The journey from Srinagar to Keran village is really an experience in itself, one that will stay in your memory for a very long time. I can bet that you probably would never have seen or experienced something like this before and that is exactly what makes a trip to this small village so special.
When you are in Keran, you are literally standing on the LOC. Flowing in front of you will be the Kishanganga River and on the other side of it is Pakistan. This is possibly the only place in our country where tourists are allowed to get so close to the India-Pakistan border.
At a spot called Cobra Viewpoint, the width of the river is hardly about 10 meters. You will see a lot of Pakistani tourists on the other side and if you yell loud enough and say something, they will hear you. One of the most common tourist things to do here for people from both countries is to wave at each other.
Journey So Far:
- Delhi to Pahalgam – Day 1
- Achabal Mughal Garden – Day 2
- Daksum Valley – Day 2
- Sinthan Top – Day 2
- Chatpal Valley – Day 2
- Betaab Valley & Aru Valley – Day 3
- Kalaroos Caves & Satbaran – Day 4, 5 & 6
- Sightseeing in Lolab Valley – Day 6
- Bangus Valley – Offbeat Kashmir – Day 7
I recently was on a road trip to Kashmir and spent time exploring the Kupwara side of the valley. We visited several places there and Keran Valley was one of them. The post below is a brief narration of our visit to Keran Valley and also provides several necessary details that can be of help in planning a trip.
Day 8 – Keran Valley
The day was Saturday, the 8th day of our trip and the plan was to travel from Chowkibal to Keran Village. It was in a way the last day of our trip actually because on Day 9, we were to go back to Srinagar and then catch our flight back home on Day 10.
I was really excited about Keran. I had heard so much about this place and saw so many pictures and videos that I was eager to see how it feels to be there. Finally, that long-awaited plan was going to materialize today.
We were staying in the JKTDC rest house near a small town called Chowkibal. It was our 3rd day in this rest house. On Thursday we reached the rest house from Kupwara after visiting the famous Lolab Valley. Then on Friday, we went to Bangus Valley which is another recently-opened offbeat destination on this side of the valley.
I have talked about these journeys in the previous part of the travelogue that you can take a look at. Now on Saturday, we were going to complete a journey that was to become the very highlight of our entire trip. You can also check out this video of our journey to get a better idea of the place.
About Keran Village
So let us talk about what Keran actually is. In all reality, it is just a tiny village consisting of a couple of narrow streets, a few shops, and some houses. The only thing that makes it special is that it is divided between the two countries. Half of the village is in India and the other half is in Pakistan.
On the Indian side, the entire valley that this village is located in is called Keran Valley or Keran Sector. The river that acts as a natural border and cuts the village and the valley into two parts is called the Kishenganga River.
On the Pakistani side though, the River is known as the Neelam River, and the valley is named after it as Neelam Valley. At a point called Cobra Post, where the river gets really narrow, the distance between the two countries is hardly about 10 meters of water in between.
Due to this, this entire region was among the foremost infiltration routes used by the militants in the early 1990s. They would just swim across the river and enter India. This is also the reason why the entire Kupwara District has remained off the tourist map for so long.
But with the introduction of border tourism a couple of years ago, this entire situation is changing fast. As people are becoming aware of the beautiful places on this side of Kashmir, the number of visitors is increasing with each passing year.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Kashmir – A Complete Travel Guide
JKTDC Resthouse, Chowkibal
Since tourism in this area has just started, there is a dearth of hotels here. In fact, there are none except for two very shabby-looking hotels in Kupwara that you definitely would not want to stay in.
Unfortunately, we learned this the hard way. We spent one night in a hotel called City Palace in Kupwara and regretted every single second of it. The hotel was in very bad condition and we literally counted the hours of that one night that we spent there.
The next day, we checked out of the hotel, went to Lolab Valley first, and then moved on to the JKTDC rest house near Chowkibal. It is located about 6 kilometers from the town of Kralpora and is possibly the best place to stay around here.
You can read my detailed review of this guest house in another post, JKTDC Resthouse Chowkibal – A Good Place to Stay. If you want to book this rest house for your trip, you can contact Iqbal at 9682649223.
During the 3 days that we spent in this rest house, we were the only tourists there. There was a caretaker at the rest house and a cook as well who served delicious enough food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. In short, if I am ever to go back to this side of Kashmir, I know this is the rest house I will definitely be staying in again.
Also Read: Clothes for Kashmir Trip – What to Pack
Chowkibal to Kralpora
Nonetheless, coming back to the travelogue, this day started a little late. Keran was only about 50-odd kilometers from Chowkibal and I knew that we would easily get there in a couple of hours. So there was really no need to hurry. We got up, got ready, had some light breakfast, and at around 8 a.m., we started our journey for the day. The first destination was Kralpora.
Kralpora is really just a small town en route but is significant for a trip to Keran because this is where you get your permits to go that way. Even though border tourism is being promoted by the authorities in this region, you would still need to get a permit which can be obtained in two ways.
The first one is an online Process which is also simpler and faster. In order to get your permit online, please visit http://epass.kupwara.co.in/. Once the page is open, scroll down and click on Apply Online.
On the next page, select Citizen in the ‘Applying As’ dropdown and hit Next. It will take you to another page where you will need to fill in all the required details, upload your Aadhar Card copy, and click on Submit Application.
If you are traveling in a group, then hit Add More Person at the bottom and enter details of people traveling with you one by one. Once the permit is generated, take a printout and ensure that you are carrying at least 8 copies of it. To be on the safer side, keep 10 copies handy.
Permits for Keran
The second process is to get the permits in person, in case the portal is not working. This may take some time, a couple of hours, but is also quite simple and hassle-free.
To get the permit in person, you will have to first reach the Kralpora Police station. It is at a distance of about 15 kilometers from Kupwara. The road to Keran Village bifurcates from Kupwara Market so you will anyway have to cross the town.
Once you reach Kralpora, first of all, find a stationery shop there or a photocopy shop. They usually keep printouts of applications handy in the following format.
Just buy an application, fill in your details, go to the police station, and get it stamped. After that, go back to the photocopy shop and get 8 to 10 copies of the stamped application made.
If you were not able to find a stationery shop or did not get a copy of the application, just write it on a piece of paper by hand and get it stamped. That will also work fine. You can use the same verbiage that is written on the attached image.
Both processes are more or less hassle-free. The thing with the online process is that you can get your permits in advance and won’t have to spend time in Kralpora trying to get the permit stamped.
How to Travel from Srinagar to Keran Village
Before I move on with the travelogue, let me also briefly talk about how you can travel to Keran Village from Srinagar directly.
The route of the journey will be as mentioned below. Ideally, this should be a 2-day trip with a night stay planned either in Keran itself or near Kupwara.
- Srinagar – Sopore – Drugmulla – Kupwara – Kralpora – Pharkian Top – Keran Village
Though you can plan to do it in a single day as well, it will be way too long and way too tiring. Most of your time will be spent on the road and you will have very little time in Keran. Hence it is better to plan a trip of 3-4 days toward Kupwara and you can also include Bangus and Lolab Valleys in your itinerary.
Also Read:Â How Much Does a Trip to Kashmir Cost?
Srinagar to Kupwara to Kralpora
The first part of your journey will have you travel to Kupwara and then to Kralpora. Make sure you get an early start from Srinagar, possibly by 7 am so that you can at least avoid the traffic.
The road from Srinagar to Kupwara is a single-lane road that sees heavy two-way traffic. So even though the journey is only about 85 kilometers, it can easily take you anywhere between 3 to 5 hours to complete, depending on the traffic.
There is not much to see on this route. It is really a very boring drive on a flat road with no views anywhere in between. You will cross a few small villages and towns on the way and reach Kupwara.
Cross the town of Kupwara and continue driving on the same road for another 15 kilometers to reach Kralpora. If you did not get the permits online, this is where you will have to get those stamped.
Kralpora is just a small town so finding the police station will not be a problem. Ask anyone where the police station is and the locals will point you in the right direction.
Get your permits signed and then drive back to the main market. There, you will see a road that bifurcates towards Keran. If you weren’t able to find it, ask the locals.
Also Read: Clothes for Kashmir Trip – What to Pack
Kralpora to Pharkian Gali Pass
As I stated, we already completed this part of the journey a couple of days ago. We had already been in Chowkibal near Kralpora for the last 3 days and had already covered Lolab Valley and Bangus Valley. Now the last destination left on our itinerary was Keran Village.
We started from our rest house and first drove back 5 kilometers to the Kralpora Market. One thing that I have noticed about Kashmir is that the day usually starts a little late here. It was almost 9 am when we reached Kralpora and still, the market was just opening up.
The road to the left is the one that goes to Keran Valley. We were coming from Chowkibal and that is why it is on the left. If you were coming from the Srinagar side, you will come from the opposite direction and the road will be to your right.
We had Google Maps on and were following the directions so we had no problem locating the road toward Keran. Our first destination was a high-altitude pass known as Pharkian Gali or Pharkian Top.
One thing that I should mention here though is that Google Maps only shows the road till Pharkian Gali. It does not show the road from Pharkian Gali to Keran Village. But that road exists, is in good condition, and you are allowed to travel on it. So in case you also turned on Google Maps, follow the instructions till Pharkian Top, and from there, there is only one road that takes you to Keran.
Also Read:Â When is the Best Time to Visit Kashmir?
Pharkian Gali
Pharkian Gali is a high-altitude pass on this route. It is at an altitude of 9,840 ft. but unlike other passes, the top of the mountain is actually an Army base. In fact, this entire mountain is more or less an Army base with several posts on both sides.
After Kralpora, the road remained flat for about 2 to 3 kilometers and then it started climbing up. The condition of the road remained good though and the climb was also not that steep. The views improved tremendously and we were now getting a panoramic view of the entire valley around.
The distance from Kralpora to Pharkian Top is about 21 kilometers so it was not really that long of a drive. We crossed a few check posts on the way and at all of them, we had to produce a copy of our permit. This is why I earlier mentioned in this post that you should keep at least 10 copies of your permit with you for this journey.
After a drive of about an hour with a few breaks in between, we finally arrive at the top of Pharkian Gali. There was a large military gate and we had to stop at a little distance from it. I parked the car and walked over to the gate and the check post.
Entries of our names and our car were made in a register. We submitted a copy of our permits and also had to produce our Aadhar Cards for verification. Since I was in the driving seat, I also had to show my driving license.
Also Read:Â How to Plan a Kashmir Trip Itinerary
Pharkian Gali to Keran Valley
The top of Pharkian Gali Pass is entirely an Army base. The road actually goes through the base itself and there are gates on both sides. Hence, photography and videography are strictly prohibited at Pharkian Gali.
The entire process of registering ourselves at the check post and submitting permits took about 30 to 45 minutes since there were other local tourists as well and I had to wait in the queue for my turn. After the verification was done, we were allowed to proceed. We made our way through the Army base and started to drive down to the other side of Pharkian Gali.
Keran Village is about 25 kilometers from Pharkian Top. The views also are better on this side of the pass. We were now traveling through a region that, until a couple of years ago, was only open to local villagers and Army personnel.
The condition of the road remained good for the first 15 kilometers. We took a few short photography breaks in between and continued making our way to the village.
We came across this small tea stall and immediately stopped to get a cup of tea and some Maggie.
As we neared Keran Village, the condition of the road started to deteriorate. For the last 5 or so kilometers, tarr on the road vanished and we were now driving on a badly broken dirt road.
Keran Village
Our speed came down to merely 10 or 15 kilometers an hour. That is how bad the road was. Finally, after a very bumpy ride, we reached a spot that looked like a local taxi stand.
At first, I thought this was actually the Keran Village but then I noticed the road going even further ahead. We drove for another 2 kilometers and finally reached the place where the road ended. There was a long line of cars parked by the side of the road.
Tourist vehicles are not allowed inside Keran. All visitors must park their cars outside the village and walk the remaining distance. There is a dedicated parking spot as well but at the time of our visit, it was in a very bad state. It just seemed that they just dug the road down to an open area but never bothered to flatten it.
We were traveling in a duster and there was no way I was going to get the car down there. There was a lot of loose stand and the car was sure to hit the ground underneath on its way up. So we just parked the car by the side of the road like other tourists and got out.
We walked for a little distance and arrived at yet another checkpoint. This was just before the village itself and worked like an entry point of the village. Here, we again submitted a copy of our permits and got our names entered in a register.
The only difference was that at this checkpoint, our bags were checked as well. There was only one bag that we were carrying though and that was my camera bag so it did not take long.
The Market
After the formalities, we were allowed to proceed. We crossed an Army gate which was actually the entry gate of Keran Village. We walked a short distance downhill and were now finally inside the village.
Keran was exactly how I imagined it to be. A couple of streets lined up with small shops and a few houses, that is all that Keran was.
The first thing that we did was to take a break at a shop to get some tea. There, I talked to some locals and they explained how their lives changed after tourism was permitted in their village. The owner of the tea stall went on to explain how life earlier was, the difficulties they faced, and how it is all different now.
He also provided a lot of information on the accommodation choices in the village and how tourists can plan their trip. All of this information is in the video I posted above that you can take a look at.
After tea, we got out of the shop and started walking toward the river. This is the first view of the border we saw. The building on the other side is actually Pakistan. Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Raja Tent Valley
There was a road right next to the river that was leading further ahead. The villagers at the tea shop told me that the view was best from the Cobra Viewpoint and that is where this road was headed.
We started walking on this road, along the river. All this while, we were trying to make ourselves believe that the region on the other side of the river was indeed a different country altogether.
Interesting signs
India’s first post office
On the other side of the river was Pakistan. There were a lot of tourists there as well.
We must have walked for about 2 kilometers at most and arrived at the Raja Tent Valley viewpoint.
Raja Tent Valley is nothing but an open area that is used by a local as a campsite. Out here, you can get tents for a night stay for Rs. 500 for a smaller tent and Rs. 2000 for a larger tent. Right in front is the Kishenganga River and on its other side is a view of Pakistan.
While I was busy clicking pictures and shooting some videos at this place, a local man noticed me. He walked over to me and asked if I was a YouTuber. I said yes. He was very happy when he learned that and requested me to help promote the area which I promised I would.
He also wanted to me shoot his video and I happily obliged. I pointed the camera in his direction and he spoke for a few minutes about how happy the people of Keran were after tourists started coming to their small village and how they would like to request everyone visiting Kashmir to come to Keran as well. All this is in the video that I posted above.
Cobra Viewpoint
We took a short break at Raja Tent Valley and continued walking ahead. I think we must have walked for about a kilometer more and we reached the Cobra Viewpoint.
This place is known as Cobra Viewpoint because there was an Army post here known as Cobra Post. But after tourism was allowed, the Indian Army vacated the area and let the locals use it as a tourist spot and a campsite site.
Here as well, you can get a small tent for Rs. 500 for a night and it can easily accommodate 2 people. Larger tents that can easily accommodate 5 to 8 people were available for Rs. 2000.
There was also a Dhaba here and we once again ordered some tea. Since we were also hungry by now, we also ordered some Maggie for lunch.
I was told by the locals that tourism on the Indian side of the border was allowed only a couple of years ago. But on the Pakistan side, it has been open for tourists for at least 20 years or more. Due to this, the connectivity and the hotels on their side are much better than what we have.
We must have spent at least 3 hours in Keran, walking around, enjoying the views, clicking pictures, and shooting videos. The weather was clear and Sunny all day but at around 3 pm, it suddenly turned. First, there were black clouds all over the sky and then it started to drizzle.
This was a sign that we must hurry on our way back. The last 7 kilometers near Keran were a dirt road and if it rained, I knew that it would get difficult to manage a duster uphill. We packed up our camera gear and started brisk walking back to the car.
The NGO – Keran Gaurav Pradhan Foundation
An interesting turn of events followed. By the time we made it back to the Army post and the entry gate of the village, the drizzling stopped. As soon as we crossed the gate, I found the man that I shot a video of at Raja Tent Valley waiting for me there.
He immediately walked over to me and said that the Major in charge of the post wanted to talk to me. I was surprised to hear that and asked why. The answer was an interesting one.
Keran Gaurav Pradhan Foundation is an NGO that is working with the Indian Army to help promote tourism in this region. They donated dustbins to help keep the village clean, bought books for the kids in the local school, and have taken several other initiatives hand-in-hand with the Army.
What they wanted from me was to shoot a video highlighting the efforts by the NGO and the Indian Army and put it up on my blog and channel. I had no problem doing that because I appreciated all the efforts that were being made to help promote tourism in this region.
So the next hour was spent waiting and getting ready for the video shoot. I was given a script by the Army, some workers from the NGO were called to stand beside me and a one-minute video was shot with me talking about the NGO and their efforts.
After all this was completed, we finally started on our way back to Chowkibal well after 4 p.m. Thankfully, the rain had stopped completely by now and the skies were clear as well.
Keran to Pharkian Gali to Kralpora to Chowkibal
That was really the end of our trip to Keran Village. We drove back on the same road that we took to reach Keran. We crossed the Pharkian Gali Pass to reach Kralpora and then arrived at our guest house in Chowkibal at around 6.30 p.m.
After that, we walked down to the river near the resthouse and spent some time there. This was our last day on this side of the valley and in a way the last day of our trip as well. The next day, we drove back to Srinagar and then caught our flight home.
If you want to stay there for the night in Keran, you can do so at either the Raja Tent Valley or the campsite at Cobra Viewpoint. If you do not want to stay in a tent, you can talk to the villagers and opt for a homestay.
Electricity is available in the village but the phone network is still a problem. None of the networks works in Keran so far. Airtel and Jio have strong connectivity until about 10 kilometers before the village with 4G data speed. But as soon as you get close to Keran, you will go off the network.
This is likely to improve in the coming years but for now, there is no reception inside the village. There is no landline phone either that I know of. In case of an emergency, you will have to seek help from the Indian Army.
Srinagar to Keran Valley – Conclusion
I hope the travelogue, pictures, and information above on traveling from Srinagar to Keran Village were of help. If you have any questions, you can contact me on Instagram and I will be happy to answer. You can also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and asking a question there.
272 comments
Hi Vargis, Could you please update the vehicle timings from dras to sonmarg and vice versa for this year?
Hi Saurav, from Sonmarg traffic is allowed before 8 AM and after 11 AM. Traffic from Drass crosses over between 8 – 11 AM.
Are tourists allowed to pangyong ??
Is there any issues in visiting it ???
Tourists are allowed. No issues right now
is it safe traveling via Srinagar ?
As of now, yes it is
I have booked flight tickets from Bangalore to Srinagar on 2nd June 2017 & going towards Leh on 4th june.
What to do
They are hoping that the curfew will be lifted tomorrow but not sure right now. I will let you know more after I know myself tomorrow.
Hello Vargis ji…
Returned from leh trip safely.. Thanks a lot for your guidance.. It helped me a lot. We passed through srinagar leh highway on 16 th may.. Road was ok ok..but enjoyed. Changala pass was terrible. on 22 nd may we passed from there..experienced traffic jam as Snow clearance was under process..
Anyways thank u once again..
Hello Nimisha Ji – I am glad that you trip went well and you are home safe. How about sharing some pics, I would love to see some. Especially of Zojila and Changla Pass.
Sure..can u tell me how do I post pics on this blog.
Hello Nimisha Ji,
If you can please join and share a small travelogue with pics at the link below, it would be great. I will link your post to the blog here. My travelogues are also at the same link.
http://roadragas.com/index.php?forums/travelogues.4/
Dear Vargisbhai, Namaste, Thanks for your compliments. I spoke with my son this morning and he told me that they have crossed Srinagar with the total help of Authority early this morning and now on way to Kargil via Sonmarg. Aapki Dua aur Uparwaleki Daya kam aayi hai. Thanks a lot again. will contact you latter. DILIP RAJGURAV PUNE
Hello Dilip Bhai – I am glad that you Son is well. Insha-Allah he will be home safely before you even know it.
Dear Vargisbhai, “chand se Roshan ho Ramjan tumhara, Ebadat se bhara ho Roja tumhara” “Har roja aur Namaj, kabul ho tumhari” “Yahi Allah se hai, Dua Hamari” RAMJAN MUBARAK. – As per Schedule my son alongwith other friends reach Jammu on 27th,may with Bikes. But unfortunately because of tense situation they all are stopped at Srinagar Border and waiting for clearance to go further towards Leh. Bhai, I want to Know whether Srinanagar Leh Road is safe for Travel by Bike now days? Pl. inform. DILIP RAJGURAV. PUNE.
Hello Dilip Bhai – Bahut Bahut Shukriya .. God Bless you and your family .. Ramzan Mubarak …
Unfortunately, the entire Kashmir valley is under a complete shutdown right now, internet services unavailable and curfew imposed. I have not been able to speak to my contact in Kashmir so cannot really give you an exact idea of the situation. The problem however is only around Sriangar, once your son crosses Sonamarg, it is all Ok. Please ask him to just wait it out and to NOT STAY AT Srinagar. Tell him to continue straight to Sonamarg from Jammu, stay at Sonamarg and be on his way to Kargil the next day. Hotels in Sonamarg are a bit expensive but at least he will be out of Srinagar.
Hi vargis ,
Can i find snow on the way to leh from manali ???? Or any where throughout the trip from manali to leh to Srinagar ???
We have planned trip from June 15 th ……
——–
Plenty of snow right now brother. Entire Baralacha La right now has 10 to 20 ft of snow right now. See the video I just posted sent by Srinivasan in the comment below. Lots of snow around Zoji la still.
Hi vargis khan ji,
we group of ten adults +1 child traveled from leh to srinagar. On 21st we traveled from leh to kargil ( 8.30 to 3pm) and on 22nd our driver asked us to be ready by 1.30 am midnight 22nd and reached srinagar at 8.30am . Our driver told moving around 4 am to zozilla will be good and we and easily pass through it without waiting and pass will be visible as we have early sunrise.
We started at 1.30am on 22nd and reached Drass at 3.10 am then from there to menamarg point around 4.15 am and then we covered entier zojila stretch for 1.30 hours without traffic and luckily we were able to capture the zojila beauty and zero point as sun rise was bit early. The stretch is fine with snow walls on each side then and there, and most stretches are fine we came across 10 to 14 streams of water flows between roads. I luckily captured the entire trip in with cam and uploaded the video .
https://youtu.be/e1DmdiRVHm8
https://youtu.be/1dbXe_wWwi8
You can have a look at the stretch in this video. I would like to thank khan for his updates which helped us to plan the trip accordingly and I hope we visit again leh. Thanks bro
Srinivasan Bhai – I am so glad that your trip went well and thank you for sharing your experience with us. If you would like to share more of your experience and a few pics with us, please do join our community at RoadRagas.Com. Would be great to have you with us.
Road is bumpy for 10km on zero point. ……
What is zero point ????
Zero point is a tourist spot about 30 kilometers from Sonamarg, near Zoji la top. Lots of people from Sonamarg go that way, making it a day’s journey. Like till Rohtang top from Manali, same way is Zero point from Sonamarg.
Hi Khan,
We are planning to go leh via Srinagar and return from Manali route from 28.05-08.06.2017 by personal vehicle. Is there any issue by going personal vehicle in entire route?
Hi Rajiv – No issues for personnal vehicles as long as you are carrying all documents including your DL, RC, PUC and Insurace papers.
I want to know timing to cross zozilla pass from sonmarg and vice versa.location to stay in nubra valley- nubra or hunder or diskit- advice
As of now, from Sonmarg traffic is allowed before 8 AM and after 11 AM. Traffic from Drass crosses over between 8 – 11 AM.
For Nubra valley, read https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-nubra-valley/
We reached udhampur yesterday and now started trip to kargil and tomorrow will move to leh
That is great Rajiv. Do update us about the road conditions ahead and if there is any change in Sonamarg / Drass traffic timings.
Hi
We are two families travel from udampur to srinagar on 27th May 2017 and Srinagar to Leh 28th may 2017.
Please inform road status and conditions for travelling by taxi.
we want car rental for our 10 days package if you have in mind please suggest.
thanks and regards
Suketu shah
Hello – Roads are open and condition is bad around Zoji La. Rest of the roads are ok to drive on. For taxi, call Faisal at 9596410670 in Srinagar.
Hi khan,
Can u plz update the Road condition between srinagar to leh.
Can u also tell me hw they release traffic at zojila pass….
Do they release traffic both ways or 1 day to go srinagar- leh and other day for cmg from leh-srinagar.
My travel date is 26th of May from srinagar to leg…
Hi Martin – Below is what a couple of other people who travelled from Srinagar to Leh on 15th provided.
“Road is bumpy for 10km on zero point. Lots of water from melting snow flowing over the road. It is an Abdolutely Fabulous journey till Kargil. At Sonsmarg checkpoint police will stop the vehicles at 8AM and leave only on 11AM. So plan to cross Shonmarg before 8AM. Road works are going on many places nearby zero point.”
“It looks 8:00-10:30AM checkpost is blocking traffic after Sonamarg.
Lots of internet issue in Kargil”
“Hello All,
All’s well here. We bunch of people from Bangalore left from Srinagar to leh on 15th. We reached leh yesterday. There is no issue with the roads or situation. Hope this news helps.
Don’t forget to carry warm clothes. Apart from that there is no issue here. We are now leaving from here to pangong and nubra.”
Thanks for ur feed back…
When I travelled to leh from sirnagar in the year 2014 it was one day to go and other day to come.
Can i travel 420km from srinagar to leh in one day
Ideally it is a 2 days journey but there are shared cabs available in Srinagar that run non-stop to Leh making it a one day journey. It will be too tiring though so be prepared for that. You can board a bus too but the bus will halt at Kargil for the night and go to Leh the next day.
Is it possible for me to travel to leh from sonamarg in a day & How many hours will it take….
How many days did they take to reach leh from Bangalore
You can do it but it will be one hell of a long journey … anywhere between 10-12 hours.
and Bangalore?
Hello all,
We travelled back to Srinagar yesterday from leh at a stretch. We left at 5 in the evening and reached here by 8 with couple of breaks in between.
It was freezing cold, bumpy ride and people who were awake had tough time seeing them driving during night. Luckily I was asleep
Now flying back to Bangalore today evening. Wow it’s awesome and unforgettable trip till date.
Regards,
Ramya
Thank you so much Ramya !!! I am glad your trip was good.
W
Weather is pleasant. Driving from Srinagar r to Kargil
Syed Bhai – Please do update us about how the drive is, the road conditions and a few pics.
Road is bumpy for 10km on zero point. Lots of water from melting snow flowing over the road. It is an Abdolutely Fabulous journey till Kargil. At Sonsmarg checkpoint police will stop the vehicles at 8AM and leave only on 11AM. So plan to cross Shonmarg before 8AM. Road works are going on many places nearby zero point.
Thanks Syed. Do let us know the road is between Kargil and Leh as you travel tomorrow.
It looks 8:00-10:30AM checkpost is blocking traffic after Sonamarg.
Lots of internet issue in Kargil
Hello All,
All’s well here. We bunch of people from Bangalore left from Srinagar to leh on 15th. We reached leh yesterday. There is no issue with the roads or situation. Hope this news helps.
Don’t forget to carry warm clothes. Apart from that there is no issue here. We are now leaving from here to pangong and nubra.
All the best everyone who are travelling.
Regards,
Ramya
Hi Ramya – Any recent changes in Sonmarg to Drass traffic timings?
Hi vargis
I m planning a trip via srinagar to leh n return by manali around 24th may in scorpio 4×2. Will roads will be ok by that time.
Hi Deepak – Manali Leh highway will not be open by 24th May so you will have to return via Srinagar only.
First of all thank u for this valuable blog Mr vargis khan.we(4 people)are planning for leh ladakh trip from srinagar at 16 th of may onwards.you mentioned the opening date above.is there any lag for that day and tourist entering date.we planned to rent a bike at srinagar.is it possible to travel with that bike along ladakh also.else pls suggest me about bike rentals.we are planning for a low budget trip.thanking you.
Hello Razi – You will be Ok for traveling on 16th, Highway is expected to open in next 3-4 days as of now.
For bike rentals, take a look at the article below.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/best-place-rent-a-bike-in-srinagar/
Brother,Do the bikes you mentioned above can also be used for local sight seeing in ladakh?
Hi Razi – No they cannot be brother. Bikes from Srinagar can only be used to reach Srinagar, not for local sight seeing. Same way, bikes from Ladakh cannot be used around Srinagar. These guys are very strict in this manner.
Thanks brother and i would like to know whether there is any cheap travel options from srinagar to leh exept taxis?like bus..
Yes Razi, you can travel via Bus as well. Take a look at the article below detailing how to plan a budget trip to Ladakh traveling via Public transport.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/plan-budget-trip-to-ladakh-using-public-transport-services/
Khan bro..any new updates of sgr leh road plz relpy me fast
No fresh update as of now Rameez Bhai. Hoping to get one by evening today.
Thx alot bhai
Any updates bhai….
The highway is clear of snow Bhai. LMVs from both Kargil and Leh arrived in Leh today without any problem. I am guessing that it should be declared open for tourists as well in next couple of days. I will know more tomorrow
khan bhai any new updates now…..i saw in in news that close sonmarge leh Road has been closed it once again i dont know why maybe land slide or something…. please confirm and reply me fast
I have not really heard about it Rameez Bhai. I will check again tomorrow
Ok bro thx alot
It opened yesterday Brother
Thanks for ur update status. We are 4 people want going to srinagar to leh by own celerio car on 20 may. Is any prob for celerio car
The low ground clearance will be a big problem. So early in the season means really bad roads with numerous water streams and slush at several places where the low GC will be tough to handle.
Finally go or no
You can go definitely but drive a bit carefully and avoid a couple of treacherous stretches. Take a look at the couple of articles at the link below and plan accordingly. My friend went to Ladakh in Maruti 800 with 4 other guys in it so yes, you can definitely complete the trip in Celerio.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/best-car-for-ladakh-trip/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/important-tips-driving-through-ladakh/
hello sir, i have a few queries and will be very thankful if you could reply back to them
1. We are a family travelling from noida in our own car all the way to and fro leh ladakh and wanted to know if june 4th will be a suitable time for our visit.
2. Given importance to the unrest in kashmir an the militancy issues would that be a problem for us tourists?
3. I have been made aware of a permit that needs to be taken for tourist travellers, could you please tell me about it and its necessities.
4. what route would you suggest to take, we plan to take the highway to srinagar and return back the same way. will it be fine?
Hello Priyanshi,
1. Which car are you traveling in? I am hoping it is an SUV because you are traveling early in the season and roads aren’t really good at this time.
2. Kashmir is OK, do not worry about it. here are already tourists there visiting the valley.
3. There is no permit needed for Srinagar to Leh but you need ILP for visiting places like Nubra valley and Pangong in Ladakh see the link below for more details on these permits.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/obtaining-ilp-for-ladakh/
4. How many days do you have in hand? Let me know and I can suggest an itinerary.
sir
we are travelling in a ford endeavor, also is there a problem if we travel with bp patients? no seriousness in their health as such now. please suggest an itinerary, we do not have a time constraint.
Hello Priyanshi – Quite honestly, I do not feel qualified to be passing on advice in medical cases. I would highly recommend that you consult a doctor in this case and follow their advice. I am sorry I just do not want to give a false suggestion based on my assumptions which may get you in some trouble.
For your itinerary, you can complete the route in the following manner.
Noida to Jammu
Jammu to Srinagar
Srinagar to Sonamarg
Sonamarg to Leh
Leh
Leh to Nubra Valley (Diskit)
Diskit to Panamik
Panamik to Leh
Leh to Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso to Leh
Leh to Tso Moriri (Karzok)
Tso Moriri to Sarchu
Sarchu to Manali
Manali to Noida
This is a 2 weeks itinerary. If you have more days, you can include Zanskar valley here as well.
Hi Vargis,
Your posts are useful. We are travelling to leh for first time in life. Starting my journey from srinagar on may 19. Please tell me whether the road will be open for tourist vehicles on that day….
Hi Naga – Yes it will be open by May 19th
Thank you so much vargis….now i am relaxed and happy…
You are welcome brother
Hi Vargis,
Called twice J. K. Tourism office they told (with re-confirmation) 15th May is the date tourist can travel. Before that not confirming anything. One 5 star rated travel agency also mentioning the same date. Looks like things are converging. I hope road will be functional starting from 8th May. Then chance will be very bright for 15th May tours. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck in Srinagar and wait for 16, 17, and waste my booking in Leh.
Pls let us know the 8th May status of the road. Appreciate your help…
Thanks,
Syed Hussain
Hi Syed – I just spoke to my contact in Srinagar. BRO has started testing the road, they are running their own convoys as of now and have even allowed a few local drivers to ply towards Kargil. This process usually runs for 3-4 days so as of now the estimate is that it should be all operational by 12th.
Hello Mr.vargis Khan,
we are a group of 10 planned to ladhak trip from june 15th-june28th , starting from Madhya pradesh
Katni to delhi
delhi to manali
manali to leh on bike and return
leh to srinagar on bike
Srinagar to delhi and back home.
so will it be the right time to visit leh-ladhak ??
Should the bikers have professional skills when travelling through manali to leh route?? , i mean what can be the expertise level?
How does recent clashes in srinagar can affect our tour ????
Sorry for many ques !!! 😀
But i need to know from well known person like you !!
Hello Sujay,
Yes the time of your travel is good enough. You will be able to cover both Manali and Srinagar route at this time.
Have you rode a bike in the hills ever? Anyone with decent enough bike riding experience can go to Ladakh as long as they are riding slow and carefully. You do not have to be hardcore motorcyclist really.
Things are Ok in Srinagar as of now and there are tourists in the city. Nothing to worry about right now.
Thank u so much 🙂
You are welcome brother
Hi Vargis Khan,
I’d like to first Thank You! for the contents on this page, it is very useful. 🙂
Its indeed great to see that the Srinagar-Leh road is expected to be open soon. On this regard, I wish you could help me out with my query –
I understand that there is a schedule thats maintained with respect to the direction of traffic allowed at Zoji la pass.
I have read that, Early morning – Afternoon – Second half.. of a given day is spread across like so, Srinagar to Dras – Army vehicle movement/maintenance – Dras to Srinagar.
Does this still hold good every year?
Could you please help with the exact timings?
Thank You.
Regards,
Kash
Hi Kash, The exact timings will only be known once the traffic movement starts on the highway. The timings last year were,
Drass to Sonamarg (Civilian Traffic): 4 AM to 8:30 AM
Drass to Sonamarg (Army vehicles): 8:30 AM to 11 AM
Road closed for maintenance: 11 AM to 1 PM
Sonamarg to Drass (Light vehicles): 1 PM to 3:30 PM
Sonamarg to Drass (Heavy Vehicles): 3:30 PM Onward
It however could be different this year so do not plan according to this. Best to wait for the highway to open and then I will post the timings here.
Thank you for the prompt response.
Yes, the above mentioned timings is what I am aware of too.
Like you rightly mentioned, these timings may not hold true for this year.
Yes, it would be great if you could include the timing details once we have the highway officially opened.
Cheers.
I will Kash. Just waiting for that damn highway to open, its playing hide and seek this year.
Yey!! Seems like the ‘damn highway’ has finally opened. Have you happened to hear anything with respect to the traffic-movement-direction timings?
Thank You in advance.
This is what Syed updated in the comments above, he travelled from Srinagar to Kargil today.
“Road is bumpy for 10km on zero point. Lots of water from melting snow flowing over the road. It is an Abdolutely Fabulous journey till Kargil. At Sonsmarg checkpoint police will stop the vehicles at 8AM and leave only on 11AM. So plan to cross Shonmarg before 8AM. Road works are going on many places nearby zero point.”
ohh!! I missed Syed’s update. Fantastic to read his explanation 🙂
Thank You for the prompt response and for the contents on your website. Its very useful and has the potential to save lives.
Cheers.
Which date is fix to open the zojila Pass Srinagar To ladakh
Aaj
Open for locals only, tourists are not allowed to travel right now.
Update: srinagar leh highway opened…Bt not for tourists its just for locals as shortage of essentials items deepens in leh district.Just matter of 2-3days officially it wll declared open…happy journey…
Thanks Ruhail
Thank u Vargis ji for your latest update..
You are welcome Nimisha Ji
Sir can u pls tell me Kashmir to leh roads are open or not coz we are traveling to Kashmir on 12 th may 2017 and want to go to leh our roads open if not when will roads open
Just posted a video with most recent update Sumit Bhai
Vargis bhai thanks for t updates…As soon as official date of opening come up just let us all know….Regards Ruhail…..
I will Ruhail Bhai.
hi any updates vargis bro?
thanks in advance
srinivasan G
Hi Srinivasan – No further updates as of now bro. The opening date still remains sometime after May 15.
Just received a fresh update, posted.
Thanks a lot buddy
you are welcome brother
Hello Vargis ji…Any updates for srinagar leh highway?
Thanks n Regards,
Nimisha
Hello Nimisha Ji – I am sorry but there are no further updates as of now.
Thanks a lot for your quick response as always..
You are welcome
Just received a fresh update, posted.
Just saw your recent updates… Thank u..u can’t imagine how happy I m to see your updates as I was really worried. You might think I m crazy but 3-4 times in a day I open your blog to see latest updates..
Thank u once again.
same here. Thanks a lot for your updates vargis ji. All my tour members are keeping your page open and refreshing frequently. Thanks for your tym.
Thank you Nimisha Ji and Srinivasan Bhai. I am glad I could be of help.
Vargis,
This is brilliant blog that you have. Thank you for putting so much information.
I have a quick question on my Leh trip. I would be in Leh by 15th May and was thinking of renting a bike there and travelling to Nubra and Pangong. What do you think about the road conditions in Ladakh region? Are they too bad in mid May or okay to travel by bike. I am an experienced rider and have done Manali – Kunzum – Spiti before.
Please note, I’ll be taking a flight to Leh as both Srinagar and Manali routes would be shut on May 15th.
Thanks,
KC
Hello KC – All the roads in Ladakh are open so you will have no problem going towards Nubra Valley or Pangong. There may be a temporary closure if it snows at Khardung La or Chang La top but it will be just for a few hours or a day at most. Army will clear it and the road will be open again.
Road conditions will be terribly bad at some places like between South Pullu and North Pullu towards Nubra Valley and between and around Chang La top on the way to Pangong Tso. For rest of the places, it will be a mix of good, average and bad but mostly average.
Vargis bhai any update…
Ruhail Bhai not as of now. The opening date is still after May 15
Just received a fresh update bhai, posted.
Can we do
Delhi- Chandigarh – Shimla – Narkanda – Reckong Peo – Kalpa – Kaza – Keylong – Sarchu – Leh
Leh – k Top – Nubra and back to Leh
Leh – Kargil – Leh
Leh – Keylong – Manali – Chandigarh
Route during 2nd week of may ?
No you cannot. Kunzum Pass will not open by June so you cannot cross it over from Kaza towards Manali.
How about going to leh by shimla – spiti route and returning from leh through srinagar route by 19th of may and heading back ?
Not really sure I understood the question. You want to travel to Spiti from Shimla and return via Srinagar? That is the same thing that I mentioned above. From Spiti, in order to go to Leh, you will have to cross Kunzum Pass to reach Manali Leh highway near Keylong. Furthermore, even Manali Leh highway will open by June first week. The only options you have in May is to reach Spiti from Shimla and return via the same route. Fro Leh, you cannot reach either ways as Srinagar Leh highway will open late May and Manali Leh in early June.
We had planned a leh trip by 14th May but since the roads are not open we are not taking the risk. So planning for a 10 day trip to spiti valley on may 11-20. We are 2 bikers traveling all the way from kerala and now we have reached delhi.
Hi vargis, it is really appreciable what you are doing, keep updating!!
Thanks Faisal
Hi vargis ,
Thanks for your latest update. We are 10 people planned to start from srinagar (16th eve arrival in srinagar airport) on 17th may to leh via road and return back to srinagar on 22nd via road tempo traveller (23rd evening return flight from srinagar). I have confirmed flight and hotel bookings. As the road status opening is not yet finalized I have a few queries for you,
1. can I book flight from srinagar to leh such that i will reach leh on 17th and plan to return back on 21st from leh via road and reach srinagar on 22nd what are the chances that road will be open on 21st? so that atleast i can return back via road Will this plan work out ?
2. If the roads dont open by then is there any other itenary so that i can look for like gulmarg and sonmarg atleast. If so how should i split the itinerary and visit them. We will arrrive on 16th evening 6 pm srinagar and our return flight is on 23rd evening. In the current scenario in srinagar I would like to move out of srinagar on 16th evening itself and come back on 23rd morning to srinagar airport directly ? Is it safe to visit gulmarg and sonmarg ? If so how would i spent the days from 17 to 22 around sonmarg and gulmarg
Sorry for the long question. Thanks in advance.
srinivasan G
Hello Srinivasan – In my opinion, you should go for option one. Take a direct flight to Leh and catch the return flight from Srinagar. The highway in all probability will be open by 23rd.
What time is your return flight from Srinagar?
23rd evening 5.30 pm flight from srinagar.
So 22nd leh to kargil
23rd kargil to srinagar ? will this workout or should i start from 21 leh to kargil and 22nd kargil to srinagar.
Moreover from your latest update it is 15th may will the road open or will BRO will take some more time after snow clearance to allow public use it.
How are you planning local sightseeing in Ladakh? Booking a cab or motorcycles?
local sight seeing is through tempo travellor
You can follow this itinerary,
17 – Leh
18 – Nubra Valley
19 – Nubra Valley to Leh
20 – Leh to Pangong via Chang La
21 – Pangong to Leh
22 – Kargil
23 – Start by first light of the day from Kargil so that you reach Airport well in time to catch your flight.
or you can do the following.
17 – Leh, rest and let your body adjust to high altitude
18 – Nubra Valley
19 – Pangong via Agham Shyok road
20 – back to Leh
21 – reach Kargil
22 – reach Sonamarg
23 – reach Srinagar by evening straight to airport (just 3-4 hours drive so you can reach airport easily and spend first half of the day sightseeing in Sonamarg
I would prefer the second one and move along with it. Thanks for your time and I hope the road will be open on 22nd from kargil to srinagar . thanks alot VARGIS.KHAN
You are welcome brother. Glad I was of help.
I must however warn you that Agham Shyok road is a treacherous path and you may not find a driver in Leh willing to drive you here. Another option to reach Pangong from Nubra directly is via Wari La which too is kind of a difficult drive. Agham Shyok road however will see you at Pangong from Nubra valley within 5-6 hours at most.
If you have trouble finding a driver, let me know and I can direct you to someone.
Hello Vargis ji
First of all thank you so much for your updates. As I told u earlier we r planning for Leh via srinagar highway on 16 th may. as per your post it will open only after 15 th may. We are ten people travelling by tempo traveller. I m really worried as our booking has been done.
From 12 th may to 15 th may we are visiting pahalgam, Gulmarg and srinagar. Kindly guide me.. We are worried.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Nimisha
Hello Nimisha Ji – I wish I had better news for you but I really do not. Per the latest update, it will take about another 20 days for the road to open.
Thank u so much for your quick response. It’s really sad for us as we have booked hotels too….best hopes that everything turns out well.
Thank u once again.
I hope so too …. and you are welcome !!!
As soon as I hear something different, I will update here.
I have booked flight tickets to srinagar on 16th may for 10 people and have planned to travel from srinagar to leh on 17th 18 kargil 19 leh and return from leh on 21st and reach srinagar on 23rd. From your latest update I think it is almost not possible to move ahead. Shall I wait for some more days or cancel my flight and hotel bookings
Hi Srinivasan – Right now, the update is that the road will open after May 15th, no date is confirmed so yes, I will recommend that you postpone your trip by a couple of weeks to be on a safer side.
Hello Mr. Khan, I see your regular updates on the road condition which I dont see anywhere else on similar forums. Keep up the good work and keep helping travel freaks with very important and precise information. From your last status update with the pics, it looks like you have a contact on ground zero. I talked to a member of GRC in Sonmarg and as per him, the zojilla is almost cleared and is expect it to be open by May 5. Can you please confirm and verify it with your source?
Hello Mr. Punto,
Thank you for your kind words.
As of now the snow clearing work is still going on. There is a high chance that the it may get cleared within first week itself, with the rising temperatures all over the country doing half of BRO’s job. However the road is not immediately declared open. For the first week or 10 days, BRO inspects the entire stretch to stabilize it and only after they are convinced that it is safe, the road is declared open for civilian traffic. So yes, it may be cleared all the way by May 5th but I doubt that BRO will declared it open for civilians too at that date.
Appreciate your quick response. I guess in your last update you mean “Srinagar Leh highway” not “Manali Leh highway”.
You are right. Thanks for catching that. Corrected now. Latest update is that road will open for civilians even later than May 15th.
Talked today with a tour guide based in Srinagar, he is still confident of getting the road open on 6th May. I’m still not sure because of too diverge information. I sense things may not be too bad but for safe option one should plan for later than 15th May. I’ll update again tonight…
I got back some message from Srinagar-Kargil travel guide source that says it’ll take around 20 days to open the road. That means it is 15th of May. Two weeks back there was snow fall on the same place that made the thing delayed.
Thanks Syed for the update. I changed my plan and now flying directly to Leh.
Dear Varghis
I am really happy to see your knowledge on the Leh Ladakh Trip. I would need your help. I am planning to visit Leh with following broad Itinerary. Request you to validate and let me know if the roads status will allow me to succeed in this plan
5th May: Bangalore to Chandigarh – by flight
5th May: Chandigarh to Srinagar – By Private cab services
6th May: Srinagar to Kargil and stay at Kargil- By Private Cab(Same as above)
7th May: Kargil to Leh
8th to 12th May : Leh visits to all sight seeing places
13th May: Back to Srinagar
14th May: Back to Chandigarh and Delhi:
15th May: (Early Morning 5:40 AM Flight) To Bangalore
I know I am taking risks of Bad roads. But, will the roads by open by then from Srinagar to Leh ? Please let me know.
Thanks in advance
Hello Girish,
Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it.
As of now, the Srinagar road is expected to open sometime around 15th May. There is no set date yet but there is a high chance that it will not be open by 5th or 6th May.
You also need to consider the situation in Srinagar around your dates of travel. There will be elections over there around 20th and a high chance of violence breaking out. Not trying to scare you , just making aware of all possibilities.
Girish,
Your Itinerary is pretty ambitious, I wish it works without issue. I also had travel booked from Srinagar on 10-11th May. Some tour guide I had talked even confident that road will be ready by 1st May. Tour guides are kind of optimistic persons, so I’m trying to get the latest info almost daily. As of now I’m only worrying about this issue, pretty much not bothered on unrest issue. I had good experience three yrs back, my cab driver took me out of Srinagar very early in the morning before a potential shutdown. So this time I’ll plan to get out of Srinagar around 5-6AM. Since election is near, Srinagar to Shonmarg road will have security posted in every 100m. That will be the only scary part may dampen the mood of sightseeing.
Vargis,
Pls update if you have new info…
Thanks,
Syed Abid Hussain
Thanks Syed. I will post update as I hear more, however if you get an update earlier than I do, I would kindly request you to please post to help others.
Girish – Yes, the itinerary is very ambitious, especially the Chandigarh to Srinagar and back, & Leh to Srinagar in one day. You may have to add additional days here.
Hi Vargis,
Firstly I wanna thank you for all your response which is very informative and appreciate your patience in answering all the queries.
So finally my dream of going on road trip from srinagar to leh is coming true this May.
We have booked flight from Bangalore to srinagar on may 13th and 13 of us are planning to start from srinagar to leh on 15th may. Could you please confirm if the roads will be open during that time. I have already canceled plan once to srinagar because of the problems there last year. I Do not want to get disappointed again.
I again see that there have been issue cropping up this year as well. Please let us know if we need to avoid spending time I. Srinagar and directly start to leh by road.
Thanks in advance
Regards, Ramya
Hi,
I also have a similar query.
With family I have a plan to visit Leh on 14th May by Srinagar -Leh Highway.
Still there is a confusion and doubt regarding opening of this route!
Can u please share a very assured tentative date?
Tutun Dasgupta
Kolkata.
Hi Tutun – There is no 100% assured date but expected date of opening as of now is between 10th – 15th May.
Hi Vargis,
Will we be able to visit Khardungla pass on 17th may?
Hi Tutun – Yes you will be able to
Hello Ramya – Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it.
Srinagar Leh highway is expected to open between 10-15th May as of now so chances are that yes, it will be open around your dates of travel.
As for your second query, due to the rising tensions in Srinagar because of elections, I would suggest that you do not spend time in Srinagar and head straight to Sonamarg. It is just 3 hours drive and the road to Sonamarg is already open.
Hey Vargis,
You rock man! Your post & comments helps a lot. I have planned my trip in June end.
I’m planning to directly go to Leh from Srinagar, spend like 3 days in Leh and then return to Srinagar with couple of pitstops.
My questions are
1. How will be the public transport frequency from Srinagar to Leh on 24th June ??
2. While returning to Srinagar from Leh I want stops at Kargil (night halt) -> Drass -> Sonmarg -> Srinagar. So can I expect a local bus or any local commute. without any prior booking?
Hi Sanjeeb,
Thank you for your kind words brother.
1. There will be a daily bus from Srinagar to Leh with a night halt at Kargil.
2. Yes you can. There is also a daily bus from Leh to Kargil that passes through all these towns. You can board the same bus and get off at the next stop. There are also regular shared taxis that locals use, you can also board these if bus timings aren’t matching yours.
There is no prior booking available. You will have to reach Sriangar bus stand and catch the bus.
Can I travel from srinagar to leh by road on 15 may. And how many days need to travel peacefully
Yes you can but with elections and the unrest in Kashmir, not really sure how safe it will be. Srinagar to Leh is a 2 days journey.
Thanks. I have a one question, Can I go by own maruti celerio diesel car.
You can but ground clearance will be a problem. Going that early in the season will mean even bad roads so you will have to be extremely careful and be prepared that the belly of your car will be touching the ground at several places.
hi vargiskhan ,
Thanks for your update. what about the status of snow clearance from sonmarg to kargil .
Hi Srinivasan – BRO is still working to clear the snow from Zoji La. There were avalanche warnings issued for areas near Kargil last week. As of now, expect the highway to open by sometime first week May.
Thanks a lot for your time and consideration. Your update is what we look for, thanks man.
You are welcome brother … Thank you for your kind words.
Hi Vargis,
Continuing our conversation on new thread as per your advice 🙂
Below is my planned itnerary.
May 20: Arrival to Sringar and transfer Sonmarg
May 21: Sightseeing in Sonmarg, Thwajas glacier and others
May 22: Sonmarg to Mulbekh, visit Kargil War memorial on the way, stay over night at Mulbekh
May 23: Mulbekh to Leh ,
• Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
• On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
May 24: Leh AM Rest PM local Sighseeing of Hall of Fame, Shanti Stupa, Leh palace and Market. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 25: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder ( Nubra Valley). overnight at Hunder:
• On the way cover Khardung la
Visit Diskit monastery , Sumur, Panamik
May 26: ,Visit turtuk from Nubra Valley , night stay at Nubra valley.
May 27 Nubra valley to Pangong . Overnight hotel at Pangong camp.
May 28:Pangong – Hanley or Tso moriri Overnight at Henley/Tro moriri
May 29:Tso moriri/Hanley to Leh via Chumthang , visit thickey monastery overnight at Leh.
May 30 Early morning departure transfer to Airport.
1) I understood that last 3 days would be very hectic, so my plan is to cover either Tso moriri or Hanely.
as below:
May 28:Pangong – Tso moriri Overnight at Tro moriri
May 29:Tso moriri to Leh via Tso kar, Taglang La back to Leh.
May 30 Early morning departure transfer to Airport.
2) Other option i was thinking, if Nubra to Pangong route via (Warri la) is difficult, I may need to come back to Leh and then travel to Pangong via Chang la.
In that case, i have two possibilities, either drop Turtuk and save additional night (keep only 1 Night in Nubra) which can i use to visit from Pangong to Tso moriri.
or Drop Tso moriri Plan , but keep additional night for Turtuk.
Which one seems better ?
3) Thanks for your inputs on Inner line permit, i guess i can apply for the same on day when i am Leh right ?
how much is fees per person for ILP to cover Pangong, Tso moriri, Tso Kar, ?
4) I will also speak to Sonam to know about road condition.
Regards,
Sachin
Hello Sachin – The plan is still the same and needs to be changed. Pangong to Moriri is a very long drive via Chushul, easily 12-14 hours. Hanle is the middle point. I recommed that you review the map at the link below to better understand the route and change your plan.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/pangong-tso-tso-moriri-road-map-distances/
If you are hiring Sonam, he probably won’t take you to Wari La unless you request. Morever, Wari La will most probably be closed at the dates of your travel so you will need to take the Agham Shyok road. It is open as of now.
Yes you can apply for the permits while you are in Leh. Chushul permits are a bit hard to get so talk to Sonam and ask him if he can keep those ready well in advance so you do not waste time while you are there. You may need to fax/email him copies of your identify proof for permits. Check the link below for details on inner line permits.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/obtaining-ilp-for-ladakh/
You do not really need two days for Nubra. What you can do is to drive all the way till Turtuk and if you like the place, stay there. If not, then return to Hunder the next day. Pangong via Agham Shyok road is only 5-6 hours so in the morning next day, you can explore a bit more of the valley, leave for Pangong by 11 AM and you will easily get there by 4-5 PM max.See this map for better understanding of the place.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-nubra-valley-road-map-distances/
Thanks A lot Vargis,
I spoke to Sonam yesterday, he said the route are ok as per my itinerary.
I am considering below option now from Pangong
So in that case I can either choose
1. Pangong to hanle , stay overnight at Hanle and return via chumathang to leh on next day.
Or
2. Pangong to tso moriri , stay overnight at tso moriri , return via tso kar , taglang la to leh.
Or
3.(considering i reduce one Night in Turtuk/Nubra),
Pangong to hanle , stay at hanle.
Next day hanle to tso moriri and stay at tso moriri
And last day tso moriri to leh via tso kar and taglang la
Which option is better for may end ?
Would tag-lang la route be open at that time ?, if not i can skip Tso Moriri Option.
Regards,
Sachin
Hello Sachin – Third option is the best, you should do that. Tanglang La would be open
Hi varghis I have read questions and answers answered most of my questions
I am travelling from Delhi to Delhi from 20 th may to 10 th June
May 21 st I am at Amritsar after that I don t know exactly how to plan it as anantnag constituency has bypolls on may 25 th
I would like to cover pehalgham / gulmarg/ sonmarg
Leh Ladakh
manali (does the road open by July 8 th) can’t really take risk about this one
Delhi
Is it better to start to leh straight away on may 22 nd and come back to Srinagar and have Srinagar tour or Srinagar tour 3 days n leh Ladakh n wait for leh manali road opens??
We r a couple on budget trip using public transport we r going to hire a bike in leh however public transport or sharing taxi from Srinagar or to manali (while returning)
Could u pls Briefly let me know what to do
Thanks in advance
Hello Rocky – Do not spend time in Srinagar, I would advise against it. Due to election, there is a very high change of violence in the valley. Go straight to Leh on 22nd.
Manali Leh road will most probably be open by first week of June so you may consider that for your return journey. For this again, you can board a bus from Leh to Manali.
I am not sure if I answered your question completely here. For Sriangar to Leh, you can board a bus early in the morning for Srinagar to Leh. What time are you reaching Srinagar?
Hi vargis
Thank you so much for the reply
You did answer all my questions
I have been frequent visitor of your blog
Read about busses n their availability
Gone through question n answers of others
I have no plan or any schedule when n how I am gonna get to Srinagar from Amritsar
On 21 St night I will be done with Amritsar
As per your suggestion I would stay in Amritsar on 21 St night 22 ND Srinagar night stay and leave to leh 23 Rd early morning
Places like tso moriri n pangnong lake I would like to spend a day or two
I have read on your blog that it s expensive to stay there however chadar tents are affordable n nice my question is as we r a couple is it safe to stay in chadar tents or are we risking it and how comfortable r they ? Or can I skip one of those places
As you know I have good 15 days for leh
Last question what s the weather gonna be like from 23 Rd may till 8 the of june??
Thank you so much for your help
Warm regards
Rocky
Hi Rocky, Thanks for your kind words brother !!!
Honestly, I would not recommend staying at a chadar tent with your lady accompanying you. Privacy is a concern, comfort level is just OK but the biggest problem is shared washrooms, more like a pit that you squat on.
Best advice I can give you is to just reach Pangong and try to negotiate a deal on the spot. Since there will not be a lot of tourists in May, you may end up getting a deal. If it still seems a bit out of budget, head to Man or Merak and stay there at any of the guest houses. Or return to Tangste and stay there at a hotel.
Take a look at the following link for more details at Pangong and the area around. I have provided details on several campsites and guest houses here with their numbers. Dorjay Delbu Guest House in Merak is the one I will recommend. To get to Merak, just continue driving on the banks of Pangong after Spangmik. Search for maps in the search area above and look at the map of Pangong I posted to understand better.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-at-pangong-tso/
Btw, Have you prepared an Itinerary for your 15 days of travel?
I have never read my books more interestingly than your answers n the blog
I will definitely try other options than chador tents
Roughly as I saw busses n availability I would go to Nubra valley by bus 2-3days
Panganong 2 days
Moriri 2 days
Leh 3-4 days
Kargil 1 day
Don’t take my itenary seriously as I have lots of time to kill
We usually explore so sometimes if we really like the place we just stay for days at the same place
Nubra doing by bus
Other places gonna hire a bike
Is learners license good enough of permanent license is a must to rent a bike??
Thanks again n again
They will ask for a permanent license. One of the readers updated me last year that none of the agencies in Leh rented him a bike on learner’s license.
If you are going to be traveling by Bus, I recommend that you take a look at the article below.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/plan-budget-trip-to-ladakh-using-public-transport-services/
Hi Vargis,
I’ve planned the Journey from Srinagar to Leh on 11th May. I talked with my earlier tour guides from Srinagar and they are sure of road clearance by start of May. I only hope that my calculation basing upon their suggestions and few other blogs remain works.
Pls let me know if you’ve any new update…
Thanks,
Syed Hussain
Hi Syed – Srinagar Leh highway in all probability will be open by 11th May.
Hi Varghis,
We arrving at delhi on may 24 and returning on May 30. Can we visit ladakh within this time period? will Manali to leh road will be open? can you suggest us an iteinary.
Thanks
Dinesh
Hi Dinesh – Manali Leh hihgway will probably not be open during this time. I would suggest that you catch a flight to Leh rather than making it a road trip via Srinagar with only a few days in hand.
Hi Mr. Vargis.Khan,
I am travelling from Chennai to Leh via Srinagar in July between 8th & 16th. Can you advice me of the places where i can find fresh snow.
Thank you,
Logen
Hi Logendran – In July the snow will pretty much be limited to top of the peaks or in the gorges, you will not find it anywhere near the road brother
Hi Vargis sir, We are planning a trip from the 21st to 29th April 2017 to Kashmir where in we want to cover Srinagar, Sonmarg, drass, kargil , leh-ladakh. Will these areas(Sonmarg, kargil, nubra valley, diskit, pongong tso lake) be accessible from Srinagar around 22nd of April or will the roads to these destinations still might be closed…
We are four couples…. Nd booked flight nd hotel…
Suggests us…
Hello Vaibhav – Srinagar Leh road will probably not open by 21st. Even last year the opening date was of April th
Hello Mr.Vargis
We will land at Srinagar on 18th May & want to start for Leh on 19th May…Whether Srinagar-Leh highway will open till 19th….pl. guide me…& from where, we can konw officially that whether Srinagar-Leh highway is opened or not….Is there any contact no. of BRO or any authority, from where we can get latest info ab. Srinagar-Leh highway?…..pl. let me know, as my all booking r on hold…..Thank you v. much….:)
Hello Mr. Trivedi, As of now the expected date of opening is around 2nd week of May so in all probability, the highway will be open on your dates of travel.
Hi Mr Vargis
We are planning trip to Leh via Sringar from 20th to 30th May, 2017 as per below itinerary.
We are a couple with 2 boys of 14 years and 9 years.
20th May Arrival to Sringar, and transfer Pahalgam
21st May Sight seeing in Pahalgam
22nd May Start after breakfast from Pahalgam to Sonmarg via Sringar ( do some local sight setting e.g Avantipur ruins/temple, Nagin lake and reach sonmarg evening).
Do you know if there is any timing restriction to travel from Sringar to Sonmarg during evening for civilians ?
Is this plan feasible ?
23rd May, Morning sight seeing to Glacier in Sonmarg, at noon depart Kargil/Mulbekh ,
How much time needed for Glacier visit at Sonmarg ?
Is it possible to start towards Kargil/Mulbekh in afternoon ?
Does Mulbekh have good options for Stay and vegetarian food ?
24th May Mulbekh to Leh on the way visit Lamayuru – Leh via Alchi, Gurudwara Pathar Saheb & Magnetic point. Overnight in hotel at Leh.
May 25: Leh AM Rest PM local Sighseeing of Hall of Fame, Shanti Stupa, Leh palace and Market. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 26: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder ( Nubra Valley). Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Nubra valley.
May 27: Hunder – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 28: Leh – Changla pass – Pangong Lake. Overnight in Camp near Pangong Tso lake
May 29: Pangong Tso Lake – Leh via Thiksey monastery & 3 Idiot school. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 30: Early morning departure transfer to Airport.
Could you comment if above itinerary is ok, or some changes are needed., am i missing any good places at Srinagar , leh ?
Few more questions:
1) Would Sringar to Leh road would be open by May 23 ?
2) Which is better place to stay Kargil or Mulbekh, i opted for Mulbekh as that would allow me to spend more time for sight seeing on the way to Leh
3) Considering current situation, is it ok to Travel to Srinagar/Pahalgam during May , as i also heard Election in Anantnag is postponed to May 25.
4) I geuss i would need to hire two different Taxis, one to cover Srinagar/Pahalgam/Sonmarg and 2nd one to cover Leh, can i hire taxi from Sringar which can drop me at Sonmarg and covers all sight seeing , and get another Taxi from Sonmarg to which covers all sight seeing of Leh ?. What would you advise to get Taxi booking ?
Hello Sachin –
1. No time restriction for Srinagar to Sonamarg
2. Thajiwas Glacier is about 5 kilometers from main town. Easily doable in half day of walking around.
3. Yes you can start for Kargil the same day.
4. Mulbekh has a few average guest houses and hotel. I would recommend that you stay at Kargil if with family. The guest houses and homestays are very basic and electricity too can be a problem here. It is just a small village.
5. Your itinerary looks good. If you do not want to stay at Kargil, go to Lamayuru and stay there.
6. Not safe to travel to Sriangar as of now due to elections. I am not advising anyone to go that way for that matter until elections have passed. Srinagar is the centre of all trouble and is best avoided. My honest advice would be that you land at Sriangar and proceed directly to Sonamarg. The additional day you wanted to used for Pahalgam can be used for Sonamarg as well. Visit Gulmarg too if you wish too.
7. You will have to get a taxi from Srinagar to take you all the way to Leh. This taxi would be good for sightseeing around SOnamarg as well. They just cannot go any beyond than Leh. Once you reach Leh, get another taxi there for visiting Nubra and Pangong.
8. For taxi booking, I can give you the number of my contact in Leh. He is a driver with a cab of his own. Good fellow, I have sent a few other familiies to him in last couple of years and they all had a good feedback to share. You can talk to him about taxi in Sriangar as well. He lives in Leh but I am sure will have contacts in Sriangar. Let me know.
Thanks a lot Mr Vargis for your very valuable inputs.
1. So you are saying better to avoid Pahalgam and directly go to sonmarg, due to safety issue
2. Regarding Taxi from Sringar, i guess same Taxi can’t cover sight seeing places in sham valley right ?, so i must change Taxi at Kargil or somewhere to cover sight seeing places of sham valley right ?
3. Can you share the contact your Taxi guys in Leh ?
Hi Mr Vargis, based on your suggestion i am changing my itinerary as below:
20th May Arrival to Sringar, and transfer Sonmarg
21st May Local Sight seeing in Sonmarg
What are other good places to cover at Sonmarg apart from Thwajas glaicer ?
22rd May, Depart from Sonmarg to Mulbekh or Lamayuru
I guess it should be possible to start journey from Sonmarg in morning towards Zo-zi la pass, right ?
23th May Mulbekh.Lamayuru to Leh on the way visit Lamayuru – Leh via Alchi, Gurudwara Pathar Saheb & Magnetic point. Overnight in hotel at Leh.
May 24: Leh AM Rest PM local Sighseeing of Hall of Fame, Shanti Stupa, Leh palace and Market. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 25: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder ( Nubra Valley). Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Nubra valley.
May 26: Hunder – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh. Overnight hotel at Leh
Or is it possible to directly go from Nubra valley to Pangong in May ?
May 27: Leh – Changla pass – Pangong Lake. Overnight in Camp near Pangong Tso lake
May 28: Pangong Tso Lake – Leh via Thiksey monastery & 3 Idiot school. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 29: Extra Day, any other places i can cover on this day ?
May 30: Early morning departure transfer to Airport.
What do you think about above itinerary ?,
One last question, As my per understanding both Pahalgam and Sonmarg provides similar view.
Which is better place to visit during May end ?
Hello Mr. Vyas,
1. Correct, I would suggest that you move towards Sonamarg rather than spending time in Sriangar.
2. Correct again. Sriangar registered taxi cannot be used for Sham Valley sight seeing but since you just added Alchi, there is a chance that the taxi driver may take you there. It is only 4 kilometers from National Highway and not really within Sham Valley. Sham Valley is on the other side of the road than Alchi is. Rest of the places like Magnetic Hills and Patthar Sahib are right on the highway itself so you should not have any problem visiting there, it is just Alchi. Best would be to talk to the taxi driver that you are booking and ask him if he would be able to take you to Alchi as well. If he says no, you may as well just skip it. There isnt much in Alchi except for a Monastery that you would anywyas be seeing plenty of in Ladakh. The real Sham Valley is around Hemis Shukpachan. Take a look at the link below for more details.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/plan-journey-sham-valley-ladakh/
3. Last year the traffic from Sonamarg to Drass was in the second part of the day, after 1 PM. So on 21st, reach Sonamarg and rest. On 22nd, visit the glacier and start for Kargil or Lamayuru after 1 PM.
4. Yes you can go to Pangong directly from Nubra Valley. Taxi driver should be able to drive you through. I spoke to him yesterday and the road is open. Look at the link below for more details on how to reach Pangong directly from Nubra.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/can-go-directly-nubra-valley-pangong-tso-route/
5. You can use the extra day for a day visit to Sham Valley. The taxi you hire in ladakh can take you there.
6. Number of the driver is 9469272773 and his name is Sonam Angdus. You can talk to him about Srinagar situation and Alchi part as well. I dropped him a text that you would be calling.
Hi Mr Vargis,
Thanks again for your very usefull feedback:
After your feedback about direct route from Numbra to Pangong , i have changed my itineary as below, now i also plan to cover one additional night at Numbra to cover Turtuk and one additional night at Hanley or Tso moriri
as per below itinerary:
May 20: Arrival to Sringar and transfer Sonmarg
May 21: Sightseeing in Sonmarg, Thwajas glacier and others
May 22: Sonmarg to Mulbekh, visit Kargil War memorial on the way, stay over night at Mulbekh
May 23: Mulbekh to Leh ,
• Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
• On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
May 24: Leh AM Rest PM local Sighseeing of Hall of Fame, Shanti Stupa, Leh palace and Market. Overnight hotel at Leh
May 25: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder ( Nubra Valley). overnight at Hunder:
• On the way cover Khardung la
Visit Diskit monastery , Sumur, Panamik
May 26: ,Visit turtuk from Nubra Valley , night stay at Nubra valley.
May 27 Nubra valley to Pangong . Overnight hotel at Pangong camp.
May 28:Pangong – Hanley or Tso moriri Overnight at Henley/Tro moriri
May 29:Tso moriri/Hanley to Leh via Chumthang , visit thickey monastery overnight at Leh.
May 30 Early morning departure transfer to Airport.
Does above plan look feasible ? especially direct journey from Pangong to Hanley or Tso Moriri ?
Which is better option in between Tso Moriri and Hanley , considering scenic beauty and time required to return Leh on last day ?
What about road condition between Pangong to Tso moriri/Hanley
and Tso moriri/Hanley to Leh ?, is it doable in May end especially with kids of 13 year and 9 year old ?
1. Plan looks good except for towards the end. It is ideally a 3 day journey. Pangong to Hanle on 28th, anle to Karzok (Tso Moriri) on 29th and Karzok to Leh on 30th.
2. Hanle is a beautiful small village, right on the border and Tso Moriri is a lake so both are kind of beautiful in their own way, hard to compare.
3. This entire route is mostly bad with lot of traveling on dirt tracks. Did you speak to Sonam? It is actually the driver who can tell you if he is ready to drive at this time. The road should be open though.
One last thing, the Pangong, Chushul, Hanle, Karzok requires permits so you will have to arrange for those first from DM office Leh.
Let us start a new conversation trail since this one is getting way too deep, LOL. When you reply, please do not reply to this one and post a new comment. 🙂
Hi Vargis,
Thanks in advance.we are three people including a boy of 12 years old are planning to visit LEH-Ladakh on the month of may-june.My itinerary is as follows:-
25/5/17:- start from SRINAGAR to WAKHA via Sonmarg DRASS kargil.N/S WAKHA.
26/5/17:- visit Aryagram dha biyama hanu lamayuru etc N/S SASPOL
27/5/17:- TO LEH visit enroute ALCHI LIKIR magnetic hill confluence Pather sahib etc.N/S Leh.
28/5/17:- Leh local sightseeing.N/S Leh
29/5/17:- To NUBRA VALLEY visit enroute KHARDUNG LA hunder diskit.N/S TURTUK
30/5/17:- visit NUBRA VALLEY.N/S PANAMIK.
31/5/17:- TO PANGONG TSO via Agham shyok route.N/S PANGONG TSO.
01/6/17:- TO LEH back.N/S Leh.
02/6/17:- TO TSO MORIRI.N/S TSO MORIRI
03/6/17:- TO sarchu/pang/darcha via TSO kar.N/S pang/sarchu/darcha whichever is convenient.
04/6/17:- Back to Manali.N/S MANALI
05/6/17:- Manali local sightseeing.N/S MANALI
06/6/17:- TO SHIMLA enroute sightseeing Jagatsukh Naggar Kullu Pandoh dam.N/S Shimla
07/6/17:- TO new Delhi via KALKA-
Is there any wrong? I need your advice regarding all aspects.Please suggest.
Hello Biplab – Any reason why you want to stay at Wakha on Day 1?
Hi vargis.
Planning road trip shrinagar leh with family between 19th may or 20th may. Will stay in shrinagar for 4 days before proceeding to leh. Will do reservations for kargil and leh while in shrinagar after getting the status of leh highway. Will it work out.
Hello Dr. Shah,
It should work. Srinagar Leh highway in all probability will be open by 19th May so you will be able to continue your journey towards Leh.
Thanx Mr Vargis .I really appreciate the way u are helping travelers.
Few more questions:-
What will be the conditions of roads after 19th may. ( Traveling with family) what are the chances of road blockages.
Can you suggest an itinerary for our tour to leh.
We will start from shrinagar after 19 may. Planning to be there in leh for 4 days.
This will be our 1st tour to leh.
4 adults 4 kids. 2 kids between 10-12.
2 kids Between 4 -6 . (Acclimatisation issues)
Hiring a taxi from shrinagar for the entire tour. How much will it cost. ( What else to u suggest)
I think I’ll totally do the tour as u suggest.
Dr. Shah – Did you see the news today? I would advise against traveling to Srinagar as of now until the elections have passed.
Thank you Dr. Shah.
Please let me know how many days you have in total for Srinagar, Leh and back home. I can accordingly suggest an Itinerary.
You cannot hire a taxi from Srinagar for the entire tour. Take a look at the article below and it should explain everything in details. You will have to hire multiple taxis for different places.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/self-drive-rental-non-local-taxis-still-banned-in-ladakh/
Hi! Mr vargis. 3 nights stay at shrinagar and 4 -5 night stay at leh.
I’ve been a couple of times to shrinagar and this time will not do much site seeing in shrinagar. Will just explore the city itself and relax.
Our main tour is for Leh but shrinagar is such a heavenly place u cannot miss staying there.
Dr. Shah – Did you see the news today? I would advise against traveling to Srinagar as of now until the elections have passed.
If the situation by then is peaceful, then you can follow the following itinerary.
Day 1 . Srinagar to Sonamarg (only 4 hours drive at most so you can also visit Gulmarg on this day. You can stay at Gulmarg too if you wish to)
Day 2. Sonamarg / Gulmarg to Kargil
Day 3. Kargil to Leh
Day 5. Leh to Nubra Valley
Day 6 .Nubra Valley to Pangong
Day 7. Pangong to Leh
Day 8. Leh
Day 9 .Leh to Drass
Day 10. Drass to Gulmarg (If you did not visit Gulmarg while on your way to Leh)
Day 11 . Gulmarg to Srinagar
Does this match your total days of vacation?
Hey vargis,
I’m planning for leh on April last week by rad so will the roads get opened?
Hi Shivam – As of now, chances are that it will not brother. Expected date of opening is sometime in early May.
Hello..I will plan to go sonmarg and gulmarg on April 12 2017.Is roads are open from Srinagar to go these places?
Hi Shivam – Road to Sonmarg and Gulmarg is already open.
Hi Vargis, have planned a road trip to leh via srinagar starting 11th May. Know am cutting very fine with the road opening , but if the road opens, am I taking too much risk taking a Sedan ?
Hi Chandan – I would say yes. Roads at this time will be in terrible condition. There had been a lot of snow this year, Zojila experienced 30-35 ft of snow so there is going to be a lot of damage on the entire highway which BRO will start restoring around the date of your travel only. There is also going to be a lot of slush. Taking a Sedan will be risky, it may get damaged or stuck in Slush.
Sir we are planning for a road trip delhi -srinagar -leh-manali-delhi from 28th may to 9th of june..already booked our flights and hotels for delhi for the said dates….
Want to know will there be any problem ??? Will Srinagar leh and manali leh highways be opened by that time???
Srinagar Leh highway will definitely be open but I cannot really confirm the Manali Leh route. Chances are that it will too be open by that time.
Hi Vargis. We are planning a trip from the 21st to 29th April 2017 to only Kashmir where in we want to cover Srinagar, Sonmarg, Pahalgam/Aru & Gulmarg. Will these areas(Sonmarg, Pahalgam/Aru & Gulmarg) be accessible from Srinagar around 22nd of April or will the roads to these destinations still might be closed.
Appreciate your feedback & thanks in advance.
Hi Sundeep,
Road to Sonamarg is already open so yes you will be able to travel to all these areas on these dates.
Can i travel by road at 1th june 2017 from srinagar to leh or is it safe with own car at this time.
Yes you can, it is completely safe.
Dear Mr. Vargis Khan,
I’m planing to travel (with family of four) from Srinagar to Leh starting from 10th May taking an Innova car. Is that time suitable for this travel? What is the current status of Srnigar-Leh road clearance. If the road is open by 5th May then I will be comfortable to take a decision in favor of it. Could you Pls write some details on the status of this road.
Second question is can you make an account in telegram App to discuss about Srinagar-Leh road status.
I think many of the tour guides will be able to put their information on that account.
Thanks,
Syed Hussain
Bangalore
Hello Mr. Hussain,
As of now, it is unclear whether or not the road will be open by 5th May. I am sorry but I cannot give a firm answer, everything depends on the weather and BRO.
I will create an account with Telegram.
Thanks,
Vargis Khan
Hi Vargis,
We are planning for a road trip i.e., manali-leh and leh-srinagar/srinagar-leh and leh – manali(which route is preferred to start our trip) in the month of July.
Our travel dates are from 1st July to 12th July. So can we make it for the month of July and 12 days would be sufficient to complete the trip?
please suggest me.
thanks for your time.
Regards,
Abbas
Hello Abbas – Yes you can do it at that time and 12 days should be sufficient. Do you have an itinerary though that I can look at? What all places are you planning on visiting? Let me know and I can suggest if 12 days are enough to cover all those places and where you should start from.
I am planing for a road trip from srinagar to leh bye car on 23rd april…will roads be open by that time? or how far till roads open from sringar?
No, roads are currently closed. Right now, you won’t even be able to reach Sonamarg by car from Srinagar.
I am Planing for 23rd april and by what sonamarg gets open?
This road will be open sometime around the date of your travel but then you are kind of cutting it too close. It may be open or it may get delayed by a few more dates. Then also the fact that the road at that time will be in terrible condition too.
Hi i didn’t knew that even Srinagar – Leh Highway will be closed around April 22-23. I have already booked tickets etc. What should i do? Please help
Hi Shashank – Hard to say brother. Last year the road was declared open on 30th April and this year a delay is expected so it may be sometime in early May. There is no other choice except to cancel your tickets.
Hello,
We are 3-4 family , planning to go from Srinagar to Leh by road on 25th or 27th may. Hope highway will be completely open by this time
It will definitely be open by that time.
Hi Vargis,
We are group of 3 and we ll be travelling srinagar from Leh on 18th May.
Roads would be open by that time?
And do buses operates from Leh to Sringar, how much time it takes and what is fare..?
Kindly let me know, bdw thanx in Advance bro
Rashid Aslam
Hi Rashid – This is not really an ideal time to go if you are planning to travel by Bus. I will suggest that you push your trip by a few weeks, do it in early June to be on a safer side. Bus service from Srinagar to Leh starts by end of May and considering that this year the highway will open late and there is a lot of snow, even the bus service may get delayed.
Srinagar to Leh is a 2 days journey and minimum fare would be around Rs. 500 per person for a normal bus.
Thnx for the vital info..
But we have already booked our Delhi to leh flight on 13th may and srinagar to delhi on 20th May..
On 19th may, we were suppose to start for Sringar.
We have a flight from Sringar to Delhi in evening on 20th May.
Please let me know, how we can reach Srinagar if we start from Leh on 19th.
Secondly if we don’t opt for bus , wht else will be economical way to reach Srinagar.
However, also let me know at what time buses starts from Leh and reaches to Sringar.
Need your help badly.
Thanks
Rashid Aslam
Hi Rashid – How many people are you in total? If not bus, then the next best thing would be a public shared taxi which will cost about Rs. 800 – Rs.1000 per person but highly inconvenient. A tourist shared taxi will cost about Rs. 2000 but availability is questionable around your time of travel. If you are in a group of 5-6 people to share the cost, then the best thing would be for you guys to hire a private cab.
Bus from Leh starts early in the morning and reaches Leh in the evening of next day.
Hi vargis ,
I am planning a road trip with my family (10 adults and 1 child)
16 may evening – srinagar
17 – srinagar to kargil – stay
18 – kargil to leh
19- leh to kardhungla – pangong lake stay
20 – pangong to leh
21 – leh to Drass
22 – Drass to gulmarg
23 may – gulmarg to srinagar
I have planned to book a tempo travellor ( 12 seater)
I have a few doubts
1. Is the itenary ok?
2. Is it possible to travel in a single day to srinagar from leh on return if so i will change 21st as leh to srinagar in one stretch is it possible?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Srinivasan,
On 19, Leh – Khardung La-Pangong, do you mean Leh to chang La to Pangong or are you intending to go to Khardung La first, descend back to Leh and then go towards Pangong? Search for maps in the search option near the menu bar, look at the maps. Khardung La and Pangong are in two different directions, how are you planning to do this journey?
No it is not possible to do Leh to Sringar in a day. You will need to give this journey 2 days minimum. As a matter of fact, Leh to Drass will be a llong journey as well so ensure that you leave as early as you can, possibly by 7 AM. Last year, I started from Leh somewhere between 9-10 AM and reach Drass after Dark, around 8 PM. And I was on a motorcycle, tempo traveler will take even longer so start by first light of the day.
19 the morn- Khardung La first, descend back to Leh and then go towards Pangong lake and stay in pangong
20th morn pangong to leh
21 leh to kargil (as you have suggested I prefer to move till kargil)
22 kargil to gulmarg
Is it fine. Thanks for you time and consideration
Leh to Khardung La and back will easily take about 3 hours and then Leh to Pangong is again good 6-7 hours minimum so please plan your day accordingly. Rest looks great.
Hi Vergis,
We are planning to start from srinagar on 18th may towards kargil, then 19th may to Lamayuru, 20th May at Leh, 21st May at Nubra, 22nd May at panggong, 23rd May at Tso Moriri, 24th May at Jispa, 25th may towards manali, Is it possible to get return via Leh- Manali road? We are driving own car from Visakhapatnam.
Hi Surajit
Manali Leh Highway would probably not be open by that time. It is expected to open sometime in early June as of now. As for your itinerary, how are you planning to go to Pangong from Nubra and then to Moriri from Pangong? This part of your journey is really rushed.
Hi,
We are reaching srinagar 9th June.
Our Plan is
9th June- Srinagar.
10th June- Srinagar- Kargil
11th June- Kargil-Leh
12th June- Leh- Local Sightseeing
13th June- Leh – Pangong (Night @ Pangong)
14th June- Pangong – Nubra valley (Night @ Nubra)
15th June- Nubra – Leh
16th June- Leh- Sarchu
17th June- Sarchu- Manali
18th June- Manali- Delhi
Is it Ok or require any changes our suggestion. We are group of 16 so getting Tempo Traveler from Sringar.
Please suggest !!!
Hi Saurabh – Your itinerary looks Ok but I do have a couple of questions.
1. How are you planning to reach from Pangong to Nubra direct? Which route?\
2. Do you have arrangements for visiting Nubra and Pangong? Your tempo traveler from Srinagar would not be allowed to ply on these routes. Did you clarify this?
3. Better would be that you go to Nubra first and then Pangong in order to acclimatize better.
Thank u so much.
You are most welcome
Hello…we are 10 people 6 adults and 4 kids and planning to go to leh via srinagar on 16 th may 2017. Will the highway open? I m worried as we have already booked tickets and hotels.
Hello Nimisha – Srinagar Leh highway usually opens by late April or early May but a delay is expected this year due to high amount of snowfall. I cannot really say right now whether or not it will be open but chances are that even if it is, it would have just opened around your dates of travel. So if you travel at this time and the road is open, you will need to keep in mind that the roads will be in worst ever condition. How are you travelling by the way?
Hello…
We are travelling by tempo traveller as we are 10 people..best hopes that roads will open.
BRO has already started clearing the snow a few days back from Srinagar Leh highway so chances are that the road will be open around your dates of travel.
Hi….we are coming to Srinagar on 22 nd March and planning to go to sonamarg on 23rd March.. Will the road from Srinagar to sonamarg open on that day?
Yes the road till Sonamarg should remain open. It is after Sonamarg that road is closed towards Zojila pass
hi.. Could you please confirm if all the roads within Leh would be open for Bike trip. We are planning to come on 22nd April.. I understand Srinagar would be closed however if we wish to do within Leh… ?
Roads will be open at that time. There is a possibility of passes like Khardung La and Chang La getting closed temporarily if it snows at the top though.
Hi,
How about the road travel on 21st May this year from Srinagarrival to Leh
Srinagar Leh highway should be open by 21st May, Manali to Leh may not.
I m traveling on 4 June from Bangalore to Srinagar & then to leh on 5 the June with 2 kids aged about 9 years . Is it safe
Hi Lalit – Yes you can travel with kids. Please take a look at the article below for more details on traveling to Ladakh with children.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/traveling-to-ladakh-with-children/
Hi Mr. Khan…v are troop of 14 (including 4 kids age between 9-13) are reaching srinagar on 24th May…start towards leh on May 25th and reach Leh on 26th May…v are planning to return to chandigarh via Manali on 31st May or 1st June….is the route will be open by that time
v wait for your kind advise…
Hello Subbu – Srinagar Leh highway in all probability will be open by late May but it is highly doubtful if Manali Leh route will be open for your return journey. There is a delay expected in openings of both the roads this year. Manali Leh route usually opens by late May or early June so if it gets delayed, you will have no choice but to return via Srinagar only.
Thank you very much for your response….As I already booked ticket from Bangalore to Srinagar I will not be able to postpone my trip….
Moreover, my friends who are accompanying with me are more concerned of weather and road condition, I am thinking of making only Kashmir tour (4-5 days) and plan Leh trip some other time only with my family….
I think it is a bit too early to make that call yet. Even if Manali Leh highway is not open, you can still cover Ladakh. Can you extend your trip by a few days? Let me know and I can suggest an itinerary accordingly.
I have already booked tickets from Bangalore to Srinagar…if I cancel or change the date of journey I will loose huge amount….Can you please provide me the itinerary for between 8-9 days….
Thank you so much for your kind help….
Subbu – For 9 days, I will suggest the following Itinerary. This way you will be able to cover both Ladakh and part of Kashmir.
Day 1 Srinagar to Kargil
Day 2 Kargil to Leh
Day 3 Leh to Hunder/Diskit
Day 4 Hunder /Diskit to Leh
Day 5 Leh to Pangong Tso
Day 6 Pangong Tso to Leh
Day 7 Leh to Kargil
Day 8 Kargil Gulmarg
Day 9 Gulmarg to Srinagar
Thank you so much…..we will try to plan as per your suggestion.
You are welcome !!!
AS WE HAVE PLAN TO REACH LEH ON 4TH JUNE , WE REACH SHRINAGAR ON 1ST JUNE , TO GO LEH BY ROAD , CAN YOU SUGGEST TRANSPORTATION WE TAKE FROM SHRINAGAR TO LEH ,WITH SOME TIPS THE PLACES WHERE WE CAN STAY OR TAKE FOOD (AS WE ARE VEGETERIAN AND WITH KIDS ) AND PLACES TO VISIT COMING IN OUR WAY{ I.E. ROUTE OF SHRINAGAR-LEH }WITH TIME SCHEDULE as well as we are planning back on same route
Rishi – It depends on your budget. You can either take a bus, or a shared cab or a private cab. It it fits in your budget, Private cab would be the best option in terms of enjoying the drive. Bus would be the cheapest option but then you would pretty much be tied to the stops and time of the bus. Shared cabs is the most inconvenient one and I would not recommend it at all. What is your plan and how many people are traveling?
AS WE HAVE PLAN TO REACH LEH ON 4TH JUNE , WE REACH SHRINAGAR ON 1ST JUNE , TO GO LEH BY ROAD , CAN YOU SUGGEST TRANSPORTATION WE TAKE FROM SHRINAGAR TO LEH ,WITH SOME TIPS THE PLACES WHERE WE CAN STAY OR TAKE FOOD (AS WE ARE VEGETERIAN AND WITH KIDS ) AND PLACES TO VISIT COMING IN OUR WAY{ I.E. ROUTE OF SHRINAGAR-LEH }WITH TIME SCHEDULE
Rishi – It depends on your budget. You can either take a bus, or a shared cab or a private cab. It it fits in your budget, Private cab would be the best option in terms of enjoying the drive. Bus would be the cheapest option but then you would pretty much be tied to the stops and time of the bus. Shared cabs is the most inconvenient one and I would not recommend it at all. What is your plan and how many people are traveling?
I have booked flights from Bangalore to Srinagar on 4th June will Srinagar leh road open on 5th June
Yes it will be
Can i travel by Road at 8th June 2017 from srinagar to Leh , we r cumg from gujarat with our own car to visit nubra valley & To Lake so their is any permit required for out state vehicle.
Yes you can. No permits required as long it is your own car.
I have booked flight tickets to srinagar on 16th may and would like to travel from srinagar to leh on 17th ??? Will the road be open by that time. ????
Chances are that yes it will be but there has been a lot of snow this year so cannot really predict anything for sure.