How to Reach Ladakh by Road?

Travelling to Ladakh by Road

Ladakh by road is accessible from two sides: Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The National Highway 1 connects Ladakh to Kashmir via the Zoji La high mountain pass. From Himachal Pradesh’s side, the Leh-Manali Highway connects Ladakh to this neighbouring state. Srinagar in Kashmir is located at a distance of 419 km, Manali on the other hand is situated 473 km away from Leh.

Via Manali, Himachal

For all those planning to reach via Manali, there are only two buses available run by HRTC Buses and HPTDC Semi Deluxe Tourist buses. HRTC are public transport buses that stop only at important food joints while the HPTDC, which are semi-deluxe buses are available for tourists only from 1st July to 15th September every season and does all the sightseeing on the Manali – Leh Highway. Some HRTC Buses are available from Delhi too, which covers a total distance of 1260 km. The total travel time is about 35 hours. Some private buses also run between Leh and Manali.

Via Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

Deluxe buses by JKSRTC Srinagar are available from Leh to Srinagar almost daily. From Srinagar, the buses start at 8 in the morning and take a halt at Kargil. Timings of these buses mainly depend upon the climate condition at the Zojila Pass. If not comfortable with the idea of the public tourism buses then there are many tempo travelers available too from Srinagar, which also runs overnight.