Leh, Nubra, Pangong travel guide

7 daysHow long to stay

Mid-rangeRough cost

Couples, Friends, SoloWho it suits

Ladakhthe Himalaya

Is this for you?

This is the big high-altitude trip: monasteries, desert valleys and huge lakes. You'll need a protected area permit (PAP), a paper permit for Nubra and Pangong, and your first two days are for resting. If you're solo, expect to join a group for the permit. Skip it if you have a heart or lung condition, are pregnant or travelling with an infant, unless you've had medical advice.

When to go

Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.

What to do

Rest day in Leh

Leh sits at about 3,500 m, and the official rule is at least 48 hours here before Khardung La or Pangong. Rest on your first day, with short easy walks only.

Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa

An old royal palace above the bazaar, and a white hilltop stupa, a Buddhist dome shrine, with views over town. Both are gentle enough for your second day.

Thiksey, Shey and Hemis

Three monasteries, or gompas, in the Indus valley near Leh. Make a day of them.

Nubra Valley via Khardung La

A high mountain pass leads to Nubra, a green valley with sand dunes. You need a permit for this route, so read the notice.

Diskit and Hunder dunes

Diskit has a monastery and Hunder has sand dunes. Our one source also says Diskit has the only authorised fuel in Nubra.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Pangong Lake

A very long, high lake, reached from Nubra over the Shyok road. You need a permit, and sleeping here is hard on the body because of the altitude.

Chang La back to Leh

The drive back to Leh crosses Chang La, a high pass. Allow plenty of time.

What to eat

Eat Ladakhi food in Leh, where hearty barley and noodle dishes are made for the cold. Out in Nubra and at Pangong you'll eat whatever your guesthouse or camp cooks, so keep expectations simple.

Butter tea

Salted tea churned with butter, closer to a thin soup than a drink. You'll be offered it in homes and monasteries.

Vegetarian

Chhutagi

Ladakhi bow-shaped pasta in a light broth. It's the sort of bowl to eat on your first days at altitude.

Vegetarian

Khambir

A round Ladakhi wholewheat bread, eaten at breakfast with butter or apricot jam.

Vegetarian

Skyu

A Ladakhi stew of thumb-pressed wheat pasta with root vegetables. Have it in Leh, where Alchi Kitchen is the usual pick.

Vegetarian

Tsampa

Roasted barley flour, the old Ladakhi staple, mixed into butter tea. Try it once, in a guesthouse if you can.

Vegetarian

Where to go

Alchi KitchenLeh

Skyu, chhutagi and khambir, the Ladakhi dishes you came for.

Mid-range

Gesmo RestaurantFort Road, Leh

Breakfast, apricot jam and pies from its own bakery.

Cheap eats

Lamayuru RestaurantLeh

Vegetarian Indian, Chinese and Tibetan plates. We found one detailed source, so check first.

Cheap eats

The Tibetan KitchenLeh

A big bowl of thukpa, noodle soup, at one of Leh's best-known tables.

Mid-range

Diskit Monastery also known as Diskit Gompa or Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh, nort — Specialsharp87, CC BY-SA 4.0

A view of Pangong Tso, an endorheic lake in Ladakh, India — KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0

Late afternoon at the Pangong Tso — Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Nubra Valley in Ladakh with Diskit immediately below and Hunder in the distance. — KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0

Leh City & Glacier Photography Point , South Pullu Photography Point, Khardung La Rd, Leh, 194101 Actually this is not the Nubra Valley — Always urs0509, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sand dunes and poplar groves in the Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India. — Lianguanlun, CC BY 4.0

Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh, India — Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i, CC BY-SA 4.0

Noodles ladakhi homemade — Tabsabs, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting there

Fly to Leh from Delhi in about 1 hour 20 minutes, all year, though winter flights are often cancelled. The Manali to Leh road is summer-only, takes two days and crosses very high passes. Don't use the Srinagar to Leh road. Road times to Nubra and Pangong come as ranges because sources differ.

Where to stay

Changspa A lane of guesthouses and cafes, a short walk from the bazaar. Good if you're on a budget.

Old Leh and Main Bazaar Central, right beside the old town and palace.

Stok village A quieter village stay, if you don't mind being outside Leh.

Worth knowing

Permit

Get a protected area permit (PAP) for anywhere beyond the Inner Line, including Nubra over Khardung La and Pangong Lake, at lahdclehpermit.in, indianfrro.gov.in or a registered Leh agent, because an e-Visa alone isn't valid, and ask the agent its length and cost, as reports differ. The official wording is for groups of two or more, so if you're solo join a real group, and never name a partner who won't come: a false declaration can be an offence.

Safety

Stay at least 48 hours in Leh before Khardung La or Pangong; driving doesn't count. Rest on day one, drink 2 to 3 litres of water, avoid alcohol and sleeping pills, ask your doctor about medication.

Safety

Get medical advice first if you have a heart or lung condition, are pregnant or have an infant. Buy insurance for altitudes over 2,400 m and helicopter rescue, as the UK advises; signal is limited.

3 more to know

Opening

Fly in, or drive from Manali in summer; from November to April only flights run, and winter cancels more. Skip the Srinagar road: the UK and Canada advise against all travel in Jammu and Kashmir.

Permit

Leave Hanle, Umling La, Chushul and Turtuk off your plan. Sources disagree on whether foreigners can enter them, and they're near the border.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Safety

Check the news before you travel. One source reports clashes in Leh on 24 September 2025 and an indefinite curfew, later relaxed, and we found no incident reports for 2026.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

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