Kanji to Padum Grand Traverse via Lingshed, Zangla & Phuktal

The Kanji to Padum Grand Traverse is a 20-day private trek across Zanskar, Leh to Leh, with passes up to 5,250 m. It replaces the old Lamayuru to Darcha line: you go in through Kanji, cross the high passes to Lingshed, walk down through the villages to Zangla, and finish around Padum and the cliffside monastery of Phuktal.

Two nights in Leh come first, with a gentle walk to Tsemo Monastery and Shanti Stupa. Then the road west past Basgo and Alchi to Lamayuru, and on to Kanji at 3,850 m. The trail climbs to Kanji La Base Camp, crosses Kanji La, and runs on through Dibling and over Hanuma La to Lingshed, where a full day is kept for the monastery and village. Camps are at 4,000 m or a little above on a couple of nights, no higher.

Another pass drops to Zingchen, then Hanamur and Pishu, at about 3,400 m, and a long valley day brings you to Zangla and its palace ruins. The air is easier here, and the walking gentler. From Padum you visit Sani, Karsha and Stongdey, then Purne and Phuktal. The road home runs through Rangdum to Kargil and Leh.

• Duration: 20 days, 19 nights, from Leh airport and back
• Highest altitude: 5,250 m
• Grade: Strenuous
• Season: June to October

Long days, remote camps and a full rest day in Lingshed, with the pace shaped around your group. Tell us your dates and experience and we'll plan the days with you.

• Basgo, Alchi and Lamayuru first: the drive from Leh to Lamayuru takes in Basgo and Alchi monasteries, and the Moonland of Lamayuru is explored before the trail begins at Kanji.
• Kanji La day: from Kanji La Base Camp (4,350 m) over Kanji La to Kanji Sumdo (4,300 m), 6 to 8 hours and about 10 km, started early.
• Hanuma La into Lingshed: Dibling (4,100 m) to Lingshed (3,900 m) is the longest day, 7 to 9 hours and about 22 km.
• A full day in Lingshed: time for Lingshed Monastery and the village, with no walking planned beyond it.
• Down through Zanskar's villages: Zingchen, Hanamur and Pishu bring the trail down to about 3,400 m, with easier breathing and long valley stretches.
• Zangla and its palace ruins: a short day into Zangla (3,370 m), with time to explore the village and the old palace.
• Sani, Karsha and Stongdey: a day out of Padum to three of Zanskar's monastery villages.
• Phuktal Monastery: visited from Purne (3,900 m), with a light daypack and an unhurried start.
• A way home through Rangdum: Padum to Kargil by road via Rangdum, then Kargil to Leh and the airport.

The Kanji to Padum trek takes 20 days from Leh airport and back. It is built around a simple arc: acclimatise in Leh, walk in through Kanji, cross to Lingshed, come down the villages of Zanskar to Zangla and Padum, visit Phuktal, and drive out.

Days 1 to 4: Leh to Kanji. We collect you from the airport on day 1 and rest. Day 2 is a gentle walk to Tsemo Monastery and Shanti Stupa. Day 3 is the drive to Lamayuru via Basgo and Alchi monasteries, about 7 hours with the stops. On day 4 you see Lamayuru Moonland and Monastery, then drive about 50 km to Kanji (3,850 m).

Days 5 to 8: the passes. Day 5 is an easy first walk to Kanji La Base Camp (4,350 m), 5 to 7 hours. Day 6 crosses Kanji La to Kanji Sumdo, 6 to 8 hours. Day 7 follows the valley to Dibling (4,100 m), 6 to 8 hours. Day 8 crosses Hanuma La to Lingshed (3,900 m), 7 to 9 hours.

Days 9 to 13: Lingshed to Zangla. Day 9 is kept in Lingshed. Day 10 crosses another pass to Zingchen. Day 11 descends to Hanamur (3,400 m), day 12 runs the long valley to Pishu, and day 13 reaches Zangla (3,370 m).

Days 14 to 17: Padum and Phuktal. Day 14 is the road from Zangla to Padum (3,669 m). Day 15 visits Sani, Karsha and Stongdey. Day 16 goes to Purne (3,900 m) for Phuktal Monastery, and day 17 returns to Padum.

Days 18 to 20: out. Day 18 is a long drive from Padum to Kargil via Rangdum, about 8 hours and 235 km. Day 19 is Kargil to Leh, about 6 hours. Day 20 is the transfer to the airport.

The old Lamayuru to Darcha route ended at Darcha, with a drive on to Manali. This traverse ends in Padum and Kargil instead, and the Phuktal visit and the Padum days are part of the plan rather than an add-on. Road times are approximate, and either road can be delayed by weather, so keep your flight out of Leh with some margin.

If you would like a shorter Zanskar crossing, look at our Stongde to Phuktal trek or the Zanskar Lost Valleys Traverse.

Leh sits at about 3,500 m, and visitors are asked to rest at least 48 hours in and around Leh before going higher. This itinerary builds that in, and then keeps the rise in sleeping altitude modest.

The Leh days. You arrive on day 1 and rest. Day 2 is a short walk, about 3 hours and 4 km, to Tsemo Monastery and Shanti Stupa at around 3,650 m, with the rest of the day easy. Nothing on the trail begins until you have spent two nights in Leh.

Easing in. The first night after Leh is at Lamayuru (3,510 m), about the same height as Leh. Day 4 moves to Kanji (3,850 m), and day 5 to Kanji La Base Camp (4,350 m). The first walking day is deliberately short and easy, 5 to 7 hours over 13 km, so that the group arrives at the foot of the first big pass with a few days of altitude behind it.

Sleeping heights on the way to Lingshed. After Kanji La you sleep at Kanji Sumdo (4,300 m), then Dibling (4,100 m), then drop to Lingshed (3,900 m). The trail goes higher than you sleep, which suits the body, and the days spent at or below 4,300 m are the ones that follow the pass days. After Lingshed the route drops steadily towards 3,400 m around Hanamur, Pishu and Zangla.

Rest days that matter. Day 9 in Lingshed is a full day without a pass, and it sits straight after the longest walking day of the trek. We do not add days only for training; the rest is placed where it helps.

What to expect. This is a Strenuous trek. Days of 5 to 8 hours are normal, and a few run to 8 or 9 hours. Sleeping altitude goes above 4,000 m on a couple of nights and no higher. The trail is remote and evacuation is not possible from every camp, which is one reason we keep the group small and the pace honest. Tell your leader early about a headache or poor sleep, and drink steadily. We turn around when it is right to turn around.

Temperatures run from about -5 to 20 degrees Celsius over the season, so bring layers that cover a cold camp at 4,000 m and a warm afternoon in the valley. Gloves and a shell are worth keeping at the top of your daypack on pass days.

Fitness matters more than anything else you can prepare. Regular cardio and long walks with a loaded pack for a few months before you arrive will make every one of these days more comfortable.

Once the passes are behind you, the Kanji to Padum trek changes character. The camps drop, the valleys open and the villages come close to the trail.

Lingshed. You reach Lingshed (3,900 m) on day 8 after the Hanuma La crossing from Dibling, a day of 7 to 9 hours and about 22 km. Day 9 is kept in the village. The plan is Lingshed Monastery and village life, about 3 hours and 3 km on foot, and a quiet afternoon. Accommodation here is camping or a homestay, depending on the group. Walk lightly through the village and move respectfully in the monastery.

Over to Zingchen. Day 10 leaves Lingshed over another pass, about 7 hours and 13 km. Start with full water bottles, keep layers within reach, and take the descent carefully. The next day continues down to Hanamur (3,400 m) in 5 to 6 hours over about 12 km. Poles help tired knees on the way down.

Hanamur to Pishu. Day 12 is the longer valley day: about 6 hours and 15 km to Pishu (3,470 m). It is a different kind of day from the pass days, lower and easier on the breathing, and it is worth keeping snacks within reach and starting steadily.

Zangla. Day 13 is a shorter walk, about 5 hours and 12 km, to Zangla (3,370 m). You arrive with time left to see the village and the palace ruins at about 3,400 m. The morning of day 14 can be spent in Zangla again before the road to Padum.

Why this stretch is worth the days. A fast crossing often treats the Zanskar villages as places to pass. Here the nights from Lingshed to Zangla are spent in or beside them. You walk between monastery and village, the valley floor and the passes above, and the route gives you a clear view of how people live and travel through this part of Zanskar.

Practical notes. The days between Lingshed and Pishu use camping or homestay, depending on the camp. Keep your camp clothing dry, protect your feet in damp sections, and carry sun protection through the open valley. The temperature range across the season is about -5 to 20 degrees Celsius, and the valley days are the warmest of the trek.

If this stretch interests you most, our Stongde to Phuktal trek covers the Zanskar side on a shorter plan.

The last third of the itinerary is cultural, and it is where a long trek in Zanskar gets its sense of place. After Zangla you leave the trail for the road, base yourself in Padum (3,669 m) in a hotel, and visit the monasteries that give the region its identity.

Day 14: Zangla to Padum. About 4 hours and 35 km by road. Spend a little time in Zangla before leaving, then settle into Padum and sort out what you need for the next section.

Day 15: Sani, Karsha and Stongdey. A long day out from Padum, about 7 hours and 65 km, mostly by road, visiting the monasteries of Sani, Karsha and Stongdey. Monastery timings vary, so we keep the day unhurried. Carry water and sun protection, and cover up respectfully inside.

Day 16: Purne and Phuktal. This is a day of driving and walking, about 7 hours and 14 km, to Purne (3,900 m). Phuktal Monastery (3,850 m) is visited from Purne. Take only a light daypack, start early so that the visit is not rushed, and respect the quiet spaces. Accommodation at Purne is camping or a homestay.

Day 17: Back to Padum. About 4 hours and 36 km by road, then a hotel night and a lighter evening with time to walk around Padum town.

Days 18 and 19: the road out. Day 18 is the longest drive, from Padum via Rangdum (4,031 m) to Kargil (2,676 m), about 8 hours and 235 km. Start early and keep snacks handy. Day 19 runs from Kargil to Leh, about 6 hours and 220 km. Roads and weather can slow progress, so we allow for it, so keep some margin before your flight out of Leh.

Why this closing section. The old Lamayuru to Darcha route finished at Darcha. This itinerary uses the Zanskar valley side instead, with comfortable nights in Padum and a return that follows the Kargil road. It gives the trek a cultural finish, and it keeps the exit simple.

You may also like to compare it with the Stongde to Phuktal trek, which concentrates on the Zanskar valley side without the passes from Kanji.

This is a trek for people who want a long, remote crossing of Zanskar and are comfortable with that. It runs from June to October, is graded Strenuous, and goes as high as 5,250 m.

Fitness and experience. Expect walking days of 5 to 8 hours, and up to 8 or 9 on a few days, with steep ascents and descents. The route has several pass days, and you sleep above 4,000 m on a couple of nights. It suits trekkers who have walked at altitude before, or who have trained well for consecutive long days. It is not a trek where you can improvise your fitness along the way.

Private, with a local team. Groups are private and usually 2 to 10 people, and the pace is set around your group. The team is local, they know these valleys and villages, and the plan has margin built into it. We also carry our waste out and follow Leave No Trace.

Acclimatisation is part of the plan. Two nights in Leh come before the trail, the first camps are only modestly higher than Leh, and a full day is kept in Lingshed. Read the acclimatisation piece above for the sleeping heights, day by day.

Season. June to October is the window. In early summer the passes may carry some snow cover; in autumn the weather is steadier and skies are clearer. Both seasons work, and we can talk through which one suits you.

Remote, and honest about it. The trail is remote, and evacuation is not possible from every camp. A group that moves steadily, drinks well and says early when something feels wrong is the group that gets through the passes comfortably. We turn back when it is right.

Alternatives. If a 20-day traverse is more than you want, the Stongde to Phuktal trek and the Zanskar Lost Valleys Traverse are other ways into Zanskar. For a first Ladakh trek, the Markha Valley trek is a gentler introduction.

Next step. Tell us your dates, your trekking experience and your preferred pace, and we will shape the days with you.