Khardung La Pass
A 5,359 metre high pass about 40 km north of Leh that connects the Indus valley to Nubra and the Siachen glacier. The signboard still claims 5,602 m and world's highest motorable road, both contested. Open year round, but the altitude is no joke. Keep the stop under 15 minutes.
What makes it special
Khardung La is one of those places that sounds better than it is to actually linger at. A high pass on the Ladakh Range about 40 km north of Leh, built by the Border Roads Organisation in 1976, opened to civilian traffic in 1988, and the strategic artery for Indian Army supply convoys heading to the Siachen glacier further north. For most travellers, it is the gateway to Nubra Valley rather than a destination in itself. You stop for fifteen minutes, take a photograph at the signboard, drink a hot tea at the army cafeteria, and drop down the other side.
The world's highest motorable road claim, honest version. Signboards at the top still say 5,602 metres (18,379 feet) and the third highest motorable pass in the world. Both claims have been contested for years. Hundreds of independent GPS surveys, SRTM satellite data, and Russian topographic mapping all put the actual elevation at 5,359 metres (17,582 feet), which is still genuinely high but makes this the ninth or tenth highest motorable pass, not the third. Passes like Umling La in eastern Ladakh at around 5,882 metres sit clearly higher. The signboard is a relic from a pre GPS era, and the shopkeepers in Leh selling 'Highest Motorable Pass' shirts have good reasons to keep the old number going. Go for the experience. Skip the claim.
Altitude reality, which surprises most travellers. The pass is higher than anywhere else you will go on a standard Ladakh trip. Higher than the lake at Pangong (about 4,350 m), higher than Tso Moriri (about 4,522 m), and nearly 1,900 m above Leh. Many travellers feel the altitude here more than at either of the big lakes. The common pattern is a thumping headache, mild nausea, and breathlessness within ten minutes of stopping. This is why we say, keep the stop short. Fifteen minutes maximum. Do not eat a heavy meal at the cafeteria. Skip the second round of photos. Get back in the vehicle and descend.
Day trip from Leh versus the Nubra crossing, honestly. Every season some travellers try to do this as a return day trip from Leh, in and out, just for the signboard. BRO technically allows it on most days, the check post at South Pullu stamps the permit, and a taxi does it in four to five hours round trip. We do not recommend it. If you are coming this far up, you are most of the way to Nubra, where the altitude drops significantly and the valley opens up with dunes, a 32 metre Maitreya Buddha at Diskit, and the drive out to Turtuk. Turning around halfway feels like a waste. Do the pass only as a day trip if you are genuinely stuck in Leh with a spare day and no time for a proper Nubra overnight.
What you actually find at the top. A gravel parking area, a forest of prayer flags, a small memorial to BRO workers, an army run souvenir shop and cafe (famously advertised as the highest souvenir shop in the world), and wide views south back toward the Indus valley and north down the descent toward Nubra. On a clear morning the views go for miles. On a grey afternoon it can be a whiteout. The pass is genuinely cold even in July, wind chill drops the real feel well below what your weather app predicts. Pack a down layer even for a summer crossing.
Winter crossings and the tunnel plan. The pass is one of the few high Ladakh routes kept open through most of winter, because the Indian Army supplies Siachen year round. BRO clears snow quickly, and even in January and February the pass is usually crossable within a day or two of major snowfall, though occasional longer closures after storms do happen. The long discussed 5.5 km Khardung La tunnel, which would bypass the pass entirely and cut travel time to Nubra, has a completed detailed project report as of 2026 but construction has not started, with BRO and the Ladakh UT administration in a funding dispute. For the next few years at least, the pass remains the route. Confirm road status with a Leh operator if you are travelling between November and April.
Who this suits. Anyone going to Nubra Valley, because there is effectively no alternative route most of the year. Photographers who want the high pass shot with prayer flags in the wind. Motorcyclists who want the altitude badge, though honestly the pass is short on most bike itineraries. Who should think twice. First time Ladakh visitors on day two or three of a fly in trip, because crossing this altitude without acclimatisation is where most Ladakh altitude trouble starts. Pregnant travellers, anyone with recent cardiac events, uncontrolled hypertension, or significant respiratory issues. Very young children should have spent at least two days in Leh first. Pets are not practical, altitude and cold hit them faster than people.
Is Khardung La worth visiting?
Yes, if you are going to Nubra Valley anyway, because the pass is the route. As a standalone day trip from Leh just for the photograph, we do not recommend it. You spend four to five hours driving, 15 minutes at the top, and come back without having seen any of what Ladakh really offers. Turn the day into a Nubra overnight at Hunder or Diskit, and the same drive becomes genuinely worth it.
What is the altitude of Khardung La?
The real altitude is around 5,359 metres (about 17,582 feet) based on modern GPS measurements. The signboards at the top still say 5,602 metres and claim to be the world's highest motorable road, both of which have been contested for years. The actual record belongs to Umling La in eastern Ladakh at around 5,882 metres. Go for the experience, not the title.
Do I need a permit to cross Khardung La?
Yes. Indian citizens pay the Ladakh Environment and Development Fee online at lahdclehpermit.in, typically Rs 400 one time plus around Rs 20 per day wildlife fee, which also covers Nubra, Pangong, and Tso Moriri on the same trip. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit through a registered Leh travel agent. The check post at South Pullu on the way up stamps permits. Carry four or five paper copies.
Quick facts
Everything you need to know at a glance
At a glance
On the ground
Seasonal weather
Suitable for
How to reach Khardung La Pass
3 approach routes with seasonal access
From Leh to Khardung La and Nubra
Open year round thanks to BRO, with brief closures after heavy snow. Main tourist window is May to late September.The default crossing for almost everyone heading to Nubra. From Leh, north past the palace and out of the city, a steady climb through dry ridges to the South Pullu check post at around 4,800 m for permit stamping, then the final 15 km of switchbacks to the summit. Leave Leh by 8 AM to reach the top around 10 AM, which is also the best light and the least traffic window. Keep the summit stop under 15 minutes and descend to North Pullu, then Khardung village, then Khalsar where the road splits for Diskit or Sumur.
Fuel stop: Fill up in Leh. No reliable pump until Diskit on the Nubra side.
From Nubra Valley back to Leh via Khardung La
Same as outbound, year round with brief winter closures.The return crossing, which most travellers find easier than the outbound one because they have acclimatised to Nubra altitude and feel the pass less. Plan to leave Hunder by 7 AM so you reach Leh before lunch. The climb up from Khalsar is the same road, the descent back to Leh is the same route in reverse. Keep the summit stop short again, even if it feels easier this time, because the altitude is still higher than anywhere you have slept on the Nubra side.
Fuel stop: Fill up at Diskit before leaving Nubra. No pumps until you are back in Leh.
From Nubra via the Wari La alternative (skipping Khardung La)
Generally June to September, opens later than Khardung La and closes earlier in winter.A longer alternative for experienced travellers. Leh through Sakti to Wari La pass at around 5,300 m, then Agham and Khalsar into Nubra from the Shyok side. Avoids Khardung La entirely, which is useful if the main pass is closed or if you want a quieter drive. Slower, rougher, and not forgiving on a fly in traveller still acclimatising. Most often used as a return leg by adventure motorcyclists and self drivers who want a different scenery on the way back.
Fuel stop: Fill up in Leh. No reliable pump until Diskit.
Best time to visit
Season-by-season breakdown to help you plan
Main crossing window, cleanest light in September, peak tourist traffic in July, most reliable conditions
The reliable window. Road conditions are at their best, traffic is moderate, daytime temperatures at the summit sit between 5 and 15 C, and light is clean through most mornings. Our honest pick inside this window is the second half of June and the second half of August, when crowds are thinner than the July school holiday peak and weather is still reliable. September gives the cleanest visibility of the year, and is the best month if you want the summit photograph without snow or crowds.
Cold, quiet, with first snow possible, occasional brief closures
A short shoulder window with fewer travellers and colder days. Nights drop fast toward freezing in October, and by mid to late October the pass sees its first proper snow. Conditions are usually still fine but variable, with possible brief closures after storms. Crowds thin out sharply after the first week of October. If you enjoy cold air, quiet roads, and the chance of a light dusting of snow at the top, this is a good window.
Open most days thanks to BRO, but cold, icy, and occasionally shut for days, specialist crossings only
Not a casual crossing. BRO keeps the pass open through most of winter for army logistics, so the pass is technically reachable, but temperatures at the summit drop to minus 20 or minus 25 C, the road ices up quickly after dark, and closures of three to five days after major snowfall do happen. Winter crossings are feasible for fit travellers on flexible dates with experienced Leh operators, usually as part of a wider winter Ladakh trip. Self driving a first winter crossing is a bad idea.
Things to see & do
5 experiences at Khardung La Pass
The signboard photograph
10 to 15 minutesThe classic stop. A short walk from the parking to the stone signboard at the top, a line of prayer flags, and a quick photograph with the altitude claim behind you. The whole thing takes five to ten minutes. Watch your breath, move slowly, and do not try to jog anywhere. The army cafeteria has a few signs with Hindi and English wisdom about altitude, which are genuinely worth reading while you sip tea rather than treating as decoration.
A tea at the army cafeteria
10 to 15 minutesA small army run cafe at the top serves hot tea, coffee, Maggi noodles, soup, and a few simple snacks. Prices are higher than Leh but reasonable for the altitude and setting, the tea is genuinely good, and the money goes back into local army welfare. A 10 to 15 minute stop for a warm drink is a smart way to give your body a moment before you get back in the car to descend. Keep it light, do not eat a heavy meal here.
The South Pullu and North Pullu stops
10 to 20 minutes at eachSouth Pullu is the check post on the Leh side about 15 km below the pass at around 4,800 m, where permits are stamped going into Nubra. North Pullu sits on the descent toward Khalsar. Both are practical stops with army dhabas where locals take lunch, and the views from North Pullu as the road drops into the Shyok valley are genuinely worth a slow moment. Neither is a destination, both are the natural rhythm of a crossing if you are not trying to rush.
Winter crossing as a specialist day trip
Half day round trip from LehNot an activity for most travellers, but worth knowing if you are asking. BRO clears snow fast and the pass stays open most of the year, which makes a winter crossing feasible as a day trip from Leh in January or February. What you get is deep snow walls at the top, near empty roads, and the same pass in a very different mood. What you risk is sudden closures, sub zero temperatures, and real altitude stress. Go only with a Leh operator who has recent winter experience, never self drive your first winter crossing, and keep the stop under ten minutes.
The Nubra crossing, in and out
15 minutes each wayThis is the default for most travellers, not a separate activity, but worth framing it that way. If you are doing Nubra in a standard way, you will cross the pass twice, once on the way in from Leh and once on the way back. Both crossings are short. Treat the first as the photo stop and the second as a quick wave goodbye. If you try to make each an event, you run out of day. If you treat them as the rhythm of the drive, the crossings feel natural.
Know before you visit Khardung La Pass
Essential information for planning your visit
Nearby attractions
Other places worth visiting nearby
~80 km to Hunder from the pass, ~120 km from LehThe broad desert river valley immediately on the other side of the pass, with Hunder sand dunes, double humped Bactrian camels, the Diskit monastery, Sumur orchards, hot springs at Panamik, and the Balti village of Turtuk near the Pakistan border. This is the reason most travellers cross Khardung La in the first place.
~80 km from the pass, at Diskit villageThe oldest and largest gompa in Nubra, 14th century Gelugpa monastery on a hilltop above Diskit village with a 32 metre Maitreya Buddha on the adjacent ridge, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2010. The main cultural stop after crossing the pass, and the one non negotiable visit on a Nubra trip.
~200 km via Leh, or ~230 km direct via the Shyok route from NubraThe big high altitude lake on the other side of Leh, on the India and China border. Most serious Ladakh itineraries combine Nubra (via Khardung La) with Pangong (via Chang La), either returning through Leh or taking the rougher Shyok route directly between them.
~15 km below the pass on the Leh sideThe permit check post on the Leh side at around 4,800 metres, about 15 km below the pass. Permits are stamped here for everyone heading to Nubra, and it is where the altitude really starts to show if you are going to feel it on the crossing.
~13 km below the pass on the Nubra sideThe opposite base at around 4,900 metres on the descent toward Nubra, with a small cluster of dhabas that serve as the natural lunch stop once you are back to breathing normally. The views west from North Pullu into the Shyok valley are the best moment of the crossing for most travellers.
~40 km south of the passThe main city of Ladakh and the base for any Khardung La crossing. Almost every itinerary for the pass starts and ends here. Local sightseeing around Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, and the monasteries of the Indus valley fills the acclimatisation days before you go up.
~180 km from the pass, beyond PanamikFurther north beyond Nubra, this is the civilian accessible area closest to the Siachen glacier, one of the highest battlefields in the world. Day visits to viewpoints are occasionally open with special permits and army clearance, treat any such trip as a bonus rather than a plan.
Our Packages with Khardung La Pass
Curated trips that include a visit to Khardung La Pass
Planning a trip that includes Khardung La Pass?
Not sure where to start? Just tell us your dates and what you're looking for, and we'll help you plan a trip that actually fits you.