Things to do in Leh-Ladakh

Day runs over the high passes with the inner line permit filed before you leave Leh, in the registered local SUVs that are the only vehicles allowed up there.

Getting around Ladakh

Leh runs on a local taxi union: outside vehicles and most rentals are not permitted on the routes to Pangong and Nubra, and both sit behind an inner line permit that has to name each traveller in advance. There is no sedan tier here because the passes are not sedan terrain. Every experience below includes the vehicle, a local driver, and the permit filing.

Experiences

• Pangong Lake day run over Chang La: Leh to Pangong and back, permits sorted, in one long day
• Khardung La and Diskit day over the pass: Over the world's highest road to the Nubra sand and back
• Leh valley and Magnetic Hill day: The acclimatisation day that is worth doing for itself

Best months

June to September. Khardung La and Chang La carry snow into June and the overland routes into Ladakh close through winter.

Getting there

Direct flights into Leh from Delhi take about 1 hr 20 mins and land you at 11,000 ft, so plan two days of acclimatising before any pass. By road it is 2 days from Manali or from Srinagar, and both highways are seasonal, usually open around June to early October.