Leh, Nubra & PangongLadakh in 6 nights

The Ladakh most people picture, in six nights: a proper rest day in Leh, the Nubra Valley over Khardung La, the Shyok road to a night beside Pangong Lake, and the great monasteries on the way back. Going straight from Nubra to Pangong saves a day of backtracking through Leh. It suits couples, friends and families with teenagers who are fit and happy with long mountain drives.

Day 1

Arrive Leh (2 Nights)

About 4 km from the airport · 15–20 minutes

The flight into Leh crosses the Himalaya and lands at about 3,500 m. Your driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your hotel in a Ladakh-registered Innova or Xylo. From here the day is for rest only: lie down, drink plenty of water, eat light and let your body adjust to the thin air. No stairs, no bazaar, no sightseeing. In the evening, if you feel well, a short, slow walk in the hotel garden is enough. An early dinner at the hotel, then bed. Overnight in Leh.

• Note: A mild headache or breathlessness on day one is common. Tell your driver or our team at once if it gets worse.

Prafull’s tipSkip alcohol and long hot showers on the first two nights. Both make altitude symptoms worse.

Dinner

Day 2

Leh

A late breakfast, then an easy half-day by car. Shanti Stupa, the white Japanese-built stupa above the town, has wide views over Leh and the Stok range; your car drives almost to the top. Leh Palace, nine storeys of mud brick and timber, looks down on the old town; take its stairs slowly. Late afternoon you browse the main bazaar for pashmina, dried apricots and Tibetan handicrafts. Back at the hotel, your driver confirms your permits for Nubra and Pangong, and you get an early night before the high passes. Overnight in Leh.

• Shanti Stupa
• Leh Palace
• Leh Main Bazaar

• Note: Leh Palace has steep, uneven stairs. It is fine to view it from outside and skip the climb.

Prafull’s tipBuy a cheap pair of woollen gloves and a cap in the bazaar if you didn't pack them. You'll want them at Pangong.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3

Leh – Nubra Valley (1 Night)

About 125 km · 5 hours over Khardung La

An early start after breakfast. The road climbs in long loops to Khardung La, one of the highest motorable passes in the world at over 5,300 m, where you stop for a few minutes for photographs among the prayer flags. Then down into the Nubra Valley, where the Shyok river spreads across a wide, sandy floor. After lunch you visit Diskit Monastery, with its tall seated Maitreya Buddha looking down the valley, and later the Hunder sand dunes, where double-humped Bactrian camels graze. Overnight in the Nubra Valley.

• Khardung La
• Shyok river
• Diskit Monastery
• Maitreya Buddha statue
• Hunder sand dunes

• Note: Keep the stop at Khardung La to 15–20 minutes; the air at the top is very thin.
• Note: Optional: a short ride on a double-humped camel at Hunder, approx. ₹400–800 per person, paid locally.

Prafull’s tipCarry a warm layer in the car even in July. It can be near freezing at the top of Khardung La while Nubra is warm.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4

Nubra Valley – Pangong Lake (1 Night)

About 170 km · 6–7 hours via the Shyok road

After an early breakfast you follow the Shyok river south-east through Agham and Shyok village, a rough and remote road between bare mountains and wide gravel riverbeds. You stop for a packed or roadside lunch along the way. In the afternoon you reach Pangong Tso, a long, narrow lake at about 4,250 m that runs on into Tibet. Its water changes from turquoise to deep blue as the light shifts. Check in to your lakeside camp, walk to the shore for sunset, and wrap up warm for dinner. Overnight at Pangong Lake.

• Shyok river valley
• Shyok village
• Pangong Tso

• Note: If the Shyok road is closed by landslides or high water, we route you via Leh and Chang La instead; the drive is longer.
• Note: Pangong camps run on generator power for set hours in the evening. Charge your phone and camera when you can.

Prafull’s tipPangong at night can drop below freezing even in summer. Sleep in thermals and keep a water bottle inside your blanket.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5

Pangong Lake – Leh (2 Nights)

About 220 km · 5–6 hours over Chang La

Wake early to watch the sunrise over the lake, then breakfast at the camp. The road heads west through Tangtse and climbs to Chang La, another pass above 5,300 m, before dropping into the Indus valley. On the way into Leh you stop at Thiksey Monastery, a white monastery climbing its hill in tiers, with a two-storey Maitreya Buddha in its upper hall. You reach your hotel in Leh by late afternoon, back among hot showers and good mobile signal. The evening is free to rest. Overnight in Leh.

• Sunrise at Pangong
• Tangtse
• Chang La
• Thiksey Monastery

• Note: Keep the stop at Chang La short; the air is very thin at the top.

Prafull’s tipSit on the side facing the lake on the way out of Pangong; the road follows the shore for the first stretch.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6

Leh

A full day out by car, east and then west of Leh. First, Hemis Monastery, the largest and richest in Ladakh, tucked into a side valley about 45 km from town, with a small museum of thangkas and old masks. Then back past Leh and west along the Srinagar highway to Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and Magnetic Hill, where cars seem to roll uphill. The day ends at the confluence near Nimmu, where the green Indus meets the muddy Zanskar. Back to Leh for your last evening in the bazaar. Overnight in Leh.

• Hemis Monastery
• Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
• Magnetic Hill
• Indus–Zanskar confluence
• Leh Main Bazaar

• Note: Total driving is about 6 hours with stops, on good roads.
• Note: The Hemis festival, with masked dances, falls in June or July by the Tibetan calendar. Ask us for this year's dates.
• Note: Optional: river rafting on the Zanskar or Indus near Nimmu in summer, approx. ₹1,500–2,500 per person.

Prafull’s tipGet to Hemis by 9 am. The museum and main hall are quiet then, and you'll beat the day-trip cars.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7

Leh – Departure

About 4 km to the airport · 15–20 minutes

Most flights out of Leh leave in the morning, because winds pick up over the mountains later in the day, so this is usually an early start. Your hotel packs breakfast if you need to leave before it is served. Your driver takes you to Leh airport with time to spare for the extra security checks, which can be slow in season. You fly out over the Himalaya to Delhi, Mumbai or your connecting city, with the snow peaks under the wing for the first half-hour. Your holiday ends here.

• Note: Leh airport has several security checks and can be slow. Plan to arrive about two hours before your flight.

Prafull’s tipAsk for a window seat on the left when flying to Delhi for the best views of the snow peaks.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are confirmed when you book. If a hotel is full, we give you one of the same category in the same area, and tell you before you pay.

Optional add-ons

Not in the price. Prafull can book them for you or you can pay locally.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Leh is at about 3,500 m, Pangong about 4,250 m, and Khardung La and Chang La both above 5,300 m. Rest fully on day one, and see your doctor before booking if anyone has heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions.
• Pangong camps are basic but comfortable: attached bathrooms, limited hot water and power. Nights are cold even in July.
• Only postpaid mobile connections from outside Ladakh work here; prepaid SIMs from other states do not. Expect no signal on the Shyok road and patchy signal at Pangong.
• Nights are cold even in summer. Pack thermals, a warm jacket, cap, gloves, sunglasses, lip balm and high-SPF sunscreen.
• Carry original photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or voter ID) and a few photocopies for permit checks on the road. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit; ask us before booking.
• The season runs roughly May to September. Flights can be cancelled in bad weather, so avoid tight onward connections.

When to go

Mid-May to September. The high passes open in late spring and close with the first heavy snow, usually in October. June to August is peak season.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Cancellations must be sent in writing, on email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Flights, trains, visa fees and non-refundable hotel or activity bookings are refunded only as their own rules allow.
• Date changes are free when made 30 days or more before travel, subject to hotel availability and any difference in price.
• Refunds are paid within 14 working days of us receiving them from the hotels and suppliers.
• No refund is possible for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.

Questions about this holiday