Over Khardung La to Nubra: how to plan the drive

The road from Leh to Nubra is the drive most visitors remember. In a single morning you climb nearly 1,800 m to Khardung La, stand among thousands of prayer flags, and then drop into a wide valley of sand dunes, orchards and grazing camels.

It is not a technical drive, but it rewards a little planning.

When to go

Leave Leh by 7 or 8 am. You beat the queue of vehicles at the top, the light is better, and you cross before afternoon weather builds over the pass. From June to September the road is usually reliable; in spring and autumn, fresh snow can close it for hours, so check that morning.

The climb

The first stretch out of Leh is smooth and quick. After the South Pullu checkpoint, where documents are checked, the road narrows and the surface can be broken, wet or icy near the top. Allow about 1.5–2 hours from Leh to the summit.

At the top

The sign says 5,602 m; the real height is closer to 5,359 m. Either way the air holds about half the oxygen you are used to. My rule is simple: no more than 20 minutes at the top. Take your photos, have a quick tea, and keep moving. If anyone in your group feels dizzy or develops a bad headache, head down immediately.

The descent into Nubra

The north side drops through North Pullu and Khardung village to the Shyok river. Good stops on the way:

• Diskit Monastery and its giant Maitreya Buddha looking down the valley
• the Hunder dunes, best at sunset when the sand turns gold
• a quiet riverside lunch wherever you find one

Total driving time from Leh to Hunder is about 4–5 hours with stops.

Mistakes I see often

1. Doing it on day one or two. Only cross after at least two nights in Leh.
2. Planning a same-day return. Nubra deserves at least two nights.
3. No buffer day. If the pass closes, you need room in your itinerary.
4. Forgetting fuel. Fill up in Leh; there is very little before Diskit.

Make it a loop

From Nubra you can continue to Pangong via Shyok and Agham rather than returning over Khardung La. The road is rough and occasionally closed by streams or landslides, so ask locally the evening before. When it is open, Leh–Nubra–Pangong–Leh is one of the great circuits of the Himalaya.