Khardung La is a mountain pass 40 km (25 miles) north of Leh in Ladakh, on the road from the Indus valley over the Ladakh Range into the Nubra valley and on towards the Siachen Glacier. Its surveyed elevation is 5,359 m (17,582 ft). The summit signboard says 5,602 m (18,379 ft), and that number is wrong — it is one of the most persistent pieces of misinformation in Himalayan motorcycling, and this guide explains where both figures come from. It also covers the Inner Line Permit requirement, the mandatory acclimatisation rule in force since 2022, road conditions, and fuel (verified August 2026).
The two elevation numbers, and which one is real
Almost every rider arrives at Khardung La having read that it is 18,380 ft and the highest motorable road in the world. The signboard at the summit says so. So do the T-shirts in Leh. Both claims fail on the evidence.
The 5,359 m (17,582 ft) figure comes from hundreds of GPS surveys and is corroborated by three independent datasets: SRTM radar topography, ASTER GDEM satellite elevation data, and Russian topographic mapping. Four independent measurement methods agreeing to within a few metres is about as settled as a mountain elevation gets.
The 5,602 m (18,379 ft) figure is the number painted on the summit sign and repeated across shops and tour listings in Leh. It has no traceable survey behind it. The discrepancy is roughly 243 m — nearly 800 feet — which is far too large to be measurement noise. The reference literature on the pass states the point directly: local summit signs incorrectly claim an elevation in the vicinity of 5,602 m, and incorrectly claim the pass is the world's third highest motorable pass.
The "highest motorable road in the world" claim fails independently of the elevation dispute. Umling La in the Changthang area of Ladakh sits at 5,799 m (19,024 ft) and held the record from 2017 to 2025, when it was itself surpassed by a higher motorable road over Mig La at about 5,900 m (19,400 ft). Both are in India, so the record has not left the country — it has just moved. Even Chang La, on the Leh to Pangong road, is a shade higher than Khardung La at 5,360 m (17,590 ft).
None of this makes Khardung La less worth riding. It makes it a 5,359 m pass with a 1,835 m climb out of Leh in about 40 km, which is a serious piece of road by any honest measure. It just is not the number on the sign.
Khardung La at a glance
| Surveyed elevation | 5,359 m (17,582 ft), from GPS surveys, SRTM, ASTER GDEM and Russian topographic mapping |
| Signboard elevation | 5,602 m (18,379 ft) — not supported by survey data |
| Distance from Leh | 40 km (25 miles) by road, north |
| Climb from Leh | Leh sits at 3,524 m (11,562 ft), so roughly 1,835 m of gain |
| Road built | 1976, by the Border Roads Organisation |
| Checkpoints | South Pullu and North Pullu, one on each side |
| Permits | Inner Line Permit plus Ladakh Environment Fee, checked at both Pullu posts |
| Acclimatisation | Minimum two days in Leh required before crossing, in force since 2022 |
| Winter closure | No permanent closure, but delays from snow, avalanche, washouts and congestion |
Open the Leh to Khardung La to Diskit route in Google Maps — send it to your navigation in Leh, because there is no usable data signal above South Pullu.
The ride from Leh to the top
The road leaves Leh and climbs steadily onto the Ladakh Range. South Pullu is the first checkpoint and the practical dividing line: below it the surface is generally good, above it conditions become the thing riders talk about. The Border Roads Organisation, working under Project Himank, has significantly improved the surface over the years, but the high-altitude section near the summit still degrades under extreme weather into slush and potholes. Melt runs across the road on warm afternoons. Sections narrow to a single lane, and this is a working military supply route — heavy army trucks, hired 4x4s and motorcycles share it, and long delays from congestion, washouts, avalanches and accidents are routine rather than exceptional.
The summit itself is a wide, cold, wind-scoured saddle with a cafeteria, a memorial and a great deal of prayer flag. On a clear day the Saser Muztagh peaks show to the north. Most riders find they want to leave sooner than they expected, which is the correct instinct — more on that below.
North of the summit the road drops to North Pullu, the second checkpoint, and then continues down towards Khardung village and the Shyok valley. The Nubra-side road is generally better maintained than the summit section, though washouts and falling rock are still on the list of things that can stop you.
Permits, and the acclimatisation rule that has teeth
All non-local travellers need an Inner Line Permit and must pay the Ladakh Environment Fee. The permit is applied for through the official Union Territory portal run by the Leh district administration, or in person at the District Commissioner's office in Leh. Residents of Ladakh do not need one.
The mechanics matter. You are required to check in en route, and physical photocopies of your permit are deposited at each checkpoint — South Pullu on the way up and North Pullu on the way down. Carry more copies than you think you need; a single permit does not survive being handed over twice. The Leh portal also notes that your Leh arrival boarding pass must be shown alongside the permit, and that after online payment the slip is checked at the check posts rather than at the district office. Citizens of a few countries, and holders of diplomatic, UN, official or journalist passports, need a Protected Area Permit from the central government instead, which is a slower process and needs to be started well in advance.
The second rule is newer and more important. Since 2022, a minimum of two days of acclimatisation in Leh is mandatory before crossing the pass. This is not a formality invented to sell hotel nights. Leh airport puts you at 3,524 m within a couple of hours of leaving Delhi at 216 m, and Khardung La adds another 1,835 m on top. Acute mountain sickness at that profile is common, and at 5,359 m it can escalate quickly. Standing around at the summit for photographs is exactly the wrong behaviour — the conventional advice for high Ladakhi passes is to keep summit stops short and to descend if symptoms worsen rather than waiting to see whether they settle. We are not going to name medications or doses; that is a conversation to have with a doctor before you fly, not with a blog.
Season, fuel and what to expect from the surface
Season. Unlike the Leh–Manali Highway, Khardung La has no permanent winter closure — BRO works to keep it open because Siachen depends on it. That does not make it a year-round tourist road. It closes temporarily for snow and avalanche clearance, sometimes for days, and the practical riding window for most visitors runs with the wider Ladakh season from around May to October. Verified as of August 2026. Road condition updates are published on the official Leh district site, and that is the source worth checking on the morning you ride rather than any forecast for Leh town.
Fuel. Fill in Leh. There is no fuel on the pass, and in the Nubra valley beyond it the options are limited — Diskit is the pump most riders plan around, roughly 120 km from Leh. A Leh-to-Nubra-and-back day with a detour to Hunder or Turtuk can add up faster than the map suggests, so treat Leh and Diskit as your two fixed points and route around them.
Weather. The pass has an arctic tundra climate: short cool summers, long very cold winters. The temperature difference between Leh at midday and the summit is substantial, and wind at the top makes it worse. Riders who dress for Leh regret it within twenty minutes of South Pullu.
The tunnel that is coming. BRO has a planned 5.5 km Khardung La tunnel, with the detailed project report completed as of March 2026. It is awaiting funding from the central defence budget before tenders can be issued, and construction is expected to take about four years after that. The stated aims are to cut travel time and to protect the Khardung Glacier, which supplies water to Leh, from vehicle traffic. In other words, the summit ride as it exists today has a finite lifespan, though not an imminent one.
Gear notes for a 5,359 m day
Khardung La is a short ride with disproportionate demands. Mobile coverage disappears above South Pullu, so anything that needs a live connection stops working exactly where you are furthest from help — loading the route to Diskit while you still have signal in Leh, and running it on a display you can read through a visor in flat high-altitude light, is worth more here than on a road ten times longer. Our guide on planning motorcycle routes offline covers how to prepare that before you leave town, and the JADO S6 riding system puts navigation and both cameras on one screen so your phone stays in a pocket where the cold cannot kill its battery.
Temperature is the other quiet problem. You leave Leh warm and reach a wind-blasted saddle nearly two kilometres higher, and tire pressure moves with it — a tire set at ambient in Leh reads differently at the top, and a slow puncture picked up on a broken section near the summit is not something you want to discover by feel. Our tire pressure guide explains what temperature and altitude actually do to a warm tire, and a TPMS sensor reports it live instead of leaving you guessing at 5,000 m. If you are continuing into Nubra rather than turning back, power becomes finite too: a bi-directional fast charger that pulls from the bike and refills a phone or camera means you are not rationing battery in Hunder.
FAQ
How high is Khardung La really?
5,359 m (17,582 ft), based on hundreds of GPS surveys that match SRTM, ASTER GDEM and Russian topographic data. The 5,602 m (18,379 ft) on the summit signboard is not supported by any survey and has no traceable source.
Is Khardung La the highest motorable road in the world?
No. Umling La in Ladakh at 5,799 m (19,024 ft) held that title from 2017 to 2025, and a road over Mig La at roughly 5,900 m (19,400 ft) is higher still. Chang La, on the Pangong road, is also marginally higher than Khardung La.
Do you need a permit for Khardung La?
Yes. Non-local travellers need an Inner Line Permit and must pay the Ladakh Environment Fee, applied for online through the Leh district portal or in person at the DC office in Leh. Photocopies are surrendered at the South Pullu and North Pullu checkpoints, so carry several.
How long does it take to ride Leh to Khardung La?
The 40 km climb is typically one and a half to two and a half hours depending on convoy traffic and surface conditions, and it can take considerably longer if a washout or army convoy stops the road. Treat any published timing as optimistic.
How much acclimatisation do you need before riding it?
A minimum of two days in Leh has been mandatory since 2022, and that is a floor rather than a target. If you have flown in from sea level, more is better, and if symptoms of altitude sickness appear the correct response is to go down rather than push on.
