Even if people prefer to travel by car, completing this bus journey is also a different kind of experience in my opinion. It is a great option if you are traveling on a strict budget; or with your family. If you have been to Ladakh before and thought of a second trip; maybe you can think about going there by bus, just to add a different perspective to the journey.

Bus from Leh to Srinagar

There are two types of buses available to travel between Leh and Srinagar. The first is a government-run bus; operated by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation. The other buses available are from private tour operators. JKSRTC buses are a mix of luxury, semi-luxury and ordinary. Private tour operators usually provide luxury semi-luxury minibuses.

Bus from JKSRTC from Leh to Srinagar

There are three different types of buses offered by JKSRTC on this route. One is the MCV, 19 and 14 seats, which are luxury buses. The second is a luxury bus and the last is a semi-luxury. There may also be an ordinary bus that is the least comfortable of all, but also the cheapest. The regular bus may or may not be available, but the MCV, Deluxe and Semi Deluxe bus is a daily service.

Bus from Leh to Srinagar

The bus fare from Leh to Srinagar per person is Rs. 1,300 for a luxury MCV bus, Rs. 919 for a Deluxe bus and Rs. 737 for Semi – Deluxe s. The regular bus, if available, would cost around Rs. 500 per person. Source: JKSRTC

Where to board the bus

You can board this bus at the main bus stop in Leh.

Bus schedules from Leh to Srinagar

This bus starts at 2:00 pm from Leh; runs nonstop with very few breaks; and arrives in Srinagar the next day at 7:30 am, after a journey of around 18 hours.

Bus reservation from Leh to Srinagar

You will have to buy your ticket for this bus at least one day in advance; or at least in the morning; a few hours before the trip. There is no other reservation system available and you cannot buy a ticket more than a day in advance.

Leh to Srinagar Bus Online Booking

There is no online booking system available for this service. You will have to buy a ticket in person at the bus stop itself.

Bus route from Leh to Srinagar

This bus follows the Srinagar Leh road via Kargil. The journey path will be,

Leh – Nimmu – Khalsi – Lamayuru – Fotu La – Namika La – Mulbekh – Kargil – Dras – Zoji La – Sonamarg – Kangan – Ganderbal – Srinagar

Leh to Srinagar Volvo Bus

There is no Volvo between Srinagar and Leh, only the JKSRTC MCV, which is as good as a Volvo.

Leh to Srinagar Bus in April

This bus is not available in April. It will only be operational in May, when Zojila is released from the snow and declared safe by the authorities for a bus.

Leh to Srinagar via Bus

If the 18-hour non-stop journey seems a little tiring, there are other options you can consider for that journey. You can try to contact the local travel agencies and check if they have a bus available on the route that makes the trip in 2 days. The best way, however, would be to do it yourself. There are daily buses and shared taxis available between Leh – Kargil and Kargil – Srinagar. My suggestion would be that you take a morning bus from Leh to Kargil and spend the night there. The next day, take the morning bus daily at the Kargil bus stop and arrive in Srinagar at night.

The same routine that you can also follow by shared taxi. These departures from the Leh bus are sustained. Board a shared taxi from Leh to Kargil and then take a taxi from Kargil to Srinagar.

That way, you would complete this journey in 2 days at a leisurely and leisurely pace.