Guides · Itinerary
Leh Ladakh in 13 days: Srinagar in, Manali out
The classic Ladakh loop, done properly: in through Kashmir, out through Lahaul, and Umling La in the middle.
Ridden · Road trip
13 days, day by day.
Delhi – Patnitop – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh – Nubra – Pangong – Hanle – Umling La – Tso Moriri – Manali – Delhi
- Days
- 13
- Distance
- ~3,200–3,500km
- Highest point
- 5,799m Umling La (19,024 ft on the BRO board)
- Season
- Late September
-
Day 1
Delhi → Udhampur or Patnitop
- Distance600–650 km
- Riding16–18.5 hrs, with stops
- Patnitop's meadows
- Nag temple
-
Day 2
Patnitop → Srinagar
- Distance200–220 km
- Riding7–8.5 hrs
- Dal Lake
- The Mughal gardens
- Shankaracharya temple
- Hazratbal
-
Day 3
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Srinagar
- Distance100–120 km round trip
- Riding5–6 hrs
- Gulmarg's meadows and the gondola
-
Day 4
Srinagar → Kargil → Leh
- Distance420–450 km
- Riding12–14.5 hrs
- Sonamarg
- The Kargil war memorial at Drass
- Mulbekh monastery
-
Day 5
Leh, around town
- Leh palace
- Shanti Stupa
- Thiksey monastery
- Shey palace
- Hemis monastery
- Hall of Fame
Not a riding day. It's an acclimatisation day dressed up as sightseeing.
-
Day 6
Leh → Nubra over Khardung La
- Distance120–130 km
- Riding7–8.5 hrs
- Khardung La
- Diskit monastery
- The Hunder dunes
-
Day 7
Nubra → Turtuk → Nubra
- Distance200–220 km
- Riding9–10.5 hrs
- Turtuk and its Balti villages
- The road towards Siachen base camp, as far as access allows
-
Day 8
Nubra → Pangong via Shyok
- Distance150–160 km
- Riding7–8.5 hrs
- Pangong Tso
-
Day 9
Pangong → Hanle via Chushul
- Distance160–180 km
- Riding8–9.5 hrs
- Hanle monastery
- The Indian Astronomical Observatory
-
Day 10
Hanle → Umling La → Hanle
- Distance150–160 km
- Riding8–9.5 hrs
- Umling La
Pack food for the day. There's nothing up there except the view and the board.
-
Day 11
Hanle → Tso Moriri via Loma
- Distance160–180 km
- Riding8–9.5 hrs
- Tso Moriri
- Korzok village and monastery
-
Day 12
Tso Moriri → Manali via Tso Kar and Sarchu
- Distance420–450 km
- Riding12–14.5 hrs
- Tso Kar
- Sarchu's tent camps
-
Day 13
Manali → Delhi
- Distance550–600 km
- Riding12–14.5 hrs
From the road
Shot on the way.
This is the 13-day loop I rode through Ladakh in late September 2024. It goes in through Srinagar and Kargil and comes out through Tso Kar and Manali. Every drive time includes two to two and a half hours for stops, because nobody actually drives straight through Ladakh.
Why Srinagar first
Going in through Kashmir lets the altitude climb slowly: Srinagar, then Kargil, then Leh. By the time you’re at Khardung La and Hanle, you’ve had four days to adjust. Leaving through Manali means the big passes come on the way down, when you’re already acclimatised.
The days that need respect
Day 4, Srinagar to Leh, and Day 12, Tso Moriri to Manali, are both 12-hour-plus days. Umling La on Day 10 is short on paper and long in practice. Plan these three before anything else.
Before you go
- Check permit requirements for Nubra, Turtuk, Pangong, Hanle and Tso Moriri. The Ladakh planning guide covers how to think about them.
- Ask in Leh about access beyond Turtuk before you plan around it.
- Hanle is a dark-sky reserve. Keep lights low at night.
The best plans have detours. This one just puts them in order.
See you somewhere on the road.
Shubham
