Tso Kar
ཚོ་དཀར
A high-altitude saline lake beside the Leh–Manali highway, ringed by white salt-crust shores. It is the main breeding ground of black-necked cranes in Ladakh.
Tso Kar means 'White Lake.' Sitting at about 4,530 meters, it got its name from the white salt crust left on its shores as the water evaporates. Together with the freshwater Startsapuk Tso to its south, it forms a Ramsar wetland. In summer you can see black-necked cranes, bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls and Tibetan wild asses. Thukje village on the north shore has a small monastery and a bird-watching spot. From Tso Moriri, it's about 2.5–3 hours via Puga and the Polokongka La pass, and the two lakes are often combined into a loop. Tent camps by the lake offer places to stay. When watching birds, keep your distance and do not enter the core wetland area.
Opening hours
All day