India travel March first week. Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Leh?

Hi guys! We are traveling to India first time next month, but time is limited. We plan on covering Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Leh. I am very impressed by the himalayas, and wanted to get a 'flavor' of it by doing the Del-Leh sector. Is March a decent time to be in Leh? Can we get a feel of the mountains/monasteries within two days? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, Dave

I've never been to Ladakh (friends have), but I imagine going out there for just two days would be a bit of a shame. What is your total travel time? Kindly see also How to get the most out of the Itinerary section.

Furthermore, by all accounts acclimatizing there may take up to a couple of days in itself, you can't just arrive and start running around like that. See also for instance Coming down for air...AMS (Manali-Leh)... you better acclimatize! , there are other such threads in that same Trekking sub-forum (and in the Ladakh one as well, no doubt, for instance Manali - Leh highway, how to avoid AMS?) Be aware that a full-blown case of AMS is no picnic in any case, as those threads will tell you. (I've had mild symptoms at a much lower height, and it's not fun. Moreover, one typical symptom is that the patient is unwilling to recognize them and can get quite stubborn about it.) Browsing around those and other sub-forums some should be helpful to you anyway, the other cities you mention and their states all have their own.

Well, hang in there, others with much more and direct experience of Ladakh will be in shortly, no doubt. These are just my preliminary 2 cents. Nor is it meant to scare you off; many go there & love the place, including those friends I mentioned; it's just handy to come a little prepared.

Oh, and welcome to IndiaMike

Thanks so much for your reply. Unfortunately we only have two full days, and my husband wants to just see the himalayas. We often go skiing here at about 10K ft, and are fine, but you are right abt the AMS. Who knows how 14K plus ft may affect us!

Hm yes. The Himalayas can be seen (quite a bit) closer to Delhi, and at a much lower height.

Anyway and again, let others fill it in. I don't know that whole area, except for Delhi and Jaipur, and the latter just from an afternoon. Nor can I tell you about seasonal concerns, which would be important. Try this (whole) thread for a (very) general overview: India climate chart

Sorry to say this , but unless you also spend the night at that elevation it gives you no real clues to how you will cope with Leh´s altitude. Sleeping elevation is the crucial test since oxygen saturation always go down when you go to bed.

I have flown up twice to Leh , and I don´t expect anything dramatic from it - but I don´t expect to be able to do anything much the first day either. Some are affected worse than that , so two days may pan out to little more than curing headaches.

If you are really set to to do this , and are confident with your odds that your flights won´t be cancelled because of the weather, then your best moment to do this is immediately after what I presume is a long intercontinental flight to Delhi. Flying is your first exposure to altitude , cabin pressure is 8000 feet , and this will give you a marginal advantage if you seize the moment.

There's a thread here about mountain vistas which are all doable from Delhi - you could train to Dehra Dun , taxi to Mussoorie and see your vistas from Camel Back Rd. Other suggestions on the other thread. Less expensive, no risk of Altitude Sickness etc. 2 days to Leh seems a waste of money and risky to me. I have heard of people doing the overland gradual tour and becoming very ill. Many don't but you just never know.

Hey, Aishah, you have broadband now, you can look 'em up yourself

Beautiful Mountain Vistas.

See also The Best Mountain Scenery.

Sorry Machadinha - bit lazy here and I'm rushing off to have my breakfast now!!

Via Manali - certainly. Sleeping at The Vomit Hilton , eight hundred meters higher than Leh : predictable results.Traversing the same altitudes as the Everest Base Camps in a single day from Manali,also predictable outcome.

Via Srinagar : highly unlikely , provided you spend the night in Kargil (alt. 2600).Max altitude on this road is some five hundred meters higher than Leh , and this will only help in coping with the first night in Leh.

Easiest way in : via Srinagar.Second best option : fly in. Actual risk , worst alternative : Manali to Sarchu, Sarchu to Leh.

Yes, Vistet, it was on that Manali route. I never knew re cabin pressure btw as being helpful to you en route to high altitudes. That's very interesting.