India · India
Ladakh
High passes, monasteries and vast silence
Overview
Overview
Ladakh is high-altitude desert at 3,500 metres and above, and it asks something of you. Get the acclimatisation right and it repays you with Thiksey at dawn prayers, the Nubra valley's cold dunes, Pangong's improbable blue, and roads over 5,300-metre passes.
Our Ladakh journeys always build in two full acclimatisation days in Leh before going higher. We would rather lose a day of sightseeing than have a guest unwell at 5,000 metres.
When to go
Best time to visit
June to September is the road season — all passes open, Pangong and Nubra accessible. Late September gives the best light and the fewest people. Winter is for the Chadar trek and the frozen Zanskar.
Road season
Jun – Sep
Khardung La and Chang La open; everything accessible.
PeakLate season
Sep – Oct
Golden poplars, crystal air, quiet monasteries.
PeakWinter
Dec – Feb
-25°C. The Chadar trek on the frozen Zanskar, and Leh at its quietest.
ShoulderSpring
Apr – May
Leh accessible by air; higher passes still shut.
GoodPractical
Visa, currency, weather and flights
Visa
Indian nationals need Inner Line Permits for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and Hanle — we obtain these in Leh before departure. Foreign nationals require Protected Area Permits, which we also arrange.
Currency
Indian Rupee (INR). Cash is essential outside Leh. Connectivity is poor and card machines frequently fail — we advise how much to carry and where to draw it.
Weather
Intense sun, thin air, cold nights year-round. Even in July, Pangong drops close to freezing after dark.
Flights
Fly direct to Leh from Delhi (1h 25m) — the approach over the Himalaya is one of the great flights. Morning departures only; Leh's weather window closes by mid-morning.
| Period | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun – Aug | 10–28°C days | Warmest; nights near freezing at altitude |
| Sep – Oct | 3–20°C | Clear, golden, superb photography |
| Nov – Mar | -20–5°C | Deep winter; only Leh and Hemis realistically accessible |
| Apr – May | 0–15°C | Thaw; Srinagar and Manali highways still closed |
| Delhi → Leh | 1h 25m non-stop | IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Vistara |
| Mumbai → Leh (1 stop) | 5h – 6h | IndiGo via Delhi |
| Srinagar → Leh (road) | 2 days via Kargil | Private vehicle, seasonal |
Where to stay
Hotels we recommend
Nimmu · Restored heritage
Nimmu House
A 200-year-old Ladakhi mansion in apricot orchards, run with real care.
Leh · Best in town
The Grand Dragon
Oxygen-equipped rooms and reliable heating, which matters more than style here.
Thiksey · Ultra-luxury tents
Chamba Camp Thiksey
Butler-serviced tents facing Thiksey monastery, with a private mess tent.
Nubra · Riverside cottages
Lchang Nang Retreat
Sea-buckthorn gardens beside the Shyok river in Sumur.
Saboo · Eco lodge
Ladakh Sarai
Circular mud-brick huts on a hillside above Leh.
Highlights
Things to do
Dawn prayers at Thiksey monastery
In the assembly hall at 6.30am as the horns start — the most moving hour in Ladakh.
Khardung La to the Nubra valley
Over 5,359 m, down to cold desert dunes and double-humped Bactrian camels.
Pangong Tso overnight
Staying the night rather than day-tripping: the lake changes colour hourly and the stars are extraordinary.
Rafting the Zanskar at Sangam
Grade II–III through the gorge to the Indus confluence.
Bookable now
Experiences here
Suggested route
Our suggested Ladakh journey
- 1
Arrive Leh
Rest completely. No sightseeing — acclimatisation day one.
- 2
Leh, gently
Shanti stupa, Leh palace, old town walk. Early night.
- 3
Monasteries
Thiksey dawn prayers, Hemis, Stakna, Sangam confluence.
- 4
Nubra valley
Khardung La, Diskit monastery, Hunder dunes, Bactrian camels.
- 5
Turtuk
The Balti village near the LoC, then back to Sumur.
- 6
Pangong Tso
Over Shyok to the lake. Overnight in a camp on the shore.
- 7
Return to Leh
Chang La, Hemis, afternoon at leisure.
- 8
Depart
Early morning flight to Delhi.
Gallery
Ladakh in pictures
Questions
Frequently asked
Guest stories
What our travellers say
Azulo refused to sell us a five-night Ladakh trip and insisted on seven with two acclimatisation days. Both my friends on a shorter trip got sick. We did not.
Arnav Deshpande
Pune · Ladakh, 8 nights
Dawn prayers at Thiksey and a night on the shore of Pangong. Two of the best mornings of my life.
Mira & Sam Kohli
Delhi · Ladakh, 7 nights
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