7 Days in Ladakh — Leh, Pangong and Nubra Valley

Ladakh is the great Himalayan high-altitude trip — a cold desert at 3,500–5,500 metres in the far north of India. Seven days is enough for the headline experiences if you're efficient: Leh itself for acclimatisation and the Buddhist monasteries; Pangong Lake on the China border; the Nubra Valley north over Khardung La; and the monasteries of the Indus Valley. The high-altitude reality means you cannot rush — Day 1 must be slow, drinking water and resting.

At a glance

• Total days: 7 (6 nights)
• Route: Leh → Indus Valley monasteries → Nubra (1 night) → Pangong (1 night) → Leh
• Distance: ~600 km
• Best season: mid-May to early October. Outside this window most of the high passes are closed and even Leh is hard.
• Altitude: Leh 3,500 m; Khardung La 5,359 m; Chang La 5,360 m; Pangong 4,250 m. Acclimatise carefully.
• Permits: Inner Line Permit required for foreigners and Indian nationals to visit Pangong, Nubra, Tso Moriri and Hanle. Arrange in Leh through your hotel or agency in 24 hours.

Day 1 — Arrive Leh

Fly to Leh (IXL) — direct from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru. The flight in is one of the great aerial views of India, crossing the Pir Panjal range and landing in the Indus Valley between brown mountains.

Acclimatisation rule — non-negotiable: the entire first day is for rest. The body needs to adjust to 3,500 m. No exertion, no alcohol, no sleeping pills. Drink 3+ litres of water. A short walk in the central Leh Bazaar at sunset is the most you should attempt. Many travellers who push through Day 1 develop altitude sickness on Day 2 or 3 and lose the rest of the trip.

Stay: Leh (the Changspa area or central, depending on your hotel).

Day 2 — Leh acclimatisation: Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace

A second slow day. Stay at Leh altitude; do not climb to the high passes yet.

• Morning: Leh Palace (the 17th-century royal residence, built in the style of the Potala in Lhasa). Walk up slowly.
• Late morning: Shanti Stupa (the white Buddhist stupa overlooking Leh, built by Japanese Buddhist monks in 1991). Drive up — do not climb the steps.
• Lunch: Tibetan momos and thukpa at one of the Leh restaurants.
• Afternoon: Leh Bazaar and the Tibetan Refugee Market.
• Evening: rest. Watch for altitude headache symptoms; report any persistent headache, nausea or breathlessness immediately.

Stay: Leh.

Day 3 — Indus Valley monasteries day trip

A full day visiting the monasteries on the Leh–Manali highway south of Leh.

• Morning: Thiksey Monastery (the most photogenic, modeled on the Potala — climb the multi-level monastery for the Maitreya Buddha statue and the morning prayers if you arrive early enough).
• Late morning: Hemis Monastery (the largest in Ladakh, with its annual June Hemis Festival the most famous in the region).
• Lunch: at one of the monastery restaurants.
• Afternoon: Stakna and Shey Palace; drive past the Sangam (the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers, where the two big rivers meet in two distinct colours).
• Evening: back in Leh.

Stay: Leh.

Day 4 — Leh to Nubra Valley over Khardung La

The first high-altitude crossing.

• Morning: drive over Khardung La (5,359 m) — formerly billed as the "world's highest motorable pass." Brief stop at the pass for the photo and the customary tea at the army canteen; do not linger long at altitude.
• Late morning: descend into Nubra. Lunch in Diskit.
• Afternoon: Diskit Monastery (with the giant 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue facing toward Pakistan). Continue to Hunder.
• Late afternoon: Bactrian (double-humped) camel rides on the Hunder sand dunes — Ladakh's surreal high-altitude desert. Sunset from the dunes.
• Evening: dinner.

Stay: Hunder or Diskit (Nubra Valley).

Day 5 — Nubra to Pangong via Shyok valley

A long, dramatic driving day.

• Morning: drive Nubra to Pangong via the Shyok river valley (250 km, 8 hours — long and dusty but spectacular). Some operators still run the Leh → Pangong → Nubra direction instead; both work, but the Shyok valley route has fewer high passes than going back via Leh.
• Afternoon: arrive Pangong Lake (4,250 m), the long blue lake on the China border (60 % of the lake is on the Chinese side).
• Evening: lakeside camp; the colours of the lake in the late-afternoon light are the reason you came.

Stay: Pangong Lake camp (basic but improving — fixed tented camps with attached toilets).

Day 6 — Pangong to Leh over Chang La

• Morning: sunrise on Pangong; drive back to Leh over Chang La (5,360 m). 5–6 hours.
• Afternoon: arrive Leh; rest.
• Evening: final dinner at one of the Leh restaurants — try Tibetan Kitchen or one of the German bakeries.

Stay: Leh.

Day 7 — Final Leh, then home

• Morning: any final shopping (Tibetan crafts, Pashmina shawls from one of the certified Ladakh weavers, dried apricots from Hunder); leisurely breakfast.
• Late morning: Leh airport. Most flights leave Leh in the morning before the wind picks up — schedule a morning departure.

Practical notes

• Acclimatisation is non-negotiable. Many people who push through Day 1 develop altitude sickness on Day 2 or Day 3 and miss the rest of the trip. Diamox (acetazolamide) prophylaxis is widely used; consult your doctor before travel.
• Permits: Inner Line Permit through your Leh hotel or agency in 24 hours. Carry multiple printed copies — they are checked at every checkpoint.
• Cash: ATMs in Leh are reliable. Beyond Leh (Nubra, Pangong), cash only.
• Mobile: only BSNL postpaid SIMs work outside Leh. Pre-paid SIMs from outside Jammu & Kashmir / Ladakh do not work in the region.
• Driver vs self-drive: all vehicles entering Pangong and Nubra must be Ladakh-registered. Hire a local Ladakh-registered taxi (they have priority access to permits and the road conditions).
• Weather: snow can close the high passes any time of year. Check current road status with your hotel each morning.
• Photography: drone use is restricted across Ladakh (border-area state). Do not fly without local permission.
• Driving alternative — Manali to Leh: the road trip from Manali takes 2 days and is one of the great Himalayan drives. It is the most aggressive way to acclimatise; not for everyone — see the 14 Days Himalayan Special for the full road version.

Variations

• 5 days: skip either Pangong or Nubra; combine the Indus Valley monasteries with the chosen lake/valley over 5 days.
• 10 days: add Tso Moriri (a quieter, higher lake at 4,522 m on the Changthang plateau, 2 nights with a permit).
• 14 days: combine Leh with the Manali–Leh road trip in (4 nights with stops at Sissu, Jispa, Sarchu) — the full overland approach.

Related guides

• Leh & Ladakh category →
• 14 Days Himalayan Special → (the road-trip version that adds Spiti and the overland approach)
• All India Travel Itineraries →