Leh to Srinagar Road Trip

Arrive at Leh Airport where a transfer brings you to your hotel. Meet the group and attend an introductory briefing covering safety and altitude acclimatisation guidelines. Spend the rest of the day resting indoors to adjust to the altitude, drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding physical strain. In the evening, watch the sunset from the hotel and meet your fellow travellers. Dinner is provided tonight, followed by an overnight stay at your hotel in Leh.

Begin your journey into Nubra Valley covering a distance of 130 kilometres. The route takes you across Khardung La, reaching an altitude of 18,380 feet. Descend into the valley towards Hunder Sand Dunes, where you can optionally try an ATV ride or a double-humped Bactrian camel ride at your own expense. Reach the campsite in the evening to check in. Enjoy an evening tea or coffee followed by fun activities around the bonfire. Dinner and overnight stay are at the Nubra Valley campsite.

Have breakfast with a valley view, freshening up with hot bucket water provided at the camp. Ride 170 kilometres round-trip to Turtuk, the last village on the Indian side of the Indo-Pak border known for its apricot trees. Spend time exploring the village on foot, taking in sights of the Shyok River winding through green fields and orchards. Visit the local Balti Museum to discover the heritage of the Balti community. Return to Nubra Valley by late afternoon for evening tea, dinner, and an overnight stay at the campsite.

Have breakfast and check out from your Nubra camp. Head towards Pangong Lake along a 180-kilometre route, stopping first at Diskit Monastery to see its 100-foot-tall Maitreya Buddha statue. Resume your journey across rugged terrain towards the blue expanse of Pangong Lake, arriving by the evening. Check in to your cottage accommodation along the lake shore. With no evening grid electricity in the area, enjoy clear night skies and stargazing weather permitting. Dinner and an overnight stay are at the cottage by Pangong Lake.

Witness the morning sunrise over Pangong Lake as the water shifts between turquoise and deep blue hues. After breakfast, commence the 150-kilometre drive back to Leh via Chang La pass at 17,800 feet. En route, if time permits, stop at Shey Palace to view its 12-metre-tall gold-gilded copper Buddha statue, and visit Thiksey Monastery, the largest monastery complex in Central Ladakh. Arrive in Leh later in the afternoon, check in to your hotel, and enjoy dinner before an overnight stay.

After breakfast, begin the 216-kilometre road trip to Kargil. Stop en route at the Sangam viewpoint to witness the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. Next, visit the gravity-defying Magnetic Hill and pay homage at Gurudwara Patthar Sahib. Traverse past Lamayuru Monastery and continue driving over high mountain passes, crossing Fotu La at 13,479 feet and Namika La at 12,198 feet. Arrive in Kargil by evening, check in to your hotel, and enjoy dinner followed by an overnight stay.

Depart early after breakfast for a 210-kilometre drive to Srinagar via Sonamarg. Pass through Dras, the gateway to Ladakh and one of the world's coldest inhabited settlements. Stop at the Kargil War Memorial to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the 1999 conflict. Continue over Zojila Pass at 11,649 feet before descending into the Kashmir Valley. Arrive in Srinagar and board your traditional houseboat. In the evening, take a one-hour shared Shikara ride on Dal Lake. Enjoy dinner and stay overnight on the houseboat.

Have your final breakfast aboard the houseboat on Dal Lake. Check out from the houseboat by 11:00 AM, with a Shikara transfer drop provided from the houseboat at 10:00 AM. Your tour concludes here in Srinagar. Proceed onward to Srinagar airport or the railway station according to your departure arrangements.