Ladakh Travel Guide: Your Ultimate Tour Plan This Autumn
- Travel Lifestyle Tour Guides
Mridula Chakraborty- 0
- 8 minutes read
There are two types of people, one who has traveled to Ladakh and the one who has not. Ladakh is a magical place. All of those who have visited Ladakh cannot get enough of this place. And there are others who are still thinking whether they should visit or not. I would suggest you should never miss the opportunity to visit Ladakh as that will be a lifetime experience. It is often called the heaven on Earth. Digging from my experience let me help you with this Ladakh travel guide.
Situated between Zanskar, Himalayan, and the Karakoram ranges, this place looks to be quite isolated and cut off from the rest of this country. In fact, Leh is accessible by road during a specific time of the year, when the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh Highways are not closed because of the snow. The tourism in Ladakh now has improved to a great extent. I visited Leh Ladakh in October and that was mesmerizing. So this Ladakh travel guide will be based on this time frame. You can think of this as the Leh Ladakh travel blog.
6 Day Ladakh Travel Guide For This Autumn
Visiting this heaven on Earth is not very difficult. Ladakh provides a range of options to the tourists. From its gigantic monasteries to the dazzling blue lakes and the cold desserts, the eternal charm that lay hidden between those mountain layers will undoubtedly steal your heart.
I visited Ladakh after my trip to Amarnath. So I thought that would be the ideal time to visit Ladakh and Kashmir. On this note, let me say that Kashmir is equally serene and beautiful. I will take another blog some other day to narrate its beauty. So now without any further delay let me start with the 6 day Ladakh travel guide.
Day 1: Rest And Adjust
As soon as you arrive in Leh, you do not rush with your tour. You should keep the first day for adjustment. When you arrive at Leh, you are at a much lower height in comparison to the 11000 ft. and so your body requires time for adjusting. In the afternoon visit the Shanti Stupa and stay there till the evening. You can also give a visit to the local markets of Leh which are pretty colorful. You will have several junk jewelry and funky dresses that you can shop for.
Day 2: Pangong Blues
The next day visit Pangong lake. Begin early in the morning. Pangong Tso (Tso implies lake) is 160 km from Leh and then you will have to cross the 3rd highest motorable road in the world, the Chang La which is 17586 ft. After you successfully pass Chang La, the barren landscape will convert into beautiful meadows along with streams flowing by. By noon you will reach Pangong. Stay there overnight by the lakeside in small, cozy tents. At different times of the day, you can see the rover change into different colors.
Day 3: Pangong To Leh
Now start from Pangong towards Leh. On your way back, do not forget to visit Hemis Monastery, Shey Palace, Thicksey Monastery, Rancho’s School, and the Sindhu Ghat. Among them, the Hemis Monastery is among the oldest and biggest monasteries of Leh. You can feel the grandeur of this monastery once you visit it.
Day 4: Monastery Hopping
Keep this day free for monastery hopping. Start your journey early to visit the popular Lamayuru Monastery. From the Leh town, Lamayuru is 120km away. It is also called the moon land. From the road, the view of the monastery is simply mesmerizing. While you return from Lamayuru, visit the Alchi, Spituk, and Likir Monastery, and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. Also, visit the Magnetic Hills. On this specific stretch of Srinagar-Leh Highway, you can view the road going uphill. Yet if you turn off your car’s engine and allow it to stand neutral, it will slowly begin to move.
Day 5: Nubra Valley
Move towards the mystical Nubra Valley on the fifth day of your trip. While going, you have to cross the highest motorable pass across the globe, the Khardung La which is 17580 ft. You can stop at the Pass and take proud photographs and also enjoy tea at the Army Canteen.
As you arrive in Hunder, you will view stretches of sands. Just imagine your car traveling through pitch-black roads with soft yellow sands on both the sides. Will it not seem straight out of a picture? At Hunder, ride on the double-humped back camel. Visit the Distik Monastery which is situated beside the Shyok River. Stay at Hunder that night and star gaze at the clear night skies.
Day 6: Return To Leh
Now it is time to return to Leh from Nubra Valley. Spend this day at Leh exploring the local market and town of Leh. You will also require the much deserved rest after so much traveling.
Here you complete your trip and I complete my 6 day Ladakh travel guide. After that, if you can handle adding a couple of days, then you can also visit Hanu Dha and Tso Moriri.
Ladakh Travel Guide: Some Important Tips
Before I end this Ladakh travel guide, here are some of the important tips to remember before you start to travel to Ladakh.
- Altitude: Leh resides at a height of 11480 ft
- Best Time to visit: June to October
- The ideal way to visit Ladakh by road is to enter by the Srinagar-Leh Highway and come back by the Leh – Manali highway. This also helps in ideal acclimatization. Or else, you can also book a flight.
- From June to October, the weather stays pleasant. During the day, you will require light clothes while at night, you might also require a light sweater.
- Since Ladakh is at a greater height and if you have breathing issues, it is better to consult a doctor prior to visiting. Usually, there is nothing to be afraid of. Most people handle it very well even at such heights.
- I did the trip by hiring a private car. The same is advised for you. You can also look out for various Leh Ladakh Tour Packages and select as per the number of days you have.
Conclusion
How to plan an ideal Ladakh trip is what everyone keeps on asking me. Ladakh is the heaven on Earth and so one should never miss a chance to visit Ladakh. Even though planning a tour in Ladakh can be a bit expensive, each penny spent on this trip is worth it. Assembling all the experiences I have written a Ladakh travel guide for 6 days that you can follow to experience the best. Other than this guide you can also refer to other Ladakh travel brochures.
