While drafting an itinerary for your Ladakh road trip, the most important thing you need to keep in mind is that this is not a journey that you are going to take each month or each year. So the idea should be to see as much as possible and trust me, there is plenty to see there. You must focus on the journey and not the destination.
Unlike most of the other tourist spots, Ladakh is a place where your entire journey is something that you should enjoy. Vistas change at every corner and it is a feast for eyes at every turn of the road.
This is not a journey where you can just doze off in the vehicle and wake up when you reach the destination. Instead, this is a journey that is an adventure in itself. A journey that you can not afford to miss any part of.
In the post below, I will talk in detail on how you can plan your own itinerary for Ladakh trip. If you have any other questions, you can contact me on Instagram and I will be happy to answer. You can also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and asking a question there.
To organize your trip to Ladakh, book a taxi, rent a bike, or get the best hotel rates, you can contact Kunal @ 9910402252. From luxurious hotels to budget stays, he can help get you the best rates possible.
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Best Itinerary for Ladakh for your First Visit
For your first visit to Ladakh, I will recommend that you start from Srinagar. The biggest reason behind doing so will be acute mountain sickness. When you travel to Leh from Srinagar, the gain in altitude is gradual and this allows more time for your body to adjust.
On the other hand, if you travel from Manali, the gain in altitude is a bit sudden. On Day 1, you are in the plains, sitting comfortably at your home. You then begin your trip and on day 2 you are in Manali at a height of 2000 meters. From there, you straightaway jump to either 3000 meters at Keylong or 4,290 meters at Sarchu.
Also read: How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh
Due to this very reason, the majority of the people traveling from Manali to Leh experience high altitude sickness. Keeping this in mind, I will draft out a sample itinerary for Ladakh from Srinagar and return via Manali.
An Ideal Itinerary for Ladakh
I will suggest an example of an itinerary that can be followed by all kinds of tourists. Whether or not you can stick to this itinerary to the last detail will depend on a lot of factors; like your mode of travel and how many days you have in hand.
However, it should at least get you started. You can add or remove places or days from here as you seem convenient. For the sake of this article, I will assume that you are starting from Delhi and traveling by your own vehicle. If your starting point is not Delhi, then the journey for the first and last day will change.
This itinerary is more for a person who is traveling by his own vehicle; either by a car or motorcycle; or even a privately rented taxi. If you are traveling by public transport or a shared cab, it will be hard to follow this plan. For public transport, I recommend that you read How to Plan a Budget Trip to Ladakh using Public Transport Services.
Time Required for Leh Ladakh Trip
In my opinion, a minimum of 14 days is a must to fully enjoy Ladakh without rushing yourself. But then not everyone can afford to be away from their regular lives for 2 weeks altogether.
I will plan this itinerary for two weeks but if you have lesser time in hand, feel free to ask in the comments section below and I will be glad to help you out with your itinerary for Ladakh for a lesser number of days. If you would rather start from Manali, just follow the same plan the other way around.
Delhi to Jammu : Day 1
- Total distance covered: 590 kilometers
- Travel Time: 12 hours depending on your speed and breaks
- Several hotels at Jammu and you will have no trouble finding accommodation in any budget range.
Jammu – Patnitop – Srinagar : Day 2
- Total distance covered – 300 kilometers
- Travel Time – 10 hours
- Visit Dal Lake and enjoy a Shikara ride. Stay for the night in Srinagar City. If within budget, stay at a houseboat. If not, you can easily find budget hotels here.
Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zoji La – Drass – Kargil : Day 3
- Total distance covered: 210 kilometers
- Travel Time: 8-10 hours
- Enjoy the scenic ride through the beautiful Kashmir valley. See the beauty of Sonamarg and cross Zoji La Pass on the way.
Kargil to Leh : Day 4
- Total distance covered: 220 kilometers
- Travel Time: 10 hours
- See Lamayuru Monastery, Lunar Landscapes, Mulbekh Maitreya, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, Magnetic Hills, and Indus – Zanskar Confluence at Nimmu
Leh : Day 5
- Spend a day in Leh for rest
- Visit Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, and Leh Market.
- Arrange Inner line permits for the journey ahead.
Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder : Day 6
- Total distance: 130 kilometers
- Travel Time: 6 to 7 hours
- Cross Khardung La on the way, once claimed as the highest motorable pass in the world.
- Visit Diskit Monastery, Hunder Sand dunes, and see Bactrian camels.
Hunder – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La- Leh : Day 7
- Total distance: 200 kilometers
- Travel Time: 8 hours
- Visit Panamik before starting on your way back to Leh and see the hot water springs there.
Leh – Hemis Monastery – Shey Palace – Pangong Tso : Day 8
- Total Distance: 240 kilometers
- Travel Time: 9-10 hours
- Visit Hemis Monastery on the way
Pangong Tso Lake – Thikse Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh : Day 9
- Total Distance: 240 kilometers
- Travel Time: 9-10 hours
- Visit Thikse Monastery and Shey Palace on the way back
Leh : Day 10
- Spend a day in Leh for rest before starting your return journey.
Leh – Upshi – Chumathang – Tso Moriri : Day 11
- Total distance: 220 kilometers
- Travel Time: 8-9 hours
Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring – Moore Plains – Pang : Day 12
- Total distance: 150 kilometers
- Travel Time: 8 hours
Pang – Sarchu – Jispa / Keylong : Day 13
- Total distance: 160 / 190 kilometers
- Travel Time: 6 – 8 hours
Jispa / Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali : Day 14
- Total distance: 140 kilometers
- Travel Time: 6 – 8 hours
Manali – Delhi : Day 15
- Total distance: 560 kilometers
- Travel Time: 12 – 14 hours
Now, this is probably one of the most common itineraries followed for the Ladakh trip and perfect for anyone visiting Ladakh for the first time. However, not everyone can follow it to the last detail. You can modify the travel plan above at your convenience but do keep the following points in mind.
How to Plan Your Own Itinerary for Ladakh
While Manali to Leh can be covered in 2 days as well, you really should give this road 3 days to enjoy it at its fullest. Take a look at Manali Leh Highway Route Guide for more complete details on this part of the trip.
Srinagar Leh highway must be covered in a minimum of 2 days. This is not at all a 1-day journey. Please take a look at Srinagar to Leh Highway Route Guide to read about this route in detail.
You really need to consider and prepare yourself for AMS which will hit you sooner or later if this is your first trip to a high-altitude place. Please read How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Ladakh to know what the symptoms are and how can they be avoided.
If you are traveling to Leh from Manali, do not go to Karzok (Tso Moriri) while on your way. Reach Leh first and then come back to visit Tso Moriri or take the alternate Chushul route. Karzok is at a very high altitude and AMS will definitely ruin the fun which is the last thing you want on this trip.
Another point is of Inner Line Permits without which you cannot go to Karzok. To get these permits, you anyways will have to go to Leh first.
Itinerary for Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley can actually be covered in a day if you are short on time. Some people tell me that they do not plan to visit Nubra and my advice always is that they must.
The reason is that you are anyways going to spend a day visiting Khardung so why not start a little early and stretch your drive to the beautiful Nubra Valley? It is definitely worth it. Just start really early from Leh and return by late evening.
If you are not short on time, then a night stay at any of the villages in Nubra Valley is highly recommended. For details on stay choices and sightseeing, you can take a look at How to Plan a Trip from Leh to Nubra Valley.
Accommodation at Nubra is available in almost every village here, either in the form of a hotel/guest house or paying guests. Diskit has the highest number of hotels so you may want to stay there for the night.
Itinerary for Pangong Tso
Like Nubra Valley, the journey to Pangong Tso can also be done in a day if you started really early from Leh but my advice is against that. If you are covering this route in a day, then all that you will do is just reach Pangong, spend a few minutes there, and drive back.
Pangong is not a place where you can just touch and go. It deserves at least one evening of your life. A night stay at the lake comes very highly recommended. Take a look at How to Plan a Trip to Pangong Tso to read in detail about the route and sightseeing involved.
If you are planning to cover Changthang Valley, that is to reach Tso Moriri from Pangong Tso, then you need to keep at least 2 days in hand. Though the distance is not that great, the roads are so bad that you can not finish this journey in a day.
Pangong to Tso Moriri via Chushul
No matter how early you started from Pangong, you will definitely end up riding or driving in the dark if you attempt to reach Karzok from Pangong the same day. This is very dangerous and I advise everyone against it. I have had a first-hand experience with this when we risked getting lost in the middle of the night.
The ideal itinerary is to include Hanle in your permits. Start from Pangong, reach Loma, take a turn towards Hanle, and spend the night there. The next day, track back from Hanle to Loma and then continue to Karzok. For complete route information, please take a look at How to Plan a Trip from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri.
Itinerary for Zanskar Valley
If you are planning to include Zanskar in your itinerary for Ladakh, then you need to have a minimum of 2 days to cover this region. Reach Kargil from Srinagar or Leh on Day 1, go to Padum on Day 2 and stay there for the night, Come back to Kargil on Day 3, and either go to Srinagar or Leh on Day 4.
This journey needs a minimum of 4 days and any less than that would be a rushed drive or ride which is not at all advised. I have talked about this entire route in detail in How to Travel from Kargil to Padum.
If you are not traveling in your self-owned vehicle, then you can find public transport on both the Manali – Leh, and Srinagar – Leh highways in the form of shared taxis.
Flying to Leh
If you are flying to Leh, the above-mentioned itinerary and tips for local sightseeing still apply. The only added factor is AMS. You must stay in Leh for at least a day to let your body get used to high altitude.
The order of visits should be Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri, and Zanskar. This way your body will not suddenly start acting up due to high altitude sickness. If you want to take a look at an example of an itinerary, please read An Ideal Itinerary if you are Flying to Leh.
Accommodation
Hotels are available in Leh in plenty and in every price range. For budget calculation, assume a daily charge of Rs. 1000 – Rs. 1500 per day at the least in Leh City and also other places in Ladakh. It can go down or up a little depending on your time of travel but you should assume this number to calculate your overall accommodation cost of the trip.
Trip Cost
If your trip is on a tight budget, then shared taxis are your best bet but visiting the nearby regions can become a pain. For people visiting on a motorcycle, a 2 weeks trip, covering the entire Ladakh, including fuel, accommodation, and food can easily be capped between 15-20k.
If you are traveling in a four-wheeler, replace the fuel charges according to your own car’s mileage and you will get the idea. Take a look at How to Calculate Your Budget for Leh Ladakh Trip to know more about this.
Itinerary for Ladakh Trip – Conclusion
I hope this information and itinerary for Ladakh trip were of help. If you have any questions, you can contact me on Instagram and I will be happy to answer. You can also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and asking a question there.
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120 comments
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for the very informative travelogues and suggestions for trips. I am from Bangladesh and was planning to travel to Ladakh from Manali maybe next year mid June. I will like any suggestions if you can help. I will provide a rough itinerary here.
Day 1 Manali to Jispa (overnight stay)
Day 2 Jispa to Leh (overnight stay)
Day 3 Leh to Lamayaru to Leh (overnight stay)
Day 4 Leh to Numbra Valley (overnight stay)
Day 5 Numbra Valley to Turtuk Village to Nubra Valley (overnight stay)
Day 6 Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake (overnight stay)
Day 7 Pangong lake to Hanle (overnight stay)
Day 8 Hanle to Sarchu (overnight stay)
Day 9 Sarchu to Manali
Please provide any suggestions or anything I am missing here
Hi Rakibul – This is a good itinerary. How will you be traveling though?
Hi this is Sarojit Dutta from Kolkata. First of all I am sending you our vijaya greetings. Inspired by your writing we are planning to visit Leh in the last week of May 23. We liked your Srinagar to Srinagar 12 days itinerary .we are 18 people altogether, junior most is 8 years and senior most is 75 years old. Our question is if it is possible to make it a 9 or 10 days program? And what kind of vehicle are available for this trip? Please advise us. We are also eager to listen your suggestions about our plan. Please help and oblige. Thanks
Hi Sarojit – 9 to 10 days from where? Kolkata? I am guessing you will be flying to Srinagar?
Sir,
First of all I want to convey my sincere thanks as I could make a plan to travel to Leh-Ladakh by bus on Srinagar-Leh high way & return via Leh-Manali Road following your valuable suggestion by your informative travelogues.
But, due to recent announcement of assembly election at Srinagar on 25/09/24, we are very much confused regarding our journey schedule from Jammu Tawai to Srinagar bus (night journey) on 23/09/24 & from Srinagar to Kargil by bus or shared Jeep on 24/09/24.
Please let me know if there is any chance of non availability of buses or any chance of blockage or any safety related issues in our journey schedule from Jammu to Kargil due to voting in Srinagar on 25/09/24.
Eagerly waiting for your valuable advice. Thanks.
Hey Vargis i am really thankful to you for sharing this itinerary about the leh roads and sites to cover during the journey. I am planning on covering this distance on a Scooty . I know this is challenging but not impossible. Will definately reffere or ger in touch with you during my ride .. I am planning to start this ride in July. Hope all goes well .
Hi Amit – Please see the following posts, should be of help to you.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-ladakh-on-scooter/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/ride-ladakh-on-100cc-motorcycle-scooter/
Hi Vargis,
This is great information. We are planing to travel there in 1st week of July for 2 weeks. Is it a good time plan there or should we wait for september as some say september is the best time to go there. We will travel with a kid(3.5yr), hence planning to drive from delhi to Jammu-Sringar-kargil-leh. Is this a good route to travel in July. Is honda city good enough to drive there because it has less ground clearance. Please suggest.
Thanks in Advance,
Shibani
Hi Shibani – September will be a better time to go but I will strongly advise against going in a Honda City because of low GC.
Hi Vargis,
Is 9 days are sufficient for ladakh trip from Delhi via Srinagar.
What should be the itinerary.
Please advice
Hi Vikas – It is a little tight timeline but doable. When are you traveling and how?
What would be the approx cost per person for the above iternary?
And is Manali Leh highway open in April?
No it opens by late May
Hello, Can I go to Pangong in March?
Yes you can
Really a nice article. Informative and very useful.
Thanks Bro
Hi,
Myself and a friend of mine are planning for ladakh bike trip in september. We are planning to bring our bullets to delhi and start riding from there. I would like to go throught srinagar and come back from manali. We are riding for the first time to ladakh, so i would like to go without packages, need to know whether it is advisable to go without packages. I have seen this from one of the forums(New delhi, amritsar, wagah border, srinagar, kargil, padum, kargil, leh, khardung la, turtuk, leh, karu, changla, pangong tso, chushuk, tangtse, karu, tso moriri, pang, sarchu, keylong, manali, ambala, new delhi) please advice main places of attraction in this route,
To complete the following areas how much days are recommended ? Where all should we take a halt at night ?
Please provide us an itinerary.
Rinoj – 2 weeks should be good to cover the entire Ladakh circuit. Do you have that many days in hand?
Hi Vargis,
We are a couple from Mumbai and want to explore Leh Ladakh region
I have thought of a rough itinerary
Sept 1 – Bombay – Delhi – Srinagar
Reach Srinagar airport at 12 noon and overnight stay at Srinagar
If situation permits try local sightseeing. Suggest budget accommodation
Sept 2- Srinagar – Sonmarg – ZojiLa – Drass – Kargil
Enjoy vistas enroute and overnight stay at kargil
Sept 3- Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Monastery, Lunar Landscapes
(Please suggest places to cover on the way if possible)
Overnight at Leh
Sept 4- Do local sightseeing (suggest good sunrise, sunset and view points) Hire Bike
Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence of Zanskar & Indus River at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Hall of fame museum
Kargil war memorial, Spituk monastery, Sankar Monastery, Shanti stupa, Tsemo fort, Leh Potala palace.
Sept 5- Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder (suggest a good place to stay overnight)
Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
Enjoy a cup of soup at Khardung La World’s highest motorable road at 18380 feet
Diskit monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder sand dunes and bactrian camel safari
Sept 6 – Hunder/Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Turtuk
Sumur Monastery and Panamik hot water springs
overnight at Turtuk
(transport options?)
Sept 7- Turtuk – Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
Cover Hemis Monastery on the go towards Pangong Tso highest salt water Lake in the World through Changla Pass 17,350 ft, it is the third highest motorable road in the world
Overnight at Pangong Tso at Spangmik or Lukung (please suggest a place to stay overnight)
Sept 8 – Pangong Tso Lake – Thiksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Cover Thiksey Monastery and Shey Palace on the way towards Leh
Overnight at Leh
Sept 9 – Leh – Hanle
Suggest transport options and accommodation at Hanle
Sept 10 – Hanle – Korzok – Tso Moriri
Tso moriri at 14000 ft by passing Chumathang (Hot Spring) along the Indus river.Cover Korzok Monastery
Overnight at Korzok or Tso Moriri (please suggest)
Sept 11 – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
Start early in the day to reach Sarchu where i assume accommodation options are better than Pang
Can i cover Puga (Sulphur Mine), Tsokar Lake, Taklang La Pass?
Overnight at Sarchu or Pang (please suggest good overnight stay option on the way to Manali)
Can i get a share transport from here to Manali?
Sept 12 – Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
On the way cover Suraj Taal and Deepak Taal which are on the way
Will try to take overnight sleeper bus to Chandigarh from Manali
Sept 13 – Manali – Chandigarh
Sept 13 – Return flight from Chandigarh to Mumbai at 7 PM
Please help me optimise the itinerary.
Instead of coming back to Leh from Nubra Valley, can i head towards Pangong Tso via Wari La route?
Can i go to Hanle directly from Pangong? What are other possible options (direct routes) instead of going back to Leh?
I know i have too much on my plate but i don’t mind slight bingeing.
Can you help me optimise the itinerary to minimise the redundancy(alike places) and maximize the experience?
I would want to avoid typical touristy commercialised spots and would love to cover serene, rustic, ancient and historic places.
PS: I have already booked my tickets from Mumbai to Srinagar and from Chandigarh to Mumbai
Hello Lovelesh,
You will need some changes in your itinerary brother. You have covered the places that are must see on the routes. Situation in Srinagar is still a little tensed. I do not have information on budget hotels there but if there is no problem, then I would highly recommend a stay in house boat. It will cost you a little but trust me, spending an evening there with your lovely wife is a memory you both will cherish. Take a look at the article below for situation in Srinagar.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/current-situation-in-srinagar-for-tourists-travelling-ladakh/
Sept 6 – Hunder/Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Turtuk
Sumur Monastery and Panamik hot water springs
overnight at Turtuk
(transport options?)
You would need to change this. Turtuk is ahead of Diskit and is the last village on the road. From Panamik, the drive is until Warshi, last village on this side of the valley. Drive until Warshi, come back to Panamik and stay there for the night. Refer to this map of Nubra Valley.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-nubra-valley-road-map-distances/
Sept 7- Turtuk – Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
Cover Hemis Monastery on the go towards Pangong Tso highest salt water Lake in the World through Changla Pass 17,350 ft, it is the third highest motorable road in the world
Overnight at Pangong Tso at Spangmik or Lukung (please suggest a place to stay overnight)
Going to Pangong in a day from Nubra Valley is not advised, too long a journey. You would have to break it in two. Nubra to Leh and then Leh to Pangong. Take a look at this article as well for further knowledge on going to Pangong from Nubra on the same day.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/can-go-directly-nubra-valley-pangong-tso-route/
Sept 8 – Pangong Tso Lake – Thiksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Cover Thiksey Monastery and Shey Palace on the way towards Leh
Overnight at Leh
Sept 9 – Leh – Hanle
Suggest transport options and accommodation at Hanle
Sept 10 – Hanle – Korzok – Tso Moriri
Tso moriri at 14000 ft by passing Chumathang (Hot Spring) along the Indus river.Cover Korzok Monastery
Overnight at Korzok or Tso Moriri (please suggest)
This would have to be changed as well. Hanle is ahead of Pangong. It is the same road from Pangong that continues ahead to Hanle from Pangong. Refer to the article below and look at the map as well.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/pangong-tso-to-tso-moriri-travel-guide/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/long-take-pangong-tso-tso-moriri/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/hotels-at-tso-moriri/
Sept 11 – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
Start early in the day to reach Sarchu where i assume accommodation options are better than Pang
Can i cover Puga (Sulphur Mine), Tsokar Lake, Taklang La Pass?
Overnight at Sarchu or Pang (please suggest good overnight stay option on the way to Manali)
Can i get a share transport from here to Manali?
This entire plan will change here because of the motorcycles you have. If you rent it from Leh and then go to Pangong and then continue to Karzok, you will have to go back to Leh to hand over the bikes. If no bikes, then how are you planning to commute? There is no public transport service on Pangong to Hanle route. If you just want to cover Moriri, then you will have to come back to Leh and then go to Moriri via Chumathang but then Hanle would have to be excluded from the list. You can stay at either Pang or Sarchu, depending on how early you started from Karzok and how much light is still left in the sky once you reach Pang. If the clock shows anywhere close to 4 PM or after, stay at Pang and do not continue to Sarchu. If you are able to make it to Pang before 3 PM, then continue to Sarchu and stay there for the night.
I would advise that you review the maps of the region and make changes. Below is a link to the maps that I have created and posted. Take a look at this, make changes to the plan and let me know so I can look at it and comment if any further changes are required.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/?s=map
Take a look at this map for Nubra valley routes
https://vargiskhan.com/log/warshi-village-nubra-valley-opened-travelers/
Dear Vargis
Many thanks for all those infos.
My girlfriend and I have 13 days in India (starting in Rishikesh), and we are hoping to travel by road to Leh – Could we use the alternative route through the Spiti Valley (Rishikesh – Kinnaur – Spiti – Leh)? How many days? Would it be by bus? taxi?
Once in Leh, how many days should we allow for acclimatisation?
Thank you
Hello Sebastien – 13 days to cover both Leh and Spiti starting from Rishikesh would be tough brother. I suggest that you try to cover one of either of these places. Both bus and Taxis are available on the route, you can chose per your convenience. Acclimatization wouldn’t really need more than a day.
Dear Varghis
Appreciate the useful information provided by you via this blog.
We are 2 people(me & my wife) on a bullet and planning to go from khalsar (nubra valley) to Pangong in August last week (31-Aug-2016). Please give your valuable inputs as to which route would be advisable for us.
1) khalsar> khardung la> Leh > Chang la> Pangong
2) khalsar> Wari La> Chang la > Pangong
3) khalsar > agam> shyok Village> Durbak > Pangong
Based on your inputs would share the itinerary with you.
Regards
Faizan Uddin
Hello Faizan – Couple of questions, how old is your bullet? How good are you at riding it and are you planning to leave your luggage in Leh or carry it along?
Hey Vargas,I am Kiran kumar from Hyderabad. My friends are in Delhi ,we have planned trip to leh.they have got there own individual bikes but I am the only one taking bike on rent (ikerzbike.com). Will I have any problem for permits. Could please clear this doubt.
It depends on the route Kiran. What is your itinerary? You may face problem if you are planning to cross Rohtang to get to Leh. Also, do not use these bikes to visit nearby areas in Leh. Rent another bikes from there.
Bro my travelling taxi,
for whole taxi booking they fixed rates for point to point , similarly they have fixed rates for sharing passengers also or we need to bargain.
Fixed rates Murali
Hi Vargis,
Hope you are good!
I am planning for a bike trip from Delhi via Srinagar in July 2016 (Bike will be a rented one from Delhi).
Originally, it was planned from Hyderabad itself but drop the plan due to less no of days in hand.
Below is my itinerary. Please suggest if any changes are required….
Day 1 Hyderbad to New Delhi/Ambala (Flight/Bike) – 210 Kms
Day 2 Ambala to Amritsar – 310 Kms
Day 3 Amritsar to Anantnag – 420 Kms
Day 4 Anantnag to Drass (enroute Srinagar-Sonamarg) – 200 Kms
Day 5 Drass to Leh – 275 Kms
Day 6 Leh and around (Buffer Day) ILP (Man, Merak, Chusul, Tsaga, Loma, Nyoma, hanle, Khuldo)
Day 7 Leh and around (Buffer Day) Chilling/Phey-Nimmoo rafting
Day 8 Leh to Nubra Valley (Hunder) – 130 Kms
Day 9 Hunder to Pangong Tso (via Wari La) – 240 Kms
Day 10 Pangong Tso to Hanle (Spangmik-Man-Merak-Kakstet-Chusul-Tsaga La-Loma–Hanle) – 165 Kms
Day 11 Hanle to Upshi (enroute Kyagar Tso) – 275 Kms (will skip Tso moriri)
Day 12 Upshi to Jispa – 300 Kms
Day 13 Jispa to Manali – 140 Kms
Day 14 Manali to Chandigarh – 310 Kms
Day 15 Chandigarh to New Delhi – 260 Kms
Day 16 New Delhi to Hyderabad (Flight)
Want to cover most of the places with the no of days.
Hello Siddharth – Your itinerary looks pretty good, a few suggestions I would like to make though,
Day 3 Amritsar to Anantnag – This will be a very long journey considering that a lot of this journey would be up in the hils so you cannot really rip your motorcycle to 80 or 100. Srinagar to Jammu can take an entire day, you are adding more to that so start really really early from Amritsar, maybe even before the sun hits the horizon.
Day 9 Hunder to Pangong Tso (via Wari La) – Wari La may be closed at this time plus it is a very treacherous route for a rented bike, take a look at the following article
https://vargiskhan.com/log/nubra-valley-to-pangong-tso-via-wari-la/
If you are taking Wari La, make sure your bike is good enough to pull the load. After all the journey so far, you would know if it is pulling on heights comfortably or giving trouble. If Wari La is closed or your bike is giving trouble, then take the Agham Shyok road from Nubra to Pangong.
Day 11 Hanle to Upshi (enroute Kyagar Tso) – 275 Kms (will skip Tso moriri) – Do not skip Moriri, worth a visit definitely since you have come all this way. Stay the night at Karzok. take a look at the following map, you need not take the road to Upshi, take the second road that is shorter and will get you closer to Pang and in between you can also visit Tso Kar.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-tso-moriri-road-map-distances/
Day 12 Upshi to Jispa – 300 Kms – Start really early from Karzok and reach directly to Pang or if you still have sun left in the sky, take it to Sarchu and break the journey there.
Day 13 Jispa to Manali – 140 Kms – Pang / Sarchu to Manali can be easily done in a day, I have done it myself 3 times. Start early if you are staying at Pang, do not take a lot of breaks and you can easily make it to Manali before Sunset. If staying at Sarchu, then it is no hassle at all to reach Manali comfortably.
For this entire route, I suggest that you read my travelogue at the link below, will give you a better idea.
http://roadragas.com/index.php?threads/the-chronicles-of-ladakh.131/
1.Bro plz suggest me a good quality/branded thermal wear for men and women.
2.For shoes wheater I need to wear trekking shoe or leather shoe or somewhat.. also suggest me a good one light weight..
I do not have any suggestions about Thermals Murali coz I never used them myself … My suggestion would be to go for trekking shoes
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for your response!
“Agham Shyok road from Nubra to Pangong” – I have read somewhere that in summers due to water level its almost impossible for bikes to cross Shyok river as, I reckon, there are too many water crossings on this route. If in case Wari La is closed, I have no option other than coming back to Leh and then proceed to Pangong.
Skipping Tso Moriri – I went to Tso moriri last time that’s why want to skip it, in my opinion I found Kyagar Tso better than Tso Moriri. I want to stay near Upshi because of fuel problem as I am planning Leh-Nubra-Pangong-Chushul-Hanle-Chumathang-Upshi which is almost 800 odd Kms, so going back to Karu/Upshi is the only option to fill up the tank before hitting Leh-Manali route.
Jispa to Manali – My friends wants to stay in Manali for adventure sport like Paragliding etc, which I already did last time but coz of them I have to include in the itinerary.
Can you please suggest if any thing else I can include/skip without changing the itinerary much. In addition, if you can tell me more about fuel availability, which is a main concern for us at present.
Thanks again for your quick response.
Awaiting for your response again.
Regards,
Siddharth.
Hi Vargis,
Do we need any permit to cross Rohtang Pass coming from Leh side?
If yes, how to obtain then in advance?
Regards.
Hi Siddarth,
1. Agham Shyok road is tough but not for a bike really, it is bad for a car. I would suggest take this road. At most 6-7 hours journey from Nubra to Pangong.
2. You can get fuel at Pangong, just enquire at those Chadar tents. Expect price to be somewhere at Rs. 100 / litre.Fuel up at Leh, carry around 10 litres for each bike, stay at Pangong and tank up there again (it is costly I know but avoids the hassle of carrying litres of petrol weight) and you are good brother, that is how I have done it.
3. Yes, u need permit from DM office in Manali. Search Google for Hotels in Manali, call them and ask if they can arrange permit for u in advance. If yes, make a booking.
Hey,
I wanted to visit Sarch for a night. What are you views on that?
Thanks
Did you mean Sarchu? And why wud u want to visit just Sarchu?
Hi VARGIS BRO,
We are a couple going to visit KASHMIR for 20 day trip, My Main objective to cover all major places on ladakh region. I’m adding my itinary please suggest me your views,
My trip from (May 16 to June 5/2016),
DAY 1:ARRIVE LEH and REST,
DAY 2:Nubra and Panamik,
DAY 3:Panamik to Turtek and return to Leh,
DAY 4:(ONE DAY EXTRA)
DAY 5:Leh to Pangong,
DAY 6:Pangong to Tso moriri,
DAY 7:Tso mororo to Leh,
DAY 8:Leh local,
DAY 9:Lamayuru,Ule and rest in Sangam,
DAY 10:Kargil and rest in drass/sonamarg,
DAY 11:Sonamarg to Srinagar,
DAY 12:Srinagar,
DAY 13:Gulmarg,
DAY 14:Kokarnag,
DAY 15:Yusmurg,
DAY 16:Aachbal,Aharbal,
DAY 17:Pahalgam,
DAY 18:Katra,
DAY 19:Jammu local and night train to delhi,
DAY 20:(ONE DAY EXTRA)
DAY 21:My flight from delhi.
Ques 1:So, this itinary is okay..
Ques 2:I’m having one/two days extra,so any place i missed to cover in ladakh region or srinagar region,
Ques 3:We are from south india can i buy jackets/overcoats and shoes on leh (‘coz i may get original and price little less while comparing to normal market here)..
it is advisible need to buy on leh or from my place.’coz my wife is little girl her size not getting here,
So,If leh means any shop you had idea brother..
I Bokked only flight ticket, remaining all things go to leh then only arrange by direct..
Hi Murali,
1. You itinerary looks OK however Pangong to Moriri is a minimum 2 days journey, cant be done in a day. How are you planning to travel around and which route are you planning to take from Pangong to Moriri?
2. You have pretty much covered everything. Leh Palace, Shanti Stoopa, several monasteries are some places you can visit while u r in Leh.
3. You can buy clothes there, not a problem but it will be all local stuff, not branded.
Hi bro,
1*From leh to pangong and tso moriri,
I planned to spend 4 days.
Either,
Leh – pangong – leh – tso moriri – leh is convenient or
Leh – pangong – tso moriri – leh is convenient.
Date: May 20-23.
Mode of travel: sharing taxi.
2*What are the main attractions in between these 2 ways and “+” and “-” in these two ways.
TRAVEL DATE May 16 -25,
1.In ladakh region sharing taxis FREQUENTLY AVAILABLE to all the following routes (LEH..NUBRA..PANAMIK..TURTEK..LEH..
LEH..PANGONG..TSO MORIRI..LEH.. LEH..LAMAYARU..ULEYO..SANGAM..KARGIL..SRINAGAR),
2. I’m new to travel like this sharing taxis. For whole taxi booking they have a fixed rates for points. Same Like that for sharing persons also rate is fixed or we need to bargain.
3.On leh these sharing taxis, drivers will roam and call the passengers or we need to go to a particular hub/stand for taking taxis to every single routes.
Murali – You will not find a shared taxi from Pangong to Tso Moriri via Chushul and Nyoma. Plus you will also need permits for this route. Easier way would be to go to Pangong, then return to Leh and go to Moriri the next day. There is no main attraction as such, it is all natural beauty. Since you are going there by air, I suggest you go to Moriri from Leh, that way you can also see the Moore plains.
Hi is it possible to do delhi-leh-delhi if have 4 days
Not possible at all
Can anyone please help me by telling how much will it cost me to visit leh form delhi !
I own Royal Enfield class 350.
Depends on a lot of things but anywhere between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 at an average.
hi vargis,
You are doing great job.I am planing to this adventurous trip solo from Srinagar.I wanted you to please tell itinerary to follow.I am planing to visit Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso,Tso Moriri.
Day 1:Srinagar to Drass
Day 2 :Drass to Leh
Day 3: Leh to Khardung La (stay at diskit) (Any ILP required to stay at diskit??)
Day 4: Leh (rest,local sight seeing )
Day 5:Leh to Pangong Tso( stay near lake side)
Day 6 :Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri( route Chushul,Loma,Karzok) (IS ILP required for Loma ??)
Day 7:Back to leh
I also wanted you suggest route back to srinagar.Please suggest.
Rounak, When are you planning to travel? ILP is not required for Nubra Valley anymore but it is required for reaching Moriri for Chushul. Also, you will not be able to reach Moriri from Pangong in a single day, it is a 2 days journey.
Vargis,I am planing to go in the first week of june.
How easily ILP is given for reaching Moriri,Chushul,Loma?And where it is given?
And also suggest route back to Srinagar as I have to return the bike in Srinagar?
Passes for Chushul are more or less a matter of luck, you may get it if you are lucky at DM office, Leh. Route back to Srinagar would be Leh, Kargil, Drass, Sonmarg, Srinagar.
hey vargis i have been reading your blogs and articles they are a amazing source of information . you are doing a great thing for new aspiring travellers . so by the help of your guidelines i have been able to prepare a itinerary so please tell if there are any amendments required
i am actualy from ludhiana(punjab) ill be staying few days in srinagar and then ill be heading to leh . i will be traveling with 4 friends and one professional driver in a self owned innova
Day1 srinagar – kargil
overnight stay at kargil
Day 1 – Kargil – leh (210km – approx 4h )
Overnight stay at leh
Day 2 – leh
Local sighseeing
Day 3 – leh – khardung la – diskit – hunder
Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safar
Day 4 – Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
Overnight at Leh
Day 5 – leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
Overnight at Pangong Tso
Day 6 Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Overnight stay at leh
Day 7 – leh – tso moriri (220km )
Overnight stay at tso moriri
Day 8 – tso moriri – derbring (manali – leh highway) – sarachu
Overnight stay at sarachu
Day 9
Sarachu – Manali
Overnight stay at Manali
day 10
Manali to Ludhiana
Hello Shubham – Your itinerary looks good brother except for Day 8. Tso Moriri to Sarchu will be quite a stretch and not advisable for a single day journey. Break the journey at Pang instead. something like this …
Day 8 – Moriri to Pang
Day 9 – Pang to Jispa or Keylong (Jispa is advisable, stay at th camp site there near the river, you will enjoy it)
Day 10 – Jispa to Manali
If you are short on time, then something like this,
Day 8 – Moriri to Pang
Day 9 – Pang to Manali
Pang to Manali can be easily done in a day, just start really early and you will reach Manali before sunset.
ok ill make the amends according to the suggestion
thanks alot for the help 🙂
You r welcome bro
Hello Vargis,
Very kind of you to provide us with every information about visiting Ladhakh, i almost feel like I visited virtually:)
Alright, i am planning to visit all alone to Leh during last week of May for 7 days atleast (from Pune).
Below is an itinerary i have planned –
1st Day – sigh seeing in Leh on a rented bike.
2nd Day – Leh to Nubra valley and night stay back some where in Diskit (on bike), As u mentioned in one of your blog that night stay in Diskit is cheaper than staying nearby valley
3rd Day – Diskit to Pangong on bike itself, will stay back in Pangong for 2 days (if possible in my budget)
5rd Day – way back to Leh and night stay in between somewhere
6th Day – may leave for Manali the same evening so that i can visit Manali on 7th days
7th day – Way back to Pune.
Now my queries are as below –
1. As I would be needing a bike for atleast 6 days, do you have any idea how such it can cost (a row guess)
2. How about a night stay at Pangong Lake, is it affordable or any other place nearby so that i can halt there for 2 days ?
3. I guess 25k is enough for these 7 days visit (excluding my travel from Pune to Leh and back).
4. Am I gonn need that permit for visiting these location or for any of my in way route on bike ?
I am awaiting your response.
Thank you
Hello Ranjit,
You are very welcome and thank you for liking my blog brother. About your itinerary,
1st Day – sigh seeing in Leh on a rented bike. – OK
2nd Day – Leh to Nubra valley and night stay back some where in Diskit (on bike), As u mentioned in one of your blog that night stay in Diskit is cheaper than staying nearby valley – OK
3rd Day – Diskit to Pangong on bike itself, will stay back in Pangong for 2 days (if possible in my budget) – What route are you planning to take?
5rd Day – way back to Leh and night stay in between somewhere – Somewhere? There is no option to stay anywhere but either at Leh or in its close proximities, range of 25 kms approx, near Karu or Upshi.
6th Day – may leave for Manali the same evening so that i can visit Manali on 7th days – You cannot reach Manali in a single day brother
7th day – Way back to Pune.
For your questions ..
1. Depends on which bike you are planning to rent. Have you decided?
2. It is affordable. Chadar tent is the cheapest, can get a bed to crash on for approx Rs. 200 – 400. Camp sites can cost upto Rs. 2500 per head. Take a look at this article.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-at-pangong-tso/
3. More than enough
4. No
Thanks,
Vargis
Hi Vargis,
Thanks a lot for the very informative blog. It is the only comprehensive blog I have found which answers almost every question I had. Keep up the good work 🙂
Now to my problem when I need your help –
We are 2 couples planning to visit leh from 2nd July to 10th July. One of us has had mild breathing issues (Minor Asthma) in the past hence we are very cautious. Money is no concern and we want to book the best hotels and travel in a rented taxi with a local driver. We will land in Srinagar on 2nd July Morning and we fly directly out of Leh on 10th July Morning so we have a total of 8 days between landing in Srinagar and flying from Leg.
Help 1 – Please help suggest and itinerary. We were thinking of taking 2 days from Srinagar to Leh so that we then get 6 days in Leh
Help 2 – With past breathing issues, we will have to do the Pangong and Nubra trips as day trips only I assume. Staying there will be very high altitude. Please advice
Help 3 – Where can we find a good, trusted, comfortable taxi. We don’t want to be bothered by the Taxi mafia thing and neither by someone who drives rash. We want a driver who can get us the best possible journey.
Please help.
Thanks,
Ankit Sharma
Hello Ankit,
Thank you for your kind words. As to your questions,
1. Have you prepared an itinerary yet? Something I can take a look at and make suggestions?
2. Staying at Pangong, I agree to your point, can be problematic if there is a medical history. You can easily do Leh-Nubra-Leh in a day. Pangong as well can be done in the same day but will have to start early from Leh to reach back late in the evening and even then it will be just a touch and go type of journey.
3. For taxi and driver, If interested, I can give you the name and phone # of my contact in Leh. Very humble guy that I have routed several other people like you to and they were all very happy with his attitude and services. Let me know.
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for the help.
1. Please share the phone number of the trusted taxi driver you were talking about. We need to hire him for 9 days, start in Srinagar and end in Leh.
2. We have prepared the below itinerary. Given that we want to relax and not stress out bodies, we’ve put a lot of idle days in the middle. We can do small day trips on those day or explore the city if you can recommend something
1st July – Srinagar to Kargil – Stay in Kargil
2nd July – Kargil to Leh – Stay in Leh
3rd July – Spend the day in Leh. Visit monastries
4th July – Drive to Nubra Valley – Stay in Nubra
5th July – Visit Turtuk (I’ve heard this is beautiful) – Stay somewhere in Nubra
6th July – Go back to Leh (Need suggestions on what to do here)
7th July – Idle day. Minor day trips around leh (need suggestion)
8th July – Pangong Day trip (Have to go in 1 day because my wife has minor asthma so we don’t want to risk staying in Pangong)
9th July – Last day in Leh. Explore the city. (More ideas welcome)
10th July – Fly back in morning
Please suggest more places to visit or if we can plan differently.
Thanks,
Ankit
Hi Ankit,
1. His name is Sonam Angdus and # is 09469272773. Just tell him that I gave you his number or better yet, let me know when you are going to call him so that I can call in advance and let him know.
2. Your itinerary looks great. I would have suggested staying at Pangong but would not due to your wife’s medical condition. Pangong is ideally a 2 days journey so start really early from Leh and I mean like at first light of the day and then you may get a little time to spend at the lake before heading back.
3. There isnt really much to do in Leh except for taking a walk around the small town. You can visit Shanti Stoopa, Leh Palace or maybe ask the driver to take you for a day long drive on Manali Leh highway and return to Leh by evening.
Hi Vargis,
Nice detailed info you got there.
1)I wanted to know if self-drive will be cheaper than the local taxis?
2)I’ll be taking a swift from chandigarh to manali and finally leh…
3)Is swift okay for this journey or do in need a SUV?
4)SInce, I’ll be renting it from outside Leh, will it cause problems?
5)Also, 5 days to cover leh, pangong and nubra are okay?
6)Is Tso moriri a must visit after one has been to pangong? After all both are high altitude lakes… Is it okay if i avoid one of two? If yes, which one?
Hi vargis me and my 6 frnds r planning to visit leh ladakh bt our trip is very short so need ur help in planning out our itenary for our visit as I want to make it an unforgettable trip. We would be reaching srinagar by flight on 5oct’15 at 3pm. Nd den wud start our journey to leh nd we will stay der til 9th oct. Nd on 9th oct we will start our journey back to srinagar. So plz plz advice us to plan our itenary so dat we can visit as many places as we can nd also wAnt to knw is halt possible at certian spots wic we visit as we wont stay in leh ladkh. Budget is not an issue so plz letme knw as early as possible.
Anurag, How are you planning to travel from Srinagar to Leh and around Leh?
We hv booked a taxi.
Where did you book the taxi from? I am asking because there has been lot of fuss in Leh about vehicles from outside of Ladakh, even about vehicles from Kargil or Srinagar. Taxi Mafia is literally making things impossible for Tourist, they want people to book a taxi in Leh for local sight seeing and have even gone to the extent of attacking and damaging private cars and taxi registered outside of Ladakh.
Coming to your original question,
1. 5th – Arrive in Srinagar and reach Sonmarg by late evening
2. 6th – Sonmarg to Leh, will be a long journey so you will have to start really early
3. 7th – Leh to Khardung La early in the morning, spent some time and continue straight to Pangong
4. 8th – Back to Leh
5. 9th – Leh to Kargil, visit places in between like the Buddha statue, magnetic hill etc
6. 10th – Kargil to Srinagar
Hi Vargis,
I will be travelling to leh from manali and my itinerary is as follow:
4 sep Delhi to Manali on volvo bus
5 Sep Manali
6 & 7 Sep manali to leh on shared taxi or hptdc bus with an overnite stay in between
8 Sep Leh- Hire bike and local sightseeing
9 Sep Leh to Nubra valley on rented bike with an overnite stay
10 Sep Nubra to Pangong Lake with overnite stay.
11 Sep Pangong to Leh (localsightseeing in the evening)
12 Sep Leh to kargi on shared taxi or bus
13 Sep kargil To Srinagar
14 Sep srinagar to delhi on morning flight
I will be travelling with my wife on public transport and will rent a bike in Ladakh region.
1. Please advise me if the itinerary is doable..I cant change my travelling dates as I have taken leaves from 5 sep to 14 Sep.
2. Is shared taxi ok as i am travelling with my wife..
3. Hptdc bus or shared taxi from Manali to leh. I have read somewhere that the himachal tourism bus stops in between for sightseeing and night halt ot keylong.
4.If there is any better itinerary that u can suggest.
5. Will i be able to fuel up my tank while travelling in Ladakh region like Leh to Nubra to Pangong to Leh or the other way around.
I would really apreciate ur help here.
Thanks in advance
Saurabh
Hi Saurabh,
1. Itinerary is OK.
2. Shared taxi will be fine but I think you already know that it would be a big compromise on comfort.
3. I would recommend HPTDC bus anytime.
5. I do not think a change is required in the itinerary.
6. You will have to tank up in Leh itself. There is a chance of getting petrol at both Nubra and Pangong but the purity if questionable. Make sure you get the bike early morning while you are in Leh and ride it around to make sure it is running perfectly. Rented bikes give a lot of trouble and would even refuse to climb at steep ascents.
Hi Vargis,
Is it possible for me to connect with Saurabh above. We are a couple too and are travelling to Leh around the same time. If its feasible we could share taxi with Saurabh and his wife. Appreciate your assistance.
Thanks
Priya
Hi Saurabh, sent you a FB request. We are travelling to Leh around the same time and are a couple too. Let me know if we could share a taxi from Leh to Nubra and Pangong Lake
Regards
Priya
Hi Vargis,
My heartfelt thanks for a very useful blog.
I need advice.
I plan to travel from Srinagar to Leh in private cab. As I can leave Srinagar by 2 pm only, can I stay overnight at Sonmarg and complete Sonmarg-Leh stretch on next day?
Pl advise. Thanks.
Thank you so much Rajesh. You can do Sonmarg to Srinagar in a day however it would be a very long drive. You must start really early from Sonmarg to reach Leh by late in the evening.
One question though, how are you planning to travel?
Thank you for reply.
By Innova…private cab. Not self-driven.
What I meant was, any good SUV cab
If a private cab, then Yes, you can leave Srinagar during mid-day and reach Sonmarg by evening. Word of advice though, do it a little early rather than 2 PM just to make sure that you reach Sonmarg well in time. If you can leave by say 11 am, then try to take it all the way to Drass so that your next day travel is not that long.
Hi Vargis, very nice of you to put up such a detail site, I have a couple of questions for my itinerary:
Im foreigner travelling with another 3 friends. We plan to flight to Leh, then rent 2 motorbikes there and start exploring Nubra valley, Pangong lake and Zanskar in 14 days at the end of september. The hard part is Zanskar and Phugtal monastery which is so far away.
Im planning to spend 7 days for Zanskar and Phugtal.
day 1 go from Leh to Kargil
day 2 Kargil to Padum
day 3 leave the motorbike in Padum, trek 20km into Phugtal, spend the night
day 4 still in Phugtal
day 5 trek back to Padum
day 6 motorbike from Padum to Kargil
day 7 Kargil back to Leh
1/ Is it possible on bike? According to my calculation rented bike is the cheapest because other transports seem so expensive from Leh to Padum, is there any alternative for bike?
2/ In Padum I’ll need to leave my bike there 3 days for trekking, are there any parking options possible in Padum?
3/ Petrol recommendation, where to fill, should I bring extra? I’ll ride on Yamaha fz150 with a pillion.
4/ possible accomodations in Kargil, Padum and Phugtal? also their prices (my best budget would be 300-700 rups/night/person). Can I really spend the night in the monastery?
Thank so much, I’m quite new when it comes to Ladakh.
Hi Minh,
1. Yes, you can reach Padum from Leh on a motorcycle.
2. No parking options. Your best bet is to hold the room at the hotel / guest house / home stay, pay them even for the days while you are away trekking and leave your motorcycles in their care.
3. There are gas stations in Kargil so you need not carry extra petrol. Tank up in Leh, then at Kargil and again at Kargil while on your way back.
4. Kargil is quite an expensive town so you may have trouble finding a room within that budget. Same is the case with Padum. You may need to up that budget a little.
The only other and cheaper option I can suggest other than motorcycles is to use public transport services. Board a bus / shared taxi from Leh to Kargil and then Kargil to Padum. You will save the motorcycle rent, fuel expense and would not have to worry about the safety of motorcycles while you are gone trekking.
I do not think they will allow you to spend the night in monastery at Padum.
Hi
Let me congratulate on a great site with a lot of useful information.
We are 2 people landing at Leh on 16th July early morning by air and our approx itinerary is
16 – Leh and near abouts
17 – 18 Nubra valley and back (if possible go to Turtuk or panamik or both )
19 – 20 Korzok – tso moriri especially for the festival.
21 – 22 Pangong – back to leh
23 – 24 Leh and near abouts (sham valley)
I have not booked either or transport yet.
I saw in your post some bus services which do not serve my purpose well.
Are there Shared – Taxi available to all these places I have mentioned?
As per your taxi list the independent taxis add up to too much for an itinerary of this sort.
Is it possible to hire a taxi for full 9 days from leh instead of point – point?
Any other suggestions ?
Eagerly waiting 🙂
Hi RV,
Thanks much. I am not sure I really understand your question. If you hire a taxi from Leh, it would be for your entire trip and cost would remain the same.
Ok. Sorry. I will reword my queries. 🙂
1.Are point – point e.g. Leh- Tso- moriri – Tso kar – Leh Shared Taxi available?
2. Independent taxis…. point – point are listed in the PDF file. My question is , is it possible hire taxis on KM basis irrespective of where I want to go.. e.g. Delhi we can hire a taxi for outstation @ Rs xx / km for a minumum 250KM / Day. plus driver allowance etc.
Hope this helps.
No worries brother.
1. Yes. The locals do have a shared taxi service running between the villages. The comfort and availability is however questionable.
2. The taxi drivers usually have a fixed rate in Leh. For example, Leh to Nubra to Leh is a fixed rate for everyone. They do not really operate on kilometers basis, more like you book the taxi for a specific number of days, for specific places at an agreed price.
Thanks and Cheers!
You are welcome bro
Hello .. please give us suggestion valuble opinions . Our 7 frnds group planed for LEH LADDAKH our itenary is 7 sep morning leh arrived then we want to depart frm shrinagar on 15 sep .. please give best suggestion for us ..
leh roz roz tou ana nahi hota na .. 😉
Have you prepared an itinerary yet Rahil?
Helo hello hello help me guys suggest me best itenary for sep 7 morning arrive leh and 15 sep depart frm shrinagar .. ur opinion will be very help ful for us . We all 7 FRNDS VERY THANKFUL ..
Hi Vargis,
We are not taking any driver..we will only take car on rent…also, i think shyok road is too difficult as compared to wari la…please advice..what if we hire Innova in place of xylo?
Also, please advise if any we can make any changes in this itinerary.
Konark
Innova and Xylo both are fine. My suggestion is that you take the Agham Shyok road, its a bad road agreed but you can easily reach from Diskit to Pangong in 6 to 8 hrs. Wari La on the other hand will probably have you popping open the bonnet of your car. The last 20 kms of the climb is the steepest that you would encounter in all the passes according to your itinerary. I crossed Wari La in a 4×4 Safari with only 2 passengers and even then I had to stop at the top and open the bonnet for the engine to cool down. You on the other hand will be in a rented 2X4 Innova with so many people in it … Do the math brother
Hi Vargis,
Hope you are good!
Below is my itinerary. Please advise if it looks good to you.
Location Date
Delhi to Manali 7/17/2015
Manali to Sarchu 7/18/2015
Sarchu to Leh 7/19/2015
Leh to Lamayuru to Ule to leh 7/20/2015
Leh to Nubra 7/20/2015
Nubra to Pangong 7/21/2015
Pangong to Leh 7/22/2015
Leh to Sarchu 7/23/2015
Sarchu to Manali 7/24/2015
Manali 7/25/2015
Manali to Delhi 7/26/2015
Thanks & Regards,
Konark Poddar
Hi Vargis,
Also, We are around 10-11 people looking of 3 rented bike & a 4 wheeler. Can you please suggest which 4 wheeler will be good for us as we also have luggage with us.
Konark
Xylo would be good.
Hi Konark, How are you planning to go to Pangong from Nubra? Which route?
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for your quick response.. We are planning to go Pangong from Nubra via Wari la
2 things ….. 1. It would be a very long drive / ride from Nubra to Pangong via Wari La if you intend to do it in a day …. 2. I doubt a hired taxi driver would be eager to take Wari La because of extremely bad roads, you really need a 4X4 vehicle for that pass …
If you want to reach Pangong from Nubra in a day, you will have to take the Agham Shyok road or return to Leh from Nubra and then go to Pangong the next day.
Hi Vargis,
Its really a helpful website you have made. Tons of Information!!
I had a question regarding Nubra valley. We are Planning to Stay at diskit for 1 night and head back to leh next day. Is it possible to go to Turtuk the second the morning and then head back to leh or do we need two nights for it?
Hi Khushboo, You can do it the same day, just start a little early. Dont really need two days stay for Nubra.
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for putting up such a wonderful post. It really provides a lot of detail to people planning to travel.
I along with my wife and two other couples are planing to travel to Leh from Delhi. We are planing an itinerary as follows and the dates for the journey would be from 18th July to 2nd Aug. Would really appreciate if you could provide your inputs and thoughts on the Itinerary.
Also, i had a couple of concerns/questions –
1. Are self drive vehicles hired in Delhi allowed to be driven on the Delhi-Manali-Leh and back route?
2. DO local taxi unions create a problem from such vehicles?
3. Where is the DM office located and can we ask the hotels/agents to get us the Permits.
Please find below the itinerary.
Journey Leg Day
Delhi – Manali 1
Manali Overnight 2
Manali – Jispa 3
Jispa – Leh 4
Leh Overnight 5
Leh Overnight 6
Leh – Nubrah 7
Nubrah Overnight 8
Nubrah – Pangong Tso 9
Pangon Tso Overnight 10
Pangon Tso – Karzok 11
Karzok Over night 12
Karzok – Sarchu 13
Sarchu – Rohtang – Kullu 14
Kullu Overnight ( Stay at Neeralaya) 15
Kullu – Delhi 16
Please let me know if this looks feasible or it should be altered.
Hello Anirudh,
Thank you for liking the post. Self driven taxis are okay, you should not face any problem. Hotels can arrange the rohtang permit for you, but in case they do not, you can easily get it at DM office. Your concern however would be the new rule under which no more than 1000 vehicles are allowed to travel to Rohtang per day and since you will be in a self driven taxi, it could become a problem. Ask your hotel to arrange a permit for you well in advance and better contact them right now because permits are given on a first come first serve basis. Considering the kind of traffic Rohtang gets, it might turn into a weeks in advance booking situation. The rule has just been implemented so i do not yet have accurate information on it on how it is going to play for private vehicles and self drive taxis so please check with a hotel owner there and clarify.
1. Couple of things questions, why spend two days just in Leh? are you planning to visit areas towards zanskar or just rest for two days?
2. Are you planning to take the Agham Shyok road from Nubra to Pangong?
3. Have you spoken to anyone about Chushul passes?
4. Pangong to Karzok is not possible in a day specially in a car.
5. Karzok to Sarchu will be a very long drive.
6. Sarchu to Kullu would again be a very long drive.
Thanks for the detailed itenary. Will plan accordingly.
You are welcome
You are welcome.
1. Yes
2. You will have to carry a shitload of petrol for Leh – Nubra – Pangong – Moriri – Leh route because (1)you will be covering a large distance and (2) mileage wouldn’t be that great on a rented motorcycle. If I was you, I would return to Leh from Nubra Valley, stay there for the night and go to Pangong on the next day. So the itinerary would change to something like this …
25th Leh to Nubra Valley, Stay in Diskit
26th Nubra Valley (Diskit to Panamik – Don’t forget to take a dip in the hot water spring here, amazing it is)
27th Panamik to Wari La to Leh (You may want to rethink doing Wari La on a rented motorcycle. Climb is too steep and roads are way too bad on this pass)
28th Leh to Pangong
29th Pangong to Hanle
30th Hanle to Karzok
31st Karzok to Leh
You can get fuel at Pangong Leh at the chadar tents for Rs. 100 per liter. (This was the price last year)
3. If you change to itinerary to what i mentioned above and tank up at Pangong, you wouldnt have to carry more than 10 ltrs
4. Gas availability in Diskit is same as Pangong. You may get it at a high price but do not count on it.
Thanks for the itenary. I have a few more questions:
1) Is it feasible to include Turtuk and Tsokar in my plans?
2) The route from Leh – Nubra valley – Pangong – Hanle – Tsomoriri – Leh has just one fuel station which is at Leh. The overall distance on this route will be close to 1200 kms if not more (adding Turtuk, Tsokar etc). There is one more station at Karu on Manali Leh highway (which is close to Sakti on the way to Pangong). How do you suggest I plan for fuel in this total distance which doesnt have any options for fuel since fuel sold in black is considerably risky.
3) How much fuel can I potentially carry on my bike to cover the entire stretch ?
4) Can u comment on the fuel availability at Diskit?
OK, you can plan rest of the itinerary in the following manner,
24th July – Leh. Arrange for Chushul Passes, get bike checked.
25th July -Leh to Nubra Valley, stay in Diskit or Panamik
26th July – Nubra Valley to Pangong via Warila
27th July – Pangong to Hanle
28th – Hanle to Karzok { Tso Moriri}
29th – Karzok to Leh
30th – Leh
31st – Leh to Kargil
1st Aug – Kargil to Padum
2nd – Padum to Kargil
3rd – Kargil to Srinagar
This will be the route you will take. Since you have until 8th of August, you can add days anywhere in between, like staying for a day in Pangong, Nubra Valley or Zanskar.
Thanks. Frankly I have not yet done booking for anything in Ladakh yet except for the Flight from Bangalore to Chandigarh. I hope finding a place in Leh to stay wouldn’t be too tough even in the peak season. Can you suggest a suitable itenary from Leh for the places that I have listed?
In that case it is better that you spend at least a day in Manali. So your initial itinerary can be somewhat like this …
19th July – Reach Manali
20th July – Stay in Manali. Arrange for Rohtang Passes early in the morning after DM’s office opens. Or you may contact a hotel in Manali, book your accommodation, and ask them to arrange the permits for you, that way it will give you more time to go look for a motorcycle. Rent a motorcycle and take a test run. I would suggest that take it towards Rohtang, it will give you an idea about how the motorcycle is performing on steep climbs. Familiarize yourself with the bike as you are going to be on it for next few days on dangerous roads, so better get a hang of it on the very first day.
21st July – Manali to Jispa. There are a couple of camping sites in Jispa, right next to Hotel Jispa. Good place to stay, camps are right next to a river. I have stayed here before and you can easily talk the guy into renting you a camp for anywhere between Rs. 500 to 700 for a night. If you want to stay here, let me know and I will give you more details.
22nd July -Jispa to Pang. Stay in a Chadar tent in Pang. Will cost anywhere between Rs. 100 – 200.
23rd July – Pang to Leh. Have you made bookings or decided on a hotel in Leh yet?
I have contacted some rentals in Manali but I have decided not to book now as most people suggested against it. I thought it would be better to go there, check the bike thoroughly and take one.
I will be leaving Bangalore on July 18th. I will be in Manali on July 19th. I have until August 6th or 7th (about 20 days). I want your suggestion on the best way to travel the places in my list mentioned above. I am planning for a solo bike ride. Also please let me know if I can include Zanskar? I plan to go through Kargil and Srinagar anyway.
I have 16 days to cover these places. Please guide me through how I can plan for carrying of fuel, stay and day to day travel plans. What shoulld be my budget for this stretch as a solo rider. Which are the routed where help will be hard to find in case something goes wrong. Could you please let me know in detail as it is key to my trip.planning
Have you already made arrangements for renting the motorcycle in Manali? Or is it something that you plan to do after you get there?
Hi Vargis,
I am Planning to visit Ladakh from July 19th to August 8th. This includes my to and fro travel from Bangalore. I am flying from Bangalore to Chandigarh, chandigarh to Manali by bus and start the bike journey from there, planning to fly from Srinagar back to Bangalore. Please let me know in case you need any other details.
Have you prepared an itinerary yet?
Hi Vargis,
You have covered the entire Ladakh region in detail in this space. Very useful information for people planning to visit Ladakh.
I hope to find answers for these:
1) You have mentioned that the Zanskar region can be covered in 2 days. Aren’t there any places to see for a day near Padum with an extra day since to and fro from Kargil to Ladin may require 2 days in itself.
2) I am planning to bike ride solo from Manali to Leh and then cover the Ladakh circuit from there. Here are the list of places I am planning to visit(in the same order):
Manali – Leh – Diskit – Turtuk – Panamik – WariLa – Pangong – Chushul – Hanle – Tsomoriri – Tsokar – Chumthang – Leh
I have 16 days to cover the above mentioned places. Please guide me through how I can plan for carrying of fuel, stay and day to day travel plans. What shoulld be my budget for this stretch as a solo rider. Which are the routed where help will be hard to find in case something goes wrong. Could you please let me know in detail as it is key to my trip.planning?
P.S: my overall trip has a buffer of 20 days
Hi Vargis,
You have covered the entire Ladakh region in detail in this space. Very useful information for people planning to visit Ladakh.
I hope to find answers for these:
1) You have mentioned that the Zanskar region can be covered in 2 days. Aren’t there any places to see for a day near Padum with an extra day since to and fro from Kargil to Padum may require 2 days in itself.
2) I am planning to bike ride solo from Manali to Leh and then cover the Ladakh circuit from there. Here are the list of places I am planning to visit(in the same order):
Manali – Leh – Diskit – Turtuk – Panamik – WariLa – Pangong – Chushul – Hanle – Tsomoriri – Tsokar – Chumthang – Leh
I have 16 days to cover the above mentioned places. Please guide me through how I can plan for carrying of fuel, stay and day to day travel plans. What shoulld be my budget for this stretch as a solo rider. Which are the routed where help will be hard to find in case something goes wrong. Could you please let me know in detail as it is key to my trip.planning?
P.S: my overall trip has a buffer of 20 days
Hi Aravind,
You can definitely stay for a day in Padum. Very nice and peaceful place, plenty of natural vistas around to enjoy.
You Itinerary depends on when are you planning to travel. Please let me know and I will answer the second question.
Hi Vargis
Thank you for explaining Leh-Ladakh tour in such great details. I will definitely follow the itinerary given by you whenever I visit there. I just needed to know how to include Spiti valley in this tour.
Hello Sujoy – How many days do you have in hand? Let me know and I can suggest an itinerary.