Nubra Valley Trek

The Nubra is a tributary of the Shyok River which flows parallel to the Indus on the northern side of the Ladakh range. Because of its lower altitude the valley has a mild climate and is therefore richer in vegetation. It is often referred to as the "Orchard of Ladakh".

In ancient times, the valley was part of the Caravan Route, today it offers unparalleled trekking opportunities and scenic landscapes. It is also the natural habitat of the double backed Bactrian Camel.

Buddhist monasteries flourished in the valley among which the famous Diskit Gompa. This monastery, over 350 years old, is the oldest in the Nubra region. It is also one of the largest.The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) Sect. The Nubra valley is accessible from Leh via a number of high passes. One of them is the Khardong-la, the highest motorable pass at 5600 m.

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi. Early morning flight to Leh.

Day 2: Tour of Leh city, including the 17th century palace and gompa.

Day 3-4: Touring the monasteries and palaces of the Indus valley.

Day 5: We take a morning stroll to Sankar Gompa, then to the nearby village of Sabu. Overnight in Sabu.

Day 6: In Sabu, we meet our horses and begin the trek. Our first day takes us through lovely grazing areas to the campsite at Polu Digar. From this vantage point, the Stok mountains appear to float majestically above the Indus valley.

Day 7: Continue upward to the Digar La base camp. A short day to aid acclimatization.

Day 8: We make an early start to cross the 17,230 ft. Digar La. From the top, views stretch south to the Zanskar range and north to the Saser range, Ladakh's highest peaks. The descent is steady and we camp by a lovely meandering stream at Chumik Yogma.

Day 9: Continue down through the village of Digar to the tiny settlement of Aghyam.

Day 10: Trek to Tangyar, a prosperous village in a remarkable location.

Day 11: Continue upward to Dhungle, our base camp for the pass.

Day 12: Our second pass! Ascend the 17,061 foot Wuri La for views all the way to the Karakoram in Pakistan! Descend to camp at Zule Tokpo.

Day 13: Finish the trek with a short walk out to the village of Sabu, and the TakTok gompa, an ancient shrine built within an impressive cave. Travel by jeep over 18,000 foot plus Chang La to the village of Tangtse, where we camp amongst idyllic meadows.

Day 14: We explore the shoreline of the brilliant turquoise and azure Pangong Lake, Ladakh's largest and one of the great salt lakes of Central Asia. Proximity to the Chinese border prevents us from penetrating much beyond the western shore or camping at the lakeside, but the views are stupendous. Our return to Leh takes us back over Chang La, the second highest motorable road on earth. Back in the Indus valley, we visit the little-known gompa of Chemrey before returning to Leh that evening.

Day 15: Morning flight to Delhi, on arrival check in Hotel. Stay overnight at Hotel.

Day 16: Depart- Delhi Transfer to airport for flight to onwards journey.