Manali to Leh vs Srinagar to Leh: Which Road Trip Is Better?

The Srinagar to Leh highway is generally considered safer for most travelers. It has a lower maximum altitude (around 4,108 m versus roughly 5,328 m on the Manali route), better-maintained roads for most of its length, and more consistent mobile connectivity and access to medical help along the way.

Technically the drive can be completed in 14–16 hours of non-stop driving, but this is strongly discouraged. Gaining that much altitude that quickly without an overnight halt at Keylong, Jispa, or Sarchu significantly increases the risk of severe Acute Mountain Sickness.

Most experienced travelers recommend entering Ladakh via Srinagar, since the gradual altitude gain helps the body acclimatize safely, and exiting via Manali once you're already acclimatized, for the more dramatic high- altitude scenery on the way out.

Both are typically covered in a minimum of two days. Srinagar to Leh is usually done in two days with one overnight halt at Kargil. Manali to Leh is safer as a three-day journey with overnight halts at Keylong or Jispa, followed by Sarchu

Indian nationals do not need a permit to drive either highway or to stay in Leh. An Inner Line Permit is required only for onward travel to Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri, or Dah-Hanu, and can be obtained easily in Leh. Foreign nationals require an Inner Line Permit to enter Ladakh itself.

The Srinagar–Leh highway is generally in better condition overall, aside from a rough, narrow stretch around Zoji La. The Manali Leh highway is smooth as far as Jispa but becomes progressively rougher beyond that point, with water crossings, gravel patches, and Bailey bridges along the way.