Pangong & Tso Moriri Lake Tours

After breakfast, we head out along the Manali-Leh highway toward Sham Valley, about 100 km round trip covering four very different stops.

Hall of Fame is a museum built by the Indian Army to document the Kargil war. It is not a tourist gimmick, the exhibits are detailed and it hits differently when you're physically in Ladakh, close to the border.

Gurudwara Patthar Sahib sits 40 km from Leh and was built in 1571 to mark Guru Nanak's visit to the region. It's a functioning gurudwara, langar is served to all visitors regardless of religion.

Magnetic Hill is an optical illusion on a sloped road where vehicles appear to roll uphill on their own. Sounds like a tourist trap, but it's genuinely puzzling when you're there.

Sangam at Nimu is where the Zanskar river meets the Indus. The two rivers run side by side for a visible stretch before mixing, the color difference between them is clear. Optional river rafting is available here.

• Distance:Approx. 100 km round trip
• Key Stops:Hall of Fame, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, Magnetic Hill, Sangam Point
• Optional Activity:River Rafting at Zanskar-Indus Sangam
• Overnight Stay:Leh Hotel

Early breakfast, then we drive north toward Nubra Valley. The route goes over Khardung La at 18,380 ft, one of the highest motorable passes on earth. The drive up is a series of tight switchbacks with no guardrails on one side. Cold, clear, and genuinely exhilarating.

Khardung La Pass (18,380 ft) sits 39 km from Leh. Two army checkpoints, carry your ID. At the top, prayer flags, tea stalls, and a view you'll take a dozen photos of.

Deskit Village is the administrative center of Nubra Valley. The Deskit Gompa above it was founded around 1420 AD by Lama Sherab Zangpo and houses about 100 monks, it's a branch of Thiksey Monastery. The annual Gustor festival falls on the 20th and 21st days of the 12th Tibetan calendar month.

Hundar Village is where the cold desert surprises you. Sand dunes sit between snow mountains, it looks wrong but it's real. The Bactrian camels here are double-humped and can be hired for a 2-hour safari through the dunes from Hundar to Deskit. Overnight at Hundar.

• Max Altitude:18,380 ft (Khardung La Pass)
• Distance:125 km from Leh
• Highlights:Khardung La, Deskit Monastery, Hundar Sand Dunes, Bactrian Camel Safari
• Overnight Stay:Camp or Hotel at Hundar

Turtuk is one of the few places in India where you can stand at the edge of the country, literally. The village sits close to the Line of Control and was under Pakistani control until 1971. Today about 4,000 people live here and many still speak Balti, a Tibetan dialect.

The drive from Nubra is 115 km, around 3–4 hours each way through some of the most raw mountain terrain on the trip. The road follows the Shyok river for long stretches.

In the village we walk through the lanes, visit local homes if invited, and get a look at daily life that is very different from what you'll see in Leh, the food, the architecture, the orchards (Turtuk is known for apricots), and the general quiet of a settlement at the end of the road.

Return to Hundar by evening. Overnight at camp or hotel.

• Distance from Nubra:115 km (3–4 hours each way)
• Population:Approx. 4,000, majority Muslim, Balti-speaking
• History:Part of Pakistan until 1971
• Overnight Stay:Camp or Hotel at Hundar

Up early to visit Diskit Monastery before the day warms up. From the monastery you get a wide view of Nubra Valley, the sand dunes, the green river banks, the mountains behind them. Worth the early start.

Then we drive to Pangong Tso via the Shayok River road. This is a longer, rougher route than the Chang La road, but the drive along the Shayok is one of the better ones on the trip, narrow canyon sections, river crossings, almost no other vehicles.

Pangong Tso sits at 14,000 ft and stretches 134 km, though only the western third is in India. The water color changes through the day, blue, green, grey depending on the light and time. The "3 Idiots" shooting location is well marked and everyone stops there. Return to Leh for overnight stay.

• Altitude:14,000 ft (Pangong Tso)
• Route:Via Shayok River
• Highlights:Diskit Monastery, Shayok drive, Pangong Lake, 3 Idiots Point
• Overnight Stay:Leh Hotel

A full day along the Indus Valley road southeast of Leh, three major sites and one river stop.

Thiksey Monastery (16 km from Leh) is built on a hilltop and looks like a scaled-down Potala Palace from a distance. The complex has 12 floors, multiple temples, and a massive Maitreya Buddha statue installed in 1980. Early morning prayers are open to visitors.

Hemis Monastery (45 km from Leh) is the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh, run by the Drukpa Kagyu order. The annual Hemis Festival in June/July draws large crowds. The monastery museum has thangkas, statues, and silver stupas worth seeing even outside festival time.

Shey Palace (15 km from Leh) was the old summer capital of Ladakhi kings. The complex includes a gompa with a large copper-gilt Buddha and ruins of the original palace above. Less crowded than Thiksey.

Sindhu Ghat is a riverbank along the Indus, a quiet spot to end the day before returning to Leh.

• Key Stops:Thiksey (16 km), Hemis (45 km), Shey Palace (15 km), Sindhu Ghat
• Hemis Festival:June/July (dates vary by Tibetan calendar)
• Overnight Stay:Leh Hotel