Ladakh Roadtrip: Itinerary

Day 1 – 
Bangalore to Delhi – Flight
Delhi Airport – SUV, to Manali (more than 14 hours drive along with breaks)


Day 2 – 
2 am – Reach Manali, took rooms in Naveen Hotel (already booked). SUV leaves.
4 am – Get up (YES, you can do it!) – SUV waiting (different one), start for Jispa, crossing Rohtang Pass. Mind you, you can get stuck at this pass for hours, 5 -6 hours is normal. 
12 pm – Crossed Rohtang Pass
12 pm – Welcome to Jannat! here onwards you are in for a trip of a lifetime for the next 13 days!! [assuming the trip for 15 days]
4 30 pm – Reached Jispa. Tent was already booked here. Jispa Journeys 


Day 3 – 
6am – Breakfast @ Jispa Tent
7 am – start for Leh
Cross Sarchu, Whiskey nala towards Pang…
3 pm – Landslide 15 kms before Pang
4 30 pm – return from the landslide location back to whiskey nala (nearest – 15 kms back, towards Sarchu). There was only 3 tents. All the tourist stuck came back here, tough night.


[Awesome images captured and posted on my facebook profile]


Day 4 –  
5 am – Got up, inquired about road, no luck.
10am – still no vehicle coming from Leh side.
1 pm – Bikers started coming from Leh, stopped for food, we started.
3 pm – crossed Pang
4 pm – Moray Plains now it’s not like older times, where you drive the way you want to, there is a tar road to drive on!
Do not miss the ever changing landscape – you CANNOT keep your camera back in the bag!
9 pm – reached Leh, booking already done in Shanti Guest House. Very basic facilities @ Rs. 800 per day for a 3 bed room. 


Day 5 – 
Breakfast at the guest house, full day Leh city tour – visiting all Gompas/ Monastery. Dinner at World Cafe, Leh Market – NEVER go there, lousy food, lousy service.


Day 6 – 
Leh Market visit, Ladies went all out shopping 🙂


Day 7 – 
6 am – Get up, get ready for Nubra Valley Trip, you cross Khardungla Pass – ‘The highest motarable road in the world’. Bactrian Camels – The double humped camels on sand dunes in the middle of mountains at an altitude of 14000 fts. You will be blown away for sure!!
4 pm – Reach Sand dunes, camel ride, stay at Shyok guest house. 5 bed 1 room, full length windows on 3 sides @ Rs. 800 + food. Fantastic!


[Awesome images captured and posted on my facebook profile]


Day 8 – 
Nubra Valley to Phyang for the festival at the Phyang Monastery 
Evening in Leh market, dinner @ Mentokling restaurant, Leh – recognized by Lonely Planets. 

Day 9 –
5 30 am – Get ready for Pangong Tso, 6 hours on road from Leh. After 3 Idiots last scene being shot here, this lake has become the destination for tourists. But beware, its not like any other tourist spot where you can ‘just land’! At Pangong Tso (Tso: Ladakhi for lake) @ an altitude of 14,270 ft above sea level, this lake is 134 km long, 5 km wide, 60% of the lake is under China’s rule 🙁 During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water! 
Tent available – Nature Nest.

Day 10 – 
7am – start for Tso (lake) Moriri – another jannat (lake) in Ladakh. 
5 pm – Tsomoriri (Lake Moriri) – 7 hours drive from Leh, @ an altitude of more than 15000 ft. surrounded by snow capped mountains – all sides.
Camp/ tent available – Camps of Ladakh @ Rs. 2500 per tent (for 2 inclusive of dinner and breakfast)


Day 11 – 
Late departure from Tsomoriri, reach Leh, lazy dinner, relax.


Day 12 – 
Leh City/ market – roam around, shopping, lazy lunch @ Cross Roads, coffee, dinner. Enjoy the culture, photo opportunities. Chill Out.


Day 13 – 
8 am – Pack bags and be ready. 
10 am – Leh market shopping, Lunch at Cross Roads. 
2 pm – Leave for Lamayuru 
5 pm – reach Lamayuru, photography at the Lamayuru Monastery. Also notice the Moonscapes of Lamayuru Stay at Moon Land Hotel. Mind you this is the only hotel with attached loo! Bargain for a room for Rs.600. The hotel next to the Monastery is expensive. 


[Awesome images captured and posted on my facebook profile]


Day 14 – 
5 am – A very early start to the day, as we have to cover 190 kms in a day, cross Dras – pay a visit to the War Memorial (also known for being the 2nd most coldest inhabited place in the world), Kargil, Zojila pass, Sonmarg then Srinagar. Should reach Srinagar before 7pm to avoid hotel hunting in night. Gonna be a long day.  


Luck was in our favor and we were able to reach Dras by 12pm. Spent 2 hours in War Memorial (on the foothills of Kargil war ground, near Tiger Hills)


2 30 pm – Zojila Pass is the scariest of all the passes we crossed in J&K! Roads are opened one side at a time, if you are lucky you will cross early, but are are times when vehicles wait for 7-8 hours too!! While crossing it, you will see the base camp for Amarnath Yatra. 


5 pm – Sonmarg – jannat (better than Srinagar!)
7 pm – Srinagar – You will get tons of hotels to stay, negotiate well, try for hotels a lane behind the Dal lake facing road, will be cheaper. 
9 pm – Dinner near Dal lake. Contrary to the thought, the city is chirping atleast till 10 30 pm, restaurants open till 11 30 pm.


Day 15 – 
City Sight seeing – Many Gardens near the lake itself. In August it’s HOT and Humid in Srinagar, avoid roaming around the gardens – it’s a waste of time. Instead go to Sonmarg. 


[Awesome images captured and posted on my facebook profile]


Day 16 – 
8 am – Start for Gulmarg visit (a day trip) 
9 30 am – Breakfast at Tangamarg. 
Do NOT take a guide here, the taxi guy will insist on a guide and will make you feel that you will die out there without the Guide. Trust me – do NOT believe him! 
11 am – Reach Gulmarg, park vehicle – walk towards the Gondola – Rope way to Jannat. Taking horse to the gondola ticket/ starting point is totally upto you. You will be surrounded by pony wala’s, you decide what you want to do.
Gulmarg Gondola is the best and the only thing here to go for. 2 Phases – 1st phase for Rs.300 and Rs.500 for 2nd phase. After the 2nd phase you will over the clouds, over 12000 fts.
on the way back, shopping for shawls etc at Shaji Emporium – 
5 pm – lunch/ snacks at Nathu’s, facing Dal Lake. 
6 30 pm – Shikara (Boat) Ride on Dal Lake for the next 3 hours. Negotiate for your price. official rate Rs. 300 per hour. We negotiated for Rs.450 for 3 hours (4 people in 1 Shikara)
10 30 pm – Dinner at Kareem’s (opp Dal Lake, 20 mts from Nathus)


Day 17 – 
Flight – Srinagar – Jammu – Delhi – Bangalore