Travel style
Road trips
The high roads, driven at the right speed
The Himalaya has some of the highest motorable roads in the world: Manali to Leh, the Spiti circuit, Sela Pass, the Old Silk Route. We plan them with acclimatisation days, a driver who knows the bends and honest drive times.
Photo: Aniketchoudhary87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsA mountain road is slow. Two hundred kilometres can take eight hours when the road climbs over a pass, crosses snow-melt streams and waits for a landslide to be cleared. We plan drives in daylight, keep long days to one in three, and build a spare day into any route that crosses a pass above 4,000 m.
Saver road trips use state buses and shared jeeps where they run reliably. Comfort and Signature trips use a private SUV with a driver who has worked the route for years. Every road trip page lists the season the road is open, which changes year to year, so check current status before you travel.
Trips
Road trips trips
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Classic Kashmir: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam
Private car with driver
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Gurez Valley on a budget by shared Sumo
JKSRTC or private bus to Bandipora, shared Sumos, one shared car day
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam on a budget
Shared Sumos, the valley train and a shared union taxi in Pahalgam
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Comfort
Leh, Nubra and Pangong with a private car
Private Ladakh Taxi Union SUV with driver
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Comfort
Leh to Zanskar and out to Srinagar by car
Private SUV with driver; local car in Padum where required
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Saver
Leh, Nubra and Pangong by bus and shared jeep
State bus over Khardung La, shared taxis to Nubra and Pangong, local buses in the Indus valley
Photo: Saurabh Lall · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Srinagar road to Leh and Turtuk on a budget
Shared Sumo taxis, state buses and local shared cars
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Signature
Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri with a guide
Private SUV with driver and a private naturalist guide
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Signature
Thiksey camp, Nimmu House and Nubra in style
Private SUV with driver and a private guide throughout
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC0 · Commons
Comfort
Chamba, McLeodganj and Bir by private car
Private car with driver
Photo: Navneet Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Kinnaur by HRTC bus: Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa
HRTC buses and local shared taxis
Photo: Neerajsinghazm · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Manali, Naggar and Kasol on a budget
HRTC local buses and short shared taxis
Photo: Navneet Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Shimla and Kinnaur with Oberoi stays
Private SUV with driver and guide; toy train from Kalka
Photo: Navneet Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Shimla and the Kullu valley in luxury
Private car with driver
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Spiti circuit: Kinnaur in, Kunzum La out
Private SUV with driver
Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Lahaul and Chandratal from Manali
Private SUV with driver
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Spiti by HRTC bus, the slow Kinnaur way in
HRTC and local buses, with one shared taxi loop from Kaza
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Gompas of Spiti, in and out by Kinnaur
Private SUV with driver, private guide
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Slow Spiti and Lahaul with a private guide
Private SUV with driver, private guide
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kedarnath, Tungnath and Badrinath by car
Private car with driver
Photo: Paul Hamilton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Landour, Harsil apples and Gangotri
Private car with driver
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Kedarnath by helicopter, Badrinath and Ananda
Private car with driver and helicopter shuttle
Photo: Skalvanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kumaon lakes family holiday
Private car with driver
Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Munsiyari and the Johar valley by shared jeep
Shared jeeps and buses via Almora, Chaukori, Thal and Bageshwar
Photo: Krishan09 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Long weekend from Delhi: Nainital and Bhimtal
Overnight train to Kathgodam, shared taxis and walking
Photo: Skalvanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Kumaon in depth: lakes, orchards and oak
Private car with driver
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara by private car
Private car with driver
Photo: Auli Raha (অলি রাহা) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Sittong, Takdah and Kalimpong villages
Private car with driver
Photo: Mayukh Ghose · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Tea and toy train: Kurseong and Darjeeling
Private car with driver
Photo: Arne Hückelheim 2010-09-21 12:41:53 This is a … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Lava by shared jeep
Shared jeeps, one short reserved car
Photo: Arne Hückelheim 2010-09-21 12:41:53 This is a … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Darjeeling long weekend from Kolkata
Overnight train, shared jeeps, toy train joy ride
Photo: Arne Hückelheim 2010-09-21 12:41:53 This is a … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Windamere, Sandakphu and Taj Chia Kutir
Private SUV with driver; reserved Land Rover on the Singalila Ridge
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Comfort
Central Bhutan to Bumthang, 12 nights
Private car with driver
Photo: Afifa Afrin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Saver
Bhutan saver with Phobjikha farmhouse, 7 nights
Shared jeep or bus to Jaigaon, then shared vehicle with licensed guide
Photo: Afifa Afrin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Saver
Bhutan by road from Siliguri, 6 nights
Shared jeep or bus to Jaigaon, then shared vehicle with licensed guide
Photo: Bhavikji · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
The Siang valley and Mechuka
Private SUV with driver
Photo: KISHORETRIBALS · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Tawang and Dirang by private car
Private SUV with driver
Photo: Itrajib · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Tawang circuit by shared Sumo
Shared Sumos, with one shared taxi day in Tawang
Photo: Itrajib · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Monpa and Apatani: Tawang to Ziro
Private SUV with driver and private guide
Photo: Itrajib · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Tawang and Dirang in comfort
Private SUV with driver and private guide
51 places
Where to go
Photo: Aniketchoudhary87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Gurez Valley
Log villages on the Kishanganga below Habba Khatoon peak
Photo: Umarsami · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Pampore
Saffron town on the karewas, 15 km from Srinagar
Photo: Wikiditot · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Sonamarg
The meadow of gold on the old road to Ladakh
Photo: Saurabh Lall · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Kargil
Purig's river town between Zoji La and Leh
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
Lamayuru
Ladakh's old gompa above the eroded moonland
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Leh
Old caravan town at 3,500 m, and where every Ladakh trip begins
Photo: Addy6697 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Nubra Valley
The old caravan valley over Khardung La, with dunes and orchards
Photo: KennyOMG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Pangong Tso
A 134 km brackish lake at about 4,250 m, best at first light
Photo: John Hill · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Tso Moriri
A Ramsar lake at 4,522 m, home of the Changpa herders
Photo: Suryadasika · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Turtuk
A Balti village of apricots on the Shyok, open to visitors since 2010
Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Zanskar (Padum)
Ladakh's remotest valley, reached over Pensi La
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC0 · Commons
Chamba
A thousand-year-old hill capital of stone temples and fine embroidery
Experiences
Days that fit the style
Photo: Zahid samoon · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
Walk Dawar's log-house villages
A slow walk through Dawar and the villages along the Kishanganga shows how Gurez lives: log houses built for long winte…
Photo: Abhirup Paul · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Day drive into the Tulail valley
East of Dawar, the Tulail valley climbs past small villages, fields and broad meadows on a rough road. It is the most r…
Photo: Zahid samoon · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
Evening below Habba Khatoon peak
The pyramid peak above Dawar carries the name of Habba Khatoon, the 16th-century poet-queen of Kashmir. An evening on t…
Photo: Ashfaq ahanger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saffron harvest at dawn on the karewas
For about three weeks each autumn, Pampore's karewas turn purple with saffron crocus. Families pick the flowers at dawn…
Photo: Venkygrams · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Avantipora's 9th-century temple ruins
About 15 km beyond Pampore, at Awantipora on the Jhelum, lie the ruins of two stone temples built by King Avantivarman …
Photo: FADIND SOUL · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
How to buy genuine Kashmir saffron in Pampore
Pampore is the best place to buy Kashmir saffron, but fakes and blends are common across India. Knowing the grades, the…
Photo: Original: Ganesh Mohan T Derivative work: Unpe… · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
Walk or ride to the Thajiwas glacier valley
From the main Sonamarg meadow, a 3–4 km trail climbs gently into the Thajiwas side valley, ringed by peaks with glacier…
Photo: Owais Mushtaq Zargar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Kashmir Great Lakes trek from Sonamarg
This seven-day trek starts at Shitkadi near Sonamarg, crosses Nichnai, Gadsar and Zajibal passes, and passes a chain of…
Where to sleep
Stays in these places
Photo: Aniketchoudhary87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
JKTDC Tourist Bungalow and Huts, Dawar
JKTDC's accommodation at Dawar, the main township of Gurez, includes a tourist bungalow with rooms and log huts ne…
Photo: Anirvan Shukla · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Leh
Zostel's Leh hostel offers dorm beds and private rooms within walking distance of Main Bazaar, with a common area …
Photo: Suryadasika · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Turtuk Balti homestays
Turtuk is a homestay village: dozens of Balti families in Youl and Farol, the two halves of the village, rent simp…
Photo: Biplav Arya, 3rd July 2009 · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Spangmik and Man homestays, Pangong
The villages of Spangmik, Man and Merak on Pangong's southern shore have family homestays where you sleep in Chang…
Photo: Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
Stok Palace Heritage Hotel
Rooms inside part of Stok Palace, the home of Ladakh's former royal family since the 19th century, and in the orch…
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Mid
Hotel Omasila, Leh
A long-running family hotel in Changspa, the quiet green lane below Shanti Stupa, with garden seating and a short …
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