know before you visit LADAKH; Dreamers Dream

Leh & Ladakh- The Ultimate Travel Guide

With the world's two mightiest mountain ranges- the Himalayas & the Karakoram, 3 highest motorable raods- Chang La, Khardung La, & Tanglang La, desert mountains, gorgeous night skies, rainbows, Tibetan monasteries, flowers, lakes, rainbow hills, & the most stunning landscapes, Ladakh is bound to be one of the most epic journeys you can take in India.

How to Reach Leh

Leh isn't the easiest place to travel to, so there's that. From any part of India, you'll have to find yourself in either Delhi, Manali, or Srinagar first.

Delhi to Leh

The best way to reach from Delhi to Leh is by taking a flight, which may be heavy on your pocket. On the brighter side, it is hassle-free & saves you a lot of time.

Alternately, take a bus from Delhi to Manali. And another one from Manali to Leh. More details below.

Manali to Leh

The road from Manali to Leh has been called one of the most difficult ones to travel, so cheers, you're up for a big and exciting game here! You'll cross Rohtang, Keylong, Suraj Tal, Baralacha pass, Lachulung Pass, Tangalang Pass (5328m!!), and many beautiful villages along the way.

Now, here's the thing. There's only one HSRTC bus which goes from Manali to Leh, and it starts at sharp 4am. You're likely to reach Leh by 6-7 pm, or the next day by 11 am, depending on whether the driver decides to make an overnight halt on the way.

Alternately, you can take a traveller tempo/shared taxi from Manali to Leh. These are expensive but they save time.

The views along the way are utterly stunning- I didn't even a take a nap throughout the journey!

Srinagar to Leh

Reaching Srinagar to Leh can be done either by a JKSRTC bus or by a shared taxi/traveller tempo.

If you're taking a bus that leaves at 8AM, you'll reach Leh by 4pm, while haulting at Kargil on your way. Mind you, there are no night buses from Srinagar to Leh. So plan accordingly.

Itinerary for Leh-Ladakh

If you are planning on covering the lakes and the valleys all together, please spare a minimum of 12 days for Ladakh. Your body will need at least one day to just get used to the atmosphere, so the best would be, to use that time for local sightseeing. 

How to commute

The most popular means of covering all the tourist places in Ladakh is the motorbike. However, the journeys are long and tedious, and most parts uncomfortable. If you are not a hardcore biker, there are other ways to get to all the villages of Ladakh.

Things to do in Leh-Ladakh

Pangong Tso

3 rainbows in 3 hours. Yes, that's how Pangong Lake welcomed me. Although a tourist favourite, if you walk far enough, you'll find a spot where you can sit and marvel at its beauty with no one to interrupt the view. Go, walk as far as you can, the lake's 106 km long, and ends in China!

Nubra Valley

Famous for its double humped camels and desert sands among the mountains, Nubra Valley is a popular tourist attraction. Painted in a palette of brown, grey, white, and golden, the landscape is breathtaking especially during sunsets.

Hunder & Diskit

Hunder and Diskit are very small, green villages in Nubra Valley. They are everything like the scenery we used to draw as kids. Encircled with mountains, small and big streams flow along all its streets and houses made of stone and brick lie dispersed, separated by needle-like, dry violet stems of old trees.

Turtuk

80 km farther from Hunder lies, what you'll agree, is the prettiest village in India. Just a few kilometres away from the northern border, Turtuk is a delight to the heart. Sandwiched between the Shyok River and mountains, the village generously grows cherries, blueberries, and even apricots.

Tso Moriri

One of the less popular lakes, Tso Moriri is an exhibit of enormous beauty, topped with the fortune of tranquility. 'Tso' stands for lake, and 'Moriri' for mountain, and that's exactly what you'll find in abundance over there. If not for the lake, go there for the marvelous view during the journey.

The Hemis Monastery & The Hemis Festival

Every year, the Hemis Gompa (Monastery) organizes the Hemis Festival, which sees abundant tourists from all over the world. A two-day festival attracting tourists and photographers from all over the world, it occurs on the 10th day of the Tibetan lunar month. This usually falls in Early June. Decked in colourful masks and traditional dresses, the monks perform ceremonial dances in front of an overwhelming audience, all in the lap of giant mountains.