Pangong Lake: Tips for tourists, places of interest and more details

Pangong lake, a breath-taking destination situated in the middle of the mountains in Ladakh, has become one of the most alluring tourist destinations for travellers from all over the world. Pangong Tso, widely known as Pangong Lake, is an isolated lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). Reportedly, 60% of the lake lies within the Tibetan Autonomous Region. If you are planning on visiting Ladakh, you should definitely visit the mesmerising Pangong lake. Here is a quick run-through, to know better about this lake. 

How to reach Pangong lake

The distance of Pangong Lake from Leh airport is approximately 142 kilometres. The route to Pangong involves a terrain that is steep, with narrow roads that take you on an adventurous journey in the middle of the mountains. Tourists are generally advised to leave five hours prior from Leh, to reach Pangong lake. Some tourist websites suggest that one should travel to Leh via Sonmarg and Kargil. If travelling from Sonmarg, one can experience the thrill of passing through the Zojila pass, which further traverses the Chang La pass.

Bus transportation from Leh to Pangong

According to travel reports, there are two buses that travel from Leh to Pangong Tso every Saturday and Sunday of the week. Hence, plan the trip from Leh to Pangong Tso by bus only on these days of the week. The bus leaves at 6.30 am on every Saturday and Sunday from Leh bus stand. Note that you can get in touch with your travel guide to book the tickets of the bus, or you can pay on the spot and reserve your seats at the Leh bus stand (JK SRTC).

• The one-way fare for Leh to Pangong Tso in a bus is about Rs 256 per person
• The one-way fare for Pangong Tso to Leh is the same as above.

Entry fee

Visitors to Pangong Lake are required to pay an inner line permit fee. If you are travelling to Pangong through a travel agency, most of the times, the inner line permit fee to various locations in Leh is included in the itinerary cost. The inner line permit fee for Pangong is approximately Rs 20. Besides this, an environmental fee of Rs 400 is also applicable.

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Exact location

The travelling distance from Leh to Pangong lake is nearly 150 km via roadways. As per travel guide reports, there is only one way through the mountains that will take you to your exact location. Pangong Tso is located near Spangmik village and you reach there travelling through the town of Karu, past Changla Pass, towards Tangste and finally, Pangong lake.

Best time to visit

Situated at a height of 4,250 m, Pangong Lake is one of the largest saltwater lakes in Asia. Reports say that June to September is the best time to visit Pangong Lake. The weather in Pangong always keeps fluctuating. March marks the onset of the summer season, which lasts until May. The temperature ranges between 8°C to 20°C between these months.

Pangong lake timings

Tourists are generally advised by their tour guide to reach Pangong lake between 12 to 3 pm in the afternoon. That is when the sun is bright, the water looks crystal clear! The area around the lake gets quite chilly after 5 pm in the evening. The temperature here in June ranges between 11° to 21°C during the day but gets freezing cold in the night. However, there is a possibility that it might snow in Khardungla (highest motor road in the world) too. That leads to a variation in the temperature there.

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Places to stay and eat in Pangong

Pangong is all about adventurous camping. From economical tents to little upgraded tents, it is the best experience to cherish here. The tents are situated at a walking distance from the lake and all of them are lake facing. The tent organisers provide hot water bags in the night as a precaution to beat the variant changes in the temperature at night. Pangong experiences sunrise a little earlier than Leh, and one should definitely sneak out of their tents to watch the breath-taking view. Talking about places to eat, your stay will have a smaller dining room that is located a little ahead of your tent. You will be served with hot varieties of food there.

Tips to note while visiting Pangong

According to various travel websites, it is advisable for the tourist to keep these small tips in mind while visiting Pangong. Because the oxygen level is low in Leh, and the distance to Pangong is quite far, one must make sure they keep themselves hydrated during the journey. It is better to avoid getting off the vehicle again and again to click pictures. Remember, the time you save is well worth it once you reach Pangong. Carefully listen to the guidelines your travel driver pens for you. 

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Is Pangong Lake disabled-friendly

Keeping in mind the temperature fluctuations, and climatic conditions, travel reports advise visitors to be mindful of the physical challenges of visiting Pangong lake, especially those who have breathing issues or blood pressure problems. Lately, efforts have been made by Ladakh-based PAGIR (People’s Action Group for Inclusion and Rights) and Travel Another India to make this site wheelchair friendly.

The time required to see the lake

Ideally, most of the tourist advisors will ask you to not take much time at the lake. Surprisingly, tourists only spend an hour or lesser at the Pangong lake. The destination is all about the lake, and the photography points out there. One can also get clicked sitting on Kareena’s famous scooter from 3 Idiots and then head towards the tent.

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Interesting facts about Pangong Lake

Pangong Lake, one of the popular pit stops in Ladakh, probably tops every Ladakh tourist’s list. The final scene of Bollywood’s super hit film 3 Idiots was shot in Pangong. The iconic scene when Kareena Kapoor drives her scooter towards Aamir Khan is filmed here. The most fascinating part about the lake is that it apparently changes its colour from blue to green to even reddish at times. Some reports also say that there are no animals in this region, nor any greenery. Also to all tech-savvy tourists out there, Pangong generally does not have any network in the night.