By road
~460 km by road from Leh via Kargil (two days); ~400 km from Manali via the Shinku La road
North India · Ladakh
Zanskar, Ladakh
A high valley of monasteries cut off half the year · ~460 km by road from Leh via Kargil (two days); ~400 km from Manali via the Shinku La road
Getting there
By rail
Jammu Tawi, the nearest railhead, ~650 km and two to three days away
By air
Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee), then two days by road via Kargil, or one long day via the Shinku La road from Manali
Best time to visit
June to September when the road passes are open; January to February for the frozen-river Chadar trek
Don't miss
Phugtal Monastery
Karsha Monastery
Stongdey Monastery
Zangla
Sani Monastery
Pensi La and the Drang-Drung glacier
Things to do
Monastery circuit from Padum
The walk to Phugtal
The Drang-Drung glacier from Pensi La
Rafting on the Zanskar river
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Tanmay Haldar · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Altitude medication and a rest day in Leh or Kargil first, warm layers even in summer, cash — there are no reliable card machines or ATMs in Padum
A quieter corner
Phugtal Monastery, built into a cliff cave above the Lungnak river and reached only on foot
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Zanskar?
June to September when the road passes are open; January to February for the frozen-river Chadar trek. What to pack: Altitude medication and a rest day in Leh or Kargil first, warm layers even in summer, cash — there are no reliable card machines or ATMs in Padum.
How do I get to Zanskar?
The nearest airport is Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee), then two days by road via Kargil, or one long day via the Shinku La road from Manali. The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi, the nearest railhead, ~650 km and two to three days away.
What is there to do in Zanskar?
Monastery circuit from Padum, the walk to Phugtal, the Drang-Drung glacier from Pensi La, rafting on the Zanskar river. A quieter find: Phugtal Monastery, built into a cliff cave above the Lungnak river and reached only on foot.
What should I eat in Zanskar?
Thukpa and momos in Padum's few eateries, butter tea in monastery kitchens, homestay meals.
About Zanskar
- Mountains
- Riverside
Where it is
Zanskar is a high, remote valley in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India, south of the Indus between the Zanskar range and the Great Himalaya, with its only town, Padum, at about 3,500 m.
History
Zanskar was a small Buddhist kingdom from the 10th century, ruled from Padum and Zangla and tied to Tibet and Guge, and later to Ladakh; its monasteries at Karsha, Phugtal, Stongdey and Sani are among the oldest in the region. A road over Pensi La reached Padum only in the 1980s, and until recently the valley was cut off every winter.
People
Zanskaris are Buddhist and speak Zanskari, a dialect close to Ladakhi, farming barley in the short summer; Padum also has a Muslim community. Villages keep to monastery festivals, and in winter, when the passes close, the frozen river was for centuries the only road out.
Known for
- Phugtal Monastery in its cliff cave
- Karsha and Stongdey monasteries
- The Chadar trek on the frozen Zanskar river
- The Drang-Drung glacier at Pensi La
Did you know?
The Chadar, the sheet of ice that forms on the Zanskar river each winter, was walked by villagers for generations as the valley's only winter route to Leh, and is now a famous trek.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.