Ladakh in 7 Days – How to Plan a Ladakh 7 Days Itinerary

by Vargis.Khan

ladakh in 7 days

A 7 days trip to Ladakh is one of the most common time frames that people opt for. While it may not be sufficient for a road trip, it is still ample time to execute an enjoyable trip to Ladakh. In the post below, I will provide a few itineraries to cover Leh Ladakh in 7 days.

To begin with, I will first explain an itinerary that I recommend, followed by a few other ways to complete the journey. Your final travel plan will depend on several factors like your mode of travel, trip budget, and places you want to cover. But the itineraries below can still get you started and give you enough information to comfortably plan and execute your journey.

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.

How to Visit Leh Ladakh in 7 Days

Let me first talk about a few important things that you must consider while planning a Leh Ladakh 7 days trip. After that, I will move on to the itinerary part.

While explaining the itineraries, I will also include details like the sightseeing places and accommodation choices. For more information on visiting Ladakh, please take a look at How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh – A Complete Travel Guide.

Plan by Air

The most important thing to remember here is that Ladakh in 7 days will have to be an air trip. You will have to catch a flight in and out of Leh. It would be extremely difficult to make this journey by road.

If you only have 7 days in hand and you want this to be a memorable experience, then I strongly advise that you use this time to only explore Ladakh. You should leave Manali to Leh or Srinagar to Leh highway for another vacation, at another time.

The reason why I advised against making this a road trip is that the time, even though a week, is still not sufficient. Think of it this way. Manali to Leh is a journey of a minimum of 2 days. Jammu to Leh is a minimum of 3 days journey. And then you will need at least a day from your hometown to reach either Manali or Jammu.

This really leaves no time for sightseeing in Ladakh. Making this a road trip would mean that you just reached Leh and started on your way home.

Acute Mountain Sickness

The biggest concern for anyone reaching Ladakh by Air is acute mountain sickness. A slow gain in altitude is the best prevention against mountain sickness. But this doesn’t really happen in the case of a 7 days trip to Ladakh.

Within a matter of hours, altitude increases by a considerable amount. You bring your body to heights that it is not accustomed to, which may trigger altitude sickness.

It then becomes of utmost importance that you allow sufficient time for acclimatization after you land in Leh. Not stressing your body and an ample amount of rest become the key factors here.  For more details on altitude sickness, please take a look at How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Ladakh.

For most people, their first day after landing in Leh is usually difficult. There is no other way around it but to allow your body some time to adjust. It is highly advised that your first day should be spent in the hotel, waiting for the symptoms to subside.

You should not plan anything for this day and if you feel better by evening, you can take a stroll through the market or visit Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa in Leh city.

Inner Line Permit

Please note that an Inner Line Permit is mandatory to visit places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri. This permit is issued at DM office Leh and can also be applied for online. Please read How to Obtain Inner Line Permit for Ladakh for more details on applying and related charges.

Arrange your Stay

After you land in Leh, it will become very hard to run around looking for a hotel and making travel arrangements. You will be suffering from AMS and it is not advised to stress your body any further.

A better way around this would be to arrange all this in advance. Once you land there, you just need to reach an already decided and rest the entire day.

Arrange Transport

For travel arrangements, it is best to book a private taxi for the tour. You can use public transport as well but that will strongly limit you only to certain places and can become a bit of a hassle too.

Renting a motorcycle is also a choice but only if you are an experienced rider and know how to handle a bike on the mountains and bad roads.

If you are in a group of 5-6 people, then book a private cab and have the driver pick you up from the airport itself. If you are however alone or just 2-3 people, and cannot really afford the taxi cos, then you should opt for rented motorcycles but do it only after you land in Leh. Test a few motorcycles before finalizing one. Do not book this over the phone in advance.

ladakh in 7 days

7 Days Itinerary for Leh Ladakh

The journey can of course be planned in multiple ways. In the end, however, it is more or less the same places that you will visit with the exception of a few.

I will start with an itinerary that I recommend.

  • Arrive in Leh – Day 1
  • Sham Valley Tour – Day 2
  • Leh to Nubra Valley – Day 3
  • Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake – Day 4
  • Pangong Tso to Leh – Day 5
  • Leh to Tso Moriri – Day 6
  • Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 7
  • Flight Out of Leh – Day 8

Most of the flights to and out of Leh are early in the morning which really works in your favor here. It means that you will land in Leh early morning on Day 1. This will give you the entire day to make other arrangements. For a return flight too, you will catch a flight in the morning and return home early in the day.

If you were looking for an itinerary where you can fly out of Leh and reach home on Day 7 itself, then please read How to Plan a Trip to Ladakh in 6 Days.

This itinerary can however only be followed if you were traveling by private taxi or a rented bike. If you were planning to move around by public transport, it would have to be changed a little bit and I have covered that later in the article.

Day 1 – Leh

You will arrive in Leh on Day 1. I am assuming that you would have booked a hotel and arranged the permits in advance. This will give you the entire day to just rest and adjust to high altitude.

If you did not make prior arrangements then arranging permits will be the first task of the day, after you have checked in to a hotel. For names and the numbers of some budget hotels in Leh, please take a look at Good Budget Hotels in Leh with Tariff Details.

If you are planning to rent a motorcycle, then you will have to move around Leh City, check out a few rental agencies or mechanics, and finalize a bike for your local sightseeing. You can take a look at Leh Ladakh Bike Rental Rates to get an idea of how much it will cost you.

In the evening, you can go for a walk in the local market or visit Leh Palace or Shanti Stupa. The sunset view from Shanti Stupa is really good and you can get some amazing pictures from there.

leh palace

Day 2 – Sham Valley Tour

There are a few different ways that you can spend your second day in Leh. The idea is to not approach a high-altitude pass and to remain in and around Leh for this day as well. This will help with acclimatization and subsiding the symptoms of AMS.

Sham Valley tour is a term used for going out on a drive on the Srinagar Leh highway towards Kargil. A little after Leh, you will see Magnetic Hill, the Indus-Zanskar Rivers confluence, and visit Gurudwara Patthar Sahib.

After that, you can continue driving into Sham Valley or you can also go towards Lamayuru. The monastery in Lamayuru and the moonland are definitely worth a visit.

Either way, you need to plan this in a way that you return to Leh by evening. If you do not wish to go towards Sham Valley, you can visit the local attractions in Leh like Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Thiksey Monastery, Shey Monastery, and Palace, etc.

lamayuru

Day 3 – Leh to Nubra Valley

On Day 2, you will start your journey from Leh to Nubra Valley. If you are traveling by private taxi or rented motorcycle, then you should start early in the day so that it gives you ample time for sightseeing.

The first stop of the day will be Khardung La which is about 35 kilometers from Leh. There is an Army-run canteen at the top where you may have some tea if you would like.

After crossing Khardung La, you will descend into Nubra Valley. There are several towns here where you can find accommodation like Sumur, Panamik, Hunder or Diskit. Of all, I would recommend staying at Diskit because it has the most options in terms of hotels and guest houses.

If you reached well in time, you may visit the monastery in Diskit, or go to Hunder to see the sand dunes and Bactrian camel. Roads are mostly good except for a rough patch around Khardung La top, between South and North Pullu.

For accommodation in Nubra Valley, Please read Hotels and Guest Houses in Nubra Valley. For a list of places that you should visit there, please read Tourist Attractions in Nubra Valley.

If you were traveling by public transport, then you will have to go to the Leh bus stand in the morning. Check if there is a bus available to Diskit on the day of your travel. If there is none, then there will definitely be shared taxis available going to Nubra Valley.

nubra valley

Day 4: Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake

On the fourth day, you will proceed to Pangong Lake via Shyok Road. For this, travel all the way back to Khalsar, and from there, take the road towards Agham Village. Do not go back towards Khardung La because then you will reach back Leh town.

At Agham, the road will bifurcate again and you need to take a left turn towards Shyok village. A little later, you will arrive at Durbuk, then Tangtse and from there, it is a straight run to Pangong Lake.

The travel time on this route will be about 5 hours. Before you go to Pangong, you can also take the road toward Panamik and explore the other side of the Nubra Valley. In Panamik, you can see the hot water springs and even take a dip in the warm water if you want to. From Panamik, return to Khalsar and continue on your way to Pangong.

The problem is that there is no public transport available on this road. There is no bus that travels directly between the two places. If you were traveling by public transport, your only option is to look for a shared cab in Diskit or hitchhike. If nothing worked, you will have to return to Leh.

Accommodation at Pangong can be campsites, guesthouses, wooden huts, chadar tents, or homestays in Spangmik, Man, and Merak villages. For a list of available options, please read Accommodation Choices at Pangong Tso.

pangong

Day 5: Pangong Tso to Leh

You will return to Leh on Day 5 from Pangong. If you arrived by Bus, then board it again for your return journey or else, look for a shared taxi which you will easily find.

The route for the return journey will take you across the Chang La Pass, famous as the third-highest motorable road in the world. If you were traveling by rented bike or a private cab, then you can also visit Thiksey Monastery on your way back if you didn’t already go there on the first two days of the trip.

Day 6: Leh to Tso Moriri

Your next destination on Day 5 will be Tso Moriri. This will be the longest journey so far so an early start is a must. Roads will be a mix of good, bad, and ugly.

You will once again take the Manali Leh highway until Upshi. From there, take the road toward Karzok via Chumathang, Polokongka La, and Sumdo. The ugly part of the road will be around Polokongka La and between Sumdo and Karzok. Travel time will easily be around 7-8 hours.

For public transport, you will once again have to ask for a bus at the Bus stand and if none is available, board a shared taxi. At Karzok, you will easily find several guest houses and campsites and there is the choice of homestay as well. For a list of some recommended places, please read Hotels and Guest Houses at Tso Moriri.

tso moriri

Day 7: Tso Moriri to Leh

This will be the last day of your trip. Take a walk near the lake in the morning and leave for Leh a little early. I would recommend that you try reaching Leh town by 4 pm at most. This will still leave you with a few hours in the evening for a last leisurely walk around the town before you go home the next day.

The bus service for Tso Moriri is only 3 times a month. So you will have to mostly rely on shared cabs if you were traveling by public transport.

If you however rented a bike or a private cab in Leh, I will recommend taking a different route for the return journey. After Sumdo, rather than going to Chumathang, take the road toward Tso Kar Lake and visit that as well. This way, between Tso Kar and Leh, you will also be able to cover Tanglang La Pass.

Day 8: Fly Home

On the 8th day, you can catch a return flight in the morning, marking an end to your 7 days Ladakh trip.

ladakh in 7 days

By Public Transport

The above-mentioned itinerary can be a little difficult to follow because of the lack of public transport on Agham Shyok Road. This will make it difficult for you to go straight to Pangong Lake from Nubra Valley.

If you were able to find a shared cab, then follow the itinerary above. Otherwise, your plan will change to the following.

  • Arrive in Leh – Day 1
  • Leh to Nubra Valley – Day 2
  • Nubra Valley to Leh – Day 3
  • Leh to Pangong Tso – Day 4
  • Pangong Tso to Leh – Day 5
  • Leh to Tso Moriri – Day 6
  • Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 7
  • Flight Out of Leh – Day 8

This is probably the most common and easiest of all 7-day itineraries for Ladakh. It can be followed irrespective of how and when you travel.

The roads to Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri remain open throughout the year, contrary to common belief. So even if you were planning your trip in winter, you can still follow this itinerary. It does not involve any roads that you may find closed at the time of your arrival.

If you chose to travel by public transport, this itinerary too will be the best one. In peak tourist season, there is a regular bus running from Leh to all these locations. Even if you couldn’t find a bus, you will still be easily able to board a shared taxi.

Also Read: Clothes for Ladakh Trip – What to Pack

Ladakh 7 Days Itinerary # 3

Let us now take a look at another travel plan that you can follow.

  • Arrive in Leh – Day 1
  • Sham Valley Tour – Day 2
  • Leh to Nubra Valley – Day 3
  • Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake – Day 4
  • Pangong Lake to Hanle – Day 5
  • Hanle to Tso Moriri – Day 6
  • Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 7
  • Fly Out – Day 8

This itinerary is by far my favorite as it covers the maximum areas. The problem however is that you cannot follow this by public transport.

For the first 4 days, the journey will remain the same as explained in the first itinerary and you will reach Pangong Lake. From Pangong, you will then take the Chushul route, cross Tsaga on the way and reach Loma. At Loma, you will register yourself at the check post and take the diversion towards Hanle.

There is a guest house at Hanle where you can stay for the night. If there was no vacancy at the guest house then you can stay as a paying guest with one of the villagers.

On Day 6, you will backtrack from Hanle to Loma and then take the road via Nyoma, Mahe, and Sumdo to reach Karzok and Tso Moriri. On Day 7, you will return to Leh.

For the return journey, you can choose to take a different route. While you reached Karzok via Upshi and Chumathang, while returning, take the road towards Polokongka La from Sumdo.

This will take you on the road towards Tso Kar and More plains after which you will exit on Manali Leh highway slightly after Pang, near Debring. From there you will cross Tanglang La and reach Leh.

ladakh in 7 days

Leh Ladakh Bike Trip in 7 Days

If you were thinking of a motorcycle trip to Ladakh in 7 days then one thing is for sure. It cannot be from your home unless you were living either in Srinagar or Manali.

Manali to Ladakh is 2 days of travel at least. The same is the case from the Srinagar side as well. So 4 days are spent right here.

Then you will need at least 2 more days to get to either Srinagar or Manali from your home and then the same for the return journey. So 6 days of the trip are gone leaving you with just one day in Ladakh (that too I doubt). Your itinerary will then look something like this.

  • Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
  • Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
  • Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
  • Kargil to Leh – Day 4
  • Leh to Sarchu – Day 5
  • Sarchu to Manali – Day 6
  • Manali to Delhi – Day 7

Not the journey you thought about, right? This way you will cover only the two highways leading to Leh. You will reach Ladakh for sure but won’t have any time to spend there.

A 7 days bike trip to Ladakh is best from Manali only. You reach Manali first, rent a bike there and make a journey to Ladakh for 7 days. The itinerary will look like below.

Also Read: Manali Leh Highway Travel Guide & Itinerary Planning

7 day Ladakh Itinerary for Bike Trip from Manali to Leh

  • Manali to Sarchu – Day 1
  • Sarchu to Leh – Day 2
  • Leh – Day 3
  • Leh to Diskit – Day 4
  • Diskit to Pangong via Shyok – Day 5
  • Pangong to Pang / Sarchu – Day 6
  • Pang to Manali – Day 7

Leh Ladakh Itinerary 7 days – Conclusion

While the first and second itineraries can be covered irrespective of what your mode of travel is, the third itinerary is best advised to be completed by a private cab.

If you are renting a motorcycle for the third itinerary, then please ensure that you pick the best one, and ensure that it is running smoothly. You will be traveling to some very remote areas and there is no mechanic for miles. So in case of a breakdown, you will definitely be in trouble.

Apart from the condition of the motorcycle, you will also have to make serious arrangements to carry spare fuel. Once you cross Leh, there is no petrol pump at all anywhere. So you will have to calculate the total distance and carry fuel to last for 5 days until you return to Leh. Take a look at Fuel Availability in Leh Ladakh – How to Manage for more information.

The reason why I have Sham Valley and Nubra Valley in the first couple of days is because of acute mountain sickness. You will visit these areas and they are all mostly at the same altitude as Leh.

Pangong Tso, however, is at a significantly higher altitude and so is Tso Moriri. So it is best to not go visit these areas in the initial days of the plan.

I hope the information above on planning your itinerary to cover Ladakh in 7 days was 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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61 comments

Santosh Raut February 10, 2023 - 5:08 pm

Hello Sir,
We are 4 family members (2 adults + 2 kids of 5 year & 10 year old) we are planning trip to leh ladakh from srinagar airport in the last week of May or first week of June, Major attractions we want to cover is Pangong Lake, Tso Kar, Tso morari lake, Changthang valley etc… I have few questions :
1) As these are high altitude places, night stay at Pangong, Tso morari etc are comfortable for kids ?? Actually i had uncomfortable experience with sleep during my spiti valleys trip. At kaza & kalpa sleep was comfortable but at Nako lake sleep was disturbing.
2) How to plan itinerary in which we can choose stay at low altitude places, AND how to make possible to visit these places day time only and return to low altitude location for stay.

Reply
Vargis.Khan February 21, 2023 - 12:37 pm

Hello Mr. Raut – Yes, all these places are at a very high altitude and people feel symptoms of altitude sickness here. If you were uncomfortable in Spiti then chances are you will suffer from AMS here as well. How will you be traveling?

Reply
Sandipan Chakraborty December 19, 2019 - 6:04 pm

Hi Vargis.. Please give suggestions on the itinerary below:

Day 01: Arrival Srinagar – Gulmarg

Day 02: Srinagar-Pahalgam, Zabarwan Range and descent to Dal Lake post afternoon

Day 04: Srinagar – Sonmarg – Kargil (via Zozila Pass)

Day 05: Kargil – Leh

Day 06: Leh – Local Sightseeing – descent to Tsomoriri Lake View Point Camp

Day 07: Enjoy Tsomoriri Lake view point – Panong Lake

Day 08: Enjoy Pangong Lake- Nubra Valley

Day 09: Enjoy Nubra Valley to Leh

Day 10: Drop at Leh Airport

Please give us detailed places to cover the above itinerary.

Reply
Sagi October 24, 2019 - 10:01 am

Hi Vargis,
Thanks to your reply. I find this itinerary you made to be perfect as it covers Hanle for stargazing too.
>>Leh Ladakh one week
Now let me pen down the fourth and the last itinerary to visit Ladakh in 7 days.

Arrive in Leh – Day 1
Sham Valley Tour – Day 2
Leh to Nubra Valley – Day 3
Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso – Day 4
Pangong Tso to Hanle – Day 5
Hanle to Tso Moriri – Day 6
Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 7

Would it be fine if I go : Day 1 : Leh
Day 2: Leh- Nubra Valley (Panamik)
Day 3: Panamik – Pangong Tso
Day 4: Pangong Tso – Hanle
Day 5: Hanle- Tso Moriri
Day 6: Tso moriri – Leh
..basically skipping Sham Valley (as I checked online taxi fares and the whole thing comes up to 40-45k..which is quite steep as we are only 2 people travelling).

Is there some way to bring down the cost of the trip by either utilizing Share taxis/buses in some/all parts of this itinerary? I have read that shared taxis/ morning bus is available for Leh- Nubra…but I can’t find find any info on how to travel cheap from Nubra- Pangong tso onwards. I’m not sure if I’d get even private taxis from Nubra Valley- Pangong Tso onwards, as all rates seem to be ex-Leh

Reply
Dinesh September 4, 2019 - 4:19 am

Hello sir
We all planning 6 days tour to leh ladakh.
From 12 sept. To 18 sept.
Early morning flights for both sides.
Plz suggest how should we plan these days.?

Reply
Vargis.Khan September 4, 2019 - 9:46 am Reply
preeti August 9, 2019 - 9:18 am

Hello Vargis
This is Preeti, I would be reaching leh on 7th of october and departing on 15th ,so I have complete 8 days in my hand. I am interested to include few offbeat destinations too. can you help me with an itinerary as i have seen one you suggested for 7 days so what can i incude ?

Reply
Vargis.Khan August 9, 2019 - 2:55 pm

Hi Preeti – You can visit Turtuk in Nubra valley and go to Hanle from Pangong Tso. Those are the only two places that can still be called offbeat in Ladakh.

Reply
Navneet June 25, 2019 - 9:44 am

Dear Vargis,

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I really find it useful. Anyone who has never visit ladahak, your blog is like a guide to them. You have covered each and every thing needed.

We are a group of 4 guys travelling from Delhi to Leh and back by flight and based on your blog have prepared th below itinerary. Please let me know if you think it is fine.

We are reaching Leh in the early morning(7am) of 31st August and leave on 8th September early morning (6am).

Ladhak Trip Itenary- Draft Version

31st Aug
Morning 7:00A.M- Arrive to Leh Airport, book a hotel( or pre book is advisable), stamping early morning as the office will be open only till 3. rest for the day, acclimatize yourself, in the evening explore Leh(leh market,Leh Palace, Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery, Shanti Stoopa are some of the prominent ones). Stay the night1 in Leh.

1st Sep- Leh to Nubrah Valley in two days. Leh to turtuk via khardung la- khalsar-Diskit- Hunder. While returning we will camp at Diskit( night 2 in diksit).Diskit Monastery, Maitreya Buddha, Sand dunes and Bactrian camels are a must see.

2nd Sep- Start early from Diskit and take the road towards Warshi. Drive all the way, visit Samstanling Monastery, Panamik hot water springs and Yarab Tso on the way and start your return journey to by 2 PM latest.

3rd Sep: From Panamik, return to Khalsar but rather than continuing towards Khardung La, take the direct road to Pangong Tso via Agham and Shyok villages. Stay the night3 here.

4th Sep: Pangong tso to tso moriri. Easily 10-12 hours jouney,so starly early is a must. Most dangerous road in the whole trip.
Pangong Tso (Spangmik) – Man – Merak – Chusul – Tsaga – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe – Sumdo – Kiagar Tso – Tso Moriri (Korzok). Stay the night4 in moriri.

5th Sep- Return to Leh. Stay the 5th night in Leh(need to check on which route to return-Any advise is appreciated).

6th &7th Sep- leh to kargil- drass and back to leh. one night stay in between and back to leh and then night stay in leh and then to airport. need to add more as in what to see and where to stay .- this part I am not getting much idea as what to do, please advise how can I best utilize these two days and can cover maximum part in the srinagar Leh highway and return to Leh by 7th night as I have a early flight(6am) on the next day i.e 8th.

(Flights tickets have already been booked from Delhi to Leh and back, so we might not able to return from Jammu)

break of above(Sham valley)
Magnetic Hill, Indus and Zanskar River Confluence, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, Hall of Fame, Buddha statue at Likhir Gompa, Alchi Monastery, and Basgo Monastery.

zanskar valley: need to add

also in this need to add what more to visit in the kargil route.

Note: just spoke to a driver who said it will cost around 50-55k for the whole trip. Do you think this is a genuine cost. Please share your thoughts on this as well. Also do you think we should go by bike as our cost will reduce a lot.

Thanks& Regards,
Navneet

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 25, 2019 - 5:57 pm

Hi Navneet – Your itinerary is fine. For returning from Moriri, take the route back via Tso Kar. On 6th, reach Kargil and stay for the night. On 7th, return via Batalik route.

Or else, from Pangong, you can go to Hanle and stay there for the night and go to Karzok the next day. This way, you will reach back Leh from Moriri on 6th. On 7th, just drive till Lamayuru and return to Leh by evening.

For cost, please speak to Nasir in Leh @ 9906229203. See if he can offer you a better cost.

Reply
Navneet June 25, 2019 - 6:37 pm

Thank you so much for your advice

Reply
Nazeri Abghani June 23, 2019 - 1:16 am

SUPER blog Vargis … why didn’t I find this earlier!!! I’m looking forward to my almost 14 days free and easy first visit to Leh spread over several accomodations. I’m not planning to venture out further than Hemis; Nubra valley and other must visit places will have to wait for my next trip if this one goes well. 🙂

While in Leh is it easy to get a taxi for sight seeing to nearby attractions? Do we have to pre-book everything?

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 23, 2019 - 3:32 pm

Hi Nazeri – Pre-booking would be better and highly suggested. Talk to Nasir in Leh @ 9906229203. He is a reliable guy and good driver.

Reply
nirdosh thakur June 10, 2019 - 10:53 am

Hello vargis Bhai
I have planned a 10 day trip to Manali and laddakh
I will reach Manali on 1st July and have already booked tbus tickets from Manali to leh on 3rd July and so I will reach leh on 4th July.
Which 7 day itinerary will be best suited for me.
I am travelling with my wife and will fly out of leh to Delhi on last day.
Also, I want to know that I have to apply for rohtang pass permit myself or the bus operator will arrange that?

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 10, 2019 - 4:48 pm

How will you travel locally in Ladakh Nirdosh Bhai?

And no, you do not have to worry about Rohtang permits if you are traveling by Bus.

Reply
Rupali Goyal May 26, 2019 - 11:58 am

Hi Sir, We are planning to opt for Itinerary 4. We heard that Turtuk is also a good place to visit. Do you think it is worthwhile to visit Turtuk and spend an additional day (other than the 7 days) there?

Reply
Vargis.Khan May 26, 2019 - 5:22 pm

Hi Rupali – Yes Turtuk is definitely worth visiting and spending a day there in peace.

Reply
Rupali August 18, 2019 - 6:58 pm

Thanks Sir for replying. We are planning the below itinerary. We are planning by sharing cab. Does it look feasible in Sep?

Day 1 : Acclimatise and explore Leh Market
Day 2 : Start early in morning, reach Tutrtuk via Khardung la, Diskit, Hunder. Spend night in Turtuk.
Day 3 : Start early from Turtuk. Visit Panamik, Sand Dunes, etc. and spend a night in Diskit.
Day 4 : From Diskit, leave for Pangong Tso. Stay for a night in Pangong Tso
Day 5 : From Pangong Tso, leave for Hanle. Rest for the night in Hanle
Day 6 : From Hanle, leave for Tso Moriri and spend night in Tso Moriri.
Day 7 : From Tso Moriri, back to Leh
Day 8 : explore Sham Valley

Reply
Vargis.Khan August 20, 2019 - 12:09 am

It is not doable Rupali. There are no shared cabs available on Nubra – Pangong route, Hanle route, Pangong – Tso Moriri route. This plan can only be done by a private taxi.

Reply
Adv.Gopal Patil January 30, 2019 - 7:30 am

Hello Vargis Sir first of all Thanks for the wonderful and updated blogs. I have finally booked my Srinagar Trip andBooked my Srinagar Trip from contact shared by you.
Sir can u pl help me regarding contact forfor local transportation.

Reply
Vargis.Khan January 30, 2019 - 11:18 pm

Hello Mr. Patil – Did you mean for local transportation in Kashmir or in Ladakh?

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Vipul sharma January 3, 2019 - 5:13 am

This is the most informative article about the trip to ladakh in 7 days, really well scheduled and explained with proper information the plans and places to visit within 7 days, great knowledge and really interesting to read Thanks.

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Vargis.Khan January 4, 2019 - 1:00 am

Thanks Vipul

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Hemant January 3, 2019 - 4:26 am

Hello Sirji.
I am planing to Explore ladakh in 2019 but little consfused the ideal time and I planing 7 days with family with 12 year old son and he wants enjoy the snowfall ..ice and so which months is best from May to Oct.

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F. Khan September 8, 2018 - 10:48 am

Hello Vargis, thank you for putting this website together – it’s really helpful for first timers like me to plan my trip from scratch.

I’ve worked on a tentative 7day itenirary. Could you pls suggest if it is doable and if there’s a specific route I should be taking to these places for better views?

Day1 – Reach leh by flight, rest all day
Day2 – Half day rest. Half day sight seeing in Leh.
Day3 and Day4 – Nubra, Diskit
Day4 night stay in Leh
Day5 and Day6 – Pangong, Hanle, Tso Moriri (night stay in Pangong or Hanle)
Day7 – (pls suggest)
Day8 – early morning return flight

Thanks.

Also, what are the best places to view beautiful sunsets and sunrises from?

Thank you.

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Vargis.Khan September 9, 2018 - 1:48 pm

Hi Farhin – Can you please also let me know how are you planning to travel around in Ladakh? Private taxi or public transport?I can suggest accordingly.

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Subhasish Roy August 17, 2018 - 7:29 am

Hello Sir
If I used all shared car or bus and stay in budget hotel,
What will be the approx total cost of 7 days tour ??

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Vargis.Khan August 17, 2018 - 1:48 pm

You should be able to wrap it in under 12k.

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Subhasish Roy August 17, 2018 - 1:53 pm

Is it possible to add tso kar lake in this itinerary?? Please guide

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Vargis.Khan August 17, 2018 - 7:25 pm

The bus won’t take the Tso Kar route so it will be difficult.

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Subhasish Roy August 18, 2018 - 5:38 am

Thank you sir..

Is the following Itinerary ok??? kindly suggest. also please suggest budget hotels according to Itinerary.

Arrive in Leh – Day 1
Sham Valley Tour – Day 2(Magnetic Hill)
Leh to Nubra Valley – Day 3
Nubra Valley to Leh – Day 4
Leh to Pangong Tso – Day 5
Pangong Tso to Leh – Day 6
Leh to Tso Moriri – Day 7
Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 8

Bhumij Khandelwal August 14, 2018 - 11:13 am

Hello vargis bhai

Thanx for reply. Following that I have setup the trip between 14-21 Sept. I will be landing in Leh. I want to follow your third itinerary but I have been told by my tour operator visit to Tso Moriri depends on weather and in September it’s usually closed for public. You also told me about this in your earlier reply as well that Nubra to Pangong might be closed this time… Do you have any latest news on this ?

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Vargis.Khan August 14, 2018 - 3:03 pm

Hello Bhumij – Tso Moriri will definitely be open in September, there is no way that it will be closed for public. It is never closed actually. Nubra to Pangong via Shyok will also be open in September.

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Bhumij August 16, 2018 - 1:59 am

I went through your many more articles and one of that states that Shyok route is the toughest, however you have updated it conditions are much improved now & I guess you have taken that route recently. So –

1. What is the current condition of that road and how much time it takes to reach from Nubra to Pangong in a car ?
2. What places I must visit during this route ?
3. What route to take from

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Vargis.Khan August 16, 2018 - 5:48 am

1. It is not as bad anymore, mostly average. Travel time will be about 6 hours
2. Nothing to visit en route. Just a road next to the river
3. Take the turn towards Agham from Khalsar, then continue towards Shyok village and finally exit at Durbuk.

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Bhumij September 3, 2018 - 3:42 pm

Thanks Bhai…plz tell me is it possible to do Tso Moriri directly from Pangong through Tsaga-la, Mahe in a day in a Innova/Xylo/Scorpio ?

My tour operator has suggested this as they say travelling from Pangong to Tso Moriri and Leh to Tso Moriri almost take same time and by following it I will save one day. So

1. Shall I take this route or I should stick to leh route ?
2. I will be visiting it around 17th Sept, so how would be the weather and movement on this route ?
3. What permits I need for this ?
4. Is it doable by a MUV considering the road conditions ?
5. Any other suggestions plz

Kindly reply at the earliest as I need to finalise the itienary.

Vargis.Khan September 5, 2018 - 12:40 am

Hi Bhumij,

1. Yes it is possible. Take the Tsaga La route.
2. Yes
3. Normal ILP
4. Yes
5. Since you have a local taxi and driver, you should be OK.

Jayanta Basu July 29, 2018 - 7:30 am

7days tour . Starts from 16th sept18 to 22nd sept….23rd morn back..we are 2 persons . age 55 years. Tour includes 1N nubra, 1N Pangong, 1N tsomari… please you arrange. Partly or fully shared car is possible ? Please inform me….

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Vargis.Khan July 29, 2018 - 10:15 pm

I do not arrange any trips Mr. Basu. Sorry.

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Jayanta Basu July 30, 2018 - 3:10 am

Why Sir ? What is the problem?

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Vargis.Khan July 30, 2018 - 4:52 pm

There is no problem sir but I just do not do it. I am a traveler like yourself who also writes about it. I am not into tourism industry or running tour packages.

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NUPUR July 8, 2018 - 5:51 am

Hi Vargis, I am travelling to Ladakh on a 7 day trip by air in the week of 20th Aug. I have heard of great white water rafting there. Is it possible to fit that into the itinerary?

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Vargis.Khan July 8, 2018 - 7:39 am

Hi Nupur – Yes it is possible. What is your itinerary?

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Jignesh June 25, 2018 - 4:37 am

dear sir,
we are 3couple from Mumbai and planning for leh ladakh trip by taxi.i made an itinerary
day1-manali(solong valley) to jispa
day2-jispa to leh
day3-leh ilp
day4-leh to nubra
day5-nubra to pangong vai agham shyok
day6-pangong to leh vai changla
day7-leh to tso moriri
day8-moriri to sarchu
day9-sarchu to manali
some queries are below
1)is this itinerary ok?means ams regards,if not then plz provide suggestions
2)is this whole trip can done by leh passing taxi(JK10)
3)how much cost for whole trip by taxi?
4)can i save one day to go directly tso moriri from pangong
5)is there any problems in manali for jk 10 taxi?
any suggestions plz tell me
WAITING FOR FOR YOUR REPLY
THNK YOU

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Vargis.Khan June 25, 2018 - 2:26 pm

Hello Jignesh,

1. Itinerary is good.
2. Yes if you can get a Ladakh registered taxi in Manali. Otherwise one taxi you will have to rent from Manali and then another for sightseeing in Ladakh.
3. Depends on how much you are paying for the taxi.
4. Yes you can take the Chushul route.

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Srinivas June 16, 2018 - 7:50 pm

Hi,

Thanks for the info. We(Couple) planning to visit during July 2nd week and interested in itinerary 4.Can we get shared cabs easily on this route when we visit there.
If not is it possible for itinerary 3 using shared cabs.

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Vargis.Khan June 18, 2018 - 2:16 pm

No shared cabs between Nubra, Pangong and Moriri. You can try itinerary 3 but will have to hitch hike between Nubra and Pangong.

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Srinvas June 21, 2018 - 9:39 am

Thanks for the info..
For itinerary 3..can i get shared cab from nubra to pangong? If no, what is the approximate cost of a direct cab from nubra to pangong.

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Vargis.Khan June 21, 2018 - 3:26 pm

You can try finding a shared cab at Diskit but there is no guarantee that you will find it. If you do not, then try to find a ride. A lot of tourists travel on the route in peak season so you should be able to find someone who could give you a ride.

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Akhilesh Sharma June 9, 2018 - 6:51 pm

Hi vargis bhai. Can you suggest me a good plan for 10/11 days ? Considering I will reach Leh by flight from delhi and would leave for Delhi by flight itself. I am thinking of taking a bike from Leh for the entire duration and then leave the bike at Leh before leaving for delhi by flight. I can have 10 days (approx) excluding the flight days. I am 30 years old and will be accompanied with my wife for the trip.

Regards,
Akhilesh.

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Vargis.Khan June 11, 2018 - 3:23 pm

Hi Akhilesh Bhai – For 10 days, please take a look at the article below. Let me know if you have any other questions..

https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-ladakh-10-day-itinerary/

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Pritpal Sekhon May 23, 2018 - 1:07 pm

Hi Vargis Bro,

I’m Planning to visit Leh Ladakh from 9th June’18 to 16th June’18. I’ll be starting from Chandigarh and will be back to Chandigarh by Road. Please suggest a best route and at which places to stay while en-route to Leh.
Is it advisable & suitable to cover Leh Ladakh in 08 days (inclusive of Road travelling) by Zoom Car. Please advise. Also which places to stay while in Ladhakh.

thanks in advance for your valuable guidance.

Regards

Pritpal Sekhon

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Vargis.Khan May 23, 2018 - 1:21 pm

Hi Pritpal,

You cannot take Zoomcar to Ladakh. Please see the post below.

https://vargiskhan.com/log/self-drive-rental-non-local-taxis-still-banned-in-ladakh/

For 7 days, travel like this

A road trip to Ladakh in 7-8 days from Chandigarh will be tough and I must urge you to either add more days or reach there by flight.

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Bhumij April 13, 2018 - 7:05 am

Thnx for the reply Bhai..
I am planning to take the third itienary given by you. However a tour operator told me that it might possible that the way to Pangong from Nubra might be closed in the third week of September. Is it true ?

And secondly he is advising us to shift the dates to first week of September Instead of 14th as decided as of now because as per him, hotels n al will start closing down that time.

Plz tell me going from 14-21 sept is good season to go there and is there any chances that roads would be closed in leh ladhak ?

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Vargis.Khan April 13, 2018 - 6:49 pm

Timing is OK, do not worry about that. Hotels remain all open well into October as well. September is a full tourist months and you will have no problem finding accommodaiton. The direct route from Nubra to Pangong however may remain closed this entire year due to some problem. Take a look at the link below for details please.

https://vargiskhan.com/log/permits-for-hanle-umling-la-chushul-suspended/

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Bhumij April 14, 2018 - 5:31 am

Thank for this info Bhai…I have got this one more update that “TSO MZORIRI is not possible after 10Sept.
As all camps close down by 10Sept” from my operator.

Do you have any idea if it’s true and if it’s yes and Nubra to Pangong also close this year as u mentioned earlier then what will be the best itienary left to explore max in ladhak in 7-8 days by private cab ?
Plz help

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Bhumij April 15, 2018 - 6:47 am

Waiting for your reply vargis bhai

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Vargis.Khan April 15, 2018 - 9:27 am

That is incorrect Bhai. You can travel to Tso Moriri and find a place to stay even in January, peak winters. I have done it. Whoever is giving you this info is misguiding you.

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Bhumij April 10, 2018 - 5:53 am

Hello vargis Bhai
I have read many of your blogs and that made my mind to plan my dream trip. You are really doing a wonderful job by helping first timers like me. Now I have made some rough plans and need your help to refine it. So the dates I have decided are 14-21 Sept. We are group of 4-5 ppl. Need help with following points:

1) There are two ways which I have short listed to start this trip:
Either landing in Srinagar and start road trip in a cab till leh staying one night at Kargil or directly landing in leh.
Now which one do you recommend considering the no of days I have in my itienary ?
2) I enquired about a tour package which will cover from Srinagar airport to leh airport with hotels & sightseeing for Rs 19000 per person. How is it ?
Or renting a bike and exploring leh n ladhak on our own would better as I have a desire to do a bike trip there ?
Kindly guide

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Vargis.Khan April 10, 2018 - 1:54 pm

Hello Bhumij Bhai,

If you have one week, then I would highly recommend that you land directly in Leh and use these 7 days to explore Ladakh. You can rent bikes in Leh city. It would save you a lot of hassle, money and you will be able to enjoy better,

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Shamshard Marikkar August 17, 2019 - 8:38 am

Hi Vargis
Thank u for all the info its very useful for us..my name is Shamshard and im planning a 8 day tour to leh and arriving by air on 21st sep morning..im planning to go with ur itenary number 4 and by a pvt cab..would u mind listing down d main attractions that i would be covering if i take this itenary pls?

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