Ladakh means “Land of High Passes”; The northernmost region of India, Ladakh is home to some of the highest mountain passes. Ladakh is most famous for its Mesmerizing landscapes, the crystal clear skies, the highest mountain passes, thrilling adventure activities, Buddhist Monasteries and festivals, Tibetan food culture, time-lapse starts, World’s highest saltwater lake(Pangong lake)
, Khardungla world’s highest motorable pass (18750 ft), but it is also the place where you will find the Magnetic Hill, the one-of-a-kind phenomena that defeats gravitational forces.
Besides that, Ladakh is famous. Some of them are:
Bike riding in the high mountains is one of the adventures of people visiting Ladakh. The dangerous heights and the risky valleys along the route make it one of the most famous tourist attractions to accomplish for adventurers. Camping and bonfires by the lakes and valleys like Pangong, Tso Moriri, and Nubra Valley add to the list of reasons why Ladakh is famous. Ladakh has its own culture and own gestures of attraction. Mindblowing landscape, snow cap mountains and high mountains passes, world’s highest coffee house, post office and the most dangerous highway in the word (Leh Manali highway) .people can witness the magical sight of the convergence of the two rivers Sangam, River Zanskar and River Indus before they merge to flow into Pakistan as River Indus.
It is also famous for double hump camel rides available only at the glistening sand dunes in the Nubra Valley region. And Asia’s largest National Park, Hemis National Park in Ladakh is famous for housing innumerable leopards, and snow bears and providing a natural habitat for them.
Tourists can visit Leh Ladakh by Air as well as by Car/bike also.
Nearest Airport: Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport ( Leh Airport) sitting at an altitude of 10,682 feet above sea level
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Nearest Rail station: Pathankot and Chandigarh are the closest railway stations to Leh, still a three-day bus ride away
Short Itinerary for Leh Ladakh tour
Day.1 Arrive in Leh, acclimatize and visit local markets
Day 2 Leh local sightseeing night stay at Leh
Day 3 Leh – Lamayuru monastery via Alchi monastery
Day 4 drive back to Leh
Day 5 leh to nubra valley (Turtuk )
Day 6 Nubra valley sightseeing
Day 7 Nubra valley to pangong lake
Day 8 pangong lake to Tso Moriri lake
Day 9 back to Leh via Hemit monastery
Day 10 Departure from Leh
Itinerary
Day 1 . Leh airport – Leh (Main Bazar )
Arrival in Leh, acclimatization & visit Local markets
Day 1: leh airport – Leh (Main Bazar, Leh Palace, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, Shanti Stupa)
Night in Leh
Board your morning flight to Leh from Delhi/Dehradun/Jammu and contemplate the beautiful mountains view of Ladakh from above. The flight from Delhi to Leh takes approximately 1 and a half hrs and it is one of the most impressive in the world. Upon arrival at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, transfer to your hotel in Leh. The height of Leh is 3,500 meters above sea level and your body needs to adjust to the rarefied oxygen level at this altitude. To do so, you need to drink a lot of liquid (water, tea, juice, soup, etc.) To avoid AMS(High altitude Mountain sickness) and you should walk at a leisurely pace. For lunch, head to the Main Bazar or Changspa Road where you can find many authentic restaurants as well as local street food. This could be the opportunity to try local dishes such as skyu is a soup-based traditional specialty. The dish contains vegetables and dough kneaded into flattened thumb-sized balls), chowmein, and momos, thukpa. Chhurpe ( dried yak cheese) . Night stay in Leh.
Day: 2 Leh local sightseeing
After breakfast, head to Leh’s old town and visit historical places in Leh. It’s easy to get lost exploring its maze of small winding streets flanked by mud-brick houses. The first attraction is The Leh Palace also known as Lachen Palkar Palace is a former royal palace overlooking the city of Leh in Ladakh, India. It was constructed circa 1600 by Sengge Namgyal. This tall dun-colored complex of nine stories contains a shrine and an interesting museum with objects belonging to the royal family. From the Leh palace, follow the road climbing up to the hilltop where hundreds of colorful prayer flags are floating in the wind and creating a place to magical and reach Namgyal Tsemo gompa. This Buddhist monastery rising above the city was founded during the 15th century. The main shrine contains 3 statues of Buddha and a number of statues of protector deities. Next, go to the Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist white-domed stupa on a hilltop in Leh district, Ladakh. It was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Bhikshu, Gyomyo Nakamura, and is part of the Peace Pagoda mission. The Shanti Stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama. Walk back to the Main Bazar where women clad in Gonchas (traditional Ladakhi dress) sell organic local fruits and vegetables. As you take a stroll in the bustling market, visit the Gompa Soma and the Jama Masjid mosque, Hall of Fame, Sankar Monastery, and General Zorawar Fort. Night stay at Leh .
Day 3
Leh – Magnetic Hill – the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers – Alchi – Lamayuru
After breakfast, start your 3-day tour in Indus valley tour. A 25-minute drive from Leh brings you to the Phyang monastery Phyang has a 900-year-old museum with an extensive collection of idols, thangkas, scriptures, and Tibetan, Chinese and Mongolian weapons. Then, you reach the intriguing Magnetic Hill where a car left out of gear will appear to be moving uphill against gravity when the car is in neutral. A few kilometers further on the Leh-Srinagar highway, stop at the popular Sangam viewpoint, the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. Follow the valley until you reach the mud-brick Basgo Gompa which spectacularly crowns a mountain peak. Located on the left bank of the Indus river, in the village of Alchi (stop for launch). The village is famous for its 11th-century Alchi monastery-Choskhor which contains the most beautiful murals in Ladakh, a mindblowing example of Ladakh’s Indo-Tibetan art. From Alchi, the main road, passing Ulley Tokpo en route to Lamayuru. Located 116 km from Leh along the route to Srinagar, the pretty village of Lamayuru has a wonderful medieval gompa overlooking around 80-100 mud-brick Tibetan-style homes. The barren mountains next to the village resemble moonscapes with unique rock formations, the area is known as “moonland” and here you can see the timelapse at night it’s a magical moment. If you want to discover the Ladakhi culture and test authentic local food, you should spend the night in a homestay in Lamayuru. Few homestays are available there. Night stay at Lamayuru.
Day 4
Lamayuru- Likir-spituk-leh
Start the day off with the morning prayer in the gompa’s assembly hall. The Lamayuru monastery (also called Yungdrung gompa) was founded in the 11th century by Rinchen Zangpo. In the main prayer hall, there is a small cave where Naropa, Milarepa’s teacher, is said to have meditated. Heading back east, visit the Rizong monastery, It is home to 40 monks of the Gelugpa lineage and it is known for its strict discipline. The Likir monastery. A huge 22-meter-tall golden statue of the Future Buddha is located beside the main temple. While driving back to Leh, make a stop at the Sikh place of worship Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, and the Spituk monastery which houses an exceptional collection of thangkas (Tibetan scroll paintings) depicting the 21 forms of Tara. And Visit the Hall of Fame and back to Leh.
Day 5
Leh – nubra valley via ( khardungla pass)
After breakfast in the hotel, prepare yourself for the ultimate adventure and most awaited journey. The journey from Leh to Nubra falls on a very scenic route, snow cap mountains, high pass, Known as the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys, the Khardung-La pass is the world’s highest all-season motorable road. Also, enjoy the most loved snack – Maggi at the Khardungla Cafe (the World’s highest cafe). As you descend from Khardung-la, experience the white sand dunes in Nubra (Cold desert) and enjoy a ride of the double-humped camel, ride exclusively found in Ladakh. Later enjoy camping at the bonfire under the sky full of millions of stars. the natural beauty of this region with an ATV ride. Start your amazing ride from the shimmering roads of Ladakh and explore the amazing Nubra Valley. Overnight stay at the campsite in Nubra Valley.
Day 6
Nubra valley to turtuk
Visit Diskit Monastery and Hunder sand dunes. Explore Turtuk villageTurtuk is known for its variety of fruits, especially apricots. Turtuk Is India’s Last Village On Indo-Pak Border In Ladakh Nestled Between Snow-Clad Mountains. You must have already explored many scenic places in Ladakh. Back to Nubra valley.
Day 7
Nubra valley to pangong lake
Wake up in the morning in the beautiful Nubra Valley and have breakfast. Get ready for the most awaited day as you will be visiting Pangong Lake on the Indo-China border most beautiful lake on the highland. One of the highest altitude saline water lakes, Pangong Tso will greet you with its changing colors from shades of blue to green to red ( total 5 color changes). Spend the rest of the day exploring the surroundings of Pangong Lake. You can also recreate some of the moments from your favorite Bollywood movies like 3-idiots and Jab Tak Hai Jaan and enjoy the place in Bollywood style. Overnight stay and dinner at a campsite/tents near Pangong Lake.
Day 8
Pangong to Tso Moriri lake
the direct road between Pangong Lake and Tso Moriri lake is one of the most adventurous road trips in India. The total distance is 290 km, and it is mostly rough dirt tracks far from everything. Travel time is between 8 and 10 hours. and stay overnight in Tso Moriri lake. After Chushul village, follow the remote dirt road that runs south along the Sino-Indian border via the Tsaga La pass. From the pass, there is another 130 km to reach Tso Moriri lake(4,530 m). this magnificent lake is surrounded by impressive snow-capped mountains towering above 6,000m. Korzok village has a good choice of homestays and guesthouses. Here, you can meet the Changpa nomads and learn about their way of life. You can also visit the Korzok monastery
Day 9
Tso Moriri lake to leh
Wake up in the morning to the beautiful Tso Moriri Lake view and have a delicious breakfast. you might spot the rare black-necked crane. Then, drive towards Leh via Taglang La (5,328m), the highest mountain pass on the Leh-Manali road. When reaching the Indus valley, head to Hemis monastery, the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. It belongs to the Drukpa lineage. One of the temples enshrines an 8-meter-tall statue of Padmasambhava. Just 20 km before reaching Leh, stop at Thiksey monastery whose spectacular architecture reminds us of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. This large Gelugpa gompa.
Day 10
Leh – Leh airport
This morning, it is time to say goodbye to Ladakh as you proceed on your onward journey. From the plane, enjoy one last time the sensational aerial views of the Himalayas and snowcap landscape.
Permits
An inner Line Permit is required for this trip.
You need an Inner Line Permit during the tour to Nubra valley, Pangong Lake, and Tso Moriri lake, Therefore, you need a permit with a validity period of 5 days.
You can easily obtain an Inner Line Permit when you are in Leh. Both Protected Area Permits (PAP) and Inner Line Permits (ILP) are available online from the official website www.lahdclehpermit.in of Leh administration.
Permit cost: You need to pay an Environment fee of Rs 300, a Red Cross Fund fee of Rs 100, and an inner line permit fee of Rs 20 per day per person to get these permits.
I’d proof: You need to provide a valid photo ID proof (Aadhar/Voter card/driving license/passport) .to apply for these Inner Line Permits.
Private car/Bike rent :
For a family trip, you can book a car to explore different places it will cost you around 3000 to 10000 per day depending upon the route/ time. Leh bike rental rates start from INR 500 for half a day and go up to INR 2,000 for a full day. The cost of your rental depends on the type of bike you are renting out, the specifications of the bike, and the time for which you are renting the bike.
Note: You can visit Leh via Kargil-Srinagar or via Manali also.
Important things to carry on Ladakh trip
● I’d card; Carry your ID card and some photocopies of it. Medical Insurance (if any)
● Carry enough cash so don’t have to waste time in front of the ATM (NOTE: Long queues in Leh in front of ATM)
● Only a BSNL-postpaid connection works there…so maybe a few of us can buy it and all of us can use it.
● For protection from sun and UV-rays: Goggles, Sunscreen Lotion with high SPF(30 or above)Moisturizers(for applying in nostrils as it can become dry and painful due to dry and cold winds of LadakhLip Balm/ Vaseline, Gloves for bikers, Caps, Windproof jacket
● Medicine; Dettol/ Savlon, Headache Medicine, Dizziness and body pain Medicine, Disprin/Aspirin, Band-Aids, Medicine to suffice lack of oxygen.Diamox(For AMS), Stomach ache medicine. Medicine for hill diarrhea.
● Suitable Clothes and Footwear and 4,5 sets of socks. Carry some Camphor can also help to reduce breathing problems.
● Toiletry: I personally suggest that you carry most Toiletries with you for better accessibility and to maintain proper hygiene. If you are traveling to Leh in winter, carry all your toiletries with you. It is almost impossible to find even the basic things at this time.
● A trip to Leh is incomplete without the Photos. Don’t forget to carry your camera or mobile phone because you will be clicking a lot of pictures. Carry fully-charged devices/power banks or extra batteries when you are going out because, at high altitudes, the batteries drain out very quickly
● Carry lots of dry fruits/ chocolates and eat lots of water while traveling ( you can also try Oral Rehydration solutions) to stay hydrated.
● For Bike rider Puncture Repaikit including Tube patches. It has saved us numerous times along with Air Inflator.
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