Erase most of what you know about India when planning a trip to Ladakh. With a predominantly cold, dry climate and sparse, scattered population, the North Indian union territory is more akin to Tibet than the rest of India. In fact, it’s one of the best places in the world to experience authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture. Many travelers base themselves in the small capital of Leh, but there are plenty of things to do in Ladakh beyond the city, including multi-day hikes, magnificent monasteries, remote homestays, and high-altitude lakes and passes.
In contrast to much of the rest of India, Ladakh experiences fine, dry summers (June–August), so many people come here to escape the monsoon and stifling humidity of lower altitudes. It also experiences very harsh winters, with roads between late September and early June often blocked by snow. Many tourist facilities, including hotels, are closed outside of summer. If you want to travel overland from Manali in Himachal Pradesh (or, less likely, from Srinagar in Kashmir), summer is the only time this is possible.
Most travelers get around Ladakh with a private car and driver because points of attraction are spread out and tricky to reach. There’s no railway here, and although the capital of Leh is connected to other parts of the territory by bus, services can be infrequent and very slow. Travel between Leh and Kargil by bus is straightforward, but unless you’re on a very tight budget and have plenty of time, a private car and driver is the way to go.
Ladakh varies in altitude, but it’s all high: Leh sits at 11,562 feet (3,524 meters), and some attractions are much higher. Whether you arrive by bus or plane, give yourself time to acclimatize after your arrival by avoiding physical exertion for the first few days. Many people will experience a headache and breathlessness after arrival, which normally clears after a couple of days. There are some medical facilities in Leh but very little elsewhere, so take it easy.
