Pangong Tso Lake

Pangong Tso ('high grassland lake' in Tibetan) is a 134-km long endorheic lake at 4,350 metres, straddling the Indo-China border at the eastern edge of Ladakh — only one-third of the lake (45 km) is on the Indian side. Despite the high altitude, the lake's salinity prevents it from freezing in most of the deeper sections, though shallow margins do freeze in winter. The lake's water shifts colour through the day with the changing light — turquoise in morning, deep blue at noon, gold at sunset, purple at twilight. The lake's tourism boom dates from the climactic scene of Aamir Khan's '3 Idiots' (2009), filmed at the Spangmik shore. The original 'Idiot Bench' is still there. The scene drew so many visitors that the Ladakh administration began regulating camp permits and waste management in 2018. Standard access is via a 5-hour drive from Leh through the Chang La pass (5,360 m, the third-highest motorable pass in the world). Permits required for foreign and Indian visitors (separate Inner Line Permits); processed in Leh in 1-2 hours. Avoid Pangong in November-February when most accommodation closes.