Ladakh travel guide
High-altitude desert, monasteries and the road trip most Indian travellers want to do once.
Ladakh needs planning that other destinations do not: Leh sits at 3,500 m, so the first two days are acclimatisation, not sightseeing. After that, Nubra, Pangong and the monastery circuit open up. Seven days is the realistic minimum for a trip that includes both valleys.
- Ideal trip length
- 5–10 days
- Best time to visit
- May to September
- Region
- Ladakh, India
- Known for
- high passes, Buddhist monasteries, Pangong Lake
Top things to do in Ladakh
- Pangong Tso
- Nubra Valley and Diskit Monastery
- Khardung La
- Thiksey and Hemis monasteries
- Magnetic Hill
- Tso Moriri
When to go
May to September is the season — the Manali and Srinagar highways are open and the passes are clear. From October the roads close for winter and access is by air only, with temperatures well below freezing.
Getting there
Fly into Leh (IXL), or drive the Manali-Leh or Srinagar-Leh highways in season. Inner Line Permits are needed for Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri.
How long to stay
| Trip length | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 5 days | Everything in the guide above at a comfortable pace. |
| 7 days | A second base or a nearby destination added on. |
| 10 days | A second base or a nearby destination added on. |
Ladakh itineraries by trip type
The right plan depends on who is travelling. These are the same day-by-day structures the app builds, tuned per trip type.
- Adventure Trip in Ladakh
- Road Trip in Ladakh
- Mountain Trip in Ladakh
- Trip With Friends in Ladakh
- Solo Trip in Ladakh
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Ladakh?
5 to 10 days. 7 days is the most common trip length and covers the main sights without rushing; go longer only if you are adding a second base.
What is the best time to visit Ladakh?
May to September is the season — the Manali and Srinagar highways are open and the passes are clear. From October the roads close for winter and access is by air only, with temperatures well below freezing.
How do you get to Ladakh?
Fly into Leh (IXL), or drive the Manali-Leh or Srinagar-Leh highways in season. Inner Line Permits are needed for Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri.
What is Ladakh known for?
Ladakh is known for high passes, Buddhist monasteries, Pangong Lake, motorcycle trips and stark landscapes. The places most visitors build a trip around are Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley and Diskit Monastery, Khardung La.
What should a 7-day Ladakh itinerary include?
Group the sights geographically so each day is one loop: Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley and Diskit Monastery, Khardung La are the anchors most itineraries are built on. Guide My Holiday routes them for your dates and shows the travel time and cab cost between stops.
Plan it in the app
Guide My Holiday turns any of the above into a routed, day-by-day plan with timings, distance between stops and an upfront cab estimate — then books the cab that follows it.