There are many of us who are looking for a budget trip to Leh – Ladakh but one of the major challenge in making a budget trip to Leh – Ladakh is the cost at which taxis are available. So, in order to cut short the budget we look forward to bus services in Leh – Ladakh or other means of transport shared transport like shared taxis to save more. If you are alone then private taxis are very costly in Leh – Ladakh but you will be able to find the shared taxi without much fuss at all, mostly. There are lots of flyers which people put at cafes, dine-ins, restaurants, travel agent desks/shops/whiteboards wanting to share the taxis for different trips within Ladakh. Even travel agent organize such shared taxis trip as well but charge a little higher about Rs 200-300 more than it would ideally cost. So, in worst case you can always go back to them and book a seat for yourself. Gelling up with people in Ladakh is more or less easy because many people travel solo and look forward to meet new people and share cultural thoughts and values over the trip. No where else in the world you will find more smiling and helpful people as Ladakhis are 🙂
However, if shared taxi is not your cup of tea, then in that case the bus services in Leh – Ladakh are the only means of travel left for you. Today after getting in touch with a dear friend Lobzang in Leh, I was able to get hold of time table of bus services in Leh – Ladakh who got this only for all of us here. So, special thanks to him and he will keep sharing the updated info. from Ladakh. In a nutshell, today in this article I will be sharing the details of various bus services available in Leh – Ladakh which you can opt for in case either you are looking to save budget and not interested in shared taxis OR if you are looking for an adventure of a different kind 🙂 🙂 … Yeah, believe me, traveling in Leh – Ladakh by a bus is entirely a different experience 😉
Along with the snapshot of rates & time table of bus services in Leh – Ladakh below I have also tried to list down the details of other bus services running on longer routes to Leh such as bus service on Manali – Leh route or Delhi – Manali – Leh bus route or bus services on Srinagar – Leh route, which in total will help you plan your entire trip of Ladakh..
Local Bus Services in Leh – Ladakh
Below screenshot details out the all the routes connecting Leh with different places in Ladakh and I have also listed major tourist spots as below for quick reference:
- Leh to Pangong Tso Bus Service: Bus from Leh to Pangong Tso leaves at 6.30 AM every Saturday and Sunday, return next day. The charges are about Rs 256.
- Leh to Nubra Valley Bus Service: Bus from Leh to Deskit, Nubra Valley leaves at 6.00 AM every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, return next day and leave from Deskit at 7 AM. The charges are about Rs 197. There is a bus that also goes to Sumur and Panamik at every Tuesday which departs from Leh at 6 AM. The charges of this bus are Rs 256 and 287 respectively.
- Leh to Tso Moriri Bus Service: Bus from Leh to Tso Moriri leaves at 6.30 AM every 10th, 20th and 30th day of the month, return next day. The charges are about Rs 370.
- Leh to Hanle Bus Service: Bus from Leh to Hanle leaves at 6.30 AM every Saturday, return next day. The charges are about Rs 492.
Rates & Time table of Bus Services in Leh – Ladakh
Bus Services from Srinagar – Leh Route
- JKSRTC Srinagar – Leh Bus Service: The bus from Leh to Srinagar starts 2 PM and runs non-stop 7.30 AM in Srinagar. Deluxe bus charges about 1058 per person and semi deluxe charges Rs 670 per person. Normal buses charge around Rs 470 per person. The private bus operators charges about Rs 800-900 per person.
- The bus from Srinagar to Leh starts at 8 AM at present and halts at Kargil for one night and reaches Leh next day. Deluxe bus charges about 1058 per person and semi deluxe charges Rs 670 per person. The bus from Srinagar to Kargil cost around 250 for ordinary and Rs 300 for semi-deluxe.
- These timings are subject to change based on timing of Zojila Pass.
- There are some private buses as well that runs between Srinagar – Leh.
- Justin suggests below in comments, “just completed ladak trip. there are lot of tempo travellers and Mini bus starting from Leh city .They start everyday evening 5:3O PM -6:00 PM and reach srinagar the next day early morning 7:30 AM . cost is Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 based the vehicle. The mini bus is best optiion you only get individual seat and confort to sleep @ night too.”
Bus Services from Manali – Leh Route
- On Leh – Manali route, there are two bus services that run as HRTC Buses and HPTDC Semi Deluxe Tourist buses (non-ac). HRTC ones are normal public transport buses which do not stop for sightseeing on the way except mandatory stops of food + daily routines while HPTDC is a semi deluxe bus that is run for tourists only from 1st July to 15th September every season and does all the sightseeing on the Manali – Leh Highway.
- Manali – Leh HPTDC Bus: HPTDC bus charges Rs 2400 per seat one way in which Transport cost of Rs 1800 and also includes the accommodation cost of Rs 600 at Hotel Chandrabhaga, Keylong with dinner and morning breakfast. HPTDC bus leaves Manali at 11 AM in the morning and reach Keylong in evening. Then starts 5.30-6.00 AM in the morning from Keylong and reach in the evening. Similarly in opposite direction. Plus,
- Schedule of HPTDC Manali – Leh Bus Service can be found at the link: http://hptdc.nic.in/leh.htm. So, while planning please refer this schedule as there is no fixed Odd, Even days now. As you see in updated schedule, bus even runs on odd days as well from Leh to Manali, similarly on even days from Manali to Leh. This bus schedule is published by HPTDC in May every year, so please refer the latest when you are planning the trip.
- Delhi – Manali – Leh Bus Service is run by HRTC. This bus covers a total distance of 1260 kms and has a fare of Rs 1339. The total travel time is about 35 hours. There might be a bus change once at Keylong and driver changes twice, one at Sunder nagar and other at Keylong. The bust departs from Delhi ISBT – at 3:45 pm, then departs from Chandigarh Sec 43 at 9:30 pm. It departs from Kullu at 6:30 am, Manali at 10:00 am and arrive at Keylong at 3:00 pm. Then there is night halt at Keylong and then next day the bus starts 5:00 am from Keylong and arrives at around 7 PM in Leh. The reverse route from Leh starts at 5 AM.
- HRTC Keylong – Leh Bus starts at 5 AM from Keylong and charges are around Rs 480
- There are some private buses as well that runs between Manali – Leh
Conclusion
I hope the above article will help you plan your trip to Leh – Ladakh by bus or plan your sightseeing within Ladakh by bus services and help you either save good money or have a different kind of adventure and experience, altogether. Please share in case you have more details on the bus services in Leh – Ladakh or if you have any update on them. I will keep adding to this article with more updated info. as and when I will get.
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492 Comments
Hi Sir,
Thank you for the info
I am planing leh trip in mid june.
I plan to go to jammu tawi by train
Then from jammu tawi to jammu bus stand (Can you help in transport options here)
From Jammu bus stand to Srinagar by bus (Can you help in transport options here)
Then from Srinagar to Leh i will search for Pvt cab (Where will find pvt cab and how much will be the cost)
Is the above plan fine?
Hi Jack,
1. You will surely get some mini buses or shared taxis/auto running between Train station and bus station
2. Srinagar buses usually leave in the morning from Jammu to Srinagar and shared taxis leave in night or early morning.
3. A private taxi can be booked either by calling the drivers directly or by going to tourist reception center taxi stand. You can call the local drivers directly to connect with them and check the more comprehensive List of Taxi Drivers for Ladakh – Srinagar – Leh – Manali with recommendations/reviews for DoW community members.
Also, go through: How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport
Thanks, thank you for such valuable info.
I’l call up these taxi guys specially the ones of Srinagar to Leh
Great, best wishes for the trip !!
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning to take a bus from Leh to Srinagar this march 18. do you think it is possible? I mean the road. is it open?
thanks 🙂
No, the Srinagar – Leh Highway will open in the month of May
Do you know any other alternative from leh to srinagar aside from taxi? N cheaper
Thank you
Public transport, JKSRTC buses run between Srinagar and Leh. Also, shared taxis cost about Rs 1500 per seat
Hai.. Dheeraj thanks for your post
Is the srinagar-leh bus service available on may first week.. i will plan for a leh trip on may first..
Ajeer, the first week of May is when the road from Srinagar to Leh gets open or is about to open. The JKSRTC bus service generally starts only after BRO declares the highway to be safe for travel and stabilized from snow slides. I will suggest postponing the trip by mid May.
Hi Dheeraj, really appreciate your valuable post.
I’m planning for Leh by next July. Please let me know if I can book the ticket from Manali/Keylong to Leh.. on the same morning of departure? And is it crowded while boarding?
Hey Nikum, you can book the tickets on the same morning but mostly the station gets crowded. It is recommended to get the ticket, a minimum of evening/day in advance. It does get crowded mostly.
Is there any Jksrtc buses available from leh to nubra valley and leh to pangong tso ???
Yes, Tony. Please refer the time table above. Deskit/Hunder is Nubra and Spangmik/Lukung is Pangong Tso.
Hi Dheeraj we are planning to visit Leh (Delhi to Leh by Air) to srinagar in month of Oct.
Actually this our family trip with the members of 7 people and one child.
Pl suggest best possible way to reach Srinagar from Leh via bus.
Pl also mention the availability of sleeper buses and their fares in that location.
As you are 7 people, best will be to hire a taxi and reach Srinagar from Leh. Cost will be almost similar with added comfort.
Sir, From which point can i catch Jksrtc jammu to Srinagar bus.. From Jksrtc bus stand or some where else ?
I believe from JKSRTC bus stand only.
Sir, May i know the Jksrtc bus timings of Jammu to Srinagar ?
I am sharing below more info. shared by one of the members of DoW Community recently. Hope this will help you
May I know if Jksrtc bus from Jammu to Srinagar advance booking is available?
No Tony, there is no advance bookings available. Max. you may be able to do will be buying the ticket from the counter an evening before.
Sir, We are from Kerala and we are plaining a low budget trip ladakh by bus coming october. So that how can we go to Srinagar by bus if we reach jammu tawi railway by 2 pm ? If we will reach Monday by 2 pm at jammu tawi, can we catch a Jksrtc bus that day itself to srinagar ? And is there any Jksrtc bus starting afternoon and time ?
Tony, you will not get any bus AFAIK in evening to Srinagar. There may be some shared taxis that might be leaving for Srinagar at night though.
AFAIK means ?
As far as I Know 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
Please tell me if there any bus service/shared taxi service from tso moriri to manali, as I want to return back to manali from tso rather that I go to leh and than take bus for manali.
Regards,
Manoj Chauhan
No Manoj, you will not find any such bus service or shared taxi. You have to arrange such a tourist taxi either from Leh or return back to Leh to travel back to Manali.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for such a detailed post. I have few queries though.
1> Where is the ST stand located in Leh?
2> Iam planning to go to Nubra by local bus, so have some questions. Have you or anyone u know traveled by these local buses? wanted to understand how is the experience? And how early should one book the tickets? does the bus get overcrowded ?
3> Will the HPTDC bus services be available till end of Sept? I am planning to travel back from Leh in the last week of Sept. If it is not, then what is the other way to get back from Leh other than flights and how much will that cost?
4> Can u suggest some offbeat places in Ladakh one can explore?
Suddu
Hi Suddu,
1. Anyone will be able to easily guide you to Leh bus stand, it is near Old Leh road.
2. I have not personally travelled on it. Bus tickets can be booked day in advance. If budget is not too much concern, best will be to get shared tourist taxi that will allow sightseeing too.
3. HPTDC bus service generally ends by September 15th
4. How many days do you have in hand?
Thanks Dheeraj.
I am reaching on 1st sept, will be doing a trek till 10 sept, planning to return on 20th sept. So I have 10 days in hand to see places-from 10-20 sept. If HPTDC bus is only till 15th, can you suggest any alternate cheaper way to get out of leh on 20th?
Thanks
Suddu, there will be shared tourist taxis available there running between Manali and Leh. Also, HRTC buses continue to run unless it is declared unsafe to travel in October.
Can you suggest some offbeat locations to visit in Ladakh?
Suddu, there is Turtuk, Hanle, route from Pangong tso to Hanle to Tso Moriri, Around Hanle, Dah Hanu Villages, Ride to Chilling village from Nimmu.
Hi there,
I would like to know are the deluxe buses from Srinagar to Leh or Leh to Srinagar with sleeper seats or normal seats ? How much does it cost? We are looking for a comfortable travelling.
Now Sean, these buses have normal seat and do not have sleeper seats. The ticket is about Rs 700 up to Leh from Srinagar.
Hi Dheeraj,
Its really helpful, Thanks. Could u please tell me if I go Leh to Pangong Tso by bus, where the bus will stop and how to reach Pangong TSO Lake from there? and when the bus will return to LEH? Please suggest some budget accommodation near lake.
Bus will reach the Lukunk village and I think it goes all the way up to Spangmik. Both the villages are at the Pangong tso lake only from where lake is about 600-800 Mtrs walk. Best will be to stay at homestays at Spangmik village
Hi Dheeraj
I have a question for you
Two of us will be traveling from Srinagar to Leh on August 31. Is it necessary to break the journey at Kargil OR can one reach Leh on the same day. We are in our early sixties, but more or less physically fit. What are the traveling options? Share taxis available? What will be the cost per head ? what time do they depart from Srinagar usually and from where ?
Do you have any contact numbers of any shared taxi drivers or agency?
Thanks in advance.. Sharmila
It is highly recommended to break the journey at KArgil. Not only you will get break from 16 hrs journey but also you will be able to acclimatize better before reaching Leh and enjoy more of sightseeing instead of worrying about reach Leh. You should read: How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport
Thanks for the advice. We will have a night halt at Kargil. Next day we plan to take the Batalik Dha Indus Valley Route instead of the Srinagar-Leh highway. Will stop at Lamaru monastery and confluence of Indus-Zanskar, before reaching Leh
Doing all this in one day could be a bit tiring or you will just be touching the place and running to reach the destination.
Dear Dheeraj,
Website for HPTDC is updated as,
http://hptdc.in/index.php/manali-leh-manali-deluxe-bus-schedule/
Thanks
Thank you Yogesh for sharing the updated info.
which is the best way to reach leh/ladakh, whether it from manali or from srinagar
Firstly, I will suggest you that please plan it in other direction as going via Srinagar – Leh Highway will be much much easier on your body and help you acclimatize to the high altitude of Manali – Leh Highway. Also, it allows you to enjoy the beauty of Manali – Leh by splitting the journey almost evenly in two days which is very difficult in the other direction. Thirdly, it will allow you to fit Tso Moriri lake into the itinerary in better way. You can read more reasons on the link here
hi,
thanks for a great deal of information, it was extremely helpful…i’m planning to do lamayuru to padum trek and i have three questions…1. do i take a leh-kargil bus to get dropped at lamayuru or there’s any other option there!?…2. how long does it take to reach lamayuru by bus!?…3. do i get a bus back from padum to leh!?…
thanks once again…
angshu…
Yes Angshu, yes you need to take Leh – Kargil bus to get a drop to Lamayuru. Shared taxis to Lamayuru will also be available. It will take about 4-5 Hrs to reach Lamayuru from Leh in a bus. No direct bus from Padum to Leh. You need to take the bus from Padum to Kargil OR shared taxi which is more frequent. Then, Kargil to Leh bus will follow.
Thanks for all the posts. Really helpful. Me and my husband are planning Ladak in July and want to book bus from Leh to Delhi. Can I know how I can book it online ?
Hi Aanya,
You can visit the HRTC website to book the basic public transport bus from Leh to Manali or Leh to Manali to Delhi. Or you can go to HPTDC website and book a semi deluxe bus from Leh to Manali that costs Rs 2900 including stay at Keylong and then book volvo to travel from Manali to Delhi.
Hii.. Do all state roadways buses will start plying from July 1 , as i am planning to take a solo trip from June 20 by bus ? Will I be able to get any bus service from Manali ?
Yes Sumit, HRTC buses have already started plying from Manali / Delhi / Keylong.
Hi Dheeraj,
You are a rare gem!!!! encouraging ordinary people (like me -without means) to quench the thirst of their wondering souls.
I visited Tirthan valley last year after reading one of your write up and yes I did stay at Raju’s cottage. Mr. Raju and his entire family (including cats and dogs) were incredible. I was low on cash but their generosity left me speechless…… (Another tale)
And now I want to go to Leh by this HRTC bus in July mid week. I will be traveling solo and have a tight budget. How many days will it take to cover Leh and Ladakh. Any possibility of weather becoming bad? Are there any good hostels available for travelers?
Thanks again for your guidance!!!!
Thank you Deepika, I am glad this blog is of such help in planning your trip !! Raju Bharti and family always rock, they are the pioneers no matter what and who comes there…
I will suggest that you read the entire article dedicated on this topic at: How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport
Hey Deepika,
I’m also planning a solo trip to ladakh in August and I’ve been trying to gather some info on how to make it a budget trip. After your travels, if you find the time, I hope you can briefly share your experiences, specially about traveling from place to place within ladakh using buses or shared taxis. It would be a great help. Thanks and wish you a memorable and fun trip!
Supriya
Supriya, you can also read: How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport and Top 10 Tips for a Solo Trip to Ladakh or Spiti Valley
Hi Dheeraj,
I could not find the answer in the comments so I will ask. The bus I see on the pictures look awfully uncomfortable for a 35 hour ride. I expect those are not sleepers. Only the deluxe bus starting on 1st of July has this?
Sam
Yes Sam, those are HRTC buses and the semi-deluxe HPTDC bus starts from Manali on 1st July and has a bus fare of Rs 2900.
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