Ladakh,through the high passes

Ladakh is the part of India that looks like nowhere else in it. A high-altitude desert between the Himalaya and the Karakoram, where the villages are green squares in bare rock, the monasteries sit on the ridgelines, and Pangong Tso turns a blue that photographs badly because nobody believes it.

The classic route comes up from Manali by road, over the passes, with a night at Jispa on the way, then Leh, Nubra, and the lake.

Where you’ll go

Leh. The valley town that acclimatises you, with the Indus monasteries of Thiksey, Hemis and Alchi within reach.

Pangong Tso. A long lake at altitude, half of it in China, and the highlight of most people’s Ladakh.

Nubra Valley. White dunes, organic farms and double-humped Bactrian camels, over the Khardung La from Leh.

Manali and Jispa. The approach: snow peaks, the Beas valley, and the last village before the high road.

Practical notes

Draft: awaiting owner verification. Altitude is the real constraint here and the itinerary must respect it.

• Leh sits well above 3,000 metres. Any honest Ladakh itinerary spends its first days acclimatising and doing very little. Ours do.
• The Manali–Leh road is seasonal and closes with snow. Flying into Leh is the alternative, and changes the acclimatisation plan.
• Inner-line permits are needed for Nubra and Pangong. We arrange them; the rules change, so we confirm current requirements when we quote.