Overland region

Ladakh by 4x4 and motorbike: local guides and trips

The deep blue water of Pangong Tso, with the mountains of eastern Ladakh
Photo: Stanzin1945, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ladakh is a union territory in the far north of India, a high cold desert around Leh and the Indus valley. For anyone travelling with their own vehicle it means the Leh–Manali highway over Baralacha La and Tanglang La, the Khardung La road into the Nubra valley, the road to Pangong Tso over Chang La, the Changthang plateau around Tso Moriri and the Pensi La road to Zanskar. Nubra and Pangong Tso need permits, such as the Inner Line Permit: check the current rules before you go. Here are the local guides who work in the area and the trips that cross it.

5 local guides and 4 trips in Ladakh on GuideMeet.

On the map

  1. Baralacha La Baralacha La — Mountain pass. Pass at 4,889 m linking Lahaul, in Himachal Pradesh, with Ladakh on the Leh–Manali highway; the Chandra and Bhaga rivers both rise near it. 32.7586, 77.4203 · Google Maps
  2. Sarchu Sarchu — Camp. Tented halt at 4,201 m on the boundary between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, between Baralacha La and Lachulung La; the camp closes in winter when snow blocks the passes. 32.8900, 77.5300 · Google Maps
  3. Tanglang La Tanglang La — Mountain pass. Pass at 5,328 m in the Leh district, the highest point of the Leh–Manali highway (NH3), which crosses four passes between Manali and Leh. 33.5078, 77.7700 · Google Maps
  4. Tso Moriri Tso Moriri — Lake. Lake at 4,522 m on the Changthang plateau, a Ramsar wetland and the largest high-altitude lake entirely within India. Karzok, on its north-west shore, has homestays and a monastery. 32.9000, 78.3000 · Google Maps
  5. Leh Leh — Town. Ladakh's largest city, at 3,524 m on the Indus. The seasonal roads from Srinagar and from Manali both end here, and the 17th-century Leh Palace overlooks it. 34.1529, 77.5773 · Google Maps
  6. Thiksey Monastery Thiksey Monastery — Monastery. Hilltop monastery at 3,600 m, 19 km east of Leh in the Indus valley, noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. 34.0557, 77.6665 · Google Maps
  7. Chang La Chang La — Mountain pass. Pass at 5,360 m on the road from Leh to Pangong Tso. The 10–15 km on either side can turn to loose dirt and slush after winter, with small streams across the road in summer. 34.0470, 77.9305 · Google Maps
  8. Pangong Tso Pangong Tso — Lake. Lake at 4,300 m, 134 km long and shared between Ladakh and Tibet; the water is saline and it freezes in winter. On the Indian side a permit is needed and groups must be accompanied by an accredited guide. 33.7179, 78.8968 · Google Maps
  9. Khardung La Khardung La — Mountain pass. Pass at 5,359 m, 40 km north of Leh, on the road to the Nubra valley. Non-local visitors need a permit, checked at the South Pullu and North Pullu checkpoints. 34.2783, 77.6042 · Google Maps
  10. Diskit Diskit — Town. Headquarters of Nubra, about 118 km from Leh on the Shyok river, home to Diskit Monastery. Homestays and guest houses there stay open all year. 34.5512, 77.5485 · Google Maps
  11. Hunder Hunder — Village. Village on the Shyok, once the capital of the Nubra kingdom, known for its sand dunes and Bactrian camels; the dunes lie between Hunder and Diskit, 7 km apart. 34.5758, 77.4948 · Google Maps
  12. Turtuk Turtuk — Village. Balti village on the Shyok, among the northernmost in India and close to the Line of Control. It is known for its apricots. 34.8470, 76.8270 · Google Maps
  13. Lamayuru Lamayuru — Village. Village at 3,510 m on the Srinagar–Leh highway, with an 11th-century monastery; the eroded clay hills around it give the area the name 'Moon Land'. 34.2827, 76.7740 · Google Maps
  14. Pensi La Pensi La — Mountain pass. Pass at 4,400 m, the gateway to Zanskar, on the 240 km Kargil–Padum road. It stays open six to seven months a year; the Drang-Drung glacier lies on its eastern flank. 33.8678, 76.3553 · Google Maps
  15. Padum Padum — Town. Administrative centre of Zanskar, at 3,669 m in the middle of the three-armed Zanskar river valley. Karsha and Bardan monasteries are nearby. 33.4639, 76.8786 · Google Maps

Local guides in Ladakh

Overland trips in Ladakh

When to go

The Leh–Manali highway is usually open for about six months, from early May until snow closes the high passes again in October; the Pensi La road to Zanskar stays open six to seven months. Nights are very cold even in summer, and Leh has long, cold winters from late November to early March.

Before you go

Photo credits

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, under the licences shown.

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