Tso Moriri Travel Guide
Tso Moriri Lake also known by the name Moriri lake or the Mountain lake is situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh. It is a very beautiful high altitude lake with calm waters and is also very scared to the Ladakhis. It has an average altitude of 4,595 m above the sea level.
This Lake is one of the high altitude lakes in the whole of Himalayan range. The lake is situated in the eastern part of Ladakh and at a distance of about 250 km from Leh. It is located on the middle part of the Rupshu Valley. The lake is house of many migratory birds.
The people residing around this place is nomadic and are of the Khampa tribe. The lake is surrounded all around with snow covered mountains. Tso Moriri Lake is also the house of many wildlife species. It is also one of the favourite camp base for the trekkers. The place around is declared as wetland for preserving the migratory birds.
The Karzok festival is an important festival here. It is held every year in the months of July and August. People and tourists from all over come to attend this grand festival and be a part of it.
How to Reach Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri is at a distance of around 240 Kms from Leh. You need to hire a car from Leh to reach Tso Moriri.
Distance of Tso Moriri Lake from Below Places:
| Place | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
|
Leh |
240 |
|
Manali |
452 |
|
Sarchu |
227 |
Weather
Tso Moriri Lake Temperature
- Summer (May to Jun) – Temperatures are mild and range between (2°C) to (19°C). This is when the winter snow starts to melt and the mountain roads are opened for traffic. It is advisable to know the current road conditions before you start your journey
- Monsoon – (Jul to Sep) – The whole of Ladakh being a rain shadow area, the rain fall is very low and that too for small intervals. This is actually the best time to visit Ladakh with the sky remains pristine blue and the temperature is moderate (~ 5 to 20 degree C)
- Winter – (Oct to Apr) – Temperatures are low and remain in sub zero range with few places falling as below as -20 degree C. From late October, fresh sow fall starts and roads get closed for traffic.
- Best Time to Visit – July to September is the best season for tourism
What to See In Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri Lake is one of the high altitude lakes in the whole of Himalayan range. The lake is situated about 250 km from Leh. The water of the lake is alkaline in nature. The lake is 4 -6 km in breadth, 28 km in length and the depth is 248 feet. The color of the water is deep blue and crystal clear. All through the day the lake changes its color. This changing color of the lake makes the place more exclusive. It leaves a deep impact in the heart and minds of the tourists It is located on the Rupshu Valley.
The lake is house of many migratory birds. Among which the Brahmni ducks are very famous. The lake is surrounded all around with snow covered mountains. Tso Moriri Lake is also the house of many wildlife species. It is also one of the favorite camp bases for the trekkers. Tso Moriri Lake used to be the one of the main source of salt collector as it is a salty lake. The 350 year old Karzok monastery is here in Tso Moriri. Pashmina goats are found here in huge numbers. The grassland around the lake and the snow clad mountains as backdrop makes the beauty of the place breath taking away.
Other Details
What to Do
- Bird Watching—It is a feeding ground to migratory birds
- Spending time by the lake
- A visit to the Korzok village
Where to Eat
Your only option for food is from the tent or hotel where you are staying. There are not much of outside eateries available
What to Buy
Nothing much is available to buy in this remote place
Get Around
You need to have your own vehicle to move around this place. Local transport is very irregular
Top Destinations - Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh
– Gulmarg
– Jammu
– Kargil
– Leh
– Nubra Valley
– Pangong Lake
– Patnitop
– Pahalgam
– Sonamarg
– Srinagar
– Tso Moriri Lake
– Vaishno Devi
Popular Tour Plans - Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh
4-6 Days
1. Srinagar-Pahalgam (5N/6D)
7-10 Days
1. Jammu-Srinagar-Gulmarg-Pahalgam (8N/9D)
2. Jammu-Srinagar-Gulmarg-Sonamarg-Pahalgam (9N/10D)
> 10 Days
1. Jammu-Vaishno Devi-Patnitop-Srinagar-Gulmarg-Sonamarg-Pahalgam (11N/12D)
2. Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Pangong Lake-Nubra Valley-Tso Moriri Lake-Sarchu-Manali (13N/14D)