Not much to write about me really except for that I love to travel around whenever I can and to wherever I can. This blog is just a small attempt to share my travel experiences with the world. Hope you like it !!!
Hi, your blog provides enough travelling details, you done great work. Thank you. I wish to travel leh by august second week and plan to stay for five/six nights. I need details about local transport for sightseeing. Is JK tourism operates this kind of service to tourists. We plan to come by air from delhiand return by leh to delhi via road. Is the road trip is advisable, we heard landslide may disrupt bus journey. provide some insights about it. please suggest some local transporter details if so.
Hello – Yes you can do the journey in August 2nd week.JK Tourism does not provide any local transport for sightseeing, you will have to contact any of the tour operators in Leh to hire a private taxi or else travel by the local buses that I mentioned above,.
I along with my elder brother and father reaching Leh by morning flight 6.00 am, 3rd of August ,Thursday , planning back journey by road via Manali to Delhi and wants to return Delhi must by Sunday evening or if necessary by Monday.
However gone thru all the useful content provided by you…..Thanks , I would be extremely thankful to you if provided tips for my back journey via Manali
Easily commutable tourist places in Leh , there approach from airport itself , means of budget transport or sightseeing package available with estimated cost / fare Availability of conveyance from airport to Leh Town
State Transport bus or other means of transport availability next day for Manali and estimate fare
Tourist places onway to Manali from Leh
If some precautions of high altitude needed to be taken for my 58 yrs old father who keeps high blood pressure
Hello Shubham – Did you mean that you will be landing there on Thursday, 3rd August and need to get back to Delhi by Sunday 6th / Monday 7th? Or did you mean the week after, on 13th and 14th?
And you are traveling by public transport? Bus? If yes, then it would be extremely difficult to visit any place really. You will have to rent a taxi in Ladakh for at least a day or two if you want to do some sightseeing. Or else it will pretty much be spending time in the town of Leh and catching a bus back to Manali.
Your entire blog is quite detailed, informative and helpful. Many thanks for the same.
I am also planning a trip to Leh, Kargil, Drass, Sonmarg and Srinagar in mid of July 2017. In this regard, do you have any suggestions:
1. For taking Manali to Leh route or Jammu to Leh route;
2. Assuming I take Manali to Leh route and would not like to stay either in Kargil or Drass and just do sight seeing there, any preferred mode and time of travel (by bus or shared taxis) from Leh to Sonmarg?
3. How well connected is Balatal from Sonmarg;
4. How well connected is Srinagar from Baltal/ Sonmarg and what are the modes and frequency of travel for buses/ shared taxis?
Hello Deepak – Thank your for your kind appreciating words.
1. I would recommend both the routes. Take one to reach Leh and other to return back home.
2. Little confused by this question or did you mean if you take Srinagar to Leh route? Or are you asking about a direct non-stop journey from Leh to Srinagar without stopping at Kargil or Drass?
3. Baltal is just about 15 kilomters from Sonamarg and you will easily find a shared cab heading that way. There is a bus service as well between Sonamarg and Baltal..
4. There is a daily bus service between Srinagar to Sonamarg and several shared cabs head that way too which you can find at TRC Srinagar.
Hi, Virgis
I am travelling to Sonmarg this August. I have few confusions.
1. How is the current situation in Kashmir, especially in Shrinagar for tourists ?
2. Is it safe to travel alone via Shrinagar?
3. If I avoid Shrinagar, and choose Leh route, How may I reach sonmarg?
4. Is there any public buses running till mid-day from Leh to Sonmarg?
Hi Komal, It is quite safe to travel via Srinagar right now, you are Ok to go. There is no other way to reach Sonamarg, you will have to pass through Srinagar. No mid-day bus from Leh to Sonamarg.
Hello Vargis,
I will be travelling to sonamarg from Leh. I will be leaving from leh in one of the sharing taxies and will be reaching Sonamarg at around 3-4am early morning. I have to go to Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering which is near Thajiwas glacier. I don’t want to walk towards the Institute at night from the highway and wish to wait till the sun rise. Are there any Cafeterias, Restaurants, Dhabas or even chai wallas on the highway were I can wait for 2-3 hrs? If not, please suggest some alternatives. Also any precautions measures I should take?
Thanks.
Hi Parth – I do not want to give you the wrong information but I really do not know brother. I have never traveled during night in any of my trips so I am not really sure if the dhabas there stay open during night. If I am to guess, then my answer would be a No because of three reasons. First is that it is way too cold to stay up all night for any chaai or dhaaba wala, second there is not much traffic on this highway at night so it is not worth it for them to stay up, third and biggest reason would be the security reasons. I do not think Army would allow them to keep Dhabas open at night so close to problematic areas.
I am traveling with my friends from Srinagar to Leh in mid-August. I have a few queries and need you help:
1. Are there any public/private bus/tempo-traveler service which runs non-stop from Srinagar to Leh?
2. What all documents do we need to carry along?
3. Any prior permissions required to travel via Dras?
4. Any contacts for rental bikes in Leh?
1. Yes there is a Srinagar to Leh direct bus and shared taxis as well.
2. Carry a valid identify proof like DL, Voter ID, Aadhar Card etc.
3. No permission required.
4. There are plenty of places to rent a bike from in Leh. I really do not have any contact but just take a stroll around Leh, and before renting a bike ensure that you ride and check it.
hello
i am planing to leave for leh this summer
do we have a direct bus from delhi to srinagar?
further i want to go to leh from srinagar but i cant find any bookings available online
can anybody suggest a better way to reach leh via road from delhi?
Thanks for the precious informations you have provided here. Are there any transports(Private? like BUs, Shared tempo travellers if not public) available after 3PM to travel from Srinagar to Leh as I will be reaching Srinagar at 2 PM.Appreciate your help in providing infos.
Hello. First of all congratulation on putting up such an amazing one stop site for all our question.
As i was reading this post, under the section Leh to Srinagar Bus its written it takes 18hrs journey from leh to srinagar whereas google map shows 8.5hr journey.
I will be visiting Ladakh in June and will have to leave for Sonamarg from leh which is enroute Srinagar,
who should i go about it? I have my itinerary planned till 29th june and have to be in Sonamarg on 30th.
Help!
Google Maps shows 8.5 hours based on distance however given the fact that it is a tough road with high altitude passes that the bus will be traveling on at night, the journey takes a minimum of 18 hours.
I am not sure if I understood your second question. Are you saying that you cannot start on 29th from Leh or can you? If not a bus, you can look for a shared cab as well.
Just go to the main bus stand and look for a Tempo Traveler / Mini Bus. There are plenty of these available. They usually start from Leh around 5 PM and arrive in Srinagar early in the morning between 7-8 AM, running non-stop all night. This is the fastest option I can suggest.
I appreciate your response.
Your blog is very helpful for tourists travelling to Kashmir..
As I travelling during end of august I may once again contact you if I have some queries.
I am taking my car to laddakh it has MP number plate.I will be visit via srinagar, will come back via Manali. I wI’ll be using it across ladakh for travelling.
I will be travelling with my friend to Leh this year during the end of August. Need your help for planning the journey.
My queries are:
1) We will be reaching Srinagar on 18th Evening. Can we get share taxi for leh during the same evening or we have to wait for next day.
2) Can we do break journey such as Srinagar to Sonamarg, Sonamarg to Kargil / Drass and onwards to leh. With night halt halt. at Sonamarg. Intention is do to sightseeing in Sonamarg. Whether we will get share taxi from sonamarg to leh?
3) Require tips for finding share taxi in Leh for visit to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake.
1 It is hard to comment on shared taxis. You may get one or you may not, there is no schedule for these. Best would be to not travel at night, stay at Srinagar and start next morning.
2. Yes you may halt at Sonamarg for a day. You will easily be able to find and board a shared taxi going towards Kargil.
3. Your best bet would be to reach Leh bus stand and check there for a shared cab. You can contact a travel agent in Leh. These tour operators usually run a tourist shared taxi towards all popular tourist destinations and will find you a spot in their next scheduled cab. Charges however will be slightly higher than a public shared taxi.
Thanks for the informative post. Do the Srinagar to Leh buses stop in between at places like Sonamarg, Zozi-la, Drass, Lamayuru or is it a non-stop ride from Srinagar to Kargil and then Kargil to Leh?
Also, are there shared taxi’s available from Leh to Manali and what would be the cost per person?
Hi Sundar – Yes the bus will stop at several places for sight seeing, it is not a non-stop ride. and yes, Shared taxis are available too, will cost you anywhere between Rs. 800 – Rs. 1000 per person
Hello, Im trying to figure out our bus trip from Kullu to Leh on appr. 22.6.17. By this time the road to Leh should be hopefully open and I would like to know if the HRTC buses start plying this route as soon as the road is open or if they wait until 1.7.
It all depends on the weather brother. If the road opens on time, there may be a bus by 22nd June but if the highway opens late, then the bus service will get delayed too
Apart from when its best : the roads nowadays stay open a longer than believed ( updates on my blog ) , and the buses run as long as the road is open. Last time I took the Srinagar-Leh road in on December 1st , and the Manali-Leh road the last days in October . In both cases the road stayed open nearly a month after I came in. The HRTC buses also stop overnight in Keylong , not Sarchu.
please guide me on possible transport from leh to manali with cost structure… oneway bike… shared taxi… bus…full taxi… i want to travel from leh to manali on either 20th.. 21st or 22nd of september…
We are total 4 members who have planned a trip to Leh Ladakh on this Weekend (30th July, 2016 ). We need your instructions for the same. In our plan, we have the below steps:
1. Flight from New Delhi to Sri Nagar Airport (Sat. Morning).
(Please confirm if there is no problem in Srinagar. For eg. Police protection or ban on visitor for some time.)
2. From Sri nagar, we would like to go to Leh via Kargil by Bus. I think there is curfew in Sri nagar, Please confirm if we can travel by Public transport bus services or Shared taxi from Sri nagar to Leh….Please advise.
3. In Leh we would like to visit all the famous places via Royal Enfield rented bikes.
Please suggest if we need to change something in this rough plan.
Also, I would appreciate you can tell me your cell phone# so that I can call you and get more information for the same.
Honestly I cannot really comment on the curfew part. It had been on and off for last 1 month. What time is your flight landing? If it is in early hours, then take a cab from the airport and head straight to the bus stand. The bus to Leh starts early. I would suggest to check the news before you board the flight.
I am planning to travel in Leh by the local bus service to Nubra and Pangong. I just wanted to know if these buses stop at places that fall on the way like Khardung La?
I am leaving for Ladakh tomorrow by air and traveling by bus to keep the costs at a minimum as there are only two of us and taxi is coming out to be really expensive. I will try and find people to share a taxi with but don’t know if that will be possible.
Hi Raghuram – A shared taxi would cost you anywhere between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per person for Srinagar to Leh, depending on your choice of seat and the vehicle your are travelling in. I believe they charge a bit more if you are in the front seat with the driver and a little less if you are in the back seats but do not count on it, they may just charge all the same irrespective of where you are sitting. But yet, the cost would be between these figures, leaning a little towards Rs. 2000 though. For 2 people, it would cost you between Rs 3500 to Rs. 4000
Thanks for the response.
Can you pls share me any of those travel agents those who run shared taxi from srinagar to Leh. you can send me the mobile numbers to my personal id i.e [email protected]
Hi Mr. Khan.
I’m reaching srinagar airport from delhi on 28 th july at 6.30am. Is it possible to book bus for same day for leh..? Is it safe to tarvell by rode..? I think there is curfuw in srinagar… is the sirnagar- leh rode is open for gov buses.? Shall i
reschedule my journey.? or its safe to travel by rode from srinagar to leh..??
Please advise.
Thanks
Yes you can take the bus on the same day, just head straight to the bus stand from Airport. Buses ar still operational unless a curfew gets declared but considering the current situation in Srinagar, my advice would be to keep a close check on the situation and if it doesn’t change in next 2 weeks, postpone your trip.
Hi Varghis, thank you for the information . we are planning to visit leh this august (Aug 13th to Aug 22) and will take the bus from Manali to leh. We will land in del on 11th night 9:30 pm . If we take a night bus from del isbt (10-10 30 pm) to manali ,can we reach in time to catch the HTPDC bus ? When does it leave Manali? If not, do the other local buses from Manali to Leh have fixed timings and are they comfortable? and if we opt for shared taxi or private one , does it have to be prebooked?
Hi Ankita – I doubt that you will be able to reach Manali in time to catch the bus towards Leh, in case you are not than you will have to wait until next morning. Another option would be to break the journey. Catch a bus or shared taxi towards Keylong, stay there, catch another bus/taxi next morning towards Pang and then towards Leh on third day.
I am arriving at Leh on September 20th with a friend and returning on 27th. Given that we will be travelling on a shoestring budget how do we cover Tso Moriri? Buses only ply on 10, 20 and 30th of the month.
Hey Vargis ,
Can you please suggest whether to take bus service or taxi from Srinagar to Leh, considering the fact that we have night stay at Kargil and very next day sightseeing at Kargil.
Regards
Pls confirm if Private Vehicles (Car / Bike are allowed in Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Ladakh-Manali route)
Or we have to hire local cars / bikes from there, as I have heard somewhere that at some places, they don’t allow outer vehicles & insist on taking local ones…
Hi Ajay – Private vehicles are good enough. The problem is with self drive taxis. As long as it is a private car and you have all the documents, you should not face any problem.
Hi Vargis.
Please confirm if we have already done the bookings in Hotel in Kargil still can we take the busses and will they halt till next day and from where do we need to catch the bus again the next morning and at what time.
i m landing at sri nagar on 25.06.2016 at 7.00 pm in the evening. Can I get the ticket of 8.00 am bus on 26.06.2016 for leh. is booking counters open in the evening for ticket booking.
Hi I am planning to go from Srinagr to Kargil in the first week of July will reach srinagar airport arount 12- 1 pm and go to kargil on same day by bus request you update the time and cost of travelling from srinagar to Kargil.
Thanks Mr. Khan for prompt reply request you to update the time and cost of travelling from srinagar to Kargil and is there any risk to travel by road from Srinagar to Kargil
Hi…i will be going to Leh around 20th of June. I was planning on going from Delhi via Manali. Is the route open in June? And if so, when will the buses be available? Any ideas? It would be very helpful, since i cannot postpone my trip, and am riding on low budget.
hey vargis!
very informative post you have added here.
pls tell me can leh-pangong-leh be done in one day? what are the bus timings from both sides? and can one take the bus to srinagar from leh after returning from pangong the same day?
can you guide me on this pls?
Hi Sujit – Leh-Pangong-Leh in a public transport will be next to impossible. This journey takes a good 6-8 hours one side. And no you cannot take the Srinagar bus the same day because you will reach back in evening whereas the bus is next morning.
okay thanks!
how much does taxi service cost there? considering i’m travelling alone can i get people there willing to travel and share cost for the taxi services?
also do you know places around leh which can be covered in a day’s time?
Hello vargis! We are planning to travel Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri on October 11 to October 16 this year. Is it possible to go that time ??!! Plz Help me.
PayelJune 2, 2016 - 7:32 am
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to visit leh on 7 th July and would need some suggestions.
I want to take up the bus from Srinagar to leh which halts at kargil for the night.
Now I am planning to go to sonmarg on 6 th July and reach by 10.30 or 11 am and roam around till 1 PM. Now here are my questions
1. Can I book seats from sonmarg on the bus from Srinagar to leh from Srinagar or will i have to book from sonmarg? Also can I book tickets from Srinagar to leh and board the bus at sonmarg instead of Srinagar. I am planning to reach sonmarg on my own in the same morning and board the bus from sonmarg, any ideas about what time it leaves sonmarg for kargil?
2. Also are there buses that start from sonmarg in the morning and reach leh by evening?
3. Is it possible to book bus tickets from kargil to leh from Kargil or can it also be booked from Srinagar?
4. Is there a stopover at sonmarg for the Srinagar to leh bus and how much time would it be?
We are a family of 4 and looking out for budget options. Please suggest. I would anyhow want to reach leh by 7 th July.
Also as eid is falling on 7 th July would the buses ply or would there be less number of vehicles traveling that route?
Hi Payel, There is no advance booking available for govt run buses, you may check for private buses but I doubt they have that option.There is no bus starting from Sonamarg, the bus comes from Srinagar which means that you will hav to board that bus and stop at Kargil. Eid will not effect the govt bus schedule.
Thanks a lot Vargis, your post has surely helped me a lot to plan my travel and was one of my main reference.
Keep helping people like us in future as well :-). Thanks again.
I AM NIRAV.
1. I WANT TO KNOW WILL IT BE SAFE TO COME LEH TO MANALI BY ROAD ON LAST WEEK OF JUNE?
2. WHICH TRANSPORTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE BY SHARING BASIS?
Hello Vargis.
I am Nirav. i want to travel leh from ahmedabad
1. I am planning to have a flight from ahmedabad to leh.
2. 7n 8d tour
3. return on 21st jun i want to travel from leh to manali by road. we are only 1 couple.
4. so which is the cheap and best way to reach manali? can we hire share taxi or we can have bus service?
5. what is the approx. rent of shared taxi and bus including night stay
Nirav – Cheapest way would be a bus, rent would be approximately what I mentioned in the post above, may change a little this year but would be around this number. I am sorry but I am not really sure how much the shared taxi drivers charge.
First of all, thanx for your effort towards sharing the information. It is just amazing..Gr8 job bro..
I am planning to visit Srinagar – Kargil ( night stay ) and back to Srinagar in the end of June..
Can you suggest that what are the best possible mode of transportation to Kargil and how I can manage those in budget..
In the earlier comments, I am bit confused between hiring a taxi and bus..
Are the buses are safe?? As i want to travel with my family..
If i hired a taxi to Kargil ..How much it will be??
Hello Aniket, Three ways you can do the journey. Either board a bus, or a shared taxi or hire a private taxi altogether. If there are no budget constraint, then a private taxi would be the best but if there is a budget limitation then I suggest you take the bus. Some people do take a shared taxi but I will not suggest that when you are with family.
I have read your blog and all the answers to above questions repeatedly and its been extremely helpful. Amazing content. Hats Off!
I am planning for a trip next week with no time constraint and preferably by public transport. I am going from Srinagar hoping the Manali route while returning in 20 – 25 days time. I have read your itinerary by own vehicle, but if you have any at length for public transport that will be great to follow.
Here is my rough Plan (Let me know if you recommend any change here)
Delhi – Jammu (By train)
Jammu – Srinagar
Srinagar – Drass (Is it worth staying there? Will I get place to stay? Any idea how many buses would operate, in case I want to stay for a couple of hours and leave)
Drass – Kargil (Can I directly leave for Padum? How do I visit Drass War Memorial?)
Kargil – Padum (I have visited this place during Chadar trek this January and am a die heard fan. Would not like to miss. I know a place here to stay. But not sure about transport)
Padum – Kargil (What would be frequency from here to get the bus?)
Kargil – Lamayuru (Is it worth stopping by here? if not, will the bus stop here?)
Lamayuru – Leh (Again, the frequency. If not stay, would the bus fault here?)
Pangong (Can I leave on Sat morning and return by Monday morning, or I will have to take the same bus back? How long does it reach Pangong from Leh?)
Nubra – best way to manoeuvre around this place
Tso Morini – I read this and don’t think its possible by public transport. best way to manoeuvre around this place?
Sarchu – best way to manoeuvre around this place
Are there any more places you suggest? No time constrains
Manali via Rohtang Pass (hopefully it opens up)
Dehli
Common questions –
How is the bus frequency for all these places, in case I want to just spend some time in between and leave by another bus. Is that even possible?
Or do the public transport usually stop by at famous spots?
For e.g – Sonmarg, Zoji La, Mulbek, Namika La, Hangroo Loops, Nimmu and so on..
Or any better way you can suggest to see more by public transport?
Asking this again, but any good local food you suggest is a must try in Leh and other places?
For all the places and camp sites you have suggested to stay, would we get enough blankets to cover ourselves? Or would you recommend to purchase Sleeping Bag and carry one always otherwise?
I would love to join any bike groups and share the expense. How do I get to know and connect any group like this?
Thank you for appreciation and I truly envy you for having almost a month for a trip. You are living my dream. Coming to your itinerary,
1. Drass is definitely worth staying, scenic place with plenty of hotels. I myself prefer it over staying at Kargil. If the idea is to go to Kargil, then you can easily find a transport. If not a bus, then shared taxis run at regular basis.
2. It will depend on how early you are able to leave from Drass, depending on how early you can find a transport. Kargil to Padum can take up to 7-8 hours and Drass to Kargil is easily 3 hours at minimum so my advice would be to not go to Padum directly.
3. Bus would be a little hard to find, shared taxis you can avail.
4. Bus will stop at Lamayuru, nothing much to see here though so not worth staying.
5. Almost an entire days journey from Leh to Pangong. Stay there for the night at least.
6. For Nubra, shared taxis would be best.
7. There is a bus that goes to Moriri and plenty of shared taxis so will not be a problem to reach there.
8. Nothing in Sarchu, just a few dhabas and chadar tent. It is not even a village, just a stop by the road side.
Bus frequency is not really that great so do not just get down anywhere because if you do not find a transport, you will be struggling to find a place to crash for the night. Bus will stop at all the famous places for sight seeing.
If you are a non-vegetarian, you must try non-veg in Sonmarg and Drass.
No need to carry you own sleeping gear, the camp sites will provide you as many as you like.
I do not have any tie ups with any bike groups. I myself will be travelling in 1st week of July along with a few friends to Leh. If your plan is around the same time, you are most welcome to join.
Thanks a tonne Vargis. This was really really helpful.
Just one more query – would you know of any decent hotels / camp sites in Leh since that will be bypass most of the times.
Can you drop in your contact details in case I postponed my trip for July.
There are no camp sites on Srinagar Leh highway, at least I have never noticed any. Pangong and Moriri have several camp sites, plenty of options, just see which one you liked better. On the way back, Sarchu has a few camp sites as well.
Leave me your email address and I will send you my phone number.
Hi, my sister and i wanted to take our father for a surprise birthday trip to amritsar-dharamshala-manali-leh. Should we start our trip from Srinagar to Amritsar or the other way round? We are planning this from 7th September to 17th September. Which route to leh would be safer and better?
PLease advise.
Both routes are safe and equally scenic. I would advise the Srinagar route. Reach Amritsar, go to Srinagar and then take the Srinagar Leh highway. You can do the Leh Manali on return. It would better help acclimatize to the high altitude.
Hi Vargis Bhai, Let me congratulate you on the wonderful & knowledgeable write up!
Further I would require your help I am planning to move to leave for Kargil, LEH from Srinagar on 4-June. Few points on which I need your Guidance:
1) What time does Bus leave from LEH – Kargil?
2) I will reach Srinagar by 12pm on 4-June…. can I still get a bus? are advance bookings possible?
3) If I need to take a shared Taxi where in Srinagar can I get it. Is it advised to take shared taxi?
4) As I intend to be back from LEH-Manali route would you advice me to stay a day in Kargil?
5)Will the LEH-MANALI road be open by 10-11 June?
6) I would want to Explore LEH on Bike? Are Bikes Available on rent @ LEH?
7) DO we get tented accommodation at Nubra, Pangong?
8) Any other suggestions or tips you can give.
I thank-you in advance for the pain you to reply to each. Do let me know incase I can be of any help to you.
1. All buses on this route start early in the morning as the journey takes an entire day to complete.
2. You will not get a bus at 12 that will take you all the way to Kargil.
3. You can get the taxi from the main bus stand but I would advise against it. My honest opinion would be to stay in Srinagar and leave the next day. Rent a houseboat in Srinagar, worth an experience.
4. No point in spending an entire day in Kargil, nothing to see here. It is just a small town on the highway.
5. Current estimate is that it should be open as there hasn’t been much snow this year.
6. Plenty of shops where you can rent a bike from in Leh. Way too many shops actually.
7. Nubra, No. You will find hotels and guests houses in Nubra. Pangong Yes. There you will only find camp sites.
8. Let me know what your itinerary is and I can make suggestions.
The best advice I can give right now is to head straight to the bus stand and check if there is still a bus available, chances are that you may catch one. There is no advance booking system available so you will have to buy a ticket on the spot. Depending on the number of travelers, the number of buses is decided and depending on that, sometimes the bus can leave a little late, between 8 to 9 AM.
Aditya AggarwalMay 12, 2016 - 5:48 am
Hello Vargis,
there are a lot of spots in between srinagar to leh.
I want to know that do buses stops at these points?
My plan is to visit sonamarg on 31st of may and from sonmarg to kargil the same day. Is it possible?
Thank you
dear vargis, I just want to know whether may I return from leh to manali on 6th june by bus. if not pl you give perfect direction to me how to take my seat from chandigarh by kalka mail on 9th june 16
It all depends whether the highway would be open at that time or not. It usually opens around that date, give or take a few days, so you will have to check on the status of the road before commencing your journey
Hello mr vargis i am planning to make a trip to leh on 14 may . so u pls tell me that at that time the leh manali highway is open or not and the bus service is available at thet time or not ?
Hi mr Vargis sorry very long list below, i have group 10pax on July 12. we want to get a private bus to Leh, is there any company we can contact? or can you help? please email me to [email protected]
I have plan tour to Leh (Ladhakh) duing 22nd May 2015 to 1 June 2016 schedule as follows :
Leaving Nagpur on 23/5/16 at 00:50 am for Delhi
Delhi to Jammu 23/05/16 at 22:15 pm
reaching Jammu at 7 am.
Jammu to Nagpur on 01/06/16 schedule filght at 13:30.
Please let me know how to reach Leh by road during this span of time.
Can we get shared taxi from Leh to Srinagar? If yes, what are the rates? Will we be able to enjoy the journey if we take a bus instead? We might need to stop at some points of interest especially Zozilla pass.
I will be visiting during september. Is that a good time for visit?
Hi Saikat, Yes you can get a shared taxi but I am not sure how much it will cost you. A shared taxi and bus would mean pretty much the same thing in terms of sight seeing, limited stops. They do stop at the passes and a few other places but only for a little while. And yes, September would be a good month.
Thanks for the response. I will reach Leh on 21st Sep and plan to go Srinagar on 25th. Can I cover Pangong Lake and Nubra Valley during this time? If yes can you suggest an itinerary for this?
Also do I need to book hotels in advance? I will be travelling with family.
Yes you can. If you are in Srinagar on 21st, you can go to Pangong on 22nd, come back to Leh on 23rd, go to Nubra and come back the same day on 24th and be on your way to Srinagar on 25th. Alternate itinerary would be to reach Pangong on 22nd, take the Agham Shyok road and reach Nubra on 23rd, and return to Leh from Nubra on 24th. I do not think you need any booking in advance, plenty of options available at all places to chose from. Just find the location that suits you the best and check in.
Hi Vargis, thank you for your post. It is very helpful!!
I am planning to visit Leh around middle April. Will Leh be accessible from Srinagar by road at this time?
If not by public bus, will it be possible to hire a private taxi? What should I expect the cost for this to be and do you know of a cheap taxi agency? I have heard there was less snow this year and therefore the road might open up earlier. Is there a contact number of a travel agent where I can inquire regarding recent information on the state of the roads?
What are the best options for flights if not by road?
Hello April, Leh in mid april will not be accessible by road as the Srinagar Leh highway opens sometime in May. In usual conditions, it opens sometime in 2nd or 3rd week of April. Even for early, it will be sometime in last week of April of 1st week of May and the bus service wont really start that early
Taxi at this time of the year from Srinagar to Leh will cost you a bit and then you will have to hire another taxi in Leh for local sight seeing as a taxi from Srinagar is not allowed to ply in areas in Ladakh. For flights, Jet Airways would be the best option.
dear Vargis Khan
good to see your responses and valuable information. keep going on and you will have love and blessings of visitors.
now, if you can help me a bit.
i am leaving for leh from srinagar on 16/07/16 and will be reaching leh on 17/07/16 by bus with my wife and son.
my proposed itinerary is as follows:
18/07/16 – local sight seeing
19/07/16 – visit to pangong lake and back same day
20/07/16 – visit to nubra valley and night stay there.
21/07/16 – returned back to leh and local market in evening
22/07/16 – any suggestion for single day
23/07/16 – depart from leh for kolkata
my queries are :
1. what time the bus leaves from srinagar and reaches leh on next day
2. any advance online booking available or any contact person at srinagar for helping me in getting ticket for 16/07/16 positively.
3. whether advance hotel booking is required at kargil
4. at leh whether shared taxi / buses are available for pangong lake and nubra valley. if yes, what may be possible charges and timings.
5. whether advance hotel booking is required at leh and nubra valley. If yes, what may be charges in economical mode.
6. any contact person who can help me in shared taxi / bus bookings and hotel bookings at leh and nubra valley.
7. any specific eatery where i can get north indian food specifically.
8. any specific outlet where i can go for shopping genuine laddakh products
9. and most important ,what are the suggestions for acclimatization with the climate.
10. any other valuable suggestion which may be helpful for me.
Thank you for liking my blog. About your itinerary first,
18/07/16 – local sight seeing
19/07/16 – visit to pangong lake and back same day – *** Not at all advised, it should be a 2 days journey if you really intend to enjoy it ***
20/07/16 – visit to nubra valley and night stay there.
21/07/16 – returned back to leh and local market in evening
22/07/16 – any suggestion for single day *** Merge either this day or 18th with your stay at Pangong ***
23/07/16 – depart from leh for kolkata
1. Starts early from Srinagar and reaches Leh by late afternoon or evening
2. Unfortnately no and you do not even need advance booking in my opinion. You will have to buy a ticket on the spot.
3. No
4. Please visit the following link for taxi rates. If you need me provide my taxi contact in Leh, let me know.
5. No for both. Plenty of accommodation options available at both places. Shanti Palace in Leh is my favorite and I always stay there whenever I am in Leh.
6. I can give you my contact’s number in Leh. He is a taxi driver, humble guy who can help you with both. Can drive you around in his own taxi.
7. Forget North Indian, just enjoy Kashmiri dishes while you are there. Plenty of good hotels and restaurants, try them all. They are all worth it.
8. No specific outlet, just go to the main market, a big line of shops where you can buy lots of stuff depending on your negotiation skills.
9. Please read the following article.
dear vargis, one more help
is it possible to travel from leh to srinagar in one single day
if possible, kindly give me departure time from leh and arrival timing at srinagar, mode of journey (bus preferable) , approximate fares
if it suits me, i may change my itinerary.
sushanta
Sushanta – Srinagar to Leh in one day is not possible. It is a 2 days journey at the least.
sushantaFebruary 20, 2016 - 3:09 pm
the journey is from leh to srinagar
Vargis.KhanFebruary 20, 2016 - 5:13 pm
Even then it is a 2 days journey
GauthamFebruary 9, 2016 - 12:36 pm
Hi Vargis,
Is it true that buses do not run on Mondays from Srinagar to Leh? By any chance, is there someone i can email (i’m a foreigner) to confirm if buses run on Mondays or not?
Hello Asad Bhai, You can visit Leh in April but you will have to go by air as the Srinagar Leh highway may not be declared open at that time. You will also have to be prepared for an extremely cold weather.
I m coming from Delhi to Leh Via Srinagar after Diwali. Can u suggest me that the bus will be running in currently r not. I want to go Leh By Road, plz suggest me
hi vargis, i am mk, planning to do either a bike trip jammu-srinagar-leh-manali-delhi (or) just a bus/taxi based trip from manali-leh-manali; strting from oct 25; will the roads be open? accomodations be available? i have its a off season..
I am arriving Srinagar on 11th Oct and I want catch Leh Bus starting from Sringar on 12th Oct 8am. Is this bus service still available. If so can I make any advance bookings. Also pls let me know abt the night hault at Kargil. Do I have to find any hotel in Kargil or will bus take me to some hotel for night stay. One more question will bus service from Leh to pangong available during my travel in Leh. Thanks for your help.
Sanju, This bus remains operational till early Novemeber. You do not really need to make any advance bookings. Plenty of hotels in Kargil so if you do not like the one where the bus takes you, you can take a stroll around in the town and stay where you feel comfortable. The Bus to Pangong in October will depend on the weather conditions, especially around Chang La top.
Thanks Vargis, you have provided sufficient information…
I have one more querry regarding bus services during February month… Is it possible to explore Ladakh region by bus/shared taxi and preferably by bus during that period ??
Ladakh region mein buses operational hote hain kya last -Jan early Feb mein??
Nishant – If you are visiting in Jan – Feb, you would have to hire a private cab. There is a lot of snow in the region at that time so Buses and shared taxis would either be completely unavailable or very rare.
Very helpful information Vargis, thank you. I would need your help here. i am planning a trip to manali During Oct 20-30 for 4-5 days. do you think it’s good time to visit manali?. if you have any other place to visit apart from manali, please do suggest. after reading your blog, i can extend my stay if i get a chance to visit Leh. any thoughts. appreciate your suggestion
Firstly, thank you for listing this down. This saves so much time wasted while preparing the itinerary.
I will be in JK from Nov 16th to Nov 29th. I have read about the roads being blocked and restrictions to certain places during this period. Could you please give me a fair idea about what would be open and might not.
And will the above bus facilities remain uninterrupted during Nov as well? *concerned* Thanks.
It is really hard to predict the roads that late in November bro. It all depends on the snow, roads can be declared closed anytime. Though the road should be open in mid November but do not depend on it, you may get stuck if the road is blocked on any of the high altitude passes. I would advise against taking a road journey in November, better postpone it for next year.
Hi Vargis, we are reaching Leh by air from delhi and would like to travel to pengong lake the very same day by a rental car. Is this OK we heard one should take a day to aclimatize.
Wonderful post. Info such as these helps in reducing travel budget.
For fellow travelers, we are traveling from Sri Nagar to Kargil on 7th Sep. Is there anyone interested in sharing taxi? Also, is anyone interested in visiting Suru Zanskar from Kargil on 8th? If yes, do let me know. Thanks.
Hello, Vargis! Writing you from Russia)
7th of september I’m planing to move Srinagar-Leh, you mentioned that there re Leh-Srinagar buses, which take a route for 1 day (2 am from leh, 7 pm in srinagar). Do you know, is it possible another way, Srinagar-Leh for 1 day (depart from Srinagar also early-early morning, around 2 am?) if no, is it possibe to have an overnight stop not in Kargil, but in Malbeque or Lamayuru?
Also, have a question abou permits in Leh. If I arrive in Leh at day X, does it mean, that I can go to Nurba valley only at X+1 day, cause making a permit tooks at least 1 day?
Let me be the first one to welcome you to India. There are regular buses from Leh to Kargil so yes it is possible to leave Leh and reach Kargil or any other town on the way and spend night there. Another option is to board a shared taxi. Whether or not you can visit Nubra the next day depends on what time you arrive at Leh as permits are not given after 3 PM. It also depends on how soon you are able to arrange the permits. I would suggest reading the following post regarding arranging permits for foreign nationals.
Thanks, Vargis, Thanks for an answer, But I mentioned another situation.. I am going from Srinagar to Leh, and do you know, is it possible to make this road for 1 day, without overnight stops between Srinagar and Leh? By either bus or shared taxi? And if it is not possible to make this rod for 1 day, and I will make an overnight stay not in Kargil, but Lamayuru or Malbek, will it be any transport from these cities to Leh next morning?
By the way, how easy is a hitchhiking in Ladakh? Is it possible to catch a truck on the road?
Appreciate!
Alexey – By bus it is a 1 day journey. The bus will start at 2 AM, and reach by 7.30 PM, a 17 hrs journey. You can do hitchhiking as well, traveling in shared taxis. Trucks could be a little difficult.
I cought the srinagar leh bus. but leh manali bus was 2500 per people. if you have 2500/= you can get shared taxi from taxi stand at leh. thanx to post. we are sri lankans. we couldnt got permission to visit tsummorri lake and nubra . but unfogottble experirnce of both highway tour. Manali route is under construction and Laying of Optical fiber works.
Hi vargis I m have to travel to leh in September and I will reach by 8 sep. Just wanted to know how is the weather that time in leh. Doed it rain regularly during September
Hi vargis,
This is Hareesh. I am coming to Leh on Aug 31(8 am) with one of my friends. Here I am giving the short itenary of our trip. We are planning to cycle as much as possible.
Sep 1 – Leh to Khardung village ( Upto khardungla pass by bus and ther to kardungla
village cycling).
Sep 2 – Khardung village to Hunder cycling.
Sep 3 – Hunder to Turtuk cycling.
Sep 4 – Will catch some transport back to Diskit and from ther planning to cycle upto
Panamik.
Sep 5 – Panamik to Khardungla pass by some transport and from ther cycle back to Leh.
Please give me advise regarding the following:
1) Is one day acclimitisation is enough? We r going to khardung village 2 nd day itself which is like almost 450 m higher than Leh and also in between Khardungla pass is ther.
2) Transportation from Turtuk to Diskit on day 4 and transportation from panamik towards khardungla top on day 5.
My main concern is acclimitisation part and that is also the reason why we r not cycling to khardungla pass from Leh itself. Please suggest me any other information which i have to consider or any changes in our plan according to you.
Hi Hareesh, This plan looks fine. You may run into some trouble transporting your cycles from one place to another, not that easy to find something to carry all that luggage around. Acclimatisation part depends on how you are reaching Leh. Are you arriving by air or driivng?
Hello sir we want to leave leh and reach srinagar on october 21st 2015, so as u have mentioned bus leaves at 2am but t reaches on 22nd 7pm but s there any bus which reaches on same day… I have a flight to catch from srinagar on 22nd at 1pm or so…
Please help…
Hi Vargis, I am so glad that you wrote about bus services as I am planning to travel alone. Oooops I am a girl BTW!!! I am more concern about the single accommodation facility available in form of dormitory or hostels. What do you know about this?
I am returning from pahelgam to Amritsar on 24th November 2015. I have booked a car from Pahelgam to Jammu and probalbly reaching Jammu by 5:00pm. Please let me know if any bus service or taxi service is there to reach Amritsar by 10 pm. I will be going with my family ,so I don’t want to take the vatinda express train which is reaching Amritsar by 1:55 pm.
Hello Vargis
my question is i reach leh by air from delhi to 18 oct 15 and leave leh from 22 oct by road to srinagar.
is any bus service from leh to srinagar or private car hire from leh to srinagar. How much cost of private car hire from leh to srinagar. plz provide contact no of travveller.
For the number 17th option: Leh to Srinagar Bus Service, does that mean the bus leaves at 2 am and reaches on 7:30 pm on the same day? Is it 15.5 hours journey or is it a 39.5 hours journey?
Hey,I have decided to take the 2500 bus from Leh to Manali. In the time table provided by you all buses reach after 2 days but buses starting on a sunday take 3 days to reach. Why so? I have decided to book for 16-Aug and will reach Manali on 20-Aug. Can you tell me which side of the bus should I take. Driver side or left side. from which side the view will be better? Thanks in advance
Hi Arun , This is Krishna from Delhi , tried to reach you as i am too planning to go to Leh , Pl confirm the modus operandi if interested call me # 9582067837 . Thanks Krish,
Myself and few of my friends are travelling to Leh from Manali on Sept 20. As you mentioned in the post, HPTDC stops their services by Sept. 15th, is there any another buses will ply in the Manali-Leh route beyond Sept 15th.
how easy is to do excursions in leh and around like pangong ,nubra,turtuk ??
I m planning a trip to leh in september..wanted to do a drive in fly out trip.will go to manali by volvo and den manali to leh by tempo traveller. dont know how much it will cost for two to do excursions in and around leh !!
I am Charlie Thomas from kerala. I am planning a trip (5 people, driving from Delhi, Manali, Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Jammu, Delhi starting by 30th or 31st of August’15). Pls advise if we need to obtain any kind of approval/N.O.C. from any authorities like military or Himachal Police or Tourism from Manali ? If yes, pls let me know the formalities.
Another information required is that, what about the local peoples attitude towards the travellers, i.e. can I stay with the local people and experience their lifestyle ? (For your info – we are budget travellers). Awaiting your response. Thanks in Advance.
Need your advice to plan our journey in better way. we are starting our journey from 28 July from Srinagar and will be staying for 6 days in Leh. we like to visit below places could you let us know how can we plan it ..were to start from.
Khardung la
Nubra Valley
Pangong Lake
Magnetic Hill
Shey , Hemis & Thikse
Date Plan
28-Jul Srinagar to kargil
29-Jul Kargil to Leh
30-Jul Day arnd Leh Market
31-Jul Leh to Pangong
1-Aug Pangong to leh
2-Aug Leh to Nubra
3-Aug Leh to Khardungla
4-Aug Visit to Monastery(Shey/Thikse/Hemis)
5-Aug Leh to Manali (End of Trip)
1. Khardungla is on the way to Nubra, you do not need a separate day to cover that.
2. Why not reach Pangong from Nubra directly?
3. Did you mean to say that you are planning to reach Manali from Leh in a day?
I need to book my flights from Srinagar to Bangalore as the Leh to bangalore sector is expensive. Hence im planning to travel by road to Srinagar from leh on the 9th of August. Please let me know how long will it take to reach Srinagar from Leh and also the bus timings. I can travel from Leh on the 8th night itself. So any bus which leave Leh at night is also fine for me to take.
Also can u tell if i need to stay at Leh on the 9th and thn take a flight on the 10th. If Yes, please suggest some good and safe hotels.
There is no night bus from Leh. It is always a morning bus that halts for the night at Kargil on Day 1 and reaches Srinagar in the evening on Day 2. Hotel Shanti Palace in Leh is my personal favorite in terms of safety, comfort and service. Let me know if you need me to provide you their number and address.
I am planned a trip of leh
So m going leh 23 sept. By air delhi to leh.
I want to travel leh to srinagar by bus at 29 sept.
Is there only one service daily or more???
And what is the booking process
Where to book
Is there any online option???????
There is only one bus that starts at 8 AM. There is no online booking. The bus departs from Tourist reception center near Dal Lake. You can reach there and board the bud.
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to visit tso moriri,pangong tso and nubra by local buses from leh. Are these buses reliable?
Does the bus leave you at the nearest village, like tangste in case of pangong tso?
I am reaching srinagar on 11th march and thinking of going till Kargil and maybe tiger point. I wanna know if state buses will be available at that time?
hi vargis,
my name is divyakumar i am my frinds are travelling to leh and we are going via chandigarh and manali. i had couple of questions, is it good to prebok cabs or else we can reach there and bargain. we dont want to do sight seeing in manali as we have already been there. we just need a night stop in jispa. we would like to spend most of our time in leh. second question do you get transportation from leh to nubra and pangong like a bus service or is it good to have a private cab
Both ways is fine. If you are booking a private cab, I doubt that you will get much discount because the taxi union has a fixed rate. There are regular shared cabs and buses to Nubra and Pangong but they will have limited stops.
Hi Divya, This is Arun from Chennai, we are planning for trip from chandigarh to Leh by renting out a self driven car or hiring a cab, we are 3 of us…if possible we all can join together and travel so that the cost can be shared.
Our Plan
Day 1 – chennai to Chandigargh by flight
Day 1 – rent a car in Chandigargh
Day 1 – Chandigargh – Jispa
Day 2 – Jispa – Sarchu
Day 3 – Sarchu – Leh
Day 4 – Leh ( Pangogng Lake)
Day 5 – Leh (Khardungala pass) or Nubra
Day 6 – Leh
We are planning for this trip on September 1st week
If you are interested kindly wats app me (8939444669), i will share our details
Hi vargis,
I am from west bengal.we 5friends will vist leh 16h aug early morning by plain
We stay there 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 our flight from srinagar to bagdogra 23rd august.please suggest me which place we cover in these day.
Please sugest 21st if we start from leh to srinagar by car when we reach in srinagar..if we hire car how much time needed?how much rent for leh to srinagar by car?
Toton sarkar
1. There are several places that you can cover like Nubra, Pangong, Moriri etc. Have you prepared an itinerary yet?
2. I am not sure about the taxi rent. It is a 2 days journey from Srinagar to Leh
I hope you’re still reading these 🙂 thanks for the wonderful job you’re doing, i’m planning a trip to srinagar, a few places in srinagar for a week, then heading upto leh through kargil on the 15th, plan to be in leh for a week and then either come down to manali and then to delhi or back to srinagar or fly back directly. those are my options.
What i wanted to ask you was,
1) is it safe to be at kargil on independence day?
2) i plan to reach leh, sit in a bus and head off to a village with homestay, the more isolated the better, the less likely to be crowded the better, doesnt matter even if for two days. What’s my best bet? i’ve been looking at the location and trying to get information about them online but there’s barely any information available i’ll probably be in leh from the 16th and have to be back home in mumbai by 22nd.
Thoughts please 🙂
1. Quite safe to be in Kargil, do not worry about that.
2. In terms of Isolated villages, your best best bet would be to head to Nubra Valley. Stay at Panamik, very silent but not completely isolated. Or head to Warshi if you need to feel even more cut off from civilization.
Hi Vargis, thank you for taking out time for me 🙂
is it possible for you to add me on facebook? https://www.facebook.com/DesmondFrias i can share my number with you there or skype or even gmail, whichever is convenient.
Hello! I am a lone-travelling medical student, I wonder if anyone else has a similar itinerary to me. It might be cheaper & more pleasant to share transport options and the like:
10th July: arrive in Srinagar by plane
11th July: bus/shared taxi to Kargil
12th July: bus/shared taxi to Leh
12th-18th July: explore Leh & surrounding area
19th July: bus/shared taxi to Kargil
20th July: bus/shared taxi to Srinagar
21st July: fly out of Srinagar
Would love to hear from anyone planning anything similar in either direction!
Hi Devashish, I do not have any exact information about the booking services for this bus. You can call ISBT or HPTDC number I provided to enquire further
Hello Vargis,
Your blog is very helpful in planning the trip to this part of world which is full of adventure and mystery, I will be travelling with my wife in July 15, and will be reaching Srinagar on 04 July from Mumbai, my itinerary is as follows:
04 July : Mumbai – Srinagar – Sonamarg
05 July: Sonamarg to Leh
06 July : Leh local sight seeing
07 July : Leh – Pangong Lake – Leh
08 July : Leh to Nubra Valley
09 July : Nubra Valley to Leh
10 July : Leh – Alchi-Likir-Lamayaru (Overnight @ Lamayaru)
11 July : Lamayaru to Sonamarg/Kargil
12 July : Kargil/Sonamarg to Srinagar to Mumbai.
Can plz suggest me if any changes are required and i am looking for budgeted travelling from one point to another so please suggest me with the buses / shared taxis option. Where all do i have to make advance booking.
Ashish, this is Deepak here. I have the similar itenary and travel plan from Srinagar with minor difference. I am traveling with my wife and kid. Call me if you read this post. My number is 8332800208
Thanks Ashish. I have a couple of questions before I can advice further.
1. How are you travelling? Have you booked a cab or planning to catch a bus?
2. What time is your flight reaching Srinagar?
3. What time is your return flight from Srinagar?
Hi Vargis,
Reply to your queries are as follows :
1. I am planning to take shared taxi from Srinagar early morning 05 July and planning to cover the whole journey in single day.
2. Will be reaching Srinagar on 04 July at around 1300 hrs.
3. Return flight is on 12 July at 1500 hrs to Mumbai.
Hey Vargis,
Thanks for providing tons of info. Really helpful
I will visiting Leh in July 2015 from mumbai. My journey will be Mumbai – Delhi – manali – Leh. On the return journey I was looking at flights from Leh to mumbai but the prices are exorbitant, arnd 21k!!. Is there a cheaper and faster option to travel from leh to mumbai which might include flight at some point. I want to cut down the time on the return leg.
Keep checking the Indigo website. They come up with these free offers every now and then offering really cheap flights. I just bought my tickets to Leh and return merely for Rs. 7000, (3500 one way). Check for all options, Leh / Srinagar / Delhi / Chandigarh to Mumbai.
We are a group of four friends planning the trip Leh from 6th of Aug 2015 from Bangalore. We are planning to make a outline of the trip so that we can book flights accordingly.
We want to travel on both the highways i.e. both Manali-Leh and Leh-Srinagar one way each, enjoying the beauty on both ways which connect Leh.
We would appreciate if you could let us know on the following from your knowledge:
1. Which of the two ways to take initially. i.e. Srinagar to Leh or Manali to Leh? I read Srinagar to Leh would allow us to acclimatize better than the other. Is that true? or can we take either of them in any order?
2. Supposing we start from Manali, can we take a taxi which would leave us back to Srinagar? (so that we can take direct flight from Srinagar and not having to travel till Manali again). Do you have any pointers for taxis in Manali from which we can have an inquiry on this? We would prefer taxi so that we can stop by at places we like for a few clicks or to savor the beauty of nature.
3. If the above taxi plan doesn’t work for us, we would like to take a bus. As you have mentioned in your blog, the HPTDC buses stop by for sightseeing on Manali-Leh highway. Is there any bus service on similar lines which would stop us for sightseeing even on Leh-Srinagar highway? We are keen to see all the nice places on the way. 🙂
4. And is first week of August a good time to travel to Leh? We would not miss on any place because of rain right? What could be the challenges we may have to face?
Awaiting for your replies to make our bookings. Thanks in advance.
1. If you are planning to board a bus and want to cover both roads, then it doesnt matter which one you take first. However if you intend to hire a cab, then I suggest you take the Srinagar Leh road first because of all the recent fuss related to Rohtang Pass. Search for Rohtang in the search field at the top, take a look at the articles, and you would know what I mean.
2. Hiring the same taxi could be problematic and expensive. While that guy can take you all the way to Leh and then Srinagar, he would not be able to drive around in the nearby areas. For that, you would have to hire a local taxi in Leh. Call Sonam Angdus in Leh at +91-9469272773. He is a cab driver himself and a decent fellow. He should be able to guide you better in terms of Taxi. Prices he quote will be reasonable enough and if it sounds right to, you can book with him as well.
3. There are no other such buses. Another option would be to travel in shared taxis.
And with an outline of the itinerary that we have planned, we would take Manali-Leh road first and then Leh-Srinagar. With this, we would start on 14th August from Leh to Srinagar. That way, same evening we would reach Kargil and we have to start on 15th August morning from Kargil. I just wanted to know if this road will be open for common man as its around Independence Day. Do you want us to revisit the dates of travel? Or do you think it will be just like any other day and we would not have any problem for passing through Kargil and reach Srinagar on time. Can the J&K transport authorities help us get this information?
You are welcome Karthik. There will not be any problem if you travel on 15th of August. All roads will remain open. There could be an increased army presence and security but noting to trouble the tourist crowd.
Thanks again for the info Vargis. Really appreciate the work you do 🙂
Vargis.KhanJune 18, 2015 - 12:06 am
You are welcome brother
KarthikJune 18, 2015 - 2:54 pm
Vargis,
We would need one more suggestion from you.
We have 5 days in hand for places in and around Leh. What would be your suggestion on the places we must see. And a probable itinerary if you could give us. With these many days in hand we want to cover at least the must see ones if not all.
Thanks again Vargis 🙂
Vargis.KhanJune 19, 2015 - 12:17 am
Hi Karthik,
If you have 5 days in hand, then I would suggest that you go to Nubra Valley, stay there for the night, go to Pangong via Agham Shyok road the next day, stay there for the night, reach Hanle on Day 3, head to Tso Moriri on Day 4 and return to Leh on Day 5.
I am sri lankan. we booked air tiket to delhi at 6th Aug . We arrive sri lanka at 17th Aug. Our team has 8 members. we had planned to visit Nubrah vally and other bordering Interesting places at Leh. Unfortunately Indian Govt Authorites do not give permission to visit border area at leh to Sri Lankans without approval of Indian Home Ministry. Requested permissions via email from Home Ministry. but they did not reply.
1. May I Know how to get permission from Home Ministry?
2. I Saw Roads can be blocked or closed On whether conditions. Aughust is heavy rainy period or not?
You have a wonderful website. Thank you for all your help.
I am going for a cycling trip with YHAI. On return I was planning to go to Lahaul, Spiti and Keylong. the following are my queries:
1. Buses from Leh to Keylong dont have online booking option. on Either HPTDC or HRCTC or JK. how to procure them? and what are the schedule and timings. Is it safe to book from there directly?
2. How are the local places and Spiti Lahaul and Keylong covered, approx cost , other places of interest nearby
Note: I will start my journey from Leh after the cycling on August 23 2015.
Any help is welcome.
Thanks, Prasad
1.For Leh to Keylong, rather than booking in advance, my suggestion is that you reach Leh and find out there what your best options are. You can easily board a bus there or get in a shared taxi. My advice would be to take a shared taxi, halt at Pang and then reach Keylong the next day,
2. I didn’t get your second question? How are these places covered????
We are sort of clueless about how do we plan our trip. We have 6 days in hand. And we wish to visit Spiti, Lahul and Keylong. How do we plan our time here? Meaning which part of Spiti & Lahul district is a must-see and which can be skipped?
Also, if you have any other place around it that we should be including in our itinerary that we will be glad to know.
Basically, we would like you to help us with our 6-itinerary.
Like Prasad mentioned earlier, we have a 9-day cycling trek in Leh, and post that 6 days to explore the North. We have chosen Lahul & Spiti but have no idea about how to do it.
We will begin this part of trip on 23rd Aug when we will be in Leh. We have a train from Delhi for Mumbai on 29th Aug.
My Queries:
1. The route from Leh to Lahul & Spiti.
2. Places to visit and where to stay in Lahul & Spiti.
3. Any other places around or while going to or coming from Lahul & Spiti that can be covered in these 6 days.
4. The route from Lahul & Spiti to Delhi.
We don’t have any itinerary made yet.
Vargis.KhanJune 16, 2015 - 11:11 pm
1. From Leh, you can take the Manali Leh highway all the way till where the ascent for Rohtang starts.From there, you will have to take the road that goes towards Kaza via Chandrataal.
2. Take a look at the Lahaul Spiti travel guide section on the website. It has all the information related to what you can see / visit and where can you stay.
3. The detailed route of entire Lahaul Spiti valley with maps is also posted in the Spiti travel guide section. Take a look.
If you still need me to guide you better, let me know. You or Prasad can also give me a call if you like because honestly it will be a little too much information to type. I can talk to you guys and guide you.
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I am a little clearer on this subject now.
I went through the Lahul-Spiti section and have some more doubts, but like you said, it would be better to discuss it over the phone.
This is my ID, can you mail me your number so I can contact you?
Thanks! 🙂
Vargis.KhanJune 19, 2015 - 12:19 am
I just dropped you an email
WasimJune 9, 2015 - 12:20 pm
Hi Vargis,
First of all let me tell you ..That you are doing a great job.
Your blog really help us to plan our travel in better way..without wasting much time.
We are going leh in July end and we have planned our journey through Jammu – Srinagar. Could you please help us following things.
1. How much time it take from Jammu to reach Srinagar.
2. Any budget hotels in Leh.
3. Is there any sharing cabs go to leh from Srinagar..How much they charge??.
1. Jammu to Srinagar is a day’s journey. You will start early from Jammu and reach Srinagar by evening.
2. There are plenty of hotels in Leh that can fit in any budget. You can easily find a room for as low as Rs. 500 for a day.
3. You can find shared cabs as well. I unfortunately do not have any information on how much they charge as I have never travelled in one.
we are planing to visit leh in month of august we r having a ticket to srinagar . please suggest how to go wt will be the fare taxi as we are 5 people r travelling. we want to explore kashmir first then we would like to leh and ladakh then we r planing to come by other root to delhi we r planing for 12 days.
what we the ideal suggestion for our journey ?
how to manage travel from srinagar to leh ?
after that leh to delhi?
please suggest
Srinagar is well connected to nearby areas like Sonmarg, Gulmarg ets and there is a daily bus service. This will be your best choice. If you can afford to, then you can hire a private taxi as well. For Srinagar to Leh, there are daily buses, both private and government run, from main Bus Stand that you an board.
Hello Vargis, your site is providing information to travellers like us as wikipedia.. Really amazing job,
I am travelling to leh this month and have some concerns if you could help me..
I have my travel ending on 25th may at leh and have flight from srinagar on 27th may afternoon.
What time are the public buses available from leh to Srinagar and what is the frequency of these buses?
I plan to break my journey in two parts. Leh-kargil and then kargil-srinagar.
Also, how easy is it to find a place to stay in kargil and srinagar? any budget options available that you know of?
I have read about bus services available from leh to srinagar but its not available on JKSRTC website. private bus services you mentioned are available easily?
It will be of immense help if you could help me..
Than you..
I really appreciate your efforts..
Bus service to Srinagar from Leh is on a daily basis. You can catch a bus from Leh bus stand early in the morning. You can easily find a place to stay at both Kargil and Srinagar, there is ample amount of hotels available. Hotels in Kargil however are a little on the costlier side.
Hello Vargis,
ur blog is really helpful for me as i am planning to go leh at june start. there is a qustion that the bus service from srinagar to leh provide any accommodation at kargil halt? as u mentioned for manali leh service that hp transport service will provide the accommodation.
Hello Utkarsh, The state transport services usually have tie-ups with hotels where they halt for the night. If for some reason you do not want to stay there, you can walk around in the town and stay in a hotel of your choice.
Hey Vergis
we three guys are ready to move on 15th June from jammu to leh
public transport is my option for my entire trip, either its private/govt buses or shared taxis. I am having about more than 8-12 days for this trip. so i would like to go from jammu and return with the same route.
Can you please suggest me an itinerary for my trip as according to my plans ?
hi vergis
Regards
I will land at jammu airport on 26 May. want to go to LEH from jammu. but as u say no direct bus from jammu to leh. so what should i do ?
You will have to board a bus from Jammu to Srinagar. It is a day long drive so you will reach Srinagar by evening. The next day you can board another bus from Srinagar towards Leh.
Woah! such a well played man this blog. Thanks a bunch for all the info.
I have planned for a YHAI Leh trek in September and i have already booked tickets for Delhi to Leh. The return fares is like crazy 15K and around.. So i was planning for a bus trip to Srinagar and Flight from Srinagar to Delhi. Works out much cheaper.
So how does the travel from Leh to srinagar work out? is it possible to reach Srinagar the same day of starting from Leh? i have read comments that it is a 2 day trip with halt in Kargil. So even if it is a private cab it will be a 2 day trip eh? I have planned for an evening flight from Srinagar to Delhi (Around 4pm)
will this work out? or to book a flight the next day from the day i start from Leh?
Thanks Aditya.Keep visiting the Indigo website for flights to Leh, they keep coming up with really cheap offers for flight to and from Leh. I myself just booked a two way flight in September from Delhi to Leh and return for just Rs. 4500. Crazy, isn’t it?
Leh to Srinagar is a two day drive indeed, no way you can cover it in a day. Even if it is a private cab, the driver wouldn’t agree to drive non-stop because it is way too dangerous. On day 1, you would start from Leh and reach Kargil by evening. On Day 2 you would start from Kargil in the morning and reach Srinagar by late afternoon. So unless you can book a late evening flight from Srinagar to Delhi, my suggestion is that you book it for the next day of reaching Srinagar.
I am reaching Srinagar on 14th July afternoon 1.30pm. Is there any possibilty I could get bus for Leh on the same day that stops in Kargil for the night. Where does one stay in kargil for the night? and how do i prebook seat on any bus?
Hi Vin, You will have to board the bus the next day because it starts early morning. There is no bus in afternoon or evening that goes towards Leh. You can book in advance from the J&K transport or tourism official website. Just Google it.
Hi Vargis,
I liked the work you are doing.
I would also request you for advice on my itenary.
I will be reaching Udhampur on 7th June Morning.What is the option available from Udhampur to Srinagar(Bus or Shared Taxi).
Then From Srinagar Next Morning, Is the 14 seater bus is available to Leh which is mentioned on J&K site.
If available, How to Book it and whether it will stop for sight seeing at Sonmarg and Kargil.
Please also let me know places to visit in Ladhakh, we are 2 couples and have a return train from Udhampur on 16th June 2015 in night.
Trip plan is budget.
Hi Sachin, From Udhampur you will have to take a bus to Srinagar. If you are on a budget trip then my suggestion is to take a regular deluxe bus to Leh, those are pretty comfortable. Bus takes a break at both Sonmarg and Drass and halts for the night at Kargil. There however will not be much time for sight seeing at either Sonmarg or Drass, it is just like a quick break to stretch your legs and get something to eat.
Thnx a ton for this exhaustive and comprehensive piece of information on bus services to Leh. I am traveling with a group of 8 pax and a kid in August 2015 and looking for a budget option to reach Leh from Manali. The travel agents are quoting a very high price for one way route. How much would a shared tempo traveler cost me?
Now about the bus, how convenient is the HP operated non a/c deluxe bus? And will there be other bus options available for spot booking in August 2015.
Taxi services are indeed a bit costly in Ladakh region. Your best option for a budget trip would be to catch a bus. Those are pretty comfortable and you wouldn’t face any problem at all.
I have taken some stuff from online blogs like yours for itinerary. Even i am nt sure that really works for me, as will i be able to get transport for some of the places or if i can stay overnight there. So yes your suggestions will certainly make it better. please have a look on this itinerary….
Day 1 : punjab – stay at Jammu
Day 2 : Jammu – srinagar
Day 3 : Srinagar – Kargil
Day 4 : Kargil – leh
Day 5 : Leh – Nubra valley – hunder
Day 6 : Hunder – Sumur – panamik – leh
Day 7 : Leh – Hemis monastery – Pangong lake
Day 8 : Pangong – thiksey monastery – leh
Day 9 : Rest day in leh
Day 10 : Local sightseeing at leh
Day 11 : Leh – Tso moriri
Day 12 : Tso moriri – Tso kar – Debring – Moriri plains – sarchu
Day 13 : Sarchu – keylong
Day 14 : Keylong – rohtang pass – Manali
Day 15 : Manali – kasol
Day 16 : Kasol – return
About bikes i would like to go for royal enfield classic 350 or bajaj avenger 220 or else you suggest. (will be using only in leh)
Your itinerary looks pretty good to me brother …. It works.
For Bike, I would suggest that you go for a Pulsar and leave the luggage in hotel at Leh rather than carrying it to Nubra and Pangong. That way, you would ride freely, Pulsar has a larger fuel tank and wouldnt cost you as much as an Avenger or Royal Enfield.
I am planing a trip to leh from punjab in mid of june. As i am a solo traveler and public transport is my option for my entire trip, either its private/govt buses or shared taxis. I am having about more than 18-20 days for this trip. so i would like to go from srinagar and return from manali.
1. Is traveling alone for leh (hiring shared taxis or accomodation) is safe enough ?
2. will i be able to get deluxe or semi deluxe buses from srinagar to leh ?
3. Can you please suggest me an itinerary for my trip as according to my plans ?
4. If i rent a bike in leh for local sightseeing how much that can cost or its not recomended ?
5. can you help me with an approx amount can cost me of my (food/budget hotels/transport) entire trip ?
1. It is safe absolutely. I have seen even women travelling on this route alone.
2. Yes
3. Have you prepared an itinerary yet, something i can look at and make suggestions?
4. Bike rent would be anywhere from Rs, 600 to Rs. 1500 per day, depending on motorcycle. Which are you planning to rent?
5. Depends on lot of things but for a 18-20 day trip, spending moderately, using public transport, … expect the cost somewhere between 15-20k.
Is there any bus available on 10th june from leh to srinagar,if yes then from where can we catch those buses and what are their timings ?
Will we reach kargil on same day i.e. on 10th?
Does the same bus resume its journey for Srinagar after the overnight halt in kargil,we have already booked our hotel for 10th in kargil
Will we reach Srinagar by 11th?If yes then at what time can we expect to reach there?
Are the buses comfortable because we will be carrying some luggage with us,say 4 bags.
Hi Anirban, You can get the Bus from Main Bus stand Leh, will reach Kargil the same day evening, can board the same bus next day, will reach Srinagar late afternoon. Buses are pretty comfortable.
1. How are you planning to return to Srinagar? Do you intend to catch a bus or book a private cab?
2. Hotel Shanti Palace is good. That is always my preferred choice to stay in Leh.
3. There is no tenting accommodation on Srinagar Leh highway, not yet at least. You will have to stay at a hotel in either Kargil or Drass.
4. You will have to start early from Leh to reach Kargil / Drass by evening. The same day, you will start early to reach Srinagar by late afternoon / evening.
1. As we stay for only 2-3 nights, where can be the preferred night halts apart from leh?
2. How many hours would be the journey time from leh- Srinagar and any pre- booking of bus possible as we prefer to book return tickets before we start.
Hi sir mai is mahine ko leh ladhak aanewala hu mujhe ek address pe jaana h, plz agar aapko pata hoto bataye plz
Add. 8 mnt nimu ord unit c/o 56 apo, plz help me
Hi I am reaching Srinagar on 30th Aug and return is on 08th Sep, we are 2 adults looking for a economical leh trip /group tour can u advice the tentative travel cost 1 way from Srinagar to Leh & also for cmng back
Oh wow… Thank you so much for your heads up… So in future, whoever I go with, what should I ask to make sure that he is legit? i.e. should I ask for a taxi licence? or his registration with union?
Again, thank you for helping me out and being so quick with your responses.
The problem is what kind of car is he offering? Is it a private car or is it a self driven taxi? Does it have the proper yellow and black number plate and licensed as a self driven taxi? And several such questions … Maybe in rest of the country there isnt much of a problem but in Leh, the taxi union guys are pretty serious about it since their livelihoods depend on tourism. To be on the safer side, just hire a taxi driver that is registered with the taxi union in Leh to avoid any hassle.
Hello there… I just wasnt sure where to post my query on “how to read Ladakh taxi fares”. I have managed to find taxi rate card for 2015/16. The places that I want to visit in Ladakh are Lamayuru – Alchi (overnight stay in Lamayuru), Leh – Nubra (1 night stay in Nubra), Nubra – Pangong via Shyok (1 night in Pangong), Leh – Tso Moriri (1 night stay in Tso).
Other places within Leh are palace, shanti stupa, Hemis, and Thiksey monasteries etc.
Now when I was looking at taxi rate for each of the above places – The cost goes over 50,000 for Innova.
The transport cost for that I have been quoted by my travel agent is 39,000 rs (for all the above places including airport drop and pick up.) – This includes car for private use and the it will be Innova or Zylo.
Now I dont know if I am reading it incorrectly, as clearly the taxi rate as per the union is much higher than I am being quoted. So am I reading the rates incorrectly?
Can someone place help me on this matter.
P.S. I am not an Indian citizen, hence little lost with all this.
That definitely seems a little lower, am not really sure how that cab driver is able to quote that price. My guess is that you are in for a surprise, to find a crappy car waiting to drive you around.
Please call Sonam Angdus in Leh at +91-9469272773. He is a cab driver himself and a decent fellow. The price he quotes will be correct and reasonable enough. You can chose to hire him or if you do not, you will at least get the idea of how much the fare should and would be.
Hi Vargis. Khan or anybody else, we (6-8 numbers of people) are planing to visit Leh in mid July this year. So please i need some information. Our trip will start from Guwahati, Assam and direct to Jammu by train.
Please suggest me- What will be the preferable for us?:
1. Jammu – Leh direct,
2. Jammu – Srinagar,
3. Srinagar – Leh,
4. If there will be any night halt on the way during the bus or taxi journey from Jammu – Leh, where i have to stay and what will be the cost? (e.g. include or exclude with bus or taxi fare).
5. What will be the time for bus or taxi service and duration from Jammu to Srinagar and Srinagar to Leh.
1.No direct Bus from Jammu to Leh
2. It is a days journey from Jammu to Srinagar
3. It is a 2 days journey from Srinagar to Leh
4. From Jammy you will have to take a bus to Srinagar and stay there for the night. From Srinagar you will have to take another bus to Leh which will stop at Kargil for the night.
5. Takes an entire day from Jammu to Srinagar, bus starts early in the morning. Same thing from Srinagar to Kargil and Kargil to Leh.
Thnaks for your kind information. Here one more thing please tell me that what will b the cost from jammu to srinagar n srinagar to leh both bus and shared texi?
Expect the fare to be between Rs. 200 to 300 for Jammu to Srinagar, Rs. 500-600 for Srinagar to Leh for both Shared Taxis and Govt run buses. Private delay bus would be slightly more.
There is no non-stop bus from Srinagar to Leh. All the buses take a night halt in between. You can look for a shared taxi but chances of finding one that is going to Leh without a halt in between is very rare.
Dear Mr. Vergis,
Is the “Leh Ladakh Taxi Operators Co-operatve” is a JKSRTC approved Taxi operator? Do they have any authorisation certificate from government?
Hii Vargis ,
We want to travel Jammu — leh— manali by road . there are some queries like :
1 we planned in mid of june is it sutable time or not .
2 In our group 20 months child is also with us . pls advise can we take her with us or not
3 10 days are sufficient for this tour or not
4 can we book online tempo traveller from jammu
5 we will end our tour in Manali so pls confirm Leh– Manali route would be opened that time or not
1. Mid of June is fine
2. You can take the kid but would have to be extra careful with her. She might suffer from Acute Mountain sickness more than rest of the group.
3. This will depend on what all places you are planning to cover.
4. Yes you can
5. it should open mid of June.
Would like to know about how to visit Pangong lake from Leh. The distance being over 225 km would not be possible to return to Leh on the same day..Are there options avalaible near Pangong for overnight stay or please advise how does it work about….Also would June/july be the ideal time to visit these areas as the roads might be open..!!!!
Please take a look at the following pages, detailing both the route from Leh to Pangong and the accommodation facilities available. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks Vargis for the reply…I have a young family wherein boy is of 6 yrs and my daughter is of 13 years…is it OK to take them to the trip of Leh/khardungla/Pangong or will it will be too stressful for them…….
It should be okay except for acute mountain sickness at some places, that can problem specially with the kids and elderlies … Also try not to cover distances too great in the same day and you will be okay
While its true that Taxi services are a bit expensive in this region, 50k sounds a bit too high. I suggest that you visit this links and compare the rates that you have been quoted.
These are government sanctioned rates and no company / driver can charge you more.
What they told you about the shared taxis is not true though. You can easily find a shared taxi for all these areas with an exception of Tso Moriri. Taxis plying towards Tso Moriri are not that often and there is a possibility that you may not find one at all.
One suggestion from my end, if you are visiting Nubra, Pangong and other areas, it wouldn’t hurt if you skip Moriri altogether, wouldn’t miss much. If you didn’t find a shared taxi towards Moriri, don’t bother booking one just for this route.
Hello,
I am leaving Leh on 25/6/15 and my final destination is Mumbai. I would like to take a road trip. Below are my questions:
1) Is there a direct bus from Leh – Jammu? If so, do they run daily, what are the exact departure and arrival time in Jammu? Do these buses run late? Eg: 2-3 hours late?
2) If no direct bus, then option is Leh – Srinagar – Jammu.
What time do the buses leave from Leh and what will be the exact arrival time in Srinagar? Do these buses run late? Eg: 2-3 hours late?
3) From Srinagar, can I get bus to Jammu from the same stop?
4) If I leave Leh on 25/6/15, which date will I reach Jammu (so I can buy my train ticket to Mumbai).
Sorry, I am not from India, hence little lost with all the commute.
1. There is no direct bus from Leh to Jammu. You will have to take a bus from Leh to Srinagar and then catch another bus to reach Jammu.
2. Bus will leave early morning from Leh and will arrive at Srinagar the next day, sometime in afternoon. Yes there is a high possibility of bus running late.
3. Yes you can get a bus to Jammu from the same stop.
4. Traveling in a bus, It will take you three days to reach Jammu from Leh.
So if I leave Leh on 25/6/15, is it safe to buy train tickets for Mumbai on 28/6 leaving Jammu Tawi early morning at 00:40 pm? Or should I be very safe and buy train tickets that leaves 9:00 am on 28/6?
Also, can I easily get bus ticket from 2 days before departure from Leh, or do I need to make advance booking?
To be on a safer side, you should plan your itinerary in the following manner.
1. 25th you will leave from Leh
2. 27th afternoon you will reach Srinagar. Stay there for the night.
3. 28th Morning start for Jammu, arrive there in the evening, high possibility of arriving a bit late in the evening.
3. 29th you can catch a train for Mumbai
You can easily get a bus unless you want to travel in a luxury one. There are regular not so comfortable buses run by the state road transport corporation for which you do not need to make a booking in advance. If you want to travel in a luxury bus, better to make a booking in advance. Also consider the fact that this is a hilly region prone to landslides and traffic jams between Srinagar and Jammu so do not plan to fit within a tight schedule.
Another fact is that this is also a tiresome journey when sitting in a bus so better not to rush through it.
1 last thing I would like to clarify with you. I will be there from 16/6/15-25/6/15. I will be visiting the nearby monasteries, and Lamayuru (Alchi on the way), Pso Tmoriri, Pangon Lake and Nubra. I will be spending a night at each of the destination and will not be making Leh as my base i.e. Leh – Pangong Lake(1night) – Tso Moriri (1night) – Leh (1night) – Lamayuru (1night)- Leh.
I have been told by couple of tour agents that I will not get shared taxis/local buses for this route and I therefore have to take a private taxi which comes to 50,000INR for the route mentioned above.
Is this true? I am a little worried as I wanted to lower my transportation cost by taking shared taxis or buses.
also, I will be travelling from Mumbai by train. So will get down at Jammu by 4 pm. So I need know whether bus services for Srinagar from Jammu are available in the evening?
The info shared by you is really helpful. Thank you so much.
I am planning to travel in the first week of June 2015, my query is ..
1. Whether is it confirm that Srinagar to Leh highway will be open by first week of June?
2. whether 2 whole days are enough for sight seeing at Leh?
3. Whether Leh to Manali highway will be definetly open for travelling?
Please help me on this at the earliest..Thanks in advance
1. Srinagar Leh highway will definitely be open in first week of June, unless something unforeseen happens, like heavy rains. It usually opens in late April.
2. Depends on whether you are talking about sightseeing in the city of Leh or the areas around like Pangong and Nubra. If just Leh, then yes, if areas around then depends on where all you want to visit.
3. Manali Leh highway would most probably not officially be opened in first week of June but the locals do start to co commute on it at that time. If you are hoping for a bus on this highway in first week of June, then it is highly unlikely.
You may find one of those shared taxis but do not really count on it ….. Baralacha La is usually the last pass to open on this route and that early in June there is a high chance of the pass receiving snow and closing down for a day or two.
If I want to stay in Pahelgam and want to go there by JKSRTC bus one way only is it possible?
Is there any bus on the next day morning from pahelgam to srinagar?
Is there any bus from Sonmarg to Kargil/Leh or I have to return to Srinagar?
1. Yes you can.
2. Not sure about the bus timings from Pehalgam to Srinagar. You will have to reach there and find out.
3. There are both buses and shared taxis from Sonmarg to Kargil / Leh that you can board.
We are going to leh on 10 Sept with group of 20 people. Planning to come back via covering leh kargil srinagar highway. Shpuld we book return flight from srinagar.
Hi Sumit, Yes you can but it really depends on your itinerary. Are you travelling from Manali to Leh? If yes, then you can return to Srinagar and take a flight from. If you will be reaching back to Leh from Srinagar, then you may as well just book a flight from Leh for your return journey.
hi,i m travelling to shely(Leh) from mumbai.
so which will be the best way to come from and which is cheaper too.
i dont mind coming in train from mumbai to jammu or mumbai to delhi n den manali n via leh
pls help,i m coming in July
and where to book to bus from?
Hi. Both ways are fine. You can reach Leh via Manali and return via Srinagar/Jammu or vice versa. Either way you will be able to cover both the highways. Bus will definitely be the cheapest. You can book a seat on the official tourism websites of Himachal or J&K.
Dear Vargis
I had visited leh during 29 sep 2014 to 2 oct 2014.I am a govt servant and I have to reimburse my sharing taxi charges(for three persons) for the journey leh to pangong (same day to and fro)on date 29 Sep 2014 (Monday).I need a certificate from state govt (or leh laddakh tourism)that no state govt bus was available on 29 sep 2014 (Monday).
Thanking You.
Hi,
I am planning to fly Leh on 4th Nov & return by Bus probably 8th Nov.
Please suggest me which route is better for returning ?i.e Are the buses available.
Hi Shekhar, Srinagar-Leh highway is closed and Jammu to Leh Bus Service is currently suspended due to the recent floods. If you are planning for Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, even that is currently suspended.
Thanks Vargis for giving very important information. please let me know there is any way to go leh to Srinagar because i have book my flight from Srinagar to delhi on 4th OCt.
You are better off cancelling that flight brother …. If going to Leh is your plan , then you will have to take the Manali Leh route. If you are planning to visit Vaishno Devi from Katra, that pilgrimage journey is anyways suspended for now and there is not estimate on when will it resume.
Hi vargis,
Is it ok to go via leh-manali road with my 3 yrs old daughter. Also plz give me the trasprort servics details.
Thanks
Vargis.KhanSeptember 20, 2014 - 2:13 pm
I would not advise going to Leh with a 3 year old so late in the season Shekhar ….
SachinAugust 13, 2014 - 3:42 am
Hi Vargis,
Very useful information. Can you please let us know the exact location in Srinagar from these buses leave for Leh and approximately at what time of the day do they leave.
Thanks Sachin. All Buses for Leh start from Main Bus stand in Srinagar, ask any of the locals around and they can direct you. Any Bus going towards Leh, Private or Government run, will leave Srinagar early morning, say before 7 or 8 am as it has to reach Kargil by evening.
394 comments
1. if anybody has contact numbers of Leh to Srinagar Bus service operators, please share. Also give me your feedback on this tour.
19 Aug bus would reach Srinagar on same day?
2. We are travelling by gopurple voyages. Has anyone been with them?
We will be travelling from 12 aug to 19 aug
I am sorry but I do not have any contacts of private bus operators.
Hi, your blog provides enough travelling details, you done great work. Thank you. I wish to travel leh by august second week and plan to stay for five/six nights. I need details about local transport for sightseeing. Is JK tourism operates this kind of service to tourists. We plan to come by air from delhiand return by leh to delhi via road. Is the road trip is advisable, we heard landslide may disrupt bus journey. provide some insights about it. please suggest some local transporter details if so.
Hello – Yes you can do the journey in August 2nd week.JK Tourism does not provide any local transport for sightseeing, you will have to contact any of the tour operators in Leh to hire a private taxi or else travel by the local buses that I mentioned above,.
Thank you, sounds good.
You are welcome
I along with my elder brother and father reaching Leh by morning flight 6.00 am, 3rd of August ,Thursday , planning back journey by road via Manali to Delhi and wants to return Delhi must by Sunday evening or if necessary by Monday.
However gone thru all the useful content provided by you…..Thanks , I would be extremely thankful to you if provided tips for my back journey via Manali
Easily commutable tourist places in Leh , there approach from airport itself , means of budget transport or sightseeing package available with estimated cost / fare Availability of conveyance from airport to Leh Town
State Transport bus or other means of transport availability next day for Manali and estimate fare
Tourist places onway to Manali from Leh
If some precautions of high altitude needed to be taken for my 58 yrs old father who keeps high blood pressure
Shubham Kalsi
Hello Shubham – Did you mean that you will be landing there on Thursday, 3rd August and need to get back to Delhi by Sunday 6th / Monday 7th? Or did you mean the week after, on 13th and 14th?
yes, i’m on just 4 day trip…..that is i have to back on 6th or 7th
And you are traveling by public transport? Bus? If yes, then it would be extremely difficult to visit any place really. You will have to rent a taxi in Ladakh for at least a day or two if you want to do some sightseeing. Or else it will pretty much be spending time in the town of Leh and catching a bus back to Manali.
Hello friend pls tell me
Manali to leh
And leh to jammu any govt bus and pls find time and fare
Online booking open
Pls send me online booking link
Hello Yogesh – Please read through the following posts.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/srinagar-to-leh-bus-service-fare-schedule-book/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/manali-to-leh-bus-service-frequency-fare-book/
Hi Vargis,
Your entire blog is quite detailed, informative and helpful. Many thanks for the same.
I am also planning a trip to Leh, Kargil, Drass, Sonmarg and Srinagar in mid of July 2017. In this regard, do you have any suggestions:
1. For taking Manali to Leh route or Jammu to Leh route;
2. Assuming I take Manali to Leh route and would not like to stay either in Kargil or Drass and just do sight seeing there, any preferred mode and time of travel (by bus or shared taxis) from Leh to Sonmarg?
3. How well connected is Balatal from Sonmarg;
4. How well connected is Srinagar from Baltal/ Sonmarg and what are the modes and frequency of travel for buses/ shared taxis?
Will be happy to receive your feedback.
Regards,
Deepak
Hello Deepak – Thank your for your kind appreciating words.
1. I would recommend both the routes. Take one to reach Leh and other to return back home.
2. Little confused by this question or did you mean if you take Srinagar to Leh route? Or are you asking about a direct non-stop journey from Leh to Srinagar without stopping at Kargil or Drass?
3. Baltal is just about 15 kilomters from Sonamarg and you will easily find a shared cab heading that way. There is a bus service as well between Sonamarg and Baltal..
4. There is a daily bus service between Srinagar to Sonamarg and several shared cabs head that way too which you can find at TRC Srinagar.
Hi, Virgis
I am travelling to Sonmarg this August. I have few confusions.
1. How is the current situation in Kashmir, especially in Shrinagar for tourists ?
2. Is it safe to travel alone via Shrinagar?
3. If I avoid Shrinagar, and choose Leh route, How may I reach sonmarg?
4. Is there any public buses running till mid-day from Leh to Sonmarg?
Please guide.
Thank you.
Hi Komal, It is quite safe to travel via Srinagar right now, you are Ok to go. There is no other way to reach Sonamarg, you will have to pass through Srinagar. No mid-day bus from Leh to Sonamarg.
Hello Vargis,
I will be travelling to sonamarg from Leh. I will be leaving from leh in one of the sharing taxies and will be reaching Sonamarg at around 3-4am early morning. I have to go to Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering which is near Thajiwas glacier. I don’t want to walk towards the Institute at night from the highway and wish to wait till the sun rise. Are there any Cafeterias, Restaurants, Dhabas or even chai wallas on the highway were I can wait for 2-3 hrs? If not, please suggest some alternatives. Also any precautions measures I should take?
Thanks.
Hi Parth – I do not want to give you the wrong information but I really do not know brother. I have never traveled during night in any of my trips so I am not really sure if the dhabas there stay open during night. If I am to guess, then my answer would be a No because of three reasons. First is that it is way too cold to stay up all night for any chaai or dhaaba wala, second there is not much traffic on this highway at night so it is not worth it for them to stay up, third and biggest reason would be the security reasons. I do not think Army would allow them to keep Dhabas open at night so close to problematic areas.
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for this informative post.
I am traveling with my friends from Srinagar to Leh in mid-August. I have a few queries and need you help:
1. Are there any public/private bus/tempo-traveler service which runs non-stop from Srinagar to Leh?
2. What all documents do we need to carry along?
3. Any prior permissions required to travel via Dras?
4. Any contacts for rental bikes in Leh?
Hi Akshay,
You are welcome.
1. Yes there is a Srinagar to Leh direct bus and shared taxis as well.
2. Carry a valid identify proof like DL, Voter ID, Aadhar Card etc.
3. No permission required.
4. There are plenty of places to rent a bike from in Leh. I really do not have any contact but just take a stroll around Leh, and before renting a bike ensure that you ride and check it.
Thanks a lot Vargis for the inputs. It is really very helpful.
You are welcome Bhai
hello
i am planing to leave for leh this summer
do we have a direct bus from delhi to srinagar?
further i want to go to leh from srinagar but i cant find any bookings available online
can anybody suggest a better way to reach leh via road from delhi?
Hello – There is a direct bus from Delhi all the way to Leh. Take a look at the article below.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/delhi-to-leh-bus-service-fare-schedule-book/
From Srinagar, read the article below
https://vargiskhan.com/log/srinagar-to-leh-bus-service-fare-schedule-book/
There is no online booking system available yet.
Thanks for the precious informations you have provided here. Are there any transports(Private? like BUs, Shared tempo travellers if not public) available after 3PM to travel from Srinagar to Leh as I will be reaching Srinagar at 2 PM.Appreciate your help in providing infos.
Hello Balaji – There will be no transport available to go to Leh after 1 PM from Srinagar.
I will be reaching Srinagar on 15 May. How can I reach Leg from Srinagar considering I don’t have a budget to accommodate private cabs?
Best way around this date would be to look for a shared cab as the bus started has not yet started.
Hello. First of all congratulation on putting up such an amazing one stop site for all our question.
As i was reading this post, under the section Leh to Srinagar Bus its written it takes 18hrs journey from leh to srinagar whereas google map shows 8.5hr journey.
I will be visiting Ladakh in June and will have to leave for Sonamarg from leh which is enroute Srinagar,
who should i go about it? I have my itinerary planned till 29th june and have to be in Sonamarg on 30th.
Help!
Hi Parth – Thank you for your kind words brother.
Google Maps shows 8.5 hours based on distance however given the fact that it is a tough road with high altitude passes that the bus will be traveling on at night, the journey takes a minimum of 18 hours.
I am not sure if I understood your second question. Are you saying that you cannot start on 29th from Leh or can you? If not a bus, you can look for a shared cab as well.
Thanks for the information. Where can i find shared taxi in ladakh? I want to leave ladakh on 30th morning and reach sonamarg on the same date.
Just go to the main bus stand and look for a Tempo Traveler / Mini Bus. There are plenty of these available. They usually start from Leh around 5 PM and arrive in Srinagar early in the morning between 7-8 AM, running non-stop all night. This is the fastest option I can suggest.
Thanks Vargis.
I appreciate your response.
Your blog is very helpful for tourists travelling to Kashmir..
As I travelling during end of august I may once again contact you if I have some queries.
once again thanks…
No worries Pawan. You can ask any question you may have and anytime
Hi vergis,
I am taking my car to laddakh it has MP number plate.I will be visit via srinagar, will come back via Manali. I wI’ll be using it across ladakh for travelling.
Is there any problem.please suggest.
Hi Pavan – You will face no problem at all as long as the vehicle is registered in your name and you are carrying all the documents.
Hello Vargis..
I will be travelling with my friend to Leh this year during the end of August. Need your help for planning the journey.
My queries are:
1) We will be reaching Srinagar on 18th Evening. Can we get share taxi for leh during the same evening or we have to wait for next day.
2) Can we do break journey such as Srinagar to Sonamarg, Sonamarg to Kargil / Drass and onwards to leh. With night halt halt. at Sonamarg. Intention is do to sightseeing in Sonamarg. Whether we will get share taxi from sonamarg to leh?
3) Require tips for finding share taxi in Leh for visit to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake.
Please advise.
Regards,
Pawan
Hello Pawan,
1 It is hard to comment on shared taxis. You may get one or you may not, there is no schedule for these. Best would be to not travel at night, stay at Srinagar and start next morning.
2. Yes you may halt at Sonamarg for a day. You will easily be able to find and board a shared taxi going towards Kargil.
3. Your best bet would be to reach Leh bus stand and check there for a shared cab. You can contact a travel agent in Leh. These tour operators usually run a tourist shared taxi towards all popular tourist destinations and will find you a spot in their next scheduled cab. Charges however will be slightly higher than a public shared taxi.
Hi Vargis,
Is there any bus service from Leh to Srinagar in mid May?
No the service usually starts towards end of May.
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for the informative post. Do the Srinagar to Leh buses stop in between at places like Sonamarg, Zozi-la, Drass, Lamayuru or is it a non-stop ride from Srinagar to Kargil and then Kargil to Leh?
Also, are there shared taxi’s available from Leh to Manali and what would be the cost per person?
Hi Sundar – Yes the bus will stop at several places for sight seeing, it is not a non-stop ride. and yes, Shared taxis are available too, will cost you anywhere between Rs. 800 – Rs. 1000 per person
Thanks a lot Vargis. Appreciate your help :).
You are welcome Sundar
Hi Vargis, could you please share contact number of any driver/s who have shared taxi?
Hi Neha – I am sorry but I do not have any contact #s of any driver who runs shared taxi service. I only the ones for a Private taxi.
If i want to travel to leh in april is there any bus service available from delhi or manali or srinagar
There is no bus service to Ladakh in April.
i have planned my trip to jammu on may month is there any bus service from jammu to ley ??
and suggest me place to visit
There is no direct bus from Jammu to Leh. You will first have to reach Srinagar and take another bus from there.
The information were very helpful.keep up the good work.
Thanks
so I’ll have to travel by flight only if I want to go to leh in Jan?
Is there no bus service to Srinagar?
No bus service in Jan Ryan …. You will have to catch a flight
Hi Vargis, you mean none of the bus services ply in Jan? Not even Leh-Nubra or Leh-Pangong? 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Vinod – There will not b a bus service in January in Ladakh. You will either have to hire a private cab or board a shared on.
Hi…this is very good post to read, i want to travel from chennai to ladakh , how many hours travel from chennai to ladakh.
It entirely depends on how you are traveling brother …
Hello, Im trying to figure out our bus trip from Kullu to Leh on appr. 22.6.17. By this time the road to Leh should be hopefully open and I would like to know if the HRTC buses start plying this route as soon as the road is open or if they wait until 1.7.
It all depends on the weather brother. If the road opens on time, there may be a bus by 22nd June but if the highway opens late, then the bus service will get delayed too
Apart from when its best : the roads nowadays stay open a longer than believed ( updates on my blog ) , and the buses run as long as the road is open. Last time I took the Srinagar-Leh road in on December 1st , and the Manali-Leh road the last days in October . In both cases the road stayed open nearly a month after I came in. The HRTC buses also stop overnight in Keylong , not Sarchu.
Thanks Vistet
Hello vargis,
please guide me on possible transport from leh to manali with cost structure… oneway bike… shared taxi… bus…full taxi… i want to travel from leh to manali on either 20th.. 21st or 22nd of september…
please help.
Dear Vargis, is there no hptdc bus from Leh to manali after 15th september.
Hi Fraogh – the hptdc bus will no longer be available after mid september however the HRTC buses continue to ply for a few weeks more
Hello there,
We are total 4 members who have planned a trip to Leh Ladakh on this Weekend (30th July, 2016 ). We need your instructions for the same. In our plan, we have the below steps:
1. Flight from New Delhi to Sri Nagar Airport (Sat. Morning).
(Please confirm if there is no problem in Srinagar. For eg. Police protection or ban on visitor for some time.)
2. From Sri nagar, we would like to go to Leh via Kargil by Bus. I think there is curfew in Sri nagar, Please confirm if we can travel by Public transport bus services or Shared taxi from Sri nagar to Leh….Please advise.
3. In Leh we would like to visit all the famous places via Royal Enfield rented bikes.
Please suggest if we need to change something in this rough plan.
Also, I would appreciate you can tell me your cell phone# so that I can call you and get more information for the same.
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Thanks
Suresh Burdak
[email protected]
+91 9461447648
Honestly I cannot really comment on the curfew part. It had been on and off for last 1 month. What time is your flight landing? If it is in early hours, then take a cab from the airport and head straight to the bus stand. The bus to Leh starts early. I would suggest to check the news before you board the flight.
we are planning to start tomorrow to srinagar ….any security measures
will trouble us???
Please take a look at the following post, I have explained the current situation in detail here.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/current-situation-in-srinagar-for-tourists-travelling-ladakh/
Hi,
I am planning to travel in Leh by the local bus service to Nubra and Pangong. I just wanted to know if these buses stop at places that fall on the way like Khardung La?
I am leaving for Ladakh tomorrow by air and traveling by bus to keep the costs at a minimum as there are only two of us and taxi is coming out to be really expensive. I will try and find people to share a taxi with but don’t know if that will be possible.
TIA.
Yes, the bus will stop at Khardung La so you can spend some time there sight seeing
Hi Vargis
we are planing to travel from srinagar to leh by shared taxi, can you pls help tell me how much it would cost for 2 members.
Hi Raghuram – A shared taxi would cost you anywhere between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per person for Srinagar to Leh, depending on your choice of seat and the vehicle your are travelling in. I believe they charge a bit more if you are in the front seat with the driver and a little less if you are in the back seats but do not count on it, they may just charge all the same irrespective of where you are sitting. But yet, the cost would be between these figures, leaning a little towards Rs. 2000 though. For 2 people, it would cost you between Rs 3500 to Rs. 4000
Hi Vargis
Thanks for the response.
Can you pls share me any of those travel agents those who run shared taxi from srinagar to Leh. you can send me the mobile numbers to my personal id i.e [email protected]
Hi Raghuram – I am sorry but I do not have contact info of any driver
Hey buddy that was really helpful can you just ensure me about the delhi to leh bus fare and if it is a aac or non-ac thanks.
Hello Dipan – I am sorry but I do not have any further information on Delhi to Leh bus
Hi Mr. Khan.
I’m reaching srinagar airport from delhi on 28 th july at 6.30am. Is it possible to book bus for same day for leh..? Is it safe to tarvell by rode..? I think there is curfuw in srinagar… is the sirnagar- leh rode is open for gov buses.? Shall i
reschedule my journey.? or its safe to travel by rode from srinagar to leh..??
Please advise.
Thanks
Yes you can take the bus on the same day, just head straight to the bus stand from Airport. Buses ar still operational unless a curfew gets declared but considering the current situation in Srinagar, my advice would be to keep a close check on the situation and if it doesn’t change in next 2 weeks, postpone your trip.
Thanks a lot Mr Khan.
You are welcome brother
Hi Varghis, thank you for the information . we are planning to visit leh this august (Aug 13th to Aug 22) and will take the bus from Manali to leh. We will land in del on 11th night 9:30 pm . If we take a night bus from del isbt (10-10 30 pm) to manali ,can we reach in time to catch the HTPDC bus ? When does it leave Manali? If not, do the other local buses from Manali to Leh have fixed timings and are they comfortable? and if we opt for shared taxi or private one , does it have to be prebooked?
Hi Ankita – I doubt that you will be able to reach Manali in time to catch the bus towards Leh, in case you are not than you will have to wait until next morning. Another option would be to break the journey. Catch a bus or shared taxi towards Keylong, stay there, catch another bus/taxi next morning towards Pang and then towards Leh on third day.
HI Vargis,
I am arriving at Leh on September 20th with a friend and returning on 27th. Given that we will be travelling on a shoestring budget how do we cover Tso Moriri? Buses only ply on 10, 20 and 30th of the month.
Hi Sayantika – Only other option is a shared cab.
Whether it’ll be comfortable to travel from Srinagar to Let via bus?
If yes , then wish bus will be comfortable?
It is quit an OK journey, not excellent in terms of comfort but not bad either.
Hey Vargis ,
Can you please suggest whether to take bus service or taxi from Srinagar to Leh, considering the fact that we have night stay at Kargil and very next day sightseeing at Kargil.
Regards
If you want a little leverage with the timings than taxi is your best bet. Bus will follow a strict schedule.
Hi Vargis,
Pls confirm if Private Vehicles (Car / Bike are allowed in Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Ladakh-Manali route)
Or we have to hire local cars / bikes from there, as I have heard somewhere that at some places, they don’t allow outer vehicles & insist on taking local ones…
Thanks,
Ajay
Hi Ajay – Private vehicles are good enough. The problem is with self drive taxis. As long as it is a private car and you have all the documents, you should not face any problem.
Hi Vargis.
Please confirm if we have already done the bookings in Hotel in Kargil still can we take the busses and will they halt till next day and from where do we need to catch the bus again the next morning and at what time.
Hello I would be reaching Srinagar on 30th July at 2:00PM just wanted to know where can I get the Government busses from Srinagar for LEH
Hi Shweta – You can get the bus next morning from Srinagar bus stand. Just make sure you reach there early in the morning, say by 6 AM.
Very helpful! I’m in Leh now, for several weeks, and didn’t want to have to take expensive taxis everywhere. Thanks 🙂
You are welcome
i m landing at sri nagar on 25.06.2016 at 7.00 pm in the evening. Can I get the ticket of 8.00 am bus on 26.06.2016 for leh. is booking counters open in the evening for ticket booking.
Yes you can. Just reach the Srinagar Bus stand early in the morning, say between 5 to 6 AM and board the bus.
thanks Vargis for information
You are welcome Rohit
Hi, I would be landing in Srinagar on 22nd July at around 3pm. Can you please give me ideas of reaching Leh by 23rd night.
Santosh
no way you can do it unless you are able to find a taxi driver who is willing to drive you non-stop to Leh.
How to reach Khardung LA pass from leh apart from car? And what about bus service?
i wants to plan for srinagar,leh,ladak.how many days for this three or for places.
depends on where you are traveling from but 1 week at least
Hi I am planning to go from Srinagr to Kargil in the first week of July will reach srinagar airport arount 12- 1 pm and go to kargil on same day by bus request you update the time and cost of travelling from srinagar to Kargil.
If you reach Srinagar at 1, no way you can reach Kargil the same day, just not possible.
Thanks Mr. Khan for prompt reply request you to update the time and cost of travelling from srinagar to Kargil and is there any risk to travel by road from Srinagar to Kargil
It is the same bus that goes from Srinagar to Leh, please see # 3 of the above article. No risk in traveling by road.
Excellent compilation.
Thank you
Hi…i will be going to Leh around 20th of June. I was planning on going from Delhi via Manali. Is the route open in June? And if so, when will the buses be available? Any ideas? It would be very helpful, since i cannot postpone my trip, and am riding on low budget.
Hello Debarati – Bus service would be available at that time
hello vargis
Thanks for this information.me and my friend planning to visit leh this july.this is our plan.we got short time.
july 10 (5PM) delhi – manali (06am) – there is volvo bus service
july 11 (09 am) Manali – leh (13 : 07am) – 2500 HRTC bus + accommodation service
july 15 (10am) leh – srinagar (16th) – without halt
we have to take flight from srinagar at 9PM 17th
is this possible? please tell me your suggestion to make this possible
Hi Anu, yes it is doable
hey vargis!
very informative post you have added here.
pls tell me can leh-pangong-leh be done in one day? what are the bus timings from both sides? and can one take the bus to srinagar from leh after returning from pangong the same day?
can you guide me on this pls?
Hi Sujit – Leh-Pangong-Leh in a public transport will be next to impossible. This journey takes a good 6-8 hours one side. And no you cannot take the Srinagar bus the same day because you will reach back in evening whereas the bus is next morning.
okay thanks!
how much does taxi service cost there? considering i’m travelling alone can i get people there willing to travel and share cost for the taxi services?
also do you know places around leh which can be covered in a day’s time?
Private taxi for Leh to Pangong and Back will cost you anywhere between 10-15k …. I think it was 13 or 14k last year
ohh ok! thanks vargis.
Hello vargis! We are planning to travel Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri on October 11 to October 16 this year. Is it possible to go that time ??!! Plz Help me.
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to visit leh on 7 th July and would need some suggestions.
I want to take up the bus from Srinagar to leh which halts at kargil for the night.
Now I am planning to go to sonmarg on 6 th July and reach by 10.30 or 11 am and roam around till 1 PM. Now here are my questions
1. Can I book seats from sonmarg on the bus from Srinagar to leh from Srinagar or will i have to book from sonmarg? Also can I book tickets from Srinagar to leh and board the bus at sonmarg instead of Srinagar. I am planning to reach sonmarg on my own in the same morning and board the bus from sonmarg, any ideas about what time it leaves sonmarg for kargil?
2. Also are there buses that start from sonmarg in the morning and reach leh by evening?
3. Is it possible to book bus tickets from kargil to leh from Kargil or can it also be booked from Srinagar?
4. Is there a stopover at sonmarg for the Srinagar to leh bus and how much time would it be?
We are a family of 4 and looking out for budget options. Please suggest. I would anyhow want to reach leh by 7 th July.
Also as eid is falling on 7 th July would the buses ply or would there be less number of vehicles traveling that route?
Regards,
Payel
Hi Payel, There is no advance booking available for govt run buses, you may check for private buses but I doubt they have that option.There is no bus starting from Sonamarg, the bus comes from Srinagar which means that you will hav to board that bus and stop at Kargil. Eid will not effect the govt bus schedule.
Thanks a lot Vargis, your post has surely helped me a lot to plan my travel and was one of my main reference.
Keep helping people like us in future as well :-). Thanks again.
You are welcome … Glad I could be of help
HELLO
VARGIS.
I AM NIRAV.
1. I WANT TO KNOW WILL IT BE SAFE TO COME LEH TO MANALI BY ROAD ON LAST WEEK OF JUNE?
2. WHICH TRANSPORTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE BY SHARING BASIS?
Hi Nirav,
Yes it is quite safe at that time. Transportation can be either in form of a bus or shared taxis.
Hello Vargis.
I am Nirav. i want to travel leh from ahmedabad
1. I am planning to have a flight from ahmedabad to leh.
2. 7n 8d tour
3. return on 21st jun i want to travel from leh to manali by road. we are only 1 couple.
4. so which is the cheap and best way to reach manali? can we hire share taxi or we can have bus service?
5. what is the approx. rent of shared taxi and bus including night stay
Thanks
Nirav – Cheapest way would be a bus, rent would be approximately what I mentioned in the post above, may change a little this year but would be around this number. I am sorry but I am not really sure how much the shared taxi drivers charge.
Hey Vargis,
First of all, thanx for your effort towards sharing the information. It is just amazing..Gr8 job bro..
I am planning to visit Srinagar – Kargil ( night stay ) and back to Srinagar in the end of June..
Can you suggest that what are the best possible mode of transportation to Kargil and how I can manage those in budget..
In the earlier comments, I am bit confused between hiring a taxi and bus..
Are the buses are safe?? As i want to travel with my family..
If i hired a taxi to Kargil ..How much it will be??
Thanks…..
Hello Aniket, Three ways you can do the journey. Either board a bus, or a shared taxi or hire a private taxi altogether. If there are no budget constraint, then a private taxi would be the best but if there is a budget limitation then I suggest you take the bus. Some people do take a shared taxi but I will not suggest that when you are with family.
Hi Vargis,
I have read your blog and all the answers to above questions repeatedly and its been extremely helpful. Amazing content. Hats Off!
I am planning for a trip next week with no time constraint and preferably by public transport. I am going from Srinagar hoping the Manali route while returning in 20 – 25 days time. I have read your itinerary by own vehicle, but if you have any at length for public transport that will be great to follow.
Here is my rough Plan (Let me know if you recommend any change here)
Delhi – Jammu (By train)
Jammu – Srinagar
Srinagar – Drass (Is it worth staying there? Will I get place to stay? Any idea how many buses would operate, in case I want to stay for a couple of hours and leave)
Drass – Kargil (Can I directly leave for Padum? How do I visit Drass War Memorial?)
Kargil – Padum (I have visited this place during Chadar trek this January and am a die heard fan. Would not like to miss. I know a place here to stay. But not sure about transport)
Padum – Kargil (What would be frequency from here to get the bus?)
Kargil – Lamayuru (Is it worth stopping by here? if not, will the bus stop here?)
Lamayuru – Leh (Again, the frequency. If not stay, would the bus fault here?)
Pangong (Can I leave on Sat morning and return by Monday morning, or I will have to take the same bus back? How long does it reach Pangong from Leh?)
Nubra – best way to manoeuvre around this place
Tso Morini – I read this and don’t think its possible by public transport. best way to manoeuvre around this place?
Sarchu – best way to manoeuvre around this place
Are there any more places you suggest? No time constrains
Manali via Rohtang Pass (hopefully it opens up)
Dehli
Common questions –
How is the bus frequency for all these places, in case I want to just spend some time in between and leave by another bus. Is that even possible?
Or do the public transport usually stop by at famous spots?
For e.g – Sonmarg, Zoji La, Mulbek, Namika La, Hangroo Loops, Nimmu and so on..
Or any better way you can suggest to see more by public transport?
Asking this again, but any good local food you suggest is a must try in Leh and other places?
For all the places and camp sites you have suggested to stay, would we get enough blankets to cover ourselves? Or would you recommend to purchase Sleeping Bag and carry one always otherwise?
I would love to join any bike groups and share the expense. How do I get to know and connect any group like this?
Hello Pooja,
Thank you for appreciation and I truly envy you for having almost a month for a trip. You are living my dream. Coming to your itinerary,
1. Drass is definitely worth staying, scenic place with plenty of hotels. I myself prefer it over staying at Kargil. If the idea is to go to Kargil, then you can easily find a transport. If not a bus, then shared taxis run at regular basis.
2. It will depend on how early you are able to leave from Drass, depending on how early you can find a transport. Kargil to Padum can take up to 7-8 hours and Drass to Kargil is easily 3 hours at minimum so my advice would be to not go to Padum directly.
3. Bus would be a little hard to find, shared taxis you can avail.
4. Bus will stop at Lamayuru, nothing much to see here though so not worth staying.
5. Almost an entire days journey from Leh to Pangong. Stay there for the night at least.
6. For Nubra, shared taxis would be best.
7. There is a bus that goes to Moriri and plenty of shared taxis so will not be a problem to reach there.
8. Nothing in Sarchu, just a few dhabas and chadar tent. It is not even a village, just a stop by the road side.
Bus frequency is not really that great so do not just get down anywhere because if you do not find a transport, you will be struggling to find a place to crash for the night. Bus will stop at all the famous places for sight seeing.
If you are a non-vegetarian, you must try non-veg in Sonmarg and Drass.
No need to carry you own sleeping gear, the camp sites will provide you as many as you like.
I do not have any tie ups with any bike groups. I myself will be travelling in 1st week of July along with a few friends to Leh. If your plan is around the same time, you are most welcome to join.
Thanks a tonne Vargis. This was really really helpful.
Just one more query – would you know of any decent hotels / camp sites in Leh since that will be bypass most of the times.
Can you drop in your contact details in case I postponed my trip for July.
There are no camp sites on Srinagar Leh highway, at least I have never noticed any. Pangong and Moriri have several camp sites, plenty of options, just see which one you liked better. On the way back, Sarchu has a few camp sites as well.
Leave me your email address and I will send you my phone number.
[email protected]
Dear pooja
manali
leh way will open next weak…..
i confirm it today
Thank you Sumit, appreciate the information brother
Hi, my sister and i wanted to take our father for a surprise birthday trip to amritsar-dharamshala-manali-leh. Should we start our trip from Srinagar to Amritsar or the other way round? We are planning this from 7th September to 17th September. Which route to leh would be safer and better?
PLease advise.
Both routes are safe and equally scenic. I would advise the Srinagar route. Reach Amritsar, go to Srinagar and then take the Srinagar Leh highway. You can do the Leh Manali on return. It would better help acclimatize to the high altitude.
Hi Vargis Bhai, Let me congratulate you on the wonderful & knowledgeable write up!
Further I would require your help I am planning to move to leave for Kargil, LEH from Srinagar on 4-June. Few points on which I need your Guidance:
1) What time does Bus leave from LEH – Kargil?
2) I will reach Srinagar by 12pm on 4-June…. can I still get a bus? are advance bookings possible?
3) If I need to take a shared Taxi where in Srinagar can I get it. Is it advised to take shared taxi?
4) As I intend to be back from LEH-Manali route would you advice me to stay a day in Kargil?
5)Will the LEH-MANALI road be open by 10-11 June?
6) I would want to Explore LEH on Bike? Are Bikes Available on rent @ LEH?
7) DO we get tented accommodation at Nubra, Pangong?
8) Any other suggestions or tips you can give.
I thank-you in advance for the pain you to reply to each. Do let me know incase I can be of any help to you.
Warm Regards
Jasmeet
Kindly read first point as: What time does bus leave Srinagar – Kargil?
Hello Jasmeet,
Thank you for your kind words brother.
1. All buses on this route start early in the morning as the journey takes an entire day to complete.
2. You will not get a bus at 12 that will take you all the way to Kargil.
3. You can get the taxi from the main bus stand but I would advise against it. My honest opinion would be to stay in Srinagar and leave the next day. Rent a houseboat in Srinagar, worth an experience.
4. No point in spending an entire day in Kargil, nothing to see here. It is just a small town on the highway.
5. Current estimate is that it should be open as there hasn’t been much snow this year.
6. Plenty of shops where you can rent a bike from in Leh. Way too many shops actually.
7. Nubra, No. You will find hotels and guests houses in Nubra. Pangong Yes. There you will only find camp sites.
8. Let me know what your itinerary is and I can make suggestions.
Dear Vargis…. Great Help! Thanks my brother.
I will reach Srinagar by 7.30am on 4-June.
-Can I get a bus around this time to LEH.
-I will be in LEH till 12-13 June please suggest with your experience. I would not want to miss on anything. keeping in mind I will travel by Bike.
Thanks for all your support in advance.
Warm Regards
jasmeet
The best advice I can give right now is to head straight to the bus stand and check if there is still a bus available, chances are that you may catch one. There is no advance booking system available so you will have to buy a ticket on the spot. Depending on the number of travelers, the number of buses is decided and depending on that, sometimes the bus can leave a little late, between 8 to 9 AM.
Hello Vargis,
there are a lot of spots in between srinagar to leh.
I want to know that do buses stops at these points?
My plan is to visit sonamarg on 31st of may and from sonmarg to kargil the same day. Is it possible?
Thank you
Yeah buses do stop at certain points for site seeing … and yes, you can easily do Sonamarg to Kargil in a day
Hi Aditya
Look at an possibility if u can join on June 4. We can do tag along trip.
Hi Jasmeet,
It would not be possible as I am travelling with my family.
dear vargis, I just want to know whether may I return from leh to manali on 6th june by bus. if not pl you give perfect direction to me how to take my seat from chandigarh by kalka mail on 9th june 16
It all depends whether the highway would be open at that time or not. It usually opens around that date, give or take a few days, so you will have to check on the status of the road before commencing your journey
Hello mr vargis i am planning to make a trip to leh on 14 may . so u pls tell me that at that time the leh manali highway is open or not and the bus service is available at thet time or not ?
Manali Leh highway will not be open at this time Dinesh
Hi mr Vargis sorry very long list below, i have group 10pax on July 12. we want to get a private bus to Leh, is there any company we can contact? or can you help? please email me to [email protected]
I am sorry but I do not have any tie ups with any travel agencies
Hi Vargis,
Is possible to go to Ley by bus from Delhi in June, we have planed to visit there by bus but not sure the route is open or not?
Our plan is on June 18 and back to Delhi on July.
Would you please give me for this info, thank you.
Yes it is possible, bus services are operational at that time
Dear Sir,
I have plan tour to Leh (Ladhakh) duing 22nd May 2015 to 1 June 2016 schedule as follows :
Leaving Nagpur on 23/5/16 at 00:50 am for Delhi
Delhi to Jammu 23/05/16 at 22:15 pm
reaching Jammu at 7 am.
Jammu to Nagpur on 01/06/16 schedule filght at 13:30.
Please let me know how to reach Leh by road during this span of time.
You can take a bus, shared or private taxi … plenty of options
Hi vargis,
Can we get shared taxi from Leh to Srinagar? If yes, what are the rates? Will we be able to enjoy the journey if we take a bus instead? We might need to stop at some points of interest especially Zozilla pass.
I will be visiting during september. Is that a good time for visit?
Hi Saikat, Yes you can get a shared taxi but I am not sure how much it will cost you. A shared taxi and bus would mean pretty much the same thing in terms of sight seeing, limited stops. They do stop at the passes and a few other places but only for a little while. And yes, September would be a good month.
Thanks for the response. I will reach Leh on 21st Sep and plan to go Srinagar on 25th. Can I cover Pangong Lake and Nubra Valley during this time? If yes can you suggest an itinerary for this?
Also do I need to book hotels in advance? I will be travelling with family.
Yes you can. If you are in Srinagar on 21st, you can go to Pangong on 22nd, come back to Leh on 23rd, go to Nubra and come back the same day on 24th and be on your way to Srinagar on 25th. Alternate itinerary would be to reach Pangong on 22nd, take the Agham Shyok road and reach Nubra on 23rd, and return to Leh from Nubra on 24th. I do not think you need any booking in advance, plenty of options available at all places to chose from. Just find the location that suits you the best and check in.
Hi Vargis, thank you for your post. It is very helpful!!
I am planning to visit Leh around middle April. Will Leh be accessible from Srinagar by road at this time?
If not by public bus, will it be possible to hire a private taxi? What should I expect the cost for this to be and do you know of a cheap taxi agency? I have heard there was less snow this year and therefore the road might open up earlier. Is there a contact number of a travel agent where I can inquire regarding recent information on the state of the roads?
What are the best options for flights if not by road?
Looking forward to hear from you.
Hello April, Leh in mid april will not be accessible by road as the Srinagar Leh highway opens sometime in May. In usual conditions, it opens sometime in 2nd or 3rd week of April. Even for early, it will be sometime in last week of April of 1st week of May and the bus service wont really start that early
Taxi at this time of the year from Srinagar to Leh will cost you a bit and then you will have to hire another taxi in Leh for local sight seeing as a taxi from Srinagar is not allowed to ply in areas in Ladakh. For flights, Jet Airways would be the best option.
dear Vargis Khan
good to see your responses and valuable information. keep going on and you will have love and blessings of visitors.
now, if you can help me a bit.
i am leaving for leh from srinagar on 16/07/16 and will be reaching leh on 17/07/16 by bus with my wife and son.
my proposed itinerary is as follows:
18/07/16 – local sight seeing
19/07/16 – visit to pangong lake and back same day
20/07/16 – visit to nubra valley and night stay there.
21/07/16 – returned back to leh and local market in evening
22/07/16 – any suggestion for single day
23/07/16 – depart from leh for kolkata
my queries are :
1. what time the bus leaves from srinagar and reaches leh on next day
2. any advance online booking available or any contact person at srinagar for helping me in getting ticket for 16/07/16 positively.
3. whether advance hotel booking is required at kargil
4. at leh whether shared taxi / buses are available for pangong lake and nubra valley. if yes, what may be possible charges and timings.
5. whether advance hotel booking is required at leh and nubra valley. If yes, what may be charges in economical mode.
6. any contact person who can help me in shared taxi / bus bookings and hotel bookings at leh and nubra valley.
7. any specific eatery where i can get north indian food specifically.
8. any specific outlet where i can go for shopping genuine laddakh products
9. and most important ,what are the suggestions for acclimatization with the climate.
10. any other valuable suggestion which may be helpful for me.
Hello Sushanta,
Thank you for liking my blog. About your itinerary first,
18/07/16 – local sight seeing
19/07/16 – visit to pangong lake and back same day – *** Not at all advised, it should be a 2 days journey if you really intend to enjoy it ***
20/07/16 – visit to nubra valley and night stay there.
21/07/16 – returned back to leh and local market in evening
22/07/16 – any suggestion for single day *** Merge either this day or 18th with your stay at Pangong ***
23/07/16 – depart from leh for kolkata
1. Starts early from Srinagar and reaches Leh by late afternoon or evening
2. Unfortnately no and you do not even need advance booking in my opinion. You will have to buy a ticket on the spot.
3. No
4. Please visit the following link for taxi rates. If you need me provide my taxi contact in Leh, let me know.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/taxi-rates-ladakh/
5. No for both. Plenty of accommodation options available at both places. Shanti Palace in Leh is my favorite and I always stay there whenever I am in Leh.
6. I can give you my contact’s number in Leh. He is a taxi driver, humble guy who can help you with both. Can drive you around in his own taxi.
7. Forget North Indian, just enjoy Kashmiri dishes while you are there. Plenty of good hotels and restaurants, try them all. They are all worth it.
8. No specific outlet, just go to the main market, a big line of shops where you can buy lots of stuff depending on your negotiation skills.
9. Please read the following article.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/dealing-acute-mountain-sickness-ladakh/
Thanks,
Vargis
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Hope this will help a lot.
dear vargis, one more help
is it possible to travel from leh to srinagar in one single day
if possible, kindly give me departure time from leh and arrival timing at srinagar, mode of journey (bus preferable) , approximate fares
if it suits me, i may change my itinerary.
sushanta
Sushanta – Srinagar to Leh in one day is not possible. It is a 2 days journey at the least.
the journey is from leh to srinagar
Even then it is a 2 days journey
Hi Vargis,
Is it true that buses do not run on Mondays from Srinagar to Leh? By any chance, is there someone i can email (i’m a foreigner) to confirm if buses run on Mondays or not?
Regards,
Gautham
Hi, I forgot to add, that will be during July (peak season).
Not that I am aware of Gautham. As far as my knowledge goes, this is a daily bus service.
Hii khan Sahab,
I am planning to Leh with Family in 2 Week of April, Is it a good time to visit
Hello Asad Bhai, You can visit Leh in April but you will have to go by air as the Srinagar Leh highway may not be declared open at that time. You will also have to be prepared for an extremely cold weather.
Hi! These buses are available even the first week of May? Or they are only in the summer (June-September)? Thanks
On Manali – Leh highway – No
On Srinagar – Leh highway and all other areas – Depends on the status of the road.
Sir jee
May be depends on time
We went thr on Oct 20 from leh to tso-moriri
We did see govt buses
Thanks for the information bro
Hi Vargis,
I m coming from Delhi to Leh Via Srinagar after Diwali. Can u suggest me that the bus will be running in currently r not. I want to go Leh By Road, plz suggest me
Which route are you planning to take?
On Srinagar Leh highway, yes the would be operational in October
hi vargis, i am mk, planning to do either a bike trip jammu-srinagar-leh-manali-delhi (or) just a bus/taxi based trip from manali-leh-manali; strting from oct 25; will the roads be open? accomodations be available? i have its a off season..
Srinagar Leh highway should remain open at that time. Status of the Manali Leh road would depend on weather conditions.
Dear Varghis,
I am arriving Srinagar on 11th Oct and I want catch Leh Bus starting from Sringar on 12th Oct 8am. Is this bus service still available. If so can I make any advance bookings. Also pls let me know abt the night hault at Kargil. Do I have to find any hotel in Kargil or will bus take me to some hotel for night stay. One more question will bus service from Leh to pangong available during my travel in Leh. Thanks for your help.
Sanju, This bus remains operational till early Novemeber. You do not really need to make any advance bookings. Plenty of hotels in Kargil so if you do not like the one where the bus takes you, you can take a stroll around in the town and stay where you feel comfortable. The Bus to Pangong in October will depend on the weather conditions, especially around Chang La top.
Thanks Vargis, you have provided sufficient information…
I have one more querry regarding bus services during February month… Is it possible to explore Ladakh region by bus/shared taxi and preferably by bus during that period ??
Ladakh region mein buses operational hote hain kya last -Jan early Feb mein??
Thanks in advance
Nishant – If you are visiting in Jan – Feb, you would have to hire a private cab. There is a lot of snow in the region at that time so Buses and shared taxis would either be completely unavailable or very rare.
And by rare, I mean a bus once or twice in a week if weather allows.
Very helpful information Vargis, thank you. I would need your help here. i am planning a trip to manali During Oct 20-30 for 4-5 days. do you think it’s good time to visit manali?. if you have any other place to visit apart from manali, please do suggest. after reading your blog, i can extend my stay if i get a chance to visit Leh. any thoughts. appreciate your suggestion
Manali will be fine in October end however it would not be the ideal time to go towards Leh using the Manali Leh highway
Hello Varghis,
Firstly, thank you for listing this down. This saves so much time wasted while preparing the itinerary.
I will be in JK from Nov 16th to Nov 29th. I have read about the roads being blocked and restrictions to certain places during this period. Could you please give me a fair idea about what would be open and might not.
And will the above bus facilities remain uninterrupted during Nov as well? *concerned* Thanks.
Hi Abhishek,
It is really hard to predict the roads that late in November bro. It all depends on the snow, roads can be declared closed anytime. Though the road should be open in mid November but do not depend on it, you may get stuck if the road is blocked on any of the high altitude passes. I would advise against taking a road journey in November, better postpone it for next year.
Hi Vargis, we are reaching Leh by air from delhi and would like to travel to pengong lake the very same day by a rental car. Is this OK we heard one should take a day to aclimatize.
Hi Rajesh, Yes, it is advisable to stay for a day in Leh and head to Pangong the next or else your night at Pangong will turn ugly due to AMS
Many Thanks Vargis
You are welcome
Hi Vargis,
Wonderful post. Info such as these helps in reducing travel budget.
For fellow travelers, we are traveling from Sri Nagar to Kargil on 7th Sep. Is there anyone interested in sharing taxi? Also, is anyone interested in visiting Suru Zanskar from Kargil on 8th? If yes, do let me know. Thanks.
You are welcome Priya
Hello, Vargis! Writing you from Russia)
7th of september I’m planing to move Srinagar-Leh, you mentioned that there re Leh-Srinagar buses, which take a route for 1 day (2 am from leh, 7 pm in srinagar). Do you know, is it possible another way, Srinagar-Leh for 1 day (depart from Srinagar also early-early morning, around 2 am?) if no, is it possibe to have an overnight stop not in Kargil, but in Malbeque or Lamayuru?
Also, have a question abou permits in Leh. If I arrive in Leh at day X, does it mean, that I can go to Nurba valley only at X+1 day, cause making a permit tooks at least 1 day?
Much appreciated!
Hi Alexey,
Let me be the first one to welcome you to India. There are regular buses from Leh to Kargil so yes it is possible to leave Leh and reach Kargil or any other town on the way and spend night there. Another option is to board a shared taxi. Whether or not you can visit Nubra the next day depends on what time you arrive at Leh as permits are not given after 3 PM. It also depends on how soon you are able to arrange the permits. I would suggest reading the following post regarding arranging permits for foreign nationals.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/obtaining-ladakh-protected-area-permit/
Thanks,
Vargis
Thanks, Vargis, Thanks for an answer, But I mentioned another situation.. I am going from Srinagar to Leh, and do you know, is it possible to make this road for 1 day, without overnight stops between Srinagar and Leh? By either bus or shared taxi? And if it is not possible to make this rod for 1 day, and I will make an overnight stay not in Kargil, but Lamayuru or Malbek, will it be any transport from these cities to Leh next morning?
By the way, how easy is a hitchhiking in Ladakh? Is it possible to catch a truck on the road?
Appreciate!
Alexey – By bus it is a 1 day journey. The bus will start at 2 AM, and reach by 7.30 PM, a 17 hrs journey. You can do hitchhiking as well, traveling in shared taxis. Trucks could be a little difficult.
I cought the srinagar leh bus. but leh manali bus was 2500 per people. if you have 2500/= you can get shared taxi from taxi stand at leh. thanx to post. we are sri lankans. we couldnt got permission to visit tsummorri lake and nubra . but unfogottble experirnce of both highway tour. Manali route is under construction and Laying of Optical fiber works.
Thanks for adding this information Indika
Hi vargis I m have to travel to leh in September and I will reach by 8 sep. Just wanted to know how is the weather that time in leh. Doed it rain regularly during September
Hi Ricky, September would be perfect for visiting Leh. There won’t be any rain in Leh at this time.
Hi vargis,
This is Hareesh. I am coming to Leh on Aug 31(8 am) with one of my friends. Here I am giving the short itenary of our trip. We are planning to cycle as much as possible.
Sep 1 – Leh to Khardung village ( Upto khardungla pass by bus and ther to kardungla
village cycling).
Sep 2 – Khardung village to Hunder cycling.
Sep 3 – Hunder to Turtuk cycling.
Sep 4 – Will catch some transport back to Diskit and from ther planning to cycle upto
Panamik.
Sep 5 – Panamik to Khardungla pass by some transport and from ther cycle back to Leh.
Please give me advise regarding the following:
1) Is one day acclimitisation is enough? We r going to khardung village 2 nd day itself which is like almost 450 m higher than Leh and also in between Khardungla pass is ther.
2) Transportation from Turtuk to Diskit on day 4 and transportation from panamik towards khardungla top on day 5.
My main concern is acclimitisation part and that is also the reason why we r not cycling to khardungla pass from Leh itself. Please suggest me any other information which i have to consider or any changes in our plan according to you.
Hi Hareesh, This plan looks fine. You may run into some trouble transporting your cycles from one place to another, not that easy to find something to carry all that luggage around. Acclimatisation part depends on how you are reaching Leh. Are you arriving by air or driivng?
Thanks for the info.
How about Leh-Kargil bus route? Or shared cab?
You are welcome. You can easily find a bus or shared taxi from Leh to Kargil.
Hello sir we want to leave leh and reach srinagar on october 21st 2015, so as u have mentioned bus leaves at 2am but t reaches on 22nd 7pm but s there any bus which reaches on same day… I have a flight to catch from srinagar on 22nd at 1pm or so…
Please help…
In that case you would have to leave a day before Joshua.
Hi Vargis, I am so glad that you wrote about bus services as I am planning to travel alone. Oooops I am a girl BTW!!! I am more concern about the single accommodation facility available in form of dormitory or hostels. What do you know about this?
Hi Sapna, You are better off renting hotels on the route. You can easily find one except for Pangong where you would have to stay at a camp site.
Could you give me some idea about per day accommodation charges. I mean being a solo traveler I would not have the facility to share the cost.
At an average, for budget hotels, charges would be anywhere between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000
Dear Vargis,
I am returning from pahelgam to Amritsar on 24th November 2015. I have booked a car from Pahelgam to Jammu and probalbly reaching Jammu by 5:00pm. Please let me know if any bus service or taxi service is there to reach Amritsar by 10 pm. I will be going with my family ,so I don’t want to take the vatinda express train which is reaching Amritsar by 1:55 pm.
Please suggest.
Amit
Hi Amit, I am sorry but I do not have any information on bus service from Jammu to Amritsar.
Hello Vargis
my question is i reach leh by air from delhi to 18 oct 15 and leave leh from 22 oct by road to srinagar.
is any bus service from leh to srinagar or private car hire from leh to srinagar. How much cost of private car hire from leh to srinagar. plz provide contact no of travveller.
Hi Khalid, Option 17 in the article above is for Leh to Srinagar Bus.
For the number 17th option: Leh to Srinagar Bus Service, does that mean the bus leaves at 2 am and reaches on 7:30 pm on the same day? Is it 15.5 hours journey or is it a 39.5 hours journey?
It is a 15.5 hours journey. The bus would leave at 2 am from Leh, run non-stop except for a few breaks and reach Srinagar by evening 7.
Hi, Are there buses from Sonamarg to Leh? Also, please let me know the timings of the departure from Sonamarg and arrival in Leh. Thanks in advance.
It is the bus from Srinagar to Leh that you will have to catch from Sonmarg. I am not sure about what time it arrives there.
Hey,I have decided to take the 2500 bus from Leh to Manali. In the time table provided by you all buses reach after 2 days but buses starting on a sunday take 3 days to reach. Why so? I have decided to book for 16-Aug and will reach Manali on 20-Aug. Can you tell me which side of the bus should I take. Driver side or left side. from which side the view will be better? Thanks in advance
Hello I am plan to leh buy bus from Chandigarh to leh that is possibly
Hi Arun , This is Krishna from Delhi , tried to reach you as i am too planning to go to Leh , Pl confirm the modus operandi if interested call me # 9582067837 . Thanks Krish,
Hi Vargis,
Hope you are doing well.
Myself and few of my friends are travelling to Leh from Manali on Sept 20. As you mentioned in the post, HPTDC stops their services by Sept. 15th, is there any another buses will ply in the Manali-Leh route beyond Sept 15th.
You can check for a shared taxi Arjun
how easy is to do excursions in leh and around like pangong ,nubra,turtuk ??
I m planning a trip to leh in september..wanted to do a drive in fly out trip.will go to manali by volvo and den manali to leh by tempo traveller. dont know how much it will cost for two to do excursions in and around leh !!
Hello Vargis,
I am Charlie Thomas from kerala. I am planning a trip (5 people, driving from Delhi, Manali, Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Jammu, Delhi starting by 30th or 31st of August’15). Pls advise if we need to obtain any kind of approval/N.O.C. from any authorities like military or Himachal Police or Tourism from Manali ? If yes, pls let me know the formalities.
Another information required is that, what about the local peoples attitude towards the travellers, i.e. can I stay with the local people and experience their lifestyle ? (For your info – we are budget travellers). Awaiting your response. Thanks in Advance.
Hi Vargis,
Hope you are doing well.
Need your advice to plan our journey in better way. we are starting our journey from 28 July from Srinagar and will be staying for 6 days in Leh. we like to visit below places could you let us know how can we plan it ..were to start from.
Khardung la
Nubra Valley
Pangong Lake
Magnetic Hill
Shey , Hemis & Thikse
Hello Wasim, Have you prepared an itinerary yet?
Hi Vargis,
Here is the itinerary.
Date Plan
28-Jul Srinagar to kargil
29-Jul Kargil to Leh
30-Jul Day arnd Leh Market
31-Jul Leh to Pangong
1-Aug Pangong to leh
2-Aug Leh to Nubra
3-Aug Leh to Khardungla
4-Aug Visit to Monastery(Shey/Thikse/Hemis)
5-Aug Leh to Manali (End of Trip)
Several things you need to change.
1. Khardungla is on the way to Nubra, you do not need a separate day to cover that.
2. Why not reach Pangong from Nubra directly?
3. Did you mean to say that you are planning to reach Manali from Leh in a day?
Hullo vargis! Is there any way of pre booking bus tickets from Srinagar to leh or is it fine to just land up at the bus stop ?
Hi Abhinav, There is no advance booking available. You will have to reach there and buy a ticket for the same day (if available) or book for next day.
Hi Vargis,
I need to book my flights from Srinagar to Bangalore as the Leh to bangalore sector is expensive. Hence im planning to travel by road to Srinagar from leh on the 9th of August. Please let me know how long will it take to reach Srinagar from Leh and also the bus timings. I can travel from Leh on the 8th night itself. So any bus which leave Leh at night is also fine for me to take.
Also can u tell if i need to stay at Leh on the 9th and thn take a flight on the 10th. If Yes, please suggest some good and safe hotels.
Hi Shruthi,
There is no night bus from Leh. It is always a morning bus that halts for the night at Kargil on Day 1 and reaches Srinagar in the evening on Day 2. Hotel Shanti Palace in Leh is my personal favorite in terms of safety, comfort and service. Let me know if you need me to provide you their number and address.
I am planned a trip of leh
So m going leh 23 sept. By air delhi to leh.
I want to travel leh to srinagar by bus at 29 sept.
Is there only one service daily or more???
And what is the booking process
Where to book
Is there any online option???????
There is only one bus that starts at 8 AM. There is no online booking. The bus departs from Tourist reception center near Dal Lake. You can reach there and board the bud.
hii sir
i have plan leh to srinagar by bus
on 24/08/2015 please tell me
avaliable this date bus service
& any contact to online book bus seat
thanks
HARSHAL ASHAR
Hi Harshal, This is a regular bus service and you can get the from main bus stand in Srinagar.
hii sir leh to srinagar/jammu daily bus available??
25 August my flight jammu to mumbai
Yes, this is a daily bus service.
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to visit tso moriri,pangong tso and nubra by local buses from leh. Are these buses reliable?
Does the bus leave you at the nearest village, like tangste in case of pangong tso?
Hi Rohini,
Bus services are pretty reliable and no, they will not leave you at Tangtse. It goes all the way to Pangong.
Hello Vargis,
I am reaching srinagar on 11th march and thinking of going till Kargil and maybe tiger point. I wanna know if state buses will be available at that time?
Hi Saransh,
I doubt that there will be a Bus service all the way till Kargil at that time. You may have to catch a taxi if you can find one
hi vargis,
my name is divyakumar i am my frinds are travelling to leh and we are going via chandigarh and manali. i had couple of questions, is it good to prebok cabs or else we can reach there and bargain. we dont want to do sight seeing in manali as we have already been there. we just need a night stop in jispa. we would like to spend most of our time in leh. second question do you get transportation from leh to nubra and pangong like a bus service or is it good to have a private cab
Hi Divyakumar,
Both ways is fine. If you are booking a private cab, I doubt that you will get much discount because the taxi union has a fixed rate. There are regular shared cabs and buses to Nubra and Pangong but they will have limited stops.
Hi Divya, This is Arun from Chennai, we are planning for trip from chandigarh to Leh by renting out a self driven car or hiring a cab, we are 3 of us…if possible we all can join together and travel so that the cost can be shared.
Our Plan
Day 1 – chennai to Chandigargh by flight
Day 1 – rent a car in Chandigargh
Day 1 – Chandigargh – Jispa
Day 2 – Jispa – Sarchu
Day 3 – Sarchu – Leh
Day 4 – Leh ( Pangogng Lake)
Day 5 – Leh (Khardungala pass) or Nubra
Day 6 – Leh
We are planning for this trip on September 1st week
If you are interested kindly wats app me (8939444669), i will share our details
Hi vargis,
I am from west bengal.we 5friends will vist leh 16h aug early morning by plain
We stay there 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 our flight from srinagar to bagdogra 23rd august.please suggest me which place we cover in these day.
Please sugest 21st if we start from leh to srinagar by car when we reach in srinagar..if we hire car how much time needed?how much rent for leh to srinagar by car?
Toton sarkar
Hi Toton,
1. There are several places that you can cover like Nubra, Pangong, Moriri etc. Have you prepared an itinerary yet?
2. I am not sure about the taxi rent. It is a 2 days journey from Srinagar to Leh
I hope you’re still reading these 🙂 thanks for the wonderful job you’re doing, i’m planning a trip to srinagar, a few places in srinagar for a week, then heading upto leh through kargil on the 15th, plan to be in leh for a week and then either come down to manali and then to delhi or back to srinagar or fly back directly. those are my options.
What i wanted to ask you was,
1) is it safe to be at kargil on independence day?
2) i plan to reach leh, sit in a bus and head off to a village with homestay, the more isolated the better, the less likely to be crowded the better, doesnt matter even if for two days. What’s my best bet? i’ve been looking at the location and trying to get information about them online but there’s barely any information available i’ll probably be in leh from the 16th and have to be back home in mumbai by 22nd.
Thoughts please 🙂
Hi Desmond,
1. Quite safe to be in Kargil, do not worry about that.
2. In terms of Isolated villages, your best best bet would be to head to Nubra Valley. Stay at Panamik, very silent but not completely isolated. Or head to Warshi if you need to feel even more cut off from civilization.
Hi Vargis, thank you for taking out time for me 🙂
is it possible for you to add me on facebook? https://www.facebook.com/DesmondFrias i can share my number with you there or skype or even gmail, whichever is convenient.
Hello! I am a lone-travelling medical student, I wonder if anyone else has a similar itinerary to me. It might be cheaper & more pleasant to share transport options and the like:
10th July: arrive in Srinagar by plane
11th July: bus/shared taxi to Kargil
12th July: bus/shared taxi to Leh
12th-18th July: explore Leh & surrounding area
19th July: bus/shared taxi to Kargil
20th July: bus/shared taxi to Srinagar
21st July: fly out of Srinagar
Would love to hear from anyone planning anything similar in either direction!
[email protected]
Thanks
Exact same itenary, but a perfect month later, im doing this in August, would love to hear of your travels and learnings 🙂
Absolutely! Do you have whatsapp or some such so I can send details?
Yes we are…
Hi Vargis,
I plan to reach Leh on 2nd August. Could you please tell how to book the Delhi to Leh Bus online?
Thanks!
Hi Devashish, I do not have any exact information about the booking services for this bus. You can call ISBT or HPTDC number I provided to enquire further
Hello Vargis,
Your blog is very helpful in planning the trip to this part of world which is full of adventure and mystery, I will be travelling with my wife in July 15, and will be reaching Srinagar on 04 July from Mumbai, my itinerary is as follows:
04 July : Mumbai – Srinagar – Sonamarg
05 July: Sonamarg to Leh
06 July : Leh local sight seeing
07 July : Leh – Pangong Lake – Leh
08 July : Leh to Nubra Valley
09 July : Nubra Valley to Leh
10 July : Leh – Alchi-Likir-Lamayaru (Overnight @ Lamayaru)
11 July : Lamayaru to Sonamarg/Kargil
12 July : Kargil/Sonamarg to Srinagar to Mumbai.
Can plz suggest me if any changes are required and i am looking for budgeted travelling from one point to another so please suggest me with the buses / shared taxis option. Where all do i have to make advance booking.
Thanks in advance,
Regards ,
Ashish
Ashish, this is Deepak here. I have the similar itenary and travel plan from Srinagar with minor difference. I am traveling with my wife and kid. Call me if you read this post. My number is 8332800208
Thanks Ashish. I have a couple of questions before I can advice further.
1. How are you travelling? Have you booked a cab or planning to catch a bus?
2. What time is your flight reaching Srinagar?
3. What time is your return flight from Srinagar?
Hi Vargis,
Reply to your queries are as follows :
1. I am planning to take shared taxi from Srinagar early morning 05 July and planning to cover the whole journey in single day.
2. Will be reaching Srinagar on 04 July at around 1300 hrs.
3. Return flight is on 12 July at 1500 hrs to Mumbai.
Thanks & Regards
Ashish
Hey Vargis,
Thanks for providing tons of info. Really helpful
I will visiting Leh in July 2015 from mumbai. My journey will be Mumbai – Delhi – manali – Leh. On the return journey I was looking at flights from Leh to mumbai but the prices are exorbitant, arnd 21k!!. Is there a cheaper and faster option to travel from leh to mumbai which might include flight at some point. I want to cut down the time on the return leg.
Thanks,
Shikhar
You are welcome Shekhar.
Keep checking the Indigo website. They come up with these free offers every now and then offering really cheap flights. I just bought my tickets to Leh and return merely for Rs. 7000, (3500 one way). Check for all options, Leh / Srinagar / Delhi / Chandigarh to Mumbai.
Hi Vargis,
For which month did you book your tickets that you got such a great offer.
Hi Prashant,
I bought my tickets for Sep first week brother …
do we have a flight with indigo to leh??
Hi Vargis,
Awesome information. Great job sir.
We are a group of four friends planning the trip Leh from 6th of Aug 2015 from Bangalore. We are planning to make a outline of the trip so that we can book flights accordingly.
We want to travel on both the highways i.e. both Manali-Leh and Leh-Srinagar one way each, enjoying the beauty on both ways which connect Leh.
We would appreciate if you could let us know on the following from your knowledge:
1. Which of the two ways to take initially. i.e. Srinagar to Leh or Manali to Leh? I read Srinagar to Leh would allow us to acclimatize better than the other. Is that true? or can we take either of them in any order?
2. Supposing we start from Manali, can we take a taxi which would leave us back to Srinagar? (so that we can take direct flight from Srinagar and not having to travel till Manali again). Do you have any pointers for taxis in Manali from which we can have an inquiry on this? We would prefer taxi so that we can stop by at places we like for a few clicks or to savor the beauty of nature.
3. If the above taxi plan doesn’t work for us, we would like to take a bus. As you have mentioned in your blog, the HPTDC buses stop by for sightseeing on Manali-Leh highway. Is there any bus service on similar lines which would stop us for sightseeing even on Leh-Srinagar highway? We are keen to see all the nice places on the way. 🙂
4. And is first week of August a good time to travel to Leh? We would not miss on any place because of rain right? What could be the challenges we may have to face?
Awaiting for your replies to make our bookings. Thanks in advance.
Thank you Karthik.
1. If you are planning to board a bus and want to cover both roads, then it doesnt matter which one you take first. However if you intend to hire a cab, then I suggest you take the Srinagar Leh road first because of all the recent fuss related to Rohtang Pass. Search for Rohtang in the search field at the top, take a look at the articles, and you would know what I mean.
2. Hiring the same taxi could be problematic and expensive. While that guy can take you all the way to Leh and then Srinagar, he would not be able to drive around in the nearby areas. For that, you would have to hire a local taxi in Leh. Call Sonam Angdus in Leh at +91-9469272773. He is a cab driver himself and a decent fellow. He should be able to guide you better in terms of Taxi. Prices he quote will be reasonable enough and if it sounds right to, you can book with him as well.
3. There are no other such buses. Another option would be to travel in shared taxis.
4. First week of August is OK.
Thank you so much Vargis for all the information.
And with an outline of the itinerary that we have planned, we would take Manali-Leh road first and then Leh-Srinagar. With this, we would start on 14th August from Leh to Srinagar. That way, same evening we would reach Kargil and we have to start on 15th August morning from Kargil. I just wanted to know if this road will be open for common man as its around Independence Day. Do you want us to revisit the dates of travel? Or do you think it will be just like any other day and we would not have any problem for passing through Kargil and reach Srinagar on time. Can the J&K transport authorities help us get this information?
You are welcome Karthik. There will not be any problem if you travel on 15th of August. All roads will remain open. There could be an increased army presence and security but noting to trouble the tourist crowd.
Thanks again for the info Vargis. Really appreciate the work you do 🙂
You are welcome brother
Vargis,
We would need one more suggestion from you.
We have 5 days in hand for places in and around Leh. What would be your suggestion on the places we must see. And a probable itinerary if you could give us. With these many days in hand we want to cover at least the must see ones if not all.
Thanks again Vargis 🙂
Hi Karthik,
If you have 5 days in hand, then I would suggest that you go to Nubra Valley, stay there for the night, go to Pangong via Agham Shyok road the next day, stay there for the night, reach Hanle on Day 3, head to Tso Moriri on Day 4 and return to Leh on Day 5.
Perfect. Thank you Vargis 🙂
I am sri lankan. we booked air tiket to delhi at 6th Aug . We arrive sri lanka at 17th Aug. Our team has 8 members. we had planned to visit Nubrah vally and other bordering Interesting places at Leh. Unfortunately Indian Govt Authorites do not give permission to visit border area at leh to Sri Lankans without approval of Indian Home Ministry. Requested permissions via email from Home Ministry. but they did not reply.
1. May I Know how to get permission from Home Ministry?
2. I Saw Roads can be blocked or closed On whether conditions. Aughust is heavy rainy period or not?
1. Please read this article for obtaining PAP for foreign nationals in order to visit areas around Leh.
http://vargiskhan.com/travelguides/ladakh/leh_protected_area_permit_guide.html
2. Rain could be a problem in Manali and areas in nearby valleys but not much in Leh.
Hi Varghis,
You have a wonderful website. Thank you for all your help.
I am going for a cycling trip with YHAI. On return I was planning to go to Lahaul, Spiti and Keylong. the following are my queries:
1. Buses from Leh to Keylong dont have online booking option. on Either HPTDC or HRCTC or JK. how to procure them? and what are the schedule and timings. Is it safe to book from there directly?
2. How are the local places and Spiti Lahaul and Keylong covered, approx cost , other places of interest nearby
Note: I will start my journey from Leh after the cycling on August 23 2015.
Any help is welcome.
Thanks, Prasad
Thanks Prasad. All the best for your cycle trip.
1.For Leh to Keylong, rather than booking in advance, my suggestion is that you reach Leh and find out there what your best options are. You can easily board a bus there or get in a shared taxi. My advice would be to take a shared taxi, halt at Pang and then reach Keylong the next day,
2. I didn’t get your second question? How are these places covered????
Hey Vargis,
We are sort of clueless about how do we plan our trip. We have 6 days in hand. And we wish to visit Spiti, Lahul and Keylong. How do we plan our time here? Meaning which part of Spiti & Lahul district is a must-see and which can be skipped?
Also, if you have any other place around it that we should be including in our itinerary that we will be glad to know.
Basically, we would like you to help us with our 6-itinerary.
Thanks,
Reshma.
PS: I loved your website! 🙂
Thanks Reshma. You will have to provide me a little more details, where r u travelling from, how r u travelling, have you prepared an itinerary yet?
Like Prasad mentioned earlier, we have a 9-day cycling trek in Leh, and post that 6 days to explore the North. We have chosen Lahul & Spiti but have no idea about how to do it.
We will begin this part of trip on 23rd Aug when we will be in Leh. We have a train from Delhi for Mumbai on 29th Aug.
My Queries:
1. The route from Leh to Lahul & Spiti.
2. Places to visit and where to stay in Lahul & Spiti.
3. Any other places around or while going to or coming from Lahul & Spiti that can be covered in these 6 days.
4. The route from Lahul & Spiti to Delhi.
We don’t have any itinerary made yet.
1. From Leh, you can take the Manali Leh highway all the way till where the ascent for Rohtang starts.From there, you will have to take the road that goes towards Kaza via Chandrataal.
2. Take a look at the Lahaul Spiti travel guide section on the website. It has all the information related to what you can see / visit and where can you stay.
3. The detailed route of entire Lahaul Spiti valley with maps is also posted in the Spiti travel guide section. Take a look.
If you still need me to guide you better, let me know. You or Prasad can also give me a call if you like because honestly it will be a little too much information to type. I can talk to you guys and guide you.
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I am a little clearer on this subject now.
I went through the Lahul-Spiti section and have some more doubts, but like you said, it would be better to discuss it over the phone.
[email protected]
This is my ID, can you mail me your number so I can contact you?
Thanks! 🙂
I just dropped you an email
Hi Vargis,
First of all let me tell you ..That you are doing a great job.
Your blog really help us to plan our travel in better way..without wasting much time.
We are going leh in July end and we have planned our journey through Jammu – Srinagar. Could you please help us following things.
1. How much time it take from Jammu to reach Srinagar.
2. Any budget hotels in Leh.
3. Is there any sharing cabs go to leh from Srinagar..How much they charge??.
Thanks Wasim.
1. Jammu to Srinagar is a day’s journey. You will start early from Jammu and reach Srinagar by evening.
2. There are plenty of hotels in Leh that can fit in any budget. You can easily find a room for as low as Rs. 500 for a day.
3. You can find shared cabs as well. I unfortunately do not have any information on how much they charge as I have never travelled in one.
we are planing to visit leh in month of august we r having a ticket to srinagar . please suggest how to go wt will be the fare taxi as we are 5 people r travelling. we want to explore kashmir first then we would like to leh and ladakh then we r planing to come by other root to delhi we r planing for 12 days.
what we the ideal suggestion for our journey ?
how to manage travel from srinagar to leh ?
after that leh to delhi?
please suggest
Srinagar is well connected to nearby areas like Sonmarg, Gulmarg ets and there is a daily bus service. This will be your best choice. If you can afford to, then you can hire a private taxi as well. For Srinagar to Leh, there are daily buses, both private and government run, from main Bus Stand that you an board.
Hello Vargis, your site is providing information to travellers like us as wikipedia.. Really amazing job,
I am travelling to leh this month and have some concerns if you could help me..
I have my travel ending on 25th may at leh and have flight from srinagar on 27th may afternoon.
What time are the public buses available from leh to Srinagar and what is the frequency of these buses?
I plan to break my journey in two parts. Leh-kargil and then kargil-srinagar.
Also, how easy is it to find a place to stay in kargil and srinagar? any budget options available that you know of?
I have read about bus services available from leh to srinagar but its not available on JKSRTC website. private bus services you mentioned are available easily?
It will be of immense help if you could help me..
Than you..
I really appreciate your efforts..
Hello Heran,
Bus service to Srinagar from Leh is on a daily basis. You can catch a bus from Leh bus stand early in the morning. You can easily find a place to stay at both Kargil and Srinagar, there is ample amount of hotels available. Hotels in Kargil however are a little on the costlier side.
Thank you Vargis.. That comes to great help..
You are welcome
Hello Vargis,
ur blog is really helpful for me as i am planning to go leh at june start. there is a qustion that the bus service from srinagar to leh provide any accommodation at kargil halt? as u mentioned for manali leh service that hp transport service will provide the accommodation.
Hello Utkarsh, The state transport services usually have tie-ups with hotels where they halt for the night. If for some reason you do not want to stay there, you can walk around in the town and stay in a hotel of your choice.
Hey Vergis
we three guys are ready to move on 15th June from jammu to leh
public transport is my option for my entire trip, either its private/govt buses or shared taxis. I am having about more than 8-12 days for this trip. so i would like to go from jammu and return with the same route.
Can you please suggest me an itinerary for my trip as according to my plans ?
hi vergis
Regards
I will land at jammu airport on 26 May. want to go to LEH from jammu. but as u say no direct bus from jammu to leh. so what should i do ?
Please suggest
Regards
Vijay Vyas
Hey Vijay,
You will have to board a bus from Jammu to Srinagar. It is a day long drive so you will reach Srinagar by evening. The next day you can board another bus from Srinagar towards Leh.
Woah! such a well played man this blog. Thanks a bunch for all the info.
I have planned for a YHAI Leh trek in September and i have already booked tickets for Delhi to Leh. The return fares is like crazy 15K and around.. So i was planning for a bus trip to Srinagar and Flight from Srinagar to Delhi. Works out much cheaper.
So how does the travel from Leh to srinagar work out? is it possible to reach Srinagar the same day of starting from Leh? i have read comments that it is a 2 day trip with halt in Kargil. So even if it is a private cab it will be a 2 day trip eh? I have planned for an evening flight from Srinagar to Delhi (Around 4pm)
will this work out? or to book a flight the next day from the day i start from Leh?
Thank you very much.
Thanks Aditya.Keep visiting the Indigo website for flights to Leh, they keep coming up with really cheap offers for flight to and from Leh. I myself just booked a two way flight in September from Delhi to Leh and return for just Rs. 4500. Crazy, isn’t it?
Leh to Srinagar is a two day drive indeed, no way you can cover it in a day. Even if it is a private cab, the driver wouldn’t agree to drive non-stop because it is way too dangerous. On day 1, you would start from Leh and reach Kargil by evening. On Day 2 you would start from Kargil in the morning and reach Srinagar by late afternoon. So unless you can book a late evening flight from Srinagar to Delhi, my suggestion is that you book it for the next day of reaching Srinagar.
Hi Vargis,
I am reaching Srinagar on 14th July afternoon 1.30pm. Is there any possibilty I could get bus for Leh on the same day that stops in Kargil for the night. Where does one stay in kargil for the night? and how do i prebook seat on any bus?
Hi Vin, You will have to board the bus the next day because it starts early morning. There is no bus in afternoon or evening that goes towards Leh. You can book in advance from the J&K transport or tourism official website. Just Google it.
Hi,
How can i book my seat for bus from srinagar to leh in advance.
Google and visit the official state transport website of J&K
Hi Vargis,
I liked the work you are doing.
I would also request you for advice on my itenary.
I will be reaching Udhampur on 7th June Morning.What is the option available from Udhampur to Srinagar(Bus or Shared Taxi).
Then From Srinagar Next Morning, Is the 14 seater bus is available to Leh which is mentioned on J&K site.
If available, How to Book it and whether it will stop for sight seeing at Sonmarg and Kargil.
Please also let me know places to visit in Ladhakh, we are 2 couples and have a return train from Udhampur on 16th June 2015 in night.
Trip plan is budget.
Looking for your advice.
Thanks
Hi Sachin, From Udhampur you will have to take a bus to Srinagar. If you are on a budget trip then my suggestion is to take a regular deluxe bus to Leh, those are pretty comfortable. Bus takes a break at both Sonmarg and Drass and halts for the night at Kargil. There however will not be much time for sight seeing at either Sonmarg or Drass, it is just like a quick break to stretch your legs and get something to eat.
Hello Vargis Khan
Thnx a ton for this exhaustive and comprehensive piece of information on bus services to Leh. I am traveling with a group of 8 pax and a kid in August 2015 and looking for a budget option to reach Leh from Manali. The travel agents are quoting a very high price for one way route. How much would a shared tempo traveler cost me?
Now about the bus, how convenient is the HP operated non a/c deluxe bus? And will there be other bus options available for spot booking in August 2015.
Hello Nirav,
Taxi services are indeed a bit costly in Ladakh region. Your best option for a budget trip would be to catch a bus. Those are pretty comfortable and you wouldn’t face any problem at all.
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for the reply.
I have taken some stuff from online blogs like yours for itinerary. Even i am nt sure that really works for me, as will i be able to get transport for some of the places or if i can stay overnight there. So yes your suggestions will certainly make it better. please have a look on this itinerary….
Day 1 : punjab – stay at Jammu
Day 2 : Jammu – srinagar
Day 3 : Srinagar – Kargil
Day 4 : Kargil – leh
Day 5 : Leh – Nubra valley – hunder
Day 6 : Hunder – Sumur – panamik – leh
Day 7 : Leh – Hemis monastery – Pangong lake
Day 8 : Pangong – thiksey monastery – leh
Day 9 : Rest day in leh
Day 10 : Local sightseeing at leh
Day 11 : Leh – Tso moriri
Day 12 : Tso moriri – Tso kar – Debring – Moriri plains – sarchu
Day 13 : Sarchu – keylong
Day 14 : Keylong – rohtang pass – Manali
Day 15 : Manali – kasol
Day 16 : Kasol – return
About bikes i would like to go for royal enfield classic 350 or bajaj avenger 220 or else you suggest. (will be using only in leh)
Your itinerary looks pretty good to me brother …. It works.
For Bike, I would suggest that you go for a Pulsar and leave the luggage in hotel at Leh rather than carrying it to Nubra and Pangong. That way, you would ride freely, Pulsar has a larger fuel tank and wouldnt cost you as much as an Avenger or Royal Enfield.
Hi Vargis,
I am planing a trip to leh from punjab in mid of june. As i am a solo traveler and public transport is my option for my entire trip, either its private/govt buses or shared taxis. I am having about more than 18-20 days for this trip. so i would like to go from srinagar and return from manali.
1. Is traveling alone for leh (hiring shared taxis or accomodation) is safe enough ?
2. will i be able to get deluxe or semi deluxe buses from srinagar to leh ?
3. Can you please suggest me an itinerary for my trip as according to my plans ?
4. If i rent a bike in leh for local sightseeing how much that can cost or its not recomended ?
5. can you help me with an approx amount can cost me of my (food/budget hotels/transport) entire trip ?
Thanks
Hi Janarthan,
1. It is safe absolutely. I have seen even women travelling on this route alone.
2. Yes
3. Have you prepared an itinerary yet, something i can look at and make suggestions?
4. Bike rent would be anywhere from Rs, 600 to Rs. 1500 per day, depending on motorcycle. Which are you planning to rent?
5. Depends on lot of things but for a 18-20 day trip, spending moderately, using public transport, … expect the cost somewhere between 15-20k.
Hi Vargis
Is there any bus available on 10th june from leh to srinagar,if yes then from where can we catch those buses and what are their timings ?
Will we reach kargil on same day i.e. on 10th?
Does the same bus resume its journey for Srinagar after the overnight halt in kargil,we have already booked our hotel for 10th in kargil
Will we reach Srinagar by 11th?If yes then at what time can we expect to reach there?
Are the buses comfortable because we will be carrying some luggage with us,say 4 bags.
We will be greatly obliged if u can help us.
Thanx in advance!
Hi Anirban, You can get the Bus from Main Bus stand Leh, will reach Kargil the same day evening, can board the same bus next day, will reach Srinagar late afternoon. Buses are pretty comfortable.
i want to know Tickets amount Chandigarh to leh ladhak
There is no direct bus from Chandigarh to Leh
Hi Vargis,
I am planing to visit leh by 19th may by air and return on 22nd may along with my wife!
Issue is return fares are pretty high up to Delhi/Srinagar.
Need below help
Option to reach Srinagar/Delhi by road and probable booking mechanism in advance from my base location Hyderabad.
Kindly advise good locations @ leh surrounding for stay as we would stay for only 2 nights provided we start by road b 21st/22nd
I see that there will be a night halt enroute srinagar, would there be tent to sleep and any of washrooms etc on the way back.
Tentative start time from leh and reach time at Srinagar and travel hours.
Would be great if you could help us with the above.
Any good package providers in leh can also be suggested who could carry our transport and stay!
Pridhvi
Hi Pridhvi,
1. How are you planning to return to Srinagar? Do you intend to catch a bus or book a private cab?
2. Hotel Shanti Palace is good. That is always my preferred choice to stay in Leh.
3. There is no tenting accommodation on Srinagar Leh highway, not yet at least. You will have to stay at a hotel in either Kargil or Drass.
4. You will have to start early from Leh to reach Kargil / Drass by evening. The same day, you will start early to reach Srinagar by late afternoon / evening.
Hi vargis,
Thanks for quick help!
1. As we stay for only 2-3 nights, where can be the preferred night halts apart from leh?
2. How many hours would be the journey time from leh- Srinagar and any pre- booking of bus possible as we prefer to book return tickets before we start.
Hi sir mai is mahine ko leh ladhak aanewala hu mujhe ek address pe jaana h, plz agar aapko pata hoto bataye plz
Add. 8 mnt nimu ord unit c/o 56 apo, plz help me
Hi I am reaching Srinagar on 30th Aug and return is on 08th Sep, we are 2 adults looking for a economical leh trip /group tour can u advice the tentative travel cost 1 way from Srinagar to Leh & also for cmng back
How are you travelling?
Oh wow… Thank you so much for your heads up… So in future, whoever I go with, what should I ask to make sure that he is legit? i.e. should I ask for a taxi licence? or his registration with union?
Again, thank you for helping me out and being so quick with your responses.
The problem is what kind of car is he offering? Is it a private car or is it a self driven taxi? Does it have the proper yellow and black number plate and licensed as a self driven taxi? And several such questions … Maybe in rest of the country there isnt much of a problem but in Leh, the taxi union guys are pretty serious about it since their livelihoods depend on tourism. To be on the safer side, just hire a taxi driver that is registered with the taxi union in Leh to avoid any hassle.
Hello there… I just wasnt sure where to post my query on “how to read Ladakh taxi fares”. I have managed to find taxi rate card for 2015/16. The places that I want to visit in Ladakh are Lamayuru – Alchi (overnight stay in Lamayuru), Leh – Nubra (1 night stay in Nubra), Nubra – Pangong via Shyok (1 night in Pangong), Leh – Tso Moriri (1 night stay in Tso).
Other places within Leh are palace, shanti stupa, Hemis, and Thiksey monasteries etc.
Now when I was looking at taxi rate for each of the above places – The cost goes over 50,000 for Innova.
The transport cost for that I have been quoted by my travel agent is 39,000 rs (for all the above places including airport drop and pick up.) – This includes car for private use and the it will be Innova or Zylo.
Now I dont know if I am reading it incorrectly, as clearly the taxi rate as per the union is much higher than I am being quoted. So am I reading the rates incorrectly?
Can someone place help me on this matter.
P.S. I am not an Indian citizen, hence little lost with all this.
Thank you in advance.
That definitely seems a little lower, am not really sure how that cab driver is able to quote that price. My guess is that you are in for a surprise, to find a crappy car waiting to drive you around.
Please call Sonam Angdus in Leh at +91-9469272773. He is a cab driver himself and a decent fellow. The price he quotes will be correct and reasonable enough. You can chose to hire him or if you do not, you will at least get the idea of how much the fare should and would be.
The agent mentioned that he is giving his private car for the trip and therefore he can quote that price.
I will check with the Sonam too to get an idea.
Thank you for your suggestion.
Do not fall for that, that is illegal. He cannot rent out his private car as a commercial vehicle. You will get in trouble with the authorities.
Hi Vargis. Khan or anybody else, we (6-8 numbers of people) are planing to visit Leh in mid July this year. So please i need some information. Our trip will start from Guwahati, Assam and direct to Jammu by train.
Please suggest me- What will be the preferable for us?:
1. Jammu – Leh direct,
2. Jammu – Srinagar,
3. Srinagar – Leh,
4. If there will be any night halt on the way during the bus or taxi journey from Jammu – Leh, where i have to stay and what will be the cost? (e.g. include or exclude with bus or taxi fare).
5. What will be the time for bus or taxi service and duration from Jammu to Srinagar and Srinagar to Leh.
Thanks,
Bikram Boro
Pho: 08822141591.
Email: [email protected]
Hi Bikram,
1.No direct Bus from Jammu to Leh
2. It is a days journey from Jammu to Srinagar
3. It is a 2 days journey from Srinagar to Leh
4. From Jammy you will have to take a bus to Srinagar and stay there for the night. From Srinagar you will have to take another bus to Leh which will stop at Kargil for the night.
5. Takes an entire day from Jammu to Srinagar, bus starts early in the morning. Same thing from Srinagar to Kargil and Kargil to Leh.
Thnaks for your kind information. Here one more thing please tell me that what will b the cost from jammu to srinagar n srinagar to leh both bus and shared texi?
Expect the fare to be between Rs. 200 to 300 for Jammu to Srinagar, Rs. 500-600 for Srinagar to Leh for both Shared Taxis and Govt run buses. Private delay bus would be slightly more.
Hi Saikiran,
There is no non-stop bus from Srinagar to Leh. All the buses take a night halt in between. You can look for a shared taxi but chances of finding one that is going to Leh without a halt in between is very rare.
Thanks,
Vargis
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to go visit ladakh this july,
Got question here…
Is there any non-stop bus from srinagar that can reach Leh? or else can we hire shred taxi that can go directly to leh?
TIA
Dear Mr. Vergis,
Is the “Leh Ladakh Taxi Operators Co-operatve” is a JKSRTC approved Taxi operator? Do they have any authorisation certificate from government?
Hello Avijit,
I do not have information about these guys. Please take a look at the link below for a list of registered travel agents in Ladakh region.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/list-registered-travel-agents-leh/
Hii Vargis ,
We want to travel Jammu — leh— manali by road . there are some queries like :
1 we planned in mid of june is it sutable time or not .
2 In our group 20 months child is also with us . pls advise can we take her with us or not
3 10 days are sufficient for this tour or not
4 can we book online tempo traveller from jammu
5 we will end our tour in Manali so pls confirm Leh– Manali route would be opened that time or not
Hi Ashish,
1. Mid of June is fine
2. You can take the kid but would have to be extra careful with her. She might suffer from Acute Mountain sickness more than rest of the group.
3. This will depend on what all places you are planning to cover.
4. Yes you can
5. it should open mid of June.
Hi Vargis,
Good Afternoon.
Would like to know about how to visit Pangong lake from Leh. The distance being over 225 km would not be possible to return to Leh on the same day..Are there options avalaible near Pangong for overnight stay or please advise how does it work about….Also would June/july be the ideal time to visit these areas as the roads might be open..!!!!
Good Evening Vivek,
Please take a look at the following pages, detailing both the route from Leh to Pangong and the accommodation facilities available. Let me know if you have any questions.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-at-pangong-tso/
http://vargiskhan.com/travelguides/ladakh/leh_pangong_tso_travel_guide.html
Thanks Vargis for the reply…I have a young family wherein boy is of 6 yrs and my daughter is of 13 years…is it OK to take them to the trip of Leh/khardungla/Pangong or will it will be too stressful for them…….
It should be okay except for acute mountain sickness at some places, that can problem specially with the kids and elderlies … Also try not to cover distances too great in the same day and you will be okay
And yes, you are correct. Leh to Pangong should be done in 2 days and June/July would be an ideal time.
While its true that Taxi services are a bit expensive in this region, 50k sounds a bit too high. I suggest that you visit this links and compare the rates that you have been quoted.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/taxi-rates-ladakh/
These are government sanctioned rates and no company / driver can charge you more.
What they told you about the shared taxis is not true though. You can easily find a shared taxi for all these areas with an exception of Tso Moriri. Taxis plying towards Tso Moriri are not that often and there is a possibility that you may not find one at all.
One suggestion from my end, if you are visiting Nubra, Pangong and other areas, it wouldn’t hurt if you skip Moriri altogether, wouldn’t miss much. If you didn’t find a shared taxi towards Moriri, don’t bother booking one just for this route.
Hello,
I am leaving Leh on 25/6/15 and my final destination is Mumbai. I would like to take a road trip. Below are my questions:
1) Is there a direct bus from Leh – Jammu? If so, do they run daily, what are the exact departure and arrival time in Jammu? Do these buses run late? Eg: 2-3 hours late?
2) If no direct bus, then option is Leh – Srinagar – Jammu.
What time do the buses leave from Leh and what will be the exact arrival time in Srinagar? Do these buses run late? Eg: 2-3 hours late?
3) From Srinagar, can I get bus to Jammu from the same stop?
4) If I leave Leh on 25/6/15, which date will I reach Jammu (so I can buy my train ticket to Mumbai).
Sorry, I am not from India, hence little lost with all the commute.
Hello,
1. There is no direct bus from Leh to Jammu. You will have to take a bus from Leh to Srinagar and then catch another bus to reach Jammu.
2. Bus will leave early morning from Leh and will arrive at Srinagar the next day, sometime in afternoon. Yes there is a high possibility of bus running late.
3. Yes you can get a bus to Jammu from the same stop.
4. Traveling in a bus, It will take you three days to reach Jammu from Leh.
Thank you so much for your reply.
So if I leave Leh on 25/6/15, is it safe to buy train tickets for Mumbai on 28/6 leaving Jammu Tawi early morning at 00:40 pm? Or should I be very safe and buy train tickets that leaves 9:00 am on 28/6?
Also, can I easily get bus ticket from 2 days before departure from Leh, or do I need to make advance booking?
You are welcome.
To be on a safer side, you should plan your itinerary in the following manner.
1. 25th you will leave from Leh
2. 27th afternoon you will reach Srinagar. Stay there for the night.
3. 28th Morning start for Jammu, arrive there in the evening, high possibility of arriving a bit late in the evening.
3. 29th you can catch a train for Mumbai
You can easily get a bus unless you want to travel in a luxury one. There are regular not so comfortable buses run by the state road transport corporation for which you do not need to make a booking in advance. If you want to travel in a luxury bus, better to make a booking in advance. Also consider the fact that this is a hilly region prone to landslides and traffic jams between Srinagar and Jammu so do not plan to fit within a tight schedule.
Another fact is that this is also a tiresome journey when sitting in a bus so better not to rush through it.
Once again thank you for your detailed answer.
1 last thing I would like to clarify with you. I will be there from 16/6/15-25/6/15. I will be visiting the nearby monasteries, and Lamayuru (Alchi on the way), Pso Tmoriri, Pangon Lake and Nubra. I will be spending a night at each of the destination and will not be making Leh as my base i.e. Leh – Pangong Lake(1night) – Tso Moriri (1night) – Leh (1night) – Lamayuru (1night)- Leh.
I have been told by couple of tour agents that I will not get shared taxis/local buses for this route and I therefore have to take a private taxi which comes to 50,000INR for the route mentioned above.
Is this true? I am a little worried as I wanted to lower my transportation cost by taking shared taxis or buses.
Could you please throw some light on this.
No bus in the evening.
also, I will be travelling from Mumbai by train. So will get down at Jammu by 4 pm. So I need know whether bus services for Srinagar from Jammu are available in the evening?
Hello Vargis,
The info shared by you is really helpful. Thank you so much.
I am planning to travel in the first week of June 2015, my query is ..
1. Whether is it confirm that Srinagar to Leh highway will be open by first week of June?
2. whether 2 whole days are enough for sight seeing at Leh?
3. Whether Leh to Manali highway will be definetly open for travelling?
Please help me on this at the earliest..Thanks in advance
Hello Snehal,
1. Srinagar Leh highway will definitely be open in first week of June, unless something unforeseen happens, like heavy rains. It usually opens in late April.
2. Depends on whether you are talking about sightseeing in the city of Leh or the areas around like Pangong and Nubra. If just Leh, then yes, if areas around then depends on where all you want to visit.
3. Manali Leh highway would most probably not officially be opened in first week of June but the locals do start to co commute on it at that time. If you are hoping for a bus on this highway in first week of June, then it is highly unlikely.
so private vehicles will be available for commuting on leh to manali route??
You may find one of those shared taxis but do not really count on it ….. Baralacha La is usually the last pass to open on this route and that early in June there is a high chance of the pass receiving snow and closing down for a day or two.
If I want to stay in Pahelgam and want to go there by JKSRTC bus one way only is it possible?
Is there any bus on the next day morning from pahelgam to srinagar?
Is there any bus from Sonmarg to Kargil/Leh or I have to return to Srinagar?
1. Yes you can.
2. Not sure about the bus timings from Pehalgam to Srinagar. You will have to reach there and find out.
3. There are both buses and shared taxis from Sonmarg to Kargil / Leh that you can board.
Is bus service from srinagar to Leh, gulmarg, sonmarg and pahelgam resumed after flood?
Yes it has been
Hi vargis,
We are going to leh on 10 Sept with group of 20 people. Planning to come back via covering leh kargil srinagar highway. Shpuld we book return flight from srinagar.
And how much exsact time it will take by road to reach leh to srinagar
Depending on your itinerary, Srinagar to Leh will take a minimum of two days.
Hi Sumit, Yes you can but it really depends on your itinerary. Are you travelling from Manali to Leh? If yes, then you can return to Srinagar and take a flight from. If you will be reaching back to Leh from Srinagar, then you may as well just book a flight from Leh for your return journey.
Would it be safe for a single girl to travel in govt./private bus from Leh to Srinagar??
You will be okay Rupali. A lot of ladies travel alone on the route, mostly foreigners.
hi,i m travelling to shely(Leh) from mumbai.
so which will be the best way to come from and which is cheaper too.
i dont mind coming in train from mumbai to jammu or mumbai to delhi n den manali n via leh
pls help,i m coming in July
and where to book to bus from?
Hi. Both ways are fine. You can reach Leh via Manali and return via Srinagar/Jammu or vice versa. Either way you will be able to cover both the highways. Bus will definitely be the cheapest. You can book a seat on the official tourism websites of Himachal or J&K.
Dear Vargis
I had visited leh during 29 sep 2014 to 2 oct 2014.I am a govt servant and I have to reimburse my sharing taxi charges(for three persons) for the journey leh to pangong (same day to and fro)on date 29 Sep 2014 (Monday).I need a certificate from state govt (or leh laddakh tourism)that no state govt bus was available on 29 sep 2014 (Monday).
Thanking You.
I am sorry Ram but this is not really something that I can help you with
Hi,
I am planning to fly Leh on 4th Nov & return by Bus probably 8th Nov.
Please suggest me which route is better for returning ?i.e Are the buses available.
Thanks
In November, you are better off taking the Srinagar Leh route
please give me information srinagar to Leh private taxi is going or not.
Srinagar to Leh highway is not still fully operational. You may find a cab willing to take you towards Sonmarg or Kargil but it is not guaranteed.
Hi Vargis,
please give me information Leh to Jammu bus Service.actually i am planning to visit in jammu(Katra), first week of October
Hi Shekhar, Srinagar-Leh highway is closed and Jammu to Leh Bus Service is currently suspended due to the recent floods. If you are planning for Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, even that is currently suspended.
Thanks Vargis for giving very important information. please let me know there is any way to go leh to Srinagar because i have book my flight from Srinagar to delhi on 4th OCt.
Thanks
You are better off cancelling that flight brother …. If going to Leh is your plan , then you will have to take the Manali Leh route. If you are planning to visit Vaishno Devi from Katra, that pilgrimage journey is anyways suspended for now and there is not estimate on when will it resume.
Hi vargis,
Is it ok to go via leh-manali road with my 3 yrs old daughter. Also plz give me the trasprort servics details.
Thanks
I would not advise going to Leh with a 3 year old so late in the season Shekhar ….
Hi Vargis,
Very useful information. Can you please let us know the exact location in Srinagar from these buses leave for Leh and approximately at what time of the day do they leave.
Thanks
Thanks Sachin. All Buses for Leh start from Main Bus stand in Srinagar, ask any of the locals around and they can direct you. Any Bus going towards Leh, Private or Government run, will leave Srinagar early morning, say before 7 or 8 am as it has to reach Kargil by evening.
Thanks Vargis for your help
Thank you very much for your detailed Bus Schedule!!! Really helpful!! Thank you very much!
You are welcome bro …