4N / 5D
6N / 7D
High-Altitude Adventure
Ladakh
Leh–Ladakh Circuit
Package ID: TG-IN-001249
Leh · Nubra · Pangong — Ladakh, run the only responsible way — with acclimatisation built in, not bolted on. Leh sits at around 3,500 m and the passes climb far higher, so the first two nights are deliberately slow, at rest, before any high excursion; rushing the altitude is what genuinely ruins (and occasionally endangers) this trip, and we won't design it that way. Inner Line Permits are required for Nubra and Pangong and we arrange them. The whole circuit is weather- and road-dependent and runs May to September only — we give you the honest odds rather than a guarantee the mountains can't honour.
Package IDTG-IN-001249
Duration6N / 7D
StartsLeh
EndsLeh
Best seasonMay to September
Ideal forAdventure travellers · couples · road-trip & mountain lovers
- Duration
- 6N / 7D
- Cities
- Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso
- States
- Ladakh
- Distance
- ~700 km high-altitude mountain roads
- Start → End
- Leh → Leh
- Transport
- Private car with an altitude-experienced driver
- Hotels
- 3★ hotels + Nubra / Pangong camps
- Meals
- Breakfast & dinner (MAP)
- Best season
- May to September
- Ideal for
- Adventure travellers · couples · road-trip & mountain lovers
Day by day
Complete itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Drive distances and times are realistic approximations, stated up front and traffic-dependent — never hidden.
Day 1 Arrive Leh — restAirport → Hotel
- Transfer to hotel — complete rest to acclimatise
- No exertion; hydrate; short easy stroll only in the evening
The most important day of the trip is the one where you do nothing. Flying straight to 3,500 m, your body needs 24 hours at rest to begin adjusting — so day one is deliberately empty. We mean it: no sightseeing, plenty of water, and an early night. It is the foundation the rest of the circuit is safely built on.
✓ Rest & acclimatise✓ Hydration
🛏 Overnight: Leh
Day 2 Leh — gentle acclimatisationLeh local
- Shanti Stupa & Leh Palace (slow pace)
- Lunch
- Sangam — Indus–Zanskar confluence & Magnetic Hill
- Leh market at leisure
A second acclimatisation day, kept gentle by design. The Shanti Stupa and old Leh Palace ease you into the altitude; the drive out to the Sangam, where the Indus and Zanskar meet, is scenic without being strenuous. Still no high passes — that comes only once your body is ready.
✓ Shanti Stupa✓ Leh Palace✓ Sangam confluence
🛏 Overnight: Leh
Day 3 Leh → Nubra via Khardung LaKhardung La → Hunder
- Route
- Leh → Nubra Valley
- Distance
- ~120 km
- Travel time
- ~5–6 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private car over Khardung La (~5,359 m)
- Depart
- 08:00 AM
- Arrive
- 02:00 PM
- Alternative
- Inner Line Permit required (arranged)
- Depart over Khardung La — one of the world's highest motorable passes
- Arrive Nubra & check-in
- Diskit Monastery & the great Maitreya Buddha
- Hunder dunes — Bactrian (double-humped) camels
Now the high country. The road crosses Khardung La at over 5,300 m — we keep the stop at the top brief, as the altitude demands — and drops into the Nubra Valley, a startling strip of green and sand dune between bare peaks. The double-humped camels at Hunder are a genuine remnant of the old Silk Road caravans.
✓ Khardung La✓ Diskit Monastery✓ Hunder dunes✓ Bactrian camels
🛏 Overnight: Nubra
Day 4 Nubra → Pangong TsoShyok → Pangong
- Route
- Nubra → Pangong Tso
- Distance
- ~150 km
- Travel time
- ~6–7 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private car via the Shyok route
- Depart
- 08:00 AM
- Arrive
- 03:00 PM
- Alternative
- Long, rough high-altitude drive — stated honestly
- Depart along the Shyok river
- Arrive Pangong & camp check-in
- The lake at sunset — the colours shift as the light goes
A long, genuinely rough mountain day along the Shyok — we say so plainly rather than dress it up. The reward is Pangong Tso, the vast high-altitude lake straddling the India–China line, whose water shifts from turquoise to deep blue through the day. A night at a lakeside camp at over 4,300 m; nights are cold and facilities are basic by nature of the place.
✓ Shyok valley drive✓ Pangong Tso✓ Lakeside camp
🛏 Overnight: Pangong (camp)
Day 5 Pangong → Leh via Chang LaChang La → Leh
- Route
- Pangong → Leh
- Distance
- ~220 km
- Travel time
- ~6 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private car over Chang La (~5,360 m)
- Depart
- 08:00 AM
- Arrive
- 03:30 PM
- Alternative
- Optional Hemis / Thiksey stop en route
- Sunrise at the lake & breakfast
- Depart over Chang La
- Thiksey Monastery (optional)
- Arrive Leh
Back to Leh over another 5,000 m-plus pass, Chang La, dropping through the Indus valley. We can break the return at Thiksey, the photogenic hilltop monastery often likened to a small Potala. You return to the relative comfort and oxygen of Leh for the night.
✓ Pangong sunrise✓ Chang La✓ Thiksey Monastery
🛏 Overnight: Leh
Day 6 Leh — monasteries & leisureHemis → Shey
- Hemis Monastery — the largest in Ladakh
- Shey Palace & Thiksey (if not seen)
- Lunch
- Leh market, cafés & souvenir shopping
A gentler final full day among the great Indus-valley monasteries — Hemis, Shey, Thiksey — and an easy afternoon in Leh's market. After the high passes it is a deliberate wind-down at a now-familiar altitude, with time for the cafés and craft shops of the old town.
✓ Hemis Monastery✓ Shey Palace✓ Leh old town
🛏 Overnight: Leh
Day 7 DepartureHotel → Airport
- Route
- Leh → Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL)
- Distance
- ~7 km
- Travel time
- ~25 mins (allow extra for security)
- Mode
- Private car
- Depart
- Early — flights are morning only
- Arrive
- —
- Transfer to Leh airport — flights depart in the morning window
- Onward flight (allow extra time for thorough security)
Leh's flights leave in a narrow morning window before the winds pick up, so departure is early and security is thorough — we allow plenty of time. A last look at the mountains on the climb out.
✓ Airport transfer
Where you stay
Hotels
| Destination | Nights | Category | Meal plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leh | 4 | 3★ / boutique | Breakfast + dinner |
| Nubra | 1 | Camp / guesthouse | Breakfast + dinner |
| Pangong | 1 | Lakeside camp | Breakfast + dinner |
Specific hotels are confirmed against your dates and budget at quotation — we never claim a named property is included unless your package explicitly specifies it.
Meals
What's included, day by day
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 · Arrive Leh — rest | — | Optional | Optional |
| Day 2 · Leh — gentle acclimatisation | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 3 · Leh → Nubra via Khardung La | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 4 · Nubra → Pangong Tso | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 5 · Pangong → Leh via Chang La | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 6 · Leh — monasteries & leisure | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 7 · Departure | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
✓ Included · Optional add-on · — not included. Meal plan (CP / MAP / AP) is configurable per booking.
Inclusions
What's in the price
- ✓Accommodation on twin sharing (hotels + camps)
- ✓Breakfast & dinner (MAP)
- ✓All transfers & sightseeing by private car
- ✓Inner Line Permits & wildlife/eco fees
- ✓Toll, parking & driver allowance
- ✓Applicable taxes (GST)
Exclusions
Not included
- ✕Flights to/from Leh
- ✕Monastery entry & camera fees
- ✕Any oxygen / medical costs
- ✕Lunches & personal expenses
- ✕Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- ✕Anything not listed under inclusions
Good to know
Important information
- •Acclimatisation is not optional: the first two nights are at rest in Leh before any high excursion. Altitude sickness (AMS) is a real risk and we design the pace around it.
- •Not advisable for anyone with serious heart or respiratory conditions without a doctor's clearance; consult your physician about Diamox before travelling.
- •The circuit runs May–September only and is weather- and road-dependent; passes and Pangong access can close at short notice.
- •Nubra and Pangong nights are cold and facilities are basic camps by the nature of the location — comfort expectations should be honest.
- •ATMs and mobile networks are limited (postpaid SIMs only in Ladakh); carry cash and download offline maps.
Who is this for
Ideal travellers
👨👩👧Family
💑Honeymoon
👴Seniors
👥Friends
🏢Corporate
🧳Solo
Make it yours
Customize this trip
Change hotel category · add or remove nights · extend the route · upgrade transport · add flights, activities, meals or travel insurance. This is the default; almost everything is configurable.
Pricing
Starting from
Figures on enquiry · priced for your dates
On enquiry / per person · twin sharing
We price the real configuration — your exact party, dates, hotel category and inclusions — rather than publish an average that changes the moment you ask.
| Occupancy | Price / person |
|---|---|
| Single occupancy | — |
| Double / twin sharing (per person) | — |
| Triple sharing (per person) | — |
| Child with bed | — |
| Child without bed | — |
Price varies with travel dates, hotel availability, season, number of travellers and selected inclusions. The occupancy grid above is the live structure; figures populate from configurable pricing fields — never hard-coded.
Questions
Package FAQs
Is Ladakh safe given the altitude?
With proper acclimatisation, yes — which is exactly why we build two rest nights in Leh before any high pass. AMS is real; we pace the gain, keep day one at complete rest, and brief you on symptoms. Anyone with heart/lung conditions should get a doctor's clearance first.
Do we need permits?
Yes — Inner Line Permits for Nubra and Pangong, which we arrange. You just need to carry ID; we handle the paperwork.
How rough are the drives really?
Genuinely rough and long on the Nubra–Pangong and Pangong–Leh days — six to seven hours on high, sometimes unpaved roads. We state this plainly so you plan for it rather than being surprised.
What are the camps at Pangong like?
Basic but characterful — tented camps at over 4,300 m, warm bedding, simple food, limited power and no frills. That is the nature of camping beside a remote high-altitude lake, and we set expectations accordingly.
When can we go?
May to September only. Outside that the passes are snowbound and closed. June–August is the reliable window; even then weather can shift a day.
How do I get a price?
Use Enquire Now or Get Best Quote. A consultant prices your dates, party and hotel/camp category and replies within one working day. No payment to get a quote.
Ready to plan?
Enquire, get a quote or customise
Every button opens one short form — a consultant replies within one working day and your enquiry lands directly in our travel-desk CRM. No payment required.