Ladakh - A Comprehensive Itinerary

This is a suggested itinerary for a comprehensive Ladakh Trip.

Day 1. Fly from Delhi to Leh (suggested take an evening flight) One must rest for at least a day to get acclimatized to the pressure change. An evening flight will save some time.
Day 2. Explore Leh. Visit the Leh Palace and the Shanti Stupa.
Day 3. Visit the southern monasteries (Stakna, Hemis, etc)
Day 4. Visit the northern monasteries (Alchi, Lamayuru, Likir, etc)
Day 5. Visit Pangong Tso (camp there) or head for Nubra.
Day 6. Visit Nubra Valley. (Diskit, Hunder)
Day 7. Visit Sumer, Panamik and Yarab Tso in Nubra. Then back to Leh.
Day 8. Visit Tso Moriri (camp there) or come back to Leh
Day 9. Visit Tso Kar at Salt Lake Valley. if interested you can stay an additional day and visit Puga Valley.
Day 10. Back to Leh. Shop. Rest.
Day 11. Start for Zanskar Valley. On the way visit Champa monastery near Kargil
Day 12. Explore Zanskar Valley. (Karsha, Zangla etc)
Day 13. Explore Zanskar (Zonkhal, Shani etc)
Day 14. Head for Phuktal monastery
Day 15. Trek to Phuktal
Day 16. Head back from Phuktal
Day 17. Reach Padum.
Day 18. Start for Srinagar. Halt at  Drass. If interested in treks stay back a few days.
Day 19. Stay at Sonamarg
Day 20. Arrive at Srinagar.
Day 21. Explore Srinagar. If you wish to explore the Kashmir Region, you might need to stay a few more days.)
Day 22. Fly back to Delhi.

This is an intensive schedule for a complete tour of Ladakh and a part of Kashmir.

On The Way To The World's Highest Battlefield

On the way to Nubra - Zaniskari or Zanskari are an endangered species of wild horses/pony breed

Shyok and Nubra Valley

SHYOK VALLEY is the region fed by the river Shyok and NUBRA VALLEY is the region fed by the Siachen River.

LOCATION

Country: India
Union Territory: Ladakh

MAIN CITIES AND TOWNS (one must be acquainted with them to plan the itinerary)

1. Delhi, the Capital of India
2. Leh, Capital of Ladakh
3. Diskit, the main town in Nubra Valley

HOW TO REACH

The distance from Leh to Diskit is around 125 km.

From Leh, one can hire a private taxi or a shared taxi. The taxi can be arranged by a local travel agent or one can go to the taxi stand near the main bus terminus. Privately hired vehicles may charge around Rs. 7000 or more. If shared the fare gets divided among the passengers.

There are buses that travel between Leh and Diskit but they are usually quite irregular and don't run every day. One must visit the bus terminus to inquire about the bus timings. Traveling by bus is the cheapest option and the fare is pretty nominal.

One can even hire motorbikes or simply trek.

To check the various options to reach Leh and Srinagar Click Here

WEATHER and WHAT TO WEAR

Summers are warm during the Day (20-30 C) and cold at night (5-15 C). I was there in the month of August. I needed some light warm clothes for the day. On warmer days cotton wear is the best. In the evenings it can get pretty cold and a jacket or a pullover is essential. It is a dry, dusty region and the sun can be pretty strong, therefore, cotton clothes are best suited for Ladakh. Full sleeves, long pants, a stole to cover the head, and woolen jackets for the evenings are good add-ons. Also, monasteries prefer that visitors cover their legs and arms. I was told by a local that short dresses are considered disrespectful in this region, especially when visiting the gompas (monasteries). Carrying sunshades and sunscreens is strongly advised. Also, covered shoes are a must. My feet were literally charred in my three-month stay there. Thanks to the open sandals. The terrain is rough and hence sneakers are the best option.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Summer is the best time to visit Nubra. In winter the passes get blocked by snow making travel extremely difficult. To reach Nubra one has to cross the Khardung La pass.

May through October is a fairly good time to visit Nubra Valley.

WHERE TO STAY and WHAT TO EAT

Nubra Valley has options for homestays and the rent is pretty inexpensive. There are decent hotels and camping sites as well in Diskit, Hunder, and Sumer.

Dhabas and restaurants are also available in the region with decent food.

ACTIVITIES

Trekking, camping, biking, camel rides, and visiting monasteries are the main activities there.

PLACES TO VISIT 

1. Diskit

Maitreya Buddha near Diskit Monastery

2. Sumer

The Samstanling Monastery

3. Hundar

Double-humped camel or Bactrian Camel ride (a little overrated in my opinion but still an experience - On second thought, it really depends on how comfortable one is on a camel. I wasn't)

4. Yarab Tso Lake
Most people miss out on this lake since it's almost hidden and one has to take a short trek to reach but it is worth the effort. On the way to Panamik, one must take the unpaved dusty road to the left just before entering Panamik. At the end of the road, there is a trek route. Takes around 20- 30 minutes to reach the lake.

5. Panamik (hot water spring)
Well! I guess, it can be skipped if time is limited. The springs are not that great but the route is quite scenic. I enjoyed the drive.

Dust storm on the way to Panamik

6. China border, Siachen glacier

The Siachen glacier is to the north of Panamik, almost about 45 km. Foreigners are not allowed to travel beyond the Panamik village. It is considered one of the highest battlefields in the world at 18000 ft above sea level. One requires special passes to visit this area.

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