Getting to Leh
By air year-round or by road in season — pick how you are coming and get the plan, the official fee portal, and the district's two-day acclimatisation advice.
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By air year-round or by road in season — pick how you are coming and get the plan, the official fee portal, and the district's two-day acclimatisation advice.
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Getting to Leh is a seasonal question. From roughly November to May the two highways are usually shut and the aircraft is the only way in; the rest of the year you can also drive up from Srinagar or Manali. Whichever way you arrive, you land at 3,500 m — and the district's own advice is to do nothing for the first two days.
Fees are paid online before or on arrival
Domestic tourists pay an environmental (green) fee, a Red Cross Fund contribution and a wildlife fee, all through the LAHDC's official portal at lahdclehpermit.in. The amounts are not published outside the portal, so pay there rather than trusting third-party figures. Certain foreign passport holders additionally need a Protected Area Permit for areas beyond Leh — the portal states the requirement.
How are you travelling?
Year-round — and the only way in from November to May.
The district's own acclimatisation advice
434 km over Zoji La — open roughly May to November/December.
473 km over four high passes — open roughly May/June to September/October.
Flying from Delhi (216 m) to Leh (3,524 m) in ninety minutes gives your body no time to adjust. Acute mountain sickness is common in unacclimatised arrivals and is a steady part of SNM Hospital's casualty load. Rest, hydration and no driving to higher passes for 48 hours is the standard local advice — hosts and guesthouses will tell you the same.
The environmental fee, Red Cross Fund and wildlife fee are paid at lahdclehpermit.in, the LAHDC's own portal. Amounts are not officially published elsewhere, so treat any figure you read on a blog as unconfirmed.
Exact departure and ferry times are set by the operators, not by us — this page explains how the route and the rules work, then sends you to the official timetable for the clock.
Fares and times change with the season. Check the operator’s own page before you set off.
Source: District Administration Leh, 'How to Reach'; LAHDC permit portal, checked 11 July 2026 (3 weeks ago).
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