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Ladakh Travel Guide: How to Plan a Trip to Leh, Nubra and Pangong
Discover the unparalleled beauty of Ladakh, where serene lakes, majestic mountains and rich culture create moments that stay with you forever.
Quick Answer
Ladakh, a high-altitude desert in the far Himalaya, is famous for Leh, the Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. The one rule that matters is to acclimatise. Experience My India builds altitude-first itineraries with a mandatory rest day in Leh, handles the permits, and runs it May to September with a local guide and driver.
TRAVEL ADVISORY (check before booking)
ALTITUDE AND PERMITS (read before you book)
Leh sits at about 3,500m and most of Ladakh's sights are higher, so altitude sickness is a genuine risk. Official advice is a mandatory 48-hour rest in Leh to acclimatise before going higher, then a gradual ascent; ask your doctor about altitude medication before you travel. Restricted areas, including Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Hanle, need a permit (a Protected Area Permit for foreign visitors), which a registered operator arranges. Areas close to the borders are off the tourist circuit. Ladakh is open to tourists, but check your government's current travel advice before booking.
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ABOUT LADAKH
India's High-Altitude Desert Beyond the Himalaya
Ladakh is India's high-altitude desert, a Buddhist land of bare ochre mountains, whitewashed monasteries and impossibly blue lakes on the far side of the Himalaya. Since 2019 it has been a Union Territory in its own right, separate from Jammu and Kashmir. Leh, the old caravan capital at about 3,500 metres, is the base for every trip, and from there the classic route runs over the high passes to the Nubra Valley and out to Pangong Lake. It is one of the most spectacular places in India and a rising force in Himalayan tourism, and also one where planning is a health matter, not just a convenience, which is why this guide leads with altitude and permits above.
Popular Destinations
Explore Best Places of Ladakh
Leh
The capital and base at about 3,500m, with monasteries and vibrant markets.
Nubra Valley
A cold desert over the Khardung La pass, with dunes and Bactrian camels.
Pangong Tso
The famous blue-green lake on the Indo-China border.
Tso Moriri & Hanle
Remote high-altitude lakes, and some of India's darkest skies.
Zanskar Valley
The valley beyond the Indus-Zanskar confluence, and the frozen river of the Chadar trek.
Where to go
Leh, Nubra, Pangong and the lakes
Ladakh is really Leh plus a couple of valleys and lakes, strung along high mountain roads. The table below is the fast way to orient yourself; the order also happens to be the sensible acclimatisation sequence.
| Place | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Leh | The capital and base, at about 3,500m; palace, market, monasteries | Acclimatising, monasteries, your first two days |
| Nubra Valley | A cold desert over the Khardung La pass; dunes and camels | Bactrian camels, Diskit monastery, Turtuk village |
| Pangong Tso | The famous blue-green lake on the Indo-China border | The iconic Ladakh view; a night by the lake |
| Tso Moriri & Hanle | Remote high-altitude lakes and some of India's darkest skies | Going beyond the crowds; stargazing at Hanle |
Beyond these, the monasteries of Thiksey, Hemis and Lamayuru and the Indus-Zanskar confluence fill out a longer trip.
The altitude question: how not to get sick
This is the single most important thing about a Ladakh trip. Leh is already high enough to cause acute mountain sickness, and the famous sights, Khardung La, Pangong, the passes, are higher still. Ascend too fast and a headache can become something serious. The official rule, which we follow, is simple: rest completely on your first day in Leh, take it gently on the second, and only then start climbing higher, gradually. Fly in rather than racing up the Manali road if altitude worries you, drink far more water than feels natural, go easy on alcohol, and talk to your doctor about altitude medication before you travel. Build the acclimatisation days in and Ladakh is a joy; skip them and you spend the trip with a splitting head. Our itineraries are designed altitude-first for exactly this reason.
What does a Ladakh trip cost?
Ladakh comes down to a few levers: how you arrive (flying into Leh costs more than the road but is gentler and quicker), the standard of hotel in Leh and camp in Nubra and Pangong, the permits, and the private car and driver that a trip here really needs given the distances and altitude. Because conditions change, we build in a buffer day and flexible arrangements where we can. Experience My India quotes it to your dates and route.
Famous Food of Ladakh
Ladakhi food is Tibetan-influenced and made for the cold and the altitude: warming thukpa noodle soup, steamed momos, the hearty pasta-and-vegetable stew called skyu, barley tsampa, and salty butter tea. It is exactly the light, warm food your body wants while acclimatising, and Leh's bazaar cafes do it well alongside the usual traveller menus.
Thukpa
Noodle soup with vegetables or meat, perfect for the chilly weather.
Momos
Steamed dumplings filled with vegetables or meat.
Butter Tea
Traditional salty tea made with yak butter and salt.
Skyu
Ladakhi pasta cooked with vegetables in a creamy sauce.
Churpi
Hard dried cheese, cut into cubes and chewed slowly on a long mountain drive.
Where should you stay in Ladakh?
In Leh you have everything from simple guesthouses to comfortable hotels and a few luxury properties, all within easy reach of the bazaar. Out in Nubra and by Pangong, accommodation is mostly cottages and comfortable tented camps, part of the adventure at these altitudes, so choose a well-run camp with proper bedding and heating. Book ahead for July and August.
Plan your Ladakh Trip
Best Time to visit
May to September is ideal for pleasant weather and open roads.
Permits
A Protected Area Permit for foreign visitors, an Inner Line Permit or environmental fee for Indian travellers.
How to Reach
By air to Leh airport, or by road from Manali or Srinagar.
Travel Tips
Carry warm clothes, stay hydrated and respect local culture.
Permits: what you need
A normal Indian tourist visa is all a foreign visitor needs to enter Ladakh; there is no special visa. But the headline places, Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri, Hanle and Dah-Hanu, are restricted areas that require a permit: a Protected Area Permit for foreign travellers and an Inner Line Permit or environmental fee for Indian travellers. Foreign visitors usually have to be booked through a registered agency to get the protected-area permit, and fees and rules change from year to year. Experience My India handles all of this so you do not arrive to a checkpoint without the right paper.
How do you get to Ladakh?
Most travellers fly into Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport) from Delhi, a short but spectacular flight over the Himalaya, and the gentlest option for altitude. The two overland routes are epic drives in their own right: the Srinagar to Kargil to Leh road, which pairs beautifully with Kashmir, and the higher, harder Manali to Leh road. Both are summer-only and both demand extra acclimatisation, since you are crossing very high passes. If you are combining the two regions, see our Kashmir travel guide for the Srinagar side.
One practical note: mobile connectivity is limited in Ladakh. Only postpaid SIMs work in the region, and there is little or no signal in the remote areas around Nubra and Pangong, so expect to be largely off-grid once you leave Leh. Our team and drivers stay reachable on the routes we run.
Culture & Tradition
Tibetan Buddhist Heritage
Colourful Festivals
Warm Hospitality
Unique Lifestyle
How we plan Ladakh trips
Ladakh is the destination where the itinerary itself is a safety feature. Our trips are designed altitude-first: the mandatory rest in Leh built in, a gradual ascent through Nubra to Pangong rather than a dash to the highest lake on day one, and a buffer day for the mountain weather that regularly closes roads and the airport. We handle the permits so you never meet a checkpoint without them, and we use experienced local Ladakhi drivers and guides who know the passes, the remoteness and which routes stay clear of the sensitive border zones. It is a place that rewards being run properly, and punishes being rushed.
Experience My India was founded in 2018 and is based in Delhi NCR, with a local operations office on the Dal Lake in Srinagar for its Himalayan trips. It has hosted more than 50,000 guests from over 35 countries, with in-house specialists, a private transport fleet and a network of local guides across India. Founder Gurudutt Kaushal (IIT Jodhpur; Outlook India 40 Under 40) built the company on on-the-ground local guiding.
Best Time to visit Ladakh
May to September is the season, when the passes are open and the weather is at its most reliable, with June to September the sweet spot for Nubra, Pangong and the high roads. If you can time it, the Hemis festival in early summer fills the monastery of Hemis with masked cham dances. From November to March Ladakh is bitterly cold, often below minus twenty, and mostly cut off by snow, the preserve of hardy travellers and the frozen-river Chadar trek. One caution: mountain weather is unpredictable, and even in summer a spell of rain can close the Leh road or the airport, so keep a buffer day.
- May-Jun
- Pleasant weather and snow on the passes
- Jul-Aug
- Warm days, clear roads and perfect views
- Sep
- Crisp air and beautiful autumn colours
- Oct Onwards
- Cold begins, and the high passes start closing
How many days do you need in Ladakh?
Five to seven days is the right length for a first trip: two days acclimatising in and around Leh, then a night in the Nubra Valley and a night by Pangong Lake. Add two or three more for the remote lakes of Tso Moriri and Hanle, or to arrive overland by the Srinagar or Manali roads instead of flying. Do not try to compress it: at this altitude, a rushed itinerary is the surest way to spend the trip unwell.
Not sure how to sequence it safely? Call us and we will build an altitude-first route.
What does a Ladakh itinerary look like?
A safe, classic week reads like this:
- Day 1Fly into Leh and rest completely.
- Day 2Gentle, same-altitude sightseeing around Leh: Shanti Stupa, the palace, a monastery or two.
- Day 3Drive over the Khardung La to the Nubra Valley for the dunes and camels.
- Day 4Cross to Pangong Lake for a night on the shore.
- Day 5Return to Leh, with a spare day for the mountain weather.
The acclimatisation days at the start are not wasted, they are what make the rest possible.
Leh and the monasteries
Leh is where you land, acclimatise and get your bearings, and it earns its rest days. The whitewashed Shanti Stupa above town is the classic sunset spot, the old Leh Palace looks down over the lanes, and the bazaar is full of cafes, pashmina and apricot stalls. Within an easy drive sit some of Ladakh's great monasteries, hilltop Thiksey at dawn, vast Hemis, and Spituk above the river, all at a similar altitude, which makes them the perfect gentle sightseeing for day two.
Ladakh travel FAQ
The questions people ask before they book
Is Ladakh safe, and what about altitude sickness?
Ladakh is safe for tourists, but the real risk is altitude, not security. Leh is at about 3,500m and most sights are higher, so acute mountain sickness is common if you ascend too fast. The official rule is a 48-hour rest in Leh before going higher; we build that in, ascend gradually, and keep to established routes away from the sensitive border zones.
What is the best time to visit Ladakh?
May to September, when the roads and high passes are open and the weather is at its most reliable, with June to September the sweet spot. From November to March the region is extremely cold and mostly cut off by snow, visited only by hardy travellers for experiences like the frozen-river Chadar trek.
How many days do you need in Ladakh?
Five to seven days is the usual length: two days acclimatising in and around Leh, then Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. Add two or three days for the remote lakes of Tso Moriri and Hanle, or for arriving overland by the Srinagar or Manali roads rather than flying.
Do you need permits for Ladakh?
Yes, for the famous areas. Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri, Hanle and Dah-Hanu are restricted and need a permit: a Protected Area Permit for foreign visitors and an Inner Line Permit or fee for Indian travellers. A registered operator arranges these, and foreign visitors usually need to travel with an agency for the protected areas.
Should you fly into Leh or drive?
Flying into Leh is the gentlest arrival for altitude and the easiest on time, and the flight over the Himalaya is spectacular. The Srinagar to Leh and Manali to Leh drives are among the great Himalayan road journeys, but they are long and the Manali route in particular raises the altitude-sickness risk, so build in extra acclimatisation if you drive.
Can you combine Ladakh with Kashmir?
Yes. The Srinagar to Kargil to Leh drive is the classic overland route into Ladakh, open roughly June to early October, pairing the Kashmir valley with the high desert. It is one of India's great road journeys.
Plan your Ladakh trip
Tell Experience My India your dates and we will build an altitude-first Ladakh route, with the permits handled, a local guide and driver, and a buffer for the mountain weather.