Every year we get the same enquiry in March: we want to do Ladakh in May, is that possible? The honest answer is yes, and also that it is the month where most trips go wrong.
What is actually open when
Leh itself is reachable by air year round. That is not the constraint. The constraint is the passes, and they open on their own schedule: Khardung La to Nubra usually from late May, Chang La to Pangong from mid-May, and the Manali–Leh road not reliably until early June. If your itinerary lists Pangong in the second week of May, ask the operator what happens if the pass is shut.
June to September is the real season
June and July are the safest months for a full circuit — Nubra, Pangong and the Indus valley all open, long daylight, and the roads properly cleared. August brings some rain to the Zanskar side. September is our own favourite: the crowds thin, the light is extraordinary, and the passes are still open until early October.
The three days that decide everything
Ladakh sits between 3,000 and 5,300 metres. The single biggest predictor of whether you enjoy the trip is what you do on days one to three. We build every Ladakh itinerary the same way: land in Leh, then do almost nothing for 48 hours. Short walks in the old town, Shey and Thiksey in the afternoon, early nights. It feels like wasted time until day four, when you are the only person in your group without a headache.
Anyone with heart or lung conditions should speak to a doctor before booking, and we will tell you plainly if we think the altitude is unwise.
What we would book
Ten to fourteen nights: three in Leh acclimatising, two in Nubra, one or two at Pangong, then the Indus valley for Alchi and Lamayuru, with a spare day held back for a closed road. If you have longer, cross to Spiti and come out through Kinnaur.
