How to Effectively Spend the First 48hrs in Leh Ladakh?

Last updated on October 2nd, 2024 at 08:59 am

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Your First 48 hours in Leh Ladakh will be crucial. Eventually, that will influence your remaining journey.

Additionally, I hold no doubt you must be aware of the Acclimatization in Leh for 48 hours before moving to a higher altitude. Sincerely, that is a concern.

But is 2 Days of Acclimatization Required in Leh?

It’s undoubtedly required.

Let me share an instance:

I had an early morning Flight to Leh from Delhi, and honestly, I couldn’t sleep the whole night. However, I assumed that I would get to sleep for some time, at least at the Airport before the Flight.

But I remained sleepless for the whole night. 

Furthermore, the Flight landed in Leh at around 9:00 a.m.

Notably, the Initial Day in Leh was for complete rest. But, I was not on office leave, so I had to work on the Laptop for some time. At around 2p.m, I got free and then went to sleep for about 1-2hr approx.

Afterward, I proceeded to eat something.

So, the whole plan of telling you this is—to rest completely the very first Day—Get enough sleep, and dine on time, most importantly.

I couldn’t sleep the previous night before landing in Leh, which made me feel unpleasant.

Then, I thoroughly slept at night and woke up the next Day. Honestly, I felt relaxed and active.

However, you can view the same on the official website of Leh Ladakh regarding 2 days of Acclimatization.

Web Story

You can view the Web Story regarding the 48hrs in Leh Ladakh.

What to do in the First 24hrs in Leh?

Unquestionably, rest completely, and give your body time to adjust to Ladakh’s climate. In addition, dine on regular time.

Although, if you are feeling okay, then, in the evening, you can visit Leh market. But, of course, the distance to Leh market will entirely depend on your place of stay.

Again, I recommend staying near the Leh market if you fancy shopping and seeing a lively environment.

Leh Market

It’s a vast market; you can also call it Leh Mall Road.

From all the places I visited in the mountains, I genuinely haven’t seen any site that spread like the Leh market. So I am sure your evening will be joyful, and you won’t feel bored.

Furthermore, the streets are so eye-grabbing that you can’t stop getting yourself clicked. In addition, multiple big light lamps in Leh market and the Ladakhi prayer flags hunged over provide an exquisite feel.

If you want to dine, as you know, you’ll get a little high-priced compared to the shops outside the Leh main market.

Also, that would be the first day of your Leh Ladakh trip, and you won’t be engaged in purchasing something to take home, correct?

Thus, let’s move forward.

Bike Rent in Leh

When all things are done, in the end, don’t forget to Rent a Bike in Leh for the next Day.

However, you’ll come across multiple Bike rental shops if you are wandering the Leh market. But, also, ensure you reach before 8-9p.m as I have experienced that the Bike rental offices were usually closed by then.

Which Bike Do I Recommend After Experiencing Leh Ladakh?

For the Leh Ladakh journey, my cousin picked the Himalayan, and we explored Ladakh on it. So, likewise, I recommend Royal Enfield Himalayan 411CC. Moreover, I feel it’s the most suitable Bike for Ladakh specifically to drive through the high mountain passes.

Seriously, it would be best to take a Bike the Day earlier.

Besides, if you bargain a little, you may get the RE Himalayan 411CC for Rs. 2000 daily. In addition, you must review the Bike before renting.

Also, sharing your Itinerary with the Bike rental providers would be suitable, so they can prominently guide you and share their tips on driving to the routes.

For example, We want to take the Bike to Turtuk and have shared our Itinerary with the Bike providers. So, they guided us that the Khardungla road is well built and smooth, but there’s a little off-roading as you reach North Pullu. So, that helped prepare the mindset.

Even you’ll get a Biker’s association slip from the Bike Providers when renting, which needs to be shown along with the permit before the Khardungla Pass.

Petrol Pumps in Leh

You wouldn’t feel any concern in finding the Petrol Pump in Leh because whenever you plan to go out of Leh, you’ll spot the Petrol Pump.

But, as you already know, the remaining Petrol stays kept in the Bike. So, it would help if you do some calculations on distances or the most sensible thing, share your Itinerary at the Petrol filling station, and they can guide you on how much Petrol would suffice for your bike journey back.

Documents Required to Rent a Bike in Leh

You’ll need to provide your Driving License and an Identity Card. The Bike provider will keep the Identity card and return the Driving License.

Additionally, it depends on the association to association whether you have to pay the total amount in advance or half before and half after.

Day – 2

4 Places to Visit Nearby Leh on a Bike

From your 2nd Day, you can begin your journey of visiting places in Leh Ladakh on a Bike.

Notably, you won’t go to high-altitude places, but you can explore plenty of attractions nearby in Leh.

I insist you plan the Day to Visit Monasteries of Leh Ladakh on Bike. Ultimately, the well-known and essential Monasteries are far from Leh City, so you need to set your alarm to 5 a.m. to utilize this Day effectively.

• You have your Bike ready.

Now, you need to wake up Early.

1. Thiksey Monastery

Thiksey Monastery stands 20km away from Leh city. So ultimately, on your Bike, you can straightforwardly cover this space in around 50 mins.

Eventually, you will spot Thiksey Monastery almost 1-2 km before arriving as it is located on the hilltop.

Why Visit the Monasteries in the Early Morning?

In Monasteries, you can attend the daytime prayers that monks regularly do. 

Furthermore, don’t try to rush to visit every Monastery in the early morning. Indeed, you’ll be left seeing nothing because the important Monasteries are located very far from each other.

When you step towards Thiksey Monastery, undoubtedly, Breathtaking views and the Divine feeling will be the foremost thing that comes to your mind.

The beautifully painted buildings that stand next to each other appear more pretty in the bright daylight. Naturally, though, I spent a lot of time photographing the surroundings.

But, as I proceeded, indeed, the indoors were eye-grabbing too.

I noticed the batch of shoes of individuals kept at a specific place before the stairs. That made me curious. Therefore, I removed the boots and climbed the stairs.

With every step forward, the voices became clear.

I could see a big dim room where monks were present, and some tourists were seated behind them.

Besides, if you want to do photography inside, you shouldn’t use artificial light that disturbs the monk’s practice. Therefore, you have to be in complete silence mode.

Hence, I also got seated behind. Outsiders couldn’t tell what the monks were chanting, but you could feel the religious sentiments. Again, though, I sat there for some time and captured the moments.

It was almost 9:00 a.m. when I left the Thiksey Monastery. However, the following location to visit remained scheduled—Hemis Monastery.

2. Hemis Monastery

The Hemis Monastery is an additional 20 km from Thiksey Monastery and almost 40 km from Leh city. Although the drive to Hemis is mesmerizing, a straight road with accompanying mountains and the Indus river.

Likewise, if you begin earlier in the morning, though you feel hungry, next to Hemis is an eatery place—Thank me later.

Notably, the entry fee for Hemis Monastery is Rs. 100 per person.

So, you can visit the following spots in Hemis Monastery:

1. Main Assembly Hall
2. Second Main Assembly Hall
3. Old Temple (1st Floor)
4. Museum
5. Butter lamp offering room
6. Main Courtyard
7. Guru Lhakhang (2nd Floor)
8. Tsom Lhakhang (2nd Floor)
9. Ka Chupa (3rd Floor)

Indeed, the surroundings of Hemis Monastery were captivating.

To visit the Hemis Museum,

• firstly, you must remove your shoes,
• then, afterward, keep your belongings in a safe locker that is present there—no mobile phones and cameras will be allowed inside the museum.

The museum has historical culture and religious artifacts that you understand when you spend quality time there.

Hemis Monastery buildings have lovely colors and designs likewise to Thiksey, so I created a scene in mind and would fancy clicking the monk passing by.

Though I waited for some time, a monk passed by that white background, and I snapped the moment.

Also, I told my cousin’s brother to photograph me the same way. So he stood there with the camera pointing, and I passed by the white background—my wish fulfilled.

Furthermore, while admiring the Monastery, I eyed the rooftop and, without waiting, I proceeded to see the eye-grabbing landscape.

I remained glad to utilize the additional time on the rooftop, where I got some nice shots of the school students’ building. Indeed the students stood outside in preparation before Independence Day.

So, I have applied all symmetry—and geometry in the beautiful Ladakh because this place holds nature’s most pleasant equation.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the Monks praying in Hemis, but I saw them in Thiksey Monastery. Likewise, as I expressed before, if you ran to see everything, you would remain to see nothing.

I had a considerably good time in Hemis Monastery before returning.

But you will also spot Shey Palace in between. So, I was determined to go on returning to Leh.

3. Shey Palace

I assumed there would also be a ticket to visit the Shey Palace because every exquisite thing has a price tag. Also, from earlier experiences, the price to visit Palaces is high—for example, Udaipur’s – City Palace, where you have to spend almost Rs. 1000 on a ticket.

But, interestingly, there’s no entrance fee to see the Shey Palace. In addition, the views are spectacular from there. No Doubt, in any elevated place you stand, the scenery would always be stunning in Ladakh.

The Shey Palace also has the Shey Monastery. So, we haven’t gone to the Monastery because all our time previously went to the two Monasteries. So, instead, we explored the outer.

I can also assume that you would indeed become tired till then—likewise, I also became exhausted and, in addition, hungry.

So, straightforwardly our visit to the Shey Palace lasted shortly, and we headed towards our Homestay in Leh.

I Took Rest for Some Time

It would be best to rest adequately so your body can relax and prepare for future explorations in Ladakh.

Likewise, you need to follow your daily routine for dining.

On the very first day in Leh, my routine broke off very early,

• Neither do I have sufficient sleep
• Neither do I have the daily dining routine

That resulted—in my body becoming tired. Hence, the solution was to dine and sleep as scheduled day-to-day.

4. Shanti Stupa in the Evening

Shanti Stupa stands on a hilltop and has a congested parking space. Therefore, arriving by car would not be an ideal situation. In addition, Shanti Stupa has an entry fee of Rs. 10 per person.

Witnessing Sunset from an elevated place is soulful—but pray that rain won’t hurt your sightseeing.

Indeed, that is precisely what happened that day.

I planned to visit Shanti Stupa for the Sunset, but the weather turned the opposite and became overcast.

Regardless, I went to Shanti Stupa with the thought of getting some fantastic shots on an overcast day. But, sooner it started raining—thanks to Umbrella.

Only my cousin and I remained on the Shanti Stupa with Umbrellas, and all the sightseers were gone.

Shortly, the shower stopped, and the day became pleasant for exploration without Umbrella again.

Does it Rain Very Much in Leh Ladakh?

Before going on to the Leh Ladakh journey, I was concerned with this topic as it may hurt the plan. But then, after researching online, I became confident that it doesn’t rain much in Leh Ladakh.

When I experienced it, it showered slightly, but for a continued time which can effortlessly make you wet. However, considering the Ladakh climate, getting drenched in any season is not advisable, even for a few minutes. That can eventually force you to become sick.

If you’re going to Ladakh in the summer, especially during August – September, you must carry an Umbrella or raincoat.

Further, you can read from the LEH mein aa gya series, Leh to Turtuk Village – What to Know Before You leave?

Conclusion

It will turn into your best decision when you step out earlier in the morning to explore Leh Ladakh. Eventually, that will give you additional time to utilize the moment effectively.

Though, before moving out, don’t forget to take proper rest on the initial day. After that, you can begin your journey within and around Leh in the following days.