Tso Moriri lake in Changthang region of Ladakh is one of the most beautiful, calm, and sacred (for Ladakhis) high altitude lakes in India. It is the largest high altitude lake in India that is entirely in Indian territory. This beautiful blue pallet lake is about 7 km wide at its broadest point and about 19 km long.
Being part of the wetland reserve under the Ramsar site, it is known as Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. You cannot pitch any camps near Tso Moriri or construct any stay option near the banks of the lake. It is the highest Ramsar site in the world. The place is full of flora and fauna is found in the region.
Since it is near to the Line of Actual Control, you need to get Inner Line Permit to visit Tso Moriri Lake, both as an Indian as well as a foreigner.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Tso Moriri Lake Leh Ladakh
The beautiful multi-shades of blues offered by this lake along with a picturesque landscape around give this place an extremely romantic and breathtaking feel. However, in reality, the place is harsh and difficult to survive especially in winters.
There is only a couple of cemented accommodation available around the lake in the form of homestays and the facilities like electricity, medical aid, hot running water, western toilets, etc. are luxury in itself. The lack of oxygen makes survival difficult if your body is not properly acclimatized to its high altitude. Hence, one needs to plan his/her journey extremely carefully to avoid acute mountain sickness.
So, even though you might feel tempted to include Tso Moriri in your trip to Leh Ladakh, it is important to plan your trip to this high altitude place properly. This travel guide will help you with it.
Location
Tso Moriri is located about 240 KMs from Leh town of Ladakh district in Jammu & Kashmir. You cannot make a day trip from Leh to Tso Moriri lake as it will be very hectic and not worth it. Hence, you should plan for a two day trip to Tso Moriri from Leh.
Altitude
Tso Moriri lake is one of the high altitudes lakes of India at a staggering altitude of 4595 Meters or 15075 Feet, yes higher than Pangong Tso.
Best Time to Visit Tso Moriri Lake
In general, the best time to travel to Tso Moriri lake is in the summer months when the Ladakh peak season is in full flow.
Similar to what we learned about the best time to travel to Leh Ladakh, in the months of January to March, lake Tso Moriri remains mostly frozen, extremely cold conditions with no options to stay around the lake. Apart from some homestays at Korzok, Chumathang is the next best bet to stay nearby this lake.
In April, the lake starts to melt and starts transforming into the beautiful palette of multi shades of blue colors. Then, May to August is the peak tourist season but as compared to Pangong Tso it gets fewer tourists.
Tso Moriri in September and October
The tourists start to reside as cold starts to set in, and accommodation tents pack up, which are near to the lake. IMO, this is by far the best time to visit Tso Moriri and see the full glory of beautiful shades of blue color in the lake. The colors are purely magical at this time of the year, and with fewer tourists comparatively, you get better deals and enjoy more.
Visiting Tso Moriri in Winter
After mid-October up to December, all the accommodation packs up, and the only nearest place you can stay is either in some homestay with basic facilities to fight the harsh cold temperature at Tso Moriri. You can also find some homestays in Nyoma village and a guest house in Chumathang. Both Nyoma and Chumathang are much warmer than Tso Moriri lake in winter months.
Nyoma has few guesthouses having slightly better facilities to fight the cold and provide comfort in winter months than the ones in Korzok. Similarly, Chumathang has Hot Spring Guest House, and due to the presence of hot springs, Chumathang itself is quite warm and lower in altitude.
If the sun is shining and you do not mind the hard cold winters, then you can make the day trip to Tso Moriri from Chumathang or Nyoma to see magical shades of blue color at this lake. However, do not forget to check the weather conditions before leaving Leh.
How to Reach Tso Moriri from Leh
You can reach Tso Moriri from Leh by road via Upshi – Chumathang – Mahe route. Tso Moriri Lake is also connected from Pangong lake directly by Chusul – Tsaga La – Loma – Mahe route.
You can also travel to Tso Moriri lake from Manali Leh Highway via Tso Kar – Puga – Sumdo route. The diversion point to Tso Moriri from Manali Leh Highway is Debring just before Tanglang La pass. However, this route is mostly used to exit from Tso Moriri towards Manali rather than the opposite.
You can read the reasons on not to visit Tso Moriri lake from when coming from Manali to Leh.
Let us look at the different routes that you can use to travel to Pangong Tso from Leh town or Nubra Valley which will help you in planning your trip to it.
Route from Leh to Tso Moriri Lake
This is the most general route to reach Tso Moriri from Leh. You can reach in about 7 – 8 Hrs depending upon the number of breaks you take in between the journey. The route along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:
Leh – Karu (36 KMs) – Upshi (13 KMs) – Kumdok (19 KMs) – Kere (53 KMs) – Chumathang (34 KMs) – Mahe (22 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Korzok or Tso Moriri(53 KMs) = 240 KMs
You can cover Thicksey, Hemis, and Shey monasteries while going through this route if you haven’t covered them earlier while going to Pangong Tso. This route provides the best road conditions for all other routes. So, if you are one of those who prefer relaxing vacation and do not want to rush through places then, I will suggest making a two day trip to Tso Moriri lake via this route from Leh.
Of course, I assume your body has been acclimatized properly by staying for a couple of nights in Leh and spending a night or two in Nubra Valley as well before attempting to sleep near Tso Moriri or Korzok. If you are short on time, then you can also exit towards Manali from Manali – Leh Highway from Tso Moriri via this route only, but you need to ensure that you have enough fuel to cover about 550 km without any fuel pump.
Route from Pangong Tso Lake to Tso Moriri Lake
There exist a direct and an indirect route between Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso as well and in most general cases, you will always be doing it from direct route of Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri because you can exit Ladakh from Tso Moriri towards Manali – Leh Highway after visiting Tso Moriri without coming back towards Leh and secondly, Tso Moriri is higher than Pangong Tso so as per acclimatization schedule you should stay near Pangong Tso before spending night at Tso Moriri.
Pangong Tso Lake to Tso Moriri Lake via Changthang (Merak – Chusul – Nyoma)
You can go to Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso directly via the remote and ever beautiful Changthang region. The drive between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri is one of the most beautiful drives in the whole Ladakh region. Since 2019, foreigners are now allowed to go beyond Man – Merak Villages as DC office is issuing the permits to them for this route.
Hence, they need to follow the indirect, slightly longer route to Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso. A special permit to cross Chusul is required from Leh DC office in order to travel on this route.
The route along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:
Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Kakstet (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Namashang La – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) = 235 KMs
You need to make sure you carry fuel for about 550 – 600 KMs because you will be covering Leh – Pangong Tso – Nyoma – Loma – Tso Moriri – Leh without any other petrol pump. And if you want to exit Ladakh through Manali – Leh Highway from Tso Moriri then also carry petrol/diesel for about 650 – 700 KMs as the next petrol pump will be available at Tandi.
Otherwise, you need to come back to Karu or Upshi, refill and move back again towards Manali – Leh Highway.
Pangong Lake to Tso Moriri Lake via Chumathang
The indirect route that goes from Chumathang is the longer one, where you need to go back from Pangong Tso to Leh up to Karu and from there you can take a left towards Upshi – Chumathang – Korzok to reach Tso Moriri.
This route can be followed by foreign tourists who are not allowed the permit for Changthang (Man – Merak – Chusul, etc.) region if they do not want to go back to Leh. But, IMO one must go back to Leh from Pangong Tso, refresh themselves and start towards Tso Moriri next morning instead of the very long day via Chumathang.
You need to mention both Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso on your permit form in order to undertake this route. The route along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:
Spangmik – Lukung (16 KMs) – Tangtse (34 KMs) – Durbuk (9 KMs) – Chang La (32 KMs) – Sakti (34 KMs) – Karu (10 KMs) – Upshi (13 KMs) – Kumdok (19 KMs) – Kere (53 KMs) – Chumathang (34 KMs) – Mahe (22 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Namashang La – Korzok or Tso Moriri(53 KMs) = 339 KMs
Of course, you can plan the route from Tso Moriri to Pangong lake, but in general, it does not fit in the overall plan because of acclimatization and losing the opportunity of exiting via Tso Moriri to Sarchu to Manali route.
Do not forget to refill petrol/diesel at Karu or Upshi petrol pump and if you want to exit Ladakh through Manali – Leh Highway then also carry petrol/diesel for about 500 – 550 KMs as the next petrol pump will be available at Tandi.
Otherwise, you need to come back to Karu or Upshi, refill and move back again towards Manali – Leh Highway.
You can check the detailed Tso Moriri map. You can download this detailed map of Leh Ladakh by right-clicking & then select the option: “Save Image As…”
Road Conditions and Preferred Vehicles
The higher ground clearance vehicles are preferable, and 4×4 ones would be helpful, especially between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri via Man – Merak – Chusul – Nyoma (Changthang) route. However, for the general route from Chumathang, quite a few people do it in hatchbacks and sedans as well which depends upon your skills to drive and road conditions at the time of travel.
In general Leh to Tso Moriri road condition via Upshi – Chumathang route is good enough for any type of the car including hatches and sedan.
It is always recommended to carry these important spare parts when you drive to Ladakh.
Video – Tso Moriri Lake Tourist Attractions
How to plan a trip to Tso Moriri lake?
Generally, when you plan a trip to Tso Moriri, then at least a one-night stay is recommended to witness the mesmerizing beauty of this blue colored lake truly. Of course, one night’s stay will help you watch sunrise and sunset over the picturesque landscape and increase the charm of your vacation to a great extent.
As it will take you about 8-9 hrs to reach Tso Moriri from Leh, it does not make any sense to go there, touch it and come back in a single day. Also, you miss a chance to take Tso Kar – Taglang La route when coming back to Leh from Tso Moriri.
If you plan to exit Ladakh from Tso Moriri to Sarchu to Manali route, then plan for a three day trip with night halts at Tso Moriri and Sarchu before reaching Manali from Leh.
Generally, most people plan a two day Tso Moriri itinerary like:
Day 1 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang – Namashang La
- Cover Korzok Monastery
- Overnight at Tso Moriri or Korzok
Day 2 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring – Taglang La – Rumste – Upshi – Karu – Leh
- Cover Tso Kar Lake and Taglang La (some part of Manali – Leh Highway)
- Overnight at Leh
You can also check our most common Itinerary for a Ladakh trip
Where to Stay
You cannot find accommodation on the banks of the lake because it is restricted to pitch the camps there being a Ramsar site wetland reserve and sanctuary for migratory birds. You can pitch the tents near the other tented colonies pitched just before Korzok village or find accommodation in Korzok village.
Both ways you will definitely have a clear and broad view of the 24 KM in length, 6 KM in width this magnificent blue colored high altitude lake.
For a comprehensive list of accommodation options or hotels or camps around Tso Moriri lake, you can refer to these good Tso Moriri hotels or accommodation options to stay.
Medical Facilities Nearby
The nearest basic medical health center may be available at Korzok Village though I am not that sure about it. You can get basic first aid including Oxygen doses at some of the tents/camps, I guess else you can carry your own oxygen cylinder from Leh with you.
Where to Eat
Being a remote place, you will either be eating in the homestays at Korzok Village or at the camps/tents near Korzok in which you might be staying overnight.
The options of eating places at Tso Moriri lake is fairly limited to the homestays and camping sites available Korzok.
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Phone Connectivity
You will not find any phone or mobile signals at Tso Moriri Lake. The only postpaid connections work in Leh Ladakh and BSNL have the widest coverage followed by Airtel and Reliance Jio.
Petrol Pumps near Tso Moriri
Nearest Petrol Pump is at Karu (about 204 km) from Tso Moriri and comes on the way to Tso Moriri from Leh. I will suggest that you top-up the fuel from Leh itself and then drive/ride up to Tso Moriri.
In case you are planning to exit from Manali Leh Highway, do not forget to carry spare fuel with you so that you make it to Tandi. The overall distance that you will cover without the petrol pump will be 550 km on Leh – Tso Moriri – Sarchu – Manali route.
ATMs
You will not find any ATMs near Tso Moriri lake and hence, it is always better to carry cash from Leh (the only place where you find ATM in Ladakh) itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let us look at some of the most frequently asked questions about Pangong lake. In case I have missed to cover any question in this article, feel free to give me a shoutout and I will answer and add to this list.
What is the taxi fare for Leh to Tso Moriri?
As per taxi union rates of 2020, a two day trip from Leh to Tso Moriri taxi fare is Rs 15711 and Rs 31362 for a three-day trip from Leh to Tso Moriri to Manali.
Can I travel from Leh to Tso Moriri by bus?
There are three buses that travel from Leh to Tso Moriri every 10th, 20th and 30th day of the month. The Leh to Tso Moriri bus leaves at 6.30 AM on these dates from Leh bus stand. You can read all about Leh to Tso Moriri lake bus service.
Which one is better to visit between Tso Moriri or Pangong Lake?
If I have to choose between Pangong Lake or Tso Moriri, I will personally visit Tso Moriri lake every time just because of its raw nature and less crowd or less commercialization. However, if you are visiting Leh Ladakh for the first time, you should visit Pangong Lake because it is something that you should not miss on your first trip to Ladakh without regretting it.
Can I make a Tso Moriri to Leh trip in a single day?
It is highly NOT recommended to make a one day trip to Tso Moriri Lake. You should always plan for at least two days trip from Leh.
Conclusion
Tso Moriri lake is one of my favorite places to visit in Ladakh, sometimes I feel it is much better than Pangong Tso lake. However, for the first time in Ladakh, I am sure Pangong Tso is something that they should not miss.
I hope this travel guide of Tso Moriri lake helps you plan your trip successfully.
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Please feel free to post any queries or doubts you might have in planning your trip to Tso Moriri in the comments section of this article. If you have been to this lake, kindly share your thoughts and other information you might feel will be worth sharing with other fellow travelers and prove helpful to them.
If you know your friends or family are planning a trip to Ladakh, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable Ladakh trip.
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Hi Sirjee, I have gone thru your valuable informative posts and researched outside also, can you help me which is good for spending a night in terms of Quietness & less crowded & convenient stays & better night sky whether will it be Tso Moriri or Pangong lake.
I am bit confused between the 2 as my schedule is tight & i will be able to choose any 1 trip towards the end days of ladakh itinerary
If 1 day trip from Leh to pangong & back and 1 day trip from leh to tso moriri & back was possible i would have done using 2 days (i m not sure if the same is possible)
Thnkx in Advance
If I factor in all these things, then I will go with Tso Moriri. You will need to make 1 day trip to Pangong Tso and 2 day trip to Tso Moriri. In case you are making 2 day trip to Nubra Valley, you can club Nubra Valley with Pangong Tso and take direct route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso and spend night at Pangong Tso as well. This was in 3 days you visit Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso and then 2 day trip to Tso Moriri.
ohk ok.
i am planning a 1 day trip from Srinagar to Leh with few hours halt at Drass memorial
1st Day i’l stay in leh & arrange for permits (I heard that huge lines are there for permits)
2nd day is one day trip to Diskit/Hunder from Leh
3rd day i’l goto Tso moriri.. spend a night there and leave the next day,
remaining 3rd day i’l utilize for shopping and local sightseeing if required
and on 4th day, i will be leaving from Leh by flight
Hi Jack,
1. Well, there are lines but not that huge. I have been able to get the permit maximum in an hour in all 8-9 trips I have been to Ladakh.
2. Then you do not have any day to visit Pangong Tso. I will highly suggest to add a day because you will feel fatigue that may cause AMS issues to sleep at Tso Moriri with the hectic plan.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the detailed post. One question regarding permits for foreign tourists. So if I don’t want to go back to Leh and opt for the direct Pangong – Tsomoriri route, the only option is to go through the longer route through Chumathang?
Or is there an extra permit that can be acquired to go through Changthang?
And how long does it take for each routes?
Thanks!
Hey Ruth,
Yes, you will have to take the longer route from Chumathang to reach Tso Moriri. The other direct route is only available for Indian tourists. Both routes have similar ETA with Chumathang being marginally higher.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the reply. I’m actually traveling with a group of Indian nationals from Leh to Nubra all the way to Pangong. But they are going to continue traveling to Tsomoriri through the Changthang route so I have to part ways with them in Pangong.
Is it easy to hitchhike a ride back to Leh from Pangong? And where and what time is it best to look for a shared taxi back to Leh from Pangong?
There will be plenty of tourists and taxis present at Pangong Tso, You will have to weigh in the options upon reaching there and talking to people next day around the lake or campsites. Hitch hike is another adventure but I feel with such large tourist footfall, there is very high probability of getting a ride back to Leh. Shared taxis one way is not that common, so you have to rely upon hitch hikes mostly.
Dear DHEERAJ SHARMA：
I want to Visit these Places，Can you Recommend me some route,thanks a lot:
1、Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso；
2、Tso Moriri Lake
3、Alchi Monastery、Lamayuru and Phuktal Gompa
4、Zanskar Valley
Then I will go to manali…Can you give some Itinerary Suggestion ,thanks you.
Lee, how mnay total days do you have in hand?
Dear DHEERAJ SHARMA：
Total 14 days….
I Will suggest to skip Zanskar and do Ladakh on easy pace as per the very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
Hi
I am traveling to Leh on 1st October by flight and my return flight is on 6th. I just want to know right now I am have planned to cover Nubra and pangong. To cover Tso Moriri I will have to change my return flight for a day later. Pls advice the weather in first week October and whether it is worth to spend the money to change flights. I just want to know the accommodation facilities in Tso moriri. I read your article. The camps would be wrapped up and it would be very cold so pls suggest what I should do.
Weather will be cold and quite cold in morning/evenings at Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri. I will suggest to keep the plan simple and skip Tso Moriri for now. Most of the camps do wrap up in September and hence, you will have to stay at home stays.
Hi, We have prepared an itinerary for Leh – Pangong Tso – Chusul – Tso Moriri – Leh in 3 days.
Day 1: Leh – Pangong Tso (stay at Spangmik)
Day 2: Pangong Tso (Spangmik) – Chusul – Tso Moriri (stay at Tso Moriri)
Day 3: Tso Moriri – Leh
Kindly accord whether these routes are OK.
We are traveling on Aug 20,21,22 2017 through this route.
The major concern for this route is fuel as it is very long travel of around 650kms. with only petrol pump at Leh. We will rent Bullet 500 which has 13.5 ltrs. tank only and load will be of driver + pillion + one travel bag. Suggest what mileage we can expect on this route with Bullet 500 and also how much fuel extra we have to carry, is it feasible to carry so much fuel while driving through dirt roads?
I have visited Leh – Pangong – Leh in single day in 2015 and your forum has been a great help to us during our last trip as well. Kindly address our issues, it will be a great help. Thanks.. Regards, Amit Upadhyay
Hi Amit,
Routes are OK, needless to say, it will be hectic and I am assuming you will be well acclimatized before making this trip in Leh and Nubra Valley.
Whatever mileage you get in plains, you will get about 65% of it only. You will have to carry extra fuel as well as rely on local sources for black fuel too.
Hello Dheeraj,
Do i need to rent a bike from Leh to go to Tso Moriri, or Can I go with a bike rented from Delhi?
Technically, yes. You should rent the bike from Leh only. But, early morning leaving you may be able to avoid the checkposts and then just exit via Manali Leh without returning to Leh.
Hello Sir, Hats off to you for providing great details and travel insight. It is really helpful for novice tourist like me. I alongwith my two other friends coming to Leh on 3rd Sep 2017 via air and stay there till 9th Morning and planning to rent bike for touring Leh.
Our Plan is as follows:
DAY 1 SUN : Rest + Rent a bike + Shanti Stupa + Hall of Fame
DAY 2 MON : ILP + Gurudwara + Magnetic Hill + Confluence of Zanskar and Indus Rivers + Chilling + Likir
Monastery + Alchi Monastery
DAY 3 TUES : Nubra Valley
DAY 4 WED : Nubra to Pangong via Agham
Day 5 Thurs: Pangong to Tso Moriri ( Merak – Chusul – Nyoma)
Day 6 Fri : Tso Moriri to Leh ( via )Chumathang
My doubts are :
1. Is Plan B feasible in first week of Sep 2017.
2. Where all can i find petrol ( Petrol Pump or black petrol) on this route.
3. How many lit of petrol do i have to carry considering we will be riding bullet 350 standard. By my Calculation
considering mileage of 20Kmpl (on safer side) total petrol required will be 38 lit and subtracting tank capacity
of 12 lit we will require 26 lit of petrol in jerry can. Is it feasible to cary such large amount of petrol on bike.
4. Is there any current update to Agham shylok road & Merak – Chusul – Nyoma route about both road conditions.
Hi Abhinav,
1. I do not see any Plan B though your plan is feasible but hectic a bit.
2. Please read: Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
3. Above link will help you with distances. Please note Nubra Valley , Deskit petrol pump is fully functional now mostly
4. I will wish the Agham Shyok route gets opened. It is closed as of now due to a massive landslide. Merak – Chusul is open but again dirt track up to Tsaga village
Hi Dheeraj,
Sayantan here, Sakshar’s friend. Have one question. How’s the road condition between Tso Kar and Tso Moriri. You mentioned its off road, which is fine with me. But I’ll be travelling in my small car (Renault Kwid) and is it recommended to take this route (in September) ?
On the plus side, if I manage to cross, I can save time and avoid crossing Tanglang la.
Waiting for your suggestions.
Regards
Sayantan
How are you doing Sayantan !!
No major ground clearance challenge at on the road from Tso KAr to Tso Moriri. Since it is like a dirt track, it will just lower the speed down so that you do not get a puncture.
Doing good! Thanks a lot Dheeraj for your reply.
Best wishes for the trip, we will wait for your updates 🙂
Hey Dheeraj,
Few questions.
– While returning from tso moriri , we plan to take sumdo-debring route as we plan to return to Manali. from there. How’s the road condition and enfield 500cc can get on this route ??
– pangong or tso moriri ?? Which is better. ?? I know tso Moriri attracts less crowd cuz of distance. We are surely going to tso Moriri but is pangong worth visiting ? Kindly advice.
– we ll be carrying our tent. We won’t pitch it near lake. But we can put our own tent ??
– important question, in your experience how often you ve witnessed Tyre puncture ??
Cheers
Hey Kartik,
1. Road condition is OK, though it is a dirt track but easily manageable
2. Between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri, well, Pangong Tso is more touristy and big while Tso Moriri is more secluded and a bit smaller.
3. Yes, you can do so. Kindly, refer article: Top 10 Tips for Camping in Ladakh & Spiti Valley
4. Quite a few times :), couple of handy products for bike rides are Chain Lube and Cleaner, Puncture Repair Kit and Puncture Sealant
HI DHEERAJ
You are doing a great job . we are leaving jalandhar on 27 may as per
27 may jalandhar to srinagar
28 may srinagar to kargil
29 may kargil to leh
30 may leh
31 may leh to hunder
1june hunder to pangong
2 june pangong to leh
3 june leh to tso morriri
4 june tso morriri to sarchu /jispa
5 june jispa to manali
6 june manali to jalandhar
1 buffer day
is this plan fine
any thing better please suggest
we are 5 adults in pajero sports
Harish, your plan looks OK to me. Just make sure you have some company on direct route to Pangong Tso from Nubra Valley
Hey Dheeraj, We are planning Leh trip in June end. But I am confused when it comes to packing due to insufficient information related to climate and temperature at that time. Can you please check my itinerary and guide me? Most of the time we are travelling by car, May be for a day we will hire a bike.
17 june : Reaching Srinagar
18 june : Gulmarg
19 june:pahalgam
20 june: Sonamarg
21 june: Kargil
22 june: leh
23 june nubra valley
24 june: pangong lake
25 june : coming back to leh
26 june: buffer day in leh
27 june:tsomoriri Lake
28 june: Tsokar Sarchu
29 june : Manali
Krushika, you should move the buffer day in Leh to rest day in Leh on June 23. Acclimatize, take rest and get the inner line permit. Rest looks OK to me. Regarding clothing, please refer: Tips for Carrying Clothes for Ladakh Trip
Dheeraj, one more thing pls.
Can you advise me on what kind of woolens I need to carry for day time in last week to June to 1st week to July? At nights we will be staying in hotels so no concern for cold nights but for daytime I am not sure. Pls keep in mind that I will cross Khardungla in daytime.
Since you will be riding a bike, I will suggest that you prepare layers of clothing. You should have a heavy woolen jacket or rider jacket followed by a layer of a light woolen jacket. Windcheater is a must for one of the layers, either front or inner.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Tso Moriri but heard that the road is under construction. I spoke to a hotel in Laddakh who said vehicles can go but I am skeptical if it is advisable for me as I am travelling alone with wife on our royal enfield. Pls suggest.
Harshit, if you are planning the trip in June – July, the road might have got damaged for few days but should be open unless there is a fresh landslide. There is no major blockade reported by anyone to Tso Moriri. If the hotel guys are saying vehicles are going, they should be. May be you can contact some of the local drivers List of Taxi Drivers for Ladakh – Srinagar – Leh – Manali who does these routes.
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning to go to Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso via Chushul on the 26th of June 2017. Will be traveling in an Innova taxi with a local driver. What will be the road conditions like and how long does this route usually take?
Usually, the road is mostly dirt track with bumps almost up to Tsaga village from where the tarred road starts.
hi Dheeraj,
Is it possible to do Leh – Karu – Upshi – Kumdok – Kere – Chumathang – Mahe – Sumdo – Karzok on a 150 Cc Hero CBZ Xtreme bike ??
Also share do’s & dont’s if any ?
Yes, this route can be easily done on a 150cc bike.
Sir we are planning for leh to manali ..and want to cover tso moriri also… so itinery shall be leh to tso moriri to keylong to manali …is it posible? 3days …. i want info about stay at karzok village … advance booking of hotel necessary?? Or we get cheap accomodation easily on th spot at karzok??? Dates are 4th-5th june at karzok …
Yes, people in general do it like:
Leh to tso Moriri
Tso Moriri to Sarchu/Jispa
Sarchu/Jispa to Manali
IF you are looking for economic stays then you will have to do on spot booking only as over phone stays at Tso Moriri are costly.
Is there any problem … to get there on self drive rented vehicle…. ? Cz there is no option left….otherewise we have to get back to leh …this will consume a day for us …so is it risky to go there by your self drive rented vehicle ? And what about accomodation in sarchu????
You can try it out, in case the local drivers up there creates a nuisance, you can gracefully resolve the dispute and agree to go back to sleep at Tso Kar lake from where you can go to Sarchu – Manali next day.
I want to travel leh to tsomoriri to leh from 28th may to 4th June on bike rented from leh. Is that possible? Will roads be open?
Yes, you can travel to Tso Moriri from Leh in last week of May. Please keep in mind that Tso Moriri will be still cold in May end.
Hi, We are planning to visit leh on 23rd may 2017 and will hire bike from srinagar to leh. Is it possible for us to do local sightseeing in leh on those bike and if not what options do we have?
Hiring another bike in leh for local sightseeing means we have to hire twice one from sri to leh and other for leh sightseeing thereby incurring double cost. Please give your suggestion. Thank You.
You will have to hire the bike twice in such a case. It is best to travel by public transport to Leh and then hire a bike over there unless you are OK with paying twice and do not have any budget constraints.
Hi,
Please let me know what is the difference between Tsomoriri Camps and Tsomoriri Resorts in terms of facilities.
For a 1 night stay during Sept’17 which one will be preferrable?
Regards,
Baskar, one is camp made of canvas and other is just tin sheds which protect a bit more from winds.
is it ok for our family tour in 25th may to 5th june
Day 01: Pick up at 4.00am.Udhampur – Srinagar (Stay at srinagar)
Day 02: Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil (Stay at kargil)
Day 03: Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh (Stay at Leh)
Day 04: Leh Local sightseeing (Stay at Leh)
Day 05: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder- Nubra valley (Stay at Nubra valley)
Day 06: Hunder / Diskit – Khardung La –Leh (Stay at Leh)
Day 07: Leh-Pangong (Stay at Pangong)
Day 08: Pangong– Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu – Jispa (Stay at Jispa)
Day 09: Jispa – Manali /Chandigarh (Stay at Manali/Chandigarh)
Day 10: Manali/Chandigarh – Departure at 11.00 am
Your plan looks OK till Pangong Tso but Manali – Leh Highway may not be open by that time and you are making it too hectic towards the end of those days.
Hi Dheeraj,
Its great to have find all information about Leh at the same place. I’m travelling with my family (including my son – 10 years) as per following itinerary. Just wanted to check if this makes sense any specific you can suggest to have a relaxed vacation and avoid AMS.
25th April – Land in Leh, day at leisure
26th April – Day trip to Sham valley, night at Leh
27th April – Leh to Nubra Valley
28th April – Nubra Valley – Turtuk (where do you suggest to stay in Turtuk?)
29th April – Turtuk to Leh
30th April – Leh to Pangong Tso
1st May- Pangong Tso to Leh
2nd May – Rest Day at Leh (local sight seeing)
3rd May – Leh to Tso Moriri (Do you suggest to make a booking to stay or find once we reach?)
4th May -Tso Moriri to Leh
5th May – Day at leisure
6th May – Flight back from Leh
Thanks
Mohit
Hello Mohit,
You have a very good and relaxed plan. Just ensure you follow the general tips mentioned under the article for precautions for AMS and you should be good to go. Well, you should not stay at Pangong Tso as it will be too cold, so stay at Tangtse about 34 KMs before Pangong Tso. Same is true for Tso Moriri lake. Stay at Chumathang.
Go prepared well with heavy woollens to make sure you combat cold.
To know about AMS and acclimatization including the tips to combat AMS, please DO READ: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization
Thanks Dheeraj, also wanted to check if Nubra Valley hotels would be open at the time (end April)? For the Pangong Lake and Tso Moriri, it is worth visiting if we are not staying there and they would be frozen and too cold?
Yes Mohit, some of the guest houses and couple of hotels will start opening up in Nubra Valley by end of April. Well, yeah, you can still visit the lakes and spend more time before return back to bases like Tangtse for Pangong Tso or Chumathang for Tso Moriri. The journey will also be beautiful.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are a group of 7 people planning to visit Leh from June 2nd to 17th this year. We are planning to reach Srinagar by flight on 2nd and start next day from there by road. Is the road conditions look positive? Also, we are planning to come back via Manali. Kindly check the itinerary below:-
2nd June – Bangalore to Srinagar by flight
3rd – Srinagar to Kargil. Stay at Kargil
4th – Kargil to Leh via Lamayuru
5th – Local sightseeing at Leh
6th – Nubra via Kardungla. Stay at Hunder/Diskt
7th – Visit Turtuk and stay there
8th – Back to Leh
9th – Visit Pangong lake. Stay at Pangong
10th – Pangong to Chusul. Stay at Chusul?
11th – Chusul to Tso Moriri. Stay at Tso Moriri
12th – Rest at Tso Moriri
13th – Tso Moriri to Pang/Sarchu
14th – Pang/Sarchu to manali
15th – Sightseeing in Manali
16th – Manali to Chandigarh
17th – Fly back to Bangalore
Is this itinerary looks ok for you? Kindly provide your suggestions.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Poornendu
Your plan looks fine to me, get the permits for Hanle and do PAngong Tso to Hanle instead of Chusul and then Hanle to Tso Moriri.
Thanks Dheeraj! 🙂 Appreciate your efforts. I have one more query.Is it possible go to Pangong lake and come back to Leh within a day? Two of us have to return to Bangalore from Leh on 10th morning.
If not, can we reach Pangong from Nubra directly. Will the roads be open by that time?
Thanks & Best Regards,
Poornendu
Yes, it takes about 12 Hrs to make a day trip to Pangong Tso and many people do it. Pangong Tso – Nubra Valley road from Agham – Shyok can also be taken to save a day but keep in mind that the route is desolated and hence, you should only travel on that route if there are other vehicles accompanying you.
Hi Dheeraj ,
HATS OFF TO YOU for such comprehensive information, really appreciate your time & efforts.
M planning for trip to leh ladakh from Jammu and exit via manali from 10 sept tp 21 sept manali we have chosen this time based on your experience & suggestions. As we want to travel light can you please guide us regarding weather conditions at this time and clothing required. I have also posted our travel plan on DOW calendar.
Thanks in advance.
Rgds,
Manish
Hi Manish,
You should carry one light one heavy jacket at that time of the year. Rest it shall be fine in day time, so light jacket will mostly be used.
Hi DHEERAJ,
Really an wonderful blog ..
i am planning 9 days trip to srinagar – leh – manali – delhi ..please advice ..
Planning to reach Srinagar on june 2nd
So
June 2 – Reach Srinagar
June 3 – Srianagr to kargil
June 4 – kargil – Leh
June 5 – leh to nubra
June 6 – nubra to leh
June 7 – leh to pangso
June 8 – pangso – tsomori
June 9 – tso mori to sarchu
June10 – sarchu to manali Manali – manali to dehi bus
June 11 – Return fight from Delhi
June 12 –
Can ypu please suggest what will be the best option we can add on emore day also , We want to visit as much as possible
Hi Rajesh,
You must add one day of rest and acclimatization in Leh before going over to Nubra Valley via Khardung La pass. Also, you should know that the plan is going to be quite hectic and you will mostly be on road, so be sure to be mentally prepared for it.
Thanks for reply ..is is possile to do Nubra and back to leh in 1 day ?
Yes Rajesh, it is possible to do Nubra Valley day trip but it will be hectic for sure. You should have about 12 Hrs for it.
Infact since you are taking Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri direct route, you will have to anyway take rest day in Leh to apply for inner line permits on that route.
yes rest we will take and one more qn is is can we make like leh-nubra-pangso-tsomori -manali in one direct route in consecutive 4/5 days without returning back to leh?
Yes Rajesh, you can do so like
Leh to Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso to Hanle
Hanle to Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri to Leh
This way it will be a bit balanced. You will need permits to travel from Pangong Tso to Hanle from Leh DC Office.
Hi DHEERAJ,
Really an wonderful blog ..
i am planning 9 days trip to srinagar – leh – manali – delhi ..please advice ..
Planning to reach Srinagar on june 2nd
So
June 2 – Reach Srinagar
June 3 – Srianagr to kargil
June 4 – kargil – Leh
June 5 – Around leh
June 6 – leh to pangso
June 7 – pangso – tsomori
June 8 –
June 9 –
June10 – Reach Manali – manali to dehi bus
June 11 – Return fight from Delhi
June 12 –
Can ypu please suggest what will be the best option we can add on emore day also , We want to visit as much as possible
Just replied on the other thread.
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and five of my friends are planning for Leh this June. My itenary is as per below. Kindly let me know is it correct and what could be the approximate budget for the trip. Have some query about how much fuel should be carried in spare while travelling to leh – nuba – pangong – leh. Is it comfortable to go Tso mariri from pangong directly.
Day 1 – Delhi – Manali
Day 2 – Manali
Day 3- Manali – sarchu (Via Car)
Day 4 – Sarchu – Leh ( Via car)
Day 5- Leh – khardungla – nubra Valley (bike)
Day 6- nubra valley – pangong Tso
Day 7 – Pangong Tso – Leh
Day 8 – Leh – Tso Kar – Tso Mariri
Day 9 – Tso Mariri – leh
Day 10- leh -del (via Flight)
Hi Pankaj,
You should avoid the Day 2 as you are already short on time and avoid night halt at Sarchu. You should halt at night at Jispa and then make a trip to Jispa to Leh. Then before going over to Nubra Valley, you must have a day of acclimatization in high altitude of Leh for a night. This will help you minimize the chances of getting hit with AMS.
Hi thanks a lot for the article, i just wonder how long the duration by travel from tsomoriri to leh by visiting tsokar lake
It will take about 9-10 Hrs to reach Leh from Tso Moriri to Tso Kar to Taglang La – Leh depending upon breaks you take in between.
Would bikes rented from manali be a problem in Tso Mo Ri Ri? In other words, are Leh(rented) bikes mandatory in Tso Mo Ri Ri? My itinerary would require drastic changes if that is the case. Help would be hugely appreciated.
Yes, as per rules you cannot take your rented bike to Tso Moriri. But, make changes only after confirming it in Leh. At times, specially towards end of season for a rider or two, they at time allow.
We are planning to reach Leh from Shimla in a rented car (Zoom). Then we will be hire local bikes from Leh for the travel around. But in our way to Leh we would like to visit Tso Moriri. Will there be any issues with local taxi union in and around Tso Moriri.
Here is the detailed plan. Please give your suggestion ?
Date Day start from Night Stay
21-08-2016 Day 1 Delhi – Airport Shimla
22-08-2016 Day 2 Shimla Chitkul
23-08-2016 Day 3 Chitkul Losar ( Spiti valley )
24-08-2016 Day 4 Losar Bharatpur Tent Colony
25-05-2016 Day 5 Bharatpur Tent Colony Karzok ( tso moriri lake)
26-08-2016 Day 6 Tso moriri Leh
27-08-2016 Day 7 Leh Lamayuru
28-08-2016 Day 8 Leh pangong tso ( merak)
29-08-2016 Day 9 Merak Nubra valley
30-08-2016 Day 10 Nubra valleh Leh
31-08-2016 Day 11 Leh zing zing bar
01-09-2016 Day 12 zing zing bar manali
02-09-2016 Day 13 manali local sight seeing
03-09-2016 Day 14 manali Delhi- Airport
Shibin, please check: 5 reasons not to visit Tso Moriri from Manali side
So, it is better not to make this choice. Also, your itinerary is full of AMS vulnerability by sleeping at places like Chitkul, Losar, Bharatpur Korzok. It is better to just focus on either Ladakh or Spiti than making such mad runs everyday which may land you up either sick or in hospital
So what is your suggestion to complete this in same timeframe ? Which all are the places we can skip and get more relaxing.
Below is what I see you guys doing:
21-08-2016 Day 1 Delhi – Manali
22-08-2016 Day 2 Manali Jispa
23-08-2016 Day 3 Jispa – Leh
24-08-2016 Day 4 Leh acclimatization
25-05-2016 Day 5 Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley
26-08-2016 Day 6 Nubra Valley – Leh
27-08-2016 Day 7 Leh – Pangong Tso
28-08-2016 Day 8 Pangong Tso – Leh
29-08-2016 Day 9 Leh – Tso Moriri
30-08-2016 Day 10 Tso Moriri – Jispa
31-08-2016 Day 11 Jispa – Chandratal
01-09-2016 Day 12 Chandratal – Kunzum Pass – Ki – Kibber – Kaza
02-09-2016 Day 13 Kaza – Manali
03-09-2016 Day 14 manali Delhi- Airport
You can take direct route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso to save one day and use that day in Kaza to do Langza – Hikkim – Komik circuit.
Hi dheeraj
We are six friends going to ladakh in September. We are going by a taxi from my hometown. Can we return from leh to Manali via tso moriri on our non-leh registration taxi. As i hear that non leh registered taxies are not allowed for sightseeing around leh due to union rules.
Thanks
AP ji, no you cannot do Tso Moriri in outside rented taxi.
Hi Dheeraj,
Very useful post. I am planning the following itinerary for the end of this month. It will be great if you can help me choose out of the two options:
Option 1:
Day 1 – Arrive at Leh by Air
Day 2 – Leh
Day 3 – Leh to Nubra (Overnight at Nubra)
Day 4 – Nubra to Leh
Day 5 – Leh to Pangong
Day 6 – Pangong to Tso Moriri
Day 7 – Tso Moriri to Leh
Day 8 – Fly back from Leh
Option 2:
Day 1 – Arrive at Leh by Air
Day 2 – Leh
Day 3 – Leh to Nubra
Day 4 – Nubra
Day 5 – Nubra to Leh
Day 6 – Leh to Pangong
Day 7 – Pangong to Leh
Day 8 – Fly back from Leh
Any other suggestion would be more than welcome.
This will be my first trip to Leh.
Thanks
Sambhav, if it is your first trip I will suggest with Plan 2. It is easy, enjoyable and soak in the beauty of actual ladakh rather going all places. Day 4 in Nubra, you should visit beautiful Turtuk village.
Thanks Dheeraj. Plan 2 is what we have decided to follow. And yes, with an extra day at Nubra now, Turtuk village is definitely on the list.
Cool, best wishes for the trip to Ladakh 🙂
Dear dhiraj,
Just need to know about leh to kashmir route. Is it safe for family or should i take the same route for Delhi?
1000s of people take that route Anil every year, as solo, with families, with kids, with adults. So, in general it is safe.
Hi,
We need a little bit of advice for the last part of our 6 weeks in Ladakh please. We are a couple from the UK.
We would like to spend a few days watching the Ladakh festival (18th-25th Sept) before travelling via Manali and have to be back in Delhi on 28th Sept.
We plan to hire a private taxi in Leh (looking through you taxi list for drivers) to stop off at Tso Moriri. Could you please advise if the following plan to get to Manali seems ok.
23 Sep Leh- Tso Moriri
24 Sep Tso Moriri
25 Sep Tso Moriri – Keylong
26 Sep Keylong – Manali
27 Sep Day in Manali
28 Sep Manali – Delhi on the day bus.
Do you think 2 nights in Tso Moriri is too much? I would like to see the Nomads if they are still around in September.
On 28th we would book a day bus to get back to Delhi or the overnight bus on 27th if this is not possible.
Regards
Jean
hello dheeraj,
firstly, you are doing a great job posting such articles and i’m following the same since few months and finding them helpful
i’m travelling from manali-leh (solo bike trip {rented}) on 16- june and i want to do tsomoriri from pang while ascending towards leh
i want to ask is there any problem for rented bike in the above mentioned case or should i travel tsomoriri after reaching leh
You should not do Tso Moriri while going from Manali to Leh because first the taxi from Manali will not be allowed to visit Tso Moriri. Even if you manage Leh taxi or going on your own, then you will not be acclimatized to sleep at such high altitude so early in the trip and may cause some ugly AMS issues for you. Highly not recommended, because any help if required will be very hard to find in case you get hit with AMS.
thanks dheeraj,
keeping that in mind, i will be taking the tsomoriri route from leh itself.
thanks once again.
Cool, thats much better
Hello! I am learning so much through your blog. Thank you! I want to go to Tsomoriri and do I need a special permit. I am visiting and holds a US passport. There is an office that I can apply for such permit in Leh?
On what reason would they reject a request for permit?
Thanks!
Wilson
Wilson, since you are a US citizen, you have to get Protected Area Permit to visit Tso Moriri. You can find all the details under the link: Protected Area Permit in Ladakh for Foreigners
Hello Dheeraj,
I am returning via Manali route on 24th June and would be driving a rented self driven car. Is it possible to cover Tso Moriri, dont want to stay there but just 1-2 hours will suffice.
Hello Dheeraj,
I have planned almost my entire Ladakh trip by reading your blogs, thank you very much for plenty of info. We are a group of 8 people visiting Ladakh in June end following your itinerary on Srinagar-Leh-Manali route with Srinagar-Leh and Leh-manali in cab and Ladakh region on bike. I have two questions:
1. Current plan is Leh-Pangong Tso-Leh on bike and then Tso moriri on the way to Manali in taxi. Would it be a good idea to do tweak the plan as Leh-Pangong Tso-Tso morir-Leh on bike and then Leh to Sarchu in Taxi in one day? We would like to visit Tso-moriri on bike if possible.
2. Srinagar to Manali current plan is:
Day-1: Srinagar-Drass-Kargil
Day-2: Kargil-Nimoo-Stay at Nimoo rafting camp
Day-3: Rafting at Nimoo-Chilling route and then Nimoo to Leh
Should we hire a taxi from Srinagar all the way to Leh or we change taxis in between (where exactly in the plan?) as Ladakh sightseeing is not allowed in Srinagar taxis.
Thank you in advance 🙂
Pranita, I will suggest the first option if it is first trip to Ladakh.
2. You can call Ladakh taxi to pick you up at common point.
Hello Dheeraj; I am planning to visit Leh in August (24th Aug – 6th Sep). Will be in for Vipassana from 24th Aug to 4th Sep and then I want to go to Tsomoriri on 4th Sep and stay there for a night (primarily for some landscape photography). I will also be in Leh on 5th and 6th Sep. Can you kindly guide me who to contact for arranging for a cab and accommodation in Tsomoriri and also suggest which place should I go to on 6th Sep (just a day). Thanks a ton in advance.
You can get in touch with info@offbeatescapes.com in such a case for finding taxi and stay if looking fro travel agent. Else, you can get the taxi on the spot as well and stay on the spot too in september. 6th you can visit Alchi, or spend around Tso Moriri, may be at Tso Kar
Thanks Dheeraj. I have mailed the details on the provided id. Request your view on which schedule would be preferred (from an acclimatization perspective):
Schedule 1:
Day 1 Reach Ladhak – 06:40 am Go Air
Day 2 – Day 12 Vipassana
Day 13 Leave for Pangong
Day 14 Leave for Tsomoriri
Day 15 Reach Ladhak
Day 16 Leave Ladhak
Schedule 2:
Day 1 Reach Ladhak – 06:40 am Go Air
Day 2 Leave for Pangong
Day 3 Leave for Tsomoriri
Day 4 Ladhak
Day 5 – Day 15 Vipassana
Day 16 Ladhak
Day 17 Leave for Mumbai
Request your assistance on the same.. Thanks.
Nikunj, you MUST follow Schedule 1.
Hello
We are very greatful to have such a nice and helpful article here for readymade. I need your advice sir.
My plan is as under
15-6-16 Reach manali overnight at manali
16-6-16. Overnight at manali
17-6-16. Manali to jispa ( night at jispa journy)
18-6-16. Jispa to leh
19-6-16. Local sight scene at leh
20-6-16. Leh – nubra ( over night at hunder )
21-6-16. Nubra to leh
22-6-16. Leh to pengong lake
23-6-16. Pangong to leh
24-6-16. ???? Here i need your advice !!! What is the best why to utilise this day at fullest
25-6-16. Over nignt at kargil
26-6-16. Over night at srinagar
27-6-16. Depart for ahmedabad filght booked
Need your advice
Thanks
You have two options bhai, either you use the remaining day for visiting Turtuk in Nubra Valley and keep the plan relaxed only. OR you can add Tso Moriri as below
22-6-16. Day trip to Pangong Tso
23-6-16. Leh to tso Moriri
24-6-16. Tso Moriri to Leh
Is there any transportation service from leg airport to karzok village…I don’t own private transportation how can I reach tso lake
Zeeshan, you have to stay in Leh – Ladakh for few days acclimatize before you reach Karzok which is at very high altitude and then you can get a shared taxi or private taxi to reach it.
Can you please name the restaurants in leh where they serve ONLY veg and NOT non veg?
There wont be any which ONLY serve Veg Food. Though veg food will be available at most places in Leh. Neha Snacks is one such shop that will have just pure veg food. Check: List of Good Restaurants in Leh – Ladakh | Restaurant Reviews
Dheeraj,
We are planning a trip to Leh in last week of May. We are flying to Srinagar and then we plan to hire a cab and go by road to Leh. We plan to come back Leh-Manali-Delhi by road in cab. Below is our planned itinerary:
Day 1 – Srinagar –Kargil
Day 2- Kargil – Leh
Day 3 – Rest/Open day at Leh – Local Sightseeing
Day 4 – Leh – Pangong Tso Lake – Leh
Day 5 – Leh – Nubra
Day 6 – Nubra – Leh
Day 7 – Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar
Day 8 – Tso Kar –Sarchu – Keylong
Day 9 – Keylong – Manali – Delhi (reach Delhi by Day10-05:00AM)
Need your advice:
1. Do you suggest any changes to above itinerary.
2. Is it possible to cover Leh-Tso Moriri-Manali-Delhi in 3 days (Day 7,8 & 9).
3. We can not extend our days. So shall we drop something from this plan?
Will appreciate a quick response.
Thanks
Peeyush
1. Do Nubra first and then Pangong Tso. Last three days will be tiring. Try to leave early from Tso Moriri itself not Tso Kar to reach Jispa by evening and then leave from Jispa early morning to reach Manali and then catch evening bus. This will ease out things on one day at leats.
2. Suggested above.
3. You can make it, do as suggested above. Leave from Tso Moriri at 5 AM, you shall reach easily by evening to Jispa or Keylong. From there you can leave by 7-8 AM and reach Manali by noon and catch the first available volvo back to Delhi from Manali
Dheeraj, Thanks for prompt response.
1. I looked at the map and looks like Tso Kar is on the way from Tso Moriri to Manali. So we were planing to cover little more distance one 1st day itself and stay at night in Tso Kar. Is it not advisable to stay at Tso Kar?
2. How much is the travel time between:
a. Jispa to Manali
b. Keylong to Manali.
1. Hmm, it shal be fine to stay at Tso Moriri itself to get feel of it.
2. It will take about 5 Hrs from Keylong to reach Manali and 6 from Jispa.
Dear Dheeraj,
Will reach Leh on 19/7/2016. & making trip to nubra valley, pangong tso & tso moriri.
Wish to know the weather during that time at these place.
Weather will be pleasant and you have fun in Ladakh 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for such a great blog. I have been following it since long time and it helps me a lot especially while preparing travel itinerary. Please have a look at the following plan and do let me know what do you think? We will be travelling 6 family members + kid (9 years old).
20-May-20156 Srinagar (2 days)
22-May-2016 Srinagar to Kargil via Sonmurg
23-May-2016 Kargil to Leh
24-May-2016 Leh to Pangogng lake (Same day return trip)
25-May-2016 Leh to Nubra valley
26-May-2016 Nubra valley to Leh
27-May-2016 Leh to Tso miriri
28-May-2016 Tso Moriri to Sarchu
29-May-2016 Sarchu to Manali
30-May-2016 Manali (stay for 2 days)
01-June-2016 Manali to Delhi
I have heard Leh-Manali highways is opened earlier this year Hence, we planned to return back to Delhi via Manali route. Please do let us know if any useful suggestion while preparing for this trip.
Kind regards,
Rajiv
Hello rajiv,
PLEASE follow it like below especially when you are traveling with family
24-May-2016 Leh rest day and acclimatization
25-May-2016 Leh to Nubra valley
26-May-2016 Nubra valley to Leh
27-May-2016 Leh to Pangong Tso
28-May-2016 Pangong Tso to Leh
29-May-2016 Leh to Sarchu or Jispa
30-May-2016 Sarchu or Jispa – Manali
31-May-2016 Manali stay
01-June-2016 Manali to Delhi
Dheeraj,
Thank you for such a prompt response. I don’t mind extending our stay for couple of days so i) would it be wise to extend our stay and worth to go to Tso-moriri? ii) Is it a good option to drive from Tso-moriri to Manali (instead of coming back to leh then go to Manali)?
Any idea if the Leh-Manali route will be restored to motorable condition around this time (29/30th May 2016)?
Kind regards,
1. Yes, Tso Moriri is worth the time spent. Yes, from Tso Moriri you can esily exit towards Manali by overnight stop at Sarchu
Yes, there are very high chances that Manali – Leh Highway will open by third week of May.
Thanks Dheeraj,
So As per your suggestion and Hoping for the good weather, this is what looks like my final travel Itinerary as below.
19-May-2016 —- Jammu to Srinagar
20-May-2016 —- Srinagar
21-May-2016 —- Srinagar
22-May-2016 —- Srinagar to Kargil via Sonmurg
23-May-2016 —- Kargil to Leh
24-May-2016 —- Rest and acclimatization
25-May-2016 —- Leh to Nubra valley
26-May-2016 —- Nubra valley to Leh
27-May-2016 —- Leh to Pangong
28-May-2016 —- Pangong to Leh
29-May-2016 —- Leh to Tso-Moriri
30-May-2016 —- Tso- Moriri to Manali
31-May-2016 —- Manali
01-June-2016 —- Manli to Delhi
We will be hiring a car so i) any recommended tour operator or driver for hiring private vehicle or it is best to book it once we are there? ii) Also Is it possible (and recommended) to go from Nubra valley to Tso Pangong and then, Tso Pangong to Tso-Moriri ?
Really appreciate all your help with this assistance.
Kind regards,
Rajiv, you have to skip Tso Moriri either, or remove the rest day at Manali or Srinagar. Tso Moriri to Manali should not be done in one day. You should either halt at Sarchu or Jispa at max.
Dear Dheeraj,
All the info shared by you is very informative. I am planning to visit Ladakh on my bike (Honda Shine).
Please see my proposed plan below , may I request you to please have a look at the same & please reply back with your comments.
01-08-16 –Monday—Ambala—Manali 338 km Stay at Manali
02-08-16 –Tuesday—Manali—-Jispa–Sarchu 222 km Stay at Sarchu
03-08-16 Wednesday Sarchu—Tso Moriri 229 km Stay –Karzok
04-08-16 Thursday—-Karzok —-Pangong 160 Stay —Pangong
05-08-16 Friday—-Pangong —Leh—-Khardung la 164 km Stay Leh
06-08-16 Saturday Leh —-Lamayuru 108 km Stay —Lamayuru
07-08-16 Sunday Lamayuru Kargil Sonamarg 226 Stay —Sonamarg
08-08-16 Monday Sonamarg Srinagar 81 Stay —Srinagar
09-08-16 Tuesday Srinagar Udhampur 230 Stay — Udhampur
Awaiting your kind reply.
Regards
Sagar, this plan will end you up in hospital as your body will not be acclimatized to first sleep at Sarchu and then to worsen it you will sleep at Tso Moriri. If you love your family, DO NOT execute such a plan.
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
Can you please advice the itinerary for Manali to Tso Moriri. Where to stay for acclimatization before visiting Tso moriri lake on Manali-Leh highway.
Sheri, it is never recommended to visit Tso Moriri while traveling from Manali.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all a great article. Thanks for providing such indepth info.
We are a group of 5 guys planning to visit leh around 15th of august in a self driven rental car. Is it possible to take it to tso moriri and then head towards manali after a night stay in tso moriri ?
No Shantanu, self drive rental cars are not allowed for sightseeing within Ladakh including Tso Moriri
Hi Dheeraj..
Such a pleasure to read your blog..
I am flying to Leh from Mumbai on 27th April and flying out from Leh to Srinagar on 06th May, 2016.
Was wondering if you could share what weather we would be most likely to get.
Would we get to see the crazy blue colors or would it be overcast and wintry still ?
Also would it be very cold for Pangong Lake visit ?
tentative schedule is 6 nights in leh
2 in nubra valley
and one night in Pangong…
Am a little concerned about altitude sickness..
Travelling with two kids ages 19 and 13…
Being vegetarian, was also wondering if veg food is easily available ?
Would really appreciate it if you could share your valuable thoughts and suggestions with me..
Hello Amit,
1. Weather in April end is usually cold and very cold on High Altitude lakes. This year is unusual so it will be less cold in comparison.
2. You may get mix of both but usually it should be sunny.
3. Yes, it will be very cold at Pangong Tso lake. Better stay at Tangste in case you plan to stay overnight near Pangong Tso as it has couple of guest houses and heaters are available in there.
4. Veg. food will be available, no worries on that front. You can go to Lamayuru restaurant and Gesmo Restaurant, they have very good food in Leh.
5. First two days complete rest with lot of fluids, you should be good with AMS.
Dheeraj, appreciate your prompt and precise replies…
Actually, after reading your blogs, i dropped the idea of going to tsomoriri lake as it would be just too cold and perhaps not the right month to go to.
Thanks for your tips and suggestions…
Good to hear that Amit, thanks for the appreciation. Have a good trip to Ladakh
About the vegetarian food, is it easy to find them in camp stay like in tso moriri Lake and pangong lake and Nubra valley???
Yes they will be able to provide you the veg food.
Is there place where they will serve ONLY veg and NOT non veg in camp stay?
No Vaibhav, pure veg stays you will not find anywhere in Ladakh except may be 1-2 in rarity it at all available that too in Leh.
Hi!
Please advise us, can we travel this route on 30th April this year?
Leh-Pongong Tso-Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Kakstet (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) -Leh
We want to go both lakes, which one are most probably we can do?
thnx in advance,
Katia
Katia, April is going to be very cold and stay options at Tso Moriri as well as Pangong Tso will not be up and running and only limited to home stays. I am not sure if you are OK with it. Apart from that you will need permits for the route and even after permits army may deny the passage, which many a times happen, at Chusul.
Thank you for reply Dheeraj. We are ok with homestay if they can room 6 people;)) we can’t travel through valley from Pongong to Tso Moriri, I understand right? So if we go through Leh both lakes it should be ok?
Katia, the problem is COLD CONDITIONS. Homestays may not have facilities to beat that cold in night and if winds are present, hence I am skeptical. From Leh side too, you should stay at Tangste first for Pangong Tso and for Tso Moriri you need to stay at Chumathang. This way it can be done from LEh.
Thanks for information!!!
I slept near Kailas without any heaters in May so I can imagine…. But cold is not a problem for people who used to cold. Our winters also -20 sometimes)) hopefully we will find places to stay in villages you mentioned or maybe we can sleep in Gompa?
There isn’t any Gompa there at Pangong Tso, you will only find homestays only for stay. Tso Moriri does have a monastery which might have stay, though not sure.
Hello Dheeraj,
Thank you for the detailed post. Very helpful. .!!
I am planning on a trip to Leh all the way down to Kaza and then Manali and back, Starting sometime on 15th April till the end of April.
I am planning to fly to Leh from Delhi, spend a couple of days, Visit nubra valley, back to Leh and then go down to Pangong TSo, Tso Moriri and then to Spiti.
The trip if for about 15 days. The challenging question I have on this plan is, will I find transportation all the way from Leh to Spiti Valley. And If I have to come from Spiti to Manali will the road be open during that month and any transportation available.
Thanks in advance for you help and information.
Hello Sam, you cannot travel over Manali – Leh Highway and from there to Spiti Valley in the month of April as the Manali – Leh opens up in either May end or June early and road to Spiti Valley from there opens around mid of June. Can you plan it in June?
Thank you for the quick response Dheeraj. Much appreciated..!! Unfortunately my job wont allow me during June.
But If I get to Leh will there be any mode of transport at all to get to Spiti..? I saw a few sites saying they do the taxi ride from TSO Moriri to Spiti.. But that is a package tour.. Which I dont want to do .. Should I be able to get one of those rides to get to Spiti? Once I reach Spiti I can get to Shimla from there .. But I want to be sure If I can get a mode of transportation to Spiti from Tso Moriri ..
If the above is not possible.. is there anyway I can do Leh ==> Pangong Tso ==> Tso Moriri ==> Spiti ==> Shimla …
I want to fly from Delhi to Leh as it will save time .. but I want to get to Spiti .. so I am a bit confused now.. Appreciate your help on this.
If someone is telling you that they will take you to Tso Moriri to Spiti in April, stay away from those thugs. The route does not open and you cannot travel on Manali – Leh highway in April. The route dissects from Gramphu on Manali – Leh highway to Spiti Valley. You can do Leh to Pangong Tso and Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri and back to Leh. But, the only option is to fly in and out of Leh.
Hi Dheeraj Sharma. Me and my friend will be going Leh Ladakh area for about 20 days- 27th April 2016 – 17th May 2016. Where is the best place to go? We haven’t planned much yet. Both of us trek alot and was wondering if there are any treks you would recommend..
Haidar, the roads especially this year, there are chances tat might open when you plan to travel but in case it snows in March, this may not be the right time to travel. Do you have any other window to travel?
Hi Dheeraj-Thanks for your useful tips Please let me know whether is it possible for us(four people in between 61-66yrs old including females) to travel to tso moriri from leh & back in same day in second week of september this year. we are quite fit,love travelling mountains & we will reach leh few days earlier to travel other places
No sir, one day visit to Tso Moriri is not practical to undertake. Rather better spend the day in relaxing at any other location or add one day to your plan.
Thnx for ur prompt reply.please suggest how to make a proper plan for us to visit TSO moriri for 2 days including place of night stay & how to book for the accomodation
Sir, please read the article above, it has all the required details you need in depth.
Thanks Dheeraj for your prompted advise i have 1 more doubt thst my bike(Discover 110 cc, average of bike 80km/litr,very good condition) will be good for the trip or may be ok ok like some problem in the middle of the way..except any suddenly mechanical faults.
Ashwin, there wont be much issue at all with your bike. People have done Ladakh on Activa / Gutso type scooters too. So, there shall not be any issue. Yes, for sure you will miss some power and speed at the top of the passes but then that should not be much issue to you.
Brother i am from gujarat, i plan to complete the road trip via Chandigarh-Manali-Leh-pangOng lake- Nubra valley-Tso morie-srinagar-Jammu with places of gulmarg sonmarg nubra valley pangong lake khardungla top tso moriri rohtang pass etc.
1. can i complete with 12-15 days in middile of the june ya sept 2016.
2. I have 3 years old Bajaj Discover 110cc bike very good condition, average of this bike is
80 km/liter so this bike ok for the trip.
Ashwin,
1. Yes, 15 days will be good time and mid June to September will be good time to travel. Read more below
2. If you are confident of the condition, it will be good to go.
Firstly, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here
Brother i plan to complete the trip via Delhi- srinagar -leh- manali- delhi with places of gulmarg sonmarg nubra valley pangong lake khardungla top tso moriri rohtang pass etc.
1. can i complete with 12-15 days in middile of the june 2016.
2. I have 6 month old Honda unicorn 160cc so this bike ok for the trip.
3. I am budget frendlly so how much budget will take.
Hi Sangam,
1. You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Leh – Ladakh followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 13-14 days: Most Common Itinerary for Leh – Ladakh.
You can add a day trip to Gulmarg and two day trip to Pahalgam in it
2. Yes, it is possible
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
Thanks Dheeraj for your prompted advise i have 1 more doubt thst my bike will be good for the trip or may be ok ok like some problem in the middle of the way..except any suddenly mechanical faults.
Sangam, bike shall be fine to execute this trip without much fuss.
hi ,
any places to stay near tso kar ? or on the way from tso moriri to tso kar?
There are couple of hotels to stay at Tso Kar. May be this: http://offbeatescapes.com/holiday/lotus-camp-restaurant/
Hi Dheeraj,
Am in Leh all alone from September 12th to September 17th. I want to go rafting ad also visit Lake Tsomoriri. Please help.
Meghana, are you flying to Leh on 12th? If yes, then first two days should surely be rest and just a little local sightseeing around nothing more than that. On the thrid day you can do for rafting and do a day trip to Khardung La. Then on fourth day go and stay at Chumathang and 5 day do Tso Moriri and return back to Leh.
Hi Dheeraj
Your work for sure motivates thousands of people . It would be great to meet you personally someday:)…
Like many , planned my Ladakh trip from 5th Sep -16th Sep on my bike avenger 220 CC which i am shipping from Bangalore( Apart from Gati you can add Safe express too in your list who helps in cheap shipment).
Couple of question –
1) whether Avenger 220 CC can manage Pangong -Tso moriri direct route along with a pillion?
2) For direct route to Tso Moriri from pangong where will i get Permit?
As i am doing ladakh trip for the first time need your advise whether i should go with direct route or through LEH route?
Hi Ankit,
Thank you. Sure, you can catch us at anytime over DoW Mini Meets that happens in Delhi almost monthly. Thanks for the tip on SafeExpress. Will keep in mind. How much did it cost you? Regarding qierues:
1. Yes it will be able to manage that route.
2. Yes you will get the permit but no assurance even after permit if you will be allowed to pass through Chusul by army. This year many people have been allowed though.
BTW, I will reach Kargil on 4th September and then enter Zanskar. So, if possible lets catch up on the route. Whereever you see around 10-12 cars with DoW stickers, it will be Mega Meet group. Let’s catch up in heaven of Ladakh
HI DHEERAJ
Thanks a lot AND YEAH I read your itinerary :)…IF LUCKY WILL SURELY MEET..
WRT Safe express Charges -They quoted me 4500+taxes(14%).350/- waybill extra. As read in DOW gati also ship bikes but there charges was too high which was 20K. I shipped my bike today and hopefully will get undamaged Bike in srinagar:).After contacting so many packers & movers finally i got this savior…I believe this info will really be helpful those who are looking to visit heaven on their two wheeler s,
Reason no.1 is most of the vendors dont provide services directly to srinagar being Jammu their last point and even they do they charge almost your bike price :).
Reason no.2 – As nowadays they dont allow you to go pangong & nubra valley in NON leh vehicle and taking on rent from Srinagar & leaving at manali(15-25K) will cost you almost a kidney,
And above all- Your bike is your friend ….travel with it..
Also Plz note- Safe express is engaged in only in moving . You need to get it packed through other packers. In my case it costed 1500/ for packing.
Thank you so much Ankit. This is extremely helpful.
Hi Dheeraj ,
First of all a Very Big Thank You for this wonderful Blog on Leh Ladakh.
I have a question for u .
We are planning a road trip to leh from Srinagar – leh- manali in September .
We plan on going to Tso Moriri lake . Do we need to take local taxi to go there or can we take our own rented car and make the trip from leh to Moriri lake ?
Because after an overnight at Moriri lake we plan on heading to Tso Kar and leaving for Manali from there via the leh – manali highway .
Thanks
Madhavii, You cannot take your own rented car outside Leh to Tso Moriri else you might get into trouble. So, please avoid.
Dear Dheeraj,
I need some opinion and advise.
I will be travelling to Leh on September. I plan to rent a bike in Leh and go to Pangong Tso for a day trip.
And next day I plan to go to Tso Moriri from Leh for a day trip too.
Can you advise me, where can I rent a good bike and which route are less hassle.
Zul from Malaysia.
*motobike
Zul, day trip to Pangong Tso is OK and takes about 11-12 Hrs to do it but for Tso Moriri, day trip is not possible because Leh to Tso Moriri drive is roughly 8-9 hrs one way so not possible. For renting bikes in Leh – Ladakh along with current Bike Union Prices, you can check the DwD Community thread: Leh – Ladakh Bike Rental Rates 2015 – 16 & Reliable Shops
Thank you for your advise.
Dear Dheeraj,
Is it possible for me to go to Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso? is it shorter distance that Leh – Tso Moriri? I have 2 full days (48 hrs) and I’m trying to cover these two lake since a lot a people say it is very beautiful.
If I’m not mistaken, foreigner cannot drive thru some area from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri. Is it true?
Zul
No, zul the direct route from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri is not allowed for foreigners.
Hi Dheeraj,
We 6 people are planning to go on Rented Bike from Chandigarh.
After reading your and few other blogs, we finalize following route. Is this feasible ?
This is our itinerary:
Day 1: Chandigarh – Patnitop
Day 2: Patnitop – Srinagar
Day 3: Srinagar -Zozi La Pass (11319 Ft.) – Kargil
Day 4: Kargil- Namik La (12139 Ft.) – Fotu La (13451 Ft.) – Lamayuru-Leh
Day 5: In And Around Leh – Is This Required ?
Day 6: Leh – Khardung La (17582 Ft.) – Hunder (Nubra Valley) Stay At Hunder
Day 7: Hunder- Pangong
Day 8: Pangong -Merak – Chushul – Loma -Nyoma -Tso Moriri
Day 9 : Tso Moriri – Sarchu Or Pang
Day 10: Sarchu – Keylong – Manali
Day 11: Manali-Bilaspur-Chandigargh
Rented bikes not allowed in Leh/Pangong ?
Your advice will be useful.
Vineet, plan looks OK BUT rented bikes will not be allowed for sightseeing insite Ladakh to Pangong tso and Nubra. Secondly, you will need permits on Day 5 for Chusul route and please note that even after getting the permits Army might send you back from Chusul. So, there will be uncertainty in this plan.
Also, the direct route to Pangong Tso from Hunder is quite isolated and in case of any help required there will be no one in hours of distance.
Hi Dheeraj,
Very help full post.
I am planning to visit leh in mid august(8 People).
here is the plan…
Day 01 (14 Aug) : Start Journey from Mumbai to Jammu Tawi via Train. – 7.55 AM
Day 02(15 Aug):Reach Jammu Tawi @ 3 PM…Straight start journey to Srinagar (300 KM) Reach Srinagar @ MidNight
Day 03 16Aug : Srinagar- Sonamarg- Kargil 7/8 Hrs drive 204 Kms..-
Day 04 (17 Aug) : Kargil to Leh 230 Km: –
Day 5 (18 Aug) :Leh to Nubra ( 135 Km / 5 hrs ):
Day 6 (19 Aug): Nubra Valley (Local Sightseeing) and back to Leh :
Day 7 (20 Aug) : Leh to Pangong Lake & Back ( 160 Km / 6 Hrs one way ): .
Day 8 (21 Aug) : Leh – Monasteries Tour
Day 9 (22 Aug): leh to Kargil to Drass to Sonamarg to Srinagar
Day 10(23 Aug) : Srinagar to Airport to Mumbai
Please suggest me the plan is OK or not….
the total estimated cost for this tour as i calculated is 30K…
Just want to know can we go directly to LEH from srinagar without a hault at KARGIL or SONMARG, isn’t it possible?
How do you find the estimated cost?
Please do reply.
Club Day 7 and Day 8 together as monastery tour can be done while coming and going to Pangong Tso. Spend a night up there at Pangong Tso. Else apart from the fcat that you are not resting in Leh and directly going to Nubra, which might have AMS impact, rest looks OK. You should halt at Kargil for sure to better acclimatize
Dheeraj Bhai,
First of all, thank you for the wonderful blog, which I find very useful in planning every step to ladakh trip.
We are 5 people going to ladakh on coming 25th. As suggested in your blog, we contacted Mr. Rigzin and He is going to accompany us throughout.
We have 7 days at ladakh and we are planning to cover Nubra,Pangong as well as Tso moriri with an added experience of Zanskar river rafting, we like to follow the below itinerary:
Srinagar to Kargil( Stay)
Kargil to Leh( Stay for acclimatization)
Leh to Nubra( Night stay)
Nubra to Pangong Tso(Night Stay)
Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri( Night stay)
Back to leh(Night Stay)
Leh river rafting and local site seeing( night Stay at Leh)
Back to delhi via flight
Kindly advise whether this plan is good to go
Arkadeep, though the plan is quite hectic but doable. I will suggest to add some rest day in between instead of running every day from place to place and being just on road only.