Day 1-2: Arrive Leh & Acclimatize
Day 1: Arrive Leh, complete rest. Evening bazaar walk. Overnight Leh.
Day 2: Gentle exploration: Leh Palace, Old Town, Shanti Stupa, Leh Market. Evening talk on Ladakh’s Silk Road history. Overnight Leh.
Day 3: Lamayuru Moonscape & Alchi
Drive west to Lamayuru — Ladakh’s oldest monastery (founded 10th century) set in a surreal moonscape of eroded sedimentary cliffs. Explore the monastery’s ancient prayer halls, thangkas, and cave meditation chambers. Continue to Alchi Monastery for its extraordinary 11th-century Kashmiri-style murals. Overnight Alchi/Uletokpo area.
Day 4: Likir & Return to Leh
Morning: Likir Monastery with its 23m gilded Buddha and hilltop panoramas. Visit the Indus-Zanskar river confluence and Magnetic Hill on the way back. Afternoon free in Leh. Overnight Leh.
Day 5: Khardung La to Nubra Valley
Cross Khardung La (5,359m). Nubra Valley: Bactrian camel ride at Hunder, Diskit Monastery’s 32-meter Buddha, the hidden Sumur Monastery with its rare murals. Overnight Nubra camp.
Day 6: Nubra Exploration — Silk Road Legacy
Full day exploring Nubra’s villages — Panamik hot springs (natural sulfur springs where Silk Road merchants bathed), Ensa Gompa, and the ancient petroglyphs along the Nubra River. Visit a sea buckthorn processing cooperative (the bright orange berries are a Ladakhi superfood). Overnight Nubra camp.
Day 7: Nubra to Pangong Lake
Drive the Shyok route to Pangong Tso. Afternoon arrival — the lake’s impossible turquoise blue, photos, quiet reflection. Sunset and stargazing at 4,350m. Overnight Pangong camp.
Day 8: Pangong Sunrise & Departure
Dawn at Pangong. Drive back to Leh via Chang La. Evening flight departure.
