => Leh, Halt at Leh, Try ILP if possible
D3 – Leh, Halt at Leh, ILP and local sight seeing
D4 – Leh, Halt at Leh, Buffer day
D5 – Leh => Turtuk, Halt at Turtuk
D6 – Turtuk => Pangong, Halt at Spangmik/Lukung, Through Wari La
D7 – Pangong => Leh, Halt at Leh
D8 – Leh => Sarchu, Halt at Sarchu
D9 – Sarchu => Manali, Halt at Manali
If Wari La is not open, we plan to go back to Leh and go to Pangong the next day. We have an extra day available for this.
Thanks a lot again for the resources.
Hi Pradeep,
I feel including Turtuk would make it more hectic. Just stick to Deskit and Hunder only and in case you cannot go via Wari La then use the D4 buffer day to visit Pangong Tso as day trip. Rest seems OK to me.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning to go to leh next week i.e 28 July. Our tentative itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Manali to Sarchu
Day 2: Sarchu to leh
Day 3 : Inner line permits, local sight seeing (stupa, palace, monastery) and Magnetic Hill. Night Halt at leh
Day 4: Khardungla Pass, Diskit, Hunder. Night Halt at Diskit
Day 5: Drive to Pangong lake. Night Halt at Leh
Day 6: Drive to Sarchu via Tsokar lake
Day 7: Sarchu to Manali
Please guide whether the itinerary is viable or not, especially of day 3 & 5.
Hello Prashant,
Better follow the plan like below:
Day 1 | Manali/Solang Valley – Keylong/Jispa
— It is always better to stay either at Keylong/Jispa so that you do not feel sick or hit by AMS.
— Avoid sleeping at Sarchu at any cost while going to Leh from Manali because your body will not be acclimatized by the time you reach there.
— 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.
— Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 2 | Keylong/Jispa – Leh
— Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 3 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— Local sightseeing include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Leh
— Head for Nubra Valley very early in the day and come back by late evening after visiting Deskit. If you have time go little further and see Hunder sand dunes too
— 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 5 | Leh – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | 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 7 | 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
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your valuable inputs in our itinerary. I would request you to give your inputs on the following points :
1. Is their any time frame only in which we can cross Khardungla Pass
2. Can we cover Khardungla pass, Diskit & Hunder and come back to Leh in a day
3. Is it possible to bring Tso Kar Lake in our itinerary of Day 6.
Thanks & Regards,
Prashant
Hello Prashant,
1. I think you are not allowed to cross it beyond 3 PM from both sides but not 100% sure and if you have local taxi then you might not have any timing issues.
2. I think yes, you can do that if you leave early in the day say by 5 AM types but try to be back by 4-4.30 PM at Khardung La top, so that you do it in day light. Also, if there is any traffic jam then it may get difficult.
3. If you had one more day, then probably yes you can include Tso Moriri as well as Tso Kar but here I do not think you can do it.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
Let me first thank you for your wonderful effort in making our journey so informed. i’m planning a trip to leh from delhi by road and as advised by you i’ll be going through Sringar first. I have a Skoda Octavia that i plan to take for this trip. I wanted to know whether it will be able to handle the rough terrain of Ladakh. I plan to visit tso moriri, nubra valley, zanskar, panggong su and all the other places of interest.
Kindly advice whether it’s safe to go in my Octavia or not.
Thanks..
Hello Samay,
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway and Ladakh, I will say:
You will indeed face few tough challenges on the route. The hatchback/sedan will increase the level of every challenge even further, sedan is the worst candidate. My suggestion will be to go via Srinagar route as it will help you feel comfortable with the driving, provide more acclimatization and then once you have done the local Leh-Ladakh, then come back via Manali side. Secondly, since you are in hatch/sedan, then you need to drive with extra care as well. There will be some sections on the Manali – Leh highway in which you might need to sacrifice some scratches on the underbelly. Just make sure you do not bump the engine sump (know it before where it is placed in your car). You need to protect it all around the trip. Thirdly, whenever in doubt do not rush into the section rather park aside and feel the section with your foot, see how other vehicles are crossing it and make a planned route in your mind to cross that section. At the very least do carry Mseal, quick fix, funnel, jerry cans and towing rope with you all the time.
Also, I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj, Its Ankit again,I ve finalized the itinerary and would like your generous suggestions on the below mentioned queries. first please go through with plan:
02-08-2012: Arriving Srinagar at 12.50. Post lunch rush for JKSRTC counter for next day bus tickets for Drass. Rest of the day at leisure, enjoy Shikara ride at Dal lake etc. Overnight at Srinagar.
03-08-2012:Around 8 O clock morning bus departure for Drass. On the way tea halts at Sonmarg, Zozi La etc. Reaching Kargil at around 17.00 Hrs and rest of the day at leisure.
04-08-2012:Early morning departure to Leh by Leh platted taxi (already arranged). On route shall try to cover Lamayuru, Alchi, Likir monasteries, Lunar Landscapes,
Gurudwara Pathhar Sahib and Magnetic hills, Confluence at Nimmu. Reaching Leh at around 18.00 Hrs. Collect our Inner Line Permits for Leh sightseeing (in process). Rest of the evening free to roam and enjoy.
05-08-2012:Early morning try to hire a sharing taxi or if budget permits hire private taxi for Pangong Lake . It’s a same day excursion to beautiful lake. Late evening back to our hotel in Leh.
06-08-2012:Early morning try to hire motor bike for Kardung-La pass and enjoy the ride through beautiful plateau. Will try to cover the stretch till Diskit same day and Late evening back to our hotel in Leh.
07-08-2012:Departure from Leh for Delhi.
Queries:01. Can we get the sharing taxi for Pangong Tso from Leh with same day return possibility?
02: How far we can go and come back on bike Kardung La and Diskit on 6th as on 7th we ve return flight from Leh.
Thanks in advance:
Ankit
Hello Ankit,
Plan looks fine to me.
1. Very likely you will get one taxi for you to PAngong Tso.
2. do not go beyond Khardung La or may be go upto Khardung Village and return to Leh else, it will be too long and if the pass closes down then you might miss your flight as in late evening I think you will not be allowed to cross Khardung La, I think after 3 PM types.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks once again Dheeraj for your sincere advice. can you suggest few cheap accommdation at Kargil/Drass with contact nos. Also which place is more comfartable for staying purpose Kargil/Drass?
Hi Ankit,
You may like to stay at PC Palace or Siachen, Carvan, J&K Tourism Tourist Bungalow, Kargil, near Hospital, Hotel Aziz. Sorry, I do not have contact info. for them.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
I have written to you sometime back, thanks for helping us in finalizing the plans. I have some more queries. We are 5 guys traveling in 4×4 which has tank capacity of 95 Liters. We have couple of jerry cans which can hold probably 20 Ltrs each. On normal road it gives me 10 -12 Km / Ltr. The planned route as is LEH to Nubra to Pangong(thru Wari La / Shyok) to Tso Moriri (thru Man – Merek – Chusul) and exit thru Leh – Manali Highway. If we tank up @ Nubra will we be able make it up till next fuel station, which as per the blog is Tandi?
2) We will be traveling thru Srinagar to Leh and rest of Leh during Ramadan, Will there be any issues for food due to Ramadan fasting ?
Thanks
Praveen
Hello Praveen,
1. Well, the above said route, you will not get any fuel at nubra Valley though Deskit has a petrol pump but majority of the times the pump is out of service. So, do not rely over it. The route you are covering would require 1200 approx KMs. So, do carry the spare fuel accordingly.
2. I do not think there should be major issue.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
i would like to do
leh-pagongtso-chusul-upshi same day.this will save me time%kms
next day upshi-tsomoriri night halt
next day tsomoriri-tso kar-pang/sarchu(is this route widely used)
this way i can drive in my HYUNDAI ACCENT without the tension of fuel shortage
pls recommend a good place to stay in upshi/tsomoriri.
mind you iam 63 and my wife61
Hello Mr. Venkat,
Hats off to your spirit for traveling at such an age. Pangong Tso – Chusul – Tso Moriri route is very long and arduous route and I will not recommend for a Huyndai Accent. Secondly, DC office is not issuing the permits for this route as of now, may be late in season they might resume back. It is better to stick to traditional routes in a sedan, and that too with a low GC as accent. Actually, i will increase the fuel shortage issue as there is no fuel available for you on this route. Hence, untill you reach Karu from this side, you will not get any fuel in between and then no way to exit from Sarchu because that might make it close to 950 KMs which you will be running without fuel.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
dear dheeraj;
u probably missed what i wanted to know
i.can i do leh-pongongtso-chusulwar memorial-upshi in a day.(400kms) is it worth&comfortable.
ii.upshi-tsomoriri-tsokar-pang in a day.(345kms)
iii. is tsomoriri-taokar-upto lehmanali highway a popular route where help is available in case of emergency.
rgds
venkatraman
Hello Venkat,
Please find my answers below:
1 + 2. It will be very very difficult and considering you are driving a sedan (forgive if I am mistaken), you might not be able to make it at some stretches of slush (if present) on Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri route via Chusul. It is no road kinda of a place, check some pictures in my recent travelogue to Ladakh of this route and you will get an idea how difficult it would be. Even if the car makes it, then you have to drive more than 12+ Hrs easily, to reach Upshi or may be more. Also, if you want to go to Tso Moriri then why going all the way back to Upshi. You can go to Tso Moriri itself from Chusul route, if you are taking it, which will also take the same time as reaching Upshi or may be a bit less time to reach Tso Moriri. Then, next day Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Sarchu/Pang can be easily done.
BTW, The permits to Man – Merak – Chusul or remote Changthang routes including Marsimik La and Wari La are still not being given by DC office in Leh, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best if they start issuing the permits by the time you visit. Otherwise, you have to take the traditional routes only.
3. It is not that much of a popular route as less people visit Tso Moriri.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
I have been a regular follower of your comments on this forum. Thanks a lot for this useful information.
I am travelling to Leh in the last week of August. I had a query regarding one of the routes:
Can we plan to go Tso Moriri directly from Pangong. I have heard there is a route:
Spangmik-Mann-Merak-Chushul-Nyoma-Mahe-Korzok
This route can save 1 day and around 300 km of journey.
Do you have any idea about this route??
Thanks,
Sandeep Mangal
Hello Sandeep,
Yes, there is a route that does exist but again it is recommended to do that route in two days with overnight halt at Hanle. You can check article Routes and Road Conditions In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips for more details on the route.
Do it, if you are ready for the arduous journey on dirt + bumpy track for about 12-13 Hrs easily. Check my recent travelogue for pictures to get an idea of magnificent beauty and ugly roads of this route. And, above all the permits to Man – Merak – Chusul or remote Changthang routes including Marsimik La and Wari La are still not being given by DC office in Leh, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best if they start issuing the permits by the time you visit. Otherwise, you have to take the traditional routes only.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Can u please share link of your “recent travelogue” for pictures, i am not able to find it? Thanks a lot
Hello Arunava,
I have been able to complete upto 5th day first half only. Here is the link: Remoteness of Changthang | Ladakh 2012
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a lot Dheeraj. That was of great help. Since we have our wives also along with us so we would follow the traditional routes rather than this tough route.
Dheeraj, I am reaching Leh by flight on 25th Aug morning and will be leaving from there on 2nd Sep Morning.
I have booked the flights but the plan there has not been finalized yet. Could you help us in suggesting the best possible itinerary for our trip.
Thanks,
Sandeep
Hello Sandeep,
For 8 days, you may like to follow the below itinerary:
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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Make a Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 7 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
— Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey 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.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Wonderful Article. Can you help me with certain queries. Me and my husband are planning to travel Leh on September 16, 2012 and would stay for around 7 days in leh.
1. We would be travelling to Delhi from hyderabad. Is flight the best option from Delhi to Leh or do we have any other option.
2. As we are only two, from your blogs I saw that private taxis are charging quite high, so what would the best mode of transport from leh to nubra valley, leh to pangong lake and local sight seeing in and around leh. Is it better to go for travel packages or taking private taxi would be better.
Hello Foram,
1. There is Manali – Leh Highway as well as Srinagar – Leh highway but considering you have just 7 days, it is better to fly into to Leh and rest couple of night to get acclimatized and spend remaining 5 days in exploring Ladakh at ease and comfort.
2. You are less in number 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 🙂
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
i plan to reach leh by 11 aug. we are 2. whr shd i stay? Leh or ladakh? can u sugesst sm ok ok (not so expensive hotels) for stay in leh . and whats more advisable :- to get permits done by hotel agents OR gng to DC office? any route to magnetic Hill ? i also plan to khurdla pass and pasgong lake. Pls guide
Hello Archis,
How many total number of days you have in hand? No need to go to any Travel agent or hotel, get your permits done yourself through DC office. Leh is a capital town of Ladakh district and rest all places falls in Ladakh which you would be going for sightseeing.
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travelers including me at the link here: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
thnks dheeraj,
Also to learn where can i find bikes on rent in leh? what are the standard rates there and.. fuelling tips for :- Leh to Nubra valley(wid a stay at diksit) AND Leh to Pangong ( with a halt at Spangmik). Any no. for bikes on rent ?
Hello Archis,
Yes, you can rent bikes in Leh and Fort Road in Leh is full of such shops that rent bikes. Depending upon the condition, model, make and tourist rush you can get bikes starting from Rs 600 to Rs 1200. Rather than booking over phone, it is much better to visit the Fort road, check 4-5 shops over there and get a good deal after checking the bike conditions.
You have to tank up at Leh only as there is no fuel pump available anywhere in Nubra Valley (Deskit has one, but mostly out of service) and Pangong Tso (Karu is one but it is just 36 KMs from Leh).
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
i will do a night halt at Diksit and Spangmik. FYI
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your quick response. It is very helpful.
I have one more doubt- we would be having a srinagar based taxi while coming from kargil to leh. Could it take us to alchi? because i have read srinagar based taxi can't take you to sightseen in ladakh.
Thanks and Regards
Chandan Gupta
Hi Chandan,
In such a case, you will not be allowed to visit Alchi. You have to get hold of some Leh taxi to do sightseeing off-the route from Srinagar – Leh Highway in Ladakh.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Which place is better to stay in Srinagar? Dal Lake or Nigeen Lake. We prefere a houseboat. Im confused as we need to catch a taxi/bus the next day to Leh. So was wondering which place would be closer to the taxi stand to stay.
Thanks & Regards,
Djeffin
Hello Djeffin,
You can stay at Dal Lake which will offer you good views and nice house boats. I think being closer to approach road, Dal lake would be closer to taxi stand and you will have more options available to commute at Dal lake, AFAIK.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the immediate reply.
I read a lot of reviews which say that the Dal Lake is crowded and filthy. Just wanted to confirm two things.
Is the Nigeen lake near to TRC taxi stand? ( prefering the peacock houseboat).
2. If u insist on Dal Lake then can you suggest some good and affordable houseboats there?
Regrads,
Djeffin
Hello Djeffin,
Yes it is crowded for sure. I think Dal lake is closer to taxi stand but it is hardly too much of a difference. So, if you want a peaceful stay in comparison then probably stick to Nageen else go with Dal. I have never stayed in Srinagar, so buddy cannot comment much over it.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning to visit ladakh in september and i have few queries
1. Are alchi and likir worth visiting and can they be covered in a single day while coming from kargil to leh?
2. I have kept two days for nubra valley after consulting your itinerary. Is it possible to include turtuk also in these 2 days?
Thanks a lot
Regards
Chandan Gupta
Hi Chandan,
1. If you are into monasteries and culture, then yes you will love to visit them. If you start early from Kargil, then you can manage them I think.
2. Better not to include Turtuk, as it is about 90 KMs from Deskit. So, would take atleast 6-7 Hrs for the trip. Better avoid in these two days and enjoy Hunder, Deskit, Sumur and Panamik views in these days.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hey dheeraj, can't we travel in the night from jammu to srinagar in a taxi ??
I guess, you should be able to do so.
Regards
Dheeraj
hiii dheeraj ,
i am leaving for leh tommrw from delhi my route will b same which was earlier planned i.e. delhi – srinagar-kargil-leh-sarchu-manali-delhi. so my ques
1. what is the wheather there ?
2. are the roads are in good condition there ?
as i would b travelling by swift car .
Hi Sunny,
Both are fine as of now and nothing bad has been reported apart from ugly jams/bad roads of Manali – Rohtang Pass route. Have fun, all the best for a wonderful trip to Ladakh.
Regards
Dheeraj
hi dheeraj ,
finally um bck frm my from leh trip. and wanna share my views regarding journey.9th july @ 4:30 we left from delhi towards sonamarg which was our first stop my friend was driving towards pathankot from where i have to drive further bt after 447 km he got tried @ 2:30 in morng so i started driving frm there and reached sonamarg @ 5:00pm on 10th of july spend our tym over there so next morning 11th july @ 6 am we left for leh which was 350 km from there . but the route towards zozila pass is worst there is no road over there, 250km road towards leh is broken only 100 km road is in good condition. so i reached leh @ around 8:00pm @ night and stayed night over there .nxt morning @ 10 am on 12th july taken permit to go towards pangong lake got student discount and came bck from lake @ 5 pm and started moving towads sarchu and reached sarchu 10 pm at night problem was there was shortage of oxygen over there and tempreture is too low , on 13th 5 am in the mornging started moving towards last destination manali and reached manali @ 2:30 aftrnoon and the roads of manali was far better than the srinagar leh highway apart from desert drive and deep holes on roads which were only 100km njoyed day at manali on 13 and finally 14 th july @10:30 left from manali and reached delhi @ 10:45 pm , total car driven 2510km and i droved 1800km in 4 days njoyed a lot wid frndz .
thanks for your support dheeraj.
regards
sunny
Hi Sunny,
This is awesome mate!! Great Job done, I shall say and really hats of to your stamina and courage to do such a longish journey in such tiny little frame of time!! You have given me a chance to go Leh again this year, may be a quick trip following your steps would be great 😉 … Thanks for sharing the details with us as well.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
It would be great in case you could provide us few contacts of Drivers for Srinagar – Leh Stretch. Also any Kargil registered cabs will also be great for Zanskar sightseeing. If you could get this information from your friends / knowns it would be very useful.
Md. Kazim is little greedy now a days I guess (may be after affect of phone calls from few of us) as he is demanding lot more than even Union rates..
Hi Dheeraj,
I had previously posted our itinerary on the Pangong accommodation page. Since we did not want to take a risk of going in Oct. we will be travelling in Aug.
Day 1- 13:45 Arrival at Srinagar, immediately leave to Kargil. Overnight at Kargil.
Day 2 – Kargil to lamayuru. Rafting and other activities.
Day 3 – Lamayuru- Leh. Permits and shopping.
Day 4,5,6 – Leh- Nubra- Pangong Tso – Leh.
Day 7 – Leh – Tso moriri
Day 8 Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Day 9 Sarchu – Manali
Day 10 Manali- Chandigarh.
Day 11 – Buffer
Day 11 Departure flight at 17:45 PM from Chandigarh(Since the tickets from Leh are very Expensive during this period, so a flight frm Chandigarh).
Since its season do we have to pre book stays at Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri.
And How to we go about the transport from Tso Moriri to Manali/ Chandigarh.
Thanks in advance.
Sry its Day 12 Departure flight at 17:45 PM from Chandigarh(Since the tickets from Leh are very Expensive during this period, so a flight frm Chandigarh).
Hello Shriram,
1. You will not be able to reach Kargil from Srinagar on first day after reaching so late.
2. There is no rafting around Lamayuru, it is done at Nimmu.
3. If Shyok route is closed then you will have to come back from Nubra Valley and in such a case make a day trip to Nubra Valley.
4. It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you the you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
5. You will need a private taxi for Leh – Tso Moriri – Manali which would ideally be the one with you for other parts of the journey on previous days. Manali – Chandigarh can be done by overnight volvo.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you have any queries.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
1. If we can’t cover Srinagar to Kargil on Day1, Can we reach Drass or any other place we can where we can have a overnight stop. Since we have very limited no. of days, we do not want to spend a night at Srinagar.
2. Regarding the Taxi. Since we are 7/8 of us do we have to pre book, Before our departure from B’lore. And in the Taxi rates blog I saw that there was minivan/ winger mentioned, do we book two taxis or can a winger hold 8 of us.
3. Is the above Itinerary doable, as I have a feeling that it is too cramped up.
Thanks for all the help Dheeraj.
Hello Sriram,
1. Maximum you go go is Sonamarg and further you will not be allowed to cross the barrier. But, it would make a difference of just 4 Hrs type difference.
2. No, just land at Srinagar airport and move to Srinagar taxi stand where you can find ample of taxis. I think if you can get hold of a winger or tempo traveller that would be great for you.
3. It is tightly packed and you might want to change things dynamically while executing the itinerary. If you feel like needing more days, make adjustments by day trip to Pangong Tso or dropping Tso Moriri. If you are lucky and keen, you might be able to execute the above itinerary as well.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
It is amazing to see someone having so much passion for Leh- Ladakh. Your blog is very informative and useful. Keep up the good work.
I am planning to visit Leh Ladakh in mid of August. I have approximately 11-12 days. Could you please review my plan and let me know if it is achievable?
10 Aug 22:00 to 11 Aug 06:00 -> Delhi to Jammu Jammu Tavi Express
11 Aug 07:00 to 11 Aug 16:00 -> Jammu to Srinagar JKSRTC Bus
12 August -> Srinagar to Kargil
13 Aug 06:00 to 13 Aug 14:00 -> Kargil to Leh
14 Aug 06:00 to 14 Aug 14:00 -> Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
15 August – Hunder / Diskit – Panamik – Khardung La – Leh
16 August – Leh to Pangong Tso
17 August – Leh Local
18 August Leh to Tso Moriri via Chumathang
19 Aug Tso Moriri to Sarchu
20th – Sarchu to Manali via rohtang
21 Aug – Manali to Delhi
22 Delhi to chennai
How is the weather during mid August
Which places would you suggest me to do prior bookings. I have another friend of mine accompaning me (Hotels and commutation)
I wanted to check if Numbra Valley ie Khardung La, Panamik can be covered in a single day if I skip the monastries. Similarly can I cover Pangang Tso Lake in a day.
Hello Shah,
Very nice plan and I will suggest a slight modification:
14 August – Leh Local (You will need this day to get permits and rest + little acclimatization before climbing to Kharrdung La)
15 Aug 06:00 to 14 Aug 14:00 -> Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
16 August – Hunder / Diskit – Panamik – Khardung La – Leh
17 August – Leh to Pangong Tso to Leh
18 August Leh to Tso Moriri via Chumathang
All days are possible above and in August weather will be pleasant with some over cast conditions and little rains.
You are less in number 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 🙂
For accommodation, check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for such a wonderful blog.
Please can you go through my itinerary and suggest changes if any.
Day One :- Mumbai – Srinagar by flight.
Day Two :- Srinagar – Kargil by Bus.
Day Three :- Kargil – Pensila by Jeep/Bus.
Day Four :- Pensila – Kargil
Day 5 /6 :- Kargil – Lamarayu – Alchi- Lunar Landscape – Confluence of Nimmu – Leh by Jeep
Day 7 :- Leh festival , DC office. River rafting
Day 8/ 9 :- Leh – Nubra – Leh by Bus
Day 10/11 :- Leh – Pangong – Leh by Jeep
Day 12/13/14 :- Leh – Tsomori – Manali by Jeep
Day 15 :- Manali – Chandigarh
Day 16 :- Chandigarh to mumbai by flight.
Please let me know whether is doable.
Further I am going alone hence what are the cheaper alternatives for the Kargil – Pensila route and for the Tsomoriri – Manali route.
What are the places that I need to mention in the DC form.
What is the taxi cost for Zanskar – Pensila route and was is the possibility of getting shared taxi. Is advisable to go by bus on this route.
Hi Glenda,
The plan seems to be nice, but there is nothing to stop at Pensi La and you have to come back to either Parakachik or Rangdum, to sleep overnight. Then, I do not think there is a daily bus service for Nubra Valley, so in such a case you need to do it in shared taxi. At the permit form, you need to mention Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
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 🙂
I doubt if you will be able to do Pensila by bus, please inquire at Kargil or use the daily shared taxis which will be running for locals on this route.
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you have any queries.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Yasmine,
We just returned from Leh and hired a innova for 30K from Leh to srinagar.(local, nubra and pangong) Dorjey is an excellent and safe driver and is retired army personel.I totally recommend to all who are travelling to leh to hire this guy he is an owesome guy. 09419372742 , 09622969317.
Hey Vasudha,
Great to know that you went with Dorjey, he is a nice guy indeed and thanks for posting his both numbers because I have posted only the BSNL one in taxi article.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj
First of all congratulations and thank you for putting up such detailed information. so far it is the the most precise and best info that I have come across. I have gone through all the comments and accordingly sketeched an itinerary for my visit to Leh in last portion along with my wife, but I require your help in fine tuning it.The Trip is a tight budget trip.
Aug 21st: Reach Leh from Delhi (Flight).Check in Hotel, apply for Inner line permits, in the late afternoon strool around for some local sight seeing.
Aug 22nd :Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder, Overnight at Diskit.
Aug 23rd : Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh.Overnight at Leh.
Aug 24th : Leh to Pangong Tso(Overnight at Pangong Tso).
Aug 25th : Back to Leh(Overnight Leh).
Aug 26th: Visit Sham Valley including Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib. (Overnight at Leh)
Aug 27th : Rest Day in Leh, Local Sight seeing.(Overnight in Leh)
Aug 28th: Leh to Tso Moriri via Chumthang.(Overnight at Tso Moriri)
Aug 29th :Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu (Overnight at Sarchu.
Aug 30th : Sarchu to Manali.Take Overnight Bus to Delhi).
Aug31st : Reach Delhi (Overnight at Delhi)
1st September : Avail Rajdhani Express to Kolkata.
Now I require to know the follwoing issues.
1. Do I need to book hotels in advance in LEH, Diskit,Tso Moriri, and Sarchu or hotels will be available on arrival? I am preffering home stays or guest houeses since they are cheaper and we get a feel of the local life.
2.Are we allowed to put up personal tents in Pangong Tso, I would love stay near the lake, or what is the next best option.
3. Temperarture/Climate at this time of the year.
4.Since hiring a vehicle for the entire trip for only two people will get pretty expensive, what is the next best option.
5. For the Leh-Tso Moriri-Sarchu-Manali part, are shared taxi-s availble, and also the choice of stay-s (has to be budgeted- only requirement is a clean toilet.
Thanks
Avik
Hello Avik,
You need to much fine tuning. I will suggest for 11 days you take the itinerary 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 Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/inner-line-per…
— 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 include Namgyal Gompa, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Shankar Gompa, Main Market, Hall of Fame, Spituk Gompa, Changspa Road Stroll in evening
— 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 – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 8 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – 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 9 | Pang / 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 10 | Manali – Delhi
— Return back
Day 11 – Buffer day to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
Now coming to your queries:
1. It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you the you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
2. There are lot of options of camps available near the shore. Otherwise, stay at home stay at Spangmik.
3. It will be fine and pleasant at this time of the year.
4 + 5. 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 🙂
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need more info or have any doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
First of all, my hearty congratulations on putting up so much info on your blog. You have indeed done an awesome job.
My itinerary is as follows :
29-Jul-12
Sunday Fly into Leh. Morning full rest
Late evening small sight seeing – shanti stupa, Leh palace and market
Overnight at Leh
30-Jul-12
Monday After breakfast proceed to Hall of fame, Pathar Sahib gurudwara, Phyang, Limmu (indus & zanskar sangam), Magnetic hill, Basgo , Lamuyuru
Overnight at Lumayuru
31-Jul-12
Tuesday Lamuyuru to Leh, enroute visit Alchi and Likir monasteries
Overnight at Leh
01-Aug-12
Wednesday After breakfast proceed to Kardungla and onward to Nubra valley. Overnight at Deskit
02-Aug-12
Thursday After breakfast proceed to Hunder (camel Safari), Sumoor and Panamik, and return to Leh
Overnight at leh
03-Aug-12
Friday After breakfast proceed to Pangong Lake, visit Hemis monastery on the way;
Overnight at Spangmik
04-Aug-12
Saturday Leave from Pangong to Leh; enroute visit Thiksey monastery, Shey palace
05-Aug-12
Sunday Leave early morning for flight to Delhi
My questions as as follows:
1. Whether plan for jul 30 & 31 is ok from AMS perspective ? or it is better to rest on 30th and on 31st only plan hall of fame, gurudwara, magnetic hill, Limmu and Alchi and return to Leh ?
2. We are total 4 people (3 girls).. can we do rafting by adding one more day ? whether swimming knowledge is required
3. Assuming above itinerary, taxi cost will be approx. 25 to 26 k as per the taxi rate list for 2012-13 put up by you [8500 for lamuyuru 2 days, 8500 for hunder-panamik 2 days and 8000 for pangong 2 days) – You have also mentioned that we should negotiate hard – how much do you think we should ask and negotiate ? please provide rough estimate
4. Will we get taxi drivers after reaching Leh ? or should we call up and fix taxi driver from here only before reaching Leh – please advise
Many Thanks
Vinod
Hello Vinod,
My answers below:
1. It seems fine, just do not over exert on the first day and do keep the body hydrated to optimum levels. Do not cover all the places upto Lamayuru, cover only few and exclude Alchi, Likir Basgo which can be covered on the way back next day.
2. Swimming knowledge is not required and you can do that if you have one day with you. Make it the last day of your trip before you take the flight so that it can also act as buffer day for you guys, and ensure you do not miss your flight the next day.
3. You will be able to get 10-12% discount and may be more once you talk to them there only.
4. You will be able get the taxi without much issue. But, I have listed about 5-6 good drivers on whom you can rely upon, if required even after reaching Leh.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need more info or have any doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a lot Dheeraj for your inputs. I think we will try and get to Pangong from Nubra via Shyok / Wari la and keep the last day as buffer (for rafting / in case shyok is closed to come back to leh and then go to pangong). Would it be possible to reach Pangong by evening if we do a sumer-panamik sight seeing in the morning and then leave for pangong? Also, should we specifically mention Shyok, Wari La in the ILP or just nubra and pangong is sufficient ?
Many Thanks,
Vinod
Hi Vinod,
Leave out Sumur and Panamik, as it will eat time and there is nothing special about them which you might have not seen upto that point in Nubra Valley. Give time to Shyok route that is extremely scenic and dangerous too, which requires you to go through it in day time and also give you an opportunity to get back to safety in Nubra Valley in case of any unforeseen situation within daylight.
If you taking Wari La route, then mention Wari La and if you taking Shyok route then mention Shyok. Or to be on safer side mention both but I guess Wari La permits are not been issued as of now…
I hope this helps. Let me know incase you need more info. or have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj, Many Thanks for your suggestions and the repository of information on your blog. We visited Ladakh between July 28 and August 5, 2012 [I know, its very unkind of me to write this message now, after a whole 2 months]. The places are really exotic and definitely I could experience all the emotion that you have portrayed on your reviews and travelogue, and probably more. I missed Tso-moriri, and definitely hope to make another trip to Ladakh to cover this, along Chandertal,Spiti.. probably god willing. I am posting the link to the facebook photos from my Ladakh trip. Once again congratulations for the excellent information you have compiled and keep the good work going.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151080853668788.460695.607583787&type=1&l=09b2e1971b
Thanks alot Vinod for sharing these pictures with us. I am really glad that you loved the Ladakh journey and will be doing it again. also, happy to know that my blog helped you with all the info. in making your Ladakh trip successful enough 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
First of all I am feeling very much confident after going through your blog for our upcoming LADAKH TOUR.
Your exhaustive details are very much helpful and I, tried to plan as per your itinerary. But the problem is we will not be able to visit Lamayuru, Zanskar , Kargil and Drass.
Below ,our itinerary is given and some questions for you, please spend a thought and reply me as you opinion matters most to us.
Regards,
Nirmalya Roy
ladakh october 2012 tour itinerary.
19/10/2012 friday howrah to new delhi by poorva express no.12303 dep at
08.10hrs. in the train.
20/10/2012 saturday arr. at new delhi at 07.20 hrs. stay at new delhi.
21/10/2012 sunday new delhi to leh by jet lite 9w 2245 dep. at 05.40 hrs. arr at
leh at 07.00 hrs.stay at leh and acclimatize.
22/10/2012 monday inner line permits, leh local like namgyal gompa, leh
palace, shanti stupa, sankar gompa, main market, hall of
fame, spituk gompa and changspa road stroll at sunset.if
health permits. stay at leh.
23/10/2012 tuesday leh – khardung la – diskit – hunder. stay at diskit.
24/10/2012 wednesday diskit – sumur – panamik – sumur – khardung la – leh. stay
at leh.
25/10/2012 thursday leh – hemis gompa – pangong tso. stay at spangmik.
26/10/2012 friday pangong tso – thickseymonastry – shey palace – leh. stay
at leh.
27/10/2012 saturday leh – chumathang – tso moriri . stay at korzok / tso moriri.
28/10/2012 sunday tso moriri – tso kar – leh. stay at leh.
29/10/2012 monday leh to sham valley tour. alchi,likir,basgo palace,magnetic
hills,confluence at nimmu ( indus and zanskar river ) and gurudwara pather sahib. stay at leh.
30/10/2012 tuesday leh local.stay at leh.
31/10/2012 wednesday leh to new delhi by jet lite 9w 2246 dep at 08.25 hrs from leh
arr. at delhi at 09.40hrs. stay at new delhi.
01/11/2012 thursday stay at new delhi.
02/11/2012 friday new delhi to howrah by poorva express no.12382 dep. at
16.20 hrs. in the train.
03/11/2012 saturday arrival at howrah at 16.45 hrs.
my questions are
1. whether pre booking of stay at leh, diskit, spangmik, korzok are required at that time of the year?
2. whether lunar landscape can be visited with sham valley?
3. where is yarab lake? is it in hunder? i read some where that it has an exclusive landscape, please update.
4. we are a team of three myself, my wife and our 8 year old son. what type of vehicle(taxi) will be most suitable for us, for all the tours from leh?
5. we want to take our own sleeping bags while travelling in ladakh, do you think it will be a good decision?
Hello Nirmalaya,
The itinerary is very much fine. Just on the second day, do not cover too many places and give your body ample of rest with slow walks around Leh only and visiting few monasteries. Leftovers can be covered on the last day which you have. Coming to queries:
1. It depends on your choice. If you do not plan to stay at any specific hotel and if you are OK with searching the place a bit after seeing the room conditions once reaching the place, then I guess you could save some good amount of money too on the hotel bookings. Finding a place is not that difficult in Leh and your taxi will be able to help you through. Keep this list handy with you the you: A preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh including moderate and cheap budget hotels as well in the series of articles starting on the link here
2. Hmm… you can club the last day you have to do it. 29 | Leh – Confluence at Nimmu – Magnetic Hills – Gudwara Pather Sahib – Lamayuru and on 30th Lamayuru – Alchi – Likir – Basgo – Leh
3. Yarab Tso is near Panamik. Just before the village starts, there is a 20 minute hike that leads you to this sacred lake. Nothing much about that regarding landscape and I cannot even sya check my current year's Ladakh album as I have removed them 🙂 … just shoot me a mail and I will send you the pictures.
4. Take a Scorpio (mid range vehicle)
5. You can take them but the places you want to visit will surely have decent accommodation where you won't need one. It will be helpful if you are looking forward to stay at some homestay at Korzok or Spangmik villages near Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso respectively.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need more info or have any doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj – Thank you for all the information on your site—it has been very helpful. I was hoping for your advice. My husband & I are planning a 9 day trip to Ladakh this July/Aug. Based on your information I put together this itinerary:
Day 1: arrive in Leh from Delhi via flight (rest)
Overnight: Leh
Day 2: rest & local sight seeing around Leh
Overnight: Leh
Day 3: Leh—Khardung La—Diskit—Hunder
Overnight at Hunder
Day 4: Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh –
Overnight at Leh
Day 5: Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
Overnight: Spangmik/camp
Day 6: Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Overnight: Leh
Day 7: Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang – Cover Karzok Monastery
Overnight: Tso Moriri
Day 8: Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Taglang La – Leh – Come back via Tso Kar lake and Taglang La pass
Overnight: Leh
Day 9: from from Leh-Delhi
Do you think this is doable or too much for the amount of time we have? Also, do you think we should book with a travel agency in Leh (ladakhi women's travel or Yasmin travel/tour) or hire a private taxi for the entire trip? it seemed like the taxi prices (24,557 Rs) were similar to agency prices…not sure. I would appreciate your advice! thank you!
Hello Yasmine,
This is very nice first cut of the itinerary. I think you should better stick to hiring taxi only, the driver will surely give you discount about 10-12% for sure. Stay away from Travel agents as they tend to follow strict route and charge everything else, so better be easy and flexible by hiring the taxi only.
Now, coming back to itinerary, as I said all is fine except no buffer day before take the flight back as you might not want to miss the flight due to some landslide or something on the way back from Tso Moriri considering rains. In such a case, I will suggest that you do a day trip to Pangong Tso and do two day trip to Tso Moriri. This will give you the last day as buffer day.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you need more info or have any doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
thank you so much for your suggestions. I'm actually thinking of changing things a bit and adding an extra day in Leh as a buffer day so we can do 2 days at Pangong lake and 2 days at Tso Moriri as well. so hopefully we should be there from July 24-Aug 2. thanks again for your help 🙂
Yasmine, that will make it just Perfect!! 🙂 … Have a wonderful journey ahead..
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Also, For the current leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2012-13 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-15% 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 Sharma