Hill Station Tours
Journey to Ladakh
Journey to Ladakh is a 7-day high-altitude adventure across the "Land of High Passes" — flying into Leh at 3,542m, driving west to the ancient Alchi monastery, crossing Khardung La to the double-humped camels and dunes of Nubra Valley, and camping beside the astonishing blue of Pangong Lake. Built around careful acclimatisation and Ladakh's greatest landscapes and monasteries, it is one of the most dramatic journeys in the Indian Himalaya.
Tour overview
Ladakh is a cold high-altitude desert of barren ochre mountains, glacier-fed rivers and centuries-old Buddhist gompas, and this loop takes in its defining sights: Leh and its markets, the Indus-valley monasteries, the world's highest motorable passes, the Nubra dunes and the ever-changing colours of Pangong Tso. Because much of the trip sits above 3,500m and crosses passes over 5,000m, the itinerary deliberately front-loads acclimatisation — a quiet first day in Leh, then gentle valley drives before the highest crossings.
Era Tours has arranged Himalayan travel privately since 1997, and we run this as a fully chauffeur-driven, tailor-made trip with a tour representative meeting you on arrival, hand-picked hotels in Leh and the valleys, and a night under canvas at Pangong. The plan below is our recommended flow; the pace, the monasteries you visit and the camp category can all be shaped around you, and we advise honestly on altitude, permits and weather for the high passes.
Crossing Khardung La
The drive to Nubra crosses Khardung La, at around 18,360 feet one of the highest motorable roads in the world, with staggering views over the ranges.
Pangong Lake by night
You camp on the shore of Pangong Tso, waking early for the extraordinary dawn light as the lake shifts through blues and greens against bare mountains.
Ancient monasteries
From the 10th-century murals of Alchi Gompa to the great monastery of Hemis, the trip is threaded with living centres of Himalayan Buddhism.
Day-by-day itinerary
7 daysYou fly from Delhi to Leh, one of the most scenic approaches in the world, and are met by our tour representative for an assisted transfer to your hotel. At an altitude of 3,542m, Leh demands that you take it slowly, so after check-in the day is deliberately at leisure to let your body acclimatise to the thin air before any exertion. Overnight in Leh.
A gentle acclimatisation day driving west along the Indus. You visit Alchi Gompa, a Buddhist monastery founded between 958 and 1055 AD on the banks of the river and one of Ladakh's most important centres of learning, famed for its rare early miniature paintings. En route you stop at the Magnetic Hill, one of the curiosities of the Himalaya, and at Nimu where the Zanskar and Indus rivers meet in a confluence of two colours. Returning, you visit the Hall of Fame, the army museum honouring the region's war heroes. Overnight in Leh.
- Alchi Gompa
- — Monastery founded c. 958–1055 AD, known for early Indo-Tibetan murals.
- Sangam at Nimu
- — Confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers.
- Magnetic Hill & Hall of Fame
- — Optical-illusion hill and the army war museum.
An early start to drive north to the Nubra Valley, crossing Khardung La — at around 18,360 feet one of the highest motorable roads on earth — with mesmerising views along the way. In the afternoon you visit the Diskit and Hunder monasteries, close to one another, and then the white sand dunes of Hunder for a camel safari on the rare double-humped Bactrian camels found here. Overnight in Nubra.
- Khardung La
- — One of the highest motorable roads in the world, ~18,360 ft.
- Diskit Monastery
- — Largest and oldest gompa in the Nubra Valley.
- Hunder dunes
- — White sand dunes with double-humped Bactrian camel safaris.
In the morning you visit Samstanling Monastery, known for its serene setting and its artifact-filled assembly halls, before returning to Leh once again over Khardung La. The evening is free to explore the local markets of Leh, where you can find wood carvings, Pashmina shawls, masks, pearls and handicrafts. Overnight in Leh.
- Samstanling Monastery
- — Peaceful Nubra gompa with richly decorated prayer halls.
- Leh bazaar
- — Markets for Pashmina, handicrafts and Ladakhi souvenirs.
You drive to Pangong Lake, crossing Chang La, a high mountain pass at around 5,360m, then continuing via Durbuk and Tangtse village in the Changthang region where you can glimpse the daily life of the local herders. You arrive on the shore in the afternoon, where camp is set up. Also called Pangong Tso, the lake is famous for water that shifts through blues and greens; a visit to a nearby village gives a window into local Ladakhi culture. Overnight in tents at Pangong.
- Chang La
- — High pass at around 5,360m on the road to Pangong.
- Pangong Tso
- — High-altitude lake famed for its shifting blue-green colours.
An early start captures the wonderful morning light around the lake, one of the finest photography opportunities of the trip. After breakfast you drive back towards Leh, with the option to halt at Hemis Monastery, the largest and wealthiest gompa in Ladakh. You reach Leh in the afternoon, check in, and have time to shop for souvenirs. Overnight in Leh.
- Hemis Monastery
- — The largest and richest monastery in Ladakh.
In the morning you are given an assisted transfer to Kushok Bakula airport in Leh to board your flight to Delhi. From there you connect with your onward journey, or extend your travels with us to Kashmir or the Himachal hill stations. Tour ends.
This itinerary is a suggested flow and is fully customisable — hotels, pace and sightseeing are tailored to you. Ask us to adjust it →
Places on this tour
What's included
- Accommodation on twin-sharing basis in your chosen hotel category
- One night in tented camp at Pangong Lake
- Daily breakfast (meal plan as per itinerary)
- Private vehicle with an experienced high-altitude driver for road sectors
- Assisted arrival and departure transfers at Leh
- All applicable taxes on the services quoted
Not included
- Delhi–Leh and Leh–Delhi airfare
- Inner Line Permits and monastery entry fees
- Camel safari, camera and video charges
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and beverages unless specified
- Any visa, travel insurance, tips and personal expenses
- Single-room supplement for single occupancy
- Anything not mentioned under inclusions
Ideal for: Adventurous travellers, photographers and mountain lovers comfortable with high altitude.
FAQ
Journey to Ladakh — your questions answered
Around seven days is the right length for a first Ladakh trip that includes Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. That allows a full acclimatisation day in Leh, gentle valley drives before the high passes, and time at both Nubra and Pangong without rushing the crossings of Khardung La and Chang La.
Ladakh is reached easily by a short flight from Delhi to Leh, but the altitude does need respect. Leh sits at 3,542m and the passes climb above 5,000m, so we deliberately keep the first day at leisure to acclimatise and build the itinerary to ease you higher gradually; travellers with heart or respiratory conditions should consult a doctor first.
The best time is June to September, when the high passes to Nubra and Pangong are reliably open. Roads over Khardung La and Chang La can be blocked by snow outside these months, and while Leh itself is accessible by air year-round, the full Nubra and Pangong loop depends on the summer season.
Yes, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake and other areas near the frontier require Inner Line Permits. These are straightforward to obtain and we arrange them as part of your trip; you simply need to carry valid photo identification, and the permit cost is on direct payment.
At Pangong you stay overnight in a tented camp on the lakeshore. The camps are simple but comfortable, chosen so you can wake for the extraordinary dawn light over the water; elsewhere on the tour you stay in hand-picked hotels in Leh and the Nubra Valley in your chosen category.
