Leh Ladakh
Best time to visit: Jun – Sep
High-altitude desert, Buddhist monasteries and the passes to Nubra and Pangong.
Highlights
- Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley sand dunes
- Thiksey, Hemis and Diskit monasteries
- Khardung La — among the world's highest motorable passes
- Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar
About Leh Ladakh
Ladakh is a different country from the Kashmir valley — bare rock, thin air and monasteries perched on ridgelines above the Indus. Leh, at 3,500 m, is the base for all of it, and the first 24 to 48 hours there should be spent doing very little while you acclimatise.
From Leh the two big runs are north over Khardung La into Nubra Valley, and east to Pangong Tso. Both need permits, both are long days on the road, and both are worth it. The season is short — June to September for the road route over Zoji La, with flights into Leh running year-round.