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About Ladakh
Ladakh is a high-altitude desert wedged between the Karakoram and the main Himalayan range, dry enough that most of it gets under 10cm of rain a year, and cold enough that its rivers freeze solid in winter — which is the premise of the Chadar trek, a walk down the frozen Zanskar river itself. Leh, the main town, sits at roughly 3,500m, which is already higher than most Himachal or Uttarakhand trek summits, and that single fact shapes almost everything about how a Ladakh trip is planned.
The geography reads as much Tibetan as Indian — Buddhist monasteries (gompas) perched on outcrops above the Indus valley, prayer flags, chortens, a culture with closer historical ties to Tibet than to the plains of India. Pangong Tso's long turquoise lake stretching into China and Nubra Valley's high-altitude sand dunes and double-humped Bactrian camels are the two most-photographed sights, both requiring their own multi-hour drives over high passes from Leh.
What most first-time visitors underestimate is the acclimatisation requirement. Flying directly into Leh from sea level puts you at over 3,500m within an hour, and altitude sickness here is a real and common risk, not a remote one — every reputable operator builds in at least a day or two of complete rest in Leh before any further travel, and skipping that because a Bollywood movie made Pangong Tso look like a quick two-day trip is the single most common mistake people make planning this destination themselves.
Things to do in Ladakh
Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso's water changing colour through the day, from Leh via the high Chang La pass
Find adventuresChadar Trek
Chadar Trek — walking on the frozen Zanskar river itself, roughly mid-January to late February, one of the most physically demanding and singular treks in the country
Find adventuresNubra Valley
Nubra Valley's sand dunes at Hunder and the double-humped Bactrian camels, a legacy of the old Silk Route trade
Find adventuresThiksey Monastery
Thiksey Monastery's tiered architecture, often compared to Lhasa's Potala Palace on a smaller scale
Find adventuresMagnetic Hill
Magnetic Hill, an optical-illusion stretch of road near Leh where vehicles appear to roll uphill
Find adventuresHanle
The night sky at Hanle, one of the least light-polluted places in India and home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory
Find adventuresKhardung La
Khardung La and the high-pass road network that makes Nubra and the Shyok valley accessible by vehicle
Find adventuresZanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley's remoteness — reached by a long, rough road even in summer, a genuinely different register of isolated from the Leh-Nubra-Pangong circuit
Find adventures
Places to see in Ladakh
Named things worth going out of your way for, whichever trip you end up booking.
Pangong Tso
lakeA roughly 130-km long lake stretching from Ladakh into Tibet, famous for water that visibly shifts colour through the day. Reached via the 5,300m Chang La pass, a genuine high-altitude drive that needs prior acclimatisation, not a spontaneous day trip from Leh.
Nubra Valley
natureA high-altitude valley beyond Khardung La with sand dunes at Hunder and Diskit, historically a Silk Route trading stop, now known for double-humped Bactrian camel rides descended from the old trade caravans.
Chadar Trek
trekA winter trek along the frozen surface of the Zanskar river, walked roughly mid-January to late February when the ice is thick enough. Physically demanding, genuinely cold (nights well below freezing), and one of the more singular trekking experiences available anywhere — not a casual add-on to a Leh trip.
Thiksey Monastery
monasteryA twelve-storey complex on a hilltop outside Leh, active with resident monks and open for the early-morning prayer ceremony, which is worth setting an alarm for if you want to see it rather than an empty building.
Hemis Monastery
monasteryLadakh's largest and wealthiest monastery, host to the annual Hemis Festival with masked Cham dances — timed to the Tibetan lunar calendar, so check the date against your travel dates rather than assuming it aligns.
Magnetic Hill
adventureA short stretch of road near Leh where a parked, neutral-gear vehicle appears to roll uphill — a well-known optical illusion caused by the surrounding slope, usually visited en route to Nubra or Pangong rather than as a standalone trip.
Khardung La
passOne of the highest motorable passes in the world at over 5,300m, the road route to Nubra Valley. Tea stalls and a small viewpoint at the top; altitude effects are noticeable even briefly stepping out of the vehicle.
Zanskar Valley
trekA remote valley south of Leh, reached by a long and rough road even in summer (or by the Chadar route in winter). Padum is the main town; the valley has a slower pace and fewer visitors than the main Leh-Nubra-Pangong circuit.
Tso Moriri
lakeA quieter, higher-altitude alternative to Pangong Tso in the remote Changthang plateau, part of a wetland conservation reserve, with fewer visitors and a longer, rougher drive to reach.
Diskit Monastery
monasteryThe oldest and largest monastery in Nubra Valley, marked by a large Maitreya Buddha statue visible from a distance across the valley.
Leh Palace
heritageA nine-storey former royal palace overlooking Leh town, built in a style often compared to Lhasa's Potala Palace, now partly in ruins and under restoration, with views over the town and surrounding mountains from the upper floors.
Hanle
natureA remote village in the Changthang region hosting the Indian Astronomical Observatory, and one of the officially recognised Dark Sky Reserves in India — visited specifically for stargazing away from any light pollution.
Where to base yourself in Ladakh
The main town and the base for almost every Ladakh itinerary, with the airport, most hotels, and the acclimatisation days every itinerary should build in before pushing to higher altitudes elsewhere.
See adventuresNorth of Leh across Khardung La, lower in altitude than Leh itself despite the high pass to reach it, known for sand dunes, camels and its own monasteries.
See adventuresPangong-Changthang
The eastern high-altitude plateau bordering Tibet, home to Pangong Tso and the quieter Tso Moriri, reached by long drives over some of the highest motorable roads in the world.
See adventuresThe most remote and least developed region in the standard Ladakh circuit, reached by a long summer road or the winter Chadar route, with its own distinct pace and culture.
See adventuresWest of Leh toward Srinagar, a greener and less-visited part of Ladakh with a more Muslim-majority population than the Buddhist-majority Leh district, generally passed through en route rather than visited as a primary stop.
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Planning a trip to Ladakh
Getting there
Leh's Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport has direct flights from Delhi and seasonal connections from a few other cities, and flying is how the great majority of visitors arrive — the alternative overland routes from Manali or Srinagar are spectacular but long (1-2 days of driving over multiple high passes) and only open in summer.
Flying in means arriving at over 3,500m within an hour or two of being at sea level, which is precisely why the first day or two in Leh has to be rest, not sightseeing, whatever the temptation to start exploring immediately.
When to go
The main tourist season is roughly May to September, when the high passes to Nubra, Pangong and beyond are reliably open and temperatures in Leh itself are pleasant during the day, cold at night. July-August is peak season and also when the Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh highways are most reliably open for those doing the overland route.
Winter (December-February) is a different, much colder Ladakh, with Leh itself experiencing sub-zero temperatures regularly and most high-altitude routes closed by snow — except for the Chadar trek, which specifically exists because the Zanskar river freezes solid enough to walk on only in this window, roughly mid-January to late February. It's a genuinely different trip from the summer sightseeing circuit and should be understood as such, not a colder version of the same itinerary.
Permits and fees
Several areas near the international border — Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Khardung La and others — require an Inner Line Permit, which Indian nationals can generally obtain through the Ladakh administration's online system or via a local travel agent, and which is normally arranged as part of any organised trip. Foreign nationals face a different and more restricted permit process for some of these same areas, worth confirming well ahead of travel since rules here have changed over time and vary by specific route.
Altitude and health
This is the destination where altitude genuinely governs the itinerary rather than being a footnote. Leh sits above 3,500m and flying in means no gradual ascent at all — the standard, non-negotiable advice from every operator and the Ladakh administration alike is a minimum of one to two full days of rest in Leh with no strenuous activity before going anywhere higher.
Acute Mountain Sickness is common and taken seriously here; symptoms like headache, nausea, or breathlessness at rest should be reported immediately, and Leh has proper medical facilities equipped to handle it, unlike more remote trek locations elsewhere in the Himalaya. Do not skip the rest days to fit in more sightseeing — this is the one place where that specific corner-cutting has put people in hospital.
Money, connectivity and staying in touch
Leh has ATMs and full banking services, though they can run low on cash during peak season, so carrying a reasonable buffer is sensible. Card and UPI acceptance in Leh town itself is reasonably good by Himalayan-town standards; expect cash-only once you're out at Nubra, Pangong or Zanskar.
Mobile connectivity is a genuine quirk of Ladakh's border-region status: only postpaid connections and specific local BSNL/Ladakh-circle SIMs reliably work in some areas, and prepaid SIMs from outside the state may not function at all near the border zones. If staying connected matters, look into this specifically before you travel rather than assuming your regular SIM will work.
Food and where you sleep
Leh has a genuinely good and growing café and restaurant scene, including strong Tibetan and Ladakhi food (thukpa, momos, skyu) alongside more generic travaller-cafe fare. Out at Nubra, Pangong or Zanskar, accommodation is simpler — guesthouses and camps rather than hotels — and food is more limited, usually whatever the camp or homestay cooks rather than a menu.
On the Chadar trek specifically, you're camping in sub-zero conditions with food prepared by the trek crew; this is expedition-style logistics, not a comfort trip, and worth going in with the right expectations.
Good to know
Nearest airport
Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport), direct flights from Delhi and seasonal others
Alternative overland routes
Manali-Leh highway or Srinagar-Leh highway, both summer-only (roughly June-September) and 1-2 days of driving
Best time to visit
May-September for the standard sightseeing circuit; mid-January to late February specifically for the Chadar trek
Language
Ladakhi (a Tibetan-related language) and Hindi; English widely understood in Leh's tourism industry
Connectivity
Only certain local/postpaid SIMs work reliably near the border regions — check before travel
Inner Line Permit
Required for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and other border-adjacent areas; usually arranged by your operator
Acclimatisation
1-2 full rest days in Leh before any onward travel is standard and strongly advised, given the altitude on arrival
Facts about Ladakh
Who is actually running this trip?
The operator you picked on the compare screen. You book and pay MyAdventure; the operator runs the trip for us. MyAdventure handles refunds, and steps in if the batch is cancelled.
What if I cannot complete it?
Ask the operator what their turn-back protocol is — it varies by trip, and the good ones publish it.
Is the batch mixed-gender and solo-friendly?
Most departures take solo travellers and share accommodation by gender. Confirm with the operator for this batch.
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