Srinagar → Kargil → Leh → Nubra Valley → Pangong Lake
Chapter Two — Where You'll Stay
Handpicked along your own route — not a hotel chain repeated city to city.
First, 2 nights in Srinagar
A 1910 Dogra royal palace on Gupkar Road, its lawns running down toward Dal Lake — over a hundred rooms and suites, a nine-hole golf course and a spa.
Next, one night in Kargil
Kargil's first fully air-conditioned hotel, in the main market — heated rooms, 24-hour hot water and a multi-cuisine restaurant. The premium Kargil stay.
Next, 4 nights in Leh
Ladakh's only certified five-star, on the edge of Leh — oxygen-boosted rooms, central heating and Stok range views. The luxury Leh stay.
Next, 2 nights in Nubra Valley
An SLH member on the Nubra riverbank near Sumur — 17 solar-powered mud-and-poplar cottages in a poplar garden. The luxury Nubra stay.
Finally, 2 nights in Pangong Lake
The most comfortable stay on Pangong Lake — yurt-style tents with hot showers and electric blankets on the Spangmik shore, at 4,300 metres.
Chapter Three — Activities & Sightseeing
10 of your 12days — the full day-by-day plan follows below.
Day 2 · Srinagar
A day along the eastern shore of the lake, where the Mughal emperors built their gardens. Nishat Bagh climbs the hillside in twelve terraces, one for each sign of the zodiac. Shalimar Bagh, built by Jahangir for Nur Jahan, runs water down a central channel between chinar trees. Chashme Shahi is small and built around a spring. Above them, Pari Mahal is a terraced ruin with the best view in the city. The afternoon can add the tulip garden in season, or a carpet workshop.
Day 3 · Srinagar → Kargil
The first day of the overland to Ladakh, and a long one. The road leaves the Kashmir valley at Sonamarg, then climbs the switchbacks of Zoji La, at about three and a half thousand metres the second-highest pass on the route and the one that closes the road all winter. Beyond it the landscape turns bare and brown. Drass, soon after, records some of the lowest temperatures of any inhabited place on earth, and has a memorial to the 1999 conflict on the ridges above. Kargil, the old caravan town on the Suru river, is the night stop. The drive takes most of the day, and an early start matters.
Day 4 · Kargil → Leh
The return drive east, retracing the Srinagar road but stopping at whatever you skipped on the way out. The Mulbekh Buddha, if you missed it. Lamayuru again, or Rizong, or the Alchi paintings if there is time. The road climbs back over Fotu La and Namika La and drops into the Sham valley. It is a full day of driving, six to seven hours plus stops, with the altitude rising the whole way. Back in Leh by evening.
Day 5 · Leh
You fly into Leh in the early morning, over the main Himalayan range. The airport sits at 3,500 metres, so the first day is a rest day, and this is not optional. Your guide checks you in and asks you to do very little. Drink water, eat lightly, sleep if you can. A short, slow walk to Leh market in the afternoon is as much as you should do. Giving the body a full day here now prevents altitude sickness later.
Day 6 · Leh
A gentle first full day, still close to the hotel. The morning is Leh's old town: the bazaar, the mosque, and the nine-storey palace above it. The climb through the palace floors is slow but short. In the afternoon, drive up to Shanti Stupa for the view over the valley. Sankar Monastery, a working gompa a short way from the centre, fills any spare time. An early night before tomorrow's monastery run.
Day 7 · Leh
A full day among the great monasteries south-east of Leh. Start early at Thiksey, a twelve-storey monastery on a hill, for the dawn prayers if you are up to it. Then Hemis, the largest and richest in Ladakh, hidden in a side gorge. Shey, the old royal palace with its giant seated Buddha, and Stok are on the way back. It is a lot of driving, but the roads are good and the valley is beautiful. Back in Leh by evening.
Day 8 · Leh → Nubra Valley
The drive to Nubra crosses Khardung La, at about 5,360 metres one of the highest motorable passes in the world. You stop briefly at the top for photos and tea, but not long, because of the altitude. The road then drops a long way into the Nubra valley, green and wide after the bare passes. You reach your Nubra hotel by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is at rest by the river. The full drive takes five to six hours with stops.
Day 9 · Nubra Valley
A full day in the Nubra valley. The morning is Diskit Monastery and its 32-metre Maitreya statue, which looks down the valley towards Pakistan. In the afternoon, the white sand dunes at Hunder, with their two-humped Bactrian camels. A short camel ride runs in the last hour of light, when the dunes turn gold. Turtuk, a Balti village near the border that only opened to visitors in 2010, is an option for those with the time. A second night in Nubra.
Day 10 · Nubra Valley → Pangong Lake
A long, rough and spectacular drive that avoids going back over Khardung La. The road follows the Shyok river east, through a wide, empty valley of braided river channels and bare rock. Parts of it are unpaved and slow. There are no towns and few people for hours. You reach Pangong from the north in the late afternoon, with the lake opening up ahead. Plan on seven to eight hours on the road. It is worth it.
Day 11 · Pangong Lake
A slow day by the lake, which is the point of coming this far. The water changes colour through the day, so it rewards sitting still and watching. A short drive along the shore towards the villages of Man and Merak gets you away from the day-trip crowds at Spangmik. The altitude here is 4,350 metres, so walking is slow and naps are normal. After dark, the sky fills with stars. A second night on the shore.
Chapter Four — Day by Day
Every day, start to finish — including the transfers the sightseeing chapter above skipped.
Srinagar
You land at Srinagar and drive to the lake, twenty minutes or so. The afternoon is easy. A shikara ride on Dal Lake is the way to start: a slow paddle past the houseboats, into the lanes of the floating gardens, out to open water for the light on the mountains. Back on shore there is time for tea and a walk along the boulevard. The evening is free. Srinagar sits at about 1,600 metres, so the air is cool even in summer.
Srinagar
A day along the eastern shore of the lake, where the Mughal emperors built their gardens. Nishat Bagh climbs the hillside in twelve terraces, one for each sign of the zodiac. Shalimar Bagh, built by Jahangir for Nur Jahan, runs water down a central channel between chinar trees. Chashme Shahi is small and built around a spring. Above them, Pari Mahal is a terraced ruin with the best view in the city. The afternoon can add the tulip garden in season, or a carpet workshop.
Srinagar → Kargil
The first day of the overland to Ladakh, and a long one. The road leaves the Kashmir valley at Sonamarg, then climbs the switchbacks of Zoji La, at about three and a half thousand metres the second-highest pass on the route and the one that closes the road all winter. Beyond it the landscape turns bare and brown. Drass, soon after, records some of the lowest temperatures of any inhabited place on earth, and has a memorial to the 1999 conflict on the ridges above. Kargil, the old caravan town on the Suru river, is the night stop. The drive takes most of the day, and an early start matters.
Kargil → Leh
The return drive east, retracing the Srinagar road but stopping at whatever you skipped on the way out. The Mulbekh Buddha, if you missed it. Lamayuru again, or Rizong, or the Alchi paintings if there is time. The road climbs back over Fotu La and Namika La and drops into the Sham valley. It is a full day of driving, six to seven hours plus stops, with the altitude rising the whole way. Back in Leh by evening.
Leh
You fly into Leh in the early morning, over the main Himalayan range. The airport sits at 3,500 metres, so the first day is a rest day, and this is not optional. Your guide checks you in and asks you to do very little. Drink water, eat lightly, sleep if you can. A short, slow walk to Leh market in the afternoon is as much as you should do. Giving the body a full day here now prevents altitude sickness later.
Leh
A gentle first full day, still close to the hotel. The morning is Leh's old town: the bazaar, the mosque, and the nine-storey palace above it. The climb through the palace floors is slow but short. In the afternoon, drive up to Shanti Stupa for the view over the valley. Sankar Monastery, a working gompa a short way from the centre, fills any spare time. An early night before tomorrow's monastery run.
Leh
A full day among the great monasteries south-east of Leh. Start early at Thiksey, a twelve-storey monastery on a hill, for the dawn prayers if you are up to it. Then Hemis, the largest and richest in Ladakh, hidden in a side gorge. Shey, the old royal palace with its giant seated Buddha, and Stok are on the way back. It is a lot of driving, but the roads are good and the valley is beautiful. Back in Leh by evening.
Leh → Nubra Valley
The drive to Nubra crosses Khardung La, at about 5,360 metres one of the highest motorable passes in the world. You stop briefly at the top for photos and tea, but not long, because of the altitude. The road then drops a long way into the Nubra valley, green and wide after the bare passes. You reach your Nubra hotel by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is at rest by the river. The full drive takes five to six hours with stops.
Nubra Valley
A full day in the Nubra valley. The morning is Diskit Monastery and its 32-metre Maitreya statue, which looks down the valley towards Pakistan. In the afternoon, the white sand dunes at Hunder, with their two-humped Bactrian camels. A short camel ride runs in the last hour of light, when the dunes turn gold. Turtuk, a Balti village near the border that only opened to visitors in 2010, is an option for those with the time. A second night in Nubra.
Nubra Valley → Pangong Lake
A long, rough and spectacular drive that avoids going back over Khardung La. The road follows the Shyok river east, through a wide, empty valley of braided river channels and bare rock. Parts of it are unpaved and slow. There are no towns and few people for hours. You reach Pangong from the north in the late afternoon, with the lake opening up ahead. Plan on seven to eight hours on the road. It is worth it.
Pangong Lake
A slow day by the lake, which is the point of coming this far. The water changes colour through the day, so it rewards sitting still and watching. A short drive along the shore towards the villages of Man and Merak gets you away from the day-trip crowds at Spangmik. The altitude here is 4,350 metres, so walking is slow and naps are normal. After dark, the sky fills with stars. A second night on the shore.
Pangong Lake → Leh
An early start to be over Chang La before the afternoon wind. The pass is at about 5,360 metres and often holds snow even in summer. Below it the road runs down past Hemis and Thiksey, so there is a chance to stop at either if you missed them. You are back in Leh by mid-afternoon, at a lower and easier altitude. The last evening is free for the market and for packing. The drive is five to six hours in all.
Chapter Five — Terms & Conditions
Cancellation windows, refund timing, and rescheduling terms for this journey follow our one sitewide policy — nothing package-specific to dig through.
Read the Return & Refund PolicyChapter Six — Similar Journeys
Why Choose Us
01
This route was shaped around Srinagar to Leh's real places, not lifted from a fixed template.
13 years — Brijesh Sharma, Bespoke Itinerary Specialist
02
Every stay on this trip was chosen in person, not off a ratings page.
5 real stays, 3–5★
03
One driver, air-conditioned, for the whole route — no shared shuttle.
Premium sedans & SUVs · One driver, the whole trip
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