Day 1 |
Arrival to Srinagar. Airport pick-up and transfer to a delux houseboat on Nagin lake. Afternoon Shikara ride. Overnight in a delux houseboat. |
Day 2 |
Day trip to Gulmarg, where you can enjoy one of the world's highest cable car ride (on your own). Overnight in a delux houseboat in Srinagar. |
Day 3 |
Visit to the Mughal gardens (Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Chashma Shahi) and old Srinagar city. Overnight in a delux houseboat in Srinagar. |
Day 4 |
Drive to Kargil along the Srinagar-Leh highway via Sonamarg, Zoji La pass (3530 m) and Drass. Overnight in a hotel in Kargil (2680 m). |
Day 5 |
Drive to Leh via Namika La (3810 m) and Fotu La (4100 m) passes. En route stop at the large Maitreya Buddha rock carving in Mulbekh and visit to the Lamayuru monastery surrounded by sandstone ("moonland") mountains. Overnight in a hotel in Leh (3500 m). |
Day 6 |
Upper Indus valley: Shey palace; Thiksey, Hemis, Takthok and Chemrey monasteries. Overnight in a hotel in Leh. |
Day 7 |
Drive to the Nubra-Shyok valley via Khardung La pass (5359 m) along the ancient Silk Route. Visit to the Diskit monastery. Overnight in a guesthouse in Diskit. |
Day 8 |
Drive to the Hunder village. An option: double-humped Bactrian camel ride in the sand dunes between Hunder and Diskit. Visit to the Samstanling monastery in Sumoor. Return to Leh. Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 9 |
Drive to Tso Moriri lake (about 9 hrs). The road goes along the Indus river, through Chumathang hot springs (stop for a lunch) up to Mahe bridge (stop for checking permits). Then turn to the right, through Puga Sumdo, Namshang La pass (4840 m) and small Kyagar Tso lake. Overnight in a delux camp in the Korzok village at the bank of the lake (4530 m). |
Day 10 |
Drive to Tso Kar salt lake via Puga Sumdo and Polo Kongka pass (4960 m) for about 4 hrs. Overnight in a delux camp in Pongunagu near the lake (4580 m). |
Day 11 |
Drive to Sarchu along the Leh-Manali highway through More Plains, Pang (with a stop for lunch), Lachulung La (5075 m) and Nakee La (4925 m) passes. Overnight in a delux camp in Sarchu (4300 m). |
Day 12 |
Drive to Manali via Baralacha La (4915 m) and Rohtang La (3985 m) passes and the villages of Darcha, Jispa, Keylong, Sissu, Khoksar, Marhi and others. Overnight in a hotel in Manali (1900 m). |