Sarchu

Discover Sarchu.

A remote plateau at roughly 14,000ft on the Leh–Manali highway, Sarchu exists for exactly one reason — a night’s rest between two of India’s highest mountain passes. Its tented camps sit under some of the starkest, most star-filled skies on the route.

Tour packages

Discover Ladakh

9 Nights / 10 Days · Srinagar, Kargil, Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong, Sarchu, Manali

₹51,800

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Sarchu

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Sarchu

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What is Sarchu, and why do people sleep there?

Sarchu is not a town. It is a wide, treeless plateau ringed by bare ridges, with a river running through it and a scatter of tented camps beside the road. The distance between Leh and Manali is too long for one comfortable day, and Sarchu is where the drive naturally breaks. In the evening the light is long and harsh, the wind is cold and the night sky is very clear.

Our Discover Ladakh package puts a night here on day eight of ten, between Leh and Manali. There are no sights to visit here, so the aim is rest, an early dinner and an early start.

How do you get to Sarchu?

The highway is open only in the warmer months, and opening dates move with snow and clearing work. We confirm the road for your dates before you pay, and we tell you early if a closure or a landslide changes the plan. Allow a spare day, because a delay on this road can ripple into the rest of the trip.

What is a night in a Sarchu camp like?

• Expect a tent or a cabin-style camp with a bed, blankets and a simple dinner and breakfast. Our package lists a camp at Sarchu for all four tiers.
• Toilets are basic and may be shared. Hot water is limited, and power from a generator or solar panel may switch off at night.
• There is usually no mobile signal, so tell family your plan before you leave Leh.
• Nights drop well below freezing at times even in summer, so bring thermals, a down jacket, a hat, gloves and warm socks.
• Do not plan on a long evening. Eat early, drink water, wrap up and sleep, then see the sky if it is clear.

How do you handle the altitude at Sarchu?

This is one of the highest nights on the trip, and many people feel it here. At about 4,300 m, the air holds noticeably less oxygen than at Leh, and you arrive after a day of climbing. That is why we place Sarchu after several nights in Leh and Pangong, never early.

• Drink plenty of water through the day, and avoid alcohol and heavy meals.
• Walk slowly and rest on arrival. A headache, nausea or a poor night's sleep is common at this height.
• Tell your driver or our team at once about a severe headache, vomiting, breathlessness at rest or confusion. These are signs that you should go down, and we do.
• Talk to your doctor before booking if you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, or if you are pregnant.

When should you go to Sarchu?

Is Sarchu worth it, and what are the alternatives?

Sarchu is worth it if you want the one-way Srinagar to Manali road trip and are happy with a basic camp. It is not a destination for its own sake. If you would rather return to Srinagar or fly out of Leh, our other Ladakh tour packages loop from Leh and do not need the high camp. For a quieter lake night, see Pangong; for a dark sky, see Hanle.

What is the next step?

Read the Ladakh guide, our Srinagar to Leh road trip guide for the first half and our permits and ID guide for the paperwork. Send your dates and group size through our contact page, and we confirm roads, camps and permits before you pay.