When I get asked about an ideal time for a road trip to Ladakh, my answer always is 2 weeks. I do not mean that you cannot plan a trip with a lesser number of days, but covering Ladakh in 2 weeks means that you will be able to visit most of the places that are worth visiting.
Your travel time on a daily basis will not be too great, and the entire journey will be in a relaxed manner, at a leisurely pace. In this article, I will share a few examples of such itineraries that you can follow for 2 weeks trip to Ladakh.
I will suggest 2 different types of itineraries. The first one will be examples of a travel plan when you are driving all the way from your home to Ladakh. The second set will be itineraries that you can follow when you flew into Ladakh and have all 14 days to spend in Ladakh itself.
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.
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2 Weeks in Ladakh
There are a few things that you should consider before heading out to Ladakh. The first and foremost is acute mountain sickness. If this was your first trip to such a high-altitude place then chances are that you will definitely suffer from symptoms of altitude sickness, especially if you were planning to go via Manali.
Some places like Sarchu and Pang are at quite a high altitude, and the majority of travelers suffer from AMS here. To know more about what acute mountain sickness is, what its symptoms are, and how you can best avoid it, please read How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Ladakh.
The second thing is in terms of rented vehicles. Taxis or motorcycles rented outside of Ladakh cannot be used for sightseeing here. You can use these vehicles to reach Leh City but then would have to leave them parked at a hotel.
For visiting places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri, you will have to rent another vehicle in Leh. This is of utmost importance and I would advise you to take it seriously.
There have been incidents when non-local rented vehicles were attacked and vandalized by locals in Leh. The ground rule is that if you are bringing a car or motorcycle to Leh, then it must be registered in your name.
You cannot even borrow it from your friend or cousin. It would be OK though if it was registered in your parent’s or sibling’s name. Because then you can easily prove the relationship with the owner and the fact that it wasn’t a rented vehicle that you arrived in.
If you came by your own private vehicle then you got nothing to worry about, and can freely drive it across Ladakh.
Leh Ladakh 2 Weeks Itinerary
For the sake of this article, I will assume that you are starting your journey from Delhi. If you were coming from a different place, then only the travel on the first and last day will be different. The rest of the details will still apply.
For all other details on visiting Ladakh like mobile network, clothes to pack, altitude sickness, the best time to visit, where to stay, etc, please take a look at How to Plan a Trip to Ladakh – A Complete Travel Guide.
To begin with, I will first mention an itinerary that I recommend followed by an alternate version of it.
- Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
- Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
- Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
- Kargil to Leh – Day 4
- Leh – Day 5
- Leh to Diskit – Day 6
- Diskit to Turtuk to Diskit – Day 7
- Diskit to Pangong Tso – Day 8
- Pangong to Hanle – Day 9
- Hanle to Karzok – Day 10
- Karzok to Pang – Day 11
- Pang to Jispa – Day 12
- Jispa to Manali – Day 13
- Manali to Delhi -Day 14
I have drafted this plan to start the journey from Srinagar because it helps you acclimatize better. As opposed to the Manali Leh highway, the increase in altitude from the Srinagar side is gradual. The chances of a person suffering from altitude sickness on this route are a bit less.
When traveling to a place like Ladakh, you can never be sure that everything will go just as planned. You should keep one day over and above your itinerary so that in case you got stuck at some place for a day or two, you will at least be able to afford to do so.
Delhi to Jammu
Not much to write about this day really except that it will be a long and monotonous journey. Jammu is at a distance of about 600 kilometers from Delhi and the journey can very well take you anywhere between 11 to 12 hours, depending upon your speed and breaks.
There are numerous hotels in Jammu where you can stay. I would recommend that you stay someplace close to the Srinagar highway rather than going too deep inside Jammu City.
Jammu to Srinagar
I will strongly suggest an early start from Jammu for this day’s journey, and this is also why I suggested that you stay close to the highway. Roadblocks, traffic jams, slow traffic, and army convoys are common affairs on this route which can further delay your journey.
So if possible at all, then start by the first light of the day from Jammu to reach Srinagar by evening. Depending on your own preference, you can either stay at a hotel here or at a houseboat on any of the lakes.
Also Read: Hotel Grand Valley Inn – A Great Place to Stay in Srinagar
Srinagar to Kargil
The total distance between Srinagar and Kargil is approximately 210 kilometers. This will be about 8-10 hours of the journey.
Travel on this road and you will know why Kashmir is called paradise on earth. Enjoy the lush green, awe-inspiring vistas all day long and travel through some of the famous places like Sonamarg and Drass.
Take a lunch break at either of these places and enjoy the delicious Kashmiri food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. If you are a non-vegetarian, you are in for a treat. Reach Kargil by evening and check into a hotel for the night.
Kargil to Leh
Kargil to Leh distance is approximately 140 kilometers. Greenery will start to vanish and landscapes will turn into a cold desert. That as a matter of fact would already have happened once you crossed Drass, but whatever little greenery was left too will be gone after Kargil.
From here on, it will be a beautiful barren wasteland called Ladakh. Start as early as you can, probably by 7 AM. There are several places on this stretch that are worth a visit. If you started early, then it will also give you some time to reach Leh before dark.
Also Read: What to see on Srinagar Leh Highway?
This can easily be an 8-10 hours journey. See magnetic hill, Zanskar River confluence, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, monasteries at Mulbekh and Lamayuru, the tall Buddha statue, and Lunar Landscapes on the way.
Leh
Stay for the day in Leh. Rest and give your body some time to adjust to high altitude. You can use this day to visit some local places within the town like Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, or Leh Market.
If you had more time than 2 weeks then you can even spend another day in Leh City. A visit to the nearby monasteries here is an activity that a lot of tourists prefer. For a complete list of places that you can visit in Leh, please read Tourist Attractions in Leh City and its Vicinity.
From here on, once you check out of your hotel in Leh, you will not be returning back. You will explore Ladakh and then exit on the Manali Leh highway, and then continue straight to Manali. So if you want to explore Leh City, add a day here and stay.
Leh to Diskit
Destination next is the famous Nubra Valley and you will be spending the next couple of days exploring here. An early start from Leh is advised so that you can arrive at Diskit well in time, and still have some sun left in the sky for sightseeing.
Diskit is the largest village in Nubra Valley and has the highest number of hotels. Find a hotel per your liking and check in for the night. The tall Buddha statue, sand dunes, and Bactrian camels are the most famous tourist attractions that you should see.
If you arrived well in time then visit Diskit Monastery in the evening before retiring to the hotel. Hunder is a town nearby and you may choose to stay there as well. You can look for a hotel in either Diskit or Hunder. Both are equally good.
The sand dunes and Bactrian camels are available at Hunder actually. For a complete list of places that you must visit in Nubra Valley, please read Tourist Attractions in Nubra Valley.
Diskit to Turtuk to Diskit
You will be spending this day in Nubra Valley itself to explore it. Since you have a lot of sightseeing to do today, I advise that you get up early and get an early start. Have your breakfast and check out of the hotel.
The first destination of the day is the small village of Turtuk and to get there, you will continue driving ahead from Diskit. From Diskit, it is 100 odd kilometers, and road conditions are a mix of good and bad.
Depending on your speed and breaks, the journey can easily take you about 4 to 5 hours. So I recommend that you start from Diskit latest by 7 AM.
Once you arrive at Turtuk, spend some time sightseeing and then start on your way back to Diskit. You can also continue driving another 10 kilometers after Turtuk to reach Thang, the last village on the border.
After visiting Turtuk and Thang, you will return to Diskit. Spend the evening at the sand dunes in Hunder. The views are really good there in the evening.
If you can add another day to the trip, you can spend some more time in Nubra Valley and go to Siachen Base camp the next day. It is on the other side of the valley and you will also be able to cover the villages of Panamik and Sumur.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Nubra Valley?
Panamik to Pangong Tso
The destination for today is the famous Pangong Lake. It has in the last few years become the very symbol of Ladakh. Total travel time on this day will be about 6 to 8 hours.
From Panamik, drive back to Khalsar and then take the turn towards Agham village. After Agham, you will continue driving towards Shyok village and then finally arrive at Durbuk. From Durbuk, it is a straight run towards Spangmik village.
Shyok Road used to be a nightmare once upon a time but now it is a smooth run mostly. Overall, road conditions in today’s journey will mostly be Good.
At Pangong, you can either stay at the campsites which most people do, or check into the wooden huts. You can also stay as a paying guest with the locals at Spangmik.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Pangong Tso?
Pangong Tso to Hanle
The idea for this day’s journey is to explore the remote areas of Ladakh of which Hanle is a perfect example. You will be traveling on some bad roads today so an early start is highly advised.
From Pangong, continue driving straight ahead with Pangong Lake to your left. This part of the trip will be a feast for the eyes and you will find it hard to keep your hands off the camera. You will cross the villages of Man and Merak on the way and then finally arrive at Chushul.
From Chushul, road conditions will improve a bit and you will travel through Changthang Valley and reach Loma. At Loma, there is an Army check post where you will need to register yourself. As a matter of fact, you already would have registered at several places so far while getting here from Pangong.
From Loma, Hanle is about 50 odd kilometers and the road is mostly super smooth. At Hanle, you can either spend the night at Padma Guest House or with any of the locals as a paying guest.
If you can add another day to the trip here, you can stay back in Hanle and visit the highest motorable pass, Umling La. It will need an entire day though and cannot be done in a few hours.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Hanle?
Hanle to Karzok
After Pangong, it is time to witness the beauty of the second-largest lake in Ladakh, Tso Moriri. Unlike Pangong though, this one is actually a freshwater lake which means that you will see wildlife around it and plenty of greenery as well.
Your affair with bad roads will continue on this day as well but at least not for the first 50 kilometers. From Hanle, drive back to Loma to the same check post where you had registered yourself the day before.
After Loma, you will continue driving towards Sumdo via Nyoma and Mahe. The road will be a mix of good and bad but once you reach Sumdo, the final 50 kilometers until Karzok is a total nightmare. There are several hotels, guest houses, and campsites at Karzok where you can stay for the night.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Tso Moriri?
Karzok to Pang / Sarchu
After Karzok, it is a return journey home but you are still to witness the beautiful Manali Leh highway. You will again have to drive back 50 kilometers on that bad road to Sumdo.
From Sumdo, take the road towards Tso Kar via Polo Kongka La. The bad section of the road is mostly until this pass and once you cross it, it is a smooth drive all the way to Pang. Pang is an all-tented accommodation site so here you will have no other choice but to stay at a campsite.
Also Read: Manali Leh Highway Travel Guide
Pang to Jispa
These are the last few days of the trip and you are on the Manali to Leh route. So the idea is to ensure there is plenty of sightseeing involved.
That is why I have kept the journey on this particular day a bit short. Still, I will recommend that you start early from Pang so that you have plenty of time for breaks and sightseeing on the way.
You will be crossing three high-altitude passes on the way – Lachulung La, Nakee La, and Baralacha La before arriving at Jispa. There are also two small lakes on the way, Sooraj Taal and Deepak Taal. These may be small in size but no less in beauty.
You can either choose to stay at Jispa which has a couple of hotels and numerous campsites. Or you can continue driving to Keylong and stay there. The difference between the two is that Jispa is more scenic but Keylong has far better hotels.
Jispa to Manali
In several ways, this will be the last day of the trip. Because after this it is just a long drive home from Manali to Delhi. You will however witness the beauty of Lahaul Valley and Rohtang Pass on this day.
Take an early start from Jispa or Keylong. The total journey can easily be done in about 6 to 7 hours. If you are not interested in covering Rohtang, you can arrive in Manali taking the road through the Atal Tunnel.
Also Read: What to See on Manali Leh Highway?
Manali to Delhi
Not much to write about this day really, except that this will be a long journey back home. And that is it. That is your 14 days of travel from Delhi to Ladakh covering all major tourist attractions. The important thing that I should mention here is fuel.
Once you leave Nubra Valley, there is not going to be another petrol pump until Day 14 when you travel from Keylong to Manali. So in order to deal with the fuel requirements, there are two things that you will have to do.
First, get a tank full done at Khalsar in Nubra Valley and carry spare fuel as much as you can. The second is to look for petrol at Pangong Tso and small shops at Hanle, Karzok, and Chadar tents en route.
All these places sell fuel in black at an increased price/ The quality of the fuel too is questionable but unless you can make arrangements to carry a lot of fuel with you, you may actually have to end up buying from these shops.
Ladakh 2 Weeks Itinerary # 2
A lot of people prefer to start their journey from the Manali Leh highway rather than the Srinagar to Leh route. If you too wanted to do the same then the same itinerary that I mentioned above can be followed the other way around.
- Delhi to Manali – Day 1
- Manali to Jispa / Sarchu – Day 2
- Jispa / Sarchu to Leh – Day 3
- Leh – Day 4
- Leh to Diskit – Day 5
- Diskit to Turtuk to Panamik – Day 6
- Panamik to Pangong Tso – Day 7
- Pangong to Hanle – Day 8
- Hanle to Karzok – Day 9
- Karzok to Leh – Day 10
- Leh to Kargil – Day 11
- Kargil to Srinagar – Day 12
- Srinagar to Jammu – Day 13
- Jammu to Delhi – Day 14
Following this itinerary, you will also be competing in the Manali Leh route in 2 days rather than 3 in the first version of this travel plan.
2 Weeks in Leh Ladakh Itinerary # 3
Both the itineraries above were planned to assume that you were traveling by your own vehicle. If your journey, however, was by public transport then it would have to change differently.
That is because routes like Shyok Road, Pangong to Hanle, and Karzok to Pang do not have any buses or shared taxis plying in between. If traveling by Bus or shared cabs, your itinerary will look like below.
- Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
- Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
- Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
- Kargil to Leh – Day 4
- Leh – Day 5
- Leh to Diskit – Day 6
- Diskit to Leh – Day 7
- Leh to Pangong – Day 8
- Pangong to Leh – Day 9
- Leh to Tso Moriri – Day 10
- Tso Moriri to Leh – Day 11
- Leh to Keylong – Day 12
- Keylong to Manali – Day 13
- Manali to Delhi – Day 14
You really have no choice here but to keep coming back to Leh for boarding a bus to your next destination.
Ladakh in 2 Weeks – Itinerary # 4
If you wanted to include Zanskar as well in your plan, then the itinerary can be changed to like below.
- Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
- Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
- Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
- Kargil to Padum – Day 4
- Padum to Kargil – Day 5
- Kargil to Leh – Day 6
- Leh – Day 7
- Leh to Diskit – Day 8
- Diskit to Pangong – Day 9
- Pangong to Hanle – Day 10
- Hanle to Karzok – Day 11
- Karzok to Pang / Sarchu – Day 12
- Pang / Sarchu to Manali – Day 13
- Manali to Delhi – Day 14
Ladakh in 2 Weeks – Itinerary # 5
If you wanted to cover only the Srinagar side of the route and exclude the Manali Leh highway then the following will be your itinerary.
- Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
- Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
- Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
- Kargil to Padum – Day 4
- Padum to Kargil – Day 5
- Kargil to Leh via Lamayuru – Day 6
- Leh – Day 7
- Leh to Diskit – Day 8
- Diskit to Pangong – Day 9
- Pangong to Leh – Day 10
- Leh to Kargil via Batalik – Day 11
- Kargil to Srinagar – Day 12
- Srinagar to Jammu – Day 13
- Jammu to Delhi – Day 14
OR
- Delhi to Jammu – Day 1
- Jammu to Srinagar – Day 2
- Srinagar to Kargil – Day 3
- Kargil to Leh via Lamayuru – Day 4
- Leh – Day 5
- Leh to Diskit – Day 6
- Diskit to Pangong – Day 7
- Pangong to Hanle – Day 8
- Hanle to Karzok – Day 9
- Karzok to Leh – Day 10
- Leh to Kargil via Batalik – Day 11
- Kargil to Srinagar – Day 12
- Srinagar to Jammu – Day 13
- Jammu to Delhi – Day 14
Ladakh in 2 Weeks Itinerary # 6
If you were not so sure about traveling to Srinagar and wanted to exclude it from your travel plan, then you can start your journey from Manali and circle back here. In this case, your itinerary for Ladakh in 2 weeks will change to the following.
- Delhi to Manali – Day 1
- Manali to Jispa – Day 2 (Make sure you have permits for Rohtang arranged in advance)
- Jispa to Pang – Day 3
- Pang to Leh – Day 4
- Leh – Day 5
- Leh to Kargil – Day 6
- Kargil to Leh via Batalik – Day 7
- Leh to Diskit – Day 8
- Diskit to Pangong – Day 9
- Pangong to Hanle – Day 10
- Hanle to Karzok – Day 11
- Karzok to Sarchu – Day 12
- Sarchu to Manali – Day 13
- Manali to Delhi – Day 14
2 Weeks in Leh Ladakh Itinerary # 7
An alternative to the above itinerary can be as mentioned below.
- Delhi to Manali – Day 1
- Manali to Sarchu – Day 2
- Sarchu to Leh – Day 3
- Leh – Day 4
- Leh to Kargil – Day 5
- Kargil to Padum – Day 6
- Padum to Kargil – Day 7
- Kargil to Leh via Batalik – Day 8
- Leh to Diskit – Day 9
- Diskit to Pangong – Day 10
- Pangong to Karzok – Day 11 (Very long journey so ensure you start by the first light of the day)
- Karzok to Pang – Day 12
- Pang to Manali – Day 13
- Manali to Delhi – Day 14
Ladakh in 2 Weeks – Conclusion
These are just some examples of how a Leh Ladakh Itinerary of 14 Days can be planned. Depending on your mode of travel, budget, and preference, you can tweak these travel plans to form your own final itinerary.
I hope the information above on traveling to Ladakh in 2 weeks 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.
