Visiting Ladakh, Tips and Suggestions

I visited Ladakh with friends in June 2019. There are few things that I learnt and like to share with people who plan to visit Ladakh.

Ladakh: Leh, Kargil, Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri, Pangong Tso

Places to visit: Leh city, Tso Moriri (Lake), Pangong Tso, Kargil and Dras, Nubra Valley.
Minimum days required: 10 days.
Ways to reach Ladakh:
(a) By Flight from Delhi to Leh.
(b) By road from Manali or Srinagar to Leh.

Permit is required to visit interiors of Ladakh. Agents can help to get the permit. It is recommended to hire a taxi/cab in the region. It is not advisable to drive our own car. For bike enthusiasts, you may rent a bike in Leh to cover entire Ladakh.

Tso Moriri

1. Plan to go there in the months of July, August and Sept.

We went in the 2nd-3rd week of June. Due to snowfall and road closures, we had a tough time in rescheduling our tour itinerary. Though roads usually open in first week of June, 2019 was different. The later you visit, lesser snow you will see. Positive of visiting later in the season is, weather will be better. Negatives of visiting later in the season are (a) you will see less snow (b) Rains might hamper your travel.

Pangong Tso

2. Have one single Travel Agent manage your trip - road transport and accommodation.

Due to uncertainties, it is hard to plan the trip exactly as we want. If there is any stoppage of traffic, one could lose a day or two. These things will disturb your travel inside Ladakh if you book your accommodations yourself online for each location. Rather, I recommend you to go through an agent to book/block all accommodations and taxi.

Note: For visiting Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and for crossing Rohtang La, you need Permit. Your agent will help you in getting the permit. Provide Travel itinerary and ID Proof. For Kargil, no permit is required.

Thiksey Monastery, Leh

3. Food is not an issue and is very delicious

Veg and non-veg food are available. If you don't want to experiment too much, stick to maggi/noodles. In many roadside dhabas, roti, rice, dal, etc are available. In Leh, there are many good restaurants to try local delicacies.

Kargil Memorial, Dras

4. Flight and Road Options

There and flights to Leh from Delhi and Mumbai. If you want to experience road, you may land in Kulu airport and drive up via Manali to Leh. It should take you 2 days to reach Leh.

Khardung La

5. Have lots of time to cross the passes (called La)

There are many passes (high altitude roads) one has to cross in Ladakh. If you are traveling on road from Manali, you will have to cross Rohtang La and Baralacha. It is advisable to keep extra buffer time of 1-2 days if you are travelling on these roads. There could be blockage due to snowfall or boulders falling down from the mountain.

Other passes in this region are: Khardung La (highest motorable road), Tanglang La and Chang La.

If you are planning to tour Ladakh, you can skip Manali to Leh drive. But, you can't reach Nubra Valley, Pangong, Tso Moriri and Kargil without crossing the passes.

6. Acclimatization

It is recommended that you rest for a day or two once you reach Leh. Due to high altitude, one might feel loss of breath. At Khardung La and other places at 18,000 feet, there is chance of less oxygen. Try to breathe slowly and don't get concerned.

7. Accommodation options

Always pick staying in concrete accommodations. Avoid camps. It gets too cold at night. I developed headache whenever I stayed overnight in camps. In Leh, there are good hotels to stay and temperature is relatively not harsh. But, in Nubra Valley, Pangong and Tso Moriri, I recommend you pick something that is cosy, preferably, rooms with heater.

Photos of my tour could be found here