Leh sits at about 3,500 metres, and most of what goes wrong on a Ladakh trip comes from rushing the first two days. So this plan starts slowly in Leh. Only then does it cross Khardung La to Nubra Valley and spend a night beside Pangong Lake before you fly home.
Leh Ladakh itinerary: day by day
Day 1: Fly into Leh and rest
The flight from Delhi to Leh’s Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport takes about an hour and a half. Try for a seat on the left. On a clear morning you’ll see snow peaks most of the way in.
After that, do as little as you can. Sleep, drink plenty of water, eat light and skip the alcohol. If you still feel fine by evening, take a slow walk through the main market and back.
Day 2: An easy day around Leh
Climb the steps to Shanti Stupa for sunrise or sunset, and take them slowly. Keep the rest of the day to gentle walks around Leh Palace, the lanes of the old town and the cafés near the market. Expect to still feel short of breath on stairs. That’s normal, and it’s why today stays short.
Day 3: Monasteries along the Indus
Leave early for Thiksey, where the morning prayers begin soon after sunrise. Then drive on to Hemis, the best known of Ladakh’s monasteries, and stop at Shey Palace on the way back to Leh.
For a different side of the valley, swap this day for the Sham valley drive west of Leh. It takes in Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and Sangam, where the Indus meets the Zanskar.
Day 4: Over Khardung La to Nubra Valley
The road north climbs to Khardung La, one of the highest passes you can drive over in India. Stop for photos, but don’t hang about at the top. All told, the drive to Diskit takes four to five hours.
In Nubra, visit Diskit Monastery and the big Maitreya Buddha statue that looks down the valley. Towards sunset, go out to the sand dunes at Hunder, where double-humped Bactrian camels graze. Spend the night in Hunder or Diskit.
Day 5: Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso
If the Shyok road is open, it takes you straight from Nubra to Pangong in about six to seven hours. If it’s closed, you’ll have to go back through Leh, and the day gets much longer. Ask your driver about it the evening before.
Pangong Tso is a long, narrow lake, and its water shifts from deep blue to turquoise as the light changes. Even in August the nights are cold, so keep a warm layer handy. Stay in one of the camps or guesthouses along the shore.
Day 6: Pangong back to Leh over Chang La
Get up for sunrise on the lake before the five- to six-hour drive back to Leh over Chang La. In the evening, wander through Leh’s market. Dried apricots and local woollens are good things to take home.
Day 7: Fly out
Most flights out of Leh leave in the morning, so plan an early start.
Best time to visit Ladakh
- June to September is the main season. The roads and passes are open, the days warm and the nights cool. July and August are the busiest months.
- May and October are quieter and colder. Snow early or late in the season can shut the high passes for a day or two, so build in a spare day.
- November to March is deep winter. Flying is the only dependable way in, temperatures fall well below freezing and Pangong freezes over. It’s beautiful, but only if you come well prepared.
Ladakh sits in a rain shadow, so it stays mostly dry while the monsoon hits the rest of India. The roads into it from Manali and Srinagar still get landslides in July and August, though.
How to reach Ladakh from Delhi
- By flight: there are direct flights to Leh from Delhi all year, and from a few other cities too. It’s the quickest way in, but you land at altitude with no time to adjust. That’s why this plan starts with two slow days.
- By road from Manali: about 430 kilometres over two days, usually stopping for the night in Jispa or Sarchu. The highway is normally open from around June to October.
- By road from Srinagar: two days through Sonamarg, Zoji La and Kargil. This road usually stays open a little longer than the Manali one.
- By train: Ladakh has no railway. Take the train as far as Jammu or Srinagar and carry on by road.
Driving in takes longer, but you gain height gradually and your body adjusts as you go.
How many days are enough for Ladakh?
If you want Leh, Nubra Valley and Pangong with proper rest at the start, seven days is a comfortable minimum. Five days means choosing between Nubra and Pangong. Given nine or ten, add Tso Moriri, Turtuk village at the far end of Nubra, or the Sham valley.
What affects the cost of a Ladakh trip
- Flights: fares to Leh rise sharply in June and around long weekends, so booking early makes the biggest difference.
- Getting around: most people hire a local taxi for the whole trip. Local taxi unions set the rates, and a vehicle hired outside Ladakh may not be allowed to do local sightseeing.
- Where you stay: Leh has everything from family guesthouses to hotels. In Nubra and at Pangong you’ll mostly be choosing between camps and simple guesthouses.
- Group size: a taxi costs the same whether it carries one person or four, so each of you pays less in a group.
Ladakh travel tips
- Altitude: take the first 48 hours slowly. Before the trip, talk to your doctor about altitude sickness and whether you need medicine for it. If a headache, nausea or breathlessness gets worse instead of better, go lower and see a doctor.
- Permits: Nubra Valley and Pangong are protected areas near the border. Check the current permit rules for your nationality before you go, and carry copies of your ID to show at the checkposts.
- Phone: prepaid SIMs from outside the region often don’t work in Ladakh. A postpaid connection is the safer bet.
- Cash: there are ATMs in Leh, but you’ll find few beyond it.
- Sun and cold: the sun is strong at this height, and a warm afternoon can turn into a freezing night. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses and layers.
- Monasteries: dress modestly, and walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels.
Updated . Roads, ferries and rules change, so check the latest before you book.