How to calculate the cost or budget for a trip to Ladakh in 2023
HOW TO CALCULATE THE COST OR BUDGET FOR A TRIP TO LADAKH IN 2023
Ladakh, unlike Spiti, offers a variety of accommodation options based on your comfort, preference, conditions, and circumstances. The price ranges from Rs 125-150 for a stay in some Dhabha tents to Rs 300-800 for a stay in a low-cost hotel/homestay to Rs 1000- 1500 for a stay in a medium-cost hotel to Rs 3000 and above for hotels that offer much more comfort and luxury, etc.
The same principle holds true for food, and it depends on what you want to eat (Pizza, Dal Bhaat, Roti+Dal Fry, Maggie, etc.). Where you want to eat and drink is more significant. In any case, I'll attempt to create a simple average budget estimate for a trip to Leh Ladakh based on the choices made by the majority of visitors for lodging and dining.
Let's get right to the point:
What is the cost of a Ladakh trip?
Food + lodging + miscellaneous Ladakh Trip Accommodation Budget Cost of Food Miscellaneous Mode of Transportation Cost Ladakh Trip Budget
Cost of a Self-Drive Private Vehicle Trip to Ladakh
However, the vehicle was rented.
Private Taxi in Leh Shared Taxis, Public Transportation, or Travel Partners (in a group)
What is the financial plan of Ladakh Excursion?
Following is a basic itinerary for a Leh Ladakh tour from Delhi (without any buffer days) that covers all major tourist destinations in Leh Ladakh and is widely followed by many travellers, including myself. As part of our exercise on what is the cost of a Leh Ladakh trip, we will analyse or find the budget or cost for this Ladakh tour.
You can roughly estimate for yourself what the estimated cost or budget for your unique Leh Ladakh trip will be based on a comparable Ladakh trip or based on your points of interest & preferred accommodations.
An example itinerary for Leh Ladakh that includes almost all of the major tourist attractions -
Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu/Patnitop
Day 2 | Jammu/Patnitop – Srinagar
Day 3 | Srinagar – Kargil
Day 4 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Day 5 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Rest
Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit (Nubra Valley) – Hunder – Diskit
Day 7 | Hunder/Diskit – Pangong Lake via Shyok route
Day 8 | Pangong Tso – Hemis – Thicksey – Shey Palace – Leh
Day 9 | Leh Rest Day or Sham Valley Tour around Leh including Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Confluence at Nimmu
Day 10 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
Day 11 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Moore Plains (Manali – Leh Highway) – Pang – Sarchu
Day 12 | Sarchu – Manali
Day 13 | Manali – Delhi
As you can see, we took 13 days for our sample Ladakh itinerary (with one rest day in Leh). You can add/remove and change the days to suit your needs. Of course, the budget outcome will be influenced by this, but I suppose that is a minor point.
Consider that when travelling alone, the cost of lodging and transportation is bound to rise. However, if you travel in evenly balanced groups of 3-5 people, the cost of your Ladakh trip will undoubtedly be reduced. As of now, I'll also assume you're two so that the budget can be calculated on a twin-sharing basis.
To analyse the budget for the above or any other itinerary, we can divide it into two major parts, which are described below.
Food + Convenience + Different Financial plan of Ladakh Outing
Let us break down each of these components in order to fully comprehend the breakdown of Ladakh trip costs.
Convenience Cost
This model outing will require around 12-13 days at any rate, so generally you will go through some Rs 12000 - 18000 for every individual for food, convenience and other misc. uses.
In the event that you are living in a normal financial plan inn with good solace and are going in a gathering (something like 2 in number) then the normal expense each day for food, convenience, and other misc. things like costs, grant expenses, passage charges to cloisters, and so on come to about Rs 1000-1500 every day.
Once more, Rs 1000-1500 figure could be a low financial plan for somebody and somewhat high for others relying on the decision of stay and food or different exercises you intend to do on your Ladakh trip.
Food Prices
For example, if you dine at a dhaba tent, the cost of the meal will be around Rs 50-70 per person, whereas the same meal at a restaurant on Changspa road in Leh may cost Rs 150 - Rs 170 per person or more. Furthermore, the cost of food will rise significantly in some high-end restaurants.
Take into account whether you are vegetarian or non-vegetarian when it comes to food pricing.
You should always carry a water bottle with you and refill it as needed. It will not only keep you hydrated at all times, but it will also aid in the removal of plastic waste from the Himalayas. Remember, every tiny step counts, and yours can help save the Himalayas as well!
Miscellaneous Fees
The same is true for various activities. I've considered what can't be avoided, such as tolls, permit fees, entry fees, snacks, and so on. If you're going paragliding, rafting, shopping, etc., that will undoubtedly be something extra for you.
As a result, if you go with a budget hotel or guest house with decent comfort, eating decent quality food, and including only mandatory miscellaneous charges, you may need to spend Rs 12000 - 18000 per person for your 12-13 day Leh Ladakh itinerary.
Transportation Costs for a Trip to Ladakh
The major cost of a trip to Leh Ladakh is for taxis, transportation, or fuel, depending on your mode of transportation. Using public transportation within Leh - Ladakh is difficult due to the infrequency of such vehicles, and based on their schedules, you may need 18-20 days to complete the above trip.
So, in Leh Ladakh, travellers primarily use privately hired taxis or shared taxis run by tour operators, or they find travel partners and split the cost with them, or they ride rented bikes or eventually self-drive on their bikes or cars. All of these options will present you with different trip costs.
Let's take a look at each of them below to get an idea of the total cost of a trip to Leh Ladakh.
Cost of a Self-Drive Private Vehicle Trip to Ladakh
The above Ladakh trip will take you approximately 3300-3600 kilometres. So, if your bike gets about 25 KMPL on average in the mountains and plains, you should budget around Rs 13200 - 14400 for fuel. If it gives less, make the necessary adjustments. As of January 2023, the average cost of petrol is Rs 100 per litre. It will be less in the plains and more in the mountains.
Similarly, if you are driving the car, you can compute. Just keep in mind that your car or bike will get much less mileage in the hills than in the plains. Calculate accordingly and divide the total cost by the number of people travelling in the car to determine the per-person cost. Traveling to Ladakh with a pillion on a motorcycle is difficult/uncomfortable, so the cost is calculated separately above.
The final cost for the Leh to Ladakh journey is approximately ((Rs 12000 - 18000) + (Rs 13200 - 14400) = (Rs 25200 - 32400)) when you include in food and lodging while taking a self-drive method of transportation.
Self-Driving, but with a rented car
Fuel costs in this case would be the same as those for a self-driven private vehicle stated above, but you would also have to factor in the cost of a rented bike or vehicle. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the bike you rent, you can typically acquire a respectable bike in good condition for between Rs. 1400 and Rs. 1500 per day.
The price of renting a bike alone for the trip from Delhi to Delhi Ladakh therefore ranges between Rs 20,000 and Rs 24,000, depending on whether you receive a discount. When the cost of fuel is added, as determined above, it ranges between Rs 33,200 and Rs 38,400.
This is the cost of a lone Ladakh ride. Hence, divide by two if you are riding with a passenger.
Ultimately, if you factor in food and lodging, the overall cost of your journey to Ladakh on a self-drive rental bike is going to be anywhere between ((Rs 33,200 - 38,400) + (Rs 12000 - 18000) = (Rs 45,200 - 56,400)).
Leh, Privately Hired Taxi
You must always hire a Leh-only cab because taxis from other cities are not permitted to go across Leh-Ladakh. Hence, I'm assuming that you will only use a private taxi in Leh and that you will take public transportation to go there.
You might be arriving in a cab that was privately arranged from somewhere outside of Leh. But, for the purposes of this discussion, I'll suppose that you travelled to Leh through public transportation, such as a train from Jammu, JKSRTC buses from Srinagar to Leh, HPTDC buses from Leh to Manali, and finally a flight from Delhi to Leh.
Also, as you cannot take a public transportation directly from Tso Moriri to Manali, I will presume that on Day 11 you would be travelling to Leh from Tso Moriri. By taking this route, the trip will last 13 days because Leh Ladakh will be visited on a separate day. Again, I'm presuming there are four of you.
I'll break down the total cost of the trip for the private cab and other forms of transportation as follows:
Day 1 – Day 4 (Delhi – Jammu – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh) = Rs 3000 per person
Day 5 (Leh Local) = Rs 2400 / 4 = Rs 600 per person
Day 6 – Day 8 (Leh – Khardung La – Nubra – Pangong – Leh) = Rs 22000 / 4 = Rs 5500 per person
Day 9 – Day 10 (Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Leh) = Rs 14000 / 4 = Rs 3500 per person
Day 11 – Day 13 (Leh – Keylong – Manali – Delhi) = Rs 4000 per person
After negotiating a 10-12% discount off of Leh Taxi Union's rates, the total cost equals to Rs 16,000–17,000 per person when going in pairs.
If you are travelling with additional persons, up to a maximum of six, the cost of a cab in Ladakh will decrease per person.
Finally, taking food and accommodation into account, travelling by privately hired taxi in Leh and arriving in Leh via public/shared transport, the total cost for the entire trip including 1 day added to travel between Tso Moriri and Leh is around ((Rs 16000 - 17000) + (Rs 13000 - 19500) = (Rs 29000 - 36500)).
If you decide to take a private taxi to travel along the Srinagar-Leh Highway and the Manali-Leh Highway, the cost will be significantly higher because, according to rates for 2023, the cost to travel between Srinagar and Leh in a private taxi is approximately Rs 20,000 and Rs 25, 000, respectively.
It is always advised to use public transportation while travelling in small groups, like the two people in this case, such as shared taxis, JKSRTC buses, HPTDC buses on the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh Highways in Himachal Pradesh.
Public transportation, shared taxis, or travel partners (in a group)
If you decide to take a shared cab in Leh Ladakh instead of a private one, join forces with other travellers to split the cost, or travel in a group of five or less people, you can expect to pay between Rs. 13000 and Rs. 14000.
If you decide to travel further in Ladakh using public transportation, this figure will also drop significantly. But, you could also need to stay longer to accommodate these public buses' schedules, which would result in higher housing and meal prices.
Eventually, the overall cost of the trip should be around ((Rs 13000 - 14000) + (Rs 12000 - 18000) = (Rs 25000 - 32000)) when you factor in meals and lodging, shared taxis (or public transport) in Leh, and arriving Leh via public/shared transport.
Conclusion
Of course, if I look at the cases or examples above, that may not always be the case. You will occasionally rent the bike entirely from Delhi and other times only partially. You might take a bus or other form of public transportation to Leh Ladakh and then rent a bike there to pedal to a select few locations.
Similar to this, you can take public transportation to Manali and then rent a bike there, etc. Along with flying directly to Leh, there may be additional situations that are similar. I've attempted to cover a lot of common instances here, but if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to discuss specific cases in the comments area.
Otherwise, if you break them down individually or day by day, you should be able to fairly easily estimate how much your Leh Ladakh vacation will cost for any given bespoke combination.
I'm eager to hear your questions or doubts in the comments section below, as well as your viewpoints and suggestions for analysing the cost or budget for the trip to Ladakh. Please do so here with many other other tourists in order to offer your insightful views, feedback, input, etc.
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