Festival of the Scapegoat - Dosmoche Direction Route

How to Reach Nubra Valley, India

Jeeps and buses are the only two ways which enables navigation through the region. If you want to travel on the cheap, commuting in buses is the best way to do so. However, there are limited bus services available and if you want to plan your travels in this region, it’s important to keep an eye on the schedule of the public transport. Monday through Saturday, buses leave from Diskit for Sumur at either 8:00 in the morning or 3:00 in the afternoon, which takes about two hours and costs not more than Rs. 25. If you want to reach Panamik, board the 8:00am bus from Diskit which will cost you around Rs. 45 and will arrive at the desired destination in two and a half hours. For Rs. 10, you can also travel in local buses which ply every few hours between Diskit and Hunder. If you prefer convenience over finances, you can hire a jeep from Diskit Bus Stand itself which will cost you Rs. 250 to arrive at Hunder and Rs 1035, Rs 1775 and Rs 3300 to Sumur, Panamik and Leh respectively. Since travelling by road is the best way to roam around and even enter Nubra valley, you can also consider bringing along your own means of transportation. But if you want to try getting around like locals do, hop on Bactrian camels which are natives to the place. You can also get around the valley on foot to enjoy the spectacular landscape of the valley.

Nubra Valley by Road:

The best way to reach Nubra Valley is by road as there aren’t any train stations or airports situated in the region. It is a wise idea to first arrive via air at the domestic airport situated in Leh. From there, you can book a jeep which will take you to Nubra Valley along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. Public buses in Leh which are run by the state government also form a great alternative if you are looking to reach Diskit in Nubra valley. All tourists coming in or going out of the Nubra valley has to take the Khardung La Pass where they need to submit the photocopies of their travel permits to soldiers stationed at North and South Pullu. If you are going in the months of November to May, entry to Nubra Valley will only be permitted in the mornings of Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. However, you can only depart from the valley to Leh on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. It’s better to avoid Mondays at all costs as the road closes for repairs. Vehicles arriving in Nubra can only do so till 10:00 in the morning while those going towards Leh can access the roads exclusively from 1:00pm-6:00pm.

Nubra Valley by Train:

As there are no railheads in Ladakh, travelling via rail is not a smart move to reach Nubra Valley. The nearest train station to this region is the Jammu Tawi Railway Station which is situated 620 kms from the valley.

Nubra Valley by Air:

The closest airport to Nubra valley is Leh Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport which is situated 120 Kms away in Leh. Jet airways, Kingfisher Airlines, GoAir and Air India are some of the connecting carriers which serve this domestic airport. Due to the weather conditions, all flights arrive and depart at 7:00 in the morning and for security reasons, hand baggage isn’t permitted. In order to reach Nubra valley after you get down at the airport, the best option is to hire a jeep or board a bus which will take you to your destination.