Tso Moriri Travel Guide: Korzok, Birds and the Road from Leh

Tso Moriri is a place to arrive at, not to tick off: the lake, the village of Korzok on its shore and the birds and wildlife of the plateau are the sights, and the long road from Leh is part of the visit. Our Ladakh travel guide places it among the other lakes, and our Pangong Lake travel guide covers the busier one.

The lake and its wetland status

The Ramsar Convention's record for Tsomoriri describes a freshwater to brackish lake at 4,595 metres above sea level, designated a wetland of international importance on 19 August 2002 and covering 12,000 hectares. The Leh district calls it the Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, notes that it lies on the Changthang plateau and is up to 8 km wide, and describes its blue water against barren hills with snow on the tops. Official sources disagree on its height and length: Ladakh Tourism says 4,522 metres and 28 km long, the Leh district says about 4,000 metres and 19 km.

Korzok village and monastery

Korzok, on the lake's western shore, is described by Incredible India as the region's only permanent settlement. The Ramsar record mentions a monastery 400 years old, which attracts many tourists, and barley fields that have been described as the highest cultivated land in the world. The record adds that local Buddhists consider the wetland sacred and do not use its water. The Leh district lists the Korzok Gustor festival at Korzok Monastery in July. Keep to the paths, and ask before photographing people or the prayer rooms.

Birds and wildlife

The Ramsar record says the site may be the only breeding ground outside China for the black-necked crane, and the only one for bar-headed geese in India, and names the Tibetan wild ass (kiang) and the argali among the mammals. The Leh district lists the bar-headed goose, brown-headed gull, great crested grebe and Himalayan hare. Ladakh Tourism places the lake inside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, so the District Administration Leh and WWF's guide for all visitors applies here too: do not approach or feed animals, and do not drive off the road.

Tso Kar

Ladakh Tourism describes Tso Kar as a salt lake at around 4,530 metres, 150 km from Leh, with white salt flats, a Ramsar listing and the Changpa nomads, and calls it a gateway to Tso Moriri. The Leh district places the Ladakh Bird Festival at Tsokar in October. It is a natural stop for anyone building a longer Changthang trip.

Ladakh Tourism's fact box gives May to September. July brings the Korzok Gustor festival, and October the Ladakh Bird Festival at nearby Tso Kar. We found no IMD series for the lakeshore, but its daily Ladakh report includes Nyoma, the sub-division the lake lies in, and its Leh normals for 2011–2024 show June to September nights of 9 to 15°C at 3,500 metres. The lake is about 1,100 metres higher and colder, and Ladakh Tourism's advisory warns that winter temperatures in Ladakh can drop to minus 30°C. We found no official statement on winter access to the lake, so ask your operator before planning outside the season. For the month-by-month picture of the region, see the best time to visit Ladakh guide.

• Indian citizens: an Inner Line Permit is not required. You pay the environment fee online on the Leh district's permit portal. The portal lists two circuits for Indian visitors that end at the lake: "Upshi, TsomoRiRi/Korzok" and "Upshi, Dipling, Puga, TsomoRiRi/Korzok", both in the Nyoma sub-division.
• Foreign nationals: a Protected Area Permit is needed; the portal names Tso Moriri among its protected areas. The permit is valid only for the route and the entry and exit points it names, and you may be asked for photocopies at each point.
• The 48-hour rule: the Directorate of Tourism's advisory names Tsomoriri among the places not to visit within 48 hours of arriving in Leh, and the Leh health advisory says road travel "does not help at all" with acclimatisation.