Pangong Tso in Ladakh – An ultimate Travel Guide

First Published on August 19, 2023

The Pangong lake is a stunning lake in the Changthang region of Ladakh. This blue beauty has emerged as one of the amazing places to visit among tourists especially after the Bollywood blockbuster “3 idiots”. 

In India, one can see a lot more movies and advertisements being shot around this mesmerizing lake. The fascination that this glistening blue-colored pool encircled by the huge sand dunes and mountains made it one of the most amazing places to visit in India. 

As a matter of fact, it is about 5 km wide at its broadest point and about 134 km long with about 60% of the length extending into China. During winters, the lake freezes completely, which itself is a great sight to witness the pristine colours of the lake.

Facts about Pangong Lake

There are only a couple of cemented accommodation available around the lake and the facilities like electricity, medical aid, hot running water, western toilets, etc. are luxury in itself. The lack of oxygen makes survival difficult if your body is not properly acclimatized to its high altitude. Hence, one needs to plan his/her journey carefully to avoid acute mountain sickness.

The word Pangong is derived from the Ladakhi term Banggong and that just means “narrow and enchanted“. Its beautiful multi shades of blue color with a picturesque landscape gives this place an extremely romantic feel as shown in Bollywood film songs. 

However, sitting behind the TV, it looks so, but in reality, the place is harsh and difficult to survive especially in winters 🙂 🙂

This area of Pangong Tso is a “high grassland lake.” A very serene area which has its share of wildlife.  Well, Here are some interesting facts about it.

• Pangong Tso lake is located about 170 KMs from Leh town of Ladakh district.
• Pangong Tso lake is one of the high altitude lakes of Indian Himalayas at a staggering altitude of 4350 Meters and is the biggest of all lakes in Leh Ladakh. It’s around 134 km long and the estimated depth is around 100 m.
• The lake is surrounded by the Himalayas from all sides. You can visit only one-third of this lake from India as the remaining lies within China. 
• The Pangong Lake is linked to Indo-China relations. A large part of the lake lies in China, with only a small part in India. The reason for this is that the line of control actually passes through the lake. 
• It’s a saline lake which freezes over in the winter season.
• There are only a couple of cemented accommodations and small villages in the vicinity.
• The lack of oxygen makes survival difficult if your body is not properly acclimatized to its high altitude. Hence, one needs to plan his/her journey carefully to avoid acute mountain sickness.

Reasons to visit Pangong Lake?

Certainly, Pangong Lake shot into fame with the movie 3 idiots. However, the scenic saline lake has been a backdrop for many other Bollywood movies like Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Tashan and Sanam Re etc. Naturally so, given the pristine blue water with the mighty Himalayas around it. 

In fact, Pangong Lake is not just the landscape that you see only in movies or an important border site. It is much more as it is located in the lapse of exemplary nature. Here are some of the reasons that people visit this lake.

The ever-changing colors of the Lake

The colors of the lake changes from blue to gray green and so on. This experience is simply mesmerizing. Locals say it reveals 7 different colors throughout the year. 

The change of colors in the morning light is just the beginning of nature’s kaleidoscope. The light blue change to a deep blue. The browns and the blacks of the mountains behind the lake enraptured us with their stark contrast to this blue. As one drives around the lake, they will find that the same blue sparkles in various shades from turquoise to midnight and pale hues. If this interplay of colors was not enough, the greens of the meadows around the lake adds further vibrancy to the scene. 

Splendid reflections on the still waters of the Lake

Moreover, the one thing that you would not get enough of was the flawless reflections of the mountains on the waters of Pangong Lake. It was like watching a landscape painting on a canvas of water. The fluffy white clouds around the brown snow-capped mountains along the horizon felt as if they were just inverted along the line. In fact, You can see these everywhere – in the main lake and the brackish waters around the lake. The smallest of pools became a watery canvas around the lake. It is almost as if the place is a live gallery showcasing the best of the Lake landscapes.

Prayer stones & enchantments around the Lake

The enchanting quality of this lake was further heightened by the numerous prayer stones that you can find along its edge. Some stacked in a single pile and some in multiples. Though these were quite unlike the Mani stones that you will find all around Ladakh but they had the same calming effect. This stacking of stones signifies the coordination, balance and concentration needed in the prayer.

Best Time to Visit Pangong Lake

The best time to travel to Pangong Tso is between the months of May to October. Generally, this is the time  when the tourist season is in full flow and they flock to the shores of the Pangong Tso lake in these months.

In the months from January to March, Pangong Tso remains mostly frozen, has extremely cold conditions with no options to stay around the lake except few basic homestays in Spangmik and Man – Merak villages.

In April, the lake starts to melt and transforms into a beautiful palette of multi shades of blue colors.

Come late September and early October, the tourists start to reside as the cold begins to set in and accommodation tents start to pack up. In my opinion, this is by far the best time to visit Pangong Tso to see the full glory of beautiful shades of blue color in this lake. The colors are purely magical at this time of the year, and with less number of tourists comparatively.

Pangong Lake in Winter

After mid-October, all the accommodations start to pack up, and the only nearest place you can stay is either in some homestay with basic facilities in Spangmik or Mann village located some kms away along the lake. Well, there are some guest houses at Tangste, about 34 km away from the lake. Tangtse has few guesthouses having much better facilities to fight the cold and provide comfort in winter months. If the weather is fine, then you can make a day trip to Pangong and get back in time. 

Suggested Pangong Lake Itinerary

In fact, a lot of travelers ask me if it is possible to do a day-trip to Pangong lake from Leh. My answer is always – Yes, it is possible. You can leave early in the morning, reach Pangong by noon and leave in two hours or so to reach Leh by night. However, does that really give you a good experience at Pangong Lake? 

This is why I recommend at least one night at Pangong Lake. This is the Pangong Lake itinerary that I suggest one follows – 

• Start by 6 am from Leh, stop at either Thiksey or Hemis monastery on the way. (Alternately, any other monastery from the list give above)
• Cross Changla and reach Tangtse. Spend an hour or so here before heading straight to Pangong
• Spend the night at Pangong Lake Ladakh. 
• Plan to head back to Leh by around 12 noon the next day. You can choose to visit Spangmik the morning. This will also allow you to see the various other spots along Pangong Tso Lake. 

Generally, at least a one-night stay is preferable to truly witness the mesmerizing beauty of this blue colored saltwater lake. Of course, one night’s stay will help you watch the sunrise and sunset over the picturesque landscape and increase the charm of your vacation to a great extent. Most people, generally do:

Day 1 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake

• Start early in the morning from Leh. Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey, and Shey and reach Pangong Tso via Chang La.
• Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)

Day 2 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh

• Take the same route via Chang La and cover Hemis, Thiksey and Shey on return to Leh.
• Overnight at Leh

How to get to Pangong Lake Ladakh?

You can reach Pangong Tso lake from Leh via Chang La pass. Pangong Lake is also connected from Nubra Valley directly by the Shyok Village route and by the Wari La pass route.

Let us look at the different routes that you can use to travel to Pangong Tso from Leh town or Nubra Valley.

Route from Leh to Pangong Lake

Leh to Pangong lake distance by road via Chang La pass route is 170 km. In fact, route is preferred by most people who visit this beautiful lake in Ladakh. You can reach in about 5 – 6 Hrs depending upon the number of breaks you take in between the journey. The route along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:

You can cover Thiksey, Hemis, and Shey monasteries while going through this route. This route has the best road conditions among all other routes. So, if you are one of those who prefer a relaxing vacation and do not want to rush through places then, I will suggest making a two day trip to Pangong Tso lake via this route from Leh.

Well, I assume your body has been acclimatized properly by staying for a couple of nights in Leh and spending a night or two in Nubra Valley before attempting to sleep near Pangong Tso. If you are short on time, then you should make a day trip to Pangong Tso via this route only because it is the fastest of all.

Route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Lake

Many times tourists visit Nubra valley and want to visit Pangong tso without going back to Leh(because of limited time). Hence, they spend a day or two at Nubra valley. It is always recommended for better acclimatization. Most of them want to reach Pangong Tso from the existing two routes.   

Nubra Valley – Shyok Village – Pangong Tso

This route from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso goes from Shyok village along Shyok river and has become quite popular among tourists in the past couple of years.

It is much shorter than the Wari La route, takes about 6-7 hrs from Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso, and hence will save more time and energy. But, again, there are some landslide-prone stretches and sometimes you may have a couple of nasty water crossings of Shyok river to tackle.

So, leave early in the day from Nubra and confirm the route conditions at Diskit. If you are alone, it is better to join a few vehicles or biker’s groups to be along with them. The permits for Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley are sufficient to travel on this route. 

The route consists of these following places along:

Diskit – Khalsar – Agham – Shyok Village – Durbuk – Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik = 175 KMs

Nubra Valley – Wari La – Pangong Tso

This route goes via mighty Wari La pass, one of the remotest passes of the Ladakh region and takes about 11-12 Hrs depending upon several interim breaks you take. The route is long and rough and hence requires you to leave very early from Nubra Valley so that you reach Pangong Tso (Lukung or Spangmik) before the sun goes down.

If you are planning via Wari La route, then do check the conditions at Agham village before ascending towards it. It is a remote region, and you will hardly find any tourist or vehicle going past you. Hence, in case required, help will not be easy to find.

You do not need any special permit for the Wari La pass route and permits for Nubra Valley & Pangong Tso are sufficient for traveling on this route.

The route along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:

Diskit  – Khalsar – Agham – Tangyar – Wari La – Tathok – Sakti – Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik = 243 KMs

Do not attempt this route in the early season because firstly, Wari La might not be open(being low on priority for BRO), and secondly, the roads are not stable in the early season. So, being a remote place, any help might be hard to find.

Road Conditions and Preferred Vehicles

The higher ground clearance vehicles are preferable, and 4×4 ones would be helpful, especially for Nubra Valley – Shyok Village – Pangong Tso route. However, quite a few people do it in hatchbacks and sedans as well which depends upon your skills to drive and road conditions.

If you are riding a bike, then motorcycles with higher CC engines should be preferred like Royal Enfield 350/500, RF Himalayan, KTM 390 Adventure etc. You can hire vehicles from Leh. 

Where to stay at Pangong Lake Ladakh?

However, there is limited accommodation around Pangong Lake Ladakh. In fact, mostly there are camps on the banks of the lake. Alternatively, you can opt for the guesthouses and homestays in Spangmik or Maan village. The ones in Spangmik overlooking the lake are mostly camps while Maan village mostly consists of homestays.

I recommend staying in any of these villages depending on your preferences. These campings and homestays are highly recommended for their clean accommodation. Each tent has its own bathroom making it a lot more convenient as compared to the home stays where you have to share a common one. The food served is home cooked and fresh and hot water is readily available. It is highly recommended that you carry your own snacks and food items for your stay at Pangong Lake Ladakh. 

All these tents and homestays can be booked online using prominent booking portals. Most of them can only be booked through local agents in Leh . Approaching the homestay directly is not recommended.

Where to Eat

Being a remote place, you will either be eating in the homestay at Spangmik Village or at the camps/tents you might be staying overnight. The options of eating places at Pangong lake are fairly limited to roadside shacks, homestays, and camping sites. It is highly recommended that you carry your own food items and spare water during your stay at this extreme place. 

What should I pack for a visit to Pangong Lake?

– Clothes – Carry thermals, a down jacket(preferably a leather jacket), caps, gloves, all weather shoes and socks. Dress in layers as it is cold all through the year. 
– Cameras – Carry an extra set of batteries. They do drain fast in the weather. Chargers are a must.
– Sunglasses – Sunlight is harsh at this altitude. You definitely need a pair of UV glasses. Polaroid is even better.
– Snacks – Carry dry fruits or energy bars. Carry more water for the road and also, snacks in spare.
– Medicines – Do carry a few diamox tablets to help with any possible AMS. If you are prone to motion sickness, the same tablets works . 

What are the other important tips for Ladakh Pangong Lake?

– You will not find any ATMs near Pangong Tso lake and hence, it is always better to carry cash from Leh itself. Please ensure you have enough cash with you for the necessary settlements.

– Please be cognizant of Acute Mountain Sickness – AMS. Refer to this post for all the details. Make sure you are well-rested and hydrate constantly. At high altitude places like Pangong and Chang La, this is a very serious problem.

– Pay special attention to packing when visiting Pangong Tso. Refer to this post for all the details

– The nearest medical facility to Pangong is at Tangtse or Spangmik village.The nearest basic medical health center is at Tangste Village about 50 KMs from Spangmik village and 34 KMs from Lukung village. You can get basic first aid including Oxygen doses at some of the tents/camps,

– Nearest Petrol Pump is at Karu about 135 KMs from Pangong Tso and comes on the way to Pangong Tso from Leh. I will suggest that you top-up the fuel from Leh itself and then drive/ride up to the lake.

– Pay special attention to packing when visiting Pangong Tso. Owing to the high altitude and harsh weather, there are certain essentials that you need to carry. Also, the place is quite remote and devoid of usual shops. 

-Most of the time, you will not find any phone or mobile signals at Pangong Tso. However, you may have BSNL landlines at some of the prominent homestays and tents which remain active.

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