August 1st, 2018 by OYO Team

What is the best way to experience a place? Well, the answers would vary, but for some, a road trip is evident—and when it comes to Ladakh, the decision is final. Owing to the growing craze of adventure among the youngsters, road trips have become a trend in the Himalayas. Riding on the highest roads of the world, there is no better way to experience the rough yet captivating beauty of Ladakh than a road trip. Here, we have curated a list of top 5 road trips to Ladakh offering a lifetime of experience.

1) The Monastery Circuit

 

 

Route: Basgo – Spituk – Leh – Shey – Thiksey – Stakna – Hemis – Matho – Stok

Stay Options: Leh-Ladakh offers a wide variety of stay options ranging from homestays to deluxe hotels.

This circuit is a cultural extravaganza offering an abundance of mesmerising views. Start your trip at Basgo, which is the ancient capital of Ladakh and head towards the monasteries of the Indus Valley. Taking you 500 years back down the road, this trip offers an exceptional experience. You will notice that the region’s culture and tradition have been preserved uniquely. For the ones, who want to explore the rich heritage and culture of Ladakh, plan your trip around the Hemis Festival. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the Tibetan lunar month.

2) The Lake Circuit

 

Route: Leh – Tsultak Tso – Chagar Tso – Pangong Tso – Mirpal Tso – Yaye Tso – Chilling Tso – Ryul Tso – Kyagar Tso – Tso Moriri – Startsapuk Tso – Tso Kar

Stay Options: You can stay in the hotels of Leh or enjoy a camping experience at the Tso Camp. You can also camp around Pangong Tso (camps are not allowed near the lake). Tso Moriri too has camps at Korzok.

515km long, this road trip is a bumpy ride that passes through some of the most rugged yet beautiful regions of Ladakh. You have to cross some restricted areas on your way for which prior permits are needed to be arranged from the DC office at Leh. This route takes you from the high-altitude freshwater lakes to the saline lakes of Chumathang and Rupshu. Exotic wildlife such as yaks, wild asses (kiang), Himalayan marmots, Tibetan gazelle, black-necked cranes, geese and many other Himalayan animals can be spotted en route. While on the road, you can also peek inside the lifestyle of Changpas who are the nomads of Central Asia. An exhilarating experience altogether, the route through the Chang La Pass is the third highest motorable road in the entire world.

3) The Road to The Last Frontier

 

Route: Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Nubra – Turtuk

Stay Options: You can stay in the cosy accommodations of Leh, Nubra and Turtuk.

As the name suggests, this road takes you to Turtuk, which is the last northern frontier of India along with Pakistan border. In the earlier days, this route served as the ancient silk route connecting Indian traders to other traders of the world. The footprints of the trade can still be seen as the double-humped camels used by the traders are still found in the Nubra Valley. The road passes through Khardung La (the world’s highest motorable road) and enters into the Nubra Valley.

As you start descending from the K-Top towards the Nubra Valley, you can see the statue (106 ft high) of Maitreya Buddha of Diskit Monastery at the horizon. The landscape here is an amazing mix of natural beauty—on the one hand, there are snow-capped mountains and glacier streams forming the Nubra river, while on the other, you can see sand dunes with camels roaming around. Turtuk is as close as one can get to Pakistan in India. Paved with apricot trees, it is a beautiful village to visit. Balti, which is the local tribe of the region, follows the age-old customs and speaks a unique language which cannot be written.

4) The Road to The Aryans

 

Route: Leh – Nimmoo – Basgo – Dah and Hanu – Kargil

Stay Option: You can stay at Leh, Biama (near Dah) and Kargil.

This road trip takes you back to the time of Alexander the Great. As you start your drive from Leh and head to the Leh-Srinagar highway, the road takes you to Nimmoo where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet. Your next stop en route is Basgo, which is the ancient capital of Ladakh. Once at Khalsi, take the road to the right and follow the Indus, leaving the Leh-Srinagar highway behind. This is route is full of beautiful views with roaring Indus flowing on the left and mighty Himalayas on the right.

 

Paved with apricot trees on both the sides, the road takes you to the Aryan villages of Dah and Hanu. People of this region worship their pantheon of Gods and have an Indo-European appearance. They are believed to be descendants of the army of Alexander of Macedonia. The tribe has a unique way of dressing with flowers and apricots on their heads and a pendant having Dalai Lama’s picture. The road ends at Kargil. You will need inner line permits to travel this road which can be obtained from the DC office in Leh.

5) National Highway 1 D

Route: Leh – Basgo – Lamayuru – Mulbekh – Kargil – Drass – Srinagar

Stay Options: If you take this route, there is no dearth of stay options. You can find accommodation at Leh, Lamayuru, Mulbekh, Kargil, Drass and Srinagar

As the name suggests, this is a spur to the NH 1 connecting Leh to Srinagar. This is the only other road apart from Manali-Leh highway that connects Ladakh and other remote towns of the Himalayas with the rest of India. The highway is decorated with beautiful landscapes all along the route. You can visit Nimmoo (the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers), Basgo (the ancient capital of Ladakh), Alchi (a monastery, known for the rare Buddhist paintings) and Lamayuru (known for its beautiful moon-like landscape).

As you head towards Mulbekh, you can notice the statue of Maitreya Buddha overlooking the old trade route and modern highway. The road is heavily paved with army check posts as it passes through the areas that are close to the border. You will come across interesting road signs such as—ALERT!! ENEMY IS WATCHING YOU! For the ones who want to explore more isolated regions of Ladakh, Kargil is the point to change the route and enter Zanskar Valley. For the ones continuing on the same route, head further to Drass and enter Sonmarg Valley. The route suddenly changes landscapes here. As you reach near Sonmarg, the shades of brown start to disappear. You can end the journey at Srinagar relaxing in the houseboats of Dal Lake and enjoying the hospitality of Kashmir.

With all this information at your disposal, do not procrastinate your dream road trip anymore. Pack your bags and leave for that life-changing trip you have always been planning for.

About OYO Team

We’re people who love to travel and it’s a pleasure to share our experiences from around the world with you here. You’ll see our favourite destinations, quirky stays and budget stay. Also the best wedding banquet halls and the most lit party destinations. You’ll also find insightful opinions about why we travel in the first place and what it’s really like out there. Enjoy the blog and please tell us what you think - feedback welcome!