While you are planning your trip to Ladakh and if it is your first time, the most intriguing question you’d have is when is the best time to visit the beautiful landscape. Ladakh is a region which receives immense snow fall and due to which the roads are covered with snow for almost half of the year making it inaccessible and cut it off from the rest of the world. Although, flights are operative during winders as well and it is a different experience in itself. There are pros and cons for each of the months and it may vary from person to person and objective of your travel. Below are the details for you to take your decision wisely.
April
This month is onset of the summer season and you will find cold conditions. You can expect lots of snow on the passes and the roads are just starting to open up. Manali-Leh highway usually opens for tourist towards end of May or 1st week of June, depending upon the snowfall the region have received in the winters. Only the Srinagar-Leh highway is operative. You will get huge snow walls on Zoji La Pass. The shops/roadside dhabas would be just starting
to open up. You might not get enough supplies there. But, as this is just the beginning of the season there will be less crowd and you can have great deals on stays as the stay options are just starting and preparing for the incoming crowd in the coming months. You should be cautious and should go well prepared if planning in the beginning of the season. You need to plan and pack properly. Know the must carry things when planning a trip to Ladakh here.
May
So this is the month in which actually things start to open and tourist season is just starting. Towards the end of May, the Manali-Leh Highway becomes operative. You can expect feets and feets of snow of high passes enroute from Manali-Leh Highway(especially on Tanglang La and Baralacha La). Availability of stay enroute is very less and expect less road side stalls/dhabas for food and anything else. This month is beginning of the tourists and becomes crowded in the race for reaching first to Ladakh post roads are opened up(especially bikers/groups). Also, it is advisable to keep atleast a day or 2 in buffer when planning in this time as the snow starts to melt and can sometimes lead to snow slides which results in road closures as well. There are rare to no clouds in the sky(from photography perspective, the photos might not be that good during this time).
June
During this month you might not find that much snow but due to the melting snows, expect some slush and increased level of waters in the water crossings. Towards the second week, the road conditions start to become the season best and it stays that way until mid of July before the monsoon hits and there is water, slush and mud all around. This small window becomes the best time to cover the entire Ladakh circuit as the roads are on their best and crowd is also moderate(still more). Don’t expect discounts on stays. Actually, June to mid of July is the peak of Ladakh tourism. During this time, you’ll get every shop full of supplies and markets crowded with tourists.
July
In July, you’ll find no to less snows even on passes. There are hints of clouds in the skies as sign of incoming monsoon and weather condition is somewhat like June only. Towards the end of July, the monsoon/rains starts to hit the region.
Okay, okay now you want to argue that as Ladakh is a rain shadow region so why am I discussing about monsoon here?
Well, Ladakh is a place which receives less to no rainfall each year but please understand that you’ll have to drive here from downhill only and you’ll find effects of rains when enroute to Ladakh. While travelling from Srinagar-Leh Highway expect rains until Zoji La Pass and while on Manali-Leh Highway until Baralacha La pass descend is completed.
August
This is onset of high intensity rain and sometimes snow of high passes as well. The road conditions are to its worst during this time and rivers starts to flood and water crossing to its full intensity. Landslide is major challenge and is very dangerous which adds up to the harsh conditions. In Ladakh you might have some drizzles
and light showers here and there. The sky is full of clouds and adds a whole lot contrast to the pictures(from photography perspective). Driving in such conditions becomes a challenge. Here are some tips to plan your monsoon trip efficiently.
September
Towards the mid of September, the monsoon is almost over. This is the time which will give you some breath taking views and dangerously beautiful places. The lakes and rivers are just perfect blue and emerald. The colors here seems to be just out of some vivid filter. Trust me, there will be no need of any filters where you take photo during this time. Be prepared for some cold conditions and start of snowfall as this is onset of winters towards the month end. Also, the camp sites and hotels initiate closing activity which reduces the stay and eatery options drastically. There is very less crowd.
October
During this month, the conditions starts to become harsh with all the hotels, markets and roads deserted of tourists. The snow fall starts to kick in and the region becomes cold and dry. Srinagar-Leh highway also closes towards the end of the month making the place inaccessible via roads.
November-March
“Winter is coming” – during this time almost everything is closed. You can reach Ladakh just via flight. But the places around Ladakh are accessible by local transport, which is obviously very limited and becomes expensive. The weather condition is very harsh with temperatures ranging from -2 to -20 degrees. The lakes starts to freeze. The region gets feets and feets of snowfall. Amid these harsh conditions, some adventure junkies plan their winter trip to Ladakh. There are multple challenges which you have to go through if planning a trip during this time. Here are some tips to plan your winter trip in Ladakh.
We have tried to pen down all the details for proper planning of your dream trip through the year. Have a adventure filled and responsible trip.