The most beautiful, exciting, and adventurous 720 km of your life will be the ones you will take to travel from Shimla to Ladakh. A road trip to Ladakh is in every traveler’s bucket list and we are not surprised. This road trip generally takes 16.32 hours. The mountains, snow, landscapes, lakes, and valleys are so beautifully scattered along this trip that you will be awestruck the moment you take a glance.

A road trip is one of the best ways to enjoy a trip to Ladakh. You get to see the snow-capped mountains, valleys, streams, lush green forests, and the culture of Ladakh more closely.

You must plan your journey in a way that you do not miss anything and make it on time. Safety and security are also important for newcomers to make sure of.

At Heritage Rajasthan Tourism we have a team of travel experts who diligently make tour packages for our customers. Even you can get your Shimla to Ladakh package tailor-made by our professionals according to your budget, time constraints, and group size. We can plan your trip in the best way possible so you enjoy the Shimla to the Ladakh trip to your fullest. Leave the fretting to us and you breathe in the crisp air full of adventure and thrill in Ladakh.

Shimla to Ladakh by Car –

You start your journey from

 

• Rohtang pass– This journey is full of steep roads and lush green dense forests below and often around you. You will find yourself enveloped within majestic mountains. Clouds dancing in between as if to say hello will greet you. Nice weather and scenic views will make it all the more worthwhile.
• Spiti valley – Spiti valley is the valley that separates Himachal from Jammu and Kashmir. Here you will come across streams gushing beautifully along the road and dense clouds and fog. You will not want to blink your eyes because that striking beauty is something you would love to capture through your eyes forever.
• Keylong– It is a stay-over spot with accommodations available. People traveling from Manali or Shimla stay here overnight.
• Jispa – Jispa is a more popular and better-facilitated resting spot. Petrol and other necessary commodities are only present here before Ladakh. Accommodations options are also better at Jispa. You will also cross a bridge over a roaring river from here. And also encounter small falls and elevated rivers with water creating an illusion of frothy milk.
• Sarachu– It is a village at 14070 ft on the border of Himachal and Jammu & Kashmir. On the way to Sarachu, you will witness sprawling green mountains with deep valleys and river streams. Do not forget to trot along the Lachalunga Pass. From this point, you can view the complete Ladakh plateau.
• Suraj Tal (16020 ft) – This Lake is the third highest lake in India and is considered sacred. Also known as Surya Taal or lake of Sun.
• Barlacha Pass (16043 ft)- On this road, you will start seeing snow around and some beautiful mountains with snow-dusted like an art.
• Tso Moriri (14836 ft) – It is the largest lake of Ladakh on the highest altitude. It is so ideally located in picturesque Rupshu Valley. This lake is a blue pallet lake. Yes! You will find different shades of blue in the lake water and streams. This lake gives a romantic vibe.

p.s.- the lake is frozen from January till March.

• Chang Tang range (16598 ft)- This range is a barren rugged hilly road devoid of greenery. But you will cross the Indus River on this range. From the Chang Tang range, you will see lakes, mountains, forests, and plains all together below. With increasing altitude, roads will get steeper and adventurous too.
• Nubra Valley– This place is all but beautiful river valley and heaven for photographers. A 32 meter Maitreya Budha statue is a famous landmark here. You can also enjoy camel rides here with camels that have two humps. You might not find any greenery here but plains with intertwined river streams create panoramic views. Further in Diskit, you will find Buddhist monuments in traditional Tibetan architecture.
• Pangong Lake – It is an endorheic lake which is about 134 km and 5 km broad extending up to unknown Tibetan regions. This is a beautiful lake and very popular among tourist. You should definitely get pictures clicked here. You can also opt for camping here. It is said that there is a beautiful night sky here to stargaze.

If you are interested in wildlife you can also indulge in migratory bird watching at Pangong Lake. This place is a natural wonder. If you are interested, you can also see a unique species of squirrels which are called Marmot

• Magnetic hill and Khardunga La– Magnetic hill is a popular and mysterious spot. If you park your car and mark the position you will later find your car moved from the position. According to a myth, people believed that there was once a road that led to heaven and deserving ones were pulled there.

Khardung la is said to be the highest motorable road in the world. People stop here to take pictures. Nearby Khardung la pass is the Leh palace which you can visit.

The magnetic theory says that the hill exerts a strong magnetic force on vehicles within its range. It has also caused the Indian Air Force to divert their route to avoid magnetic interference.

• Thiskey Monastery– it is a popular pilgrim spot for architecture lovers and a good spot for sightseeing built-in 1430 A.D. It is a beautiful Gompa of the Buddhist religion. It is on top of a hill.

 

Best things in Ladakh

You can also find Tibetan markets to buy Buddhist culture-inspired trinkets and souvenirs to take home. Pashmina and food items can also be shopped in Ladakh.

There are various treks like Chadar trek which is easy and very scenic. For adventure freaks, there are more challenging treks here.

The food in Ladakh will only be found in roadside shacks which will consist of momos, thukpa, qahwa, and also Maggi.

So if you find difficulty in plan your road trip from Shimla to Ladakh and want a travel expert to help you in that, worry not. We have got you covered. Contact us anytime and we can help you design a perfect itinerary to Ladakh. So come explore this adventurous beauty and you will not be disappointed.