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Leh
Ladakh3,500 m

Leh

The high desert capital at 3,500 metres

The overview

Why travellers come here

A small Himalayan town ringed by bare ranges, with a palace on the ridge, a stupa on the hill and a bazaar that has been on the trade route to Central Asia for a thousand years. Everything in Ladakh radiates from Leh, and everything in Ladakh requires you to spend your first day here doing nothing at all.

Shanti Stupa
Leh Palace & old town
Monasteries of the Indus
Gateway to Nubra & Pangong
Apricot & seabuckthorn markets

When to come

May–September · winter trips for the Chadar and snow leopard season.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Bar height shows how well Leh works that month, from 1 (avoid) to 5 (prime).

Getting there

Leh airport (IXL) has direct seasonal flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Chandigarh. By road: two days from Srinagar via Kargil, two from Manali.

Good to know

2 days minimum for acclimatisation. Leh airport (IXL) has direct seasonal flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Chandigarh. By road: two days from Srinagar via Kargil, two from Manali. If you are short on time, we can compress this into a long day trip, but you will see less than half of it.

Reading before you go

2 itineraries

Trips that include Leh

Leh–Ladakh: Nubra Valley & Pangong Tso
7N / 8DTrending
Leh–Ladakh3 stops

Leh · Nubra · Pangong

Ladakh's greatest hits with proper acclimatisation built in.

Moderate6 good months

Best months

May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct

Grand Circuit: Kashmir to Ladakh by the Srinagar–Leh Highway
13N / 14D
Best seller · Jun – Sep
Luxury & Grand Circuits7 stops

Kashmir → Ladakh Grand Circuit

Two worlds in one journey: Kashmir's valleys and Ladakh's high desert.

Moderate5 good months

Best months

Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct