Today, Pangong Tso Lake has become one of the most visited places by domestic tourists ever since the Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 idiots’ was shot here. One can see a more and more films being shot around this mesmerizing lake. From May 2014 onwards, Indian Tourists do not require an Inner Line Permits for visiting Pangong Tso Lake.

A one day trip to Pangong

If you are planning a day’s trip to Pangong Lake then make sure you leave early in the morning, a round trip to Pangong Lake is 340 km and involves a minimum of 10 hours of travel. Leaving early will allow you to take halts during the journey and enjoy the panoramic views of the landscape. Also you can make quick visits to popular tourist destinations on the way like Choglamsar, a place where Dalai Lama stays whenever he visits Leh, Shey an ancient capital of Ladakh, the Thikse Monastery, etc and spend some time at the Changla Pass, the world’s third highest motor able road.

After reaching Pangong Lake by noon, you can spend a couple of hours by the Lake close to nature and enjoy the scenery which is unforgettable and around late afternoon drive back to Leh so that you reach safely by night fall. Though a day’s trip is not recommended as it leaves you with very little time to spend at Pangong Tso Lake and also you will miss on the scenic beauty of the changing colours of the Lake during sunrise and sunset. But nevertheless many travelers visiting Ladakh prefer the Leh – Pangong Tso excursion as a day trip and return to Leh by night fall due to the limited time they have in hand.

A two day trip to Pangong

A two day trip is highly recommended as you get to spend a memorable night by the Lake and also get a rare glimpse of the changing colours of the Lake and the entire landscape of Pangong Tso during sunrise and sunset. Travelers can also explore the entire Pangong Tso area and villages further away from the lake at leisure.

Apart from traveling at your own pace to and from Leh, you can spend time visiting attractions on the way like Hemis Monastery, Thicksey Monastery, Shey Palace and many other attractions of your choice with leisure without having to worry about the time and add excitement and a great level satisfaction to your trip.

An ideal two itinerary:

On Day 1: Leh – Visit to Hemis Monastery – Spend entire day at the Pangong Tso Lake.

On Day 2: – Enjoy the sunrise at Pangong Tso Lake – Visit the Thicksey Monastery on the way – Visit the Shey Palace – Reach Leh by nightfall.

Journey from Leh to the Pangong Lake via Chang La

Total distance: 175 kms

Leh – Shey – Karu (45 kms)
Karu – Shakti – Chang La (40 kms)
Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste (60 kms)
Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik – Pangong Tso (30 kms)

Let’s briefly understand this route and know what’s in store for travelers.

Leh – Shey – Karu: The distance between Leh and Pangong Lake is 175 kms and the roads are in a pretty good condition even then it might take you more than 5 hours to reach Pangong as you might want to take frequent stops to enjoy the beautiful vistas.So start early and take the Manali – Leh highway and drive till you reach Karu, this should take you less than an hour.

Karu – Shakti – Chang La: After reaching Karu, leave the Manali – Leh highway and take the left towards Shakti and continue towards Chang La, the ascent for Chang La starts within a few kilometers after you have crossed Shakti.

After sometime you will reach Chang La which is at 17,590 feet and is known to be the third highest motor-able road in the world, Once here take a break and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea at the small cafeteria and enjoy your Chang La moment with a few rounds of photography with your friends and family.Nearby there is a small temple built by the Indian Army called ‘Chang La Baba Ka Mandir’, travelers seek blessings at the temple in order to have a safe journey.

Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste: After Chang La, continue your journey and descend towards Durbuk. While descending initially the road could be a little bad but later it is a smooth drive for rest of the journey.

After a couple of hours, you will reach the town of Tangste, a major town on this route where you will find several shops, hotels and guest houses. If you reached Tangste around noon, then have your lunch here and if you have reached Tangste in the evening then it is advisable to spend the night at Tangste rather than continuing your journey to Pangong as finding a decent accommodation at Lukung or Spangmik without prior booking may be difficult.

Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik – Pangong Tso :  After leaving Tangste it is a fairly smooth and straight drive to the village of Spangmik, however there are a few areas on the way where you will find streams of water flowing down from the hills on the road, drivers should drive with caution as these streams and water puddles may be deep. Within an hour’s drive from Spangmik, the tar road turns into a dirt track, from here on you will start getting the first glimpse of the beautiful lake and an indication that you have reached Pangong Tso.

Accommodations

If you are planning a 2 day trip then it is very important to know about the accommodations in and around Pangong Tso.

Tangste: A major town of this region is 32 kms before Pangong Tso, and is an ideal place to spend the night, due to the sheer number of restaurants, hotels and guest houses which are of better quality and standard as compared to places like Lukung and Spangmik.

Lukung: At Lukung Eco Huts are situated just right of the shore of Pangong Tso. The major issue here is that there is no electricity or proper toilets, just camping grade toilet and facilities with warm water courtesy solar water heater which is ideal for adventure travelers. Apart from this, travelers can pitch their own tents here and spend the night.

Spangmik: The village of Spangmik has only one hotel which offers decent rooms as well camping facilities by the lake on luxury tents which can be expensive; however budget travelers can also opt for a suitable accommodation at family run guest houses or home stays for spending their night.

Different Seasons at Pangong Tso

From December to March, Pangong Tso Lake remains frozen and with extremely cold conditions all around there are no facilities of staying around the lake. Come April and the snow begins to melt and slowly the Lake starts transforming into beautiful multi shades of blue. From May to August is the peak tourist season and travelers from India and abroad generally flock to the shores of the Pangong Tso Lake. During this summer period, a large number of migratory birds can also be seen around the lake which include the the bar headed goose and Brahmini ducks.

From September onwards to early October, tourist traffic begins to fall as the cold season starts to set in and tents at campsites begin to pack up. But according to many adventure travelers this is the best time to visit Pangong Tso as it is in its full glory with beautiful shades of blue colour also travelers can get better deals on accommodation and enjoy more in solitude. After the second week of October up to December, all accommodation at campsites pack up and now the only nearest place you can stay is either at some home stay with basic facilities in the nearby villages of Spangmik or Lukung or at a family run guest house at Tangste which has better facilities to fight the bitter cold.