Sarchu Circuit Trek
Lahaul and Spiti (start) and Kargil (Zanskar), Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh
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- Max altitude
- 5,490 m
- Days
- 8 days
- Distance
- 94 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A remote, little-used route that starts at about 4,500 m and crosses Phirtse La at about 5,450-5,540 m with a steep, sometimes icy descent. Trekkers must ford the Lingti river and several glacial side streams, the trail is faint in places, and there are no villages or exits for the first four days.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Manali → Kilang Sarai (drive via Atal Tunnel, Keylong, Jispa and Baralacha La)
2,050 m → 4,490 m
Day 2
Kilang Sarai → Lingti plains (Debni)
4,490 m → 4,400 m
Day 3
Lingti plains → Chumik Marpo
4,400 m → 4,750 m
Day 4 · highest point
Chumik Marpo → Zingchen (via Phirtse La)
4,750 m → 5,490 m → 4,700 m
Day 5
Zingchen → Tangze (Tanze)
4,700 m → 4,000 m
Day 6
Tangze → Purne (via Karu, Testa and Yal)
4,000 m → 3,810 m
Day 7
Purne → Purne (day hike to Phuktal Gompa and back)
3,810 m → 3,810 m
Day 8
Purne → Manali (drive via Shinku La) or onward to Padum
3,810 m → 2,050 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Kilang Sarai (also spelt Keylong, Kelong, Kalang or Killing Sarai)
at 4,490 mLoading forecast…
High point · Phirtse La (Phitse La)
at 5,490 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Kilang Sarai (also spelt Keylong, Kelong, Kalang or Killing Sarai) (nearest town: Keylong (Lahaul) at the start; Padum (Zanskar) at the end)
- Nearest railway
- Chandigarh (then bus or taxi to Manali)
- Nearest airport
- Bhuntar (Kullu-Manali) Airport; Leh airport if starting from the Ladakh side
- By road
- Manali (about 200 km, 7-8 hours, via Atal Tunnel, Keylong, Jispa and Baralacha La on the Manali-Leh highway; Kilang Sarai is a GREF post and bridge a short way before Sarchu); Leh (about 250 km to Sarchu via Tanglang La, 8-9 hours); Exit from Purne: about 185 km by road to Manali via Shinku La (6-7 hours), or to Padum
- Drive
- About 8 h from Manali
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹25,000–45,000
With an operator
₹40,000–70,000
Per person, ex-Manali. Estimates only: we found no operator publishing a current price for this route (Summit Adventures, Djule Adventure and Brokpa Adventure Tours list it on request). Guided range is reasoned from 7-8 day supported Ladakh/Zanskar treks with horses, a guide and Manali-Kilang Sarai and Purne-Manali transport. Self-guided assumes hiring horses and a horseman (Indiahikes' author was quoted ₹500 a day per porter years ago; current rates are higher), taxis in and out, and food for seven days.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 35
Nights near 5,490 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- No mobile signal on the trail from Kilang Sarai to Tangze; patchy signal may be available in larger Zanskar villages and at Purne. Check locally.
- Last ATM
- Keylong (Lahaul) on the way in; carry enough cash for the whole trek.
- Nearest hospital
- Regional Hospital Keylong on the Lahaul side; Padum hospital on the Zanskar side. There is no medical help between Kilang Sarai and Tangze.
- Water
- The Yunam, Lingti Chu, Phirtse Chu, Kurgiakh and Tsarap rivers and side streams run beside every camp; choose campsites by water. Streams rise in the afternoon, so cross early. Treat all water.
Highlights
- Phirtse La (about 5,450-5,540 m), a remote high pass between Lahaul and Zanskar with a 360-degree view of the Zanskar ranges and a hanging glacier
- Wide, empty Lingti plains with summer camps of Ladakhi yak herders (dhoksa) and Gaddi shepherds
- Tangze, the first Zanskari village after four days of wilderness, then the villages of Karu, Testa and Yal down the Kurgiakh valley
- Phuktal (Phugtal) Gompa, built into a cave in the cliff above the Tsarap river, reached on a day hike from Purne
Risks
- Fording the Lingti river and several glacial side streams; the Lingti can be waist-deep and fast. Cross early in the morning. Guidebooks recommend a rope.
- Altitude: the trek starts at about 4,500 m and every camp until Tangze is above 4,400 m. Acclimatise in Keylong or Jispa first.
- The descent from Phirtse La is steep, with patches of ice and snow; Indiahikes' author advises crossing from Lingti towards Zingchen, not the reverse.
- Very remote: few groups use the route, the trail is faint in places, and there is no mobile signal or village for the first four days.
- Since June 2026 the Lahaul-Spiti DDMA requires trekkers to register with an authorised officer before starting and to check out on return (reported by The Tribune); solo trekking is discouraged.
- Roads are spreading in Zanskar: the Shinku La road now reaches Purne, and some operators drive the Tangze-Purne stretch.
Know before you go
Questions
How high is Phirtse La?
Operators give 5,435 to 5,540 m (Summit Adventures 5,450 m, Djule Adventure 5,490 m, Himalaya Trekker about 5,540 m). Satellite terrain data for the pass reads about 5,547 m. Indiahikes' trip report gives 5,250 m, which looks too low.
When can you do the Sarchu-Phirtse La trek?
Summit Adventures runs it between about 20 June and 5 September; other operators say June to September. In winter the route is snowbound and the Lahaul-Spiti administration has banned trekking in the district.
Where does the trek start and end?
It starts at Kilang Sarai, a GREF post and bridge on the Manali-Leh highway near Sarchu, and ends at Purne in Zanskar after a visit to Phuktal Gompa. Some groups continue on foot or by road to Padum, and Indiahikes' author carried on over Niala Kontse La and Gotunta La.
Is this an alternative to the Darcha-Padum (Shingo La) trek?
Yes. With a road now over Shingo La (Shinku La), Himalaya Trekker suggests Phirtse La as a walking route from Lahaul into Zanskar. It is about 500 m higher, more remote and has bigger river crossings.
Do I need a permit?
Since June 2026 Lahaul-Spiti requires trekkers to register their route with an authorised officer before starting. We could not confirm any official fee or a current Ladakh permit rule for the Zanskar side, so check in Keylong and with the Kargil/Padum administration before you go.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: Lahaul and Spiti (start) and Kargil (Zanskar)Himachal Pradesh · Ladakh
- Nearest hospital
- Regional Hospital Keylong on the Lahaul side; Padum hospital on the Zanskar side. There is no medical help between Kilang Sarai and Tangze.
- Last ATM
- Keylong (Lahaul) on the way in; carry enough cash for the whole trek.
- Phone network
- No mobile signal on the trail from Kilang Sarai to Tangze; patchy signal may be available in larger Zanskar villages and at Purne. Check locally.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Sarchu Circuit
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Sarchu Circuit trek (documented trek by Sathyanarayana V) — Indiahikes
- Phirtse La Trek — Summit Adventures
- Sarchu to Padum Trek via Phitsela (Zanskar Valley) — Djule Adventure (trekkinginladakhzanskar.com)
- Lahaul to Zanskar trek over Phirtse La: An alternate to Darcha Padum trek (23 Sep 2024) — Himalaya Trekker
- Phirsa La Trek Tour (Brokpa Adventure Tours) — Brokpa Adventure Tours
- Trekkers must register before hitting Lahaul-Spiti trails now (25 Jun 2026) — The Tribune
- Winter sets in, trekking, climbing banned in Lahaul-Spiti dist (27 Nov 2024) — The Tribune
Photos: Timothy A. Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0; Timothy A. Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0; Koshy Koshy, CC BY 2.0
