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.