Frosty Ladakh 5N-6D

When you arrive at Kushok Bakula airport Leh our representative will be waiting for you at the Arrival gate with your name on the welcome note. He/she will then pick and transfer you to your accommodation in Leh City.

Isn’t it exciting to be in Leh? And we know you must be in the mood to explore this beautiful city on day one. But wait! Since you have shifted to an altitude of 11500 feet from 700 feet in just an hour’s time, we would request you to take a step back and take a day off and relax at your hotel. Your body needs to get acclimatized to this change in altitude and climate. (Also medically advised). And yea we know it’s cold and you are not feeling thirsty but keep drinking water at frequent intervals.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After relaxing and staying put for a day we believe you in a READY SET GO mood, so let’s get started and let’s explore the places nearby. Today we will head out and visit Shyam Valley. The list of attractions goes on the lines of visiting the Hall of Fame Museum, Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill, Sangam Viewpoint, Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, and an evening stroll at Leh local Market.

Highlights (Details):

Sangam: At Nimmu lies a beautiful vista that will reinstate your belief in a higher power. The place where Indus meets Zanskar, they flow along for a while and slowly merge to become one and that’s where you meet Indus which will run along with you as your constant companion for upcoming days. It also serves as a lifeline for the people of Ladakh, especially due to the fact that Ladakh experiences rainfall of only 2 to 3 inches throughout the year.

Magnetic Hill: Can you imagine a vehicle moving up a steep mountain with its engines turned off? Keep thinking about that till we meet our new friend and an attraction on our journey today.

Gravity has been our friend since the time an apple fell to the ground in front of one of our childhood heroes, Newton. But just for today let’s keep that aside for a minute and meet the Magnetic hill.

Witness this beautiful but unbelievable phenomenon.

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib: Since your first thought of visiting Ladakh you decided somewhere in the back of your head to visit everything sky high, and why shouldn’t you as you are really sitting land of high passes. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib is a beautiful Gurudwara constructed in the memory of Guru Nanak dev Ji. Located at a distance of about 25 miles from Leh en-route Kargil, Built-in 1517 this gurudwara stands at an altitude of 12000 ft above sea level.

Hall of Fame: We sit at home munching snacks and watching Netflix relax on our weekends. But this is not possible unless we feel safe; and the Indian Army plays a major role in keeping it that way, with soldiers keeping guard on all our borders with no weekends off and no entertainment options apart from their fellow soldiers.

The Hall of Fame in Leh is a monument made in the memory and glory of those who made the difficult choice of staying away from home, witnessing the Kargil War and that is why it is a must-visit for every individual of India.

A mountain pass is a place where mountains give way and let us pass them to the other side and in Ladakhi a pass is referred to as La.

Today post breakfast it’s time to pack your backs and take a road trip to the high roads over the mighty Khardungla (Khardung Pass) which was once referred to as the highest motorable road or mountain pass in the world. A lot of new roads have been made in years to come with the technology we have today, but this pass will always be remembered in history for being the only way to make the transit to Siachen Glacier Base Camp and beyond.

Spend some time on top of Khardungla but not too much and since the air is thin here one can experience AMS which can then trouble you for upcoming days. Click some pictures here to share with your loved ones and then let’s head to the other side. On our way to Nubra Valley visit Disket Monastery and admire the majestic statue of Maiitreya Buddha.

Reach your accommodation for the day in the lap of Nubra valley which is the highest altitude desert in the world.

Highlights (Details):

Diskit Monastery: There are so many monasteries in Ladakh Region but here my friend is the largest and oldest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery situated in Nubra Valley. In Ladakhi monastery is also referred to as Gompa; founded in 14th-century Diskit Gompa with its most protuberant attraction, the Maitreya Buddha Statue really stands out. This 32 meters tall statue is located just below the monastery overlooking the beautiful view of Shyok river and can make you realize the efforts taken by devotees to build this amazing piece of architecture with the lack of modern tech.

Have you been to Pakistan? And do you wish to see what it feels like to do so? Don’t worry as we are not talking to you on the other side but what’s the harm in a bit of the culture of a cousin brother.

Before we get into the details of that let’s, start the day with a bit of leisure and experience the sand dunes of Hunder. This beautiful high altitude cold desert is such a delight to the eyes and on top of that is the home of the Double Humped (Bactrian) camel which is a rare species and is found only at this place in India. Enjoy a camel safari if you like and take a stroll to soak in the calming aura of this majestic place.

Now once you have got your soul filled up with this positive vibe let’s hit the road again for a short distance and head to a small slice of Pakistani culture on our plate, Turtuk. The Last Indian outpost towards northern Ladakh, Turtuk was a part of Pakistan until in 1971 it was occupied by the Indian army in border war at LOC. Surrounded by Nubra Valley and Baltistan on its sides; the Karakoram mountain range and Shyok river riding along this tiny village have their own charm.

While the rest of Ladakh is occupied by Buddhists, Turtuk is a Balti village(a group of Tibetan ancestry who mostly live in Pakistan’s Skardu region).

The landscape, culture, attire, language, and even the physical appearance of people change quite extremely crossing over into Turtuk.

Turtuk has only been open to tourists since 2010 and is, therefore, a hidden gem. To go there is like a journey of discovery that one has been fortunate to gain access to, a magical world that one might otherwise never know existed.

Once you have spent some time with Turtuk you will head back to Hunder again to rest for the night.

The lake which has become the highlight of the road trip to Ladakh is Pangong Tso (In Ladakhi Tso means Lake) and it was not because of promos or explorers, the reason for its becoming a highlight is one of the highest Bollywood grosser “3 Idiots”.

So if you imagine this lake I believe you see a beautiful yet large water body surrounded by mountains and filled with crystal clear water from the glaciers reflecting turquoise shade from the sky, Isn’t it?

But today let’s wipe that imagination off and replace the lake part of it with frozen popsicles and let’s cover the mountains with snow. How about That?

So today we start early and after breakfast, we head out to the Frozen Pangong via Agam and Shyok, we will be traveling along the shyok river almost all day. The lakeside at Pangong looks nothing less than a beachside that has chosen to freeze. With a less number of travelers around, it outlines winter seclusion like no other, creating marvels that are not to be skipped.

Take a walk over the lake, click pictures for your loved ones and enjoy some time literally chilling out.

Later in the day, we will start our journey back towards Leh via another high altitude pass Changla. Situated at an altitude of 17600 Ft this pass connects Leh to Tangstey and further to Pangong Tso. 

Reach Leh and rest as this was a really long day and we don’t want you to get back home with a plan to rest.

It was wonderful to host you guys on this 5-day short trip and we all know this was a great time which we spent together in the high mountains. And since every good thing comes to an end, so does this.

Time to fly home and get back to your lives but remember we at TripWeiser are just a buzz away to connect you to another gem of nature on your next experiential travel plan.

For now goodbye and take care…