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The beautiful rainy conditions at Dah
In Tourist Destinations Revisited-The Himalayas

The Dah Bheema-Leh Kargil Drass connection-the ultimate path to eternal bliss in splendid Himalyas-Moonland Lamayuru and peaceful Aryan Valley

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Dah Bheema-must has not heard about it. Right?What if I say it’s the most peaceful region in the Kargil-Leh section with gushing river waters flowing by. Tempting-isn’t it! Lamayuru-yes you must have heard it for its famous moon-like landscape, and a huge monastery-along with Mulbekh aren’t to be missed at any cost! Drass, one of the coldest regions, has all-time significance in the Kargil war of 1999 with the Line of Control that runs closely along with Kargil. All the places described above aren’t to be missed!

5 Reasons why the Kargil-Leh region is worth a visit:

  • Dah-Hanu and tranquility are synonymous with one other. The peaceful ambiance with high flow gushing waters in Dah makes this place even more enchanting. Worthy of 2-3 days visit for having one of the most me-time momen
The beautiful rainy conditions at Dah
The beautiful rainy conditions at Dah
  • Lamayuru is known for its ‘lunar’ landscape and encompasses a beautiful humongous monastery. Not surprisingly, “moonscape” (also called moorland) is what Lamayuru puts on your plate for you!. Yuru Kab Great and Hemis Tse Chu are two big festivals celebrated at Lamayuru monastery during the Tibetan lunar calendar’s second (2) and fifth(5) months.
  • For trekking enthusiasts, there’s the 20-day trans-Himalaya trekking from Lamayuru to Darcha in Zanskar and a five-day short trek to Wanla. Wanla Gompa is known for its peaceful environment, studded with a rich landscape.
The beautiful moonland landscape at Lamayuru
The beautiful moonland landscape at Lamayuru
  • Mulbekh is known for a 30 ft tall single limestone rock made by Maitreya Buddha or Future Buddha. The Maitreya Buddha overlooks the national highway of Leh-Srinagar and is a beautiful masterpiece!

Location: Mulbekh is closest to Kargil(About 40 km), whereas Lamayuru falls somewhere between Leh and Kargil(100 km). Dah-Hanu is a tangential route to Kargil from Leh and its distance (160 km from Leh). Drass is around 70 km ahead of Kargil on Leh Srinagar National Highway.

Maitreya Buddha at Mulbekh
Maitreya Buddha at Mulbekh

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Dah-Hanu, a part of the Aryan Valley, is known for its history, but this place is more about natural beauty and serenity than anything else. Dras is known for its Drass War Memorial and is a must-visit place when you come from either Sonamarg or Kargil. The Line of Control site can’t be visited, but you can see nearby places with the military watching you all over. Mulbekh and Lamayuru have their monasteries and landscape on offer on the spot. So basically, most of the places on this trip are on the way. Fatu La is a beautiful pass on the way to Kargil from Leh.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

Darcha and Wanla trekking can be done from Lamayuru. Also, Sham Valley (Alchi, Likir, etc.) can easily be visited along with this trip. Moreover, one can see Zozila and Sonamarg(60kms) from Drass, and Zanskar Valley(Padum) is about a day’s journey(approx 250 km) from Kargil.

The beautiful Sham Valley
The beautiful Sham Valley

Distance Charts:(From Kargil-considering Kargil as base Only)

  • Leh (220 km)
  • Chandigarh:( 780 km)
  • Delhi:(1030 km)
  • Padum:(230 km)
  • Keylong:(160 km via ShingoLa)
  • Kaza:(350 km)
  • Manali:(230 km)
  • Shimla :(470 km)
  • Jammu :(480 km)
  • Srinagar:(200 km)
  • Drass:(65 km)
  • Dah Hanu Beema:(95 km(-190 km from Leh))
  • Lamayuru:(105 km)
The evenings of Ladakh
The evenings of Ladakh

How to Reach Drass(Ex Leh):

Road Routes:

1) Leh-Nimmoo-Basgo-Saspul-Khalsi-Lamayuru-Khangral-Mulbekh-Kargil-Dras

2) Leh-Nimmoo-Basgo-Saspul-Khalsi-Skurbuchan-Dah-Khangral-Lamayuru-Khangral-Mulbekh-Kargil-Dras
The beautiful city of Drass

The beautiful city of Drass
The beautiful city of Drass

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)For seeing Lamayuru/LOC/draws and Mulbekh, please prefer a private vehicle; otherwise, be prepared to hitchhike or spend hours waiting for that elusive bus to arrive from nowhere!

2)Dah-Hanu gets cold in the rains(when I was there, rains happened). So, have a raincoat/light woolen waterproof jacket with you.

3)Dah-Beema section has the problem of food and petrol refilling at regular junctures. Getting vehicles are not easy, even if the public is less. So, take a buffer of one day and carry surplus petrol/snacks with you.

4)Buses can be recommended with shared cars. But don’t shy away from standing long hours for public transport. Time taken will be three days even with public transport, provided the weather is good, and people are there to travel.

5)Avoid photography in the LOC area by any means. Military watch all over the place.

Beautiful City of Kargil
Beautiful City of Kargil

RAIL: Railways is upto Srinagar in parts from the Jammu side and upto Shimla from the Manali side.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth it…

AIR: Leh/Srinagar are the nearest airports to Kargil/Aryan Valley.

ROAD: You first need to come to Leh through Rohtang Pass(June onwards) from Manali or Srinagar via Zozila Pass. After this, you can either get a shared car through an agent or go by a once-a-week state transport bus.

If you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh, the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety, which will take three days with a one-day halt at Keylong to acclimatize. Even from the Jammu side, it will take three days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily. From Leh/Srinagar, frequent morning shared cars/buses are there for Kargil.

Map:

Lamayuru Mulbekh Dah Dras Circuit trip
Lamayuru – Mulbekh – Kargil – Dras – Dah – hanu – leh map

Time to Visit:

Early June to Mid-October (Rains are scanty, if any, then Dah Hanu side has)

Lamayuru Monastery
Lamayuru Monastery

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple

Food and Lodging:

Hotels can be found in Leh and Kargil, with very few in Dah and Lamayuru. Dras isn’t expected to have hotels. For food and all, guest houses in Dah and hotels in Leh/Kargil have options, but on the way, especially in Dah, route-chances of getting food options are less, if not anything-better and water at all times. Goibibo, Makemytrip, and Easemytrip if you want a booking in Dah/Kargil/Leh.Zomato and Swiggy can only be used for food bookings in Leh.

Expense:

For a three-day trip by state transport to Dah, followed by Lamayuru/Mulbekh the next day and Dras the day after, the following is the expense summary:

Kargil War Memorial,Drass
Kargil War Memorial,Drass


Food: INR 150/person/day(3 times a day)X3

Transport: INR 150 INR by bus( car will cost approx 3000 INR/head)from Leh to Dah and Dah to Kargil is another INR 150; Kargil to Lamayuru can better be done by Pvt car to save hassle (2000-2500 INR from Dah/Kargil-drop at Kargil); a bus might be available with shared cars to Dras from Kargil but returning and going around LOC means you need a private car (2000 INR approx)

Lodging: INR 700/day X2 at (Two-night stay-one at Dah and other at Kargil )

Entry Fees include various places (varies): At Drass Memorial and Lamayuru(assume 100 per head in INR)

Gushing waters at Dah on a rainy evening

Total: 4000 INR(Can go upto to 10500 INR if a private car is availed)

Gushing waters at Dah on a rainy evening
Gushing waters at Dah on a rainy evening

Nearby Attractions(Kargil)

Fatu La
Fatu La
Gautam Buddha at Lamayuru
Gautam Buddha at Lamayuru
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Landscape around Tso Moriri
In Tourist Destinations Revisited-The Himalayas

Tso Moriri-A more enticing tourist destination than Pangong Tso

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Tso Moriri-A lake has a much more mild effect with beauty unmatched, quiet romantic too – not to forget it’s less visited compared to Pangong Tso and hence you’ll find this place more memorable if you are a peace nature lover!

5 reasons why you must visit Tso Moriri(Lake):

  • If peace and beauty are the pair you are looking for; you are at the right place!-Less crowded, more beautiful, and more memorable than the lakes in the vicinity.
Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri in the month of June
  • The lake changes its color throughout the day, season after season-You won’t get tired watching this unparalleled miracle! It’s worth spending a day or two sitting beside the lake, watching it change colors.
Sunset in Tso Moriri
Sunset in Tso Moriri(Dusk Time)
  • (Dusk Time)Tso Moriri is at an altitude(15000 ft) higher than Pangong Tso and is more beautiful because this is a wildlife conservation area -you may encounter Tibetan wild ass, marmots, and several migratory birds-so many reasons to turn on your DSLR or your mobile cam-Right!
  • Tsomoriri, lapped and nestled in the Changthang area, is the largest of the High Altitude Lakes(HAL)in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region. 

Location: Tso Moriri or Moriri Lake is 220 km southeast of Leh, about 6 hours drive by a private or shared car and 8-9 hours by state-run buses.

Tso Moriri Lake
Tso Moriri Lake as it is…

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Tso Moriri is a place I can’t forget – it’s so scenic and beautiful that you can’t forget! The beautiful reflection of orange sky and gold kissed snow caps on the still Tso Moriri is a view not to be missed. There’s wildlife too so you may be lucky to see some birds by the lakeside and some marmots! A 2-day stay at Tso Moriri is recommended.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

You can visit Hunder, Pangong Tso, Hanle, Khardungla, and Turtuk within a radius of 400 km.

On the way to Tso Moriri
En route to Tso Moriri

Distance Charts:(From Tso Moriri)

View of hotel from Tso Moriri
View of hotels and village from Tso Moriri Lake

How to Reach Tso Moriri(Ex Leh):

Road Routes:

Leh-Shey-Thiksey-Hemis-Upshi-Kiari-Chumathang-Karzok-Tso Moriri Lake viewpoint

Tso Moriri lake in morning
Tso Moriri lake in morning

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1) Travel by shared car and spend some time in Tso Moriri. Traveling by Bus makes you bound to return by the next day to Leh (as Bus runs once a week on this route ), and you can’t enjoy it much. Trust me; this place at least needs a whole day!

2)Have a thick woolen jacket for Tso Moriri because, even in June, you’ll feel sub-zero temperatures from dusk itself upto say 8-9 am. It’s pretty chilly by the lakeside!

3) Prefill vehicle oil tanks as petrol pumps are less numbered.

4)Since restaurants are few on the way, it’s better to have food and water with you.
Roads are not that great. All over dusty, but the scenery around compensates for the bad roads. Buses aren’t a great option, but it’s damn cheap!!!

Cattle grazing on field on way to Tso Moriri
Cattle grazing on field on my way to Tso Moriri

RAIL:Railways is a possibility upto Jammu or Shimla after which it’s all on roads.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth…

AIR:Leh is the nearest airport for Tso Moriri.

ROAD:You first need to come to Leh either through Rohtang Pass(June onwards) from Manali side or from Srinagar side via Zozila Pass. After this, you can either get a shared car through an agent or go by once a week state transport bus.

In case you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh, the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety, which will take 3 days with a one-day halt at Keylong to acclimatize. Even from Jammu side, it will take 3 days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily.

Map:

Tso Moriri Map from leh to Tso Moriri by Road route
The road map to Tso Moriri.You can get to Hanle or Pangong as well from Tso Moriri

Time to Visit:

Early June to Mid-October (There are no rains in June through September here).

River Indus
River Indus on way to Tso Moriri

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple

Food and Lodging:

Hotels are in good numbers and readily available due to less tourist inflow. The hotel pricing is cheap (500 INR in June, which is peak season), and food in these hotels is also available at a reasonable cost. Booking as such isn’t necessary for Tso Moriri accommodation. Have food and water on your bucket list as that will be scarce on the way to Tso Moriri from Leh(You’ll find a few hotels on the way, though!). Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip if you want a booking. Zomato and swiggy can be used for food bookings!

Expense:

For a 2-day trip by state transport to Tso Moriri, with one night stay at Tso Moriri, the cost was as follows:

Landscape around Tso Moriri
Landscape around Tso Moriri


Food: INR 150/person/day(3 times a day)X2

Transport: INR 350 INR by bus(Shared car will cost approx 3000 INR/head)

Lodging: INR 500/day X1 at Tso Moriri (one night stay)

Entry Fees include various places (varies): No entry fees

Blue sheep or bharal on the way to Tso Moriri

Blue sheep or bharal (napo)
Blue sheep or bharal on way to Tso Moriri

Total: 1750 INR(Can go upto to 4500 INR if a shared car is availed)

Nearby Attractions(Tso Moriri) (30-40 kmph is expected speed of vehicle)

Afternoon in Tso Moriri
Afternoon in Tso Moriri
Grassland in Tso Mrori
Grassland in Tso Mrori
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In Tourist Destinations Revisited-The Himalayas

Pangong Tso And Hanle-an Enticing Offer You Will Grab For Sure

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You must have heard these movies, and many would have watched this movie-3, idiot!What about Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Jab tak hai Jaan…Did you know some scenes of these movies were shot in Pangong lake itself! That indicates the beauty of this place, which attracts thousands of people every year to Pangong Lake, and it remains a must-visit spot for most of the tourists who come to Leh. The bonfire camping and the clear waters with the sunset reflecting on the lake are some memories you’ll take along forever. And yes, the colors of the lake change from day to day and are seasonal, basis-something not to be missed at all. Ahh, what about watching the Milky Way from Hanle in a clear night sky! The Milky Way view is a real treat for those who visit Hanle. What are you all waiting for, folks! Get a flight to Leh and go for a joyful roller coaster…

Reasons why you must visit Hanle and Pangong Tso(Lake):

  • Do you love the night sky full of stars ?? If yes, fly to Hanle and stare all night at the clear crystal sky, which would make your night!
Pangong Lake as it is!
  • Do you know there are different colors of Pangong as seasons change? Yes, that is true.. interesting enough to visit this place!
  • What about the sunset views by the lakeside and couple with snow-capped mountains? You don’t want to miss them, right!Hop into Pangong Tso region…
An enchanting landscape of Ladakh
  • Camping Ummm, I almost forgot! A bonfire? How’s the idea. Crazy right! What are you waiting for? Pack your bags, rush to Pangong Lake, and set up a bonfire beside it!
  • A winter experience in summers.!!Yes, you heard it right! You’ll feel chills in the wind both at Pangong and Hanle. So don’t hesitate to bring your woolen jacket!

Location: Both Hanle and Pangong fall on the east part of Ladakh UT.250 odd kilometers east of Leh, and you hop in these two places but do remember both places are 300 km apart! So set aside four days, and you are good to go!

Pangong Tso- where tranquility rules!

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Pangong Tso offers a plethora of beauty with crystal clear waters unto which the reflection of snow-capped mountains happens. The sunrise and sunset are not to be missed. Hanle is known for clear skies, which help see the milky way galaxy. It’s just a treat to watch at clear midnight. Also, there’s a monastery in Hanle.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

You can visit Khardungla (Pass), Hunder, Tso Moriri, and Turtuk within a radius of 300 km.

En route to Pangong Tso

Distance Charts:(Ex Pangong tso | Ex Hanle)

A hotel view of Pangong Tso

How to Reach Pangong Tso(Ex Leh):

Road Routes:

Leh-Shey-Karu-Changla Pass-Tangtse-Phobrang-Pangong Tso

Monastery in Hanle

How to Reach Hanle(Ex Leh):

Road Routes:

Leh-Shey-Karu-Upshi-Kiari-Chumathang-Mahe-Mood-Hanle

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)The night sky at Hanle is worth a watch(the only reason to be here), but do see weather predictions for overcast conditions beforehand.

2)Have a thick woolen jacket for Hanle and Pangong Lake because, even in June, you’ll see sub-zero temperatures in the night and early morning as soon as Sun says goodbye or hasn’t knocked on nature’s door!

3) Prefill vehicle oil tanks as petrol pumps are less numbered.

4)Snacks and meals are scant outside Leh. So, in that case, have food and water with you.

5)Buses can be advised only if you have plenty of time to wait for the day the bus will go to the destination. The buses run once a week to these places and return the next day. Hence if you are short on time, share a car ride with fellow passengers.

RAIL:Railways aren’t an option to reach Hanle or Pangong Lake .You can reach Jammu or Chandigarh by rail and after that,you are all on highways.

AIR:Leh is the nearest airport after which shared cars/buses can only take you to these two places.

ROAD:You first need to come to Leh either through Rohtang Pass(June onwards) from Manali side or from Srinagar side via Zozila Pass.After this,you can either get a shared car through an agent or go by once a week state transport bus.

In case you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh,the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety , which will take 3 days with a one day halt at Keylong to acclimatize.Even from Jammu side,it will take 3 days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily.

Map:

Map of Leh to Pangong Lake and Hanle
Map of Leh to Pangong Lake and Hanle

Time to Visit:

Mid June to Mid October(There’s no rains in june through September here).

Excellent camping facilities at Pangong Tso

Spend Time With:

Family,Friends,Solo,Couple,Groups

Food and Lodging:

Hotels will be available in both places, but Hanle might be having trouble due to fewer accommodation facilities. However, the hotel prices are reasonable, and food in these hotels is also available reasonably. Except for Pangong Tso, prebooking is advised on the online portal for Hanle and Leh, especially for peak season(June to September/October). Food is hardly available in transit except for Chumathang, for example. So, have food and water in your bags. Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip if you want a booking. Zomato and swiggy can be used for food bookings!

Expense:

This was a 4 day (1.5 days actual * 2) trip by shared car for Pangong Tso and state bus for Hanle. There were 2 night stays at Leh as for both the places weren’t covered in a circuit.

Journey to Hanle


Food:INR 200/person/day(3 times a day)X4
Transport:INR 1500 for booking a shared car for local sight seeing (would be 300 INR by bus) .Hanle covered by state bus at INR 300 approx
Lodging:INR 700/day X2 @ Leh,X1 @ Pangong, X1@Hanle
Entry Fees includes various places (varies):No entry fees

A mamot posing at camera near Pangong Lake

Total: 7000 INR( Can be brought down to 4500 INR by public transport and cheap food/lodging)

Nearby Attractions(Pangong Tso | Hanle)

Hanle Obervatory
Hanle Obervatory
A banner at Pangong Lake
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Zanskar and Indus Rivers
In Tourist destinations in Beautiful Himalayas

Sham Valley: A mesmerizing place you can’t resist being in!

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When you come down to Leh, you must be asking this question to yourself as to why you must include Sham Valley in the bucket list for holidays at Leh!!!

5 Reasons why you must visit Sham Valley:

  • Beautiful Landscape-The typical upper Himalayan landscape is not to be missed.
  • Nimmu is one of the most beautiful places around Leh and in Sham valley that you will remember. The confluence of a river in gray and other in green is so pleasant to watch.
  • Magnetic Hill-A driver’s paradise where you see vehicles defy the law of gravity.
Magnetic Hill near Nimoo
Magnetic Hill near Nimoo
  • The monasteries here are plenty and are located in tranquil places where you’ll get peace of mind.
  • Hemis Sukpachan-No,you can’t miss on this one.The scenery around is beautiful and you’ll feel lost in an unknown world,Trust me,you’ll love it if you are on a solo trip to Ladakh.
Nimoo-Conflunce of River Zanskar and River Indus
Nimoo-Conflunce of River Zanskar and River Indus

Location  :  Leh is located somewhere on the right side of Kashmir UT (Ladakh UT).It is a junction between Srinagar and Manali which are anywhere around 500 kms away from Leh.Sham Valley is on the left to Leh towards Kargil side(West of Leh)

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Sham Valley has lot to offer especially when it comes to monasteries and ancient ruins and therefore you shouldn’t miss on this when you are in .Magnetic Hill,Guru Nanak Pathar Sahib,Nimmoo,Rizong gompa ,Alchi , Likir ,Ney Monasteries,Basgo Palace,Hemis Sukpachan are the main attractions in the Sham Valley.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

You can visit Lamayuru and Drass on the way to Kargil.If you are heading elsewhere,why not try going to Khardungla or Pangong Tso (Lake) or Tso Mrori or Hanle for night sky!!

Hemis Sukpachan-A place you register in your mind as a must visit!

Distance Charts:

Rizong Monastery
Rizong Monastery

How to Reach Leh:

Road Routes:

The possible road routes are:

From Jammu side: Delhi-Pathankot-Jammu-Udhampur-Banihal-Verinag-Srinagar-Sonamarg-Dras-Kargil-Lamayuru-Leh

A dam near Alchi Monastery

Manali Side : Delhi-Ambala-Shimla-Kullu-Manali-Keylong-Pang-Leh

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)Visit hemis sukpachan for sure by paying a bit extra as its not there in taxi rate list and its so beautiful place

2)Pre fill vehicle oil tanks as petrol pumps are less numbered.

3)Snacks and meals are scant outside leh.So have food and water with you.

4)Buses can be opted but its not suggested as many places are located in remote and interior regions.Better book a car through an agent.

Buddha Statue at Likir

RAIL:Unfortunately,to reach Leh-Rail isn’t the option.You can reach Jammu or Chandigarh by rail thereafter which you are all by road transport Only.

AIR:Leh is the nearest airport and from there,only road transport can help you.

ROAD:You can come to Leh easily after month of May through Rohtang Pass from Manali side or from Srinagar side via Zozila Pass.

In case you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh,the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety , which will take 3 days with a one day halt at Keylong to acclimatize.Even from Jammu side,it will take 3 days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily.

Map:

Sham Valley-Places to visit(MAP)-{Credit:Vargis khan}
Sham Valley-Places to visit(MAP)-{Credit:Vargis khan}

Time to Visit:

Mid June to Mid October(There’s no rains in june through September here).

Top view from Likir Monastery

Spend Time With:

Family,Friends,Solo

Food and Lodging:

For hotels prefer staying in Leh .There’s plenty of them but hard to get in peak season(June-July).I mostly do booking on spot whatever happens and hence saves me a bunch.Booking before from various apps like Goibibo or Makemytrip or Yatra might help in peak seasons otherwise go ,bargain,book is my advice.Usually travel agents will you with this trip if you want it quick and hassle free;else private buses are there to help you to reach a few places but do note that the connectivity is not so good.Food is not available everywhere.So keep food and water handy.

Expense:

This was a single day full day trip by pvt car.

Basgo Ruins-Basgo Palace
Basgo Ruins-Basgo Palace


Food:INR 250/person/day(3 times a day)X1
Transport:INR 4500 for booking a car for local sight seeing.You can go by bus to a few places but this will take atleast 2 days to cover 60-70 % of the Sham Valley.Will be far cheaper ( max 1000 INR) to/fro Leh.
Lodging:INR 800/day(tends to be 1500INR in peak season)X1 @ Leh
Entry Fees includes various places (varies):INR 100/head

Another Buddha Statue near Ney
Another Buddha Statue near Ney

Total: 5650 INR( Can be brought down to 3500 INR by public transport- 2 day food and stay)

Nearby Attractions:

The Gurudwara near Magnetic Hill
The Gurudwara near Magnetic Hill
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