Pangong Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

Situated at an altitude of 4,250 m, Pangong Tso lies northeast of Leh. The 134 km long and 5 km wide lake (Tso means lake in Ladakhi) extends from India to Tibet, with two-thirds of the lake in China. A five-hour drive from Leh, on tough mountain road leads you to Zingral. Beyond this lies the third-highest motorable pass in the world'the Changla pass. As you cross this pass, you suddenly stumble upon Pangong Tso, the most pure shades of aquamarine and turquoise to ever grace  the earth. There is no vegetation in the lake (also known as hollow lake), though scrub and perennials grow in the marshes around the lake.

It is believed that large masses of ice left behind by retreating glaciers in the last ice age melted to form Himalayan lakes like Pangong. The freshwater in this landlocked lake, perhaps, evaporated over the years and turned brackish and salty. In winter, the Pangong Tso surface freezes despite being salt water.