A high-altitude cold desert of bare rock, turquoise lakes and thousand-year-old monasteries, Ladakh sits on the far side of the Himalaya from the Kashmir valley. It is a separate Union Territory, reached from Srinagar over the Zoji La on the Srinagar–Leh highway, and it feels like another country: Tibetan Buddhist in culture, lunar in landscape, and vast in a way photographs never quite carry.
- Altitude
- Leh sits at about 3,500 m; passes climb beyond 5,300 m
- Best season
- May to September for road access; Leh is reachable by air year round
- Getting there
- Fly to Leh, or drive the Srinagar–Leh or Manali–Leh highway
- Ideal trip length
- 6 to 9 days, including acclimatisation
Leh and the Indus Valley
Leh is the natural base and the place to acclimatise before going higher. The old town climbs towards the seventeenth-century Leh Palace, and the bazaar below is the best place in Ladakh to sort out gear, permits and onward transport. Within easy reach along the Indus are Shey, the old royal capital, Thiksey with its tiered monastery and giant Maitreya Buddha, and Hemis, the wealthiest and most famous gompa in Ladakh. Further west lie Alchi, whose eleventh-century wall paintings are among the oldest surviving Buddhist art in the region, and the moonscape ridges around Lamayuru.
Pangong Tso
The lake most people come for, and it earns the reputation. Pangong is a long, narrow, brackish lake at roughly 4,350 m that runs east across the border into Tibet, and its colour shifts through the day from pale turquoise to deep indigo depending on the light. The drive from Leh crosses Chang La, one of the highest motorable passes anywhere. Camping and homestays on the shore let you see it at dawn, which is when it is at its best and its emptiest.
Nubra Valley
North of Leh over Khardung La, the Nubra and Shyok rivers open into a broad valley that is warmer and greener than the terrain around it. Hunder has genuine sand dunes and a population of double-humped Bactrian camels left over from the Silk Road caravans. Diskit Monastery, with its enormous hillside Maitreya statue looking up the valley, is the landmark. Turtuk, further on towards the border, is a Balti village that only opened to visitors in 2010 and is quite unlike anywhere else in the region.
Passes, Monasteries and Oddities
Ladakh rewards the drive as much as the destination. Khardung La and Chang La are the celebrated high passes; Magnetic Hill plays its well-known optical trick on the Leh–Kargil road; and the confluence at Nimmu, where the jade Zanskar meets the muddier Indus, is worth stopping for. If your timing is right, the masked cham dances of the Hemis Festival in summer or Losar in winter are the cultural high points of the year.
Trekking and Rafting
The Markha Valley trek is the classic multi-day route, crossing high passes between village homestays. The Chadar trek, walking the frozen surface of the Zanskar river, runs only in the depths of winter and demands serious preparation and cold-weather experience. In summer, the Zanskar and Indus offer some of the most scenic river rafting in India.
Before You Go
- Altitude is the single biggest factor. Spend at least 24 to 48 hours resting in Leh before heading to Pangong, Nubra or any high pass, drink plenty of water and go up slowly.
- Inner Line Permits are required for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and other areas near the border. We arrange these for you — carry photo ID and allow a day.
- Anyone with a heart or respiratory condition should get medical advice before travelling to Ladakh.
- The Srinagar–Leh and Manali–Leh highways are seasonal and close with the first heavy snow, usually from around October or November until May.
- Mobile coverage is patchy outside Leh, and only postpaid Indian SIM cards work in the region. Carry cash, as ATMs are scarce beyond the main towns.
Plan Your Trip to Ladakh
We arrange transport, stays, permits where they are needed and a local driver who knows the route. Tell us your dates and we will put together an itinerary.