Leh Nubra Pangong Adventure

Fly into Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport, Leh (3,500 m). Transfer to hotel. MANDATORY full day acclimatization rest — no exertion at high altitude. Evening gentle walk to Leh Market and visit the 17th-century hilltop Leh Palace for sunset views of the Stok Kangri range. Overnight in Leh.

Acclimatization day with gentle sightseeing. Visit Shanti Stupa for panoramic views of the Indus Valley. Drive to the impressive 12-storey Thiksey Monastery (resembling Potala Palace). Continue to the largest Himalayan monastery in India — Hemis Monastery and its treasure museum. Visit Sindhu Ghat on the Indus River. Overnight in Leh.

Early morning departure across Khardung La, the world's highest motorable pass at 17,582 ft. Descend into the stark white-sand Nubra Valley. Visit Diskit Monastery with its 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue. Drive to Hunder village for a thrilling double-humped Bactrian camel safari across the cold desert dunes at sunset. Overnight in Hunder/Diskit.

Drive the spectacular Shyok River route (130 km, 5 hrs) from Nubra to Pangong Tso Lake through remote villages of Agham, Durbuk, and Tangtse. Arrive at Pangong Lake (4,350 m) — the 134 km high-altitude salt lake spanning India and China. Marvel at its changing colours from azure to cobalt to teal in the late afternoon light. Overnight at lakeside camp/guesthouse.

Sunrise over Pangong Tso — an unmissable spectacle as the lake turns golden and pink. Drive back to Leh via Chang La pass (17,688 ft), the third-highest motorable pass in the world. Visit Druk White Lotus School (Rancho's school from 3 Idiots film) at Shey. Arrive in Leh by evening. Overnight in Leh.

Morning visit to Gurudwara Pathar Sahib (revered Sikh shrine). Experience the famous Magnetic Hill optical illusion on Leh-Srinagar highway. Stop at Sangam — the confluence of the turquoise Zanskar and milky-white Indus rivers. Return to Leh for departure. Tour concludes.