Delhi - Srinagar - Leh (Ladakh) Itinerary

Delhi - Srinagar - Leh (Ladakh)

Route: Delhi - Ambala - Ludhiana - Jalandhar - Pathankot - Jammu - Udhampur - Banihal - Srinagar - Sonamarg - Drass - Kargil - Lamayoru - Leh

Distance: Delhi - Srinagar 890 kms + Srinagar - Leh 440 kms = 1330 kms

The Journey: Usually the Delhi - Srinagar - Leh circuit is covered in the span of four days, however if you have time in hand and have never visited Srinagar take this opportunity and spend few days there as well.

Here is a sample four days Itinerary for Delhi - Srinagar - Leh route:

Day 1 Delhi - Jammu (590 kms): Start early from Delhi, for most of the time you have to ride on the NH-1 and thereafter on NH-1 A. Roads are fantastic four lane highway till Jalandhar and driving/riding is done on a fast pace. After Jalandhar roads are a mixture of good and bad, but for the most part journey is fast paced.

Accommodation: Since Jammu is favorite stop point/destination for travelers and Hindu pilgrims, there are lot of accommodation options available to suit every need and budget. Here is a list of hotels available in Jammu http://www.jktourism.org/cities/jammu/stay/hotel.htm

Day 2 Jammu - Srinagar (300 kms): Get up early in the morning to start for Srinagar, summer capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Roads from Jammu to Srinagar are mostly in good condition barring few stretches, there are landslide and avalanche areas which witness landslides on a regular basis which invariably cause traffic jams on the highway, and due to this starting early in the morning is recommended.

A word of caution, drive/ride carefully on the Jammu - Srinagar highway, since the traffic playing on this route is reckless to say the least. Also due to the militancy there are armed soldiers posted every few hundred meters.

Accommodation: Srinagar has plenty of accommodation options to offer, including lavishly decorated houseboats. Here is a list of hotels in Srinagar http://www.jktourism.org/cities/kashmir/stay/list-hotel.htm

Day 3 Srinagar - Kargil (205 kms): If yesterday's journey gave you some fantastic views than get ready with your camera today, because the ride/drive today would be even more scenic. Even though one can find petrol pumps along the way, it is recommended to tank up at Srinagar, also the price of petrol/diesel is cheaper in Srinagar than in Kargil and beyond.

For the better part of first day one finds himself driving/riding among some of the worlds most beautiful vistas, the first major halt of the day Sonamarg i.e. meadows of gold is a fantastic place to spend some time. Roads till Sonamarg are mostly in good condition barring a few rough patches.

After Sonamarg the landscape starts changing dramatically all the way till the famous Zoji La pass (11640ft), roads on the both side of the pass are in bad condition with lot of gravel and on rainy days it becomes mud so be prepared. The traffic to the final summit of the pass is controlled and visitors have to get themselves registered to proceed further. This is also the toughest few kms of the entire Srinagar - Leh highway, beyond which tarmac is fantastic.

After crossing from the Zoji La the scenery changes from lush green meadows to arid mountain signaling your cross over from Kashmir to Ladakh. Ride there after is quite good and your next major stopover would be at Drass. If you reached here late in the afternoon then my recommendation would be to have your meal here especially if you are a vegetarian, in Kargil the food isn't that good and for vegetarians finding food can be a bit of chore. A few kms after Drass is the Drass war memorial built in the memory of fallen soldiers in the 1999 Kargil war.

From Drass it is a straight run to Kargil which for most is the pit stop for the day.

Accommodation: there are several accommodation options available in Kargil; here is a list of few of them: http://www.jktourism.org/cities/ladakh/kargil/stay.htm

Day 4 Kargil - Leh (235 kms): After a good night of sleep, start early from Kargil but don't forget to tank up. If you want you can skip breakfast since Mulbek 40 odd kms down the road has better eatery especially if you are a vegetarian, the restaurant at Mulbek is located opposite the statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha. It is believe the 9 meter high statue carved out of solid rock was built in 7th or 8th century.

A short ride from Mulbek will take you to 12198ft high Namik La, a windy yet scenic pass. Roughly 40kms down the ride you would be welcomed by Fotu La, the highest point in the Srinagar - Leh journey (13479ft).

After short yet scenic ride/drive you will reach the village of Lamayoru, Ladakh's most famous and one of the oldest Gompas. Take some timeout here for a quick photo shoot and a visit to Gompa, else plan a dedicated day for it and move on.

Few kms down the road one encounters Hangro Loops, the 18 loops are fast yet sharp loops with steep gorges, drive/ride carefully here. Next major attraction comes in the form of Gurudwara Patthar Sahib located in the town of Nimmu, beyond which its fast and straight drive/ride to Leh.

Delhi - Manali - Leh (Ladakh) Itinerary

Delhi - Manali - Leh (Ladakh)

Route: Delhi - Manali - Kokhsar - Tandi - Keylong - Darcha - Sarchu - Pang - Upshi - Leh

Distance: Delhi - Manali 580 kms + Manali - Leh 490 kms = 1070 kms

The Journey: Usually the Delhi - Manali - Leh circuit is covered in the span of three days, while few like to take it easy and cover it in four to five days depending on the time at hand.

Here is a sample itinerary for a three day journey to Leh, starting from Delhi:

Day 1 Delhi – Manali (580 kms): this journey can take any where between 11 hours to 18 hours depending on the number of breaks and your driving/riding speed. After you reach Manali the first thing you need to do is tank up on petrol, because you need start early in the morning to reach Sarchu and the petrol pumps might not be open at that time.

Day 2 Manali – Sarchu (230 kms): this is where the fun starts, after riding/driving for 52 kms you will reach Rohtang Pass, the first of many high altitude passes that you will encounter on your journey to Ladakh. Take a breather at Rohtang La (13050ft); there are Dhabas at Rohtang parking (couple of kms before the pass) where you can have your breakfast if you decide not to stop at Marhi.

Journey from here is mostly downhill till Tandi (110 kms), which is the last petrol pump till you reach the outskirts of Leh roughly 380kms from here, so don't forget to tank up and in case you are not sure if your vehicle will be able to cover these many kms in a single tank of gas than do get spare petrol/diesel.

Next up is Keylong which is the last place where your mobile phone will work (until you reach Leh) and also the last place where you can hope to find a mechanic (before Leh); in case you are having some problems with your vehicle get it checked ASAP!

Next stop Darcha; this is the place where you cross into the state of Jammu and Kashmir, all tourists need to register themselves at the check post. Relax and tank up on water and snacks, because now you will be riding to Baralacha La (16500ft). Roads are mostly in bad shape and as the altitude increases, you might start noticing the first effects of Acute Mountain Sickness. From Baralacha La it's again a downhill but a rough ride till Sarchu.

Accommodations: Before reaching Sarchu you will start noticing camps put up by various travel companies; one can stay in these tents which are normally referred to as luxury tents or one can cross the Sarchu Bridge and get a bed in tent cum Dhabas which normally charge Rs. 30 per person. Don't bother looking for a hotel, there aren't any!

Day 3 Sarchu – Leh (260 kms): After a cold and windy night in Sarchu rise early, have breakfast and start off for Leh as early as possible you have a long journey ahead. Roads from Sarchu till the start of Gata Loops are mostly in good condition and the ride/drive is mostly fast.

The first chore of the day is Gata Loop which is a collection of 21 loops that take you to an altitude of 15302 ft. Next up is the first pass of the day, Nakee La located at an altitude of 15547ft. Soon after Nakee La you will encounter the second pass of the day, Lachulung La (16616 ft). The road from here will take you to Pang which is another temporary collection of tents and also has a check post where travelers need to register themselves. Take a breather here and eat some thing for the tough journey ahead.

The road from Pang will take you to the famous Moore Plains; situated in a plateau you will be hard-pressed to believe that this relatively flat land is located at an altitude of 15400ft. Road here is relatively straight and in good condition, inviting you to indulge in speeding. But don't! Road is mostly bumpy due to Marmot digging holes under them which will test your vehicles suspension to the fullest.

After the fast paced journey you will find your self climbing the third highest pass you will encounter in Ladakh, Tanglang La (17582ft). Final few kms to the summit of the pass are in bad condition and the steepness coupled with lack of air takes a toll on vehicles performance. But once you reach the top you will be greeted with spectacular views, in fact Tanglang La offers the best views than the rest of the passes. The pass itself is quite windy and it's not uncommon to encounter snow, so take a few photographs and start your journey again.

Roads from here on are downhill all the way to Leh, after a few kms of bad roads you will be greeted with spectacular tarmac and coupled with decreasing altitude and change in scenery from arid to green is sure to be a fantastic reward for your hardship over the past couple of days.