In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · India
Leh
གླེ
Give Leh 4–5 nights minimum: 2 to acclimatise at 3,500 m, then monasteries and the Nubra or Pangong run. Fly in, don't rush the first 48 hours.
Leh sits at about 3,500 m in the Indus valley and is the base for Ladakh. The town itself is small and walkable; the reason to come is the high desert, the gompas and the passes. Almost everyone arrives by air from Delhi, and the first two days are about altitude, not sightseeing. Roads to Manali and Srinagar open roughly June to October.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- གླེ
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (deep cold, many places shut); avoid the first 48 h at altitude for hard activity
- Stay
- 4–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,800–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–6,000 excl. bed · High ₹6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Tourist helpline 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a bazaar café | ₹80–200 |
| Thukpa or momos | ₹150–350 |
| Local bus ride | ₹20 (check) |
| Airport prepaid taxi to centre | ₹550 (check) |
| Monastery or museum entry | ₹20–100 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹1,000–2,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IXL · Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
- 5 km from the centre; flights from Delhi year-round, weather delays common, book with slack.3.1 mi from the centre; flights from Delhi year-round, weather delays common, book with slack.
Typical fares
- Airport → Leh centre, prepaid taxi
- ₹550 (check)
- Airport → centre, local bus
- ₹20 (check)
- Leh → Alchi, government bus
- cheap, departs 8AM and 2PM (check)
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk. Local buses from the bus station serve Spituk, Choglamsar and Alchi cheaply; taxis run on fixed fares from Fort Road. For Nubra, Pangong or the monasteries, a shared or private taxi is the usual move.
See and do
Known for
- Shanti Stupa
- Leh Palace
- Namgyal Tsemo Gompa
- Gateway to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lamayuru | Taxi or bus on the Srinagar road, about 125 kmTaxi or bus on the Srinagar road, about 78 mi | 3–4 h each way by road |
| Alchi | Government bus from Leh bus station, or taxi | About 2 h each way |
| Kargil | Bus or shared taxi on the Srinagar–Leh highway | About 6–7 h |
| Hanle | Taxi via the Changthang plateau; permit needed | A full day or more each way |
Sleep
- Main Bazaar and Old Town
- Central, walkable, guesthouses and cafés; noisier and busier in season.
- Changspa
- Northwest of the centre, guesthouse cluster, a short walk to the bazaar; slightly higher than Main Bazaar.
- Fort Road
- Taxi stand, agents and hotels; convenient for day-trip pickups.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| How much is it? | कितना है?kitna hai |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ है?shauchalay kahan hai |
| I need help | मुझे मदद चाहिएmujhe madad chahiye |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude: 3,500 m at Main Bazaar. Take the first 1–2 days easy, drink water, skip alcohol, and know the signs of AMS.
- Some areas near the Pakistan and China borders need a permit from the District Magistrate (DC) Office; carry photocopies of your passport and visa.
- Winter (roughly Nov–Mar) closes many hotels, shops and trekking offices: call your hotel directly rather than trusting an online booking.
- Manali–Leh and Srinagar–Leh roads are seasonal and can be blocked by snow or landslides; check road status before committing.
- Travel agents selling 'just one more person needed' tours are usually just reselling a taxi ride at a markup.
Leh is generally safe for tourists, including solo travellers. The real risks are altitude sickness, seasonal road closures and winter shutdowns, not crime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Leh yet. Suggested stay: 4–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Shanti Stupa
- Leh Palace
- Namgyal Tsemo Gompa
- Gateway to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Leh, revision 5294729 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5294729
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lehགླེ
इस पते पर चलिए
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Leh; most countries are represented in New Delhi. Carry your embassy's number.
Altitude is the main thing to plan around, not the town.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/leh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.