In the months of July and August, Ladakh is the perfect place to be while the rest of India is under the monsoon. The weather is clear, and it is an ideal destination if you want to spend some time in nature.
If you have at least one week and wish to escape from India’s metro cities, Ladakh might be the right place for you. In this blog, we cover our itinerary, places to visit, and how to prepare for the trip.
PREPARING your trip
High altitude
Almost every place you will visit is above 3,000 meters. That means you will face a lack of oxygen. We suggest that you add a “Diamox-250mg” tablet to your first aid kit. This medicine will help you if you experience altitude sickness. See the government recommendation here.
It is also recommended to plan at least 2 to 3 days for acclimatization in Leh, i.e., basically to sit and relax. From our experience, we can tell that in our first days in Leh, even taking the stairs to our room on the first floor was a task in itself. You do feel the lack of oxygen. It is tempting to do a lot, especially because you may feel all is OK. Take our advice: sleep at least 2 nights without planning any visits. It took us 3 days to acclimatize.
Permit
You need special permission to visit Ladakh. You can fill out the form online yourself. Do think of completing it a day or two before your departure. If you are an Indian, do it here. If you are a foreigner, do it here. On the page where they ask for the places you will be visiting, just select all of them; it is the same price 😉
Itinerary
We left Mumbai for a 9-day trip in Ladakh. We started in Leh and covered the Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. Here is our itinerary:
Day 1 to 3: Leh
Arrival
Flight to Leh
The landing itself is breathtaking. We had booked our first two nights in Leh, and the hotel had organized a taxi pick-up for 600 INR.
Stay
Palace View Guest House
Centrally located, near the main bazaar, reasonably priced, and offers a view of the palace from rooms with balconies.
Visit
We tried to take it easy in our first days. Here are a few places we liked:
- Apple Garden Restaurant at Mentokling Guest House, which is an oasis for taking coffee and relaxing.
- Bon Appetit and Amigo Korean Restaurant if you want to try something different from the equally delicious Tibetan food outlets.
- Central Asian Museum, which is an impressive building in itself and displays Ladakh’s history and culture.
We used the time in Leh to organize our road trip. Initially, we wanted to do a multi-day Markha Valley trek, which is a good idea if you feel healthy despite the high altitude.
We booked our taxi at the Blue Stone Hotel. Also, the Yak Travel Agency was very helpful, even though in the end we did not book with them.
Day 4: Leh to Hunder (Nubra Valley)
Road trip
Leh to Hunder, crossing the Khardung La pass at 5,359 meters altitude.
Stay
Ladakh Heaven Hills Camp
Super comfortable and clean tents, a beautiful garden, and good food.
Visit
Diskit Monastery, impressively built on the mountain slopes.
Camel ride in the sand dunes between Diskit and Hunder.
We were fortunate to enjoy a clear night sky, and the sight of the stars was absolutely mesmerizing.
Day 5: Hunder To Sumur (Nubra Valley)
Road trip
Hunder to Sumur, crossing the Shyok river and driving along the Nubra river.
Stay
Hotel Namgyal Villa
Delicious food, very kind staff and a beautiful garden.
Visit
Hot springs in Panamik.
Small trek to Yarab Tso lake.
Walk around in the peaceful and green Sumur village.
It is also possible to ride a camel here, although it is less known and thus a lot less crowded.
Day 6: Sumur to pangong lake
Road trip
Sumur to Merak is a very scenic journey along the Shyok river. This journey, at times, can be scary as the road may get partially submerged by the majestic river.
Later, we passed into more peaceful grasslands with Pashmina goats, yaks, wild horses, and marmots.
Stay
View Point Zamta Residency
A guest house run by a local farming family. They are great hosts and served us fresh “khambir” (Ladakhi bread) in the morning.
Visit
Stroll by the lakeside. We were lucky enough to spot “kiangs” (wild asses living in the Tibetan highlands).
Day 7: pangong lake to Leh
Road trip
The route from Pangong Lake to Leh took us over the Chang La Pass at an altitude of 5,270 meters.
Stay
Palace View Guest House
Visit
Descending on the other side, we passed the Chemrey Monastery, which sits impressively on a hillside.
On the way back, we stopped for lunch at RIWO, Karu. It’s chic, multi-cuisine, and offers great views.
Day 8: Leh
Stay
Palace View Guest House
Visit
After one week in Ladakh, we finally had the courage to walk up to the Leh Palace. The exhibition talks about the history of the region and the palace’s terrace gives some nice views of Leh city.
In the afternoon, we strolled from Main Bazar along the water ways to the Sankar Gompa and further up to the Tisuru Stupa.
Departure
Next morning, we took our return flight to Mumbai.
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