Ladakh: High Passes, Pangong and the Indus Monasteries
Ladakh at 3,500 m is not a place to rush, so the first three days are deliberately slow — Leh, the Indus monasteries, and nothing higher until your body has caught up. Then Nubra over Khardung La, two nights at Pangong, and the drive back over Chang La.
- Days
- 10
- 9 nights
- Group size
- 6–10
- Hard cap
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- See the day-by-day below
- From, per person
- $1,970
- Land price, no flights
The 10 days, in order
Written by the guide who runs it. Where a day is hard, it says so.
Fly into Leh — and then do nothing
Day 1 of 10You land at 3,500 m, which is why today has no plan beyond water, a short walk to the bazaar and an early night. Altitude briefing at six. Anyone who pushes harder on day one regrets it on day three.
Night: Guesthouse, LehMeals: DLeh, on foot and slowly
Day 2 of 10Namgyal Tsemo above the old town for the valley view, the Leh palace, and the old-town restoration work with one of the architects. Nothing above 3,800 m, on purpose.
Night: Guesthouse, LehMeals: B · DThe Indus monasteries
Day 3 of 10Thiksey at seven for the morning puja — monks, horns, butter tea, and no other visitors. Then Hemis, and Stakna on its rock. Back in Leh by four.
Night: Guesthouse, LehMeals: B · LOver Khardung La to Nubra
Day 4 of 10The pass at 5,359 m, twenty minutes there and no longer, then down into Nubra and the cold-desert dunes at Hunder. Monastery at Diskit with the 32-metre Maitreya over the valley.
Night: Camp, HunderMeals: B · DTurtuk, the last village before the line
Day 5 of 10Up the Shyok to Turtuk, Balti-speaking and Indian only since 1971. Apricot orchards, a walk between the three hamlets, lunch in a family kitchen.
Night: Camp, HunderMeals: B · LThe Shyok road to Pangong
Day 6 of 10The long day: seven hours along the Shyok riverbed, which is a road in the loosest sense. Arrive at Pangong in the late afternoon, when the water turns the colour it is famous for.
Night: Lakeside camp, SpangmikMeals: B · L · DPangong, all day
Day 7 of 10Walk the shore east to Man and Merak, away from the day-trip crowd at Spangmik. Nothing else scheduled. At 4,350 m with no light for a hundred kilometres, the sky after dinner is the reason people come back.
Night: Lakeside camp, SpangmikMeals: B · L · DChang La, and back to the Indus
Day 8 of 10Out over Chang La at 5,360 m, down to Chemrey and Takthok, and into Leh mid-afternoon. A hot shower will never have meant more.
Night: Guesthouse, LehMeals: B · LAlchi and Likir, west down the valley
Day 9 of 10The eleventh-century wall paintings at Alchi — Kashmiri work, unlike anything else in Ladakh — then Likir and the confluence at Nimmu. Farewell dinner in the old town.
Night: Guesthouse, LehMeals: B · DFly out
Day 10 of 10Morning flights only — Leh closes to traffic once the valley wind picks up. The airport is fifteen minutes away and we leave early.
Depart todayMeals: B
Ladakh, month by month
Average daily high and average monthly rainfall. Our own recommendation is June to September.
Average high temperature
-2–25 °C across the year
| Month | Average high (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | -2°C |
| Feb | 1°C |
| Mar | 6°C |
| Apr | 12°C |
| May | 17°C |
| Jun | 21°C |
| Jul | 25°C |
| Aug | 24°C |
| Sep | 21°C |
| Oct | 14°C |
| Nov | 8°C |
| Dec | 2°C |
Average rainfall
3–16 mm a month
VerdictSweet spot: June–September — Khardung La and Chang La are both open, Pangong is ice-free, and the whole region takes under 20 mm of rain a month all summer.
What is and is not in the price
Included
- 9 nights: guesthouses in Leh, and permanent camps at Hunder and Pangong
- All transport in 4×4 Innovas with local drivers, two guests per bench
- Ladakhi guide throughout and inner-line permits for Nubra and Pangong
- Oxygen cylinder and pulse oximeter in every vehicle
- All monastery entries and the old-town architecture walk
- Breakfast daily, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- Airport transfers, and the altitude briefing on arrival
Not included
- Flights to and from Leh (IXL), usually via Delhi
- India e-visa
- Travel insurance — required, and it must cover 5,400 m and helicopter evacuation
- Meals not listed, bottled water and all drinks
- Tips for drivers and guide
Leh, Ladakh, India
Centred on where the trip is based. OpenStreetMap, so nothing is requested from a third party that sets cookies.
Before you book Ladakh
When is the best time to visit Ladakh?
June to September. Sweet spot: June–September — Khardung La and Chang La are both open, Pangong is ice-free, and the whole region takes under 20 mm of rain a month all summer. The two charts in the "best time to visit" block above plot the average daily high and the average monthly rainfall for all twelve months, so you can judge it against your own tolerance for heat and rain rather than taking our word for it.
How hard is the Ladakh trip?
We rate it challenging. It runs 10 days with a group of 6–10, and the day-by-day itinerary above says exactly what each day asks of you. If a particular day looks like too much, say so when you book — sitting one out is normal and costs nothing.
What is included in the Ladakh price?
9 nights: guesthouses in Leh, and permanent camps at Hunder and Pangong; All transport in 4×4 Innovas with local drivers, two guests per bench; Ladakhi guide throughout and inner-line permits for Nubra and Pangong — and more; the full list is in the inclusions above. Flights are not included.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation for 14 days after booking, with the deposit refunded in full. After that: cancel more than 60 days before departure and you lose the 20% deposit only; between 60 and 30 days, 50% of the trip price; inside 30 days, the full amount. If we cancel a departure — too few travellers, or a route genuinely closed — you choose between a full refund and a transfer to any other date.