Itinerary

Day 1

DAY 01 : MANALI : Arrival at the Solang Valley Camp Retreat, 13 kms uphill from the Manali Mall. Check into your deluxe tents. Day is at leisure to explore the picturesque environs, relax by the hammocks on the island by the gushing Beas, indulge in Sporty activities like Paragliding, Zorbing etc or taking your bikes for a test ride to the 8 kms dirt stretch ride along the Beas from the Camp. Evening bonfire, dinner & Overnight at the Solang Valley Camp Retreat.

Day 2

DAY 02 :MANALI : KEYLONG / JISPA :

Solang valley camp retreat : Rohtang Pass : 45 kms
Rohtang Pass : Khoksar : 20 kms
Khoksar : Tandi : 16 kms
Tandi : Keylong : 8 kms
Keylong : Jispa: 21 kms


Early start post breakfast upto the Rohtang Pass ( 45 kms from the camp retreat). Shortly after the Solang Valley we pass through Kothi , a picturesque village before climbing up to the seasonal settlement of Marhi, with its profusion of dhabas & tea stalls. Look out for the 70 m high Rohalla waterfalls, which can be seen 9 kms before Marhi.The tree line is marked at Marhi & the stately conifers give way to granite rocks, topped with snow , for the rest of the 17 kms climb upto Rohtang Pass.
Peace & tranquility reign after crossing the touristy Rohtang La & the descent & drive to Keylong is a beautiful one along the River Chandra.
There is a checkpoint at Khoksar , 20 kms ahead , a lovely waterfall just after you cross the bridge at Sissu : a tea & snack break point !
Gandia village lies 8 kms ahead & we stopover at the amazing Seventeenth Century house of the Local Thakur.
Our next stop is Tandi, the confluence of the Chandra & Bhaga rivers & more importantly the point where the last petrol pump station till Leh ( 380 kms away) lies.
Our next stop is Keylong ( 8 kms ahead) where we stop to have our lunch & sightseeing of the Khardong Monastery perched on a hillock. This is one of the monasteries where nuns & monks are treated at par & married lamas spend summers at home tending their fields & return only in winters.
We head further to Jispa( 21 kms) & set camp here for our overnight stay. Evening tea, Dinner & Overnight at Camp.

Day 3

DAY 03 : JISPA : Morning after a leisurely breakfast look out for the mountain opposite the township , called the “ Lady of Keylong” :the rocky , bare part of this completely snow covered mountain resembles a lady with her hand stretched out & locals will tell you that the snow never shrouds her.
The day is at leisure today . However for those who want to do some driving optionals are mentioned below :
Head back to Tandi , cross the Bhaga river & embark on a lovely 49 kms drive up the Pattan valley to the Triloknath Temple & Udaipur with its Markala Devi Temple.
Or, take a short 7 kms ride to the meadows along the river till Darcha
Or even further till Deepak Tal, just 10 kms ahead for a picnic lunch besides this picture postcard lake.
Dinner, Overnight at Jispa Camp.

Day 4

DAY 04 : JISPA TO SARCHU VIA BARALACHA LA

JISPA : DARCHA : 11 KMS
DARCHA : BARALACHA LA : 41 KMS
BARALACHA LA : SARCHU : 36 KMS

Post breakfast , an early start with packed lunch. We cross Darcha & Deepak Tal & just 3 kms ahead of Baralacha La ( 16,000 ft/4880 m) stop by for coffee at the Suraj Tal. At an altitude close to 16,000 ft, this is the highest lake you will come across on this journey. The Bhaga river originates from here.After cresting a hilltop, an expansive green valley unfolds below you & the drive down to Sarchu is extremely scenic. Early supper at the Sarchu Camp. Overnight at Sarchu.

Day 5

DAY 05 : SARCHU : DEBRING

SARCHU-PANG : 79 KMS
PANG- DEBRING : 35 KMS

Post breakfast depart towards Pang. The journey should not take more than 4 hours , depending on the number of photo haults you make , and believe me, its difficult to be disciplined about this in such an enthralling environment ! Immediately after Sarchu we cross the Himachal Pradesh border , before arriving at the base of the climb upto Nakii La pass ( 16,250 ft/4950 m) . The pass is approx 40 kms from Sarchu & the ascent to the top is along 21 hairpin bends called the Gata Loops. From here it's a short drive to the slightly higher Lachung La pass ( 16,600 ft/5060m).The 23 kms descent to Pang is quite spectacular , particularly for the last 5 kms , when the road passes through a series of dramatic gorges :definitely gorge-ous!!
Lunch & refreshments at Pang.
We enter the More plains now, home to the Tibetan Wild Ass,wild horses, hares & marmots a spectacular & scenic drive.
We camp tonight ,35 kms from Pang, at the Khampa camping site called Debring. Dinner & overnight at Debring.

Day 6

DAY 06 : DEBRING : TSO MORIRI LAKE ( 85 KMS) VIA TSO KAR LAKE

Post breakfast drive towards Tso Kar Lake : 30 kms : 1 hour drive.
The Beautiful Tso Kar , White Lake , famed for the high quality salt that rings its edges.The nomads of yore held this lake in great importance as they would gather salt from here & trade it, along with their Pashmina, for other necessities.
Refreshments & snacks at Tso Kar Lake.
We cross Thukse Village & Pass the scenic Sumdo village in a distance passing Tso Kiagar, a beautiful small lake that lies between Sumdo & Tso Moriri.
Lunch break at one of these villages.
Further 5 hours to Tso Moriri , Mountain Lake at 15,500 ft/4725 m , 28 kms long & 8 kms across at its widest point. Beautiful snow clad peaks of Mentok & Kharlung surround it on the right side & Kurchu & Langsar on the left. Around the lake one can spot Khampas camping with their herds of cattle & yaks & this area affords the best chance of spotting wildlife such as the Kiang, foxes, hares & marmots.
The lake itself hosts several species of water birds like the bar-headed geese, pin tails, Brahmany ducks & black : necked cranes. The small village of Karzok is also a interesting excursion .
Dinner & Overnight at Tso Moriri Lake Camp.

Day 7

DAY 07 : TSO MORIRI LAKE

Day of relaxation. At leisure to be spent wandering around the village,visiting the Gompa,taking a nature walk alongside the Lake or just relaxing by it, observing it changing it's colors like moods.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner at the Tso Moriri Camp.

Day 8

DAY 08 : TSO MORIRI TO LEH

TSO MORIRI : SUMDO : 43 KMS
SUMDO : MAHE : 20 KMS
MAHE-UPSHI: 128 KMS
UPSHI-LEH: 49 KMS

Post breakfast depart for Leh. This total 220 kms stretch takes 6-7 hours. Enroute stopover at the Chumathang hot springs , renowed for their medicinal properties. Arrival at Leh , check into your hotel. Leh the capital city of Ladakh since the 17th century was at one time a flourishing market town on the silk route to China. As Leh(Ladakh) is located at an altitude of 3500 metres the rest of the day is free for rest and acclimatization. Dinner & overnight at Leh.

Day 9

DAY 09 : SIGHTSEEING AT LEH

Visit Shanti stupa and Leh palace. Lunch out in one of the garden cafes in town. In the afternoon visit the Stok palace, given to the deposed royal family as compensation for the loss of its throne. The palace houses a museum of artifacts associated with the dynasty. Later, if you are interested you may visit a traditional Ladakhi home sharing tea in their well appointed family kitchen. Breakfast , lunch,dinner & overnight at Leh Hotel.

Day 10

DAY 10 : LEH SIGHTSEEING

In the morning visit the Spituk Monastery located about 8kms south west of Leh(Ladakh) perched on a small hillock and overlooking the Indus river. The most interesting aspect of Spituk, unique in all of Ladakh is the chapel of Tara with superbly crafted images of her 21 manifestations. Return in time for lunch. Afternoon is free. Dinner & Overnight at hotel in Leh.

Day 11

DAY 11 : LEH : KARDUNGLA PASS : NUBRA VALLEY


LEH : KHARDUNG LA : 40 KMS
KHARDUNG LA : KHALSAR : 52 KMS
KHALSAR : PANAMIC: 52 KMS
KHALSAR : DISKIT : 25 KMS
DISKIT : HUNDER : 7 KMS

The terrain here is different to the one you have grown familiar with on your journey upto this point & if the awesome bareness so far is getting a trifle overpowering, Nubra Valley with its gentle contours is a welcome change.
Another challenge is traversing the Khardung La , which at 18,380 ft/5600m, is the highest motorable road in the World.The view from Khardung La is amazing as you can see all the way over the Indus valley while the seemingly endless peaks of the Zanskar range spread before you & the gigantic Saser massif looms overhead in the North.
Nubra means green & this lovely fertile valley was originally part of the trade route between Tibet & Turkistan. Its only 130 kms ( 4 hours) from Leh & the drive here is reasonably easy & definitely a memorable one.
Driving down the Khardung La, a completely contrasting vista awaits you, with lush green valleys , rushing rivers & actual forests : this is an oasis on a grand scale in this otherwise barren region.We head up the Nubra Valley to the villages of Sumur & Tigre.Visit the 150 year old Samtanling Gompa from Tigre Village.
A pleasant drive further brings us to the village of Panamic , famous for its hot springs.
After a bath we head towards Diksit which boasts of the largest & most ancient Gompa in the Nubra Valley.It is over 350 years old & houses over 70 monks.
Just 7 kms beyond Diskit lies the village of Hunder & it is on this section that you come across sand dunes & the thorny scrub akin to the Sahara Desert. You can also spot the double humped Bactrian camel here. Overnight at the Nubra Valley.

Day 12

DAY 12 : Drive back to Leh. Evening explore the colourful bazaars. Overnight Leh.

Day 13

DAY 13 :LEH- LAMAYURU-ALCHI

Leave early morning for Lamayuru visiting Ladakh's oldest monastery. After lunch drive back to Khalatse crossing the bridge over the Indus river and make a detour to visit the Drokpa village of Bema, home of the unique tribe of Indo-Aryan origin that has preserved not only its racial purity, but also its language, religious practices and cultural traditions. Overnight in a lodge in Alchi

Day 14

DAY 14 : ALCHI : LEH

Visit the 11th century Alchi monastery famed for its religious wall frescoes. Continue along the Leh highway stopping en route to visit the Likir monastery situated on a hilltop. On the way also visit Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, revered both by the Sikhs as well as by Buddhists alike. Further on visit Phyang monastery before driving back to Leh(Ladakh).

Day 15

DAY 15 : LEH- CHEMRE-TAKTHOK- PANGONG TSO LAKE

LEH : SHEY : 15 KMS
SHEY-THIKSE : 4 KMS
THIKSE : CHEMRE: 31 KMS
CHEMRE- TAKTHOK : 8 KMS
TAKTHOK : CHANG LA : 30 KMS
CHANG LA : TANGTSE : 22 KMS
CHANG LA : PANGONG TSO : 30 KMS

Post breakfast depart for Pangong Tso Lake, 140 kms long but barely 4 kms at its widest point. Only 40 kms of this Lake is in India while the rest angles into Tibet.
There are 2 monasteries enroute to the Lake & are of interest since they are somewhat different from the ones you see near Leh.The first is Chemre Gompa , 50 kms from Leh & 4 kms deroute from your route towards the Lake.
The more interesting of the two is the second Gompa , Takthok, which is actually a cave hewed out of the rock face.Guru Padmasabhava is believed to have meditated here in the 8th century & this became a place of worship soon after.
The Chang La pass at 17,800 ft / 5425 m is the third highest in Ladakh & is 30 kms from Takthok.
A further drive of 12 kms brings us to a shimmering roadside Lake that is a perfect spot to have our packed lunch at a somewhat warmer 15000 ft / 4575 m altitude !
Pangong Tso , which means hollow lake, is a saltwater lake at 14,500 ft / 4420 m & flanked by gigantic peaks over 19,700 ft/ 6000m high.
Depending on the weather, you could find the lake resembling a crystal clear sheet of glass, perfectly reflecting the surrounding peaks or, with the Sun bouncing off the ripples giving it the look of an exquisitely bejeweled piece- yet again, it can present an unnerving, dark & brooding visage when the sky clouds over.
Dinner & Overnight at camps at Pangong Tso.

Day 16

DAY 16 : PANGONG TSO : LEH : At Leisure.

Day 17

DAY 17 : DEPARTURE FROM LEH : TOUR ENDS

Extra Information

Inclusions -

- THE CAMP PEOPLE TEAM OF COOKS , HELPERS, CAMPING TEAM, ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE & ESCORT IN THE CAMP PEOPLE ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE LEADING THE GROUP.

Extras -

EXCLUSIVES :

PETROL / VEHICLES SHOULD BE OWNED BY THE GROUP MEMBERS
ANY OTHER ITEMS AS NOT SPECIFIED ABOVE

IF ADDITIONAL NON RIDERS JOIN THE GROUP USING ALL THE SERVICES , BUT COMMUTING IN A JEEP / ATV, THEN RATES SHALL BE THE SAME FOR THEM.THIS ENABLES NON RIDER SPOUSES / FRIENDS TO HOLIDAY TOGETHER.