How To Reach Ladakh

The only route accessible to Leh Ladakh in winter is by air, though planes fly all year round. The Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport of Leh is the primary airport serving the region. Air India and GoAir have daily flights to and from New Delhi. Air India also connects Leh to Jammu and Kashmir. In winter months, the air services are infrequent and the flights often get cancelled due to fog in Delhi and snowfall in Leh.

Being a military air terminal, the security check and measures are stringent. It is advised to have a printed copy of your air ticket before entering the airport.

You can easily find taxis to travel from the airport to the main town. Those arriving by air are advised to allow one day of rest to acclimatize to the high altitude of Leh Ladakh.

Nearest Airport: Leh Airport (IXL) - 44 kms from Ladakh

Search for flights to Leh Airport (IXL)

There are two road routes to Leh Ladakh - one through Manali in Himachal Pradesh and the other through Srinagar. To travel to Ladakh by road, first, reach Manali or Srinagar via trains and buses. Both the routes are spectacular and time-consuming with narrow winding roads and military checkpoints.

The Leh Manali Highway covers a distance of 473 km and is most commonly opted by tourists. This route generally takes two days and requires making an overnight stop at either Keylong or in tents at Sarchu or Pang. A lot of people cover this route on their motorbikes, especially on Royal Enfield motorcycles as the terrain is a bit bumpy. Some cycle enthusiasts also cover this distance over their bicycles.

Read More about the Adventurous Journey through Leh Manali Highway

The route from Srinagar to Leh Ladakh covers a distance of 434 km and runs at a lower altitude than the Leh Manali highway. This leads to lesser risk of severe high-altitude mountain sickness, though this route is less opted for. The main is the presence of several high-risk militant areas in this region. This route also takes 2 days with an overnight stop in Kargil.

Jeep
The fastest way of reaching Leh from Manali is by jeeps, mostly shared. These jeeps cover the journey in one day as opposed to two days with an overnight stop. However, it runs a high risk of severe altitude sickness. The shared jeep journeys usually cost around INR 1500 per person and are available in the Old Manali area.

Leh Ladakh is at a very remote location with minimal resources available. So the region does not have a railway station. However, the nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi (700 km from Ladakh) which is well connected with Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

From the Jammu Tawi station, you can board a taxi or a JKSRTC (Jammu Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation) bus to Leh.

The main bus stand for Leh Ladakh is located 700m south to the main town centre. State buses run from both Srinagar and Manali. The HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourist Development Corporation) buses mostly make an overnight stop at Keylong, Darcha or Sarchu for high-altitude acclimatization. There is a direct 24-hour bus from Manali to Leh, which is, however, not recommended.