There are two high-altitude roads which connect Leh to the rest of India and both of these have frequent landslides and are not generally passable during winter as both are covered by deep snows. These two high-altitude roads are the National Highway 1D from Srinagar via Kargil and Leh-Manali Highway. Out of the two, Leh- Manali Highway has very high passes and plateaus which can be risky but also has the lower but landslide-prone Rohtang Pass near Manali. The preferred option is to start your trip from Srinagar and end it at Manali.
National Highway 1D
The National Highway 1D is the Srinagar- Leh road from the Kashmir valley which leads to Ladakh. This 434Km long road is open for travel from June to October/November. While traveling on this road, the journey up the Zoji-la pass which is 11,500ft high is the most substantial. One can opt for regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services operated by Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), between Srinagar and Leh on this route. These bus services mostly allow for an overnight halt at Kargil. One can also opt for Taxis (cars and jeeps) which are available at Srinagar for the journey.
Leh- Manali Highway
Another route to opt for traveling to Ladakh is the Manali – Leh road which is also open from June to late October, this road comprises of the desert plateau of Rupsho which is located between the altitudes of 3,660m to 4,570m. There are many high passes on this route and the highest one is the Tanglang La, which is as high as 17,469 feet.
Adventure freaks can opt for Manali to Leh road trip. Those opting for this route should stop at Keylong for the first night rather than Jispa or Sarchu.
Rail:
The nearest railway station to Leh Ladakh is Jammu. Hence people traveling from anywhere in India can get down at Jammu railway station. After reaching Jammu, you will need to travel to Srinagar and from there are several shared and private taxis, private and government-run buses to reach Leh.
Bus:
Leh can also be reached by bus from Delhi. There are many buses run by HRTC from Keylong. The fares are reasonably priced from Manali to Keylong and from Keylong to Leh.
Also, check out:
Leh:
Connection of Leh with nearby places
Ladakh:
Additional information about Ladakh
Frequently asked questions about Ladakh
Health and safety precautions for ladakh
Monuments and Museums in Ladakh
Nubra Valley:
Mountain Ranges in Nubra Valley
Pangong:
Pangong – Flora and Fauna and Geography
Tso Moriri:
Zanskar:
Others:
Maps:
