Leh and Ladakh: fly in or drive up?
Planning · · 2 min read
Leh sits at about 3,500 metres. Everything else about planning a Ladakh trip follows from that number.
Flying
An hour from Delhi, and you arrive at altitude with no adjustment at all. That means two full days doing almost nothing: short walks, a lot of water, no alcohol, no hard hikes. People who ignore this lose more days later feeling awful.
Driving
Two routes, both open roughly May to October:
- Manali to Leh, two days with a night at Jispa or Sarchu. Higher passes, harder going.
- Srinagar to Leh, two days via Kargil. Gentler gradient and better acclimatisation, which is why it is the kinder direction to arrive from.
Driving gains you the journey and spends two days getting it. Flying gains two days and spends them acclimatising. It is closer to a draw than people expect.
A workable plan
- Arrive, rest, walk around Leh market in the evening.
- Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, an easy monastery like Spituk.
- Nubra via Khardung La, one night in Hunder.
- Pangong Tso, one night by the lake.
- Back to Leh via Chang La, with a stop at Thiksey.
That is five to six nights, which is the minimum that does not feel like a rush.
Permits and practicalities
Inner Line Permits are needed for Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri; they are quick to arrange in Leh. Fuel stops are far apart. Phone coverage is limited to certain networks, and often only in Leh itself. Nights are cold year-round.
Season
Mid-June to mid-September is the reliable window. May and October are beautiful and colder, with some roads shut. In winter Leh is reachable only by air, and the Chadar trek is another kind of trip entirely.