The Beautiful Ladakh

Arrival Leh by morning flight and transfer to the hotel. Full day for complete rest for acclimatization to the high altitude of Leh (11,500 feet / 35 00 meters). Overnight in hotel.

After leisurely breakfast visit Shey Palace, Sindhu Ghat and Thiksey Monastery. Post lunch at the hotel, visit Sankar Gompa and Leh Palace and then drop in the city center to explore at your own pace. Overnight at the hotel.

Early departure for Pangong Lake (approx. 150 kms), via Chang-la pass (alt: 17370 feet/ 5486 meters)-3rd highest motor-able pass in the world. Pangong Lake (alt: 14,500 feet) is 4-5 kms wide and about 140 kms long, which about two-third lies on the other side of the Indo-China border. After sightseeing around the lake, drive back to Leh, reaching in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast leave for Nubra Valley, driving across Khardong-la (alt: 18,380 feet), highest motor-able pass in the world, recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. After descending from the pass, drive on for sightseeing of Sam staling Monastery in the Sumoor area. Later check- in at a fixed tent / hut camp in the same valley or drive across to Deskit / Hundar for overnight stay in a camp or a hotel. Dinner and overnight at the camp / hotel.

In the morning, drive to / explore Deskit (headquarters of Nubra), Hundar and the Sand Dunes. You can enjoy a short camel safari amidst the sand dunes on the double humped Bactrian camels (optional). In the afternoon return to Leh, en-route visiting the dramatically located 15th century Deskit monastery. Overnight at the hotel.

• After breakfast, leave for Alchi / Uleytokpo / Nurla
• on the first leg of the journey to Kargil and Srinagar. Along the way you may visit Hall of Fame, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Point, Sangam (confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers) and then the 11th century Alchi Choskor, oldest surviving monastic complex famous for its wall frescoes and architecture - a UNESCO listed heritage site. Dinner and overnight in fixed camp at Uleytokpo / Nurla.

After breakfast leave for Kargil. On the way you can view / visit the dramatically located Lamayuru monastery and the adjoining “Moonland” hills as its backdrop. Driving on to Kargil via the Fotu-la and Namika-la passes, reach Mulbek where you can view the 9-Mtrs. tall rock sculpture of the Maitreya Buddha (7th –8th century AD) standing on the roadside. Kargil is at an hour’s drive from here. Dinner and overnight in the hotel at Kargil.

Early departure for Srinagar via Drass, Zojila pass and Sonamarg. Drass is famous as the second coldest inhabited place in the world. Zoji-la Pass (11,500 feet /3,505 m), is the watershed between the rugged landscape of Ladakh and the lushness of Kashmir. Sonamarg, the famous hill station of Kashmir valley is the first major town over Zoji-la. From here it is a smooth drive all the way to Srinagar through the beautiful Kashmir countryside.