We all know how exciting and crazy all the road trips are regardless of the destination because the actual fun lies in enjoying the ride alongside you friends, listening to your favourite playlist, and just having a good time.
Now imagine a road trip to Leh Ladakh, an entirely spellbinding place with panoramic views of mountains that appear like oil paintings. The ultimate treat!!
Over the years, Leh Ladakh tour packages from Delhi have become a favourite among travellers who are looking to have some fun by ditching their routines for a couple of days. Being one of the most sparsely populated regions in the country, the natural beauty of Ladakh has remained intact attracting more and more tourists every year. Bike tours to Leh Ladakh have also seen a surge because the roads test the abilities of the riders and offer a very exhilarating ride.
Therefore, even if you are planning a road trip to Ladakh either with your friends or family, it is going to be totally worth it because the mountain landscape in very different from the one presented by the mountains of any other part of India. The scenery also changes from lush green to that of a cold desert. Moreover, Leh Ladakh has also emerged as a romantic destination because of its sheer beauty and people also often opt for honeymoon tours to add romance to their travels.
Although Ladakh road trip from Delhi have become popular, you need not to worry even if you are traveling from any other part of the world because the actual trip starts from Manali.
Manali, Himachal Pradesh (However the tour can be organised from Delhi or any other location in India)
12 PM
This trip starts with your arrival at Manali. So, after you have arrived at the gorgeous hill-station bustling with tourists, you will be first introduced to your trip lead and then, you can get acquainted with your fellow travellers. Later, you can enjoy the rest of the day by visiting several local spots like Hidimba temple, Manu temple, and mall road and then go café hopping in Manali. In case, this is a bike trip, you will also be introduced to the bikes.
The overnight stay would be arranged in a hotel.
On the 2nd day of your journey, you will be covering a distance of around 138 km between Manali and Jispa, a quaint village that lies along the Manali-Leh Highway, and it would take around a 7-hour drive to reach your destination. This will also mark the initial advancements in your Leh Ladakh package and you will come across some wondrous landscapes. Therefore, start your day on time after having a nice breakfast.
In about the next 2 hours, you will find yourself at one of Bollywood’s celebrated shooting spots i.e. Rohtang Pass. The pass rests at an altitude of 13,050 ft and is situated on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas. It is as gorgeous as anyone could possibly imagine and you can take a few pictures there and have a short break. However, don’t spend too much time at the pass because as you continue your journey forward, the views only keep getting better.
Afterward, you will cross Keylong, the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district and another scenic town, before arriving at Jispa which can be reached within an hour from Keylong.
Enjoy your overnight stay in Jispa with a delicious dinner and a bonfire.
It is advisable that you start this day without any delays because you will be travelling for around 335 km that would certainly take almost 10 hours of your day. This is usually the longest distance that is covered in a single go during most of the Leh Ladakh packages from Delhi but you don’t need to worry because there will definitely be some pitstops to let you be amazed by the worthwhile views of the mighty yet soothing mountains. The journey towards Leh is very exciting because that is the focal point of this entire trip. The route is also a treat for all the photographers and even if you aren’t one, you will be compelled to click some stunning pictures because how could you possibly not!!
You will also cross passes like Bara-lacha la, perched up to an elevation of 16,040 ft, and Tanglang La, situated at a height of 17,480 ft. As soon as you reach Leh, the most famous as well as the largest town of the Ladakh region, you will be pretty tired after the long journey so you can rest, freshen-up, and then enjoy your meal with your companions and call it a day.
Here finally comes the day to explore the town you have been dreaming about since the trip began (or probably even before that). It used to be the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh. The epitome of beauty, Leh houses several places of interests and local attractions that you can visit. Some of the popular places to visit in Leh are Thikse Monastery, Magnetic Hill, Shey Monastery, Leh Palace, Pathar Sahab Gurudwara, the confluence of Indus River & Zanskar River, and Namgyal Tsemo Gompa.
As the evening starts to approach, visit Shanti Stupa which is a Buddhist white-domed stupa (chorten) as well as a symbol of the ties between the people of Japan and Ladakh. It is a prominent site in Leh because the picture-perfect surroundings are loved by all.
Then, return to the hotel and enjoy a scrumptious dinner before going to bed.
You will again hit the road as your destination for the day will be the cold desertic valley of Nubra. Located at a distance of around 160 km from Leh, you will reach the stunning valley via Khardung La, another significant mountain pass located in the Ladakh region that is nestled at an altitude of 17,582 ft. Khardung La pass has been the highest motorable pass in the world and the natural vistas during the entire journey are also awe-magnificent. Also, for people who go for Ladakh packages with bike, riding on the pass is also an electrifying experience. The distance between Leh and Nubra Valley will take approximately 6 hours to be covered while you can also take a few stops in between to enjoys the scenery and can visit Deskit Monastery as well.
Try to reach Nubra Valley on time to enjoy an ATV ride which happens to be one of the major attractions offered by the place along with a ride on the two-humped bactrian camels, a unique mammal found in the region. Later, check-in to the campsite, freshen-up, and have dinner with your travel companions before you head to bed.
This is the day when you will be traveling to one of the most gorgeous lakes in India i.e. Pangong Lake which is shared by India and China as around 60% of the lake adorns the Tibetan Autonomous Region, China. Another fact about this lake is that although it is a saline water lake, it freezes during the winters making it look all the more stunning and dreamier.
So, start your day with a hearty breakfast and then begins the ride towards Pangong Tso. The distance between Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso is around 275 km and will take approximately 7 hours to reach your beautiful destination. Later, check-in to the campsite, freshen-up, and then spend some time by the lake which is also very famous in pop culture. It presents somewhat of a paradise for all the shutterbugs with the complimenting scenery, birds, and everything else.
Call it a day after having dinner at the campsite.
As usual, your day would start with a breakfast amidst the mountains and then get ready to head back to Leh. It will be around a 225 km long ride that would take 7 hours and you will again cross some of the passes including Chang La. Chang La is a high mountain pass which rests at an elevation of 17,590 ft and there you will see many prayers flags adding colors to the place. On the way, you can also make a visit to the school in the popular movie “3 Idiots”.
You will arrive at Leh by evening and make sure to make the best out of your last day in Leh by exploring the local marketplace as well as the cafes. Also, buy some souvenirs for your family and friends and then head to the hotel for your overnight stay.
Have an early breakfast and then start on your return journey from Leh to Sarchu as Sarchu serves as another halt point during most of the Leh Ladakh packages from Delhi. Located at a height of 14,070 ft, it lies on the same route that we took on the 2nd day and while returning from Leh, it comes approximately 85 km before Jispa, which was our halt on day 2. So, the distance that would be covered on this day would be around 250 km taking up to 8 hours of drive.
The entire route is a treat for the eyes so don’t make the mistake of dozing off during the ride. You will also cross Bara-lacha la and Tanglang La on your way to Sarchu and your overnight stay would be organized in camps.
One important thing to remember is that it is better to halt at Sarchu while you are on your way back to Manali because till then, your body gets acclimatized. Hence, there are lesser chances of experiencing AMS caused due to the extreme elevation at Sarchu. While on the other hand, a halt at Jispa is recommended while you are on your way to Leh because it rests at an altitude of 10,500 ft and the chances of AMS are pretty slim.
After breakfast, you will start your drive on the last stretch of your trip between Sarchu and Manali and cover around 223 km in 5 hours approx. You will again cross Rohtang pass and it will totally mesmerize you all over again. Also, this being the last day of your Ladakh road trip, try to make the best of it. Finally, you will reach Manali by 6 p.m. so if you are planning on booking buses to travel further to your specific places, plan accordingly.
