Plan your trip · Pangong Tso
What's on in Pangong Tso
Pangong itself has only one regular event, and it takes place on the frozen lake in February. The monastery festivals you can combine with a trip happen on the road from Leh.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Pangong Tso right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso runs on a short season: the festivals that matter cluster into the months the passes and roads are comfortably open, and a lot of the calendar simply stops in deep winter. Broadly, Jul – Sep and Apr – Jun is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Across Ladakh
Hemis Festival
🗓️ June–JulyTwo days of masked dance at Hemis monastery, the largest of the Ladakhi monastic festivals.
Planning: Peak season — permits, rooms and cars all need booking well ahead.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon
The Frozen Lake Marathon is run on the ice of Pangong Tso, at about 14,200 ft. The fourth edition took place on 24 and 25 February 2026, with a full marathon, 22 km, 10 km and 6 km races, in temperatures around minus 15°C to minus 17°C. It is organised to promote winter tourism in Ladakh. Runners need to register well ahead and go through medical checks. Spectators should arrange winter stays and transport through a local operator, since most camps are closed.
Takthok festival
Takthok monastery at Sakti, on the road to Chang La, holds its annual festival of masked dances usually around July or August. It is on the way to the lake, so it fits well into a summer trip.
Chemrey Angchok
Chemrey monastery, near Sakti, holds its own masked-dance festival each year. It follows the Tibetan lunar calendar, so dates move; check with the tourist office in Leh.
Hemis festival
Hemis, south of Karu, holds Ladakh's best-known monastery festival in June or July, celebrating the birth of Padmasambhava. It is not at Pangong, but you can see it on the way out or back. Rooms and cars in Leh fill up that week.
Losar and winter
Losar, the Ladakhi new year, is celebrated in winter, usually around December, mostly in Leh and the villages. Very few visitors are at the lake then.
Events in Leh
Leh holds the Sindhu Darshan festival by the Indus in June and the Ladakh Festival, with dance and polo, in September. Both are in Leh, not at the lake, but both affect car and room bookings for the trip.
Planning around them
Monastery festival dates follow the Tibetan calendar and shift from year to year, so confirm them before you book. National holidays such as Diwali and Holi are not major events at Pangong. For the season as a whole, see the best time to visit page.
Questions
Pangong Tso — FAQ
Is the Frozen Lake Marathon held every year?
It has been held in February in recent years, with the fourth edition on 24 and 25 February 2026. Check the organisers' announcement for the next date.
Can I watch the Frozen Lake Marathon?
Yes, but you need to plan a winter trip with a local operator, as most camps are closed and temperatures fall well below minus 15°C.
Are there festivals at Pangong Tso itself?
Apart from the marathon, no. The monastery festivals are held at Takthok, Chemrey and Hemis on the road from Leh.
Which festival can I combine with a summer Pangong trip?
The Takthok festival, usually around July or August, and the Hemis festival in June or July are both close to the route.