Ladakh High Altitude Road Trip — 8 Days
Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley camel rides, Khardung La pass, and Buddhist monasteries. India's top adventure circuit.
Day by day
Arrive Leh — Acclimatisation Day 1
Leh, Ladakh
ESSENTIAL: Rest day. No alcohol. Light walk only. Leh Palace view in evening. Altitude sickness tablets if prescribed.
Leh Local — Monasteries Circuit
Shanti Stupa, Leh
Shanti Stupa, Thiksey Monastery (6am puja if possible), Hemis, Leh Market. Acclimatisation day 2.
Khardung La Pass (World's Highest Motorable Road)
Khardung La, 5359m
Permits required. Tyre pressure adjustment important. Take photos but don't spend more than 20 min at top. Nubra Valley night halt.
Nubra Valley — Sand Dunes & Bactrian Camels
Hunder, Nubra Valley
Double-humped camel safari on Hunder dunes (1hr). Diskit Monastery. Turtuk village (farthest accessible point near Pakistan border).
Pangong Lake — Blue in a Desert
Pangong Tso, Ladakh
Drive via Chang La (5360m). Overnight camp at Pangong shore — watch sunrise over the lake as colours change. Inner Line Permit required.
Magnetic Hill & Indus-Zanskar Confluence
Magnetic Hill, Leh-Kargil Highway
Stop at Magnetic Hill (optical illusion), Sangam (confluence of blue Zanskar & muddy Indus rivers). Return to Leh.
Depart Leh
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh
Flights often leave early morning. Book well in advance — Leh seats sell out fast in season (Jun–Sep).