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How to Calculate Minimum Budget for Ladakh Trip 2024 ?

by Vargis.Khan

Minimum Budget for Ladakh Trip

How much will a trip to Ladakh cost? This is probably the first question that comes to mind after you have decided on a trip to Ladakh. Lack of knowledge about the region makes people wonder about how much it will cost to go there. In this article, I will provide some basic information and guidelines on how you can calculate and plan your minimum budget for Ladakh trip.

A lot of people think that visiting Ladakh will cost a lot and it is not a place for them. This however is not really true. Though different in several ways, Ladakh is still like any other tourist destination in our country.

While it is true that Ladakh is not really your usual weekend getaway where you can just pack your bags and go. But if you have proper planning, good knowledge about the place, and a well-laid itinerary, you can visit Ladakh on a moderate enough budget as well.

In the post below, I will discuss the cost aspect of a trip to Ladakh. But if you need any other details like the best time to visit, how to reach, where to stay, what to see, and itinerary planning, please take a look at How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh – A Complete Travel Guide.

How to Calculate Minimum Budget for Ladakh Trip?

Your total cost of Ladakh trip will depend on several factors like your mode of travel, the total number of days, accommodation preferences, what all places you want to cover, etc.

However, if you narrow it down, the three prime factors that will impact your total budget for Ladakh trip are:

  1. Your mode of travel
  2. Accommodation preferences
  3. Your eating habits

The rest are just extensions of these three factors. Get an estimate around these three, multiply it by the number of people traveling, then the number of days and you will have your minimum budget for Ladakh trip.

I will break down the information and explain it from the point of travel expense, accommodation charges, and personal expenses that you may incur.

Minimum Budget for Ladakh Trip

Ladakh Travel Cost

Your mode of travel will be one of the foremost deciding factors in the total cost of the trip. The majority of the tourist opt to travel by their own vehicle but some of the other available modes of transport in Ladakh are buses, private cabs, and shared cabs.

The cost will vary for each of them. But I will mention some figures as the minimum budget for Ladakh trip by each mode of travel.

Also read: Clothes for Ladakh Trip: What to Pack

By Private Car

Though convenient in numerous ways, if you are traveling by your own car, fuel would be your biggest expenditure. The total fuel expense will depend on the mileage of your vehicle and the distance covered.

Delhi to Leh via Manali is approximately 1100 km. Leh to Delhi via Srinagar is approximately 1200 kms. A round trip to Nubra valley is roughly 250 kms, Pangong Lake is roughly 300 kms. A journey to Tso Moriri via Chumathang and back to Leh would be roughly another 500 kilometers.

Please note that I am using the most common itinerary as an example here. If you have included other places like Sham Valley or Chushul route as well, then the total kilometer count will change. But even if you traveled directly between Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, and Tso Moriri, the distance cover will not increase drastically and will be around these numbers only.

Keeping the above places in mind, the total kilometers covered from Delhi and return will be between 3500 – 4000 kilometers. Taking into consideration a minimum average of 10 kilometers per liter, your vehicle would consume about 350 – 400 liters of fuel.

If you were coming from a different city, use the same calculation I mentioned above. Consider the distance from your starting point to Manali and Srinagar and you will get a total number of kilometers you will cover.

Depending on the price of petrol or Diesel at the time of your trip of travel, this should give you an estimated cost of how much the fuel expense would come out to be.

Also read: Mobile Network in Ladakh & Data Connectivity

By Bike

The calculation above will remain applicable to bikes as well. The only thing that will change is the mileage of the vehicle.

The reason why I said only 10 kilometers per liter for a car is because your vehicle is bound to consume more fuel in the hilly areas. You will constantly be driving in the low gears and the fuel consumption will be high. The mileage for cars with an engine size of around 2000 CC or higher can even be lower than this.

For bikes, assume an average of around 25 km per liter and divide the total distance by this number. That will give you an idea of how much fuel you will consume and then just multiply it with the fuel price at the time of your trip.

To get an idea of the distance you will cover within Ladakh, take a look at this Detailed & Comprehensive Road Map of Ladakh.

ladakh bike trip cost

By Private Cab

If you are traveling in a private cab, then this will be your biggest expense. A private cab from Manali to Leh will cost anywhere between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000. For Srinagar to Leh, it will be anywhere between Rs. 12,000 to 15,000.

A two-way trip to tourist destinations like Nubra valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri will cost you about Rs. 14,000 to 15,000 each (could even be slightly higher) for a 2-day trip.

Covering all the places and provided that you were able to negotiate a bit as well, your total taxi fare will be between Rs. 40,000 – 50,000 if you hired it for about 6-7 days, covering all the major routes.

An important thing to remember here is that a Manali or Srinagar cab will not be allowed for sightseeing in Ladakh. So you cannot book just one cab for the entire trip. You will have to hire a cab for dropping you at Ladakh and then rent another local cab there for sightseeing.

By Shared Taxi

Shared cabs are a great option if you are not bringing along your own vehicle. They are run by local taxi drivers and tour operators and are a great option to save travel costs.

The total fare per person for these would be

  • Rs. 2500 per person for Manali to Leh
  • Rs. 2500 for the return journey either via Srinagar or Manali
  • Rs. 1000 for a two-way journey to Nubra Valley
  • Rs. 1000 for a two-way journey to Pangong Lake
  • Rs. 1000 for a two-way journey to Tso Moriri Lake

To be on the safer side, keep an estimate of Rs. 4000 – Rs. 5000 for local sightseeing in Ladakh. So for shared taxis, your total travel expense would come to be anywhere between Rs. 8000 – Rs. 10,000 per person.

Any money you spend for traveling from your hometown to either Srinagar or Leh and then for the return journey will be in addition to this cost.

ladakh trip cost by taxi

By Bus

This is the cheapest option to travel to Ladakh. Your travel cost will go down considerably but the problem is that the frequency of public transport is not that high in Ladakh still. At some places, it is not even a daily or weekly service, rather 2 to 3 times a month.

If you are traveling in a Bus, then the one-way fare from Manali to Leh would be around Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 3,000 for a deluxe bus and Rs. 500 for an ordinary bus. From Srinagar, it is Rs. 1000 – Rs. 1500 for a deluxe bus and Rs. 500 for an ordinary bus.

A round trip to Nubra would cost about Rs. 700 – Rs. 800. For Pangong and Tso Moriri Lake, it would be about Rs. 500 – Rs.600 round trip each. For Padum in Zanskar, it would be about Rs. 2,000 round trip to Leh.

So in total, including the return journey, you will end up spending around Rs. 8000 on bus fares. But as I mentioned, it is not really possible to make this trip only by bus. In Ladakh, you will have to do a mix and match game. If there is a bus, then board it otherwise look for a shared cab.

So by public transport, between Manali – Leh – Srinagar and using both buses and shared cabs, your travel cost will be between Rs. 8,000 – Rs. 10,000. Any travel expense to get to Manali/Srinagar from your hometown and then for the return journey will be in addition to this.

delhi leh bus

By Rented Bikes

When it comes to a bike, there are a few different things you will need to keep in mind.

  • You can rent one from your hometown
  • Rent from Chandigarh, Manali, or Srinagar that most people do
  • Reach Leh by flight and rent one there for local sightseeing.

Different companies have different rental rates for different bikes. Depending on which bike you chose, you will pay between Rs. 1200 to Rs. 2000 per day as a rental. So for a trip of about 10 days, your bike rental cost will come out to be Rs. anywhere between Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 20,000.

The fuel expense will also have to come out of your own pocket. So depending on the total kilometers you plan to cover, calculate the fuel cost and add it to the rental cost.

The most important thing you need to keep in mind though is that non-local bikes (rented outside Leh) are not allowed for sightseeing in Ladakh. If you have rented a bike in Manali or Srinagar, it is only good enough to take you to Leh. But for visiting places like Nubra, Pangong, and Moriri in Ladakh, you will need to hire another bike from Leh.

So if you rented a bike from Srinagar or Manali, you will first pay a daily rental of that bike as long as it is with you. Then add another Rs. 10,000 to the rental cost for the bike that you rented in Leh.

If you are planning to rent a bike from Manali and drop in Srinagar, or vice versa, there will be an additional cost of about Rs. 10,000 as transportation cost.

Also read: What to see in Ladakh – A Complete List of Tourist Places

By Self-Drive Cab

What I mentioned above about non-local bikes applies to self-rental cabs as well. If you have rented a self-drive cab from anywhere outside Ladakh, it is only good enough to take you to Leh. But for visiting places like Nubra, Pangong, and Moriri in Ladakh, you will need to hire another cab from Leh and leave your self-drive rental parked at the hotel.

Another thing that you must know is that there are no self-drive cab services available in Leh. So if you are traveling in a self-drive cab, I am going to assume that you hired it from your hometown to take it all the way to Ladakh.

There will be three costs involved here.

  1. The first one is fuel
  2. The second is the daily rental you will pay for self-drive
  3. The third is the expense you will incur for local sightseeing which can either be a private or shared cab or by Bus.

Fuel expense would cover the journey from your home town to Leh and back. Assuming you started from Delhi, it will be a total of about 225 liters of fuel, covering a distance of 2300 kilometers at an average of 10-11 kilometers per liter (minimum value I am taking into consideration here).

Multiply this by the fuel price. Then add the travel expense in Ladakh plus the daily rental of the car based upon your choice and you will get a close enough figure.

leh to pangong lake road

Hotel Cost in Ladakh

Now since we have covered the mode of travel part, next in line is the accommodation part. All across Ladakh, you can easily find a decent enough hotel for as little as Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000 (at an average).

At places like Pangong where there are no hotels, you can easily find a Chadar tent offering you a bed for as little as Rs. 200 – Rs.300 per night, or a homestay at Spangmik for about Rs. 700 per day.

So your average cost of accommodation would come out to be about Rs. 1000 per day if you are traveling solo and about Rs. 500 per person if you are traveling with a friend who will share the room cost.

This is the minimum cost that I have mentioned here. The rest will depend on your choice of accommodation.

Also read: 10 Reasons why you should NEVER visit Ladakh

Food Cost in Ladakh

Not much to say here really because it all depends on where you eat and what you eat. But there are several reasonably priced restaurants/dhabas in Ladakh. On average, you will be spending a minimum of Rs. 400 – Rs.500 per person for meals daily.

Other charges

Any other charges will depend on you completely and will be in addition to the numbers I quoted above as the minimum budget for Ladakh trip. These could be shopping, permits, or any other personal expenditure that you will have total control over.

kargil

Minimum Cost or Budget for Ladakh Trip

So to conclude it in the end, let me give you some round figures for your minimum budget for Ladakh trip. These numbers are considering that you will be covering about 3000 kilometers starting from Manali and exiting at Srinagar or vice versa.

  • In terms of accommodation, meals, and permits, you are looking at a minimum cost of about Rs.1000 – Rs. 1500 per person, per day.
  • If traveling by your own motorcycle, your fuel cost would come out to be about Rs. 10000 – Rs.12000.
  • If traveling in your own car, your fuel cost would be anywhere between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 35,000.
  • If you are renting the motorcycle, add another Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 as Bike rental in addition to the fuel.
  • If driving a rented self-drive vehicle, add your daily car rental fee to the fuel expense.
  • Depending on the places you wish to attend, the cost of a private taxi will be a whopping cost of Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000
  • If traveling by Bus, your total fare would come out to be close to Rs. 7000.
  • If traveling in a shared taxi, you are looking at a total fare of about Rs. 10,000.
Traveling Solo or in a Group

Your total Ladakh trip budget will also depend on whether you were traveling alone or in a group. For example, if you are visiting Ladakh on a bike with a friend, then the total fuel cost will get divided between the two of you. The hotel charges that you will pay will also get divided.

The same is the case when traveling with a group of 4-5 friends. The fuel cost, taxi charges, and accommodation cost also will then get divided.

In both of these cases, only the money that you spend on meals or any other personal expenses will be your own. The rest will be shared among friends or the group.

Leh Ladakh Permit Cost

This also will be an individual cost that cannot be shared. The permit is issued on a per-person basis and not per vehicle. So if you were a total of 5 people in a car, all 5 of you will need to get the permit and pay for it individually. Even if you were traveling on a bus, you will still need to get a permit issued in your name.

No permit is needed to reach the city of Leh but you will have to obtain ILP in order to visit areas like Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso. Please read How to Obtain Inner Line Permit for Ladakh for details on how to apply for the permit and how much it will cost you.

ladakh car trip

In the end, let me give some cost estimates from different cities in India. Please note that these are rough estimates and the final cost is bound to be a little different. But these are the minimum cost estimates that can be a safer number to assume.

Ladakh Trip Cost from Delhi

A trip to Ladakh from Delhi will cost at least around Rs. 25,000 by Bike, and Rs. 50,000 by car if traveling alone. These figures are for a 10 to 12 days trip. The overall cost per person will be lower depending on the number of people sharing the fuel and accommodation expenses.

Ladakh Trip Cost from Mumbai

A trip to Ladakh from Mumbai will cost around Rs. 40,000 by Bike and Rs. 70,000 by Car. These numbers are for a 10-12 days trip and assuming that you are reaching Leh by flight and hiring a local cab or bike for sightseeing. If you are traveling in a group, then the bike rental and taxi charges will get divided, thus reducing the per-person cost.

If you want to rent a bike or taxi from Srinagar or Manali, add another 20,000 to this cost as your bike or cab from outside Ladakh will not be allowed for local sightseeing.

The same charges will apply to any other nearby city like Pune or Nagpur.

Ladakh Trip Cost from Chandigarh

A trip to Ladakh from Chandigarh will cost at least around Rs. 25,000 by Bike, and Rs. 50,000 by car if traveling alone. The cost estimates, in this case, will be around the same as in Delhi.

But if you were coming from a different city to Chandigarh by flight and then renting a bike from there, then the cost will easily be around Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 by Bike and around Rs. 70,000 by a private taxi.

Ladakh Trip Cost from Lucknow

A trip to Ladakh from Delhi will cost at least around Rs. 35,000 by Bike, and Rs. 70,000 by car if traveling alone. This will also apply to any other nearby city like Agra or Kanpur.

 Ladakh Trip Cost from Bangalore

A trip to Ladakh from Mumbai will cost around Rs. 40,000 by Bike and Rs. 70,000 by Car if traveling alone. This number is assuming that you are reaching Leh by flight and renting a bike or taxi there.

If you want to drive all the from home, then the fuel expense itself for the long drive will be above Rs. 12,000-15,000 by Bike and Rs. 30,000 – Rs. 40,000 by car. Then add at least Rs. 1000 per day for accommodation and another Rs. 500 per day for food.

The same figures will also apply to other cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, or anywhere in Kerala. This will be your minimum budget for Ladakh trip.

Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh with Family

FAQs

1. Is Ladakh Expensive?

No Ladakh is not expensive. The high cost of the trip is a result of the number of days of travel and the distance covered. If you travel to any other place for this long, it will cost you around the same.

2. How to reduce Ladakh trip costs?

The best way to reduce the cost of Ladakh trip is to travel in a group. Since the fuel cost will be the greatest expense, this will then get divided and the cost per person will be way less.

3. How much would Leh-Ladakh trip cost from Bangalore?

I am using Bangalore as an example here but the answer will also be applicable to any other city at a similar distance. Unless you were ready to shed a huge amount of money, the best way to plan your trip is to book a flight to Ladakh a few months in advance. This way, you can get a good deal and pay less.

Once you arrive in Leh, if you were traveling alone, then opt for buses and shared cabs. If you were with a friend, then rent a bike. If you were in a group, then hire a private cab.

minimum budget for ladakh trip

Conclusion

I hope the information above on the minimum budget for Ladakh trip was of help. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below and I will be happy to answer. You can also follow me on Instagram and chat with me live there or subscribe to my YouTube channel and ask a question there.

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103 comments

Sidhant August 13, 2021 - 2:48 pm

Hi Vargis,

I am planning to do work from hotel in leh, do leh hotels have good and stable 4g wifi connectivity?

Reply
Roy May 10, 2020 - 7:43 am

Hi Mr Khan,
I Am From West Bengal I Have Own Bike 150cc And We Have 3 Friends All Are Own Bike . Can we Complete Leh Ladakh Trip under 30k Per Person. Please Replay. We Are Decided To 13 Days Trip Delhi to Delhi. Please Inform With Permit.

Reply
Affan July 21, 2020 - 7:41 am

Yess you can complete it in 17k to 18 k easily bro
Petrol price 3000km 8k approx
Stay is cheap 300-400per person *12days 5k
4-5k you can spend on other things but plzz be sure about th tires an service of bike you can easily go via srinagar because it have low chances of AMS due to low slope

Reply
Affan July 21, 2020 - 7:52 am

Permit is not allowed at all thus year
But if you go by srinagar there is no permit till leh In leh where you can take permit to visit local
And pls go on the bike registered with your name or father mothers brothers name with proof that they are related to you only blood relatons otherwise they will stop you there after leh for sightseeing

Reply
Aura July 13, 2021 - 7:17 am

I am from Jammu city.. I want to travel to Ladakh.. It would be my first solo trip.. Kindly suggest me how should i manage my trip?

Reply
Pravin Kumeriya February 26, 2020 - 4:25 am

Hi Vargis sir,
We are 5 persons. We go to laddakh from baltal after complete Amarnathji yatra. So how will total cost of baltal to laddakh.

Reply
Mr. kiran surve March 9, 2020 - 4:35 pm

Dear Pravin , we also planning to go Amarnathji yatra from Baltal and then Vaishnav devi Temple after that Leh Ladakh tour. We are 8 persons (family members). Amarnathji yatra all information get it on shriamarnathjishine.com site. I am specially looking for Leh ladakh tour package. tour period will be 05th July to 14th July 2020.

Reply
Sudheer Yadav February 18, 2020 - 9:04 am

Hi Vargis ,

We are 6 ppl planning in may second week from hyderabad . We are planning to land either manali or srinagar. And hire a cab to leh and ladak. Our budget is 30k for each person, planning 9/10 days. Could you please provide iteneray from manali or srinagar. We are planning to exit from either manali or srinagar.

Thanks In advance

Reply
Vargis.Khan February 19, 2020 - 3:42 pm

Hi Sudheer – You can travel like this.

Srinagar to Kargil
to Leh
Leh
Leh to Diskit
Turtuk to Pangong
Pangong to Hanle
Hanle to Sarchu
Sarchu to Manali
Manali to Chandigarh

Reply
aparna January 25, 2020 - 5:06 pm

hi Mr. Khan
is it possible to cover pangong and tso moriri in single day?what is the exact distance between the two lakes?and how to plan when at pangong to visit tso moriri

Reply
Vargis.Khan January 25, 2020 - 11:19 pm

Do you mean to travel from Pangong to Tso Moriri on a single day? – Yes you can.
Or do you mean to travel from Leh to Pangong, Tso Moriri and return in a single day? – No you cannot do this.

Reply
Nataraj Moorthi November 4, 2019 - 6:21 am

Dear Mr. Vargis,
A Friend and myself plan to visit end of July based on your tips, Please suggest an Itinerary for 7 days and if it is best to book with a travel agent in Leh or is possible to go there and travel each day with different public vehicle owners, we would be flying in and out from Delhi. Regards, Raju

Reply
kanwaljeet November 28, 2019 - 9:53 am

hi…we r plaaning to leh in april 2020..we r 3 person from chandigarh…so shall we go with travel agent or go byself…and what about budget we will arrange for 4/5 days

Reply
Vargis.Khan November 28, 2019 - 2:43 pm

Delay it by a month if you want to travel by road. In april you can only reach there by flight.

Reply
P Narasimha Reddy January 21, 2020 - 1:46 pm

Hi, young man, I am a resident of Hyderabad City of Telangana state,
my age is 70 plus yrs, No BP, no Diabetic but having knee pains, I am interested in visiting Leh, Ladakh, and Kullu & Manali can you advise me.

Reply
Santosh Prasad October 14, 2019 - 4:04 pm

Hi Vargis Ji,
We are planning to visit ladakh in june 2020.
We are planning to visit ladakh with our own car but the car is registered on my big brothers name and he is not traveling with us. So please suggest that we will face any problems there?

Reply
Vargis.Khan October 17, 2019 - 5:49 am

Hi Santosh – You may face some problem. Just carry enough documentation to prove that the owner of the car is your real brother (not even cousin).

Reply
Santosh Prasad October 17, 2019 - 6:23 am

Hi Vargis Ji,
Thanks for your suggestion.
We will be in touch with you and hope for your replies.

Regards
Santosh Prasad

Reply
Vargis.Khan October 17, 2019 - 6:28 am

You are welcome brother !!!

Reply
Haris Hashmi August 26, 2019 - 6:14 am

HELLO SIR,

We are planning for a ladakh trip in last week May ,

Our budget is 70 to 80 thousand for 4 people group.

Suggest me what is the best use of my money according to our budget.

Our trip start from delhi and we have 7 to 8 days for this trip.

Reply
Jitendra September 26, 2019 - 5:49 pm

Very good information…more smaller details like names of hotels, restaurants , type of minimum clothing etc and shopping places and things could have still been helpful.

Reply
Saptarshi shukla August 7, 2019 - 10:14 pm

Hi sir hope you are doing good, thank you for this wonderful informations. We are 5 people and we will be travelling from delhi to leh via manali our journey will start on 10th of August, and we have booked a self driving rental car from delhi through the VOLAR CARS, i want to know that we will be needed to rent another car from leh for nubra – Pangong – tao moriri and leh local and surrounding or we can travel by our rental self driving cab.

And our travel plan looks like this pls guide or suggest for any improvement as this is a once in a lifetime kind of trip. Your guidance will make it more worthy thank you for all.

10 aug – delhi to manali
11 aug – manali local
12 aug – manali to jispa(night stay at jispa)
13 aug – jispa to leh
14 aug – leh local
15 aug – Nubra Valley (night stay)
16 aug – leh
17 aug – Pangong lake (night stay)
18 aug – leh
19 aug – tso moriri (night stay)
20 aug – tao moriri to sarchu (night stay at sarchu)

21aug – sarchu to kasol
22 aug – kasol
23 aug – kasol to delhi back

Reply
Vargis.Khan August 8, 2019 - 1:47 am

Your plan looks all right Mr. Shukla but you will need to rent another cab in Leh. Your self drive rental would have to be left parked at the hotel. Better travel like this.

10 aug – delhi to manali
11 aug – manali local
12 aug – manali to jispa(night stay at jispa)
13 aug – jispa to leh
14 aug – leh local
15 aug – Nubra Valley (night stay)
16 aug – Pangong lake (night stay) (via Shyok road)
17 aug – Hanle
18 aug – Tso Moriri
19 aug – Leh (night stay)
20 aug – Leh to Keylong (night stay at sarchu)

21aug – keylong to kasol
22 aug – kasol
23 aug – kasol to delhi back

Reply
Anik Saha July 21, 2019 - 8:58 am

Hi Vargis Sir,
From last few days I follow your site , instruction and plan a road trip with my 3 friends. We are coming from Bangladesh. Here is our plan a road trip in Ladakh.

16-September-19Monday Manali To Sarchu
17-September-19Tuesday Sarchu To Leh
18-September-19Wednesday Leh To Nubra valley
19-September-19Thursday Nubra Velly To Pangong
20-September-19Friday Pnagong To Leh

As you know its really tough to make a budget from here. But without budget we cant move ladakh. Will you please inform us about the budget ,specially Cab cost and hotels cost. We are total 4 person so we would like to rent a private Cab from Manali to Leh and also Leh to Nubra valley to Pangong to Leh. With our expectations please give us a budget with facts details.

Thank you in advance.

Reply
Avik dey July 20, 2019 - 3:28 pm

we are 3 person want go Leh Ladakh .we dont want hire personal cab, then shall we get share car for every spot?

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 20, 2019 - 5:12 pm

Yes you will

Reply
Anik Saha July 21, 2019 - 8:41 am

16-September-19 Monday Manali To Sarchu
17-September-19 Tuesday Sarchu To Leh
18-September-19 Wednesday Leh To Nubra valley
19-September-19 Thursday Nubra Velly To Pangong
20-September-19 Friday Pnagong To Leh
This is our Tour Plan in ladakh , we are 4 person and we want to rent private CAB . So how must cost for CAB and Hotels ?
Please inform me, I am from Bangladesh .It is really helpful for us if you provide us a guideline with minimum cost and details about facts.
Thank you in advance.

Reply
Arihant Chhajed July 6, 2019 - 9:58 am

Hi Vargis,

Information shared by you is very useful. Just help me with this.

Me and my wife are planning for leh ladakh trip between July 19 to July 26 from Rajasthan.

As we dont want to take flights.

So what are the other convienant and cheapest public transport modes available for reaching and returning from there.

As i read it somewhere there in No public transport conectivity except filghts.

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 6, 2019 - 5:08 pm

You can take a bus to Delhi Arihant and then another bus from Delhi to Manali and then Manali to Leh. There is also a direct bus from Delhi ISBT to Leh so you can board that too

Reply
Deepali June 14, 2019 - 3:48 pm

Hello Vargis,
your articles are really very helpful. Thank you.

Me and my husband, visiting Ladakh from 7th August -17th August.
we are flying in to leh.
we are not sure what way (budget friendly) should be take to return to mumbai.
We are planning to visit Nubra valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri.
1. Is it possible to also cover Zanskar valley within our 10 day trip?

2. heavy rains expected in this period?

3. can we pitch in our own tents in Nubra/Pangong/Tso moriri?Is it safe?
we were looking for camps, but found very expensive.
4. Could you please suggest any camp safe and within budget In Nubra/ Pangong/Tso Moriri?

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 14, 2019 - 9:30 pm

Hi Deepali,

1. Yes
2. Not in Ladakh
3. Yes you can but will have problem finding a suitable spot. Do not do so in the middle of nowhere
4. Please have a word with Rohit in Leh @ 9910722252

Reply
Deepali June 17, 2019 - 8:53 am

Thank you for coming back on my questions.

Our iternary looks like this:

7th August – Arrival in Leh early morning
Rest for the day
Arranging ILP and rental motorcycle

8th August – Visit Nubra Valley
Stay overnight

9th August- Nubra to Pangong lake
one night stay near pangong lake

10th August – Pangong – Tso Moriri
night stay near Tso Moriri

11 August – Return to leh

12th August – Leh sight seeing
shanti stupa, leh palace, leh market, Hall of fame
Tsemo castle , zorawar fort
Should I include anything else here?

13th August – Magnetic hill, lamayuru , Kargil war memorial
Attractions on the way to Kargil
Stay overnight in Kargil

14th August – Kargil to Srinagar
Stay at Srinagar
Public transport available?

We have 3 more days 15th,16th, 17th August.
We will take flight from Srinagar to Mumbai on 18th August.

Which else location we can cover? should we increase our stay in leh?

Zanskar valley would be very expensive, not sure If we can rent motorcycle in Kargil for Zanskar valley.
Cabs will be expensive and public transportation is limited as per one of your blogs.

Travelling on Srinagar-Leh highway around 15th August (before and after and on the same day )is safe?

Can we explore areas around Srinagar 15th & 16th august ?

Waiting to hear from you.

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Sanket Kadao February 4, 2021 - 1:03 pm

Sir, we are around 5-6 ppl want to go for a bike trip to ladakh in mid july. Can u Pls suggest an approx. budget.
We are planing to take rental bikes. Route is srinagar – leh-Manali. We contacted tour agent but it is costing 35k per person for rider with pillion in a single bike.

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Mahesh C. June 12, 2019 - 7:53 am

Hi Vargis, Already very informative blog. Thanks for it. We are 8 persons travelling by two self driven cars from Delhi and to cover Delhi-Manali-Leh-Ladakh-Pangong-Nubra and other nearby places and come back again via Manali Route. I have travelled Gangotri last week very successfully. If you have visited Gangotri, can u compare the road conditions of these places vis-a-vis Gangotri. I am 50 and very comfortable driving on hilly areas. Now, the question is : (1) Do we still need to hire a taxi for any of the above places or (2) Can we self drive it; (3) Also inform about possibility of putting chains around the tyres in case of excess snow on roads. We are planning to leave in the last week of June, 2019.

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Vargis.Khan June 12, 2019 - 12:34 pm

Hi Mahesh,

1. If you have done Gangotri then you will be able to do Ladakh as well
2. If you are traveling by your own private vehicles then no need to rent any taxis. The person the car is registered to should be in the car though.
3. You won’t need any snow chains in June

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Sai June 7, 2019 - 5:33 am

Sir..Do u have any contacts for bike rentals in leh or manali for a oneside budgetwala drop trip… please provide !

Thanks in advance to u.. ☺️

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Vargis.Khan June 7, 2019 - 2:09 pm

You can contact Parvez in Manali @ 8219814011 or 9318646559.

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Thanuj Kumar K May 7, 2019 - 4:58 pm

Hey Vargis! 🙂
How low can I expect the cost of hotels to be around end of June?

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Vargis.Khan May 7, 2019 - 8:59 pm

Hi Thanuj, Assume 1000 at least.

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Vasudha May 7, 2019 - 3:13 pm

Hi Vargis, We are planning to travel leh ladakh next month from srinagar on 5th june to return to srinagar on 13th june. We are 2 adults and a 4yr kid. So from srinagar – sonmarg – kargil – lamayuru – alchi and other spots on the way – leh – khardungla – deskit – hundar – pangong – hemis -srinagar taking a halt.

So please guide to proceed with which appropriate travel agent with good service or otherwise how to travel.

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Yash gupta May 5, 2019 - 10:06 am

Hi Vargis,

Me and one of my friend is planning to visit leh ladakh in the month of june.
Tentative dates are 22nd June. We are taking our bike from Indore to Jammu by train. And after that we will start our journey from jammu.

Our plan will be as follow :-
Jammu – Srinagar- kargil – leh – pangongtso nubra – khardungla – Manali like that.
And we have 12 to 13 days for our journey.

Could you oleple suggest some tips for this trip.

Thank you

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Vargis.Khan May 5, 2019 - 1:39 pm

Let me know what your quesitons are Yash

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Robin P Varughese May 29, 2019 - 11:15 am

Hi Vargis.Thank you for this blog which helps a lot to clarify doubts and will able to get a basic idea there..

I am planning for a one way trip from manali to leh and to cover nubra and pangong, a solo ride coming September.

Can you please provide details about accommodation in jispa and sarchu..How much costs and please reccomend some camps.. Thanking you in advance

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Rohan Dhondge May 4, 2019 - 7:40 am

Hi Vargis,
Me and my gf are planning for Leh trip

Primary route is:
Mumbai > Shrinagar > Sonamarg > Kargil > Leh > Pangong > return to Leh > Nubra Valley > Return to Leh > Shrinagar > Mumbai

Can you please help with detail plan including stays & bike on rent ?
We have 8 days including travelling from & back to mumbai.

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Pooja kaur rehal April 12, 2019 - 7:05 pm

hi vargis ….me n my hubby plan to visit in April last week ….so can we plan the trip or go with the travel agent????we want celebrate our 9 anniversary at coldest place ….
1 can we book air tickets delhi to leh by 27 April..
2. what to do for leh to pangong or nubra velly
3. we just wanted to feel the weather n spend 2-3 in there..
4 what about hotels ??
5 back to Delhi…

could u help me to plan my trip …

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Vargis.Khan April 13, 2019 - 5:54 am

Hi Pooja,

1. Yes
2. Booking a taxi will be better
3. Weather will be cold at this time
4. Hotels will be all open and you should be able to find one upon arrival

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Geetha March 12, 2019 - 10:48 am

Hello Vagis

We have 4 adults and 6 year old kid planning to trip leh – 4days and Nubra – 1 day and Pango-1 day
but flights for the Mid of the may are showing expensive planning to leave bangalore on may 10
please suggest the best trip plan and hotels near leh

Thank you

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Avishkar Singh February 26, 2019 - 8:53 am

Hi Vargis, your blog posts are very helpful and I hope you can help with some info.. 3 of us plan on Traveling to Leh on April 2019 for 3 nights/4 days and want to visit the Nubra Valley and Pangong, along with a few other local sites. Will i be able to get a local taxi service to take me around to these place and do you have a rough idea of the costs? Thank you

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Kannan Devadass February 16, 2019 - 5:11 pm

Hi Vargis

I have few doubts regarding hotels can you share me your email id

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Anurag Reddy Papaiahgari January 24, 2019 - 12:41 pm

Hi vargis

This is anurag reddy we are 12 members planning to go leh ladakh in the month of june 2019 by rented motor cycles which includes 11N 12D can you please suggest me what will be the expenditure if we go by our selves

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Animesh January 19, 2019 - 1:50 pm

Hi Vargis,

We are a group of 7 people travelling to Leh in june 2019 or september 2019 by air.
we have planned is following-
pathar sahib gurudwara and magnetic hill Nubra Valley
Pangong Tso
Tsomoriri and local place

Minimum how many days require to cover these places??
What Taxi cost for above days?

Thanks in advance!!

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Vargis.Khan January 19, 2019 - 5:45 pm

Hi Animesh – I will recommend a total of 7 days if you can afford, or at least 5 days if you can’t. A private taxi for 5-7 days will cost between 30-40k.

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vivek January 10, 2019 - 9:42 am

hi Vargis.

it was so helpful to understand the cost while traveling ladakh, so coming to the point I am planning to travel on mid of October 2018 my trip will be a week with my wife and planning to rent a bike which place will be better to rent. and most imp thing is I have Dubai driving licenses as I am working here, so will I be able to rent a bike.

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Jeroen Cox December 29, 2018 - 6:03 pm

Hi Vargis,

I would love to visit the Leh region in februari 2019. I’ve seen there’s the Dosmoche festival, which I think is realy interesting. But my main question is: is there more to do in the region at that time of the year? Any nature/villages worth visiting then? And are they reachable by road?

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Vargis.Khan December 30, 2018 - 5:08 am

Hi Jeroen – Take a look at the link below please. This should help answer your questions.

https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-ladakh-in-february/

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Poulami November 22, 2018 - 8:42 pm

Hello Sir, I am planning for Leh Ladakh trip in month of June 2019 but flight fare from Leh to Delhi is coming as quite expensive..not sure why is this..us there any chance it will go down

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Vargis.Khan November 23, 2018 - 4:02 pm

Hi Poulami – Yes it will definitely change. Do not book right now for June.Wait.

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N. Guru Raju November 12, 2018 - 9:49 am

HI vargis your article is too good and well explained each and everything. i am planning to visit manali, leh and rohtang by bike( CBZ Extreme )from Delhi with my wife.is it safe to travel by bike and please let me know any other alternate.

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Vargis.Khan November 12, 2018 - 6:07 pm

Hi Guru – Yes it is safe to go as long as you have some experience in riding and your motorcycle is capable of taking two people with all the luggage. How old is it and when are you planning to go?

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Kaustav Mukherjee October 27, 2018 - 8:18 pm

Hi Vargis. I am planning to travel Ladakh in june/july 2019. we are 2 only. Me and my wife. I am thinking about how much the shared taxi can cost us for the below mentioned tour.also if you have any budget hotel contact.please provide .
Is it safe to travel only with wife in Ladakh?

1.Leh local sight scene- magnetic hill,Shanti stupa,H all of fame,gompa etc.

2. Leh to Nubra(Night stay at nubra)
3. Nubra to pangong (Night stay at pangong)
4.Pangong to Leh
5.Leh to tso moriri (night stay)
6.tso moriri to leh

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Vargis.Khan October 28, 2018 - 4:44 am

Hi Kaustav,

Yes it is safe to travel. For hotel, check back with me again before u leave next year and I can let u know.

1. There is a local bus within Leh you can use, will cost a few hundred per person at most for the day. Better would be to rent a scooty, will cost about Rs. 800 for the day.
2. About 400 – 500 per person.
3. Couple hundred per person if you do find a shared cab
4. 400 – 500
5. 400 – 500
6. 400 – 500

My recommendation would be that you rent a motorcycle in Leh. Would be better and convenient.

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Ankit October 9, 2018 - 5:42 am

Hi sir, i’m planning to delhi – manali -leh a ten day bike trip. A budget of 20k with my own bike is it possible?
On a single bike can two person travel?
Plz suggest sir

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Vargis.Khan October 9, 2018 - 11:19 am

Budget of 20k – Yes
Two people – Depends on which bike do you have?

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Pankaj kumar September 24, 2018 - 2:10 am

Is their any tourism office in leh like sikkim does .
And is it better to contact with tourism office for car rent purpose and other travel purpose. Pls reply

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Stu Marma September 18, 2018 - 10:16 am

We are planing a group tour of 10-12 members.Is there available any 10-12 seated vehicle?

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Vargis.Khan September 18, 2018 - 12:38 pm

Yes you can get it

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Vikalp Jain September 11, 2018 - 2:00 pm

Hi Vargis,

Thanks for sharing the details here. Need to check though if October 1st week would be a good time to visit Leh.

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards,
Vikalp

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Vargis.Khan September 11, 2018 - 5:15 pm

Hi Vikalp – October first weeek is end of the season but yes you can visit Ladakh. Be prepared for really cold weather though.

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sab August 17, 2018 - 5:51 am

Hi, we are 2 of us to go to leh by flight from delhi , but would you advise to take a package tour or go by ourselves to see the city and the lake.

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Vargis.Khan August 17, 2018 - 1:48 pm

Definitely go by yourself and save money.

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Susmita July 27, 2018 - 9:56 am

Hi, we are group of 4 person traveling from 13 sep to 23 sep manali-leh-srinagar

Will you please suggest taxi service for the same

Chandigarh – Manali – Sarchu – Leh – Pangong Lake – Pangong Lake – Pangong-Hemis / Thiksey – Khardongla – Nubra Valley – Alchi / Uleytokpo – Lamayuru – Kargil – Sonamarg – Srinagar

Is this itinerary is ok? We have 10 days for this

Advance Thanks for your help.

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Vargis.Khan July 27, 2018 - 12:30 pm

Hello – Yes you can do this journey in 10 days but will have to rent two different taxis. Your cab from Chandigarh can be used to reach Leh but not for sightseeing there. You will rent a cab from Chandigarh, reach Ladakh, then rent another cab there for local sightseeing and then return home by your Chandigarh cab.

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Saurabh July 3, 2018 - 1:20 pm

Dear Vargis Ji

We are planning to go Shrinagar we are 4 adults and 4 children from 9th July. We will reach shrinagar in afternoon. After reaching shrinagar we have only 4 days to visit . Pls advise us to visit best places and what type of clothes we required in this season. Kindly guide us.

Regards
Saurabh

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Vargis.Khan July 3, 2018 - 1:48 pm

4 days are way too less Saurabh Ji. You cannot cover Ladakh in 4 days from Srinagar. Either you will have to add more days or leave Ladakh for another time.

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Saurabh July 3, 2018 - 4:27 pm

Dear vargis ji thanks for the reply on short notice . How would be If we cover only sonmarg and gulmarg with kashmir. What r the possibilities of snow. And pls advise types of clothes as we r having small children.

Regards
Saurabh

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Vargis.Khan July 4, 2018 - 1:26 am

Yes Saurabh Ji . Covering Sonamarg and Gulmarg would be better for a 4 days trip. Possibilities of snow however are very low. Weather at this time of the year is pleasant during day but cold at night. Just carry your regular cottons, a few woolens and a windproof jacket and that will be all.

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Saurabh July 5, 2018 - 8:38 am

Dear Vargis Ji

On news we find out heavy rain will be there in next week. It is safe to go right now. And if we go rcv able visit any thing. Pls guide

Vargis.Khan July 5, 2018 - 2:08 pm

Not safe right now to be in Kashmir Saurabh Ji to be honest. There was flood alert there 2 days ago and more rain is expected.

Shweta Gupta July 2, 2018 - 10:47 am

Hi Vargis,

We are a group of 7 people travelling to Leh on 1st September,2018 by air.
The itinerary we have planned is following-
1st Sept – Travel to Leh from Chandigarh
2nd Sept – Sight seeing to pathar sahib gurudwara and magnetic hill etc.
3rd Sept – Leh to Nubra Valley
4th Sept- Back to Leh from Nubra
5th Sept – Leh to Pangong Tso and back
6th Sept – Leh to Tsomoriri
7th Sept – Tsomoriri to Leh
8th Sept- Departure from Leh

Is this itinerary okay meaning is it possible to cover all these places like this?
And the question is what rent should we expect for CAR for travelling to these places??
Thanks in advance!!

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Vargis.Khan July 2, 2018 - 4:16 pm

Hi Shweta – Your itinerary is mostly ok except for 4th and 5th. On 4th, you do not have to come back to Leh. You can head straight to Pangong Tso via Shyok road and stay there for the night and on 5th you can come back.

For taxi rates, please contact Nasir in Leh @ 9906229203. He runs his own taxi there and should be able to give you an idea on the cost involved.

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Shweta Gupta July 4, 2018 - 12:08 pm

Thank you Vargis for the suggestion!!
However, We are concerned about the condition of Shyok road. Is it advisable to go via that route in early september as there is high risk due to the rainfalls??

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Vargis.Khan July 5, 2018 - 2:58 am

It was a concern earlier but now the road is mostly good. If there is a risk of rising waters in the river, they usually shut it down. If it is open, you are OK to go.

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gndoshi June 23, 2018 - 12:57 pm

Hi Vargis,

Great article. My friend and I are going to volunteer in a remote monastery in Zanskar. 1 hour from Padum. I wanted to ask you 2 questions:

1) We are from Mumbai and we were worried if we need to book our transport to Pangong and later on to Nubra from first. Or can we go to Leh and book the shared taxi then and there?

2) What is the best way to travel to Kargil? Is it through a shared Taxi ? And the same for Kargil to Padum?

Thank you so much for your help!

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Vargis.Khan June 23, 2018 - 2:55 pm

Hello – I just replied to your other comment as well. You cannot really book shared cabs, it is more of an on the spot deal. Don’t worry, in peak tourist season, there will be ample of these taxis around and you will have no problem finding one. Kargil is a major stop over between Srinagar and Leh and there is a daily bus from Leh to Kargil that you can board. This bus then goes to Srinagar passing through Kargil.

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saran June 10, 2018 - 7:09 am

Hi Vargis Khan…We are planning Srinagar-kargil-leh-turtuk-pangong-psomoriri-jispa-chandratal-kaza-tabo-nako-shimla from aug1st to 14th…Taxi rate told to us is 65k..Is that a reasonable one…we are 5 members…

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Vargis.Khan June 11, 2018 - 3:25 pm

Hi Saran – Yes that sounds about right. Taxis in Ladakh are way too costly.

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Chulaluck May 25, 2018 - 3:51 pm

Thanks for all ,very completely suggest I ever read before.

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Ashwani May 4, 2018 - 11:54 am

Hi VARGIS, I want to travel leh/ladakh in Septmber Solo. May i know how much it will cost for 6/7 days.

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Vargis.Khan May 4, 2018 - 1:35 pm

Hi Ashwani – That will depend on how you are traveling.

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Santosh May 26, 2018 - 9:38 am

Hi Ashwani, I am from Kolkata. I am also planning a solo rip in Ladakh. I am planning to come to Srinagar on 1st September and return on 11th September. Please write to me if you are interested. thanks!

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SYAMAL chattopadhyay May 1, 2018 - 8:30 am

Sir,we a senior citizen couple going to leh on 25.8 nd leave on 1.9.
Pl do help us for a complete semi deluxe package with all. Inclusive cost including visit of nubra,pangong n other impsites I
Inform in details itinerary. …name of note ….n cost for 2.
Email………[email protected]
Regards

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Vargis.Khan May 1, 2018 - 2:48 pm

I do not offer any packages Mr. Chattopadhyay

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ankita April 25, 2018 - 2:19 pm

Hello, we are planning srinagar-leh-manali trip in july. I need recommendations for booking private cabs in minimum fare.

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Vargis.Khan April 25, 2018 - 2:58 pm

Contact Faisal in Srinagar at 9596410670. Give my reference and he will quote you the least possible price for the journey.

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UTKARSH SHARMA April 4, 2018 - 7:34 pm

we are planning to visit manali and leh.
so is it hrtc and hptdc bus services will available from manali to leh in mid of may

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Vargis.Khan April 5, 2018 - 1:53 am

Most probably not. HRTC buses start towards end of May and HPTDC by mid of June. However considering that the roads are opening early this year, there is a chance that it may start early. Depends on how soon BRO is able to declare the road open

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Sneha kabre October 31, 2019 - 8:48 am

We are planning to visit ladakh from 3rd nov to 10th Nov from Mumbai by flight . Is this a good time to visit ladakh? We are 2 members?

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Vargis.Khan October 31, 2019 - 6:08 pm

It is going to be terribly cold at this time Sneha so please pack accordingly.

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Dileep kumar March 25, 2018 - 8:13 am

Hi Vargis
We are planning for a ladakh trip in June
Can you please guide whether the local buses in leh available for visiting nubra valley n pangong in June ? Or it will start from July . Apart from Manali leh bus service usually during which months the local bus service is available in leh

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Vargis.Khan March 26, 2018 - 4:04 pm

Hi Dileep – Local buses will remain available in June as well.

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Dev.N March 1, 2018 - 10:57 pm

My CBZ Xtreme gives me 46-48kmpl in Bangalore City. On a steady speed between 42kmph-48kmph, it gives mileage between 56-60kmpl.
Can you please tell how much mileage/tank range (13L) I can expect from my bike in Ladakh.
It will be great if you can give me idea on route basis depending on terrain, accent & usual road condition… Like Manali–Leh, Leh-Nubra, Leh-Pangong, Leh-Srinagar.

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Vargis.Khan March 2, 2018 - 11:00 pm

Friend of mine traveled with me on CBZ extreme solo a few years back. His motorcycle was in good condition and as far as I remember, the average he was getting was about 35 kilometers per hour. Same goes for Pulsar as well. Keep this as your worst number estimate and plan your ride accordingly.

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Vikas Chaudhary April 28, 2018 - 10:42 am

Vagis khan can u send ur number

Reply

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