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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Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for this great post and it surely helped me a lot in deciding my trip’ s itinerary! We are planning to hire a car from Delhi and drive to Leh. We don’t want to spend a day in Manali to take a permit for non HP vehicle, so we are thinking of reaching Leh via Srinagar and come back via Manali highway. We are leaving from Delhi on 10th July and won’t be driving during the night. So we will reach Leh by 12th or 13th and we have to reach Dehradun by 20th and leave Leh by 18th. So we will only have 5 days in between to be in Leh and see around. Will it be possible to go to Nubra during this short time? What you think should be our ideal itinerary to fit the best places. Can we include Magnetic Hills and Nubra valley including Pangong and Tsomoriri?
Whom to contact if we want to hire bikes for local sites?
Any suggestions on where to have best local ladakhi cuisine ?
Any suggestions will be of great help!
Yes Shruti, you can do one day rest in Leh and then two day trips each to Nubra Valley first and than Pangong Tso in these 5 days. 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
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, it is great reading thru your blogs especially the details that you have provide. We are a group of 7-8 friends planned a trip to Leh on 24th Aug this year. We have our flights booked to Leh for 24th. now there are couple of issues/doubts that i have:
1. Some of us know how to ride a bike but others don’t – so for local movement in leh, we need to have both bikes and a cab. Please suggest if you have any contacts to book bike/cab in advance
2. We are planning to return by road via manali route. will we manage to get bikes/cabs for one way?
3. Below is the tentative itinerary:
LEH -LADAKH TRIP ITINERARY
24-Aug-15 Reach Leh at 8 am – rest till afternoon
Local Sightseeing in the evening: The Khar – Leh Palace, Tsemo Castle, Nampgyal Gompa, Shanti Stupa, Hall of Fame, Sindhu Ghat, Sankar Gompa/monastery, Spituk/Phyang monastery, Zorawar fort (cover some of the places in the following days)
25-Aug-15 Leh -> Khardung La Pass -> Nubra Valley – Diskit
Places to cover – going – Diskit/Hunder
Places to cover – return – Sumur/Panamik
Stay overnight either at Diskit/Hunder
26-Aug-15 Diskit -> Sumur -> Panamik -> Khardung La – Leh
Overnight at leh
27-Aug-15 Leh -> Hemis Monastery -> Pangong Tso
Places to cover – going – Hemis/Thicksey
Places to cover – return – Shey
Overnight at Pangong
28-Aug-15 Pangong -> Thicksey -> Shey -> Leh
Ovenight at Leh
29-Aug-15 Leh -> Tso moriri via Chumathung
Karzok Monastery
Overnight at Tso moriri
30-Aug-15 Tso moriri ->Tso Kar -> Debring (Manali -Leh Highway) -> Pang/Sarchu
Overnight hault at Sarchu
31-Aug-15 Pang/Sarchu -> Baralacha La ->Keylong -> Rohtang Pass -> Manali
Overnight hault at Manali
Cover Suraj Tal/Deepak Tal on way
01-Sep-15 Manali – Delhi
please give your inputs.
Thanks, waiting for your response!
Esheeta
Esheeta, 1. You can check with info@offbeatescapes.com in case you are looking for travel arrangements.
2. You will get the taxi for sure but for bike loading charges of around 10-12K needs to be paid per bike to return that bike to Leh
I will not recommend going on the second day to Khardung La and then to Nubra, better stay one more day in Leh.
Hi Dheeraj !
Firstly i would like to thank you for your work which helps a lot of people like us to do Ladakh without much apprehensions. I went through some of your posts and some of the valuable comments from fellow travellers in DoW, thanks to them too. Finally i have made an Itinerary , which have a lot of inputs from you from your various posts. Below is the same
ο August 16
Bangalore to delhi ( rest ) Delhi to Chandigarh
stay @ Chandigarh
ο August 17
Chandigarh to Srinagar
Stay @ Srinagar
ο August 18
Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zojila La β Drass β Kargil β Mulbhek monatsrey
Stay @ Mulbhek
ο August 19
Kargil β Sankoo ( 42 km) β Panikhar ( 67km)- Parakachik (98 km) β Rangdum (138 km) β Penzi La ( 165 km) β Padum β 255 km )
Stay @ Padum
ο August 20
Padum β Stongde (15 km) β Zang La fort ( 32 km) β Karsha β (62km) β Padum ( 74 km)
Stay @ Padum
ο August 21
Padum – Penzi La ( 90 KM) β Rangdum ( 117 km)
Stay @ Rangdum
ο August 22
Rangdum β Parakachik (40 km ) β Panikhar (71 km)- Sankoo (96 km) β Kargil (138 km)- Mulbhek (180 km) β Lamayuru ( 248 km)
Stay @ Lamuyuru
ο August 23
Lamayuru β Dhahanu Valley β Sham Valley β Leh
Stay @ Leh
ο August 24
Stay @ Leh β Explore leh
ο August 25
Leh β Kardung La β Diskit β Hunter β Turtuk
Stay @ Turtuk or Hunder
ο August 26
Hunder- Diskit – SUmur β Panamik- Kardung La β Leh
Stay @ Leh
ο August 27th
Leh β Stok- Shey- thicksey- Chang La β Pangong Tso
Stay @ Pangong Tso
ο August 28th
Visit marisimik La ( inner line permit req. from LEH DC)
Stay @ Pangong tso
ο August 29th
Pangong Tso β Hemis monatrsy β Leh
Stay @ Leh
ο August 30th
Leh β Karu β Upshi- Chumathang- Mahe Village – Hanle village
ο August 31st
Stay @ Hanle β Explore ( inne rline permit required)
ο September 1st
Hanle- Mahe Village- Tso Moriri
Stay at Tso Moriri
ο September 2nd
Tso moriri β Tso Kar β Pang βSarchu/ Jispa
ο September 3rd
Sarchu/ Jispa- Rohtang Pass- Mandi- Manali
Stay @ Manali
ο September 4th
Manali to delhi
Stay @ Delhi
ο September 5th
Delhi to Bangalore
We are taking our 2wd scorpio for this travel. What are your thoughts about this itinerary? Also the two places were we have to take ILP are for Hanle ( going from Leh) and Mairismik La. Are there any other permit related issues?
Your kind advice would be much appreciated. Thank you Dheeraj!
Aug 18: Stay at Kargil not Mulbekh
Aug 25: you ave to skip Turtuk here
Rest looks fine to me.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am traveling to leh on July 18 from Srinagar and returning back to Srinagar on 28 July. Is it safe to travel alone. And how convenient is using public transport from Srinager to leh and back to Srinagar from Leh.
Any suggestions Please.
Saketh, it is quite OK to travel in public transport and safe too. So many people do it solo now a days to Ladakh
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all Hats off to you and your team for such a great effort.
We are planning to visit Leh by Bikes in the mid of July, I want to ask, is it safe to travel by bikes and with our own tents. If we need any permission to install a tent at any place. Things need to carry while travelling on bike.
Yes, amit 1000s of people travel by bike every year to Ladakh, so totally safe AFAIK. For information on pitching your own camps in Leh – Ladakh, please refer our FAQ in the community: FAQ | Can I pitch my own tents or camps anywhere in Ladakh?
Thanks for you quick response Dheeraj.
Hi Dheeraj,
Our Schedule:
26th July – Reach Leh (Evening)
27th July – Local Sight-Seeing
28th – ?
29th – ?
30th – ?
31st – Need to reach Sarchu/Jispa
1st Aug – Sarchu/Jispa to Manali
2nd Aug – Manali to Delhi
Could you please help us with the blanks?
Lot of confusion because we are not having that extra day to squeeze through.. Thanks a lot!
Forgot to tell – We are starting on 23rd night from Delhi via Srinagar. So planning to reach Leh on 26th evening.
Max you can do is:
28th β Leh – Nubra Valley over Khardung La
29th β Nubra Valley – Leh
30th β Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
OR
28th β Leh – Nubra Valley over Khardung La
29th β Nubra Valley – Wari La – Pangong Tso
30th β Pangong Tso – Leh
OR
28th β Leh – Nubra Valley over Khardung La
29th β Nubra Valley – Leh
30th β Leh – Pangong Tso
31st – Pangong Tso – Sarchu by starting early
Hi Dheeraj,
It’s me again π
I’ve tweaked my Itinerary and added Tso-Moriri like you had suggested.
My doubt is whether it’s okay to travel from Pangong to Tsomoriri to Manali without returning back to Leh.
Could you please check the following plan and let me know? Where there days 7,8 and 9 are feasible.
Thanks a ton!
Day 1 – Hyderabad to Srinagar
(Night at Srinagar)
Day 2 – Srinagar to Kargil
(Night at Kargil)
Day 3 – Kargil to Leh
(Night at Leh)
Day 4 – Leh (Rest)
Day 5 – Leh to Nubra Valley
(Night at Hunder)
Day 6 – Hunder – Panamik – Leh
(Night at Leh)
Day 7 – Leh to Pangong
(Night at Pangong)
Day 8 – Pangong to Tsomoriri
(Night at Tsomoriri – Korzok Village)
Day 9 – Tsomoriri – Sarchu
(Night at Sarchu)
Day 10 – Sarchu to Manali
(Night at Manali)
Day 11 – Evening – Manali to Chandigarh
(Reach early morning – Chandigarh)
Day 12 – Evening – Chandigarh to Hyderabad
Regards,
Sammy
Sammy, all the details about the direct routes of Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri along with tips and risks which they pose are detailed under the articles:
Tips for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri Direct Route
Please read these articles and based on the details/risks highlighted, take a go-no-go decision.
Hi Dheeraj,
you are doing great job here on this blog by easing our apprehensions about once in a lifetime trip to Leh.
I along with 3 of my friends is planning a trip to Leh from August 22-Ausgust 30. We will reach Srinagar on Aug 22 at 7 a.m. We are planning for Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Manali route. I have few queries regarding the same:
1) Is it okay to travel at this time of year due to monsoon and snowfall. If yes, then do we need to carry our full winter cloths
2) Could you please tell us the best itinerary according to this time .(I know you have answered this question umpteenth times:P)
3) Do we need to make hotel reservations in advance or we can just check in at the time of trip itself? ( I have read your blog regarding hotels in Leh)
4) Are cabs for 4 ppl available from Srinagar to Leh or we have to book 6 seater vehicle? Same query on Leh Manali route.
Hament, my replies below:
1. You will have to face monsoon hassles in lower hills for sure during this time though Ladakh is rain shadow region and it rains very less
2. You can follow the plan suggested above and skip the rest day, Tso MOriri lake. Plus you might need to make a day trip to Pangong Tso. Rest you can follow as defined in the article above
3. It depends, if you OK to search few places then it is fine
4. Smaller vehicles do not run in this region on long routes, so an SUV need to be hired.
Hi Dheeraj,
Hope you are doing well.
Myself and few of my friends are planning for a Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi road trip in late September. My concerns are
1. Is Third or Fourth week of September safe?, any chance of stuck up in heavy snowfall or bad whether
2. We will be reaching Leh in two days from srinagar with overnight hault in Kargil. As we don’t have many days of leave, is it okay to avoid the rest day in Leh before heading to Nubra valley (we will sleeping one night in Leh after reaching)
3. Also we are planning to move to Pangong Tso directly from Nubra, Is Nubra-Pangong Tso road condition okay?
4. Also is it possible to do Leh-Nubra-Pangong Tso-Tso Moriri-Sarahu-Manali as a circuit with over night stay at each of these places. If its possible, your opinion on this.
thanks for your time,
Regards,
Arjun
Arjun
Hi Arjun,
1. Yes, september is good time. Sometimes it snows, so plan a buffer day. Also, nights are quite cold
2. I will not recommend skipping rest day in Leh at all
3. Nubra to Pangong Tso via Wari La that late in the season will mean more desolation, in case any help required, it will be very very hard to find. So, take a calculative risk
4. Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri need inner line permits and even after permits army may send you back from Chusul which can screw up the rest of the plan
Hello,
Hats off to the Amazing work you have been doing. This is my first time to up north, only me & my husband will be travelling. I’m just hoping that everything goes well! Request you to review the below itinerary and let us know if its feasible please or if any changes are required. (considering the Blr-Del-Srinagar & Chandigarh – Blr flights are already booked.)
07-Jul-15: Blr – Del – Srinagar; Stay in Srinagar
08-Jul-15: Sringar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil; Stay in Kargil
09-Jul-15: Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh; Stay in Leh
10-Jul-15: Leh day sightseeing; Stay in Leh
11-Jul-15 : Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Hunder; Stay in Hunder
12-Jul-15: Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumbar – Khardungla – Leh; Stay in Leh
13-Jul-15: Leh – Shey Palace – Thicksey Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake; Stay in Pangong Tso
14-Jul-15: Pangong Tso – Hemis Monastery – Chumathang – Tso Moriri; Stay in Tso Moriri
15-Jul-15: Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Pang – Sarchu; Stay in Sarchu
16-Jul-15: Sarchu -Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali; Stay in Manali
17-Jul-15 : Stay in Manali & Leave for Chandigarh; Night Travel
18-Jul-15: Afternoon flight from Chandigarh to Blr
Many Thanks!
Simi
Simi, Day 14 is very long and tiring, start very early and skip Hemis for sure. Rest looks OK.
Dear Dheeraj
We plan to leave Delhi on July 14th.
Hv tried to follow your most common itinerary with only few minor changes towards the end. Pls advise if it’s practical.
July 14th – Delhi to Ambala (Will be able to leave Delhi around 4 pm).
July 15th – Ambala to Patnitop
July 16th – Patnitop – Srinagar
July 17th – Rest at Srinagar or go upto Sonamarg
July 18th – Srinagar/Sonamarg to Kargil
July 19th – Kargil to Leh
July 20th – Leh – Acclimatise
July 21st – Leh – Nubra Valley
July 22nd – Nubra Valley – Leh
July 23rd – Leh Local Sightseeing
July 23rd – Leh – Shey Palace – Thicksey Monastery – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso.
July 24th – Pangong Tso – Hemis – Chumathang – Tso Moriri
July 25th – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Pang – Sarchu – Jispa
July 26th – Jispa – Manali
July 27th – Manali – Delhi
Look forward to your response.
Thanks
Arjun
Arjun, remove the Leh local sightseeing on 23rd and add it to ease out the journey from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri. Do Pangong Tso to Leh and then next day do Leh to Tso Moriri
Dheeraj
Thank you so much.
I have made the necessary changes in my itinerary, as suggested by you.
One last question….
Could you please tell me how many hours it would take us in a suv to do Tso Moriri to Jispa ?
Thanks
Arjun
Arjun Tso Moriri to Jispa will take around 12-13 Hrs
Hi Dheeraj,
Really appreciate what you are doing here. I and 2 of my friends are planning a trip to Ladakh in July and would like your advice on a couple of things.
Our Itinerary currently stands like this
July 10 – Fly into Srinagar at noon. Local Attractions(if possible). Sleep overnight.
July 11 – 13 – Drive to Leh. Stop overnight at Kargil and Alchi. Would like to visit Sham Valley attractions.
July 14 – Local sightseeing in Leh.
July 15 – Visit Nubra valley. Stay Overnight in Diskit.
July 16 – Diskit – Leh.
July 17 – Visit Pangong Tso Lake. Stay Overnight.
July 18 – Proceed to Hanle. Stay Overnight in Hanle.
July 19 – Hanle – Leh.
July 20 – Fly out of Leh.
1) Do you suggest we do a 3 day drive to Leh? Or try to finish it in 2 days instead?
2) Does it make sense to just stay overnight in Hanle? Should we save a day on the Srinagar – Leh drive and spend a whole day in Hanle instead?
3) We would like to do some trekking, if possible? Where would you suggest is a good place to do this? Would we have to revamp the itinerary drastically?
4) Would you do this trip any differently?
Hi Aneesh,
1. Better save a day and do 2 day drive to Leh. It will help you adjust Hanle in least risk manner
2. You should do 2 day journey over Srinagar – Leh, then the saved day should be used to visit Hanle from Leh instead of from Pangong tso because even after you get the permit for Chusul, there are high chances that army will send you back which can make the plan go kaput. So, better go to Hanle from Leh
3. I do not think you have time for a trek. A minimum 2 day trek is good to go.
4. Given the suggestion above
Hi Dheeraj Bhai,
Thank you very much for your wonderful blog with lots of information to help people like us.
We are planning to follow the same route as you mentioned here . Me and my wife are starting from Bangalore on 27th June. We have 20 days of vacation (+2 days buffer time) and we will be driving our Maruthi Ritz VDI.
I have couple of queries regarding the same.
1. Will it be possible to cover all the places with in this time frame ?
2. Do we need to book all the hotels before the we start the travel ?
3. Is it possible to carry a small 5kg cooking gas while travelling ?
4. Will it be too cold and what kind of cloths do you recommend ?
Waiting for your early reply.
Thanks and Regards,
Deepu
Hello Deepu,
1. As you see about plan is about 14-15 days. You can add Turtuk stay as well when you go over to Nubra Valley.
2. Not really if you are OK with searching 4-5 places and basic stays of guest houses. And also do not have any notion of staying at only one place
3. AFAIK, it is not allowed to carry fuel or gas in a private vehicle
4. Carry at least one pair of heavy woolens and one light jacket for sure though it will be pleasant.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thank you very much for your valuable comments. i will get back to you if i need more information.
Hi dheeraj
our plan is postponed due to some reasons. Can you tell me about the monsoon in ladaakh region. We are planning to start on 10th July now, is the date is ok ?
And i just read post about vehicles outside of leh are not allowed in the region as we are going in our self driven personal car with haryana registration ?
Many Thanks
Vishesh
Ladakh is a rain shadow region but you will face hassles up to Kargil from Srinagar side and up to Keylong from Manali side.
Hello Dheeraj Sir,
At the outset, I would like to thank you for your selfless service in helping all of us novices in planning our maiden adventure.
We are four friends, planning to drive from Bangalore to Ladakh Mid August to 1st week of Sept, approx 22 days of leave. As recommended by you, we would be going in through Srinagar and coming down from Manali. Request your help in planning the Ladakh itinerary for us.
Sami, for 22 days 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 | 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 – Padum (Zanskar Valley)
— Head straight to Padum
Day 5 | Padum Local Sightseeing
— Enjoy Zangla, Stongde, Karsha
Day 6 | Padum – Zongkhul Monastery – Penzi La Pass – Rangdum
— Start back and stay at Rangdum
Day 7 | Rangdum – Panikhar – Sankoo – Kargil
— Checkout rock carved statue at Khartse Khar
Day 8 | 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 9 | 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 10 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder – Turtuk
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Turtuk
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— enjoy the culture in the Turtuk Village
— do mention Turtuk on the permits
Day 11 | Turtuk – Hunder
— Spend whole day at Turtuk and reach Hunder by evening
— Overnight at Hunder
Day 12 | Hunder – Deskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
— Enjoy drive upto Panamik, visit Yarab Tso Lake and back Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 13 | 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 14 | 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 15 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour OR You can do tour to Sham Valley
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey, Stakna and Shey monasteries.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 16 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Β
Day 17 | 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
Β
Day 18 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Jispa
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Jispa
Day 19 | Jispa – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
Day 20 | Manali – Delhi
— Return home
Keep couple of buffer or rest days in between as you have 22 days.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am following the route mentioned by you from Delhi to Srinagar via Manali and Leh…10 days…on May 29th 2015 reply to Srikanth….as in above conversations….need to check with you as to how many kms will it be..?? and is it ok to follow that route starting 16th July..??
Also can I cut short Kargil so that I reach Srinagar one day earlier.?
Your response would be appreciated.
thanks
babash
Yeah, you can follow the same route I suggested in July too. It takes about 17-18 Hrs to reach Srinagar from Leh and hence one day halt is recommended in Kargil
I am leaving for Leh 18th Night – Where I can get to see snow…
I am doing just 10 day trip on the above – Know its tough but doable.
Once done will share how tiring it was – and how much we enjoyed
My son loves snow…. (6 years)
Prakash you will get loads of snow at Khardung La Pass, Changla Pass in Ladakh and Baralacha La Pass on Manali – Leh Highway
Hi Dheeraj,
So far I have only been a mute spectator of the wonderful work being done by the DoW team and the entire community. Fantastic Job I must say. Cheers for the idea and the amazing work.
I wanted to plan a driving trip from Delhi to leh and back between 1-8th august. Would that be a good idea and what would be the suggested travel plan(itinerary and sites to visit) from your side. We will be 3-4 people driving in i20 and all can drive so long hours of drive will not be a challenge. Your suggestions/changes required on the travel plan
Regards,
Nikhil
Nikhil, it will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side. This makes it 7 days.You have just 8 days and one day rest is required for acclimaitzation in Leh. Are you fine with it?
Hello Sir,
Please tell me if honda city will be good option to take Srinagar – leh – manali route on 2-14 July 2015??
I mean is it safe with the kind of ground clearance the vehicle has ? Please suggest.
Thanks
Hitesh
Hitesh, I will not suggest that you take Honda City for a Ladakh trip first because of its low ground clearance for sure and secondly even if you take the risk and something happens, the only option might be left for you will be just to two in a normal truck to get it back because local mechanics as well will not be familiar to Honda up there in that region.
Thank you so much Sir.
Sorry to ask you this again, only option I am left with is maruti Ertiga ? Will that do ? Or we should rent a bike and go ???
Please suggest. Thanks a lot for your help.
I will suggest that you with Ertiga and please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
Wow. You are an Amazing personality. Salute to you sir for doing this wonderful help to everybody. I wish we will meet some day.
Thanks for your help. Ill plan my trip with Ertiga following your guidelines and your iternary. Thanks. Have a great day ahead.
Regards,
Hitesh.
Hitesh, if you around Delhi in any of the DoW Mini Meets that happens here in Delhi, do drop in and it will be great to meetup π
Hi Dheeraj,
I’ve been reading quite a lot on DOW. But still have many doubts, so posting it all here instead of the different threads.
I’m planning to visit Ladhak 15th June (Srinagar) onwards.
Following is my plan –
Srinagar – Stay at Kargil – Leh – Rest Day – Leh Sightseeing – Next day. Pangong overnight – Diskit – Diskit, Hunder – Back to Leh – Then to Tso Moriri – Next day Sarchu – Next Day Manali – Then back to Delhi.
Is this plan ok? Do I need to change anything?
Secondly, I’m doing solo backpacking, and I’m not very fond of biking, I plan to use local transport for the whole trip. Will I get shared taxis from Leh – Nubra Valley?
What should be the mode of transport for – Leh – Tso Moriri – Sarchu – Manali ?
While on the way from Srinagar to Kargil, can I visit the War memorial if I’m travelling in a bus/shared taxi?
and finally, is the whole trip worth for solo backpacking? I’m doing it for the first time!
Awaiting your reply,
Thanks!
Gaurav π
Guarav, please do Nubra Valley first and then Pangong Tso to better acclimatize yourself and ensure minimum affect of AMS. You can surely use shared taxis and buses. you will be able to find the shared taxi without much fuss at all. There are lots of flyers which people put at cafes, dine-ins, restaurants, travel agent desks/shops/whiteboards wanting to share the taxis for different trips within Ladakh. Even travel agent organize such shared taxis trip as well but charge a little higher about Rs 200-300 more than it would ideally cost. So, in worst case you can always go back to them and book a seat for yourself. Gelling up with people in Ladakh is more or less easy because many people travel solo and look forward to meet new people and share cultural thoughts and values over the trip. No where else in the world you will find more smiling and helpful people as Ladakhis areΒ π
Leh to Manali, I will prefer HPTDC bus. refer: Rates & Time table of Bus Services in Leh β Ladakh
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning a bike tour for 10 days on bike. Delhi is the start and end point basically, but we are willing to travel to Leh/Manali to start the tour and hire bikes. Wanted to know:
1. How we should plan our trip route. Can you share some routes?
2. What are must see places to cover? How much time should we/ can we spend at each location?
3. How can i find n book hotels/homestays before hand?
Need your advise please!
rgds
Unmesh
It will take 4 days to reach Leh from Srinagar side and 3 days to come back from Leh from Manali side. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days. You can fit in plan I suggested in above para in this plan
Hi Dheeraj,
Congrats & thanks on your good work for running this lively blog.
As like others, I am also looking out for itenary suggestion from you.
I have no clue on this route and I am at level 0, need your utmost help.
We are a group of 8 enthusiastic mid thirties couples , with one an year old infant. We have just 10 days in hand.
We would like to do a self drive trip covering both Srinagar-leh and leh-manali, probably starting on August 3rd.
1. Is it ok to travel with one year old kid on self-drive option like this?
2. Can you suggest a complete 10 day itenary, starting from Srinagar, ending at Manali.
3. Can you suggest for both self-drive option as well as hiring two good cars for the entire trip?
Thank you so much.
Appreciate your earliest reply
Cheers
Aparna
Hi Dheeraj
Sorry i was nt specific in the previous request.
Our guys are looking for self -drive rental car. So i am looking for suggestions on how we can rent a self-drive car in Srinagar and drop that off back in Delhi. And we rent it how can we apply for the permits?
If this is not possible, i will look for the taxi-drivers list from your forum to guide us.
Thanks
For self drive car, please read the article: How to hire a Self Drive Car on Rent for Ladakh or Himalayas
Aparna,
It will take 4 days to reach Leh from Srinagar side and 3 days to come back from Leh from Manali side. This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
It depends on person to person to take the children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age or sex or any fitness level. It can happen to anyone of any age or sex or fitness I shall say :D… The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With less than 3 year child, I think he/she will also be NOT able to convey the uneasiness she may feel. You have to be vigilant and if you notice any such feeling or he/she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!!
Also, PLEASE read the article: Traveling to Ladakh with Kids or Babies. This article covers this topic in complete detail.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
u r doing great job and it’s a great help for many travelers .. as i have been to leh last tear too but somehow could not go tonubra nad tso moriri lakeso i need ur help to assist me as i will be riding a Bullet and i will opt for manali leh route as i love to gouphill from the manali side rather than coming to leh from kargil side . so my planne is
June 19– manali
june 20 —Manali to Sarchu
June 21— Sarchu to Tso moriri (what will bethe route from sarchu and from where to get the permission –Major issue creating headache to me)
June 22– Tso Miririto to Pangong lake
June 23 — stay at Pangong lake ( nearby palces i can visit ??? )
June 24— Pangong to leh
June 25— Leh to Hunder
June 26— Stay at Hunder
June 27– Hunder to Leh
June 28— Leh to Lamayuru ( places to be visit here as i will saty here in night )
June 29— Lamayuru to Drass ( stay at drass — need to know any hotel nofor bookin )
June 30—Drass to Srinagar
July 1 & 2 Srinagar to Delhi
Vikas, if you can reverse the itinerary it will be much better. Please plan it from Srinagar side and come back from Manali side.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning to travel Leh in the month of July and my itinerary is as follows. Can you please tell if its OK or something needs to be changed. We are only 2 (me and my wife) and have contacted with Mr. Rigzin of Leh and he has agreed upon to pick us up from Srinagar and drop at Manali. Looking for your suggestions.
5th Jul: Delhi to Srinagar fly (reaching at 12:50pm), travel till Sonamarg, night stay at Sonamarg
6th Jul: Sonamarg-Lamayuru (sightseeing on the way), night stay at Lamayuru
7th Jul: Lamayuru – Leh (sightseeing on the way), nightstay
8th Jul: Leh sight seeing
9th Jul: Khardung la – Nubra Valley, stay at Deskit/Hunder
10th Jul: Deskit to Sumur to Panamik before returning back to Leh
11th Jul: Local sightseeing / rest
12th Jul: Pangong Tso, night stay at Spangmik
13th Jul: Return Leh, night stay at Leh
14th Jul: Leh to Tso-moriri, Tsomoriri Stay
15th Jul: Tsomoriri to Sarchu/Keylong, nightstay
16th Jul: Sarchu/Keylong to Manali
Regards,
Angshuman
Angshuman, the travel plan to Ladakh seems good enough to me. You will surely enjoy the trip with Rigzin.
Hi,
I am planning to visit Leh by my own car on 18th June 2015 from Delhi, so if you can suggest if the way is open from Manali to Leh and also tell me if I need to take any permission from Manali to go to Leh.
Thanks,
Ashish, Manali – Leh Highway will be open by then for sure. Rohtang Pass permit or congestion charges decision rule was to come out today, will update on the site tomorrow.
Thanks for the quick reply Dheeraj, I really appreciate it.
Everything is fine with my tour except one thing which is bothering my mind is that I overheard that permission from Manali to Leh is not easily granted. so if can just guide me a bit in this case.
Thanks,
Ashish
Ashish, that will surely be a trouble. It is becoming difficult day by day to get the permits done. also, in advance it is becoming practically impossible now. All depends how you manage to take the permit especially in case it is June when you travel July most common crowd of Manali tourists will be sorted as vacations of school will get over.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to go to travel from Srinagar to Leh on 5th July. I saw a list of Taxi drivers on your website. Is that up-to-date? I am planning to call up them and book for my journey from Srinagar to Leh. Your advice please?
Thanks,
Ranjith
Yes Ranjith that list is kept up to date, you can call them up and get connected with the local drivers.
This is our tour itinerary,so could you suggest whtr we can follow this,if any rectification is required then plzz guide me…..
03/08/2015 – reach srinagar by afternoon,pick up from airport and check-in at hotel and evening outing at dal lake and mughal garden
04/08/2015 – start early in the morning for kargil via nh 1A from srinagar, visit the war memorial and the few tourist attraction on the way to kargil.
05/08/2015 – drive till leh, check in hotel and rest evening for your leisure
06/08/2015 – local sightseeing at leh (Visit Shanti stupa, Hall of fame, Magnetic hill, Pathar Sahib & Sangam)
07/08/2015 – from leh to nubra valley (Enroute Kardongla pass)
08/08/2015 – from nubra valley to leh (Enroute Disket, Hunder & Sumoor Area)
09/08/2015 – leh to pangong to leh
10/08/2015 – from leh to tsomoriri lake (Tsokar via Tanglanla)
11/08/2015 – from tsomoriri to keylong
12/08/2015 – from keylong to shimla
13/08/2015 – from shimla to Delhi
Soham, your travel plan for Ladakh seems good to me.
want to confirm one more thing is it possible to do leh-pangong-tso moriri and night stay in tsomoriri in one single day
Soham, that is not possible to do Leh to Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri in a day
Hi dheeraj,
We (six boys) having following plan:
Period : 13 jul to 20 jul
Target and route: pathankot to pangong lake via srinagar n return journey via manali
Vehicle : Innova
So, please guide me with the appropriate itinerary along with most important places to be covered .
Rohit, you have too less a time to travel ladakh. Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as you have 9 days in hand.
Hi Dheeraj,
It’s me, Sammy again!
Thanks to your wonderful taxi drivers list, I was able to get hold of Rigzin. I did mention your site and he was more than happy to discuss our trip. He said he can confirm his availability only in the last week of June. He would send some one else if he isn’t available.
1) For Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Nubra Valley-Leh-Pangong-Leh-Manali , he quoted 45K (Xylo) (3rd July- 12th July).
Is this a good price to freeze the deal?
2) We don’t have an extra day for Tso-morori. Is it possible to do Tso-Morori on the day we start for Manali from Leh?
3) Also I’m a physically challenged person. My legs are affected with polio, but I can walk without support.
For climbing steps I would need support. Will there be any difficulty when visiting monastries? Many steps to climb?
Thanks in advance π
Regards,
Sammy
Hi Sammy,
1. Sounds like a great deal to me, do confirm again π
2. No it is not possible to have Tso Moriri on the way to Manali on the same day
3. Most monasteries have many steps, so there you will need some support.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks for the info, Dheeraj!
I called up Rigzin again and he confirmed that it was 45K for the above mentioned plan (without Tso-morori)
He said for 3 people this is the cost. If it is 6 people, he said the rates would increase.
1) So, if we are finally 5-6 people travelling, how much extra should I strike the deal for?
2) Also he said he may be sending a different driver. Can we blindly trust that his group of drivers also would be like him? π
Please let me know.
Regards,
Sammy
Cool, I think it will be around 60K for the circuit. Second thing I cannot comment upon as I do not have experience with them π π
Hello Dhiraj I own a xuv and was planning a self drive to leh ladakh this November. Can u give some drive tips. How safe is the drive route. I mean the contours n roads
Mitesh, please read: 5 Reasons to Avoid Manali β Leh Highway in October
Dheeraj ji,
Which is best option to while returnign from Leh .do we have must place to visist (leh_manali route).
we are just two members travelling
can we return in 3 days to delhi. What are places we can see while coming .
Please see original plan for .(start date July 23 rd.
Day 1 Chennai-Srinagar (flight)
Day 2 Srinagar to kargil (bus)
Day 3 Kargil-leh (bus)
Day 4 Rest day (bike booking local Site seeing)
Day 5 leh-naubra valley (bike/shared cab)
Day 6 naubra valley -leh (bike/shared cab)
Day 7 leh -panagong lake (bike/shared cab)
Day 8 Pangonng-leh(bike/shared cab)
Day 9 other loacal site seeing (bike/shared cab)
Day 10 Leh-kargil (bus)
Day 11 kargil_srinagar (bus)
Day 12 Srinagar-Chennai (flight)
As always , Please guide ,. the above is good one.
Also if we plan to return via manali route,do we have bus option (since we are just two people).What place we can cover .
Or it is best to rerun via srinagar since we are just coming back.
Please assist.
Thanks
PRaveen
Praveen plan seems good and relaxed but in case you can book the tickets from Chandigarh to back home you can do it like:
Day 9 Leh – Tso Moriri
Day 10 Tso Moriri – Sarchu
Day 11 Sarchu – Manali
Day 12 Manali – chandigarh
OR
Day 9 Relax and book the HPTDC bus to Manali or arrange the shared taxi
Day 10 Leh – Keylong or Sarchu in the bus or shared taxi
Day 11 Reach Manali
Day 12 Manali – Chandigahr
Thanks Deeraj ji.
Please help with your thoughts or from your experience. How about coming back to Delhi instead of chandigarh. could see more flight from delhi .
Also how long it will take to reach from keylong to manali.
is it possible to board manali to delhi bus the same evening /night.
Thank you once again for your response and time.
Yes Praveen, you can start in the morning from Keylong and reach Manali and in the evening catch the bus to Delhi from Manali easily.
NO words to thank you.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, thank you for all the info and updates that you provide here. I am planning my trip as per the itinerary mentioned here. I have one query though on which I would like you inputs. Are there any other places around Leh which are not covered in this itinerary and worth a visit. One of such I can think of is Hanle Village.
Regards,
Prateek
Yes, Prateek Hanle is not covered as it is not a common place which all tourists visit. In case you want to visit Hanle, you can travel to Hanle on the rest day after Pangong Tso from Leh and then from Hanle go over directly to Tso Moriri, finally follow the rest of the plan after Tso moriri.
You will need to carry extra fuel which will ensure you cover about 850 KMs of distance without fuel pump and also need to take inner line permits from DC office Leh. Detailed process is enlisted under the article along with download application form: Inner Line Permits for Leh β Ladakh
Thank You for the inputs Dheeraj bhai. Any more such places nearby that you would suggest?
Prateek, focus on these only as of now and I am sure you will feel lost in them itself in Ladakh π
Advice taken sir π
Hi!
We are travelling from Chandigarh to Srinagar to Leh. We have already made our hotel booking at Srinagar. We have not made any further hotel bookings yet. My question is that would you suggest to travel without prior hotel bookings as that gives the trip a little more flexibility or do you think that we should book hotels in advance as they might be overbooked. Please advice.
Thanks
Hi Pradeep,
I can speak for myself. For my entire Ladakh trip (2 weeks back), the only places where I had made reservation in advance were Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri as there are not too many brick and mortar constructions in those remote places by the lakeside. For all other places I was carrying the list of hotels/guest houses recommended by DoW and their contact details. As I had a car, I could call up those hotels and guest houses as we reached the respective places and tried to get a good deal.
Some of the hotels I stayed in and liked are (The rates are all for 3 people in one room):
Pahalgham – Beach resort ( Rs 1500 / room – does not include any food). This is a neat place right by the side of Lidder river. Go for one of the river facing rooms. The owner Mr. Imran is quite knowledgeable about the place
Srinagar – I wanted to experience staying in Dal Lake but figured out Dal Lake is too crowded with houseboats. So we opted to stay in New Jaquiline Houseboat in Nigin lake which is connected to Dal lake and far less crowded. We got Rs 4000/room inclusive of breakfast and dinner. The owner Mr. Maqsood is really quite good and knowledgeable.
Kargil: Zozila Residency. Paid Rs 3300 /room inclusive of breakfast and Diner
Leh: Sia La Guest House. This a very neat property close to the market and some good restaurants like Lamayuru or Gesmo or even the market within walking distance . The owner Mr. Nabile is very nice. Food is quite good and homely. 2 Bed room costed Rs 1800 and 3 bedroom costed Rs 2200 including breakfast. Diner costed Rs 200/person. They have a Wi-FI Network too although it was not working when I was there.
Hunder: Snow Leopard Guest House, Rs 2500 per room including breakfast and Diner. Talk to Sandeep for a good rate.
Pangong: Pangong Inn. Rs 3600/room. This is probably one of the best places to stay there considering that it can be too cold and windy in the night. Mr. Amarinder is one of the most helpful persons and can help you with lot of information.
Have a great trip.
Partha
Thank you Partha for sharing these details, updated in the community in Hotels, Guest Houses section.
Hi Dheeraj,
Just finished my Ladakh Trip Last week along with my family (my parents – 80 and 70 years old), my sister, wife and son who is 12 years old. Dow has been of great help in this trip. My itinerary was this:
18th May: Fly to Srinagar, Travel to Pahalgham
19th May: Pahlgham sight seeing, Travel to Srinagar, Stay in a houseboat in Nigin Lake
20th May: See Nishadbag, Drive through Sonmarg, Zozi La, Drass. Night stay in Kargil
21st May:Drive through Fotu La, Namki La, Lamayuru, Moonland, Magnetic Hill. Indus and Zanskar river confluence, Night Stay in Leh
22nd May: Acclimatization in Leh
23rd May: Cross Kardungla, Reach Nubra Valley Stay in Hunder
24th May: Drive through Shyok village to Pangong. Stay in Pangong Inn
25th May: Drive through Chang La back to Leh
26th & 27th May(extra days): Leh Sight seeing
28th Morning: Fly out
I had to change my original plan of driving from Jammu to Srinagar as the road was open only for one way traffic. For those who would like to experience a night stay in house boat in Srinagar, I figured out Nigin lake would be more quiet and scenic. The drive from Srinagar to Leh was spectacular. I am glad that I did it on advise from DoW for acclimatization. But it is truly beautiful.
Crossing mighty Khardungla was an experience. We spent way more than the time we should have spent and in the end I was having a severe headache. Nubra valley on the other side of Khardungla was hauntingly beautiful.
Nubra to Pangong via Shyok has been a very memorable drive. But we could hardly see a car on the way to Durbuk. There was not much water however the road does not exist in many places. So unless the driver is very experienced, it is better not to take this road.
Pangong was extremely cold and it was snowing when we reached there. However it was quite clear next morning.
I had the plan to visit Tso Moriri through Chushul on 26th May however we were feeling quite restless in the night Pangong. As my parents and my son were travelling and I did not want to push any further and decided to come back to Leh. FYI, as a precaution I had carried the oxygen cylinder that is available on rent (about Rs 800/day) in Leh market as I felt that it is slightly better( can provide oxygen for about an hour) than the small bottles that last 10 puffs.
Many thanks to DoW for helping me plan this trip and pulling it through. I would like to see Tso Moriri but that can happen some other time.
Best regards,
Partha
Thank you much Partha for sharing the experience and especially the info. about the oxygen cylinder rent.
Hi Dheeraj
Three of us are planning a trip according to your itenarary. I just wanted to know about the mode of transport.
Is it possible to rent a bike from Srinagar? What will be its cost?
Or is it better to take a taxi to leh?
Can we hire a bike from leh to manali and can we drop it off at manali? What will be its cost?
Regards
Mila
PS: You have an amazing site π
Mila, For Srinagar bike rental you can refer the link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/outside-rented-bikes-banned-ladakh-t1009-50.html#p12858
Also, please go through: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh β Ladakh and Ride with Pillion where you will get info. about one way rentals too and the drop rates.
Dear Dheeraj,
I must say you r doing a wonderful job.
I am planning a trip with my family and friends (6 people) from 8th Aug-16th August.
We will reach Srinagar on 8th hire a taxi and leave for Kargil. Night stay at Kargil and next day leave for Leh and reach by night.
So in total we have 7 nights and 6 days in Leh.
Please advice us what all places can we visit with missing anything important.
Thanks in advance.
Kalyani, you can follow below plan for rest of the 6 days in Leh:
Day 1 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— Hire a taxi from Leh taxi stand or Hotel whichever suits you.
— Bargain with taxi driver and you can refer the thread for a comprehensive list of drivers: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/listof-taxi-drivers-for-ladakh-srinagar-leh-manali-t353.html
— Take his inputs if you feel reasonable and if required modify the plan accordingly but should suits you best.
— Ask him to be with you guys starting first day itself, if required and charged reasonable else do it at your own.
— Again DO NOT over exert and take little steps and slow walks only.
— If feeling OK then do Local sightseeing. To know the about the places to visit check the link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/travel-guide-local-sightseeing-leh-ladakh/
— Do not use stairs at any of these places just to see them as it will exert your body much more.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 2 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder – Turtuk
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Turtuk
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— enjoy the culture in the Turtuk Village
— do mention Turtuk on the permits
Day 3 | Turtuk – Hunder
— Spend whole day at Turtuk and reach Hunder by evening
— Overnight at Hunder
Day 4 | Hunder – Deskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
— Enjoy drive upto Panamik, visit Yarab Tso Lake and back Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | 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 6 | 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
Thanks for the above itinerary.
I have another query can we do this : LEH to Nubra Valley, night stay at Nubra then next day Nubra to Pangong and stay in Pangong. Next day Pangong to Leh.
If above is suggested then also advice which route to be followed.
Suggest some good accommodation in Nubra and Pangong.
Kalyani, you can do Pangong Tso – Nubra direct route but factor our the risks present under the article before taking the decision: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Sir Dheeraj Sharma, It has been amazing reading your posts on DOW. I have been reading it and planning a trip for over a month. I plan to leave for Leh on 12th June from Delhi. I have read at many places that Inner line permits are not required for Indian Nationals now. I need to know if i need a permit for Pangong tso and Nubra valley.
Plus one more ques, I will be going by a private XUV with a driver but the owner will not be accompanying us. Will it create some problem?
No Tarun, you do not need any permit for Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley if all are Indians in the group. No as long as the XUV has a white number plate it will not create a problem. Just to be on safer side carry a NOC from the owner.
Hello sir
I want to plan a trip in july 1st week with my fiancee. She wanted a road trip to Leh every since she was 16. But there are many doubts in my mind. Following are the places we want to cover & the doubt:-
Places-
1) Kargil
2) Khardung La
3) Tso Kar
4) Shanti Stupa
5) Penzila
6) Stod river
7) Changtang
8) Zanskar
9) Dha hanu
10) Nubra
11) Lamayuru monestry
12) Zojila pass
13) Suru valley
14) Zangla fort
15) Sham valley
16) Mahe village
17) Pangong lake
18) Tso moriri lake
Also we are interested in doing adventure sports like:
1) paragliding
2) rafting
Doubts:
1) Is it feasible to cover all the destinations(mentioned above) in 1 trip. If yes then how many days are required for trip starting and ending in mumbai?
2) Is it safe for just the 2 of us to go by my bike if i get my bike till jammu in train maal dabba?
3) If not safe then can we take a taxi til leh & then heir a bike later once we reach for nearby places and local sight seeing. (because its her dream to roam on a bike up there)
4) Incase if we cant make it alone then can u suggest any camp organizers whose itinerary covers the spots we want to visit?
M sorry for the length of the message & it will be really great of u if u manage to answer my queries π
Chirag, please find my replies below:
1. Yes, possible and will need around 22-25 days for a comfortable trip
2. Many couples do it every year. Tag along with people of similar interest on the road.
3. You can do that as well based on the comfort and riding you can do.
4. You can check the Travel Calendar where other people have posted their plans too and looking for people with preferences to either share cost or tag along for safety and company reasons. Either you can post yours too or connect with people already posted up there
Regards
Dheeraj
Helloo Dhiraj,
you are doing wonderful job buddy. my first tour to leh ladakh and i m very confusing about it. kindly can u make my itinerary for tour starting for 25th from porbandar. i ll be reaching delhi on 26th and then travelling to manali by bus. by staying 1 day in manali and will hire bikes from manali for leh. so kindly guide from where i get bikes in manali, what are the charges for the same, kindly plan how should i plan to my tour from manali, how many days need to spend in leh, pls make full itinerary. i would like to know all the bike road trip in leh ladakh. we are 2 or 3 friends. and are the roads open in june end. looking for your revert soon so that i can book my flight from ahmedabad to delhi earliet.
thanks,
Kushal
Kushal, how are you planning to return? Are you planing to take the flight out of Leh?
Hi Dheeraj
We are a group of 5-7 people traveliing from srinagar to manali in first week of July. Have a bunch of questions:
1. If we book stays on the spot, then will it b cheaper than booking in advance for the whole tour?
2. Where is it advisable to stay at night on way to Leh – Sonmarg or Kargil? If at kargil, then is it safe?
Hi Sunny,
1. Yes, it is always cheaper to book on the spot than advance over phone.
2. Yes, you must stay at Kargil to ease out the journey over Srinagar – Leh Highway
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
1st of all, a BIG thank you for the amazing informations and input you have here.
I am planning my Gurgaon to Leh roadtrip along with my wife and kid (1 and 5 months old) in June end.
Could you help me with your input on good hotels or home stays options near Patnitop, Jammu, Udampur ….
Anoop, in Patnitop there is this Greentop, Aromatop, which have had nice review. Regarding Jammu and Udhampur, not stayed up there π
Hi Dheeraj. Is it ok to start from srinagar around 2pm to reach kargil the same day in july first week?
Nidhi, it will be much better that you halt night at Sonamarg and then next day do Sonamarg to Leh by leaving by 5-6 AM from Sonamarg. This will be much better.
K Thanks. And if we leave at 11am then?
You will reach Kargil by 7 PM
Hi Dheeraj,
I think my reply below got lost among other posts. I’ve replied to your response with few more questions in the thread posted by me below.
Could you please help? π
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Sammy
Sammy, just replied, please see if I missed any other comment.
Thank you so much for your reply, Dheeraj.
Need to consult my doctor reg. the BP. But I’m thinking it should be fine (After reading the article) if adequate precautions about hydration and acclimatization are taken.
We have planned it between 9th July and 20th July. As of now we are 3 people only. Hoping that the less number shouldn’t increase our budgets.
Sammy
Sure Sammy, best wishes for the trip.
Hello Dheeraj. When will manali-leh highway open? is it advisable to take manali-leh highway or srinagar-leh hghway? we start around 20th June 2015 from Delhi. Also kindly suggest best way of transport (rented cars preferably) for the entire journey. I am confused between following options:
1. Rent a car from delhi for Delhi – Srinagar- Leh – Manali- Delhi
2. Take a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. Get a car for Srinagar – Leh – Manali (Please tell me the best way!). Then take bus from Manali – Delhi (or continue in the same car?)
Ankur, Manali – Leh Highway is expected to open by 15th June, most probable date is between 15-20 June. Second option is a better bet. After reaching Srinaagr, you can ask many of the ladakhi drivers listed under link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/listof-taxi-drivers-for-ladakh-srinagar-leh-manali-t353.html
They can come and pick you up in Srinagar and after entire tour can drop you in Manali
hi dheeraj. first of all thank u so much for all the info. i have gone thro most of ur website n its awesome for the ladakh trip. i have gone thro ur website n planned the below ititnery in month of aug.please let me know if this is doable. we are minimum 2 guys planninn a renetd royal enfield ride (2 bikes). others may join in but not sure.
aug 15..manali
aug 16 manali to sarchu
aug 17 sarchu to tso moiri
aug 18 tso moiri to pangong
aug 19 pangong to nubra
aug 20 nubra to leh
aug 21 rest in leh
aug22 leh to kargil
aug 23 kargil to srinagar
drop off the bikes in srinagar
thanks
Srikanth, the itinerary is a recipe of disaster in terms of AMS and it can land you up in a very very bad health state if AMS hits you. You have just 9 days in hand from Manali to Srinagar, it is better that you follow something as below:
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
— 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 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 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
Day 9 | 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 10 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Sonamarg
— Overnight at Srinagar
Hi Dheeraj
Thank you so much for the reply and guidance. I have changed the plan. I plan to fly from delhi to leh and start the trip from leh (I don’t hv 14 days tym for manali to leh trip). below is the itinerary. please suggest if this is doable.
aug 16…delhi to leh (early morn flite), rest in leh
aug 17 leh to tsomoiri via mahe or tsokar
aug 18 tso moiri to pangong
aug 19 pangong to nubra via wari la (refuel in karu)
aug 20 nubra to leh
aug 21 leh to kargil
aug 22 kargil to Srinagar.
1 day extra (as I have 4 pm flite from Srinagar on 24.aug)
now as far as I hv read I wil need permit to travel to tso moirir n then to pangong. aug 16 bein sunday I cant get It on that day. so I wil hv to get the permits prior to my arrival. is that possible? can any travel agent arrange that? I plan to rent bikes from leh, so wil that person be able to arrange permits.
Hi Srikanth,
Please follow the below plan in case you want to be safe and sound and enjoy the trip with no health hassles.
aug 16β¦delhi to leh (early morn flite), rest in leh
aug 17 Rest in leh and acclimatize for first half, second half go for light sightseeing in Leh
aug 18 Leh – Nubra Valley
aug 19 Nubra Valey – Leh
aug 20 Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
aug 21 leh to kargil
aug 22 kargil to Srinagar.
1 day extra (as I have 4 pm flite from Srinagar on 24.aug)
In above, you can also do
aug 20 Leh – Pangong Tso
aug 21 Pangong tso – Leh
aug 22 Leh – Sonamarg
23rd: Sonamarg – Srinagar
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
5-6 of us have planned a trip to Ladakh in the 1st week of July, 2015.
Here’s our Itenerary.
Day 1 Hyderabad – Srinagar
Day 2 Srinagar – Kargil
Day 3 Kargil – Leh
Day 4 Leh (Rest for Acclimitisation)
Day 5 Leh (Rest for Acclimitisation)
Day 6 Leh – Nubra Valley
Day 7 Nubra Valley – Leh
Day 8 Pangong Lake
Day 9 Leh (Rest)
Day 10 Leh-Manali
Day 11 Leh-Manali
Mode of Transportation – Hired Taxis
Number of people – 5-6
1) Could you please let us know whether the Itenerary is fine?
2) Should we add one more day for Nubra Valley?
3) Should we add a rest day after we return from Nubra and before we leave for Pangong?
4) Should we avoid staying overnight at Pangong lake?
5) Is Tsomoriri Lake worth visiting?
6) If we are 6 people, will it be possible to travel in 1 hired taxi (XUV) ?
Sorry for the long list of questions. I’m excited about this trip. Would be great if you could advise me π
Sammy
Hello Sammy,
1. Itinerary is fine. There is no need for two days acclimatization in Leh. Rather use that day and make two day trip to Pangong tso
2. No, add one to Pangong as suggested in 1. In case you have one more day then add Tso Moriri
3. I will say once you come back from Pangong Tso add the rest day if required else move to Tso Moriri that day
4. yes, you have days
5. you will not regret visiting Tso Moriri
6. Yes but will be quite tight.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for your response! π
We took your advise. Removed 1 rest day and added a night stay at Pangong Lake.
Have couple of questions.
1) Due to leave issues in office we may have to postpone our trip to last week of July or first week of August. Do you think there would be any issues due to weather/festivals during that time? There was a flash flood in August, 2 years back π
2) I have blood pressure and I take tablets on a daily basis as a precautionary measure. Will that affect me if I undertake the trip? Will there be a surge in BP at high altitudes? I’m anyway planning to consult my doctor on this. But your advise would be useful too.
3) Since we will be hiring taxis for Srinagar-Leh and Leh-Manali trips and there are many scenic spots on the way, will the drivers be patient enough if we want to make stops for photographs?
Thanks,
Sammy
Hello Sammy,
1. Well, no one can predict weather but in general it is fine up there with lower hills having rains. And flash flood came in 2010 as I was right there in between the disaster π
2. Please read the topic in DwD Community: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/himalayan-travel-guides/acute-mountain-sickness-acclimatization-t16-20.html#p12523
3. Yes, the drivers will mostly be patient and stop you whenever you ask them.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
I have gone thru few posts and have got a fair idea abt the trip. We are 3 of us flying from mumbai in 2nd of july , as suggested we will take a flight to srinagar and halt in sonmargh (day 1) . Day 2 drive till kargil. Day 3 leh. Now we are left with only 4 more nights, so would u suggest that we see in arnd around leh and fly back , looks like the best option ? Or would u suggest that leh manali is so scenic that i plan it next time with few more days in hand. To end with , ur site is amazing with a lot of info ,will go thru it in detail.
Regards,
Mangesh rane.
Mangesh, you can rest for one day in Leh, then two day trip to Nubra Valley as suggested above and then finally one day trip to Pangong Tso to plan your 4 day travel.
Hello Dheeraj Bhai,
Thanks for sharing the itinerary. Can tis plan be worked out for bike trip..Specially the day 1 which involves 12 to 13 hrs drive..?? we are a group of 6 planin for our first ladakh trip tis jun.. 14 to 28, following this travel plan..
Any info about the nubra valley pangong tso direct route status via wari la for this season.. Has anyone done this route tis season.. N also Pangong- tso moriri direct route..
Harshal, please read the articles: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route and Tips for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri Direct Route
awsm n very meaningful work done by you sir…great …
Thank you π
Hi dheeraj,
Can you update me on the road and weather conditions for 18th to 28th june
And is it possible to cover delhi – srinagar – leh – manali – delhi in 8 days ?
Saksham, it will be quite tough to do it in 8 days. 4 days it will take to reach Leh, 1 day rest and then 3 days it will take at least to come back from Manali side. Means you do not see anything in Ladakh.
Hi
With your guidance we were able to make some plan with lot of queries please go through it and guide accordingly.
Sept 1: Delhi to Srinagar (by Air) – Srinagar to kargil by bus(Q: is it possible the same day?? At what time the bus starts?? Is booking easily available/what should be done to get the tickets?)
Sept 2: Kargil to leh by bus stay in Tent (Q: Hotel or tent?? we are more towards camping throughout the trip but safety is the concern!! Q: are there any particular spots/areas to set up a tent??)
Sept 3: Local Sight seeing, renting a bike for rest of the trip (Stay?? – same concerns!!)
Sept 4: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder on bike. (Stay?? – same concerns!!)
Sept 5: Hunder – panong tso via wari la route (Stay?? – same concerns!!)
Sept 6: Panong tso – leh (Visiting monastries in between)
Sept 7: Leh to delhi (by air)
Please give us more tips for bike journey too…. would it be alright to do the whole trip on bike? or it would be to do nubra via taxi come back to leh and get a bike for panong tso??
had read somewhere that we need local permits to go to nubra valley it said panamik is the last point for tourists and we have to obtain permissions from DC to go ahead to nubra!! is it so or the article i read was old??
Waiting for your reply so that i can book tickets accordingly…
thanks
Deepak Chhabra
Hi Dheeraj
Sorry for bothering you time n again. but as i told you that I am dependent on DOW and your expertise for my travel plan…. please clarify my concerns i discussed above so that I can make the bookings and submit make arrangements for work accordingly.
waiting in anticipation
Thanks in advance
Deepak Chhabra
Here it is replied Deepak: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/most-common-itinerary-for-leh-ladakh/comment-page-10/#comment-329170
Hi Deepak,
Please find my comments below:
1. Bus will not be possible AFAIK, most of the buses leave by 7 AM. If lucky, you may get some shared taxi. It takes around 8 Hrs to reach Kargil from Srinagar
2. You can ask the owner of the guest house or homestay to allow you to tent. That will provide some safety. Else will suggest better stay in guest house or homestay in Leh and at other place pitch the tent.
3. Hunder to Pangong Tso via Wari La pass is something on rented bike I will say is much higher risk in case the bike is not good condition. Finding help up there is very difficult in case the need arise. Read more in detail at: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
4. You are taking Wari La route so in any case you cannot do Sumur Panamik unless you want to make it too hectic. But, yes the article is partially true that in Nubra Valley you can now from year 2015 go beyond Panamik to Warshi Village towards Siachen basecamp which is about 39 KMs from Panamik.
thanks
Chhabra
Thanks dheeraj
I would do the bookings today itself…. And we have replaned going pangong via wari last… Instead we plan to come back to leh… As suggested…. Thanks for the guidance….
Regards
Deeper chhabra
Best wishes for your Ladakh trip. If possible, try and share your Himalayan experience with us at DoW – Himalayan Travel Community as Photo Tale or Travel Tale Or your reviews of the hotels/guest houses where you stayed or dhabhas/restaurants you ate food on your trip… All this might help others planning the similar trip too π π
hi dheeraj
i am starting from delhi at 10 pm on 10 th june
and i wanna reach leh by 13th night. (via srinagar )
plz suggest me what shud i do.
plz consider
oneway traffic from sonmarg to drass 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM
plz make a short itinerary for these 3 days..
thank you
Karnesh, in that case take a bus or train to Jammu which will make you reach on 11th morning. 11th morning, from Jammu you can reach Srinagar in just one day. 12th Next day start by 5 AM from Srinagar and you will be able to reach by 10 AM and cross Zojila to reach Kargil. On 13th, you can do Kargil to Leh.
hi dheeraj thank you
take a looks on my itinerary and give me your valuable suggestion
i’ve booked XUV from ZOOM
i will start from delhi at 10 PM on 10 th of june
overnight journy reach to patni top at 3 Pm on 11th
stay there for night.
next day on 12th june will start from patnitop and reach sonmarg . night stay at sonmarg.
next day on 13th will start from sonmarg to leh reach at leh by evening.
suggest me
KArnesh, very hectic but doable in case you can drive that much consecutively 3 days. DO READ: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization
dheeraj, we are total 6.
out of 6 we three can drive.
is it ok to cover this distance in 3 days.. ?
Karnesh, may be yes. All depends upon if you are feeling fine of AMS. Do read the article I suggested for AMS in previous reply.
dheeraj
thank you π
explain me four day plan. with sight seeing
delhi to srinager…..
Karnesh please refer the article above.
Hi Dheeraj,
Your site is excellent and has been invaluable to me in planning. I have a question re heading straight to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley: is there a reason why you suggest going via Wari La and not via Shyok? Shyok looks like a much shorter route both time and distance wise.
Thank you!
Liesel, shyok route is extremely desolated, more than Wari La. No one takes that route in general even locals. The shyok river gets swollen and comes on road, buries the road under it. There is a mountain that keeps falling and is still unstable of that road. Hence, the reason the route is not yet made open to all despite being cleared now for almost more than 4-5 years. Read and see some pictures: Adventures of Shyok Village Route | Ladakh β 2012
Rest read in the article: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Thanks Dheeraj!
Hi dheeraj
This is the second time I am writing to you…. Actually earlier it was just an intent but now my sure it’s gonna materialise…. Me n my frien are planning to go on his bachelor trip. We are planning to fly directly to leh on 23 September ( will it be the right time??)…. As we will b keeping our clinics closed we wouldn’t be able to take out much time 5-7 days max!!
We plan to rent a bike once we reach let and plan to live in personal or hired tents…. Please guide me with how to plan the trip… And is camping for first timers safe??
Getting good deals on air tickets but still confused Coz I don’t know much…. You are my only resort….
Waiting for your reply
Deepak
Hi Deepak,
Well, the time you have chosen is somewhat cold period if I consider that you guys will be sleeping in tents. May be prepone by couple of weeks in case you wish to sleep in tents else Leh shall still be fine but places like Pangong Tso and Tso moriri you will feel very cold. So, drop that idea at least on these places and you can still go in the time proposed. You can refer the plan as: Leh β Ladakh | Most Common Itinerary by Air
Cut down the last few days to suit according to you.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks for the swift reply
Cold as in it will be just chilly or snowy… Coz I don’t wish to go there in snow… So would it b fine in end of august??
Deepak, it can turn out both. snowfall begins in September in high reaches and at time happen in lower reaches too. Windy for sure and the temperatures will also dip. Best is anywhere between first two weeks of September.
Hello Dheeraj, Your webpage is quite awesome & I’ve been following it for quite some time now. I am planning Leh trip in mid June & would need your kind advise. Below is our itinerary
20/06 – Manali – Sarchu via Rotangla pass (Halt @ Sarchu camps)
21/06 – Sarchu – Leh via Taklanga pass (Stay @ Leh)
22/06 – Leh local sigh seeing(Sham Valley, Hall of Fame Musuem, Magnetic Hall, Sangam Point, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Alchi Monastery)
23/06 – Leh – Nubra Valley via Khardungla (Halt @ Nubra Hunder)
24/06 – Hunder – Pangong (Halt @ Pangong)
25/06 – Pangong – Leh (Halt @ Leh)
26/06 – Leh – Tsomoriri Lake (Halt @ Tsomoriri)
27/06 – Tsomoriri – Keylong (Halt)
28/06 – Keylong – Manali
The above is the advised itinerary by one of the drivers whom we directly contacted, he is asking for 67k as cab charges only. Please advise if the charges are fine, also your opinion on the itinerary would be much appreciated. We are 4 travellers. Cheers.
Vinay, I in general do not recommend a stay at Sarchu because of its altitude and your body will not be acclimaitzed to sleep at it that early. Do Manali to Jispa and next day do Jispa to Leh. After reaching Leh rest for the day and just do local sightseeing and skip Sham Valley. While coming back do Tso moriri to sarchu and then sarchu to manali. Regarding direct route of Nubra to Pangong Tso, refer the article: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Thank you for your quick reply. We have to cut short a few days & below is the revised itinerary. My co-travellers are insisting that we stay at Sarchu camps
20/06 – Manali – Sarchu(stay at Mulkila Camp)
21/06 – Sarchu – Leh(stay at Barath Guest house)
22/06 – Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardongla Pass visiting Disket, Hunder(stay at Galaxy Guest house)
23/06 – Nubra – Pangong Lake via WariLa Pass (stay @ Himalayan Wooden Cottages)
24/06 – Pinging Lake – Leh via Chanla Pass (stay @ Barath Guest house)
25/06 – Leh – Keylong(stay at Dupchin Hotel)
26/06 – Reach Manali
Also, for the above we are getting an Innova for 58k, please advise if the fare is decent as we are in direct contact with one of the drivers(thanks to DoW)
Vinay, I can just warn you of issues. Take care of everyone at Sarchu and tell them that they don’t blame you or the place in case they feel nausea and headache. BTW, sarchu is also termed as Vomit Hilton π … Regarding itinerary it is practically just OK, on body very tough and have High chances of falling sick. Regarding price of Innova, it seems decent.
Hi Dheeraj,
This is Ganesh from Pune. I really appreciate the way in which you provide information to all of us. DoW provide valuable information about travelling in Himalayas. We had visited Spiti valley in last August now we are planning to visit Leh-Ladakh this August. We have 8 days in hand as we will reach Manali on 31st July night and our return flight is on 10th August from Chandigarh. We will have to leave Manali by 5 pm on 9th August. We will rent bikes in Manali.
Following are two options:
Option 1
Manali — Leh — Pangong Tso — Nubra
Day 1 | Manali – KEYLONG
Day 2 | KEYLONG – Pang
Day 3 | Pang – LEH
Day 4 | LEH – Pangong Tso
Day 5 | Pangong Tso – Nubra Valley
Day 6 | Nubra Valley – LEH
Day 7 | LEH – Sarchu
Day 8 | Sarchu – Manali
Option 2
Manali — Leh — Pangong Tso
Day 1 | Manali – KEYLONG
Day 2 | KEYLONG – Pang
Day 3 | Pang – LEH
Day 4 | LEH – Pangong Tso
Day 5 | Pangong Tso – LEH
Day 6 | A day halt at leh
Day 7 | LEH – Sarchu
Day 8 | Sarchu – Manali
Could you please let me know which option is feasible for us OR suggest us a itinerary. Please also let us know whether is it possible for us to Nubra valley/Khardung La or not?
Thanks in advance.
Waiting for your reply.
Best Regards,
Ganesh
Hi Ganesh,
Out of the two above I will not recommend any. You have just 8 days, you can try to follow below plan:
Day 1 | Manali β Jispa
Day 2 | Jispa β Leh
Day 3 | Leh Rest Day
Day 4 | Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley
Day 5 | Nubra Valley β LEH
Day 6 | Leh – Pangong Tso
Day 7 | Pangong Tso β Pang / Sarchu (start positively between 6-7 AM)
Day 8 | Pang / Sarchu β Manali
Regards
Dheeraj
Thank you for suggesting us a plan. We will try to follow above plan.
Hello Sir,
I am planning a trip to leh ladakh on 9th june, 2015.
We are 4 people plus driver. I will travel by hyundai I20. I would start my trip from panipat and would go through srinagar leh highway and return by leh manali highway. I would we really thankful to you if you prepare a Itinerary for me.
Regards,
SHASHANK SANGAL
Shashank, please refer the article above for he plan. Also, i20 will really struggle in these days to travel over Zojila pass and Manali – Leh Highway. For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
Hi Deeraj,
Let me know if it is worth a try to do it in 10 days – Start on 19th June and return on or before 28 June
I plan to do Delhi – Patni – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh – Leh – Leh – Kargil – Srinagar – Patni – Delhi – Need little more help in Planning – Coz itz – I have a 6 year old son coming along.
Option A – take my I10 or Take nissan terrano on Rent and drive him.
Also in the Left over 2 days in Leh – Please plan a itinerary for me to cover the most important no way miss Place in Leh.
Replied here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/most-common-itinerary-for-leh-ladakh/comment-page-9/#comment-328305
Prakash, do not thing it will be worth doing in 10 days as it will take 4 days just to reach Leh and then 4 days to come back. Finally, 1 day of rest in Leh. So, you will be left with just 1 day either to do day trip to Khardung La or day trip to Pangong Tso.
this is our itinerary:
3/8/15: arrive srinagar by afternoon check in at hotel and evening outing at dal lake and sankaryacharyi mandir.
04/08/2015 – start early in the morning for kargil via nh 1A from srinagar, visit the war memorial and the few tourist attraction on the way to kargil.
05/08/2015 – drive till leh, check in hotel and rest evening for your leisure
06/08/2015 – local sightseeing at leh
07/08/2015 – from leh to nubra valley
08/08/2015- from nubra valley to pangong and overnight at pangong
09/08/2015- from pangong to tsaga la
10/08/2015- from tsagala to tsomoriri lake
11/08/2015- from tsomoriri to keylong
12/08/2015- from keylong to manali
13/08/2015- from manali to Delhi
is the itinerary is ok….we will be 6 pax and we want budget accomodation for the tour on twin sharing basis,want the car from srinagar to delhi,so what will be the approximate budget we should keep,considering 6 pax and what car we should go for a comfortable journey
Soham apart from the direct routes you are taking up, it looks fine. Please read the risks described int he articles:
Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route AND Tips for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri Direct Route
hello sir,
this is the revised itinerary we hv planned
3/8/15: arrive srinagar by afternoon check in at hotel and evening outing at dal lake and sankaryacharyi mandir.
04/08/2015 – start early in the morning for kargil via nh 1A from srinagar, visit the war memorial and the few tourist attraction on the way to kargil.
05/08/2015 – drive till leh, check in hotel and rest evening for your leisure
06/08/2015 – local sightseeing at leh
07/08/2015 – from leh to nubra valley
08/08/2015- from nubra valley to leh
09/08/2015- leh to pangong and pangong to upsi
10/08/2015- from upsi to tsomoriri lake
11/08/2015- from tsomoriri to keylong
12/08/2015- from keylong to manali
13/08/2015- from manali to Delhi
You should do Tso Moriri to Sarchu and then from Sarchu to Manali to seal it for you π
Hi Folks , we’re a group of 4 planning to get leh’d this summer. We’ll be driving Scorpio and have made a tentative itinerary. Would appreciate if you can comment/suggest/modify on below mentioned itinerary :-
12th to 13th > Delhi to Pahalgam (Approx 860 Kms)
13th > night stay @ pahalgam
14th > Around pahalgam (Aru Valley,Betab Valley , Baisaran and Chandanwari) , night stay @ Pahalgam
15th > Pahalgam to Kargil , night stay@ Kargil. (Approx 300 Kms)
16th > Kargil to Leh , Night stay @ Leh, (Approx 215 Kms)
17th > Leh local sigh seeing , Night stay @ Leh,
18th > Leh – Nubra valley thru ‘Disket-Hunder-Turtuk (night stay @Turtuk) (Approx 210)
19th > Turtuk – Summor-Panamik- Leh (Night stay @ Leh) Approx (220)
20th> Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh , Night stay @ Leh, (Approx 340kms)
21st > Leh – Sarchu (Night stay @ Sarchu) (Approx 260 Kms)
22nd > Sarchu to Manali (Night stay @manali) (Approx 230 Kms)
23rd > Manali to Delhi (Approx 560)
Sumit, technically the itinerary is fine and doable BUT in the days from 18-23 it will get really hectic with drives of about 12+ Hrs on an average on all these days.
Thanks for your prompt reply dheeraj !
Not questioning your expertise at all π , but speaking of 18th and 19th apart from south pullu to north pullu .. roads are decent from Leh till Turtuk, i dont think it’ll take more than 8 hours … So if i start by 6 am from Leh , should be there in turtuk by 5 pm (including an hour @ sand dunes and an hour @ diskit) ….. and will revisit the spots again for sometime while going back to Leh.
20th >>> Leh- pangong-Leh > totally agree , it’ll be a long day.
23rd >>> surely around 12 hours
But why it’ll take 12+ hours from leh to sarchu and sarchu to manali , i guess on both days drive should not be of more than 10 hours (I believe in starting day early). Please advise !
Sumit, I never said that it will be 12 Hrs all days. I said on an average you will spend this time over these days. Also, the time I am not saying drive time it is more or less the time on the road. I have told you based on my experience from the past π
It all depends if you just drive or enjoy the beauty on the way. Leh to Turtuk with decent stops on the way and Deskit, Hunder sand dune, safari etc.. will take you easily around 11-12. Same goes with return and I have presumed sumur – Panamik in your plan that will eat up time too. Pangong tso you know. Now Leh to Sarchu might be OK and done in 8-9 Hrs BUT Sarchu to Manali with road just opened and hell into the season time rush of June, can take anything. On a lucky day 9-10 Hrs on an unlucky day you will not even reach to Manali in a day. Take into account that you will be traveling when the road just opens π
Then with season rush at peak Manali – Delhi no less than 13-14 Hrs for sure even if you just run and run without eating due to bad roads and all. May be I drive too slow if you beat this time π
Hi Dheeraj,
I am big fan of your knowledge and help you doing for people. I saw your website in 2013 when I made a plan to Leh but my fortune was not good to mature that plan in year 2013.
Now this time I made my plan for this year and make all arrangement. I am planning to start my trip on 19th June 2015 from New Delhi. I need your advice in my plan. my plan as follow
1. No Of traveler ( Me with My wife, kid and my wife’s female friend.)
2. Vehicle – Tata Indica Diesal.
Start – 19th June 2015 from Delhi
19th June – Delhi to Chandigarh
20th June – Chandigarh to Patnitop
21st June – Patnitop to Srinagar
22nd and 23rd June – Spend 2 days in Srinagar
24th June – Srinagar to kargil
25th June – Kargil to Leh
26th to 29th June – Spend in Leh and sightseen near by to Leh
30th June – Leh to Tso Moriri
1st July – Tso Moriri to Manali
2nd July – Manali to Delhi
we have +/- 2 days in our hand and we all are interested in sightseen and LANDSCAP PHOTOGRAPHY. now please suggest us where we can make changes in our plan.
we also spend 1-2 night in TENT and I have my own tent. so where can I use tent.
what about safety and security in that area.
Hello Raj,
Your plan is fine except Tso Moriri to Manali which cannot be done in one day. You have to night halt at Sarchu. Also, the road conditions early will not be muchfavourable to a small car and hence you will face many challenges. For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
Be in Ladakh from 26 to 30 June to do 1 day rest, 2 day each trip to Nubra and Pangong Tso. Then on 1 move to Tso moriri, 2nd July move to Sarchu from Tso moriri and 3rd move to either manali or Jispa / Sissu stay for relaxing journey to manali.
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 or in their garden/lawn. 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. This will give you sense of security too.
But, keep in mind that camping at the lakes both Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri is not allowed as they are under Ramsar site. Hence, you need to pitch these camps away from the lakes where either other camps are there or at near by village.
Hi Dheeraj,
Your website has been an encyclopedia for all of us who have been dreaming about going to Leh Ladakh region! Thanks for making such extensive information available for us for free π
We are 5 friends who are planning to visit Leh & Ladakh region between July 27th to August 9th 2015. Since we do not have our own transport, we are planning to hire an Innova from Manali till Srinagar through a tour operator. You think its a good idea?
Here is the rough plan:
Day 0 (July 26) – Bangalore to Manali via Chandigarh
Day 1 (July 27) – Manali – Rothang Pass – Solang Valley – Baralacha La – Suraj Tal – Deepak Tal – Sarchu
Day 2 (July 28) – Sarchu – Moore Plains – Leh
Day 3 (July 29) – Leh sight seeing and acclamitization
Day 4 (July 30) – Leh – Khardung La – Hunder – Diskit
Day 5 (July 31) – Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Wari La – Chang La – Pangong Tso
Day 6 (Aug 1) – Pangong Tso – Hemis Monastery – Shey Palace – Thikse Monastery – Leh
Day 7 (Aug 2) – Leh (Buffer day)
Day 8 (Aug 3) – Leh – Chumthang – Tso Moriri
Day 9 (Aug 4) – Tso Moriri – Tangla La – Leh
Day 10 (Aug 5) – Leh – Lamayuru Monastery – Gurudwara Pathir Sahib – Magnetic Hills – Kargil
Day 11 (Aug 6) – Kargil – Drass βZojila Pass β Sonamarg β Srinagar
Day 12 (Aug 7) – Srinagar
Day 13 (Aug 8) – Buffer Day
Day 14 (Aug 9) – Srinagar to Bangalore
Can you tell if this itinerary is feasible?
Also, I have a few questions:
1. Is it safe to take the Wari La route from Nubra to Pangong Tso? How early do we have to leave Diskit/Hunder if we have to reach Pangong Tso before sun down (We do not want to miss the evening light at Pangong)? Basically, is it worth taking Nubra to Pangong route and saving a day or going back to Leh from Nubra and starting to Pangong from Leh.
2. Is it required to get Inner Line Permit for Wari La or any other place mentioned in the itinerary?
3. Since we have 2 buffer days, is there anything else we can add in the itinerary in case everything goes according to the plan and we are left with 2 days extra?
4. Is it better to book accommodation by ourselves or through tour operators? Especially at Pangong Tso and Tso moriri.
Awaiting for your reply!
Thanks again for this wonderful website, its been a bundle of help to plan this trip π
Best Regards,
Ramya
Hi Ramya,
Thank you π π
Firstly, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh β Ladakh.
You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here
You cannot hire outside leh taxi and use it inside Ladakh for sightseeing purposes. Better connect with drivers directly instead of tour agent. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Regarding queries:
1. Since you have much time in hand better leave it for other visit π
2. NA as per 1
3. Suggested you above a better proposition else we can connect back
4. In case you OK to search a bit here and there 2-3 places and do not want to stay in some particular stay, then on the spot shall be fine.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for that quick reply! I will check with the taxi drivers and accommodation from the links you suggested. It will be of great help π
Actually, we have another 5 friends who are joining us for the trip for only 7-8 days and flying out of Leh and they definitely don’t want to miss the Leh-Manali highway route. That is the reason we chose Manali – Leh – Srinagar, rather than the other way round.
So considering that we wont be able to start the trip from Srinagar side, you think the itinerary we have planned is good?
Do you suggest coming back to Leh from Nubra valley and then going to Pangong Tso, instead of taking the Wari La route?
Also, have I missed out any good place in the itinerary? Is there any other place we can include in the plan if we have one or two buffer days extra?
Thanks for all the help again!!
Regards,
Ramya
Ramya, I will suggest that you come back to Leh from Nubra Valley and take the conventional route. You have time so spend the trip by enjoying it. Rest you have covered mostly in the itinerary and have kept it relaxing. The only advice I will give is that you stay at Jispa and then from Jispa to Leh by starting at 5 AM in the morning to help your group be protected from AMS which can spoil the trip. Sleeping at Sarchu mostly hit people with AMS, nausea and vomit are much more common.
Hi Dheeraj,
One of the tour operators suggested that we do Tso Moriri on the way from Manali to Leh, instead of going directly to Leh. What do you think about this? Are we going to affected by AMS if we take this route?
Also, he mentioned this:
“The national green tribunal (NGT) has recently imposed a Rs.1000 per trip for Rohtang pass for petrol vehicles, and Rs.2500 per trip for diesel vehicles. Manali had shut down for almost two weeks as cab operators had blocked the road in protest. They were slated to reach some sort of a compro for this season, will update you on this when you confirm.”
I wanted to if you have any information on this?
As usual, thanks in advance for all your help & advice π
Regards,
Ramya
Ramya, in such a case, dump that tour operator first who is telling you that do Tso Moriri on the way to Leh from Manali because you will end up getting hit with AMS and will suffer health issues up there. On the updated information of NGT rule of Rohtang Pass, please check the thread with the latest update yesterday: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/travel-news-updates-f33/diesel-vehicles-ban-rohtang-pass-t2548-10.html#p20946
Hi Dheeraj,
We are eight of us including 3 female, plan to start our trip on 2nd July 2015 from Chandigarh and have return flight from chandigarh on 19th July at 12 PM.
We plan to ship 2 bikes from Bangalore to Chandigarh and hire a car at Chandigarh (Ride bikes/Drive cars until Leh and then Leh-Manali to Chandigarh on rotational basis. Park the car in Leh). Then rent 3 more bikes at Leh to complete the circuit in Leh.
Below is the itinerary which we are planning. Can you please have a look and provide your thoughts on this?
Start Intermediate Destination Stay Kms
Chandigarh “Route: Rupnagar-Phagwara-Jalandhar” Amritsar Amritsar 236
Amritsar Gurdaspur-Pathankot-Udhampur Patnitop Patnitop 238
Patnitop Anantnag Srinagar Dal lake 189
Srinagar Zozi La pass Kargil Kargil 149
Kargil Leh Leh 267
Leh Acclimatization, Hire bikes, fill petrol, local sight seeing etc Leh “Get per
Rest day – Donβt plan tiring activities – Go for a evening visit to Leh palace and Shanti Stupa.
Leh S.Pullu β N.Pullu β Khardungla β
Khalsar β Sumur β
Panamik – Sumur β
Khalasar β Nubra valley β Diskit β
Hunder β TurTuk (last village of india) TurTuk Turtuk 190
Turtuk Hundar – Diskit Diskit Diskit 120
Diskit Shyok – Durbuk – Tangste –
Lukung – Spangmik – Merak Merak Pangong Tso 190
Merak Chusul-Nyoma TsoMoriri Chumathang 280
Chumatong Leh Leh 140
Leh Leh Leh 0 Rest / buffer day
Leh Leh-Upshi-Moore plains Sarchu Sarchu 251
Sarchu Jispa – Tandi – Rohtong Manali Manali 225
Manali Manali Manali Do paragliding in Solong Valley and some adventure
Manali Chandigarh Chandigarh 300
Regards
Manohar
Hi Dheeraj,
I guess, there was formatting problem. Can you please have a look into below itinerary and provide your input:
2 Jul 15 Bangalore – Chandigarh (Flight) Chandigarh – Amritsar
3 Jul 15 Amritsar Gurdaspur-Pathankot-Udhampur-Patnitop
4 Jul 15 Patnitop – Anantnag – Srinagar – Dal lake
5 Jul 15 Srinagar – Zozi La pass – Kargil
6 Jul 15 Kargil- Leh
7 Jul 15 Rest Day Leh Acclimatization, Hire bikes, fill petrol, local sight seeing etc Leh
8 Jul 15 Leh Nubra valley β Diskit β Hunder β TurTuk
9 Jul 15 Turtuk – Hundar – Diskit
10 Jul 15 Diskit – Shyok – Durbuk – Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik – Merak
11 Jul 15 Merak Chusul-Nyoma- TsoMoriri-Chumathang
13 Jul 15 Chumatong- Leh
14 Jul 15 Leh Rest Day
15 Jul 15 Leh Upshi-Moore plains-Sarchu
16 Jul 15 Sarchu – Jispa – Tandi – Rohtong-Manali
17 Jul 15 Manali
18 Jul 15 Manali – Chandigarh Chandigarh
19 Jul 15 Chandigarh – Bangalore Flight
Manohar, I will not recommend the direct routes to Pangong Tso from Nubra and then Nubra to Tso Moriri due to ifs and buts. Also, you on bikes? If yes then fuel will also be a problem.
I will suggest following:
10 Jul 15 Diskit β Shyok β Leh
11 Jul 15 Leh – Pangong Tso
13 Jul 15 Pangong tso – Leh / Upshi / Chumathang
14 Jul 15 Leh / Upshi / Chumathang – Tso Moriri
15 Jul 15 Tso Moriri – Sarchu
16 Jul 15 Sarchu β Jispa β Tandi β Rohtong-Manali
17 Jul 15 Manali
18 Jul 15 Manali β Chandigarh Chandigarh
Manohar, replied here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/most-common-itinerary-for-leh-ladakh/comment-page-9/#comment-327129
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, thanks a ton for providing wealth of information. Cheers to all of you guys who have made this happen.
Actually, we are shipping 3 bikes from Bangalore and hiring a self drive car from Chandigarh and ride/drive on rotation until Leh. Here we park the car and hire two more bikes and do biking in Leh.
Hence, we need to come back to Leh to return rented bikes and cant take Tso Moriri – Manali exit.
Last year, my cousin pranav did biking from Nubra to Pangong via Wari La. Do you think this is not a good idea? Or its better via Shyok ? Or drop this and come back to Leh and go to Pangong?
If we directly go from Nubra, then from Pangong, if we come back to Leh and then go to Tso Moriri via Chumathang, does this make sense?
Once again thanks for everything,
Cheers
MM
MM, for taking the Wari La route I will suggest you to read the article below and then decide on the risks associated: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Also, read: 5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh β Ladakh and Ride with Pillion5 Tips to Rent Bike in Leh β Ladakh and Ride with Pillion
Once you decide then we can discuss about the plan π
Thanks once again Dheeraj. Based on your suggestion, have changed itinerary like this:
2 Jul 15 Bangalore – Chandigarh (Flight) Chandigarh – Amritsar
3 Jul 15 Amritsar Gurdaspur-Pathankot-Udhampur-Patnitop
4 Jul 15 Patnitop – Anantnag – Srinagar – Dal lake
5 Jul 15 Srinagar – Zozi La pass – Kargil
6 Jul 15 Kargil- Leh
7 Jul 15 Rest Day Leh Acclimatization, Hire bikes, fill petrol, local sight seeing etc Leh
8 Jul 15 Leh Nubra valley β Diskit β Hunder β TurTuk
9 Jul 15 Turtuk – Hunder – Diskit
10 Jul 15 Diskit – Shyok – Leh
11 Jul 15 Leh – pangong Tso-Merak
12 Jul 15 Merak – Chumathang
13 Jul 15 Chumathang- Tso Moriri-Chumathang
14 Jul 15 Chumathang – Leh 4h ride. So, start early and make it a rest Day or check feasibility of Zanskar river rafting (Starts from Phey near Leh)
15 Jul 15 Leh Upshi-Moore plains-Sarchu
16 Jul 15 Sarchu – Jispa – Tandi – Rohtong-Manali
17 Jul 15 Manali (Solong valley paragliding)
18 Jul 15 Manali – Chandigarh Chandigarh
19 Jul 15 Chandigarh to Bangalore flight.
Please let me know what do you think?
With this schedule, there are no buffer days in Leh.. 17th July is sort of a buffer day.
Hi Manohar,
Please find my inputs below:
10 Jul 15 Diskit β Sumur – Panamik β Leh
11 Jul 15 Leh β pangong Tso- Sapngmik
12 Jul 15 Spangmik β Leh and do rafting rest of the day if feasible
13 Jul 15 Buffer day
14 Jul 15 Leh – Tso Moriri
15 Jul 15 Tso Moriri – Sarchu
16 Jul 15 Sarchu β Jispa β Tandi β Rohtong – Manali
17 Jul 15 Manali (Solong valley paragliding)
Paragliding in solang valley has been banned.
regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
Thanks for the reply.
What about this plan as we don’t like to take the risky desolated Wari La pass
July 28 : Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Hunder – Nubra valley – Night Camping in Tents (116 km/5 hrs) – Bullet ride
July 29 : Nubra valley – Sumur – Panamik – Khardungla – Leh (120 km / 5hrs) – Bullet ride
July 30 : Leave Leh – Pangong Lake (170 km / 4 hrs) Roam around the lake for 2 hrs.
Leave Pangong Tso lake to reach Pang (320 km/ 8hrs) and night stay at Pang.
July 28 : Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Hunder – Nubra valley – Night Camping in Tents (116 km/5 hrs) – Bullet ride
July 29 : Nubra valley – Sumur – Panamik – Khardungla – Leh (120 km / 5hrs) – Bullet ride
Get refreshed at Leh. After 2hrs leave to Pangong Tso lake, reach there by late evening and night stay there. (170 km/4hrs)
July 30 : Roam around the lake for 2 hrs.
Leave Pangong Tso lake to reach Pang (320 km/ 8hrs) and night stay at Pang.
July 31 : Pang to Jispa/Keylong (170-190 km / 8 hrs)
We would like to know which is better for an overnight stay? Jispa or Keylong?
Aug 1 : Jispa/ Keylong to Manali (130 km / 6 hrs) – Bullet ride.
Can we get bullet arranged at Jispa/Manali from some Bike agents/shops to ride one way to Manali (140km) as we would like to end the trip with a bullet ride.
We would like to know one more thing from you regd. bike riding. We ride bike normally well. But didn go to Himalaya ride yet. Will it be possible for us to ride along Himalayas especially Khardungla pass as we plan bike ride for 3 days,
July 28 – Leh – Khardungla – Hunder
July 29 – Nubra valley – Khardungla – Leh
Aug 1 – Jispa/Keylong – Manali
We went through some reviews and some videos in YouTube where we are getting scared. But we are interested to have bike ride. Need your valuable advice.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Dheeraj
Pls ignore the second set from July 28-30. Its a typo. π
Asif, I guess I replied to your queries on other post. Did you get them or is it different one?
Hi Dheeraj
This is a different itinerary. Kindly go through and give your valuable advice.
Srinagar – Leh – Manali Itinerary
Day 1 July 23 : Reach Srinagar airport at 2pm – Shikara ride at Dal lake
Day 2 July 24 : Gulmarg + Gondola Ropeway (65 Kms one way / 2 hours one way drive) 4-5 hrs required there, for the Gondola rope way ride and then skiing if possible + Mughal garden
Day 3 July 25 : Srinagar – Sonamarg – Drass – Kargil (200 kms / 7 hrs drive) – can be 12-15 hrs also because of Check Point timings and road conditions.
Day 4 July 26 : Kargil – Mulbekh – Lamayuru – Leh (230 Kms / 7 hours approx)
Day 5 July 27 : Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Hunder – Night Camping in Tents (120 km/ 5 hrs) – Bullet ride
Day 6 July 28 : Nubra valley – Sumur – Panamik – Khardungla – Leh (120 km / 5hrs) – Bullet ride
Half day Leh local sightseeing after reaching from Nubra valley
Day 7 July 29 : Leh to Pangong Tso and night camping there (170km / 5 hrs one way)
Day 8 July 30 : Pangong Tso lake to Leh
After reaching from Pangong
Options.
1. Half day Leh local sightseeing
2. Zanskar river rafting (if time n body permits.)
3. Going to Tso moriri and stay there. And start from there to sarch u on day 9
Day 9 July 31 : Leh – Sarchu (250 km / 8hrs) and overnight stay
Day 10 Aug 1 : Sarchu – Manali via Rohtang pass (230 km / 8 hrs).
Day 11 Aug 2 : Drop at Chandigarh airport and return flight to Bangalore (12:15 pm departure)
This looks much better now except on Day 8 option 3 which will not be possible.
Hi Dheeraj
As advised, I have modified my itinerary plan.
Pls. check this once and kindly confirm, any further modifications required.
Thanks in advance for your valuable advise.
Srinagar – Leh – Manali Itinerary
Day 1 July 23 : Reach Srinagar airport at 2pm – Shikara ride at Dal lake
Day 2 July 24 : Gulmarg + Gondola Ropeway (65 Kms one way / 2 hours one way drive) 4-5 hrs required there, for the Gondola rope way ride and then skiing if possible + Mughal garden
Day 3 July 25 : Srinagar – Sonamarg – Drass – Kargil (200 kms / 7 hrs drive )
Day 4 July 26 : Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh (230 Kms / 7 hours approx)
Day 5 July 27 : Leh – Local sight seeing
Day 6 July 28 : Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Hunder – Nubra valley – Night Camping in Tents (116 km/5 hrs) – Bullet ride
Day 7 July 29 : Nubra valley – Sumur – Panamik – Khardungla – Leh (120 km / 5hrs) – Bullet ride. Get refreshed at Leh and then leave Leh to Pangong Tso lake (170 km / 4 hrs. Overnight stay at Pangong Tso lake
Day 8 July 30 : Roam around the lake for 2 hrs and then leave to Pang (320 km/ 8hrs) and overnight stay at Pang
Day 9 July 31 : Pang – Jispa/Keylong (170/190 / 7 hrs) and overnight stay
Day 10 Aug 1 : Jispa/Keylong – Manali via Rohtang pass (120-140km / 5 hrs) – Bullet ride
Day 11 Aug 2 : Drop at Chandigarh airport and return flight to Bangalore (12:15 pm departure)
Asif, in this case it is better that you do Nubra Valley to Pangong tso via Wari La route and take the risk of desolated route as coming back to Leh and then driving back to Pangong tso would be much more longer. Also, forget about Sumu and Panamik in this case.
Will this route include Tanglang La? Asking since it is via Chumathang. What if one wants to include that?
No this route will not include Taglang La. May be you can take a detour and go back towards Taglang in case you really interested.
Hi Dheeraj
It was nice reading your blogs. Keep going with your good work.
We total 7 are planning for a Srinagar – Leh – Manali trip in 11 days (July 23rd – Aug 2nd)
I made a tentative itinerary based on the discussions here. I would like you to go through the itinerary and give suggestions as required. We really appreciate your effort.
The itinerary is as follows.
July 23 : Reach Srinagar by 2pm and visit Mughal garden and go for shikara ride.
July 24 : Going to Gulmarg and then heading for Gondola ropeway ride.
July 25 : Srinagar to Kargil via Sonamarg (8hrs)
July 26 : Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh (8hrs)
July 27 : Leh local sight seeing and acclimatization
July 28 : Leh – Khardungla- Nubra Valley – Leh ( 5 hrs one side)July
29 : Take bullet on rent and head for Leh – Pangong Tso lake and night camping (5 hrs one way) to see the sun rise and sun set too.
Leh – Manali Highway
July 30 : Leh – Sarchu (10hrs) and overnight stay
Sarchu – Manali : We plan this route by BULLET RIDE.
July 31 : Sarchu to Keylong via Baralacha pass and Zingzing bar (5hrs) and visit to Lahaul valley
Aug 1 : Keylong to Manali via Rohtang pass (4hrs) and overnight stay at Manali
Aug 2 : Catch bus/taxi to Chandigarh/Delhi and return flight to Bangalore
We will miss Tso Moriri lake and chandratal lake in this itinerary. Is there any way to include that too.
Since we take bullet rise from Sarchu to Manali we need the bullet to be carried to sarchu from manali. Is there any guys who can ride bullet and bring it to us at sarchu?If so, pls give contact details.
For the bullet ride from leh to Panging tso lake we can take bullet on rent from Leh only right?
I need your advice on July 28 plan to Nubra valley.is it OK to go n return the same day? Because we are short of days. And we don’t like to take the risky wari LA n Shyok route, as this is our first trip to Ladakh.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks in advance.
Asif A A
Asif you do not have time to accommodate anything more. In fact, on 29 you are going to stay at Pangong tso but then on 30 how do you start from Leh to Sarchu? You have to make a day trip to Pangong Tso or do Pangong tso to Pang and then pang to Keylong. This will ease out a bit. Nubra day trip is also again going to be hectic.
Hi Dheeraj
Thanks for the prompt response.
Can you please suggest how to manage the days July 28, 29, 30 in the itinerary.
Thanks in advance
Asif, I will say do day trip to Nubra or Khardung La on 28, then go to Pangong tso on 29 and then from there to Pang or Sarchu on 30. There are chances of ams hitting you but due to less days in hand you do not have any choice.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you very much for the forum and the epitome of information.
I want to do both ladakh and spiti valley at the same time. I have 20 days in hand and can afford 4 more days extra including buffer days. I’ll start from Jammu and end at Delhi. These are all the places I’m planning to visit and I don’t want to miss any of them. Please provide me with the perfect itinerary for the following places because you know best.
Jammu – Srinagar – Gulmarg – Sonamarg – zozi la – Drass – tajiwas glacier – gangabal lake – Kargil – Batalik – Dha – Hanuthang – Skurbuchan – Mulbekh – Lamayuru – rizong – Alchi – Likir – Leh – chemery – he is – stakna – Matho – Stok – Khardung la – disk it – Hunder – Turtuk – Tyakshi – Sumur – Panamik – Yarab Tso – thickshey – Shey – Karu – marsimik la – Spangmik – man – Merak – Chusul – Tsaga – loma – Hanle – nyoma – mahe – Karzok – Tso Moriri – pang – Sarchu – baralacha la – suraj tal – Deepak tal – keylong – rothang pass (definitely don’t want to miss rothang. I’m willing to get down and climb back again) – kunzum pass – chandratal – battal – losar – kaza – langza – komik – hikkim – tashigang – gette – kibber – ki – mud – tabo – mummy – geyu – nano – kalpa – sangla – chitkul – narkanda – Shimla – Delhi. Shud be in Delhi at 5:30 pm on the last day.
Eagerly waiting for your reply.
Thank you in advance.
Vikram did you read this link where I replied: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/most-common-itinerary-for-leh-ladakh/comment-page-9/#comment-323782
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 3 couples planning to go to Leh for a 14day trip starting from 31st may. Im following your plan which is perfect. Just wanted to know will it be a good time to visit in terms of weather condition. will it be cold and need to tk warm clothing or ok with normal summer clothing. What are the other essentials that need to be carried.
Thanks a lot
Rose
Rose, you need to carry woolens as it will be quite very cold at Manali – Leh Highway and high altitude lakes and passes especially in the evening and morning. So, carry at least one heavy woolen jacket. 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.
Hi Dheeraj, This is Rahul from Mumbai. Thanks for this lovely forum where you can get the entire information regarding Leh trip and god job in constantly updating people on road status. I need your help in regard with my itinerary. There are 4 people in our group traveling from Srinagar to leh. Below is my travel plan:
Day 1 β Sringar Airport β Pahalgam [ Apprx dist 100km]
Day 2 β Back to Srinagar [Srinagar sightseeing]
Day 3 β Srinagar to gulmarg and back to Srinagar [Apprx. Dist 50 KM]
Day 4 – Srinagar to Kargil
Srinagar – Sonamarg [85 Kms]
Sonamarg – Zoji La – Drass [62 Kms]
Drass – Kargil [58 Kms]
Day 5 – Kargil to Leh [Approx. dist 211]
Kargil- Mulbek – Namika La – Fotu La – Lamayuru [110 Kms]
Lamayuru – Hangro Loops – Nimmu – Leh [125 Kms]
Day 6 – Leh Sightseeing + inner line permits
Day 7 – Leh to Nubra Valley [ Approx Dist 138 KM]
Khardung La – Diskit – hunder β Nubra
Day 8 – Nubra to Pangong lake via Wari la Pass [apprx. Dist 314 Km]
Nubra – Wari la [72 KM]
Wari la – Sakti [59 KM]
Sakti – Pangong Lake [184 KM]
Day 9 – Pangong lake to Leh [ apprx. Dist 225 KM]
Day 10 – Leh to Sarchu [Apprx Dist 251 KM]
Day 11 – Sarchu to Manali [Apprx. Dist 225 KM]
Can you please suggest if am missing anything in this plan. I wanted to add Tso moriri in this plan but due to the lack of time we wonβt be able to do it. And some of us are visiting Srinagar first time so we wanted to spend some time there. We are planning to reach Srinagar in 1st week of July so please guide us on weather and road status in this month. We have hired car from Srinagar.
Rahul, you have covered mostly. Sakti to Pangong Tso shall be around 135 types not 184. Also, do read since you taking Wari La route: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
Weather will be fine. Road will have traffic and jams up to Baltal owing to Amarnath Yatra.
Hello Dheeraj,
Thanks for your wonderful explanation about all the things in all manner like plan, budget, road map etc etc.
I understand that to visit leh fully we need 14-15 days. but now a days getting 2 weeks off from office is great achievement.
We have planned to visit leh in mid june but we have limited dates.
We (2 couple and one baby) are reaching jammu by flight by 13th June saturday 3:50PM and we have returned ticket on 19th June 4:00PM. (both ticket booked)
Can you please suggest me the best plan to visit leh during this period(atleast main attractions). Also guide me about the taxi service, as most of the places i read that very limited union’s taxi are allowed in leh to local sight seeing.
Please advise.
Waiting for your reply:)
Maorath, you have just 6 days in hand which is always quite less for a Ladakh trip. Still, you can try to follow below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi β Leh (By Flight)
— Checkin at Hotel. Many hotels provide free pick and drop from Airport. Ask while you book them.
— Take ample of rest as well as water or anything that keep your body hydrated enough. DO NOT OVER HYDRATE. Take ORS Soluted water or ORS β L tetra packs from home.
— Do not over exert your body at any cost. Avoid too much up-down on stairs or avoid it in entirety, if possible.
— After 5-6 Hrs of rest you can visit Leh Palace, Local Leh market, Shankar Gompa .
— If you feel exerted go back to Hotel, have dinner at Hotel and take rest. Avoid any exertion. Else continue and,
— Follow the sunset by stroll at Changspa road and have a nice dinner on varied cuisines offered in-around Changspa road.
— Go back to hotel for overnight stay at Leh.
Β
Day 2 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— Hire a taxi from Leh taxi stand or Hotel whichever suits you.
— Bargain hard with taxi driver. Book that single taxi for entire trip after explaining the complete plan.
— Take his inputs if you feel reasonable and if required modify the plan accordingly but should suits you best.
— Ask him to be with you guys starting first day itself, if required and charged reasonable else do it at your own.
— Again DO NOT over exert and take little steps and slow walks only.
— If feeling OK then do Local sightseeing. To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Do not use stairs at any of these places just to see them as it will exert your body much more.
— Overnight at Leh
Β
Day 3 | 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 4 | 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 5 | Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh
— Do not plan to stay overnight at Pangong Tso as you will not be acclimatized and may fall sick. So, make a day trip only.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour OR Sham Valley tour OR Fly back home
— Overnight at Leh
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey and Shey monasteries. They come on the route of Pangong Tso but as you will be doing day trip, it will be a bit hectic to include them on that day only.
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
Hi Dheeraj,
Loved reading the article.
We are planning a bike trip from srinagar to manali. We are unable to find any reliable bike rental site for renting bikes. We want to rent bike from srinagar and drop it at manali. Can you suggest some bike rental sites?
the one way bike rental is quite costly and leave a big dent in pocket for you, sometimes like 12K for just the pickup from Manali. Be sure if you are ready to make that investment or not or if at all it is worth the money spent. My suggestion is unless you are hard core biker and cannot live up the passion of biking, it is not wise to spend that much money just for the pickup of bike.
Hello Dheeraj,
I want to know when Manali – Leh Highway is going to open this year?
Thanks
Vivek
Vivek, as per the latest report today, Manali – Leh Highway will open by 15th June 2015 this year π
Hi Dheeraj Bhai,
I totally am addicted to DoW. The deeper you dig the website, more interesting it gets. Great passion you have. Inspirational!
Well, I am planning a trip to Leh(for the first time). We arrive in Delhi on the morning of 4th June and depart Delhi on the afternoon of 15th June. (By air.) We are four friends.
And I have a few queries/doubts planning our itinerary, if you could please, at your own convenience, help me with it.
Our itinerary is as follows:
4th June: NDLS to Jammu Tawi: Jammu Rajdhani .(tickets booked)
5th June: Jammu to Srinagar. Overnight stay in Srinagar.(Taxi)
6th June: Srinagar to Kargil.(Taxi)
7th June: Kargil to Leh.(Taxi) Overnight stay in Leh.
-For the taxi from Jammu to Leh, I know a guy with Tavera who I hired last year when I visited Srinagar. Amazing professional and very courteous. His name’s Aadil Amin (9906612345)
-In the Ladakh region, we plan to explore on hired bikes:
8th June: Leh to Nubra Valley. Overnight stay(Hunder or Diskit?). Visit the places around and on its way.
9th June: Nubra Valley to Leh. Overnight stay in Leh.
10th June: Leh to Pangong Tso. Overnight (Camps/Tents?). Visit places around and on the way.
11th June: Pangong Tso to Leh. Overnight stay in Leh.
Leh-Manali is preferred depending on the road conditions. Otherwise we’re okay for Leh-Kargil-Srinagar again.
12th June: Leh to Sarchu/Kargil(Taxi)
13th June: Sachu/Kargil to Manali/Srinagar(Taxi)(We would prefer the Manali route if the road conditions are okay)
14th June: Manali to Delhi(Bus) / Srinagar to Jammu(Taxi/Bus)+Jammu to Delhi(Jammu Tawi to NDLS: Jammu Rajdhani. Tickets booked for 14th evening)
I have also made a separate list of places that we will visit all along the trip, after thoroughly reading through DoW.
We can manage an extra buffer day too in Leh, maybe.
That’s the itinerary. I have a few questions though:
1. Do you think the above is doable? Please ADD ANY IMPROVISATION you can suggest.
2. We’d like to book rooms for 4 at Khan Manzil guest house ASAP lest they sell out. Should we book for our entire stay(7-11th) or for the overnight stays in Leh(7,9,11th) only?
3. Can you please suggest for our stay in Nubra Valley(Hunder or Diskit?) and Pangong Tso Lake(Tents would be interesting. Best and most reasonable option?)?
4. We’d like to get the necessary permits for Batalik if we’re returning Leh-Srinagar, would it be a hassle? And just to confirm, would we need any other permits for the above itinerary?
5. About the bikes, do you suggest we book them beforehand, ASAP? Or should we hire them on arrival?
6. Will the Leh-Manali highway be open by the time we return? If it is, will it be safe in the initial days of its opening?
7. We know a guy from Leh who my friend met this January during the Chadar Trek, he is purchasing four new Royal Enfield 500cc(we’d be the first ones to ride them) and is willing to plan our entire 5 day stay in Ladakh. Should we go for it? Or is it preferred that we plan and book our overall stay|bikes|permits on our own? Or just book his ‘new’ bikes beforehand and plan rest ourselves?
Well these were a few things. A lot goes into planning and it is what makes travel all the more interesting!
Looking forward to your reply!
Thanks!
Regards,
Fahd Mirza
Hi Fahd,
Thank you for the kind words. My replies below:
1. If you can manage an extra day then better rest in Leh for one day before going to Nubra. Rest looks fine to me. Also, Sarchu will be quite cold, you can try to reach Jispa from Leh if required.
2. If you OK with searching a bit here and there, it shall be fine.
3. You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here
4. That will not be much of a problem. It is just a trivial process. For details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the linkΒ here
5. Best is on arrival after evaluating the condition yourself.
6. Most likely it will be open and a bit unstable though and quite cold.
7. If you think he is reliable enough being your friend, you can go ahead else you can manage on your own.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 4 frds, Planning Delhi- Leh- Delhi Journey from 9th May-17th MAy with Ford Eco Sport. We have earlier plan Trip through
Delhi- Manali – Spiti- Leh- Manali- Delhi
But after reading all your blogs & weather condition, we are changing route to go via Srinagar.
with best of our Knowledge, below is the plan.
Date Plan
9th May Delhi to Pathankot
10th May Pathankot To Srinagar
11th May Srinagar – Leh
12th May Leh Local
13th May Leh – Zanskar Rafting
14th May Leh
15th May Leh – Pangonk Lake- Leh
16th May Leh-Zispa
17th May Zispa- Delhi
Can you pls suggest the best possible plan. and is thee any way to cover Spiti Valley.
Your comments will helps to plan a better trip.
Is it must to do the Hotel/Accomadation booking in advance, or we can do it on the spot.
Thanks,
Niti
Niti, I would like to disappoint you by telling that Manali – Leh Highway will not be open and the itinerary you have planned is not feasible through srinagar side as well. It takes 4 days just to reach Leh from Delhi via Srinagar π
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the information. with ref to your suggestion, i have amended the plan. Pls take out some time and suggest us the best plan as we can not change the dates. Need your help for the same.
Day 1(9th May) – Early Morning from Delhi(6.00 am) to Jammu, (viaChandigarh) on (roughly ~600 KM, can cover as its mostly a highway) will halt for the night in Pathankot/ Udhampur
Day 2 (10th May) – Early morning (7.00 am -7.30 am) from Pathankot/ Udhampur to srinagar on ( Roughly ~300km) will halt in Srinagar
Day 3 (11th May) – Srinagar to Kargil enroute Son Marg-Kargil war memorial -Tolo Ling -and Tiger Hill.
Day 4 (12th May) – Kargil to Leh enroute Lamayuru(moon Land)-Sangam-Magnetic Hill and Patther Shab
Day 5 (13th May) – Leh local monastery excursion (river Rafting Zanskar)
Day 6 (14th May) – Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardung La
Day 7 (15 May) – Nubra valley to Pangong lake via wari la
Day 8 (16th) – Pangong lake to Leh
Day 9 (17th) – Leh to Jispa
Day 10 (18th May) Jispa to Delhi
I Have also come across the news that Diesel Vehicles will be ban i Rohtaang from 1st May. Is it true.
Thanks,
Niti
Niti, looks fine now though day 5 shall be used only for rest forbetter acclimatization. So, say no to rafting that day. Regarding diesel vehicle ban on Rohtang Pass, it will be much more cleared from 5th May onward as there are many ifs and buts to be answered as per guidelines suggested by NGT.
Hi dheeraj.
We are two couples planning for the road trip from manali to Leh by a taxi.
Tentative date is 20th June.
Our plan is..
Day 1 . reach manali in the morning by overnight bus from delhi .stay at solang valley..full day sight seeing around manali.
Day 2. Manali to jispa…
Day 3. Jispa to Leh.
Day 4.local sight seeing around Leh.(magnetic hill,confluence at Nimmu)
Day 5.leh-khardungla-dikshit-hunder(overnight at hunder)
Day6.Hunder -sumur-panamik-sumur-khardungla-leh
Day7. Leh-hemis-pangong(overnight at pangong)
Day8. Pangong-thicksey-shey-leh
Day9. Departure via flight to Delhi.
I wanted to know
1. how much time does it take to cover manali to jispa and what are the places in between to be looked for.
2.which are the places to be visited on day 4.
I’m not much interested in monasteries..I would like to see the natural places .
3. Is there any thing else which could be added instead of panamik and sumur on my return journey from nurba valley to Leh.
Thanking you
Chetan jain
Hi Chetan,
1. Manali to Jispa all depends upon rush at Rohtang Pass. In normal circumstance it will take about 5-5.5 Hrs to reach Jispa from Manali. The journey is beautiful in itself.
2. Anything you can pick from local Leh sightseeing: Local Leh Sightseeing Guide
3. Nothing much to add to it.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi deeraj,
We are group of 6 people from chandigarh want to go leh and spiti valley… We want to go leh first via srinagar and after that spiti valley we are having 22days in our hand we all are planning to start on dated 15 June we wan to cover maximum place,we all having royal enfield and we are try to carry tent and mat with us, we does have any idea please help me to workout on my plan it will be helpful if you guide us wht to carry with us and where we should stay. Anything more which is forgot to ask? Please suggest us I wan to make this trip memorable.
Thank you
Ashok
Ashok, in such a case 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 – 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
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
Day 7 | Hunder – Sumur/Kyagar 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 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— 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.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | 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)
Day 10 | Pangong Tso Lake β Shey – Thicksey – Leh
— Mention all the places of this route as mentioned above on the permits and Nyoma as well
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 11 | Leh – Chumathang – Mahe – Nyoma – Loma – Hanle
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 12 | Hanle – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe – Korzok / Tso Moriri Lake OR Hanle – Salsal La – Tso Moriri Lake
— Overnight at Tso Moriri lake
Day 13 | 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 14 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Jispa
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Jispa
Day 15 | Jispa – Chandratal
Day 16 | Chandratal – Kaza on the way (Ki, Kibber, Gette)
Day 17 | Kaza/Langza Homestay (Hikkim, Koumik, Langza)
Day 18 | Kaza – Pin Valley – Dhankar – Tabo
Day 19 | Tabo – Kalpa
Day 20 | Kalpa – Narkanda
Day 21 | Narkanda – Chail / Shimla – Delhi
Day 22 | Buffer day which if left unused can be used to visit Chitkul – Sangla after Kalpa
Thank you Dheeraj.
Please let me know if I need any inline permits for the following places which I will be visiting. Also notify me if the permits have to be obtained from Kargil DC office or Leh DC office.
Jammu – Srinagar – Gulmarg – Sonamarg – Kargil – Batalik – Dha – Hanumathang – skurbuchan – mulbekh – chiktan – Lamayuru – rizong – Alchi – Likir – Leh – Hunder – Turtuk – Tyakshi – Sumur – Panamik – Yarab Tso – Khardung la – Chang la – Tangtse – Marsimik la- Spangmik – Chusul – Tsaga – Hanle – Tso Moriri – Tso kar – pang – Sarchu – Manali – Kasol – Shimla – Delhi.
I’ll be traveling alone :)..
Waiting for your reply.
Hi Vikram,
1. You will need permit for Batalik which will be issued from Kargil DC Office.
2. Then you need permit for Spangmik – Chusul – Tsaga – Hanle route too. Even with the permit, there is no guarantee that army will allow you to pass from Chusul. Also, read the article carefully as you are alone at the link: Tips for Pangong To to Tso Moriri Direct Route from Hanle
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 4 guys and going by our own car(Tata Manza), to Laddakh in july.
Kindly check this Itenerary and suggest if any modification needs to be done.
25 july: Delhi to Patnitop.
26 july: Patnitop to Srinagar
27 july: Srinagar to kargil
28 july: Kargil to Lamayuru(visit sham valley and monastries in alchi and other places in sham valley)
29 july: Lamayuru to Leh
30 july: Rest day in Leh.
31 july: Leh to Nubra valley
01 Aug: Nubra valley to Leh
02 Aug: Leh to Pangong tso
03 Aug: Pangong tso to Leh
04 Aug: Leh to Tso moriri lake
05 Aug: Tso moriri to Sarchu
06 Aug: Sarchu to Manali
07 Aug: Rest day in manali
08 Aug:manali to Chandigarh
09 Aug: Chandigarh to Delhi
Regards
Vivek kashyap
Vivek, the itinerary is quite relaxed and well planned. You will have fun on the trip. Enjoy !!
Hello Dheeraj ,
You are doing a wonderful job , I would like to know about following points .
we are 2 couples planning to visit leh ladakh by Car . I have some doubts , please help in clarifying the same .
1.) We are planning to travel in May , Is it the right time to travel ? What about the rohtang pass and snow ?
2.) Is Swift(Vdi) good enough to travel ?
3.) Can you please provide 10-12 days itinerary from delhi to delhi .
4.) How much it will cost approximately , if we are planning to hire a driver .
Thanks
Hello Milan,
1. Manali – Leh Highway will not be open by that time of the year.
2. For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
3. Are you fine to postpone it by 1-1.5 month?
4. 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
Thank you for the links they are useful .
1.) We may postpone it to June as well.
2.) Can you help us to prepare 10 days itinerary from Delhi to Delhi.
Milan, for 10 days you can refer 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
Hello Dheeraj ,
Thanks for the update and sharing the plan, it is very helpful .
I have heard like permit for the cars can be avoided if we go via srinagar and came back via rohtang pass ? Is it true ?
If yes , i will be very thankful if you share the plan delhi to delhi via srinagar. If it is not possible in 10 days , we may extend that to 11 .
Thanks.
Milan, permit is not such a hassle that you change the plan π … Instead permit is issued just as a toll ticket at the amount of Rs 50 only at Gulaba Checkpost or before entering Manali at green tax barrier π …
Thanks for inmediate reply . Do you have any idea when rohtang pass will open and whats is the best time to travel ?
Rohtang Pass will open by mid of May and Manali – Leh will open around late May or first week of June. I will prefer a period of mid June to mid July or else in September
Hi Dheeraj,
Feels so good nd informative once gone thru ur plans and itenary above… m planning to visit ladakh lehand manali since past2-3years bt unable2plan it..dis ll help me..i nd my wife wud b travelling der…hv been to whole sikkim nd darjeeling dec 14…so a bit knwn to da conditions hre as well.. wbat wud b the best month to visit wth a bit of snow der nd evrythng wud b open for general public to visit?? Love driving bt wud it b feasible to drive a 2 wheeler all thru?? Wife does not knw driving… what otr bwtter option? Can plan a 15 day trip s above…approx expense of the above considering evrythng avg (food, accommodation, commutation etc) ??? Pls help..m getting more nd more firm on booking a trip nw…
Rahul, you can visit Ladakh in June July for seeing snow and if you want to see beautiful colors then September is the month π ..
Thanks for the help π
Hi Dheeraj
I m confused should I visit leh in june or sep end around 28th as I m on a 10 day trip from surat air fairs from delhi is costing me 40000 more for 2 of us in june, so will there be any diffreance in visiting leh in sep then june
Rahul if you are fond of snow then June is the option for you else go in September when colors are most vivid
Hi Dheeraj,
I have been following your posts on the website and i am really inspired . I am planning on visiting Ladak in the month of August and i seek your help in planning the itinerary for it . I will be riding on my Thunderbird 500cc most probably alone.
I have already been to Leh twice but have visited only the more popular places on the circuit . I have come across many wonderful places that is less know to people while reading through your blogs and i want to visit them this time .
Please consider the starting poulint as Sonmarg and help me out with a plan to vist the below places.
-> Zanskar
->Leh (Mulbek,Spituk,Alchi,Likir…)
-> Panamik( Siachen base camp,Trying for permits)
-> Pangong Tso
-> Tso Moriri & Tso Kar
-> Hanle
-> Spiti (Chandra Tal ,Kaza ,Ki, Kibber)
I have around 25 days(can extend to 30 days if need be) for this stretch and want to cover as many places as possible . Also please let me know about any other place which can be covered on this circuit .
It will be really helpful if you can guide me on this.
Thanks in Advance
In such a case, you can follow as mentioned below:
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 – 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 – Padum (Zanskar Valley)
— Head straight to Padum
Day 5 | Padum Local Sightseeing
— Enjoy Zangla, Stongde, Karsha
Day 6 | Padum – Zongkhul Monastery – Penzi La Pass – Rangdum
— Start back and stay at Rangdum
Day 7 | Rangdum – Panikhar – Sankoo – Kargil
— Checkout rock carved statue at Khartse Khar
Day 8 | 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 9 | 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 10 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder – Turtuk
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Turtuk
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— enjoy the culture in the Turtuk Village
— do mention Turtuk on the permits
Day 11 | Turtuk – Hunder
— Spend whole day at Turtuk and reach Hunder by evening
— Overnight at Hunder
Day 12 | Hunder – Deskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
— Enjoy drive upto Panamik, visit Yarab Tso Lake and back to overnight stay at Kyagar or Tiger or Sumur
— Enjoy walks in Hunder, Deskit, Sumur villages for the last 3 days
Day 13 | Sumur/Kyagar 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 14 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— 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.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 15 | Leh – Sham Valley – Leh
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 16 | 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)
Day 17 | Pangong Tso Lake β Shey – Thicksey – Leh
— Mention all the places of this route as mentioned above on the permits and Nyoma as well
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 18 | Leh – Chumathang – Mahe – Nyoma – Loma – Hanle
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 19 | Hanle – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe – Korzok / Tso Moriri Lake OR Hanle – Salsal La – Tso Moriri Lake
— Overnight at Tso Moriri lake
Day 20 | 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 21 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Jispa
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Jispa
Day 22 | Jispa – Chandratal
Day 23 | Chandratal – Kaza
Day 24 | Kaza (Ki, Kibber, Gette)
Day 25 | Kaza/Langza Homestay (Hikkim, Koumik, Langza)
Day 26 | Kaza – Dhankar – Pin Valley
Day 27 | Pin Valley – Tabo – Nako
Day 28 | Nako – Kalpa
Day 29 | Kalpa – Sangla/Chitkul (if you cannot extend, skip)
Day 30 | Sangla/Chitkul (if you cannot extend, skip)
Day 31 | Sangla/Chitkul – Narkanda
Day 32 | Narkanda – Chail / Shimla – Delhi
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for this awesome itinerary . I have some doubts can you please clarify them ,
– Day 17,18,19 is not clear.
– Can we do Pangong Tso to Hanle via Man-Merek on the bike. Will the fuel be sufficient .? My bike has 20lts capacity and gives about 25kmpl . I will be carrying 10lts of extra fuel .
– Is there a petrol bunk in Karu.?
Thank you so much for your time.
Day 17, please ignore the comment written. For 18,19 let me know what doubt you have? Pangong Tso to Hanle via Man – Merak, that comment is written for it but at times army sends back tourist from Chusul and hence I did not propose it to you. There is petrol pump at Karu.
Is it worth to go ladakh 2 persons on one 350 cc Bullet? How much it is Risky? I am following your plane only.
Pl advise.
Ashok, it is not matter of risk rather it is matter of discomfort of long journeys. You have to travel very light and also install the carrier where in you can put in luggage. At places the pillion need to get down of the bike too but that should not matter much.
Hi Dheeraj,
The most common itinerary for Leh-Ladakh looks great as i have 14days Delhi-Delhi. I have a couple of questions though. I am more inclined towards visiting scenic places than monasteries (off course i would be visiting them too) so would this itinerary be fine or would there be any changes to it? Is Zankar all together a different chapter? would”t it be possible to include Zanskar / spiti valley in these 14 days or i better concentrate on these places only?
Thank you
Hi Zahoor,
Well this itinerary is fine as a mix of everything. Yes, Zanskar is altogether different and so as Spiti Valley. While Zanskar need about 4-5 extra days at comfort from Kargil, Spiti will need about 5-7 days ex. Keylong to explore to some extent. Hence, if you have 13-14 days, the above itinerary is the best fit
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the prompt response. You are awesome. Is it worth including Gulmarg in the itinerary(September1st week), but at the expense of one day from the above itenerary probably i’ll be skipping plans of day 10 to accomodate Gulmarg in the beginning.
It would be something like this
Delhi – Jammu (stay) (Wagah Border visit en-route)
Jammu – Srinagar (stay)
Srinagar – Gulmarg (stay)
Gulmarg – Kargil (stay)
Kargil – Leh
Or shall i skip Gulmarg for this trip and go ahead with the conventional itnerary If you think its wiser to spend a day in Leh-Ladakh region than Gulmarg.
I think you can include Gulmarg if you want. Even without rest day the itineray is more or less kind of relaxed.
hi dheeraj,
i m from mumbai. i will reach jammu on 20 july go for a vaishnodevi darshan on a sam day & then leav for leh onwards by road our return flight is on 28 july morning.
please suggest how to manage the tour in 8 days. we r 11 friends. suggest a suitable vehicle to hire from jammu to leh
Ravi, in such a case you have 22-28 only that is just 6 effective days. You can do something like below:
Day 1 | 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 2 | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Drass is you are a vegetarian as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 3 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Leh
Day 4 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 5 | Leh β Khardung La β Diskit – Leh
— Head for Nubra Valley very early in the day and come back by late evening after visiting Deskit. If you have time go little further and see Hunder sand dunes too
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 6 | Leh β Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
— Day trip to Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Leh
Wonderfull article. Very informative. We are 4 friends planing to travel from Goa in a 4Γ4 SUV on 7th of June. Will the passes be open at this time? Can we follow the itinerary mentioned in the article? We would like to do some off roading also. Can you suggest places for this?
Sameer, yes if you are following the plan suggested in the article above it shall be sufficient enough π
Hi Dheeraj, your website is a treasure trove of information. Yet I feel compelled to ask you a few questions. I plan to go Leh in last week of July and plan to visit and stay at Kargil, Leh, Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake .
1. Will there be rainfall in July last week? How frequent and heavy?
2. Will there be snow at any of the passes?
3.Can Spiti Valley be combined in to the itinerary? Will there be snow?
Is it a good time to go to Leh in last week of July in terms of weather (rainfall), prices and crowd?
Thanks
Harsh
Hi Harsh,
1. Rains start by end of July as it is a period of monsoon. in general up there in North and at some parts of Manali – Leh Highway (like before Baralacha La) and Srinagar – Leh Highway (like before Kargil) you might need to face monsoon hassles but once you get closer to Ladakh, then Ladakh being rain shadow region is least affected by monsoon rains, though rains does reach Ladakh now but to minimum and mostly it might remains overcast conditions. There is no thumb rule of certainty about weather conditions but above is generally common pictures seen over last few years except ugly 2010 β¦
2. Snow will only be in remains.
3. Spiti will also not have any snow. Spiti needs about 5-7 days from Keylong to be explored properly. If you have that many days it can be done.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,How are you??I am planning a trip to Laddakh along with my 3 friends in july on my Tata Manza car.We will leave from Delhi on 25th july and go via Srinagar and return via Manali.(I strictly follow DOW suggestions and advice whenever I go to Himalaya).We have 15-16 days in hand.Apart from common itenerary we want to visit Hanle village as well.Now my question is :Can I cover Srinagar Leh highway,Pangong Tso,Nubra valley,Tso Moriri,Hanle village in Tata Manza car.Skill should not be much of an issue as I have driven in hills before(Spiti valley,Kinnaur,Nathula pass,Sandakphu,pithoragarh etc) and i m a careful driver.But are the roads good enough for Sedan like Manza.If not then kindly suggest me places in laddakh that are doable in Manza as I dont have any other vehicle and dont want to miss driving in laddakh terrain.
Regards
Vivek kashyap
Vivek, apart from Manali – Leh Highway, I do not feel that there are any places which cannot be outrightly done by hatch or sedan. You are versed with the conditions of Kinnaur and Spiti which are enough to make you drive on Manali – Leh Highway as well. Be careful on it and start your day early so that you have less water in water crossings. Do Hanle from Leh – Chumathang route not the direct route and that shall be fine.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you very much for your reply.I can not Express you how happy me and my friends are after getting your approval to go ahead with the trip.Be assured, We will be careful and follow your advice religiously.Will share my experience once we come back
Regards
Vivek Kashyap
Hi Dheeraj
Is it safe to visit leh alone on bike, or can two person go on one bike actually i want to go leh on bike but no one is ready to go there with me, can i go aline is it safe
Sanjay, many bikers do a solo trip to Ladakh but there are always some risks associated with Solo travel as you are traveling along and hence, you must be confident enough to take such a solo trip.
Hi dheeraj
Thannxs 4 ur reply. I got at lot of info from ur website. U r doing an amazing job bro.
Thank you Sanjay π
Thank you Dheeraj,
I’ve carefully noted down the info provided by you and have come up with a plan. Please review it and let me know if any changes has to be made because you know best. I would love to reduce 2 days but don’t have to miss out on any places. Please educate me. Thank you in advance. Waiting for your reply.
Day 1 and 2 train travel.
— Train from Yashwanthpur (Bangalore).
Day 3. (Expected travel 250 kms).
— Chandigarh – Amritsar.
— Overnight stay at Amritsar.
Day 4. (Expected travel 300 kms).
— Amritsar – Jammu.
— visit Jallianwala Bagh, Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit.
— Reach Wagah border by 3:30 pm and witness the ceremony.
— Reach Jammu by 11:30 pm.
— Overnight stay at Jammu.
Day 5. (Expected travel 300 kms).
— Jammu – Srinagar.
— Check out the floating market, Shalimar garden, Avantiswamy temple and reach Dal lake by 5:30 pm.
— Overnight stay at Srinagar.
Day 6. (Expected travel 200 kms).
— Gondala ride and skiing in Gulmarg.
— leave Gulmarg to reach Sonamarg (130 kms) by 9 pm.
— Overnight stay at Sonamarg.
Day 7. (Expected travel 160 kms).
— Sonamarg – Zozi la – Drass – Kargil.
— Enjoy the vistas enroute.
— Visit places such as Thajiwas glacier, Gangabal lake, Drass war memorial etc.
— Overnight stay at Kargil.
Day 8. (Expected travel 125 kms).
— Kargil – Lamayuru – Dha – Hanu village.
— Covers Mulbekh monastery, Lamayuru monastery, Lunar landscapes, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic hills, Confluence at Nimu etc.
— Overnight stay at Dha/Hanu village.
Day 9. (Expected travel 150 kms).
— Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and do Sham Valley tour.
— Visit Alchi, Likir, Basgo palace, Vasgo plains, Leh palace, Tsemo castle, Namgyal gompa, Shanti stupa, Hall of fame, Alchi monastery, Likir monastery. Also see places left out on the previous day of Srinagar – Kargil – Leh highway.
— Overnight at Leh.
Day 10. (Expected travel 100 kms).
— Leh local sight seeing and inner line permits for desolated places.
— Visit Chemery, Hemis, Stakna, Matho, Stok.
— Overnight at Leh.
Day 11. (Expected travel 225 kms).
— Leh – Khardung la – Diskit – Hunder – Turtuk.
— Overnight stay at Turtuk.
Day 12. (Expected travel 150 kms).
— Spend whole day at Turtuk, Tyakshi and other left out small villages and landscapes.
— Overnight stay at Sumur.
Day 13. (Expected travel 175 kms).
— Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung la – Leh.
— Visit Sumu monastary
— Head to Nubra valley.
— Visit Yarab Tso lake.
— Overnight at Leh.
Day 14. (Expected travel 240 kms)
— Leh – Marsimik la – Spangmik.
— Cover Thikshey and Shey.
— Cover Pangong Tso lake.
— Overnight at Spangmik.
Day 15. (Expected travel 260 kms).
— Spangmik – Hanle.
— Overnight stay at Hanle.
Day 16. (Expected travel 175 kms)
— Hanle – Tso Moriri lake.
— Overnight stay at Tso Moriri.
(If I go alone, I’ll go back to Leh instead of Hanle from Spangmik. The next day, I’ll head to Tso Moriri from Leh).
Day 17. (Expected travel 250 kms).
— Tso Moriri – Pang/Sarchu.
— Visit Karzok monastery.
— Overnight at Pang/Sarchu.
Day 18. (Expected travel 250 kms).
— Pang/Sarchu – Manali.
— Overnight stay at Manali.
Day 19. (Expected travel 325 kms).
— Manali – Shimla.
— Visit Kasol.
— Overnight stay at Shimla.
Day 20. (Expected travel 380 kms).
— Shimla – New Delhi.
— Overnight stay at New Delhi.
Day 21 and Day 22. (Expected travel 200 kms).
— Delhi local sight seeing.
— Overnight stays at New Delhi.
Day 23.
— Used as a buffer day in case of any variations in the above plan. Such as denied permission, traffic jams at passes, road blocked due to snow slide etc…
Day 24. (Expected travel 225 kms).
— New Delhi – Agra.
— Visit Mathura.
— Visit Taj mahal.
— Reach Agra cantonment by 9 pm
Day 25 and 26 train travel.
— Reach Bangalore by 13:30 hrs or 1:30 pm.
Total expected travel is 4440 + 160(buffer) = 4600 kms.
Vikram, given the number of places you want to visit, your plan looks optimized to me with least scope of adjustment at all as mostly you are traveling on everyday. Hence, all you can adjust is outside Ladakh without dropping any place in Ladakh π
Dear Dheeraj sharma ,
We are group of the 6 people we want to start our journey from chandigarh to leh to spiti valley to chandigarh , can you suggest the best route for the same also can we suggest for the accommodation ? as we are carrying our tents on the bike so please suggest the best route and any more suggestion as we are taking our royal enfield bike with us .
Your support will be like appreciated .
Ashok, that is fine, but how many days do you have in hand? Which month are you planning this bike ride?
We are planning in 1-2 week of June and we are having 20 days in our hand
In that case Ashok, you can follow the below itinerary covering Spiti Valley – Ladakh and Srinagar – Leh Highway,
Day 1 | Chandigarh/Ambala β Narkanda – Sarahan
Day 2 | Sarahan β Rakcham/Sangla/Chitkul
Day 3 | Rakcham/Sangla/Chitkul – Nako β Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 6 | Kaza β Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit – Kaza
Day 7 | Kaza – Sissu / Keylong, leave early in the day
Day 8 | 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 9 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | 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 11 | 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 12 | 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 13 | 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 14 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Β
Day 15 | 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 16 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping
— Overnight at Leh
Day 17 | 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 18 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Sonamarg
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 19 | Srinagar – Jammu
— Overnight at Jammu
Day 20 | Jammu – Ambala
— Back Home
We are planning for 22 days and we are planning start in second week of June.
Hi Dheeraj,
Im planning to visit Turtuk from Hunder. Could you please tell me how feasible is that route and should be take that or not. We will be a group of 8 riders. We are not having a back up vehicle but we will be self sufficient in terms of spares and technical know how. Now, i have seen most people do not go there or havent gone there. What are your suggestions!! hows the road condition, BRO , army support etc.
Shagun, Hunder – Turtuk is an easy ride of about 90 Kms with most of the roads well tarred π … Most of the people do not go to Turtuk because it requires an additonal day in Nubra Valley and many of them are not even aware that there is such place called Turtuk π … Road condition wise, all is pretty well laid
Hello Dheeraj,
Thank you for the valuable info… Truly appreciate it… Being a travel writer myself, I know how hard it is to find info.. Thanks again…
I want to incorporate some offbeat places in the most common itinerary… Places like gurez valley, pahalgam, peerkigali, marsimik la etc… I can afford 19 days including buffer for this epic trip…I dont want to roam around in circles, like going to some place and coming back to leh… Please provide me with the itinerary which can be done in those days.. And will the normal camping tents work here ???.. I want to experience much of the nature… I don’t wanna be a tourist, im a traveler..
Regards
Vikram
Eagerly waiting for your reply.
Vikram, good to connect with you here π … Well, firstly I will advice you to make up mind by reading articles below for the unconventional routes you want to choose and then once you agree on the risks involved, we can discuss about your travel itinerary. Please read these two articles:
1. Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
2. Tips for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri Direct Route
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello dheeraj,
Thank you for the reply. I have read the articles and we are a group traveling with royal enfield and pulsar 220. As I told you, we don’t not want to roam around in circles and want to extract the maximum of our trip and visit maximum places as possible because we are from south India. We would love to add some places which are not hustled by tourists.. Places like gurez valley, pahalgam, peerkigali, marsimik la and other places (you know best). Please provide a detailed itinerary for 19 days starting from Amritsar and ending up in Chandigarh. We would also like to include kasol, Dalhousie and khajjiar if possible..
Waiting for your valuable info.
Thanks in advance.
Vikram it looks like you are looking for too much to do in 19 days π … Still, I will try to provide you something balanced for 19 days
Day 1 | Delhi – Dharamshala
Day 2 | Dharamshala / Mcleod Ganj rest
Day 3 | Mcleod Ganj – Dalhousie – Khajjiar
Day 4 | Khajjiar – Pathankot – Patnitop
Day 5 | Patnitop – Srinagar
Day 6, 7 | Gurez Valley and return to Srinagar
Day 8 | Srinagar – Kargil
Day 9 | Kargil – Leh
Day 10 | Leh Rest
Day 11 | Leh – Nubra Valley, Hunder + Deskit
Day 12 | Hunder / Deskit – Wari La – Pangong Tso (desolated route, carry spare fuel)
Day 13 | PAngong Tso – Hanle via Chusul – Tsaga La (subject to permits, army permissions, carry spare fuel)
Day 14 | Hanle – Tso Moriri (, carry spare fuel)
Day 15 | Tso Moriri – Sarchu (, carry spare fuel)
Day 16 | Sarchu – Jispa
Day 17 | Jispa – Manali
Day 18 | Manali – KAsol
Day 19 | Kasol – Delhi
Thanks a lot Dheeraj for sharing the plan !! Just wanted to check if we follow the route for this trip as is then how much distance a rider will be covering in complete trip. Also any good bike rentals in Delhi apart from stonehead ?
Ashish, it should be around 3200 KM road trip from Delhi to Srinagar to Leh – Ladakh to Manali to Delhi as pe above plan. Regarding bike rentals in Delhi, check with Lalli Singh too. However, Bikes rented outside Leh are not allowed for sightseeing inside Ladakh except Tso Moriri and Tso Kar lakes which can be done while going to Manali from Leh. Private bikes are completely allowed. You can use the outside rented bike to reach Leh but then for going to Pangong Tso, nubra Valley, etc.. you need to hire rented bikes from Leh only.
To know more about this rule and present situation, please refer the link: Bikes Rented Outside Leh Banned in Ladakh
Hello Dheeraj ,
Let me first thank you for the amazing work you have been doing.
Since the one way pickup cost for rental bikes is steep , I am seeking an itinerary for around 12 days which starts and ends at Manali .
We will be a group of 6 friends looking to hire 2 bikes and 1 taxi from Manali.
Also we were thinking of taking a mechanic with us , incase of any breakdowns.
Do you have any idea how much will hiring a mechanic cost?
Thanks,
Gaurav
Gaurav, mechanic costs around 1800-2000 per day. Regarding itinerary from Manali – Leh – Manali, you can refer below:
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 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 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
Day 9 | Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 10 | 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 11 | 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 12 | Manali – Delhi
— Return
Regards
Dheeraj
Hello Dheeraj ,
Thanks for your valuable inputs.
Few more questions from my side.
1) We are planning to start the trip on 13th Sept and with a buffer day in hand . we should be back to Delhi on 26th. Is this time of the year right for this trip?
2) We are planning to hire a taxi from Manali along with 3 bikes and we friends will be riding the bikes on rotation basis. I understand that we wont be allowed to ride our bikes rented in Manali in Leh due to the union rule effective last year. Will this rule be applicable even for the taxi?
3) Do you have any idea as to how much will a Toyota Innova cost for a to and fro trip from Manali-Leh lasting 12 days?
Regards,
Gaurav
Hi Gaurav,
Replies as below:
1. September will be good time to visit π
2. Taxi rule was always there right from the very start of tourism I believe. You cannot ply an outside rented taxi within Ladakh for sightseeing. You can use it just to get in and out of Leh.
3. It shall cost around 60-65K I believe but majorly depends upon what destination you are covering. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Regards
Dheeraj
hi gaurav ,
can i also join ur group. we are two couples wh like to make a trip to leh and should be back to delhi by 26 sep.
Hey Dheeraj,
Brilliant website and awesome info. I plan to fly to Leh and follow your itinerary from Day 5 onwards.
I am trying to save a day though somewhere and also a few hours on the road if possible. So a couple of questions.
Google map shows Hunder/Diskit to Pangong is a 6-7hour drive. Is that correct or will it take longer?
While on the way back from Pangong, is it possible to stay at Upshi or Karo or Thiksey? I would prefer staying in a small village rather than Leh even if saves only an hour of travel (Completely okay with basic acco)
Anchit, Hunder / Deskit to Pangong Tso will take much longer via Wari La Pass, about 10-11 easily. It is possible to stay at either of these places, but then the difference between them and Leh is not much and stay options at all these places are very basic. Since, you are OK with it, go ahead π
Hey Dheeraj!
Amazing info up there buddy! more amzing for someone like me who has no clue whatsoever how to plan things in what it seems like one of the most beautiful places on earth.
I do have few queries and would really appreciate if you can help us with that.
1. We will be flying to leh late august for 10-11 day trip from delhi. will be be right time to visit the place?
2. While we fill fly to leh, while coming back we want to ride the bikes. Can you suggest what will be better? Leh- srinagar- jammu – delhi or Leh- Manali- delhi. Also will it be possible to rent bikes one way from Leh to manali or Leh to srinagar?
3. if you can list down few places/experiences that we must must must not miss.
thanks again for all the info. look forward to hear from you.
regards
Mohit
Hi MOhit,
Please find my replies below:
1. Should be OK time since you are flying in to Leh. Though you will face hassles of rains while coming back to Srinagar post Kargil as you exit rain shadow region.
2. Both will have rain hassles. Also, one way bike rentals are very very costly. I will prefer Manali – Leh any day due to its remarkable beauty along side the extreme adventure + desolation it offers π
3. Refer the itinerary in the article above from Day 4 onward.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Kindly advise on this. My friends and I are planning a vacation in the month of September. Kindly advise an itinerary we could use, we have 13 to 14 days available, and wanted to visit Manali Leh Ladakh Srinagar. We want to go by car. Also will September be a good month to visit these places. Thanks in advance.
Hi Dheeraj, I had this same question for you. Me and my friends are planning to visit Leh-Ladakh from Delhi in an SUV. I kindly request you to give us the itinerary with one route from srinagar and other through Manali (To and fro route is up to you) .Total days inclusive travel would be 12 days. Would it be enough ? You can add a day to it if you feel so.
Thank you π
Zahoor, please follow the itinerary mentioned in the article above and you will have a great trip of Ladakh. You can skip the rest day mentioned in the article above to reduce one day for you.
Anju, please follow the itinerary suggested in the article above for Leh – Ladakh and you will have a wonderful trip π
hows nako, demul and komic village in spiti? Is a night stay at both villages a good option or just a visit and comming back is ok? which is a must stay place here?
Dharman, all depends upon how you are traveling at these picturesque places and how many days you have with you in hand so enjoy the night stays up in these places.
hi ..Dheeraj
is it possible to do
sonmarg — parakchick— day 1
parakchik — durang durang — parakchik — day 2
parakchik — lamryuru /leh — day 3
then following the routine iternary further .
1) we will be with the families (20 people) with children.
Do we get accommodation at parackchik?
2) is it worth doing that route (suru valley) ?
Hi Bhavesh,
You can also do:
Sonamarg β Purikutchey/ Parakchickβ day 1
Purikutchey/ Parakchick – Penzi La β Drang Drung β Purikutchey/ Parakchick β Sankoo – Kargil day 2
Kargil β lamryuru – leh β day 3
You need to pre-arrange everything as finding place to stay at Purikutchey/ Parakchick will be quite tough for 20 people unless booked. Rest house at Purikutchey / Panikhar are much better than Parakchick
2. One hell of a beauty on that entire route, out of the world experience π π
thanks a ;lot..
know almost finalizing the i ternary.
accomodation fascilities are good enough (especially toilets no. and type )
for 6 families with children at panikhar or rangdum ???
can i get some contact no. ?
Hmmm.. At Panikhar only PWD Rest House is present and it will be quite basic. Same is true for Rangdum but its PWD guest house is in worse condition. However, in Rangdum there are homestay options available.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am Chetan Patil from bangalore.I have planned tour of Leh ladakh, thanks for ur blog for making my plan s, I appreciate efforts u have put in in the blog.So nice that blogs like this help a lot for travellers like me. Need your opinion on my plan(Infact its just copy paste of ur plan ), we are 6 people(My parents,my mother in law,wife and sister), I have booked flight from Chandigarh on june 7th.I hope manali -rohtang pass would be open till then and if its not please suggest me how can i reach chandigarh and if i cannot reach Chandigarh what would be my plan B.I have planned it at may end as we love snow and dont want to miss it.I have heard that its snowed a lot this year and rohtang pass would open late this year.
Below are my plan details.
23nd May Saturday—> Reach srinagar by afternoon.Visit local sight seeing.
24rd May —> Srinagar sight seeing
25th May Monday —> Srinagar β Sonamarg β Zozi La β Drass β Kargil
26th May —-> Kargil β Lamayuru β Leh
27th May —-> Leh Local Sighseeing + Inner Line Permits
28th May ——>Leh β Khardung La β Diskit β Hunder
29th May ——> Hunder / Diskit β Sumur β Panamik β Sumur β Khardung La β Leh
30th May ——> Leh β Hemis Monastery β Pangong Tso Lake
Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
31th May ——> Pangong Tso Lake β Thicksey Monastery β Shey Palace β Leh
1 June ——–> Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping or tour to Sham Valley. Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace
2 June ——–>Leh β Tso Moriri via Chumathang
3 June ———> Tso Moriri β Tso Kar β Debring (Manali β Leh Highway starts) β Moore Plains β Pang / Sarchu
4 June ——–>Pang / Sarchu β Baralacha La β Keylong β Rohtang Pass β Manali
5th June ——–> Buffer
6TH June Buffer
7th June ——> flight from Chandigarh at 5.45 in the evening .
I also wanted to know how much will it cost me for srinagar to manali if i hire innova or scorpio.
Chetan, the itinerary looks fine. It should cost you about 65-70 K as per the new taxi union rates. For the leh – ladakh taxi union rate list 2015 – 16 including the contacts of some reliable taxi drivers within Leh – Ladakh, check the link here. You can get about 10-12% of discount by directly getting in touch with drivers and of course, talking in person rather on phone always help in bargaining more.
Hi Dheeraj,Thanks for reply,From my above schedule, i should be leaving to manali form tso-moriri on june 3rd or 4th,but from current status of leh-manali highway its seems impossible to go to manali,Could you suggest me alternate path to Chandigadh as i have booked flight form chandigadh on june 7th.Is there any alternate plan for me.Please help ,waiting eagerly for reply.
Chetan, you have to go back to Srinagar and from there travel to Jammu and then to Chandigarh from there. Below will be the route days wise
Tso Moriri – Leh
Leh – Kargil
Kargil – Srinagar
Srinagar – Jammu
Jammu – Chandigarh