Leh

Leh is one of the two capitals of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh is in the Indus River Valley, at a crossroads of the old trading routes from Xinjiang, Tibet and Kashmir. Since 2000, Indian tourists have been visiting Ladakh, with a dramatic increase in 2010 after the film Three Idiots.

Understand
There is a pass that links Leh directly to Khotan. The city's importance as a trading town slowed down with the partition of India, and ended with the closure of the border in 1962 during the Sino-Indian War. Since opening to tourists in 1974, it has become a bustling tourist town, with many Kashmiri traders.

It is a small town, so it is easy to get most places on foot. The old town is a compact area of mud brick houses and narrow lanes directly to the east of Main Bazaar. Changspa is the agricultural "suburb" northwest of the centre, with many guesthouses.

The main Bazaar's elevation is approximately 3,555 m (11,490 feet) and Changspa is higher, so take it easy on your first few days there or risk possible altitude sickness. Even those experienced with high altitude might have some trouble.

Winters are very cold and due to the drop in tourism, many shops, hotels and trekking companies will be closed. If you plan to visit during the winter and are an independent traveller, double check all arrangements (call your hotel instead of booking online).



By plane


With the bankruptcy of "Go First" in 2023 passengers numbers have apparently plumped by half.

Getting there and away:
 * On foot – From the airport terminal it is just 5 km to the center of Leh, and some accommodation options are even before that. So, you might just decide to walk the distance.
 * By bus – Upon exiting the airport gate, buses running to the centre cost ₹20. Taxi drivers will insist a prepaid taxi is the only way to get into town—don't get tricked! Also the airport website states that there is a public bus. If you don't want to wait for the irregular airport bus, walk along the main road towards the city for about 500 m and around the corner, where many local buses make a u-turn and you can hop-on.
 * By taxi – Only prepaid taxis run from the airport, charging ₹550 to the city centre.

By bus


The local buses get exceptionally crowded, times of departure fluctuate greatly, and there is no ticket office (just board the bus, and pay to the conductor). When planning a trip to a destination in Ladakh ask around to find when the departure time roughly is, and show up at the station half an hour early; ask people there what bus to take, don't trust the destinations marked on the buses; take a seat and wait for the bus to depart. Then expect to spend at least an hour at the bus station.

Except for local transportation within range of Leh, it is expected that you book your ticket at least one day in advance, even for Nubra Valley. You will want to make sure that you get a seat and that the bus even goes, especially for Srinagar and Manali. The ticket office is at the far end of the bus station and the process is more straight forward and less time-consuming. For regional destinations you can also turn up at departure, but the bus conductor will definitely let you feel that you should have bought a ticket beforehand.

From Jammu and Kashmir
State buses run from Srinagar and also privately operated deluxe buses. The HRTC bus from Srinagar to Leh cost ₹980 (2023). On the way back, they will leave from Leh at 2PM.

The Srinagar buses run longer that the Manali ones, potentially until mid October.

From Himachal Pradesh
From Manali, Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) ply the road between June and around 15th September, allowing you to stop in a number of places along the way—costs ₹156 (Manali-Keylong) + ₹539 (Keylong-Leh). Also, private buses stop in Keylong, Darcha or Sarchu—the last alternative (800 m higher than Leh) involving a high incidence of altitude sickness.

Furthermore, Himachal Pradesh Tourist Development Corporation (HPTDC) operates deluxe buses from Manali that stop overnight in Keylong, between June and around 15th September—costs ₹2,700 (August 2017).

It is possible to book direct tickets Delhi-Leh, but the best option is to break off the journey in Manali and at the lower end of Lahaul: Sissu, Keylong (main population centre) or Jispa; all around 3,100 m altitude.

By road
There are two roads into Leh—both equally spectacular in different ways, and time-consuming with winding, narrow roads and numerous military checkpoints:


 * Manali-Leh Highway – The route from Manali to Leh, covering a distance of 473 km (294 mi), is the one more commonly taken by tourists. It takes two days, normally with an overnight stop either in Keylong (alt. 3,096 m) or in camp accommodation in Sarchu (4,253 m) or Pang (4,500 m). Making the first stop in Keylong drastically reduces the risk of altitude sickness (AMS). It traverses one of the highest road passes in the world and is surrounded by wild, rugged mountains. The scenery is fantastic, though it is definitely not for the fainthearted. This historical trade route was linked to Yarkhand in China, severed by the India-China war in 1962, and later was transformed into a military supply road. Reliable access is limited from June to October, as it is blocked by snow for the rest of the year. There are plenty of inexpensive (₹200-300) camp accommodation along the way and some interesting sights en route, which can invite you to take your time heading up to Leh, like:
 * Spiti Valley – A side tour in the east before Keylong and a destination not to be missed. If hiking is your thing, you may take a shortcut by Chandratal Lake coming out at Baralacha Pass (4,928 m), 45 km before the border with Ladakh.
 * Stingri (3,180 m) – A steep mountain region with many homestays and guest houses.
 * Darcha (3,350 m)– The last green village and a popular mountain village. You can also find cheap camp accommodation along the highway here.
 * Deepak Tal (3,760 m) – A picturesque and popular mountain lake with a PWD tourist rest house nearby.
 * Sarchu (Ladakhi border post, 4,300 m) – Cheer endless inexpensive camps for accommodation.
 * Gata Loops (4,200–4,650 m) – 22 winding loops up a steep mountain.
 * Pang (4,500 m) – A bleak village and rest stop with some accommodation but the interesting Wayland natural wind sculptures right when you enter the canyon towards east on foot.
 * Changthang Western Lakes (from 4,600 m) – Right off the highway, 4 hr before Leh, an impressive lake and hot spring region.


 * Srinagar-Leh Highway – The main advantage of taking the road from Srinagar, covering a distance of 434 km (270 mi), is that it runs at a lower altitude, and thereby reduces the risk and severity of altitude sickness. It is also open longer—normally from the beginning of June to October. It follows the traditional trade route between Ladakh and Kashmir, which passes through many picturesque villages and farmlands. The disadvantage is that it passes through areas of higher risk of militant troubles. It takes two long days, with an overnight stop in Kargil. There are a few interesting places to stop en route:
 * Kargil at 2,693 m, where the buses stop and best choice for altitude acclimatization,
 * Lamayuru, and
 * Alchi that also offer accommodation.

The clearance of snow and opening for public transport is announced at the official website of Leh. Srinagar-Leh news updates are found here, and Manali-Leh here.

By taxi
The fastest way to get to Leh from Manali is by tempo traveller or taxi van, sometimes by 4WD. Shared taxis do the trip in one long day (of about 14 hr). Keep in mind that all single day rides comes with a risk of being stranded near 5,000 m without being acclimatised, with severe altitude sickness as a result. The journey costs up to ₹3,000 per person. During the high season tickets must be bought in advance of the day of departure and the main street in old Manali is full of ticket touts.

In case of 4WD, it is advised to take a front seat and do not allow yourself to be seated in the boot. These seats (in the boot) are inward facing and sitting on one of those for that long will take all the pleasure out of the trip.

There might also be minibuses and shared taxis that make an overnight stop in Sarchu—this comes with a high incidence of altitude sickness, since Sarchu (also dubbed "The Vomit Hilton") lies more than 700 m higher than Leh, at 4,253 m.

Privately hired taxis allow the luxury of stopping wherever you like, and allow you to decide on how many people you will travel in your group.

If you are coming from Srinagar, go to #1 taxi stand in town. You can either book direct to Leh or book your seat on sumo taxi to Kargil for ₹500, stay overnight and then book your seat for Leh from Kargil and pay ₹400 upon arrival in Leh but this is a lot of messing around and accommodation in Kargil is often of poor value. Get them to drop you at Fort Road in Kargil, which is the heart of the tourist area and accommodation is close by. Ask for middle seat in the taxi as it's too crowded in the front and too uncomfortable in the back.

By thumb
Many locals and trucks ply both highways into Leh, some willing to take you the full distance, some just to the next village. Since, there are some sights along the way and to reduce the risk of altitude sickness, especially on the Manali-Leh Highway, it is recommended to have a least one overnight stop at one of the many inexpensive rest stops along the way (₹200–300).

See also for additional information about road conditions and sights along the way.

Those staying longer in Ladakh are likely to find themselves traveling by thumb at some point.

By truck
It is also possible to travel between Leh and Manali by truck. These trucks ply the route when it opens in summer, and they will be no new sight for anyone who has been in India for even a few days. Making the 450 km journey in the cab of one of these trucks is an experiencenot to miss—they are not as comfortable as taxis, nor do they give as good visibility as taxis or buses. But sleeping in the cab and eating the same food as the locals is worth it.

You don't necessarily have to do the whole distance at once, especially on the Manali-Leh Highway. This way the truck drivers will most likely also not be pressured to charge you for the ride, because many truck drivers will see no reason you should not pay. Some will ask even more than the comparable bus price. However, you are never forced to go with them, so just wait for any indication that this ride will cost and thankfully bow out of the ride.

You can pre-arrange truck drivers (for a few rupees) in Manali by going to the main truck stop in the new town. Here the drivers stop on their way from Delhi to Leh and will be more than happy to give you a ride for about ₹500. Make sure you do not pay before you travel. In Leh, there is a similar truck park. Try to pick a truck with the fewest passengers already, otherwise your trip will be even less comfortable—most drivers are on their own, sometimes going in convoy.

By motorbike
The Manali-Leh Highway is very popular with Indians to go on a motorbike. Bikes are available for rent at Manali. Note that you will need a bike allowed for driving in Ladakh—you cannot just take a scooter rented in Delhi.

When biking to Leh, it is advisable to travel at a slow pace to allow acclimatization. A suggested itinerary is:
 * Day 1: Manali–Jispa (110 km; 68 mi)
 * Day 2: Jispa–Pang (130 km; 81 mi)
 * Day 3: Pang–Leh (130 km; 81 mi).

Essential supplies include: puncture repair kit, spare clutch cables and some good carriers (to hold luggage). The next bike workshop after Manali is Keylong (110 km; 68 mi) and then at Leh (400 km; 249 mi).

See also for additional information about road conditions and sights along the way.

On foot
Leh is so small that you can cover enough places with the town by just walking.

By bus
Also local public buses call at the main bus station of Leh—the airport and close by destinations like Choglamsar or Spituk go for ₹20. Here are some connections (as of Sep 2023):
 * Choglamsar – Every 15-20 min from dawn till dusk
 * Spituk – Every 30 min from dawn till dusk
 * Alchi (government bus) – Leave from Leh at 8AM and 2PM. Leave from Alchi at 10AM and 4PM.
 * Kharu/Sakti (government bus) – Leave from Leh at 8AM and 1PM. Leave from Kharu/Sakti at noon and 4PM.

For Alchi and Kharu it is best to be at the bus station at least 30 min before the departure, daily buses will get full quickly—forget about boarding these buses beyond the bus station.

It seems that private buses (including airport) wait a few minutes (or longer) at the —catch them there if you don't wanna head down to the bus station first.

By motorbike
Various places on main Bazaar and Changsp Rd rent motorbikes. But Leh, Phyang and Choglamsar are the only places with petrol stations. Make sure you are adequately insured with third party claims before renting any private vehicle.

By taxi
They have fixed prices (updated every 2 years) and can be arranged from the taxi stand along Fort Rd. When available, you may also purchase a copy of the fare-booklet for ₹20.

By tour
Many travel agents in Leh will offer several day tours to the nearby tourists sites, stating in their shop windows that they just need one or two more people to get the car full. That is BS and a way to lull you in, just to sell you an overpriced tour that is simply a taxi ride around the region. Don't think that these travel agents offer any value.

You are better off organising a private taxi yourself, in case you are two or three people. This way you can determine what the trip will look like—the taxi driver should only be interested in the distance and when he will be back. But don't trust the taxi drivers either and only (full) pay in the end.

If you are on your own, rely on buses and hitchhiking—they are the best way to explore Ladakh.

See
For such a historic site and popular tourist destination, Leh has surprisingly few tourist sights (though a great number more are accessible as day trips):

Monasteries and temples
Many use Leh as a base to visit the numerous gompas, the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh.



Further afield

 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg
 * Shey Gompa.jpg

Do

 * White-water rafting – On the Zaskar and Indus rivers, and their steep gorges. The Indus rafting route from Nimmu towards the Pakistani border has rapids of increasing severity of grades of 4, 4+, and 5; the latter two grades being not for the faint of heart.
 * Yak and Camel safari – Explore the town and its surroundings.
 * Skiing and Cycling – On routes such as Panikhar to Kanji.

Hiking
Trekking in Ladakh offers a huge number of trekking opportunities with prices for low comfort camps in Markha Valley of ₹2,000 not uncommon.

From Leh itself there are some interesting half-day or 2 day hikes, in case you are not into several days treks with lot of equipment requirements. Nearby Stok also offers some interesting trails, even a proper mountain:

Learn

 * Buddhism – There are several places in and around Leh where visitors are welcome to study the Buddha Dharma, either privately or in a class environment. The Mahabodi Society on Changspa Lane is one of the most active.

Work
There are many NGOs in Ladakh who are based in Leh doing important work, many of them take on volunteers for a few months.

Since Ladakh was featured in the popular film 3 Idiots in 2010, domestic tourists have flocked to the city.

Buy
The Main Bazaar and the surrounding streets have numerous shops selling souvenirs, mostly Tibetan antiques or replicas. The Tibetan market is a good place to buy jewellery, souvenirs, and various other items such as Pashmina shawls (about ₹4,500–7,000). Be extremely wary when buying pashmina as half the shops in the city will falsely claim their products are pashmina.

There are half a dozen good book shops with an excellent range of books on the Himalayas, including novels, guidebooks, phrasebooks, books on history and on Buddhism.

People needing some warm clothing should consider the second hand clothing bazaar near the terrain vehicle stand. Good used clothing from first world countries is cheap, which is handy if you are only in the cooler climate for a little while.

Leh also has the best selection in the area of food for trekking albeit not all that different from normal instant noodles, dried fruits, nuts, biscuits, powdered milk and chocolate that's available anywhere around the Main Bazaar.

Eat
Main Bazaar has a few sweet shops selling samosas, chana dhal with puri, and other Indian food in addition to the sweets. However, they are ridiculously overpriced, as are the German bakeries, which sell stale pastries.

The shopping areas of the old town and the area around the bus station are good for Tibetan styled restaurants, although few offer more than thukpa (noodle soup) and momos (dumplings).

There are several Punjabi thali shops in the "old city bazar" on the corner of the main bazar where you can get thali for around ₹100.

Budget
Budget places are mostly located in the back alleys of the center.



Mid-range and Splurge
Main Bazar has a decent selection of all-prices Tibetan-style and international restaurants, popular with tourists and locals. In the summer numerous garden restaurants spring up in Changspa serving Tibetan, Western and Indian dishes.

Drink
There is little in the way of nightlife in Leh. You can have a beer at many of the restaurants, but they close fairly early. For a more adventurous alternative, ask around the old town (or your guest house owner) for Chang the local home brewed beer, which costs about ₹15 for a litre; bring your own bottle.

Being a mountain area, clean water (not boiled) is available in restaurants and accommodations. There are a few springs scattered around Leh that provide a natural and plastic free alternative to using bottled water.

The amount of tea stall east of the main bazaar in notable, try the following:

Sleep
Leh has a large selection of mid-range accommodation, with some offering decent value. Most of the guest houses are located in Leh's northern suburbs in Changspa, Karzoo and surrounding areas, a 5–30-min walk from the centre. Many of the houses in Changspa have been converted to guest houses, which, surrounded by farmers' fields and often with excellent views, make wonderful places to stay.

If you consider Leh too busy and need tranquillity, head over to Stok village, which is similar to Changspa, but much less busy, of course lacking all the amenities of a large city. There is one hostel in Stok.

Connect
Leh is well connected to the rest of India by LTE. However, regular pre-paid SIM cards bought in the rest of India do not work in Ladakh. You will need a postpaid card, either by buying a new one (which can be burdensome for a foreigner) or by registering your prepaid SIM for postpaid, which however takes up to 18 days. Having said that, most accommodations have working WiFi and you could probably abstain from mobile reception in Ladakh while you are here.

Newspapers

 * Kargil Number is a widely available local newspaper.

Stay safe
Leh is one of the safest places in India.

Carry a torch at night, as there is next to no street lighting, and there are some very deep drainage ditches. Beware of the stray dogs which rule streets during the night, especially in the inner alleys and around eateries.

Floods
Ladakh was struck with serious floods and mud slides in August 2010. The airport was operational within days, and the major roads and bridges after a few weeks, and Manali-Leh was re-routed temporarily, until October after Rumtse, making it more than a hundred kilometres longer. The road was fully operational in October 2010.

Go next
Many sights around Leh can be explored on day tours, even Alchi.
 * Alchi – A small village with a gompa or Buddhist monastic complex, 4 km off the road to Kargil.
 * Lamayuru – A small village with a Buddhist gompa, beyond Alchi and still on the way to Kargil.
 * Nubra Valley – An impressive river valley of the Sytok and Nubra rivers, villages of apricot and apple trees, sand dunes, monasteries and many more.
 * Pangong Lake – A very popular 64 km long soda lake of picturesque colours situated between India and China.
 * Hemis National Park – Inhabited by a number of snow leopards, Hemis National Park is home to many rare and endangered species. Also, one of the entry/exit point into Markha Valley, popular with experienced hikers and trekkers.
 * Tso Moriri – An impressive lake region close to the border with China and a convenient side tour from the Leh-Manali Highway. Probably best to visit when entering or leaving Ladakh via Manali.
 * Zanskar – One of the remotest areas in Ladakh, only accessible through high passes.