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 theΒ 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 π …
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 β 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 β 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 β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β 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 β Lamayuru β 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 theΒ 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 β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β 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 β Hemis Monastery β 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 β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β 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 β 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 β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β 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 β Baralacha La β Keylong β Atal Tunnel β 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 β 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 β Shyok village / Wari La route β 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 β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β 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 β Ladakh trip
Conclusion
I hope this plan or itinerary for Leh Ladakh from the Srinagar side will be useful for travelers planning their journey at least for the first time.
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I look forward to any questions or doubts or valuable suggestions and inputs you have and would love to discuss your custom plan as well in the comments section.
You can share your valuable suggestions and inputs you have or you would love to discuss your custom plan as well in the comments section. If you want any customization or deviation from the above plan, feel free to ask any questions, and in case you know a friend who is interested in traveling Ladakh from Srinagar in such a plan, feel free to share the article with them.
2,495 Comments
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Dheeraj, any recommendations for stay in Sarchu
Deepa, please check: List of Accommodation Options on Manali Leh Highway
Hi Dheeraj,
Hope you are doing great and i must say that you are doing an awesome job !
I am planning a trip to leh on 14 april and mentioned below is the itirenary that i have prepared so far :
Day1 : reach to leh via flight. Acclimitize
Day 2 : local sight seeing
Day 3 : leh> khardungla> nubra>stay overnight
day 4 : nubra to pangong>stay overnight
day 5 pangong > leh > stay overnight
day 6 leh to tso moriri & back to leh
day 7 : fly back to Delhi
I would like to know the feasibility of this itinerary from you. Especially travelling to pangong directly from hunder.
& a day trip to tso moriri lake.
Regards,
Jitendra
Hello Jitendra,
Thanks alot.
In April, the lakes will be frozen mostly and direct route to Pangong Tso via Wari La will not be possible as Wari La will be closed. Other route via Shyok Village again is not recommended due to its landslide prone zones. Also, accommodation at Pangong Tso will not be possible as no camps are setup by that time. Even in Leh less number of hotels are open and less options of food too. Finally, you cannot do a day trip to Tso moriri, it is 240 KMs from Leh. Do you still want to go ahead with this trip?
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks a lot for your reply Dheeraj!
Can u please go through this revised itinerary based on your input
Day1 : reach to leh via flight. Acclimitize
Day 2 : leh> tsomiriri
Day 3 : tsomiriri > leh
Day 4 : leh> khardungla> nubra>stay overnight
day 5 : nubra to leh>stay overnight
day 6 leh > pangong > leh >
Could you please suggest preference among local sight seeing or tsomoriri
Thanks a lot in advance!
Jitendra , you will get yourself killed if you will follow such an itinerary and sleep at Tso Moriri on second day itself. You have very less days in hand. Just spend couple of days for acclimatization and rest, then do 2 day trip to Nubra Valley and finally 2 day trip to Pangong Tso. Drop out Tso Moriri for now.
Dheeraj, We are planning to fly in/out of Leh with our 9yr old son i mid-May. Could you pls suggest an itinerary for 8 days that includes – Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Sham Valley, Hemis Monastrey, Thiksey Monastrey and other places ? Is it possible to cover Drass, Kargil also and are there any festivals during that time of the year? Thanks a lot
Monica, 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 β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for this itinerary. Being my first visit to leh ladakh (which I’m planning by mid June),this sure does help. I wanted to know if it is possible to add Zanskar Valley in the itinerary if I had an additional day? I’ve heard a lot about that place and would like to visit it.
Thanks again!
Abhijit, for Zanskar Valley at least 4 days are required on less hectic terms if not 5 π … I never prefer a 3 day trip to Zanskar as you loose too much of its beauty in just running around in those 3 days. Hence, 1 day is big NO and even not possible.
Hi Dheeraj,
On researching for our trip, I came across your website and have really become a fan of you. The dedication you have shown to respond to all queries is really great. We are 6 person(numbers might increase) planning to visit Leh-ladakh in the month of June. After doing some research, I have prepared an Itenary along with some rough estimate of the cost.
Day 1 – Home Location (diff for everybody) to Srinagar by Flight.
Expected Arrival Time – 13:30 hrs
Day 2 – Srinagar – Kargil
Places to visit – Sonamarg, Drass Village, magnificent view of Kargil war Famous Peaks (Tiger, Tololing)
Expected Departure Time – 07:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 16:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Day 3 – Kargil – Leh
Places to visit – Visit Mulbek and Lamayuru monastery, Giant Living Buddha Sculpture on Rock Mountain. Enroute pass the confluence of Indus β Zanskar Rivers and the effects of Magnetic Hill, Alchi, Likir Monastery. Visit Gurudwara Patthar Sahib and Kali Mata temple.
Expected Departure Time – 07:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 16:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Cost for Day 2 & Day 3 – 20000/SUV
Day 4 – Leh
Get all the permits and time permits visit some local places.
Cost – 5000/SUV
Day 5 – Leh – Nubra Valley
Places to visit – Visit Sumur and Hunder village and Diskit Monastery, Khardung-la-pass
Expected Departure Time – 08:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 14:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Day 6 – Nubra Valley – Turtuk – Leh
Places to visit – Visit Sand Dunes. Bactrian Camel ride.
Expected Departure Time – 08:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 14:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Cost for Day 5 & Day 6 – 10000/SUV
Day 7 – Leh – Pangong Tso
Places to visit – Changla Pass, Enroute visit Shey monastery, Thiksey monastery, Hemis monastery and Sindhu Ghat.
Expected Departure Time – 08:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 14:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Day 8 – Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri
Places to visit –
Expected Departure Time – 07:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 17:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Day 9 – Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Places to visit –
Expected Departure Time – 06:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 17:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Day 10 – Sarchu – Manali
Places to visit –
Expected Departure Time – 06:00 hrs
Expected Arrival Time – 17:00 hrs
Type of Vehicle – Innova/Xylo
Cost for Day 7, 8, 9 & 10 – 40000/SUV
Day 11 – Manali – Delhi
Expected Departure Time –
Expected Arrival Time –
Day 11 – Delhi – Home Location – by flight
Questions –
1. Does this itenary looks good and possible? Any changes that you would like to suggest.
2. Do you agree with the cost of vehicle associated for each trip or any changes required?
3. Can you suggest the places to vist on 3 routes on Day 8, 9 and 10.
4. For returning from Manali to Delhi, apart from buses what are other options. As buses depart by evening and so it will not be possible to catch any bus on the day we return to Manali. Instead we were planning to rent a car. In case of car how much will be the cost and time it will take to reach Delhi.
Thanks,
Simanto
Hi Simanto,
I have replied to your thread in the DwD Community at the link: Srinagar – Leh – Manali – trip Advice. Feel free to continue posting there π
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi
I am looking for the attached itenary tour only with one criteria of we are looking for 12 days tours jammu-Srinagar- kargil-lamayaru-leh-Pangong-nubra-manali -Chandigarh tour.
Also wanted to inform we are 12 of us in total
Could you pls quote us the the best possible rates for the same
Best regards
Sweta.
Hi Sweta,
This website/blog is not for booking packages or quotes rather just provides knowledge or information about such beautiful places in Himalayas for free π … You can learn about Ladakh and traveling there yourself too going through various articles present in the blog OR else if you looking for booking, you can get in touch with guys at info@offbeatescapes.com as they some very good feedback from many readers with respect to services offered especially for DoW readers π
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
i’m Puput from Indonesia, and really enjoying your trip to Ladakh through your blog π
i think you’re writing your trip to ladakh so great,
i’m planning to go there with my cousins in june, but we don’t bring any men so is it safe if it’s just women without men? and is there any highlited suggestions for us as foreigners (not from india) to take this trip (like inner line permit, etc)?
and i’m planning to take tour trip in mymaketrip.com from delhi to leh ladakh at June for ten days, but we want to also take like snow trip, will we met the snow by the time?
i’ve read your 12 days trip itinerary to leh ladakh and then rohtang pass, and we’re interested to take that itinerary, is it ok for us? or better to take a tour?
or do you have any suggestions for ladakh trip itinerary (include rohtang pass) for ten days?
thank you, looking forward for your reply π
Hello Puput,
Ladakh is one of the safest places on earth as far as human crimes are concerned. So, please feel free safe to travel there. You just need to take Protected Area Permits (PAP) from Leh DC Office once you reach there. In June you will get plenty of snow on Srinagar – Leh and Manali – Leh Highways. But, not sure if going through portal will help or not. You can plan your trip on yourself too which will save you good amount of money too. Best you you take the above itinerary mentioned in the article and plan it yourself. You should book a flight from Delhi to Srinagar and there on follow the itinerary as it is. You can get in touch with drivers up there and do the trip. If you are OK with searching on hotels after arrival that will also be OK and in case you need hotel bookings, you can get in touch with the guys at info@offbeatescapes.com who works in that region only for hotel bookings and their feedback from many readers are very good too. Pass on your itinerary to them and ask for hotel bookings when required. That will be much cheaper too instead of going through the big portal and you will have the option of running your own itinerary.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Itinerari:1 for Ladakh
Day 1/26.05.2014 | Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β Kargil
β’ Enjoy the vistas enroute
β’ Have late drunch meal at Drass is you are a vegetarian as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
β’ Overnight at Kargil
β’ About 8 Hrs drive, depend upon the traffic movement at Zozila and breaks you take in between
Day 2/27.05.2014 | Kargil-towards Padam-Kargil
β’ Enjoy the route
β’ Visit Noon & Koon Peak and Glaciar
β’ Overnight at Kargil
β’ About Hrs drive, depend upon the breaks you take in between
Day 3/28.05.2014 | Kargil β Lamayuru β Leh
β’ Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
β’ On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 9-10 Hrs drive, , depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 4/29.05.2014 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
β’ To know the about the places to visit in/around Leh, check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
β’ For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
β’ Overnight at Leh
Day 5/30.05.2014 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder
β’ Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
β’ On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
β’ Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and at Khardung La
Day 6/31.05.2014 | Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
β’ Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 7-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 7/01.06.2014 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β Pangong Tso Lake
β’ Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
β’ Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 8/02.06.2014 | Pangong Tso Lake β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
β’ Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
( Day 9/03.06.2014 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping or you can do tour to Sham Valley
β’ Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
β’ Overnight at Leh )
Day 9/03.06.2014 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
β’ Cover Karzok Monastery
β’ Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
β’ About 7-8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 10/04.06.2014 | Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Pang / Sarchu
β’ Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
β’ Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
β’ About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 11/05.06.2014 | Pang / Sarchu β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali
β’ On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
β’ Overnight at Manali
β’ About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and of course the mess at Rohtang Pass
Day 12/06.06.2014 | Manali β Delhi
β’ About 13-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 13/07.06.2014 | Delhi-Howrah
β’ Train from New Delhi
Day 14/08.06.2014 | Howrah
β’ Return Home
Day 15 + 16 | Buffer days to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
Additional Points:
β’ Instead of coming back to Leh from Nubra Valley, you can head towards Pangong Tso via Wari La route. This will give you an additional day which can be spent in Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso or Leh. If you are riding then you need to carry sufficient fuel for it.
β’ In Srinagar you can also visit Floating market > Shalimar Garden.
β’ For cheap and moderate budget accommodation or hotels in Leh β Ladakh you can refer the links here and here respectively.
β’ Any doubts related to budget of the trip?? Donβt worry, check: How to calculate cost or budget for Leh β Ladakh trip
Itinerari:2 for Ladakh
Day 1/26.05.2014 | Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β Kargil
β’ Enjoy the vistas enroute
β’ Have late drunch meal at Drass is you are a vegetarian as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
β’ Overnight at Kargil
β’ About 8 Hrs drive, depend upon the traffic movement at Zozila and breaks you take in between
Day 2/27.05.2014 | Kargil-towards Padam-Kargil
β’ Enjoy the route
β’ Visit Noon & Koon Peak and Glaciar
β’ Overnight at Kargil
β’ About Hrs drive, depend upon the breaks you take in between
Day 3/28.05.2014 | Kargil β Lamayuru β Leh
β’ Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
β’ On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 9-10 Hrs drive, , depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 4/29.05.2014 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
β’ To know the about the places to visit in/around Leh, check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
β’ For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
β’ Overnight at Leh
Day 5/30.05.2014 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder
β’ Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
β’ On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
β’ Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and at Khardung La
Day 6/31.05.2014 | Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
β’ Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 7-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 7/01.06.2014 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β Pangong Tso Lake
β’ Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
β’ Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 8/02.06.2014 | Pangong Tso Lake β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
β’ Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
( Day 9/03.06.2014 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping or you can do tour to Sham Valley
β’ Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
β’ Overnight at Leh )
Day 9/03.06.2014 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
β’ Cover Karzok Monastery
β’ Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
β’ About 7-8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 10/04.06.2014 | Tso Moriri β Tso Moriri β Leh via Taglang La and Tso Kar Regards
Try to start early in the day
β’ Overnight at Leh
β’ About Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 11/05.06.2014 | Leh-Srinagar
Day 12/06.06.2014 | SrinagarβJammu-Delhi
β’ Train from Jammu to New Delhi
Day 13/07.06.2014 | Delhi-Howrah
β’ Train from New Delhi
Day 14/08.06.2014 | Howrah
β’ Return Home
Avijit, your first itinerary looks quite good apart from Day 2. You cannot do return trip from Padum from Kargil in a day. You need at least 3 days if not 4 to make it worthy enough trip to Zanskar Valley. So, better use that day to visit Turtuk in Nubra Valley on Day 5.
Hi Dheeraj,
(1) on day 2,i am not going upto Padam but only to see two Peak-Noon & Koon and return to Kargil,is it not
necessary?
(2)if Leh-manali route be open on that time,then Itinerary1 is applicable. What do you think?
(3)We are 20 members. Any advance hotel booking needed ?
(4) Approx cost/person from Srinagar to Manali.
Avijit, I have replied to your queries in the Community Topic you posted to keep all queries at a single place, you can check the link here
How is the route from Nubra to Pangong via Wari La? We would be visiting in May end.
I will not suggest that you take Wari La route that early in the season as it may be closed due to snow on road and in case you get stuck somewhere up there, you will be at your own to come out of the situation as the route is too desolated. Better take the normal route to Pangong Tso from Leh.
Hi Dheeraj,
I have been reading your blog for the last few days and its exceptionally good!! It has helped me a lot to plan our ladakh trip in coming August.
We will be travelling in a group of 6.
Dates : 15th AUG to 29th AUG
Proposed Cost : 35,000
Day1(15th Aug) : Board the train to Delhi from Mumbai/Kolkata.
Day2(16th Aug) : Delhi to Srinagar.
Day3(17th Aug) : Srinagar–>Sonamarg–>Zoji La–>Drass–>Kargil (205km)
Day4(18th Aug) : Kargil – Mulbek – Lamayuru – Leh (235km)
Day5(19th Aug) : After breakfast we go out for Local Leh sightseeing and inner line permits.
Day6(20th Aug) : Visit to Sham Valley(nearby Leh)
Day7(21st Aug) : Leh β-> Khardung La β->Numbra Valley β-> Hunder /Diskit
Day8(22nd Aug) : Hunder/Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
Day9(23rd Aug) : Leh β> Hemis Monasteryβ >Pangong Tso Lake
Day10(24th Aug) : Pangong Tso β> Thicksey β> Shey Palace β> Leh
Day11(25th Aug) : Leh β> Chumathang–>Tso Moriri
Day12(26th Aug) : Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Pang / Sarchu
Day13(27th Aug) : Pang / Sarchu β >Baralacha La β> Keylong
Day14(28th Aug) : Keylong β> Rohtang Pass β> Manali–>Delhi/Chandigarh
Day15(29th Aug) : Delhi/Chandigarh–> Mumbai/Kolkata
Could you kindly help me clear out the below queries:-
1.Is it necessary to book a package tour or pre-book hotels for our overnight stay at Kargil/Leh/Numbra/Spangmik/Tso Moriri/Sarchu/Keylong.It is essential as we would
also have girls in our group.I have already gone through your link on Accomodation and I found it extremely informative.However I would still like to confirm on the
availability in the month of August.Else we would book a package tour/pre-book the hotels.
2.For the Inner Line Permits, should we ask the Hotel staff in Leh to arrange for the same or take the trouble ourselves.
3.Possibility of road blocks/landslides in August.
4.Lastly I have assumed the food+accomodation cost per person per (throughout the journey) to be around 900.Is my estimation correct?
5.Your expert comments on the trip itenerary.
Eagerly waiting for your reply π Thanks a lot!!
Warmest Regards,
Alankar Chakraborty.
Hi Alankar,
This has been answered in DwD Community at the link: 15 Days Covering Mumbai – Srinagar – Ladakh – Manali
Regards
dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
I recently came to know that a few people visit zanskar valley, is it approachable by road, I mean by a day trekking. I really liked the place and want to include in my tour. Also, in the 1st week of June there will be snow in zanskar, which will make it more attractive. please advise.
have you ever stayed in Zik Zik guesthouse, Leh? oe of my friends from Italy stayed there twice, they do not have any website but only provided phone numbers.
regards,
Pooja
Hello Pooja,
Well, yes Zanskar Valley is visited by very few people and still remains around unexplored, more or less. The route to Zanskar Valley starts from Kargil and goes via Suru Valley (Sankoo, Panikhar, Parkachik, etcc), Rangdum then over Penzi La Pass into Zanskar Valley all the way to Padum and little beyond where the road ends. Though it is generally suggested to make a dedicated trip to Zanskar Valley but if you are short on time then I will suggest you spare out 4 days at least ex. Kargil if not 5 and visit Zanskar Valley. The link below can give you basic idea to see what to expect in Zanskar Valley as I am yet to finish my draft on its comprehensive travel guide. Meanwhile you can refer: Itinerary for My Zanskar Trip in September β 2012
Sorry I have never stayed at Zik Zik Guest House, so will not be able to make any comment. However, 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
Dear Pooja
we are planning the same trip at the same time(starting around 1st June: pune- srinagar by air; 2 day stay at kashmir; sonmarg-kargil; possible detour through zanskar; leh stay 4-5 days; leh to tso moriri; tso moriri to leh manali highway-sarchu; sarchu to jispa; jispa to manali.
We are a group of 4. My husband is an army doc (I am a doc too), my son (he is a doc too) and my teenaged daughter.
Do contact. It would be safer if we can proceed in a convoy.
Dr Namita Sharma
Must better choice. Also, DoW has started an initiative under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. There is also a DoW Travel Calendar linked here which can be used to easily and quickly spot a travel partner with similar dates of all the people looking for Travel Partners for their trips. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
We are 4. Me a CA, Son student 16, Wife , daughter 8. But dates are 15th May to 25 May as schools are closed. We are from Mumbai.
Narendra, if you are looking out for Travel Partners, DoW has started an initiative under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. There is also a DoW Travel Calendar linked here which can be used to easily and quickly spot a travel partner with similar dates of all the people looking for Travel Partners for their trips. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
Hello guys,
Came across this webpage while checking for the itenarary for leh ladakh trip.
Please help me to decide for most suitable itenarary.
1)Time- June 28th-July 13 2014, hence we have 13 days in hand
2)Going upto Srinagar via Flight and booked a return flight from chandigarh to hyderabad
3)Want to hire self driving car from srinagar to Leh if possible.Please send me some contacts\link if any one have.
After see above info, can you please help me in deciding my itenerary.
Thanks a lot in advance
Hello Disha,
1. You can quite easily follow the itinerary suggested in the article above. You can start the itinerary from Srinagar itself and follow the same till last day 14 upto Chandigarh instead of Delhi.
2. That is fine.
3. You will not get self drive car in ladakh but you can get taxi for sure dedicated for you. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2013-14 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
You seemed to have the best following out there for Ladakh! Can I pile on as well? We’re a small group coming from mumbai. If we’re to avoid flights from here, is the itinerary still the same? Also, what you recommend as the best time to go? How’s May-end/Jun beginning. We will hire a jeep to go around…
Thanks
Prashant
Hello Prashant,
Thanks brother. I will suggest to stick to this plan as it is very much balanced keeping in mind many things, rest, acclimatization, day travel balance, fit for many, etc.. June beginning will be good time to travel and you will enjoy the route thoroughly with loads and loads of snow up there.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj, We are from Rajasthan and we are group of 5 family’s planning our tour to Leh ladakh for 10 days, we want to start from Srinagar and return via Manali, can you suggest itinerary for 10 days or less, having kids between 6 to 14 years of age. Please suggest if you can.
Hello Sunil,
10 days will be a bit less for road trip to Ladakh and that too from Rajasthan to Srinagar to Manali along with family? Are you planning to fly to Srinagar? Can you increase the number of days in hand?
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Hello Dheeraj it’s a blessing to stumble upon your guide! The best I’ve seen so far (at least the easiest to understand!)
I’m travelling alone to Ladakh in August 2014 and thinking of taking the route of Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Delhi in 14-15days. I think I won’t be going Manali for the moment. I am basically refering to your itinerary for this trip.
Ok, I have a couple of questions to ask. I am taking flights betwen Delhi-Srinagar (3000 INR)and Leh-Delhi (7200INR). Are the fare price cheap enough or they can be lower?
And, I know shared taxis are easily available in Leh but are them easy to find in Srinagar too? I hope to spend 2-3 days along Srinagar-Leh and it would be quite a waste of the route scenery if I just sit in a bus. π
Thanks!
Hello Teh,
Thank you so very much. I guess the price is good enough but I will suggest that you go over Manali – Leh journey because firstly it is much easier to travel over it with availability of public transport by the means of semi-delux buses from HPTDC between Leh and Manali + Manali – Delhi Volvo service. And, Manali – Leh Highway is the soul of any Ladakh trip. For Delhi – Srinagar, it is very fair deal I believe on an average.
Shared taxis are easy to find in Srinagar too BUT they generally do it in single day from Srinagar to Leh. So, my word will be to take a shared taxi first to Kargil and then another shared taxi next day for Leh from Kargil to break the journey in between and get yourself a bit acclimatized as well.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Is it possible to cover Zanskar and Leh Ladakh in 15 days?
Yes Akash, very much possible but with little tweaks and give ups here and there. If possible, you can start a thread at below link for your itinerary advice and complete planning of Ladakh trip in more structured way and this way more people will get benefit from the replies by reading existing topics/queries. Here is the link: π DoW – Himalayan Travel Community | Ladakh Itinerary Advice
Hello Dheeraj,
We are planning to travel by our own bikes from Jammu to Delhi via LEH, we have fourteen days in hand. Can you please suggest the itinerary for the same and the tentative budget as well. Thanks and Regards,
Rishi.
Hi Rishi,
You can follow the itinerary suggested in the article above for 14 days. 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 β Ladakh trip
Also, check the article: 5 Tips for a Budget Trip to Ladakh
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi! I’m Shankar from Chennai. We are planning a 10 day trip to ladakh(two way flights to Delhi/Srinagar). Can u pls advice a 10 day iteniry for a grp of 7. We can just spend 10days for the entire trip (5bdays leave) because of work commitments. We will like to visitthe place after June and also pls ensure to advise us on all the important places which has to be covered.
Hi Shankar,
You can do something like below:
Day 1 | Srinagar Rest
Day 2 | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zoji La Pass – Drass – Kargil
Day 3 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sightseeing and get your permits done
Day 5 | Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley
Day 6 | Nubra Valley – Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 8 | Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 9 | Leh – Batalik – Kargil (get the permits for Batalik, Dah Hanu Villages as well while getting them for Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso)
Day 10 | Kargil – Srinagar
Day 11 | Srinagar Flight back home
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Liked your itinerary. To save time is it possible to plan my trip as follows:
Day 1 – Srinagar to Kargil
Day 2 – Kargil to Leh
Day 3 – Local sightseeing
Day 4 – Leh to Nubra valley
Day 5 – Nubra valley to Pangong tso
Day 6- Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri
Day 7 – Tso Moriri to Leh
Day 8 – Leh local sightseeing
Day 9 – Leh to Kargil
Day 10 – Kargil to Srinagar
Pl. send in your comments
Hello J Majumdar,
Honestly speaking I will suggest as per below:
Day 4 β Leh to Nubra valley
Day 5 β Nubra valley to Leh
Day 6 – Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh/Upshi
Day 7 β Leh/Upshi to Tso Moriri
Day 8 β Tso Moriri – Leh via Taglang La and Tso Kar
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
We will be reaching Leh on 26th May. Is it advisable to go to Pangong Tso directly from Nubra valley via Wari La route? We are a group of seven middle aged people and plan to hire a vehicle for the tour.
I will not suggest that you take Wari La route that early in the season as it may be closed due to snow on road and in case you get stuck somewhere up there, you will be at your own to come out of the situation as the route is too desolated. Better take the normal route to Pangong Tso from Leh.
Hello Dheeraj,
Its been wonderful visiting your page and I really am thankful for your all efforts towards making peoples’ journey joyful. We have ~10 days to spend in ladakh. And as I had contacted a travel agent earlier according to our specifications of including a very short trek,He had concluded an itinerary as below..Please proof check it and suggest if any other trek (may be a ladakh national park?)can be done..
Day 01: Arrival at Leh
Day 02: Leh to Nubra Valley , drive to Nubra Valley via Khardungla Arrive Deskit by Afternoon. Rest of the day free to explore Deskit, Hunder Villages and camel Safari in Sand Dunes between Deskit and Hunder Village. Overnight Hotel/Camp
Day 03: Nubra Valley to Leh
Day 04 to Day 06: Zingchen to Stok Trek (3 days) Rumbak valley Trek
Day 04: Zingchen to Rumbak 3900 m (3-4 hours)
Day 05: Rumbak to Mancarmo 4200 m via Stok la 4900 m(5 β6 hrs)
Day 06: Mancarmo to Stok (3-4 hrs)
Day 07: Leh to Pangong Lake
Day 08: Pangong Lake to Leh (160 Kms) After Breakfast drive back to Leh, Overnight Hotel.
Day 9- we wanted to go jammu in return as to cover vaishnodeviji, Is it feasible?
Also, we are visiting ladakh in last week of May, is it ok for the above plan? And plz suggest other trek, how would be the weather in that season? Will there be any snow to witness?
Your valuable inputs matters a lot…Thanks..
Hello Pooja,
Thanks a lot. If you are visiting Ladakh in last week of May that shall be fine otherwise in early May you might end up seeing frozen PAngong Tso and even there will be no camps to stay. It will be really cold early in May especially at high altitude passes and lakes ike Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri. You can read more about at: Best Time to Travel Ladakh & Zanskar Valley
Now, coming back to Itinerary… Well, BIG NO from my side with second day over Khardung La to Nubra Valley π― … If that is from a Travel Agent drop that Travel Agent first π !! It is May and things are cold at that time. Khardung La will have snow on roads, so traffic jams common and with you being on second day itself, it might jeopardize the health due to AMS and trip. Most people even struggle on third day too after 2 days of complete rest.
I hope this helps. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks so much Dheeraj,
That’s a great help :)..We are anyways dropping an agent . I also wanted to be sure if including trek of 3 days would be ok in the 1st week of june..Is there any other 2 or 3 days trek than the one suggest by an agent, i.e Zingchen to Stok? We shall keep in mind to start going Nubra by 3rd day…Also, we are thinking to opt for either Oriental guesthouse OR Padma guesthouse in Leh, Can you advise on it? And we have contacted Riverside camps as suggested on your earlier blogs for Pangong. Also, please elaborate where to stay when we start for Nubra valley? Diskit,Hunder, turtuk? i’m super confused by names and place..I just know that they r on th way… π
Thanks a lot once again, I shall be looking forward to hear from you,
KR,
Pooja
Hello Pooja,
I think the Zingchen to Stok is the best bet given the number of days and views it offer in the trek. Trek will most likely depend upon how you are feeling after coming back from Nubra Valley if you plan to go to Nubra on 3rd day. How many total days you have in hand? Aren’t you visiting Tso Moriri?
Regarding Stays, yeah, both Oreintal and Padma are good, you can even check Panorama just ahead of Oreintal where I stayed recently on the DoW Mega Meet: Check:Hotel Panorama – Leh, Ladakh | Review
Regarding stay in Nubra Valley, you can either stay at Diskit or Hunder, if you making just 2 day trip to Nubra Valley. I always feel that Turtuk is little too much to include in 2 day trip to Nubra Valley. In case you have 3 days for Nubra, then head to Turtuk on first day to stay there, next day come back and stay at Hunder. Diskit has more facilities and is more of a town, while Hunder just 7 KMs ahead is more remote and close to nature.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hello Dheeraj,
Thank you for all your help. We will be having approx 9 days in hand. we will reach there on 30th May and then as you suggested we will go to Nubra on Day 3, on day 5 we are thinking for a 3 days trek. So on day 8-9 rae reserved for Pangong lake. This is a tentative plan. Though we are confused whether to opt for trek or should we utilize those days for Tso-Moriri? (is it very much different from Pangong?)Or is there any other suggestion?
Also I am keen on visiting National park, is it possible for a Jeep Safari to sight some rare animals..? I came to know that the trek that we might opt for lies in the park only.
Thanks once again,
KR,
Pooja
Hello Pooja,
Ideally you shall be doing like below:
Day 1 | Leh Rest Day & Acclimatization. Keep body adequately hydrated.
Day 2 | Leh Rest Day & Acclimatization. May be some local sightseeing without much exertion. Visit Shanti Stupa in car or Leh Palace but refrain from exertion
Day 3 | Leh – Nubra Valley
Day 4 | Nubra Valley – Leh
Day 5 | Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 6 | Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 7 | Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 8 | Tso Moriri – Leh
Day 9 | Rest Day at Leh and do some shopping.
Day 9 can be pushes to Day 7 and last two days you can do Tso Moriri as well. Depends when you wanna rest.
The reason I am suggesting the above itinerary is because sometimes trekking is better done in the second or third trip to high altitude places and first ever trip to high altitude places and that too by flight, should always be easy on body so as to see how body adapts to high altitude. Treks in High Altitude are different ball game than treks on normal altitude as you need time to acclimatize in order to exert your body. Tso Moriri I love more than Pangong Tso, it is calm, serene and the way to Tso Moriri is much much beautiful than to Pangong Tso. You also get a chance to visit Tso Kar lake as well while coming back via Taglang La Pass from Tso Moriri to Leh.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
Fantastic work man keep it up. We are 6 people planning for holiday between 25th March to 4th of April2014. We will start from Mumbai. None of us ever been in this places. Can u advice which places we should visit. Budget is not a concern
Satish, at that time of the year the roads will be closed to Ladakh. But, 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 β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air.
sir g Sat sri akal,
how r u sir ???? and how was your trip????? we hyad a great trip and all thanks to you sir g,You are doing a tremendous job thru dis blog..hats off to u…keep up the good work and always be a guiding light to lost and newbies like us…….u rock bro……hoping to be part f your future tours…..keep shining bro…..
Preet bhai !! Sat sri akal!! It was fantastic meeting you up there in heavenly Ladakh and hear stories live from you. THANK YOU so much for coming up and that small little 1 hr we all spent together. We also had a rocking trip too, soon will start sharing the details and posts about it. Next Mega Meet will be in Spiti Valley and I will surely want to see you on that tour. This time we might have an upper limit on number of people to just manage things in better way π … Thanks for the lovely comments too. But, whatever is the case, you have to be there with the bull (your ride) π
PS: Sorry for delayed reply as I was traveling Ladakh for last couple of weeks.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Preet, Like suggested, in case you planning to travel in September to Spiti Valley, you can join in over like minded travelers for DoW Mega Meet thrilling adventure, whose details are mentioned at the link: Hidden Gems of Spiti Valley | DoW Mega Meet 2014
Hi Dheeraj,
we group of 4 person planing to go to leh this month on sept 28 for 10 days. we start journey from delhi and go via jammu, kashmir and return via manali. Do any kind of on way permission require in jammu or kashmir for visiting leh. i m aware about permission in leh and documents are ready with me. thanks to you for your blog support. kindly guide.
thanks
Praveen
Praveen, you only need inner line permits and nothing else. Also, end of season is here and there is VERY high RISK of traveling over Manali – Leh Highway in the month of October and that too second half of it. If you are wondering why, check: 5 Reasons to Avoid Manali β Leh Highway in October
Thanks Dheeraj for info; link in your reply is not opening. our plan is to cover round the trip by visting all the places from srinagar , kargil to leh to manali. we dont want to waste time for taking permission in manali.
Praveen, here you go with updated link: 5 Reasons to Avoid Manali β Leh Highway in October
Please go through the link and then decide calculatedly taking risk into considerations.
Hi Dheeraj,
This is Brijesh, me & my wife plan to visit Leh Ladakh on bike. We need some help in terms with the itinerary we are preparing, however facing a challenge with it. We have in total 21 days that we can spend on this trip. Weβll be coming from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Day 1 β Mumai to Bayad, Gujarat
Day 2 β Bayad to Jaipur, Rajasthan
Day 3 β Jaipur to Chandigarh Punjab
Day 4 β Chandigarh to Manali
Day 5 β Rest in Manali
Day 6 β Manali to Sarchu / Jispa (Depending upon the distance we can cover)
Day 7 – Sarchu / Jispa to Leh
Once we reach Leh we are a bit confused about the places we can visit. Please help us in terms of an itinerary that we can follow. We plan to exit from Drass, Kargil, Srinagar. Ideally we have in total 4 days that we can spend in and around Leh before we reach Srinagar.
Awaiting your suggestions
Thanks
Brijesh
Hi Brijesh,
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
Please let me know, then we can discuss further your itinerary. Also, you have 21 days and you are saying you just have 4 days for Ladakh?
Regards
dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj Sir,
We two Guys are Starting From Ambala to Leh/Ladhak…We are Lil Messd Up Due to Itinerary.Our is 10 day Trip.Kindly Advise….Following is our Itinerary..Kindly Guide Sir
Day Particulars Kms
1 Ambala to Srinagar 656,(Udhampur to Srinagar 231)
2 Srinagar to Kargil 202
3 Kargil to leh 230
4 Leh-Hunder-Leh 250
5 Leh to Spangmik (Pangong So) 156
6 Spangmik to Karu to Mahe 249
7 Mahe to Hanle 95 ,Hanle to Karzok (Tso Moriri) 156
8 Karzok to Sarchu 219
9 Sarchu to Manali 219
10 Manali to Ambala 340
2 Reserve Days At Leh(optional)
Option 2
Day Particulars Kms
1 Ambala to Udhampur 425
2 Udhampur to Sonmarg 310 (staying options in Sonmarg)
3 Sonmarg to Mulbekh 163 ( ,, ,, Mulbekh)
4 Mulbekh to leh 152
5 At leh 50
6 Leh – Hunder – Leh 248
7 Leh to Spangmik (Pangong Tso) 156
8 Spangmik to Karu to Chumathang 226 ( ,, ,, Chumathang)
9 Chumathang to Karzok(Tso Moriri) 76
10 Karzok (Tso Moriri) to Sarchu 219
11 Sarchu to Manali 219
12 Manali to Ambala 360
Sir Person Going With me Weights Around 110 kgs….Should i take him along or ask somebodyelse……Kindly guide
Preet, are you riding with pillion? I will suggest that better have some average weight person because even 110-80 is 30 KG and there luggage which can be in there.
Also, regarding Itinerary keep it simple brother and do it like:
1 Ambala to Srinagar 656,
2 Srinagar to Kargil 202
3 Kargil to leh 230
4 Leh Rest Day
5 Leh – Nubra Valley
6 Nubra Valley – Leh
7 Leh – Pangong Tso/Tso Moriri
8 Pangong Tso/Tso Moriri to Sarchu 219
9 Sarchu to Manali 219
10 Manali to Ambala 340
Sir,
No we Are travelling by Different Bikes…He is Having Thunderbird 500….Will it be able to Carry him in high passes….nd m travllg by Yahama FZS…I also have Bullet Classic but m prefrence is Yahama as i dont find bullet easy to drive in hills….is it advisable to go By 160 cc engine…i hve full trust on m Red Dragon…..Kindly Guide
Ooh… yes no issues in that case brother!! Just go with it will carry hi easily π … No issues on taking Yamaha as well, a lot of people take them.
Sir,
Thanks for your guidance…..M frd has backed out of trip citing health reason and now m on m own…gonna be great ride thru the heavens.hope to c u in leh as i have planned to Celebrate m Birthday on Khardung La Pass…..on 20th sep and u r also dere with DoW…….If Bikers Are Coming Along m On Sir.Do LEt Me Know Once
Preet, as of now there isn’t any biker for the tour. If someone asks me, I will let you know.
Hi Dheeraj ,
I have been following your blog from last 20 days and very impressed by your helping hand for people like us , who wants to go for this adventurous trip
and have absolutely zero idea on how to track it.
We are 6 guys all around 25 age. Starting from Bangalore on 10th of August at 6.00 AM and expected to reach Delhi at 8.00 AM.
Reading through most of the comments I have prepared the itinerary , please go through it and help us to improve.
10th August Saturday – Flight @ 06:05am, will reach delhi @ 9am
– Sight seeing in Delhi till 3pm
– 4.30pm or 5pm Volvo bus to Manali (Delhi to manali around 14hours Journey)
11th August Sunday – We will reach Manali @ 9am
– Get fresh/rest/sleep for 2 3 hours and leave the hotel @ 12pm for sight seeing
– End of day 2
12th August Monday – Manali to Jispa. Night at Jispa for acclimatisation
13th August Tuesday – Jispa to leh .Night at Leh
14th August Wednesday- Sight seeing @ leh town+ Inner Line Permits
15th August Thursday – Leh to Pangong Tso Lake / Nubra Valley (Please suggest among the two). Night stay there
16th August Friday – Get up early morning ,Back to Leh. Leave to Srinager around 6.
17th August Saturday – Flight from srinagar at 2.35 pm.
Santosh, if you just have a single day in Ladakh then better to go for Day trip to Pangong Tso and then again you will have to leave at 2 AM at night to reach Srinagar on 16th evening. It will take more than 16+ Hrs to reach Srinagar from Leh. So, last two days are too much for you!!
Hi Dheeraj,
How r u doing? I am going through your blog past 1 month. I really appreciate & thank you for this Informative Blog for Leh-Ladakh Trip. As i thought of planning a trip to Ladakh none of the sites were informative but your blog is really helpful.
We were a group of 6 guys & My plan goes like this :
09-Aug : Fly to Srinagar. Overnight at Srinagar
10-Aug : Srinagar-LEH by Hiring a private taxi. Night stay at Kargil.
11-Aug : Kargil β LEH. Night stay at LEH.
12-Aug : Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits
13-Aug : Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder
14-Aug : Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
15-Aug : Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh
16-Aug : LEH β MANALI (Leh β Taglang La β Moore Plains β Pang β Sarchu). Night stay at Sarchu.
17-Aug : Sarchu β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali.
18-Aug : Manali β Delhi, by Volvo Bus.
As per my plan, please Suggest if any corrections to be done.
We would be really thankful if you do clarify certain queries evolving in my mind:-
A) Whether in this period the route would be clear for travelling or any blockages may be there.
B) We have 1 more day to spend either in Srinagar or manali, Which would be the best place to visit now. Please do suggest the famous places to be visited in Srinagar/manali.
C) As with in this period two occasions: Ramzan & Independence Day are falling. There would be any sort of issues for travelling & visiting.
D) We will be doing all the traveling in private taxis, then also is there any necessity to take permits with in LEH. Because I can save 1 day for this permit issuance.
E) Any hotel bookings at LEh / Srinagar / Manali to be done prior or can be done directly which would be better.
Expecting a reply from you soon.
thanks a lot..
Naresh, sorry for the delay but just replied at the DwD Community at the link here
hi dheeraj,
i was going through your blog and its really very impressive.
we were a group of 6 people going to leh, but unfortunately now left with only two.
we are planning to go tonight from chandigarh via manali. we will taken a volvo from chandigarh to manali.
after manali i am not able to plan my trip becuase of budget issues and also as there is too much in this trip, i am little bit confused.
it will be very kind of you if you could please make an itnary for 2 people of 10 days via manali.
we are going on 25th july and will come back to chandigarh on 5th aug (morning)via volvo from manali to chandigarh
Sorry brother in the mid of so many queries it is difficult for me to reply that fast at times… You raised a bit late π … I hope you are having a nice trip.
Hi Dheeraj
I have been following this beautiful and informative site of yours for long now. You are just phenomenal with your information and help. we are a group 6 photographers from kolkata planning a trip to ladakh in the second week of September 2014, although it is quite in advance though we would like to start planning from now…kindly can you suggest a 14 day tour plan for Leh/ladakh. We will be taking the Howrah Rajdhani exp from Howrah to Delhi then Delhi to Jammu and return by flight from Delhi to kolkata on our return journey. I know it is a bit tight, but as we are all working professional cannot afford more time than 2 weeks…it would just be of great help if you can show us some light. With Regards.
Sandip
Sandip, please refer the article above as it is the most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh for 13-14 days in hand.
Hello Dheeraj,
Thanks for all your help before.
Before leaving for Ladakh on 27th July, I have few more questions:
1) Our plan is from 27-Jul to 11-Aug, route is Srinagar-Leh-Manali. Kindly suggest what kind of clothes we should keep considering the weather we would be getting at that time, speacially Leh, as we would be biking nearby areas for almost 6 days.
2) We would be going in bike to places like Khardungla, Diskit, Hunder, Sumur, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso Lake, Sham Valley and then taking taxi to Manali from Leh via Tso Moriri(visiting it). So do I have put every place name in the permit form? If no, which all I should mention.
3)We may go to Pangong Tso lake directly from Nubra and also may come to Leh and then move towards Pangong. Do we need to mention the specific routes as well in the permit form?
Kindly help with your expert advice.
Regards,
Rahul
Hello Dheeraj,
Plz reply to my above questions.
I am eagerly waiting for your reply.
Best Regards,
Rahul Malani
hi Rahul,
Sorry I think I missed it in between other comments.
1) Carry at least one pair of heavy woolen, a zipper and some light woolens.
2 + 3) You just need to put Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri on Inner Line Permit form. In case going directly to Pangong Tso from Nubra then mention Wari La too.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
we are a group of 5 people from kerala. We are planning to cover leh as wel as Manali..Planning to start from Delhi on Aug 31st. So from where all we need to take permits.
How many days do you have in total. Which permits are you talking about? Manali – Rohtang Pass or Inner Line Permits?
Hi Dhiraj,
An astonishing work to help lacks of Leh lovers, hatts off.
We, two male persons are going to leh by air on 25th sept’13 and on 29th we want to go to Nubra via Khardungla pass. Here are my 2 questions.(1)Please enlighten in details of closing ceremony of the Ladakh Festival on 26th of this year and how and going to where we can enjoy everything throughout the day to compensate the missed, grand opening ceremony. (2)If everything is normal what is the usual time of closing of the Leh-Khardungla-Nubra road and if closed on 29th what will be our alternatives.-ASHIM
Hi Ashim,
Thanks alot.
1. No idea, never attended any festival.
2. No timings but generally they stop vehicles going beyond North/South Pullu in case weather is bad or could be bad in next few hours. If you are in Nubra and get stuck then there is only one alternative route that is via Wari La BUT it is too desolated.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeeraj,
Thanks for your guideline on Leh manali trip given in June due to which I completed hardcore adventure on my royal Enfield.Your website is the best and the most recommended one for any anyone who wanted to complete the adventure. I drove from New delhi to Manali and then from Mnaali to leh. Returned via srinagar.
However had a big blow with the breakdown of my bullet at manali and thankfully to almighty I got one of the best mechanic Named Vijay in Manali town.So I request you to recommend the poor man to anyone who ask for good bike mechanic in Manali.Since I rate him outstanding for his service delivery and repair works he did for my bike.Due to this completed my entire trip within 8 days from delhi to leh and return including Nubra region & Pangong. His contact num is 9816031752 & 9805289854. He also deals in leasing motorbike on rent.
Thanks once again.
Akash k
Thanks alot Akash, glad to know that your trip was successful enough and info. present on DoW was pretty useful for making it successful trip. If possible, try and share your Himalayan Travel Tale or experience with us at DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as Photo Tale or Travel Tale.
HELLO EVERY ONE
I AM BACK FROM LEH/LADAKH TRIP (08.6.13 TO 21.6.13). MYSELF, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. I DROVE SINGLE HANDED ALL THROUGH (APPROX 3300 KMS). DETAILS I WILL POST ON THIS WEEKEND
Great to know that Prashant. If possible, try and share your Himalayan Travel Tale or experience with us at DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as Photo Tale or Travel Tale.
Hi Dheeraj/Others,
Firstly I would like to thank you for sharing valuable information .
I am very much interested/looking forward to join a bikers group as pillion for LEh-Ladak trip (in the month of August or around) .
I would be really grateful if you can refer me some groups,events organizers or can let me know any relevant information .
All i am looking is to make my dream come true this year π
Teena, thanks alot. Guess, you have already posted it in the DoW – Himalayan Travel Community. I have moved the post to Travel Partners section. I hope it helps you out finding the right travel partners for the trip.
Hi Teena, i have a group of friends planning to go. If you are intersted please mail me in the mentioned ID : naresh.brar@pentair.com
Hi Dheeraj,
Can you direct me to some tour operators you would most recommend?
We are a group of six who will be traveling in late September for 8 nights.
Our flights are booked. We are scouring the internet for operators who can give us best rates, but I am not able to find any source as reliable as yours!
Thanks,
Arvindh
Arvindh, I have jut replied it in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community at the link here
Hey Dheeraj! I really appreciate the good work you are doing here.
I’m in fix here. My dad is very sceptic about sending me leh on a road trip because he is afraid that the road is dangerous. Can you please help me out on how to convince him?
Arnav, brother this is adventurous trip and yes there are always risks associated with such trips. Hence, I will suggest that you better try to convince him BUT accordingly letting him make aware of the risks associated. It is very hard for someone else to suggest or tell something unless you gain his confidence on sending you on this adventurous trip with acceptance of all risks associated.
is punjab taxi is allowed in leh
Taxis outside Ladakh are not allowed to do any sightseeing within Leh – Ladakh. You can use them for drop-in and take-away modes only. So, the taxi you are hiring locally must have private number plate otherwise you will have to again hire a taxi within Ladakh and pay for your local taxi without using it.
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and my two friends planning to travel Leh second week of July. Can you please suggest us an itinery for Dlehi β Manali β Leh β Manali β Delhi. We dont want to go via stinagr, We have total 14-15 day including Delhi. We are planning our journey on second week of July(thatβs was n immediate plan) waiting your reply
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and my two friends planning to travel Leh second week of July. Can you please suggest us an itinery for Dlehi – Manali – Leh – Manali – Delhi. We dont want to go via stinagr, We have total 14-15 day including Delhi. We are planning our journey on second week of July(that’s was n immediate plan) waiting your reply
Anoop, please refer the most common itinerary thread in the community: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 14 Days
namaste… i wanna go to ladakh in early september to end september… are goods dates??? i.ll go from srinagar
Moises, yes, it is fine time to Travel Ladakh. Please also read about: Best Time to Travel Ladakh & Zanskar Valley
Dheeraj,
First of all do accept our gratitude that your blog has really been very helpful for us to plan our Leh-Laddakh-Srinagar trip. I however have few questions still open.
1. We (a group of 4) are going to Leh on July 5th and have a longg vacation planned (thanks to our respective companies we got the vacations approved ;)). However, since monsoon has hit the country really ahead of the time, how safe/unsafe do you see Leh visiting in this season time. I am sure anything that would come out of you would be an experience, since nature can anyways take a turn. But how should we expect that time frame?
2. We have planned everything on our own, didnt take any agent’s help. I hope it goes well. But what do you suggest we should take care of for our entire journey?
3. Have heard from lots of people that as a precautionary measure, we need to take some medicine. Can you please name the same or the local chemist would know which medicine we want?
4. How would be the weather in July? I want to make sure we do not get under-clothed/over-clothed. π
Your reply would be extremely helpful!!
Hi Richa,
Just replied it in the DOW – Community at the link here
Regards,
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
I came across your blog while doing some search on Leh -Ladakh as we are planning a holiday from 28 june – 10 july. Your blogs are so helpful and i have been glued to it since couple of hours..its sooo informative!!
Below is our itinerary (me & my husband) at a glimpse. We would be very helpful if you could give it a read and give us some tips.
We are starting our trip by taking a flight from Mumbai – Chandigarh. Then driving to Manali the same day.
Next morning we start our drive via the Rohtang pass. We stop over in Sarchu for a night hault and head to Tso Moriri next morning. After an over night in a tent, we head to Leh in the morning.
Next morning we do local sight seeing.
Next day we do Nubra valley with an over night camping. In the morning we drive back to Leh.
Next morning we drive to Pangong lake and come back to Leh same day.
Next morning we head towards Kargil while taking a few stops at places worth seeing.
After an overnight in KArgil, we head to Srinagar via drass & Sonamarg. We spend 3 nights in Srinagar and take an onward flight to Mumbai.
My queries are:
1- Do we miss out on much if we do not stay over night on the banks of Pangong lake?
2- Please suggest us good and clean tents/cottages for an over night in Nubra valley, Tso Moriri & Sarchu. A good hotel in Kargil as well.
Is this plan good enough? Are we missing out on anything? Would you suggest us anything more?
Thank you very much for your precious time.
Regards,
Brinda
Hi Brinda,
you will not be able to cover Tso moriri on your way from Manali to Leh, as permits to visit Tso moriri are issued only in Leh. Hence you should reconsider your plan and fly into Srinagar and out of Manali.
Also, it is not advisable mainly due to acclimatization. Bodies are not acclimatized to sleep at that high altitude that early in the trip.
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
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
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 β 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.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Dear Dheeraj,
Thank you very much for your feedback.
I shall look into it and plan accordingly.
Please correct me(if needed
) I will be obliged.
Day 1 (12th jun): delhi to Chandigarh (wed) β leave @ 5:30pm
day 2 : Chandigarh to Srinagar (thu) leave @ 6:00am
day3: Srinagar to lamayuru (fri) leave @ 6:00am
day 4: lamayuru to leh (sat) leave @ 8:00am
day 5: leh to khardungla/diskit (sun) leave @ 9:00am
day 6: diskit to pangong tse (mon) leave @ 9:00am
day 7: pangong tse to leh (tue) leave @ 11:00am
day 8 : leh to tso moriri (Wed) leave @ 7:00am
day 9 : tso moriri to Sarchu (Thu) leave @ 6:00am
day 10: Sarchu to manali (Fri) leave @ 6:00am
day 11 : manali to delhi (Sat)
day 12 : buffer
I will suggest you to use the buffer day for a stay in Leh before you venture to Nubra Valley
Hi Dheeraj, First of all, a very very fantastic piece on information i have got in this site. Hats off to you..
NOw, we are planning to visit leh, ladakh either in 3rd week of aug or 1st week of Oct.this is our first time and very much want to see and enjoy the snow. We will be in srinagar on day 1 by 12 noon and we can depart from either delhi or amritsir on day 10 evening. (a day in amritsir is also fine). we would like to do a bike ride in and around leh/ladakh and some adventure is also good. all we know till now is, remaining half of day 1, and day 2 in srinagar. Day 3 and day 4 in travel to leh/ladakh. can you please suggest the remaining course thats fits best preferable bike – if the time is short, we can also plan the return by flight on the 9th day giving us 5 days in leh/ladakh. we are 5/6 and all of us veggies and need a shower everyday.. a little orthodox folks.. I really appreciate any help of yours and thanks in advance.
Pramod, you can follow the below plan:
Day 1 | 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 2 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β 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 β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Fly out.
HI Dheeraj,
Thanks for the promt reply.
Owing to the constraints we have, and since we wanted to explore more of these places., we are planning to tweak our itinarary a bit.
Can you please share your contact, i wanted to discuss some things with you (i would not take more than 15 mins of your time).
Hi Dheeraj..,
I have most of the replies from many of the posts and answers u have given. I have a very basic question..
Will There be SNOW to see and touch in our way…(we are now travelling in manali – leh – manali route). In short which is best season to view snow in these places.
Pramod, at high passes you will be able to find snow otherwise.
Just mailed you.
Hi Dheeraj.,Thanks a ton for your precious time.
I mainly admire the concern that you have towards the hosts(service providers and people who live there) in leh / ladakh. I wish and try to contribute to this community as much possible.
Thanks alot Pramod, nice talking to you over phone last night. It will be great if you can JOIN US at DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for Travel Itinerary advices, Find Travel Partners, share your Travel Tales and much more related to Himalayas!!
Hello dheeraj, first of all thanks for your advices given earlier. This time I will be asking you regarding ‘accomodations’ in and around leh. More specifically, I want to ask you…
1)Do we need to book in advance especially, in areas like kargil, nubra, pangong, sarchu or we can take chance of on the spot booking?
2)According to our itinerary, we will be staying in leh on every ‘alternate day’. In that case, do we need to pay for the entire duration of the trip or can we pay for the actual days or do we need to find a new hotel each time?
darvesh
Hi,
1. 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. It depends if you looking for some definite hotel then probably go ahead with bookings else with little efforts to search you can get the booking on reaching there too.
2. No, you need to pay only for the day when you stay overnight at hotel. Just ask them to keep it for you.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi, Just read most of your post. I like the itenary but can you suggest what can we cut in this as we are planning to start Saturday night ex chandigarh and want to be back t chandigarh next saturday night. Will be hiring a car from chandigarh itself (group of 6 people. Want to go via Srinagar-leh-manali-chandigarh route
Manuhar, 8 days is too less to do the trip. You can see it will take 4 days to reach Leh or may be 3 if you somehow reach Srinagar on Day 1 itself and 3 days to come back from Manali. 1 Day of acclimatization and just one day left then to either go to Pangong Tso or Khardung La
How abt if we do it via manali…. Reach Manali in overnight bus and then take a CAB which can drop us to Srinagar…. then we can take a flight back from srinagar….. A snapshoot—
Day 1: Manali – Sarchu (via Rohtang Pass)
Day 2: Sarchu – Leh
Day 3: Leh – Leh
Day 4: Leh β Nubra – (via Khardung La
Day 5: Nubra β Leh
Day 6 β Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 7 β Leh β Kargil
Day 8 β Kargil β Srinagar
Doable BUT Manuhar, it will be a Mad run and will advice you change still as below:
Day 1: Manali β Jispa (via Rohtang Pass)
Day 2: Jispa β Leh
Day 6: Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning a trip to Leh in Aug & are thinking of doing an overnight camp in Pangong Tso Lake. I wanted to know if you knew any camp operators whom we could contact for the same. Also, will it be better to plan the camping arrangements with an agent beforehand or are there camp operators which we can hire on the spot?
Thanks in advance!
Sneha
Sneha, for an operator and especially for Camp Watermark at Pangong Tso, get in touch with guys at info@offbeatescapes.com and ask for DoW discount.
Thanks Dheeraj..but I just read somewhere that overnight camp at Pangong Tso lake should be avoided as there might be acclimitization issues. Is that so?
Also, are permits needed for Nubra valley as well as for Leh sightseeing( Hemis/Thicksey Monastery, Pang Tso lake)?
I can comment on acclimatization part if, can you please share you plan? can we start the itinerary advice thread at the DoW Himalayan Travel Community at the link below so that it is more structured as well as more people will get benefit from the replies by reading existing thread. Here is the link: DoW – Himalayan Travel Community | Ladakh Itinerary Advice
Yes, you will need permits for Pangong Tso as well as Nubra Valley.
Hi Dhiraj,we are planning a road trip to leh (first time) via srinagar highway from 04 July to 14 July..
Could you please guide us to cover the maximum places to visit in Leh
Hi Dheeraj,
Awaited your valuable reply..
Regards
Swanand
Replied, I think.
Swanand, you can follow something like below for a 11 Day tour of Ladakh:
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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 7 | Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh
β Day trip to Pangong Tso
β Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | 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 10 | 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 11 | Manali – Delhi
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your valuable reply. I am reaching Srinagar on 04 July By flight in the afternoon and my return flight is from srinagar itself on 14 July.. I also would like to know whether we can stay at pangaong… what would be the option. also want to know since we are reaching srinagar by 1.30 Pm on 04 July can we reach sonmarg and stay there… and next day can we reach leh..
Yes, you can reach Sonamarg and it will be OK to stay at Pangong Tso lake. 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
Hey Dheeraj….
Respectoo Comrade – – – Preettyy Impressive passion u got…
Well… I have driven all kinds of terrains of the Country – now as you ve mentioned everywhere in u r blog – – – Its time for me to Get on with the Drive of my life.
We are 3 planning to take on the Leh-Ladakh Trip from Hyderabad: Both To n Fro [either on an XUV or an Xtrail] – need less to mention We’ve got about 15 days in all to complete the trip.
2 out of 3 are good drivers, I mean real good, well mannered on the Road and well experienced. I have done Delhi-Hyderabad [in 2 days] twice and Delhi-Bangalore [3 days] once. But I sure know that Hyderabad – Leh:Ladakh – Hyderabad will never be like the ones I have undertaken.
I just have one question for you… Do I sound insane or crazy when I say 15 days for the above trip with a full blown camping gear [No Hotels] and mini kitchenette and is it Achievable or rather how tough its gonna be. Besides, I m planning to start in the second week of July… So… after reading your blog….whatever u say – – I ll just take it with blind faith…
I m standing by for your answer mate…
Once Again…
MAK salutes the Traveler in you… Woohaaaaa
Hi Shamsheer,
Thanks alot. Not at all, this is completely sane and logical way of doing adventure. 15 days might be tight a little considering it ex. Hyderbad which means you will have 11 days ex. Delhi but still doable. 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 β Ladakh. You can plan to make a day trip to Pangong Tso and remove the extra day in between. This will help you adjust the right plan for Ladakh trip to some extent in 15-16 days.
Also, since you are avid traveller then request you to JOIN DoW’s recently launched DoW – Himalayan Travel Community and share your Himalayan knowledge and experiences with other like minded travellers too π … For better threaded discussions we can even start the thread in the Itinerary Advice section to keep a track of responses in better organized way.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj, I will certainly keep you posted of my itinerary and ask for more when needed. I m gearing up for the drives and assessing my physical n mental conditions…over the weekend I managed to drive around AP 1300 Kms in 36 Hrs…
Will get back to you soon
Great work, best wishes for the trip.
DoW has started an initiative under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
Hi Dheeraj, I just learnt from one of my frens in Himachal that the locals would not allow tourists to tour around on their own wheels[Cars] – is this True… Pls advise
This is just a crap rumour. As long as you have a private registered vehicle with valid DL (even self hired with black number plate), no one can stop you from driving in India and that includes Ladakh even. The boundation is for outside taxis only.
Hi Mak,
I m also planing a trip to leh-ladakh but not found any partner for this adventurous trip.Can i join you for the trip.
Hey Harman,
Where r u from and what are your thoughts and plans about tripping Leh… for now we are only 2 open to grouping as well…
Lemme know
Basically m from Punjab & working noida. My first plan was hire bike form Manali-leh,but not find any partner.Now m searching for partner if ur traveling by car i will join wid u & we can share all expenses as well.
Harman, the number now is 3 from Hyderabad, will surely let you know in advance. In case if the number goes even further… We also plan to bring in another car… For now… we plan to start on 6th… in case if you need to contact me, pls do drop an email… or call 9908034333
DoW has started an initiative under DoW – Himalayan Travel Community for finding Travel Partners or Companions, leave your message in Travel Partners section at the link: Ladakh & Zanskar – Travel Partners Section. May be you meet someone online going over the same dates.
DEAR DHEERAJ,
(i) One more very important thing i wanted to ask “WHETHER WE NEED TO HAVE A PERMIT TO CROSS ZOZILA PASS”.
(ii) i asked for DIAMOX tablets but the chemist does not know what it is. any alternative medicine for (AMS). Pl advise fast as i am leaving on 08.6.13 morning.
regards.
prashant
Prashant ji,
1. You do not need any permits to cross Zozi La Pass
2. Its salt name is Acetazolamide : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetazolamide .. Ask with a good chemist, you will be able to find it.
Hi deeraj,
a very big thank you for the effort that you are making to guide us. Deeraj, i will be travelling to ladakh from july 5-22 .(3 guys, 2 RE 350 bikes). one is re classic 350 .other is re std 350(without disc break). is disc break a must on this terrain.other thing is my bike wil be 2 month old(std 350) when i start the trip. will a new bike endure this. i am from bangalore. so bangalore to delhi(bike in train) . and then delhi-srinagar-kargil-ladakh-manali-delhi. how feasible it is in 15 days. thanks.
Hi lionel,
I do not think so brother you can do it with standard RE. Though I am not a biker myself but never use the disc brakes in Hills, the front ones. The whole circuit is very much feasible in 15 days as you can read in the above article.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj
Firstly hats off to your for your blooming spirit and the support and guidance you are rendering to everyone across the forum.Wonderful and very well sequentialized collection of information.
I am travelling to Leh for the first time and I have 4 days in hand to explore ladakh region.On my tavel list I have Visit to Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake.I want to go to Nubra Valley 2nd day and return to Leh 3rd day.
On the same day I want to leave for pangong lake with night stay and return to Leh.
Please guide me how I can cover these 2 destinations with a night halt at each of these destinations separately.
Also suggest the place where I can prefer to take night halt in some hotel / gust considering the time constraint on one day in hand.
Do you think that I can add Leh to TsoMoriri trip in my itenary.
Please suggest!!!!
Thanking you for the vital information in advance.
Best regards
Akash k
Akash, with just 4 days in hand I will say you do one day of local sightseeing in Leh and get permits done, next 2 day make Nubra Valley tour and last day make a day visit to Pangong Toso.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to go to leh-ladakh from amritasr following your itenary.the dates are from 21-July to 07th August. I m doing a solo ride on the bike i am carrying a portable tent with me can u pls suggest which places i can camp.Please suggest
Roberto, 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 or somewhere near some house in village. All you will need is to gently ask them (villagers/dhabha guys/camping guys) for permissions. Most likely they will allow, other wise negotiate for small little tip or move on to some other such place nearby.
my email address
prashant8760@yahoo.co.uk
hello friends
anyone there to join me for the road trip (delhi-jammu/patnitop-srinagar-kargil-leh-manali-delhi). total 13-14 days. OFFCOURSE IN OWN VEHICLE (EK SE BHALE DOO). will be a great idea meeting people from different walks of life. have already done quite a few road trips abroad & in our great country India.
call me at 9953862458.
regards to all
prashant
Hey Dheeraj,
we are 4 people on 3 bike planning to visit Leh thru srinagar in june 28th.We finalized same as you suggest on your blog with a alternate option. Please suggest us that the alternate option by us its ok or need some modification in plan. Also suggest which places require permits and turtuk is combine with nubra velley permit or not. Same pongong Tso include in chusul permit or we need seperatelly for both same case in chumur and Tso Moriri.
Day 1 | Delhi β Jammu / Patnitop
Day 2 | Jammu / Patnitop β Srinagar
Day 3 | Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β Kargil
Day 4 | Kargil β Lamayuru β Leh
Day 5 | Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
Day 6 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder–turtukβHunder
Day 7 | Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
Day 8 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β mermasic la –Pangong Tso Lake
Day 9 | Pangong Tso Lake β chusul- Pangong Tso Lake -Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
Day 10 | Leh β Hanle via Chumathang, Nyoma
Day 11 | Hanle β Tso Moriri via mahe or salsal la (chumur)
Day 12 | Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Pang / Sarchu
Day 13 | Pang / Sarchu β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali
Day 14 | Manali β Delhi
Alternate option after day 6
Day 7 Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur ββ mermasic la–pongong Tso
Day 8 | Pangong Tso Lake β chusul- Mahe β Nyoma β Hanle
Day 9 | rest at hanle
Day 10 | Hanle β Tso Moriri via mahe or salsal la (chumur)
Day 11 | Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Pang / Sarchu
Day 12 | Pang / Sarchu β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali
Day 13-14 | Manali β Delhi
Your suggestion and instruction will be very useful for our first Leh Trip.
Best Regards
Hari Om
Hi Hari,
Regarding Plan 1
1. Day 6 seems long enough, you wil have to stay at Turtuk and cover others on next day. May be Sumur and Panamik shall be left out.
2. Permits for Chusul will not be allowed.
3. If you want to go to Chumur, then do mention Chumur otherwise not required if you want to come from Hanle to Tso Moriri.
4. You will have to carry fuel for about 680+ KMs for Day 10 to Day 13
Regarding Plan 2
1. Day 7 is quite impossible. No way you can include Marsimik La while coming from Wari La as it is quite long already.
2. Again permits for Chusul will not be given.
3. How will you carry fuel for almost about 950+ KMs for this route. Might be difficult, I shall say.
This is your first trip, please take it easy and leave something for second trip too π
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks for your valuable suggestion. so we cancel the alternae option and remove the chusul and marmisk la in our route plan.
Thanks again dheeraj
Hari Om
Hello Dheeraj
I have one query:On routes of Pangong or Nubrah, do the taxi drivers cover intermediate places? and is it included in the overall rate as per chart or is it additional?
e.g. Shey Palace, Thiksey gompa along Pangong route
Thanks
All the places which are enroute shall not be charged extra as both Thicksey and Shey are right on the route. However, if you plan for Hemis or Stakna on the way then you will be charged extra.
Dheeraj,
Can we get accommodation at Pangong and Nubra upon reaching? If its not too difficult, we would not pre-book.I seek budget accomodation.Also can you suggest some?
thanks again
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
Better check the above list and take print out of it with you. You shall be able to get one or the other cmaps.
We will be there around June 20
Dhiraj
Thanks a lot for the plan. This will be a life time achievement for me. Please let me know on which particular sections on Leh-Manali route i should be more careful while driving my sedan.
Prashant ji, there will be many such sections all round the trip, lisiting them for a mere mortal soul like me would be difficult ;)… Always try to leave as early as possible in the morning so that you reach the water crossings in time when they have less water in them. The later in day you will reach, the more difficult it gets to cross over a water stream.
Hello Dheeraj,
We are 6 friends planning to start tour on 27th July from Mumbai->Srinagar->Leh->Ladakh->Manali->Delhi.
I had read from many of your posts that we should take the bike on rent on the spot, so that we are not cheated.
However, just to check the availability, I tried few vendors by calling them for info on renting bikes for one side i.e. from Leh to Manali. But many of them are refusing and the ones accepting are asking for cover charge of Rs 9000/bike to bring the bike from manali to Leh.
Please suggest:
1) Are bikes easily available on rent from Leh to Manali.
2) Is there any risk of unavailability of bikes on rent from leh.
3) Normally do they ask for such big amount of cover charge for one way excluding the rent.
Your suggestion will be very useful as I don’t want to ruin my trip.
Best Regards,
Rahul Malani
Hi Rahul,
1) Like you have found only few vendors support one way rental and charge good amount for it.
2) I do not feel so, personally. But, not 100% sure, to an extent 90% sure that you will not have any issues for on spot rentals.
3) Yes, they do. Otherwise, how do you seee them getting back the bikes?
I will suggest do Ladakh on rented bikes and do Manali – Leh Highway over taxi.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj for your reply.
By the 3rd point, Do you mean that, after covering Khardundla, Nubra & Pangong in bike, I should take taxi for my remaining tour i.e. Leh->Tso Morri->Sarcu->keylong->Mamali.
Also, we our tour is from 27-July to 9-Aug. Will rain be a problem at this time?
Best Regards,
Rahul Malani
No, I mean they do charge good amount of cover charge to get your bikes back to source from where they were rented. Yes, but once you are near lower hills then only rains will cause some issues otherwise Ladakh is rain shadow region.
Thanks for ur reply Dheeraj bhai.
We are planning to cover Nubra Valley, Khardungla and Pangong lake in bike.
Thereafter, we will take taxi from Leh to Manali via Tso Morri and Sarchu.
We are falling one day short if we follow your basic itinerary mentioned above (with only 1 buffer day and not 2). My question is, can we move to Pangong directly from Nubra Valley without returning to Leh?
If yes,
1) will we get permit for this route.
2) What are the route details.
3) How many KMs and time taken to drive in bike?
4) Also as we are reaching Srinagar on 27th July 3pm taking a flight, can we cover dul lake the same day?
5) Being rainy season, is it meaningful to spent one more day in srinagar visiting Gulmarg?
Sorry… I will keep bothering you with my queries… π
Cheers,
Rahul
Hi Rahul,
1. Yes, you can go through Wari La route, and most likely you will get the permits.
2 + 3. Check Travel Guide for Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh
4. If you have 2-3 Hrs before the reporting time at Airport then yes you can.
5. Will not suggest since you have a flight.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dhiraj Bhai,we are planning a road trip to leh via manali and we all are localites but working in Delhi so we have decided to go Leh via Manali and to come back the same route. At most we have 7/8 days.Can u suggest us how we can plan this trip so that we can cover most of the places and lakes in this trip.And wot formalities we need to complete before planning this trip.
Nikhil, 7-8 days are too too less. I will suggest below plan where you can club Day 4 and Day 5 to make it 9 days trip and skip Local Sightseeing.
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
— 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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh β Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Taglang La – Moore Plains – Pang – Sarchu
— Stay overnight at Sarchu
Day 9 | 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 home
Dear Dheeraj,
I apologize for my delayed report of our ladakh trip on late October 2012 (21/10/2012 β 01/11/2012).
First of all, an all out and whole hearted thanks to you from me and my family (Myself, My wife and our 8 yrs. old son).
Frankly before reading your blog we were completely unaware of the total nitty-gritty of Ladakh Trip. All the friends we have tried to convince to go to Ladakh with us were either declined or avoided because of the extremity of the terrain. Actually people are quite hesitant to visit Ladakh.
The sincere detailing of your blog has made us possible a Trip of lifetime at Ladakh with only myself ,my wife and our son. From your guidance we have choose the itinerary, travel path , hotel after reaching Leh, A very good man (Rigzin in our case ) as our guide and driver including his two very good vehicles one Scorpio and one Xylo.
The tour was Leh , Khardung La , Panamik , Sumur , YerepTso , Hundar(Night Stay) , Deskit and leh . Then Leh ,Chang La ,Tangse, Pangong Tso, Man, Merak (Night Stay) ,Chushul, Rezang La war memorial , Loma , Hanle ( Night Stay) , Nyoma , Mahe , Kyagar Tso , Tso Moriri ,Sumdo, Pola kongka La, Tso Kar , Tang Lang La , Lato( Night Stay ) . Then Total Sham Side Magnetic Hills, Pather Sahib, Confluence at Nimmu, Basgo Remains, Likir, Alchi , Lamayuru and Moon Land.
It is completely due to you that we can have this grand tour only by ourselves. We have planned every details of our tour down to the last ( At Kolkata comfortably sitting at our home ) after going through your blog.
We took gifts ( Pencils, erasers, oil pastels, Chocolates, Toffees, Soft Toys) as per your suggestion and gave those to the kids at the remotest places like Man and Hanle . The smile on their faces we still carry in our heart.
In my opinion anyone with a wish to visit Ladakh can easily Plan and execute the wish with the help of your blog, We have done this so.
A lot of thanks from Me, My wife and our Son ( 8 Yrs. Old).
Reading this feedback on my blog, just brought tears of joy and warmth in my eyes!! Overwhelmed to see and read such an account, where blog is finally proving so helpful in making a difference in travel to remotest terrains, promote them and help people from all walks of life… Plus as truly said here “We took gifts ( Pencils, erasers, oil pastels, Chocolates, Toffees, Soft Toys) ….. The smile on their faces we still carry in our heart.”
Thanks a ton to NIRMALYA ROY, for writing back such detailed feedback!!
You are very much welcome.
Dear Dhiraj
I have already gone through quite a few of your blogs reg travel to Leh & Ladakh.
I (53 yrs) will be traveling with my wife and daughter to Leh & Ladakh in my Ford Ikon (TDCI) – in good shape. planning to start on 8.6.13 & return on 21-22.6.13. i will be taking the route Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh & Ladakh-Manali-Delhi. Pl suggest a plan and tips on travel.
Hello Mr. Prashant,
You have 13 days with you and you can follow the below plan:
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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 7 | Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 9 | Pangong Tso Lake β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 11 | Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β 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 12 | 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 13 | Manali – Delhi
— Return
Day 14 + 15 | Buffer days to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
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 β Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hi ,
After lot of discussion at home I planned the tour for leh.
there r two ways.. Dhiraj can u pls help in finalizing which one to choose:
Plan A :
1st June : Chandigarh to Manali
2nd June : Manali to Jipsa
3rd June : Jipsa to Leh
4th June : Leh Local
5th June : Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh
6th June : Leh Nubra Valley
7th June : Nubra to leh
8th June : Leh Kargil
9th June : Kargil to srinagar
10th June : Srinagar to chandigarh.
Plan B :
1st June : Chandigarh to Sonmarg
2nd June : Sonmarg to leh
3rd June : Leh local
4th June : Leh Nubra
5th June : Nubra leh
6th June :Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh
7th June : Leh rest
8th June : Leh – Manali (one day)
9th June : Manali to Chandigarh.
we are 2 adults and 2 kids (below 12 years , one 5years and one 11 years).
we will be hiring a innova for the trip.
– Is there any restriction of Taxi playing in Leh from other state?
what all r the types of medicines/documents we need to carry.
pls help me ….
Vipin, the above trip is too hectic. Doing Srinagar to Chandigarh in a day with family will be tough. also, hhiring the taxi outside Ladakh will not be allowed to roam inside Ladakh. Can you increase the number of days? 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 β Ladakh.
We are a group of 6 people(male) planning a trip to Leh Via Manali, is there any restriction of LEH taxi association to carry six people in a toyota innova or car of same specifications ?
There are no such restrictions AFAIK
Hello Dheeraj,
I m in touch with u for 2 – 3 months by all d comments that u tell to people.finally I[solo] am going to leh by Srinagar on my brand new Pulsar 200ns.
So, My Itinerary is Bellow[PLEASE CHECK]
Day 1[Tuesday{28/05/13}]00:00 hours
Delhi to Srinagar[18-20 hours no breaks]
Day 2[Wesnesday]{Early morning}
Srinagar to kargil
Day 3[Thursday]{Early morning}
kargil to leh
Day 4[Friday]
leh to Sarchu
Day 5[Saturday]{Early morning}
Sarchu – Manali/kullu/mandi
Day 6 [Sunday]
DElhI
Day 7 [Monday]
Too work
I cant have too much Holidays becouse of work.
Please check it and tell me that all the highway is open Srinagar to Manali
Ankit Highway is open all the way from Srinagar to Manali now. But, the above itinerary seems too too hectic and I am not sure about your riding stamina and skills but it will give a a great test of endurance and fatigue!! Even the pros in the business will certainly think twice doing something like above at least in their hearts no matter whatever they boast.
So, be sure with mindset that you are in for a tough challenge BUT ride safely!!
Dear Dheeraj,
we have starting from 21st June from Jammu. One our our member is planning to ride on Eterno, 150cc. Will be ok? please suggest.
Sujit, Eterno is a geared scooter and I think he shall be able to manage it through because I have read few accounts by people who have done many trechrous roads by scooter. So, seems it is possible.
Hey Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Leh thru srinagar in August for which i have tried to plan. Request your review on this.
Date Night @ Hotel
10-08-2013 Saturday Srinagar Houseboat
11-08-2013 Sunday Lamayuru Early morning β Srinagar to Lamayouru via kargil (8hrs) β between stops @ Sonamarg Drass and Kargil
12-08-2013 Monday Leh Ladakh Sarai free day β Lamayouru to Leh β Sangham, magnetic hill and Alchi β river rafting in Leh (optional)
13-08-2013 Tuesday Leh Ladakh Sarai Leh β Pangong Lake
14-08-2013 Wednesday Leh Ladakh Sarai Leh sightseeing of Leh which includes Shey, Thicksey & Sindhu Darshan. After lunch visit Shanti Stupa, Military Museum.
15-08-2013 Thursday Nubra valley Tirith Camps / Silk Route Cottages / Organic Retreat Camps Leh to Nubra valley stay
16-08-2013 Friday Leh Nubra Valley to Leh
17-08-2013 Saturday Srinagar Leh to Srinagar β Sangham, magnetic hill and alchi.
Request to review this itinerary.
Vishal, just replied it here
Dheerajbhai, can you please review our itinerary :
June 14th – Day 1 | Ahmedabad β Jammu
June 15th – Day 2 | Jammu β Srinagar
June 16th – Day 3 | Srinagar
[Dal lake,Shikara ride, floating market, Shalimar Garden]
June 17th – Day 4 | Gulmarg
June 18th – Day 5 | Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β Kargil
June 19th – Day 6 | Kargil β Lamayuru β Fotula pass β Namkila Pass β Leh
[Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes,Gurudwara Shri Patthar Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at nimmu (way to Sham valley)]
June 20th – Day 7 | Leh β Khardung La β Deskit β Hunder β Nubra Valley
June 21st – Day 8 | Nubra Valley β Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur βSamstanling monastery β Spituk gompa β Shankar Monastery β Shanti Stupa (Sun Set) β Leh
June 22nd – Day 9 | Leh β Shey Palace and Gompa β Thiksey Gompa β Changla Pass β Pangong Tso Lake
June 23rd – Day 10 | Pangong Tso Lake β Changla Pass β Hemis monastery β Tso Moriri Lake via Chumathang
June 24th – Day 11 | Tso Moriri Lake β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Taglang La β Pang β Sarchu
June 25th – Day 12 | Sarchu β Tanglanga Pass β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali
β On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
June 26th – Day 12 | Manali – Delhi Volvo Bus @ 5 pm
June 27th – Day 13 | Delhi – Ahmedabad
Raj, it seems to be very well done. Only thing if you can add some rest day at Leh otherwise keep the permits in advance for yourself.
We are a group of 6 people(male) planning a trip to Leh Via Manali, is there any restriction of LEH taxi association to carry six people in a toyota innova or car of same specifications ?
Hi Dheeraj,
We are a group of 6-7 persons(All Boyz) planning a trip to Leh Via Manali around first week of July..As this will be our first trip to Leh ,So we want a first hand suggestion for our tour by an expert like you to make it a memorable trip.
Our plan is to ride from Manali to Leh on rented Bikes(To n Fro).
Please suggest an apt Itinerary for the tour detailing about the halt points,Accomodation on Highway and also at Leh.We have 9 days at our expense starting from manali to leh and returning back.Provide us with the Places to visit around Leh and accomodation at these places and also the Approx Budget for the trip in this span of time.Also mention the things we need to carry(clothing,food ,travel accessories etc.)and if any permits or documents required.
Hi Amrinder,
You can folow the below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
— 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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 7 | Leh β Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Taglang La – Moore Plains – Pang – Sarchu
— Stay overnight at Sarchu
Day 9 | 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 home
Day 11 | Buffer day to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
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 β 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.
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 β Ladakh trip
Still, in case you have any doubt, kindly let me know.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj.
We will drive on manali-leh highway from 8th June.Our aim is to take hault at Sarchu after leaving Manali on 8th june.
Can you please guide me that if there is any hotel stay at Sarchu on manali Leh Highway.
Akash, though I do not suggest stay at Sarchu while going from Manali to Leh, but still refer the link: List of Accommodation Options on Manali Leh Highway
Hello Dheeraj,
We are planning manali-leh-manali route for the trip at june 15th.Will the Manali-Leh highway be fully open by then?
As an alternate,we also plan the srinagar-kargil-leh approach,but that barely makes within our scheduled days.
Also, where/how do we get various permissions required in ladakh?
Thanks.
Raj, Manali – Leh Highway has been thrown ope for tourists.
For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the linkΒ here
Hi,
Planning a road trip to Ladakh by bike in July with 2 other friends.
Here is the planned itinerary:
7/6/2013 1 Delhi – Manali
7/7/2013 2 Manali – Jispa
7/8/2013 3 Jispa – Sarchu
7/9/2013 4 Sarchu – Leh
7/10/2013 5 Leh Permits and sightseeing
7/11/2013 6 Leh – Panamik
7/12/2013 7 Panamik – Pangong Tso
7/13/2013 8 Pangong Tso – Leh
7/14/2013 9 Leh – Kargil
7/15/2013 10 Kargil – Srinagar
7/16/2013 11 Srinagar – Jammu
7/17/2013 12 Jammu – Delhi
Please tell me if I’m missing something in Ladakh which has to be visited. I will have 2 buffer days.
Will there be tents in Jispa and Sarchu? I’m doubtful about Panamik, will there be any accommodation and what about Pangong?
What about the Road conditions in at that time?
Please give your insights…
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
So,
It should be like this
7/6/2013 1 Delhi β Pathankot
7/7/2013 2 Pathankot – Srinagar
7/8/2013 3 Srinagar – Kargil
7/9/2013 4 Kargil β Leh
7/10/2013 5 Leh Permits and sightseeing
7/11/2013 6 Leh β Panamik
7/12/2013 7 Panamik β Pangong Tso
7/13/2013 8 Pangong Tso β Leh
7/14/2013 9 Leh β Tso Moriri(Pangong to Tso Moriri)
7/15/2013 10 Tso Moriri – Sarchu
7/16/2013 11 Sarchu – Manali
7/17/2013 12 Manali β Delhi
What about road conditions and rain?
Ashwin, yeah, you should follow the above plan with little modification as below:
7/11/2013 6 Leh β Nubra Valley (Leh – Khardung La – Deskit/Hunder)
7/12/2013 7 Deskit/Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
7/13/2013 8 Leh – Pangong Tso β Leh
OR follow your plan as well as is if you are comfortable with it.
Road conditions, remains mostly same – average overall. Rains, should not be problem in Ladakh but once you will be coming towards Delhi from Manali may be ormay be not because now a days we have delayed rains.
i plan to reach leh via road from manali. while acsending we plan to take a halt at keylong for 1 night nut while returning we plan to come non-stop. does the problem of acclimatisation prevail during descent or can we manage to reach manali from leh the same day??
thanks
It does come on descend as well in case you staying for long time at high altitude for which body is not acclimatized but quite manageable!!
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning for Srinagar to Ladakh trip from 21 june 2013. Based on information got from internet I planned my trip. Please review my plan and let me know whether it is worthy.
My queries:
1) I want to know will I be able to cover the places I mentioned in given time.
2) I want to visit Tso Moriri Lake also. Please let me know as per my below plan after which day I can schedule it.
3) I have doubt that will driver leave me from Diskit to Srinagar directly? If yes then how much time will it take to reach srinagar ? Please clear my doubt. Please suggest better way to reach as well if available.
Note: I have not included Leh Local Sighseeing in my trip plan as I donβt like to see the places (eg: The Khar β Leh Palace, Tsemo Castle, Namgyal Gompa, Shanti Stupa, Hall of Fame, Leh Main Bazaar / Leh Main Market, Sankar Gompa / Monastery etc) due to less time and wana cover more adventurous trip
Srinagar to ladakh trip
Day 1 (22-June): Reach Srinagar by afternoon by 3:00pm
Sightseeing of Dal Lake by Shikara and stay over night at Srinagar
Day 2 (23-June): Leave for kargil early morning
Drive to Kargil via Sonamarg, Zozila pass, Drass, visit Vijay Samarg war memorial of Drass, Kargil and stay overnight at Kargil.
Day 3 (24-June): Leave for Leh early morning
Kargil to Leh (230 km) on the way visit Mulbik monastery, Fotula pass, Namki-La pass, Lamayuru, Moonland, & Samgam of Indus & Zanskar river, Magnetic hill, Pathar sahib Gurudwara, and over night at Leh Hotel.
Day 4 (25-June): Leave for Pangong early morning
Get Inner line permit by 10AM and then leave Leh/ Pangong/ Leh (300 km) drive to Pangong lake 14,500 ft., via Karu, Chang-La pass, 17350 ft. & Pangong Lake and back over night at Leh hotel.
Day 5 (26-June): Leave for Nubra valley
leave from Leh to Nubra valley (126 km), drive to Diskit Nubra via Khardung La pass 18,380 ft. and reach at Diskit . Visit fames Sand Dunes of Ladakh in Hunder & camel safari in Sand Dunes over night at Hotel in diskit
Day 6 (27-June): Back to srinagar
Hi Dheeraj… Can you please reply for my queries. Thanks in advance
Manas, guess they have been replied. Let me know in case you still have some.
Manas, you have just six days and as it takes 2 day to reach Leh from Srinagar, same will be required to reach back as well unless you doing 16+ hr cannon ball run. Then, you need half day at least for permits if you are not keen into acclimatization of your body which I do not suggest. Half day you can make a trip to Khardung La and next day make a trip to Pangong Tso.
ok… thanks for the valuable info dheeraj π
Hi Dheeraj,
i am planning a road trip to leh ladakh from delhi in end june and i cant afford more than 10 days leave from my office. Please suggest what route should we take to and fro. Please advice is it necessary to take a SUV for this trip or a we can go with sedan as well.
Hi Satyajeet,
In 10 days you can follow the below mentioned plan:
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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Leh
β 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
β On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
β Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 7 | Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh
β Day trip to Pangong Tso
β Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | 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 9 | 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
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
hey dheeraj…
thanks a ton bro….
Just one question more…cant we do this journey in a sedan (tata manza) or we need to take a suv.
Satyajeet, 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 β Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
Once again, I want to start by thanking you for keeping this travel forum (webpage) alive. Your webpage did assist a lot in my trip to losar / kaza last year & now, I again seek your suggestions on my trip to Ladakh.
I have made an itinerary as per suggestions on ur webpage, however, need your inputs on the same.
Please let me know if I have missed a comparatively beautiful place than covered in the below trip or if I need to make any changes to plan depending on the feasibility or any other factor that comes to ur mind.
Friday Night: Start from GGN around 10PM, reach Patnitop in the afternoon > overnight in Patnitop.
Sunday: Start early around 5AM & aim to reach Kargil by evening > how much time does is normally take to do this stretch with normal speed & required breaks? Should I take night halt in between?
Monday: Kargil to leh > overnight in Leh > how is the road conditions?
Tuesday: Leh local sightseeing > overnight in leh
Wednesday: Leh to Hunder > overnight in hunder > how is the road conditions?
Thursday: Hunder to Leh > overnight in leh
Friday: Leh to pangong lake > overnight at pangong > How is the road from leh to pangong?
Sat: is it possible to drive from pangong to Tso Moriri >overnight to Tso Moriri > if yes: How is the road from pangong to Tso?
Sunday: Back to leh >overnight at leh >again how is the road from tso to leh
Monday: Back to kargil
Tuesday: Back to Patnitop.
Wednesday: Delhi
Additional questions: Is it possible to do the given itinerary without taking too much toll?
Have I missed any place on and near the route which should be covered in the first trip to leh?
I am planning to do this road trip on a hatchback, and understand that itβs not possible for you to suggest much about feasibility however, consider that I am a normal Delhi driver who has driven to Rohtang pass, kaza, Auli etc (in an Scorpio) & please suggest if I should at all look at another means of transport?
I am going with my wife in last week on June, should hotel bookings done in advance or its readily available?
Is it possible to find decent accommodation on the places where I am taking a night halt especially Pangong / Tso Moriri
What all permits will I need to take for this journey?
Do I need any special permit for taking HR number vehicle?
1. Will take about 14Hrs or so with least breaks in between. Srinagar to Kargil is easy 7 Hrs drive if all is fine over Zozila Pass and then count on about 6-7 hrs atleast for Patnitop to Srinagar
2. Road conditions are manageable at most places, some places it should be good, some bad.
3. No, you should not drive from Pangong tso to Tso Moriri overnight. Not sure what is the use.
4. Why not going towards Manali? Best is you go over from Manali side and exit.
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 β Ladakh, Routes and Road Conditions In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips, Fuel Availability In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
Hotel bookings depends, if you do not want to stay at some specific hotel and are OK with little search here and there then it shall be fine. Else book them in advance.
For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the linkΒ here. No you need permits only for yourself in Ladakh and people traveling with you. For vehicle permits are only required if you are traveling from Manali side to Rohtang Pass.
Hi Dheeraj, am planning Leh trip in mid June, I am planning as per below schedule
14th Start from Delhi at 4 AM
15th Kud, Udhampur 5 PM
16th Srinagar 3 PM
17th Kargil 3 PM
18th Leh 530 PM
19th Leh – Nubra -Leh
20th Leh-Pangong-Tso Moriri
21st Tso Moriri – Sarchu
22nd Sarchu – Manali
23rd Manali – Delhi
Pl let me know if this will be ok, and what all permission I will require.
I going by scorpio along with 2 of my friends
Thanks a lot in advance
Javed, follow the below plan:
14th Delhi – Patnitop
15th Patnitop – Srinagar
16th Srinagar – Kargil
17th Kargil – Leh
18th Leh Rest + Permits
19th Leh β Nubra – Leh
20th Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
21st Leh – Sarchu
22nd Sarchu β Manali
23rd Manali β Delhi
hi dheeraj
i am planning to leave frm leh go to (11am in mrng aftr taking permissions) pangong tso and reach tso moriri same day stay at there at night will that be possible ?
Shashank, it is not possible. You will barely reach Pangong Tso and be sure you are properly acclimatized for spending night at Pangong Tso too that day
Hi Dheeraj!
Could you help me with a route for Leh > Pangong Tso > Hanle> Tso Moriri ? Also what all I can cover on the way.
Please also let me know the names of the villages I would need to mention while getting permits for the route selected.
Thanks in advance.
Minakshi
Minakshi, you cannot go through Pangong Tso to Hanle because permits will not issue for that route. Since last year no one has got that permit. You have to do Hanle from Tso MOriri or Chumathang side only.
Hello Dheeraj, an awesome site you have here, commendable work.
Counting on your experiences, i would like you to guide me and some of my friends who are travelling for the first time to ladakh. After reading your write-up on Hanle Village, i am more anxious to make the terminal of our journey there and back! However, your advice as an expert would be very much appreciated. please provide some of your tips on my thoughts….
1. We are a group of four final year buddies(all guys). and would want to travel as much ladakh as possible (with a little constraint on our pocket – a total of 30k-35k on four people). So what do you say about the itinery that we should have (keeping in mind hanle)
2. we plan to hire 2 bikes (2 pillions on both )at Leh possibly bajaj avenger (as we have a grip on those) or other cruisers, and make our motor-able journey from there.
3. we plan to start from Delhi to ladakh by either ways (manali or Srinagar- not yet decided) by the available public transports(remember – students!).
4. our total trip is expected to be of 15 days and we are mostly interested in the remotest places of ladakh and would basically like to pursue these God’s own places, thus the tourist-y places can be left.
5. also we would be leaving in July, so any chance we could catch up some of the vivid and amazing festivals of Ladakh?
thanks,
Jayant
Hi Jayant,
1 + 4. 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 β Ladakh.
Regarding Hanle, you can start from Leh and reach Hanle and then next day reach Tso Moriri from Hanle and continue from there in the above plan.
2. Should be OK, at places you may want to ask other pillion to get down.
3. If you are riding bikes then how will you use public transport? Are you planning to rent them?
5. July is a good time to Travel to Ladakh. I think Korzok Gustor is there at Tso Moriri on July 10-12 though not sure how it is celebrated.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj for your reply, coming to your question about bikes, yes we are actually planning to hire bikes at Leh/Ladakh, once we reach there, because we only plan to take the Leh-Hanle journey via rented bikes, after that we would be returning back to Leh and get back to Delhi. Now, I wanted to ask you, whether the proposed rented bike plan is feasible for Leh-hanle journey or not.. Also, if you have any advises on rented bikes in any aspect, please DO share it with me..
Jayant
Jayant, it shall be fine to undertake the journey from Leh to Hanle on rented bikes. For more tips on renting a bike, kindly refer: How to Hire or Rent a Bike or Motorcycle in Manali
Hello Dheeraj ,
Xcellent info here , Hats off ..
We are a group of 7 ppl travelling by motorbikes , From 24th june to 9th or 10th of july, following your itinery , Just had few questions in mind ..
1. is riding with pillion advisable ?? as we are currently short of Motorbikes , we dont want to rent as it would increase our budget and we might arrange 4 Bikes for 7 ppl .
2. We would be taking 2 bullets , one Pulsar 200 and one FZ . Now a friend of mine cautioned me from taking pular and FZ to leh tour as their will be risk that they both might breakdown .. Wat do u think ???
3. is June 24th to july 9th good time to travel ..??
Awating your reply π
Thanx in advance .
Hi Siddharth,
1. Yeah, you can do ride with pillion buddy. Just ask him to get down if you think some stretch is not possible.
2. Aaahhh, I have seen many doing it. It is not just the bull that runs over that terrain these small machines also do pretty well. I have even read an account on a 100cc bike as well π
3. Yes, it is good time to travel
Regards
Dheeraj
Hey Dheeraj , how r u man .
Frist of all thanks for the Help , really appreciate it man .
Btw our days are approaching , feeling really really xicting . π
Now som new info has come up that needs xpert’s advice π
The thing is we are now planning to include Indus Zanskar river rafting in our current itinery :). Now we’ve heard its a 5-7 day rafting including campsite , and we def. dont have that much time , so can u give us a little idea on we can include a 1 or 2 day , short river rafting plus a day camping π . Also if can provide with some contact Info of ur known who can help us Customise our plan ,will be really really helpful .
Thanx a ton in Advance .
Awating your reply . π
Siddharth, I am not sure which rafting did you check out. Usually major people do 3-4 Hrs of rafting at Phey, Nimmu, Chilling which are quite close to Leh and you can manage it in half a day from Leh. Not sure what customization you need but we can surely start a thread at below link for your itinerary advice in more structured way π DoW – Himalayan Travel Community | Ladakh Itinerary Advice
Hi Dheeraj,
We (2 ppl) are planning to go by air from Delhi (around mid June). So I guess we will start from your Day 5.
We plan to follow your itinerary and your recommendations on accommodations as well. With all that taken care of, the only thing left is commuting from one place to another. How good and easy is it to arrange a local transport for sight seeing and commuting from one place to another? What are my options in this area?
Thanks in advance! π
Richa,
Firstly since you flying by Air, so 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 β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air. May be if you have more days then do 2 day trip to Pangong Tso.
For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2013-14 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Regards
dheeraj sharma
Thanks Dheeraj for replying so quickly! I will bug you soon with more follow ups π
Thanks!
Hi .Thanks a lot for the iternary sir its been a great help.just a small help .sir u suggest a break at spanmik on journey to the pangong lake .is it a safe place .l have heard there is no water and electricity.v are not inclined to tent prefer only proper accomodation as v r travelling with kids is it possible .sir what about Tangste .does it have proper accomodation Thanks and Regards .ranjeet
Ranjeet, yes Tangste has two guest houses Dothuling and Yakmik Chang la guest house. Spangmik only has tents or camps but lot of people do stay there.
Dear Dheeraj ji,
Just check our itenary if its ok.
31-May-2013 RAIPUR β NAGPUR
1-Jun-2013 NAGPUR- BHOPAL β GUNA β GWALIOR
2-Jun-2013 GWALIOR β AGRA β NOIDA β SONEPAT β AMBALA β LUDHIANA β JALANDHAR
3-Jun-2013 JALANDHAR β PATHANKOT β UDHAMPUR β SRINAGAR
4-Jun-2013 SRINAGAR β SONAMARG β DRASS β KARGIL
5-Jun-2013 KARGIL β LAMAYARU β NIMMU β LEH
6-Jun-2013 LOCAL SITE VISIT
7-Jun-2013 LEH β KHARDUNG LA β SUMUR β DISKIT β HUNDER
8-Jun-2013 SUMUR β KHARDUNG LA β LEH
9-Jun-2013 LEH β KARU β CHANG LA β PANGONG LAKE β CHANG LA β KARU β LEH
10-Jun-2013 LEH βKARU β RUMTSE β TANGLANG LA β PANG
11-Jun-2013 PANG β NAKEELA β SARCHU β SURAJ TAL β DARCHA β JISPA CAMP
12-Jun-2013 JISPA CAMP β KEYLONG β KHOKSAR β ROHTANG β MARHI β MANALI
13-Jun-2013 MANALI β MANDI β AMBBALA β DELHI
14-Jun-2013 DELHI β AGRA β GUNA β BHOPAL
15-Jun-2013 BHOPAL β NAGPUR β RAIPUR
Sir ji, also would like to know if we can carry small Gas Cylinder for emengeny cooking.
Pankaj, I think I replied it here
Mr Dheeraj,
We are 3 adults and 2 kids travelling to Leh from 22nd to 31 of this May. Can you give me an itinerary to cover Leh, Pangong, Tso moriri,Nubra valley. Since we have 2 kids aged 5yr are travelling, kindly suggest me where all I need to stay and where we can travel back to base camp at Leh on the same day?
Do you recommend tents or guest houses at nubra and tsomoriri?
How and from where are you planning to travel? Is it by flight to Leh and out of Leh? Assuming you have just 10 days, I think you might be flying. 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 β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air.
Add couple of days of rest day in between and two day trip to Pangong Tso instead of single day trip in the above itinerary.
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
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for putting up the information in a really wonderful way. Kudos again π I have changed my plan and it looks something like this ~
We are 4 adults and 1 child, flying to Srinagar from Mumbai on June 25th and will be flying back from Delhi on July 7th.
My question is ~ How can I accommodate Hanle trip in this itenary? I don’t want to miss that.
As per your suggestion, I am going via Srinagar and coming back via Manali thus completing the circuit.We will be renting a SUV for both sides. Could you please give me the itenary to cover the most on the ways, so that I don’t end up travelling again and save time too.
Also any other places that are not mentioned in itinery. Any where water sports specially rafting and stuff?
I know this is a lot to cover in the days mentioned and thats d reason need you help in planning so that I make the most of it π
I hope you dont mind.
Cheers,
Minakshi
Hello Minakshi,
You can skip Day 10 and do Leh to Hanle on that day. Then from Hanle, back to Tso Moriri and follow rest of the plan.
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.
Dear Dheeraj ji,
Just check our itenary if its ok.
31-May-2013 RAIPUR – NAGPUR
1-Jun-2013 NAGPUR- BHOPAL β GUNA β GWALIOR
2-Jun-2013 GWALIOR β AGRA β NOIDA β SONEPAT β AMBALA β LUDHIANA – JALANDHAR
3-Jun-2013 JALANDHAR β PATHANKOT β UDHAMPUR – SRINAGAR
4-Jun-2013 SRINAGAR β SONAMARG β DRASS – KARGIL
5-Jun-2013 KARGIL β LAMAYARU β NIMMU – LEH
6-Jun-2013 LOCAL SITE VISIT
7-Jun-2013 LEH – KHARDUNG LA β SUMUR β DISKIT – HUNDER
8-Jun-2013 SUMUR – KHARDUNG LA – LEH
9-Jun-2013 LEH β KARU – CHANG LA – PANGONG LAKE – CHANG LA β KARU – LEH
10-Jun-2013 LEH βKARU β RUMTSE β TANGLANG LA – PANG
11-Jun-2013 PANG β NAKEELA β SARCHU β SURAJ TAL β DARCHA β JISPA CAMP
12-Jun-2013 JISPA CAMP β KEYLONG β KHOKSAR β ROHTANG β MARHI – MANALI
13-Jun-2013 MANALI β MANDI β AMBBALA – DELHI
14-Jun-2013 DELHI β AGRA β GUNA – BHOPAL
15-Jun-2013 BHOPAL β NAGPUR – RAIPUR
Sir ji, also would like to know if we can carry small Gas Cylinder for emengeny cooking.
Hello Pankaj,
I think carrying gas cylinder in vehicle is not allowed anywhere in India, try to refrain carrying it. Jalandhar to Srinagar will be very very long. Not sure, if you will be able to make it. Instead of Pang, stay at Sarchu which has better options of stay. Rest looks fine to me.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
hii dheeraj,
i hope u recognize me d one who has completed the delhi – leh – manali- delhi journey in just 5 days , nw time has come that i should leave fr leh again wid the same schedule with same vehicle and same frnds but this time i have taken out time of 6 dayz (lol) i know six days are not much fr leh journey but i have this much time only fr the trip , so the trip would b like :
day1(31stmay2013) leave frm delhi at 4:30 in aftrnoon reaching sonamarg by day2(1st june) at around 5 in the evening resting at sonamarg
day3(2nd june) leaving for leh at 5:30 in mrng and njoying the zozila pass kargil drass will reach leh by 8:30-9:00 at night(dats my last year record)
njoying night in leh
day4(3rd june)taking permission from dc office this time i ll stay in pang aftr going to pangong tso (last time left from pangong tso same day n reached sarchu 12 in the night (night driving too drangerous after pang))
day5(4th june) leave from pang and will reach manali by 5/6 in eve.
day6(5th june) leave from manali and reach home i.e.faridabad by 10 in night
now ques :
1) all the roads of leh manali would b opened by 31st may ?
2) should i make ny changes in the plan
3) this time i want to change my route from kargil by taking permission and goin to leh by another route will it b possible ?
4)airtel only works till sonamarg and after dat it starts from leh vice versa aftr leaving leh again signals are gone and come only near rohtang should i carry BSNL no and will it work all the way long ?
Hello Shashank,
Here are my replies :
1) Manali – Leh Highway might or might not open by that time. It depends upon how weather holds up and there is still loads of snow to be cleared from it.
2) Day 3 is too too too optimistic. DC office will open by 10 AM, you will be permit by 11 types. Now, you are left with at Max day light of 8-8.5 Hrs. Doing Pangong Tso and coming back will be a challenge in itself for get about reaching Sarchu/Pang unless you plan to drive all in night to that place. Also, doing it with roads just opened, it seems crazy to me.
3) Yes, you can take to Batalik route after getting permissions from Kargil DC office.
4) I always carry a BSNL Post Paid sim while traveling to remote places such as Ladakh because it has the maximum coverage. If possible, better carry a BSNL Post Paid connnection.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
hiii dheeraj ,
thanku for your reply i was w8ing for your answer i was thinking dat i should drop the idea of going pangong tso and shud leave fr nubra valley or zanskar valley and stay at pang .
2) i cant go bck frm srinagar bcoz it feels irritating going bck frm same path as the road i want to go frm manali does it make any problem if i travel on swift
Hi Shashank,
I do not think, just be careful while driving and it shall be fine. Do not be over confident about road conditions and if required do a recce on foot before entering the troublesome zone.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj,
I have heard that only Post Paid mobile works in Leh does that is true ? Does idea network work in leh ?
Yes, abhi it is only Post Paid mobile connections that works in Leh. Idea, I think works with Aircel network but not that sure about it.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
Hi Dheeraj,
I must say that your articles are just brilliant.
I found the itinerary very helpful.But i’ld request you to chalk out another itinerary for me.I’ll be travelling alone probably last week of may.My entry and exit will be Jammu (cant go to manali).I’ll depend on public transport mainly bus as its going to be a budget tour.I’m ready to spend around 15 days and want to include Zanskar.
Please help me chalk out a plan for the same. I have some questions.
1. is there any possibility to stay in a monastery? If yes please let me know which one and how i book it (Keeping it in mind that i’ll be travelling by bus)? 2.how much do they charge?
3.what will be the weather end may or early june?
4.How can I rent a bike there and which one will be the easiest motorable road if I have to choose between Nubra,Pangong,Moriri and Padum?(I wont feel comfortable in riding any other than my own bike).Sorry if you find my questions demanding but i hope you understand that it’ll be my first trip to the dreamland.
Thanks
Sam
hey sam,
we are leaving for leh on 25th may from delhi by road.
we are 4 guys so you can join us at jammu.
Hello Raj,
Thanks for the invitation. But my dates are not fixed yet.
How you guys are travelling? By car or bike? Please let me know.So that I can plan something.
Regards,
Are you still looking for the reply?
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days
Hello Dheeraj,
Hope you have enjoyed the trip. Yes, Im still looking for the reply and please upload your trip report to Spiti Valley..
Regards,
Hi Sam,
Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu
Day 2 | Jammu – Srinagar
Day 3 | Srinagar – Kargil
Day 4 | Kargil – Padum (may be there will only be one bus)
Day 5 | Padum
Day 6 | Padum – Kargil
Day 7 | Kargil – Leh
Day 8 | Leh (Find some shared taxi for 2 Day Nubra and 1 Day Pangong Tso)
Day 9 | Leh – Nubra Valley
Day 10 | Nubra Valley – Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 12 | Leh – Kargil
Day 13 | Kargil – Srinagar
Day 14 | Srinagar – Jammu
Day 15 | Jammu – Delhi
1. Yes, many of the monasteries have some or the other guest houses but I am not sure they can bebooked. They need to be booked on the spot.
2. Do not know exact figure but they are generally economic
3. It will be cold at least near lakes and other places. Do carry heavy woolens
4. 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.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks so much Dheeraj.You have been a great help.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/China-declines-to-give-timeline-for-withdrawal-of-troops-from-Ladakh/articleshow/19835484.cms
How common are things like these?? will they affect a trip? Anyways we are planning in august..
Aparajitha, these things should not bother as they are well off from the tourist sector and if something really happens in worst of worst case then permits to even tourists places will not be allowed. Once it is stopped, you can find the information updated here ASAP and plan things accordingly π … But as of now, there isn’t any concerns as I know few people who are traveling there as of now.
Thanks for the assurance.. I thought the same.. But my friends were troubling me with these news so I thought of rechecking π
hey buddy ! good that you are sharing soo much info here ! neways i m going for leh from may 7th nd following the same itenary u have mentioned above ! but is this the safe time t travel to leh especially with the chinese invasion into ladakh ! Will tourism get affected by this ??
Jigar, dun worry as of now nothing has impacted the tourist sectors. Go ahead with your plan, if anything happens in worst case then you will not be give the permits for these places to visit.
hi Dheeraj, read ur advisory and found it helpful. However, we are flying to leh on 6th of june and would return via srinagar on the 14th. We would like to do some adventurous trips like river rafting etc. will u please suggest an iteniary and the places we could fit in?? thanks
Hi Anand,
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 β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
PS: Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling to Spiti Valley for past 10 days.
Sir thanks for the iternary .can u guide us a bit more.is it possible to cover some tourist spots on 28when we travel from kargil to leh so v can cover more on the other days since v have less days .And can u suggest a other place further from kargil on27 night since distance from sonmarg to kargil is not much . Kindly guide us regarding the three days travel from 26 to 28 .Also v r missing Tso morri.regards. ranjeet
Ranjeet, on the way to Leh from Kargil visit Lamayuru, Magnetic Hills, Mulbekh Maitrey, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Confluence at Nimmu all of which fall on the way only.
Hello Dheeraj,
Are the places Spangmik & Lukung safe to stay overnight especially when with whole family?
What kinda facilities are der?
Otherwise what is the option to workout the itinerary as we do not wish to travel (north)bck to Leh. We wish to go to manali after Pangong lake.
Rushi, yes these are pretty safe to stay overnight and loads of people do stay there. There are Swiss/Luxury camps available which have western baths attached to them, but of course facilities comes with a prices there π … There is no direct way from Pangong Tso to Manali, either you have to go towards Tso Moriri which is very long, treacherous and permits are not allowed for this route now a days. So, you only have the option to come all the way back to Karu/Upshi and then resume the journey next day to Manali. It is just like saving 1-1.5 Hrs of journey back to Leh but with a compromise on quality of stay because both Karu/Upshi will have basic homestays only.
Hello Dheeraj
Which route can be taken from panong to tsomiri via
Mahe -> Nyoma -> Loma -> Rezang La -> Chusul
or
Mahe -> Raldong -> Yaye Tso -> Mirpal Tso -> Nama/Chusul
please suggest and also how many days we require as i have 2 days for this if not then please let me know
Thanks
Hi Abhi,
You will not be able to get permits for any of the routes as they both pass through Chusul. Permits will not be issued for these routes. First one was used to be common route though very tough, bumpy and trecherous and then second one adds more isolation as well as degree of getting stuck in between no where. I have heard only 2 people lucking crossed the second route in past 3-3.5 years of my love story with Ladakh π …
Try to get permits for the first one, if you are most lucky chap on earth, you might get and if you get for second one, try to have 4×4 with you and be assured of pleading at the checkpost near Nama or Chusul to ask for permission by army too even after you get the permits. Only if they will say yes, you wil be through.
Regards
Dheeraj
Also one more thing Dheeraj
We are 5 people like to hire private taxi and we have 3 weeks after reaching srinagar can you provide me best itenirary. As i am nature lover so like to visit that kind of places with view to take beautiful photos
How are you planning to come back? Via Manali – Leh Highway all the way to Delhi?
Dheeraj Bhai Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh page doesn’t open ( page is not available)
Bhai, can you please check again. there might be come temp. issue
Yadvinder, your awaited update on Spiti Valley road conditions is here
Dheeraj Bhai Gud afternoon Plz provide Common Itinerary fr Leh-Ladakh from Manali-Leh-Srinagar side.
Hi Yadvinder bhai,
Please find it below in the reverse order π
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
— 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 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β 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 β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Β
Day 9 | Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β 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 | Leh – Lamayuru – Kargil
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 12 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Sonamarg
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 13 | Srinagar – Jammu
— Overnight at Jammu
Day 14 | Jammu – Delhi
— Back Home
Day 15 + 16 | Buffer days to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
great to see the response to your site.kindly help us with our iternary.we our a group of 6 adults and 6children.we will be reaching srinagar on 26 th of may and will travel to sonamarg for the night halt and start our journey to leh on the 27 the.we plan to stay in kargil on 27 night and start for leh on 28.we are flying back to mumbai on 3rd june.help us in the places to see and the accomadation .childrens ages are from 5 to 11years.THANKS Ranjeet
Ranjeet, you can foloow the below plan for 5 days you have in hand after you reach Leh:
Day 1 | 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 linkΒ here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 2 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β 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 β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh β Hemis Monastery β Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Β
Day 5 | Pangong Tso Lake β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Regards
dheeraj
Dear Ranjeet Ji: It seems as in you will be coming from srinagar and reaching Leh on 28th Night. As per my itinerary i will be leaving from leh to srinagar on 29 may. I was wondering what is your mode of transport, in any ways if you are coming in a booked taxi you would have to leave it in leh as taxi from outside in leh are not permitted and we could thereby avail the taxi for our way to srinagar which would probably cost us less since we are only 2 in total.
Thank you for the corporation.
Dear Dheeraj,
Just wanted u to once again check the Itinerary, and c if the alternative is feasible or i shall restrained to basic one.
22-May Delhi – Leh
23-May Leh Local Sightseeing
24-May Leh – Khardung – Diskit – Hunder – Turtuk
25-May Turtuk – Hundar – Diskit – Khalsar – Khardung – Leh
26-May Leh – Pangong Tso
27-May Spangmik – Chang La – Karu – Upshi – Chumathang – Mahe Bridge – Tso Moriri
28-May Tso Moriri – Chumthang – Upshi – Leh
29-May – Leh – Kargil
30 – May Kargil -Srinagr
31-May Srinagar
1st – june. Srinagar – Delhi Flight.
Is it possible to come back from TSOMori in a day if i choose to come back from pangong lake after a night stay over there.
One more thing, i have booked Oriental guesthouse for my stay, so if i will be going to night stay over the different place will i be paying there as well?
I also inquired for camps in Pangong lake and they are charging 3400 after 15% discount for MAPAI package, is it ok?
Moreover, of late disturbances in the Ladhak region, is there any chance of not getting a permit for pangong lake??
Regards,
Virat Ahuja
Kindly dont publish this one π
You don’t want me to publish your plan here?
Virat,
It is too hectic and too optimistic I think, not on practical terms. I will still suggest that to enjoy completely better stick to something like below:
22-May Delhi β Leh
23-May Leh Local Sightseeing
24-May Leh β Khardung β Diskit/Hunder
25-May Hundar/Diskit β Sumur – Panamik – Sumur β Khardung β Leh
26-May Leh β Pangong Tso
27-May Spangmik β Chang La β Karu β Leh
28-May Leh Rest Day or make a visit to Alchi, Likir Basgo side.
29-May β Leh β Kargil
30 β May Kargil -Srinagr
31-May Srinagar
1st β june. Srinagar β Delhi Flight.
OR
26-May Leh β Pangong Tso – Leh
27-May Leh – Tso Moriri
28-May Tso Moriri – Leh
I do not think they will charge you of course you need to vacate the room. Pangong Tso camp @ 3400 over phone at MAP seems OK to me. do not worry about those disturbances, they are pretty far from the tourist places.
Regards
Dheeraj sharma
Dear Dheeraj ji,
Thank you for the awesome web site.It’s really helpful.
My family (4 pax)is planning to visit Kashmir and Ladakh in July.
We plan to take private taxi start from Srinagar ,stay one night at Sonamarg then proceed to Ladakh. In Ladakh ,we would like to visit Mulbekh Monastery,
DhaHanu,Lamayuru,Alchi,Likir,Hunder,Turtuk,Sumur,Pangong Lake ,Tsokar and Tsomoriri Lake .We would love to stay overnight at Pangong Lake and Tsomoriri .
1.How many days will it take for us to cover all these places? Please kindly suggest us .Please also design the proper tour plan for us.
2. How long does it take to drive from Pahalgam to Sonamarg?
Thank you very much for your kind support.
Raju
Thanks buddy you are a saviour…can you help with the taxi rates/booking for the whole trip from Nainital?
Sorry Anurag, no contacts in UK for it π
Dear dheeraj;
Should we pre-book KMVNs or should we book on the spot? (We are going in last june)
Better prebook them Anurag.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am really confused. My wife wants to see and play with snow in leh. And we are planning to go leh in 1st week of july, 2013 from delhi by flight. Will we get to see and feel snow in leh or say in kahrdungla or changla passes…need your help ?
Pallav, you should be able to see snow over passes in the month of July, highly likely.
Hi Dheeraj.
Need a small info. What would be weather like during mid to end may. Our trip is planned from 18 May to 31 may. Do we need heavy duty winter clothes? Thanks
Yes Priya, do carry heavy woolens with you. Nights, specially at Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri will be freezing cold. You will feel the cold in shades too where there is little sunlight.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for this wonderful site. This site has almost every bit of information one need to have and got rid of all the uncertainties I had. I have prepared a plan. Let me know your comments.
Just me and my friend will be hopping on two bikes all the way. Trip will start on 18th July 2013 and going by plan below it will over by 3rd August 2013. Let me know your input and any places I MUST visit.
β’ Day 1 β Mumbai β Chandigardh , By air
Chandigardh β Manali , Overnight journey by bus *
β’ Day 2 β Manali: Bike hire and Overnight stay *
β’ Day 3 β Manali β Mcleodganj β Jammu : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 4 β Jammu β Pahalgam : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 5 β Pahalgam β Gulmarg : Gandola ride, Overnight stay *
β’ Day 6 β Gulmarg β Srinagar : Daal lake, Overnight stay *
β’ Day 7 β Srinagar β Kargil : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 8 β Kargil β Leh : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 9 β Leh : Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits, Overnight stay *
β’ Day 10 β Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Leh : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 11 β Leh β Pangong Tso Lake β Leh : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 12 β Leh β Sirchu : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 13 β Sirchu – Keylong : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 14 β Keylog β Rohtang Pass — Manali : Overnight stay *
β’ Day 15 β Manali : Bike return
Manali β Delhi: Overnight journey by bus *
β’ Day 16 β Delhi β Mumbai : Overnight journey by Rajdhani
β’ Day 17 β Mumbai : Back home ο
*: Let us know reliable and cheap bike hire/bus/hotel.
Hi Satej,
Day 2 seems very hectic, not sure if you will be able to make it to Jammu via McLeod Ganj that day itself. Tough ask. Also, you are making lots of halts in Kashmir, so more or like it looks that you are visiting Kashmir as compared to Ladakh. You might not do justice to Ladakh trip if you will neither be spending a night at Pangong Tso nor at Nubra Valley. Try to see if you wanna visit Kashmir or Ladakh.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Thanks Dheeraj. I was eagerly waiting for your reply. I am coming from Mumbai. So I was keen on covering 3 cities of Kashmir. The new plans is :
Day 1 β Mumbai β Chandigardh , By air
Chandigardh β Manali , Overnight journey by bus
Day 2 β Manali: Bike hire and Overnight stay at Manali
Hadimba Temple,Monastery, Short trip to Beas Kund -21km for Bike Testing.
Day 3 β Manali β Pathankot β Jammu : Overnight stay at Jammu ( 450km) π
We’ll start by 6-7 am and We’ll stop at 5-6 pm irrespective of the location along highway.
Day 4 β Jammu β Pahalgam : Overnight stay at Pahalgam* (282 km)
Day 5 β Pahalgam β Gulmarg : Gandola ride, Overnight stay at Gulmarg (152km)
Day 6 β Gulmarg β Srinagar : Daal lake, Overnight stay at Srinagar (50Km)
Day 7 β Srinagar β Kargil : Overnight stay at Kargil * (205 km)
Day 8 β Kargil β Lamayuru β Leh : Overnight stay * (215km)
Day 9 β Leh : Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits, Overnight stay
Day 10 β Leh β Khardungla pass β Diskit βNubra Valley : Overnight stay at Nubra (169km)
Day 11 β Nubra Valley β Pangong Tso Lake : Overnight stay at Pangog Lake tents (160km)
Day 12 β Pangong Tso Lake β Chumathang: Overnight stay (300 km)
Tso Kar, Tso Moriri, Tso Kyagar(optional)
Day 13 β Chumathang – Sirchu – Keylong : Overnight stay (315 km)
Day 14 β Keylog β Rohtang Pass — Manali : Overnight stay (117 km)
Day 15 β Manali : Bike return, Manali β Delhi: Overnight journey by bus *
Day 16 β Delhi β Mumbai : Overnight journey by Rajdhani
Day 17 β Mumbai : Back home
I have two buffer days in my kitty which can be used on day 9-10 and 12-13.
Does that sound like a plan now?
Thanks
Satej
Hello Satej,
Please find below my 2 cents of corrections:
Day 10 β Leh β Khardungla pass β Diskit βNubra Valley : Overnight stay at Nubra (169km)
Day 11 β Nubra Valley β Leh
Day 12 β Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 13 β Leh – Sarchu
Day 14 – Sarchu – Manali
So, here essentially you will reach Manali on 14th and will skip Tso Moriri. Since, you have two days so you can use one of them to include Tso Moriri as
Day 10 β Leh β Khardungla pass β Diskit βNubra Valley : Overnight stay at Nubra (169km)
Day 11 β Nubra Valley β Leh
Day 12 β Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 13 β Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 14 β Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Day 15 – Sarchu – Manali
If you utilize the other buffer day as well then plan can be like
Day 10 β Leh β Khardungla pass β Diskit βNubra Valley : Overnight stay at Nubra (169km)
Day 11 β Nubra Valley β Leh
Day 12 β Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 13 – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 14 β Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 15 β Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Day 16 – Sarchu – Manali
Keep them with you and take decisions based on the first plan and utilization of buffer days π
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj for prompt reply. After your input I have changed my mind about Kashmir. Now thisβll be only Ladakh trip
Day 3 β Manali β Rohtang Pass β Jispa : Overnight stay at Jispa* (140 Km)
Day 4 β Jispa β Leh : Overnight stay at Leh(334 km)
Day 5 β Leh : Inner Line Permits and Rest day, Overnight stay at Leh
Day 6 β Leh β Kargil β Lamayuru: Overnight stay at Lamayuru
Day 7 β Lamayuru β Leh : Overnight stay
Day 8 β Leh : Local sightseeing, Overnight stay at Leh
Day 9 β Leh β Khardungla pass β Diskit βNubra Valley : Overnight stay at Nubra (160 km)
Day 10 β Nubra Valley β Pangong Tso Lake : Overnight stay at Pangong Lake tents (160 km)
Day 11 β Pangong Tso Lake β Chumathang: Overnight stay
Day 12 β Chumathang β Sarchu : Overnight stay at Sarchu
Day 13 β Sarchu – Spiti Valley: Overnight stay at Spiti Valley*
Day 14 β Spiti Valley– Manali : Overnight stay
Day 15 β Manali- Delhi
Day 16 β Delhi β Mumbai
I have kept additional day in spare for
1. Is Jispa β Leh stretch on 20th July possible?
2. Do we have availability of road and fuel for Day 10?
3. Needed complete list of petrol pumps
Satej, now it looks reasonable but still Pangong Tso to Chumathang and specially Chumathang to Sarchu via Tso Moriri will not be possible or very very very hectic. Regarding your queries:
1. Yes, Jispa to Leh is possible and alot of people do it.
2+3: For fuel, check: Fuel Availability In Leh β Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips