Bortle 2· Truly darkCertified reserveMountain

Ladakh Highlands

India · 33.96°, 78.96°

Cold desert at 4,500 m with almost no atmosphere in the way.

4.7(174)

Best night in range

Jun 15, 2026

2% cloud · 0% moon

92Sky score

SQM reading: 21.81mag/arcsec²
Naked-eye limit: 7.6mag
Clear nights: 276per year
Elevation: 4,500 m

The site

Hanle sits on a high-altitude cold desert plateau where the air column above you is roughly a third thinner than at sea level. India's first Dark Sky Reserve, declared in 2022, with the whole valley switched to shielded amber lighting. Nights are brutally cold and completely worth it.

4,500 m altitude cuts a third of the atmosphere
Village-wide amber lighting retrofit completed 2023
Indian Astronomical Observatory on the ridge

Ten-night forecast

Updated 6h ago

Sky Score combines cloud cover, transparency, seeing, humidity and lunar illumination against this site's Bortle class. Higher is better; anything above 82 is worth rearranging a calendar for.

Night	Moon	Cloud	Transparency	Seeing	Humidity	Sky score
SunJun 14	3%	22%	74%	83%	31%	82
MonJun 15Best	0%	2%	87%	83%	15%	92
TueJun 16	0%	39%	74%	67%	38%	73
WedJun 17	2%	2%	85%	75%	20%	91
ThuJun 18	6%	41%	57%	77%	36%	71
FriJun 19	12%	31%	66%	87%	41%	77
SatJun 20Best	20%	2%	96%	88%	17%	92
SunJun 21	29%	22%	78%	60%	34%	77
MonJun 22	39%	33%	74%	58%	32%	70
TueJun 23	50%	8%	91%	56%	25%	81

When to come

Share of nights that stay usable, month by month. The recommended window is April, May, June, September and October.

70%

68%

72%

80%

86%

82%

63%

60%

84%

88%

82%

74%

JFMAMJJASOND

Recommended windowShare of clear nights

Field reports

Priya Nair

Research scientist, Bengaluru

The two acclimatisation nights in Leh felt like wasted time until night four, when I was the only person in the group without a headache. Sonam builds the schedule around your body first and the sky second. Hanle at 4,500 metres is worth every hour of the drive.

Guided nights here

Expeditions at Ladakh Highlands

All expeditions

Advanced

Ladakh Highlands · India

Hanle High-Altitude Programme

Six nights at 4,500 m with a proper acclimatisation ramp and the thinnest air on the platform.

Deep skyPlanetaryMilky Way

Sep 5–11, 20266 nightsmax 6

From, per person

$3,960

4.9(33)

Sonam Dorje

The site

4,500 m altitude cuts a third of the atmosphere

Village-wide amber lighting retrofit completed 2023

Indian Astronomical Observatory on the ridge

Night

Moon

Cloud

Transparency

Seeing

Humidity

Sky score

SunJun 14

22%

74%

83%

31%

MonJun 15Best

87%

83%

15%

TueJun 16

39%

74%

67%

38%

WedJun 17

85%

75%

20%

ThuJun 18

41%

57%

77%

36%

FriJun 19

12%

31%

66%

87%

41%

SatJun 20Best

20%

96%

88%

17%

SunJun 21

29%

22%

78%

60%

34%

MonJun 22

39%

33%

74%

58%

32%

TueJun 23

50%

91%

56%

25%

Field reports

Priya Nair

Research scientist, Bengaluru

The two acclimatisation nights in Leh felt like wasted time until night four, when I was the only person in the group without a headache. Sonam builds the schedule around your body first and the sky second. Hanle at 4,500 metres is worth every hour of the drive.