Best Time To Visit Leh Ladakh

Ladakh is by far the most beautiful to look at during the summer season and also the busiest. From around April, tourists already start to migrate to Ladakh to enjoy the last few days of spring in the crisp weather, as the cold fades and snow melts gradually. The temperature during this time is still quite cold, around 5°C-7°C. By the second week of May, the significant Srinagar-Leh highway is made available again, thus opening the floodgate for the flurry of tourists to go to Ladakh. The spring-early summertime is perfect for the budget travellers because the peak season is yet to start, and the hotels offer lucrative discounts to lure visitors, which can be taken advantage of. And at the same time, you can see a good share of ice and snow, mainly in the Khardung La and Chang La passes. Late April sees the melting of the lakes, and a spread of brilliant colours all around. By the beginning of June, the Manali route along with Rohtang Pass opens up as well. Temperature goes further up and hovers around 15°C-30°C. Although the roads can sometimes be slippery because of the rapidly melting snow, if trodden carefully, they can offer some of the most beautiful sights you have ever seen.

From the end of July to the middle of September, Ladakh experiences irregular to heavy rainfall in most places. This is neither the ideal nor the safest time to visit Ladakh. The rain makes the roads very risky to drive or walk on. Landslides and snowslides are frequent during this time as well. There can be frequent road blockages obstructing the flow of the trip or trek. There are some parts which fall under the rain shadow area like the areas beyond Zoji La Pass and Baralacha Pass, going towards Leh from Srinagar and Manali respectively. But to reach there, one must crossroads which are dangerous, thanks to the rain.

Autumn in Ladakh is once again one of the best times to visit. The precipitation stops but leaves behind just the right amount of humidity in the air to make the trip pleasant. Being washed by the rain over the monsoon season, the rugged surroundings turn to its freshest of colours. Moreover, the crowd from summer season thins out to quite an extent, which means you can enjoy Ladakh bit more freely.

By the time November comes around, Ladakh is freezing with cold. All places over 14000 ft experience sub-zero temperature. Driving through the roads, even the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh highways get dangerous because of black ice. However, tourists who are confident about beating the cold can visit Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri Lakes to see their changing colours - it is a top-rated attraction. Soon after this, the lakes get all frozen. From mid-January to March, the famous Chadar Trek is on for adventure lovers. One part of the trek involves walking over the frozen Zanskar River.