Arrive at Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport (3,500m altitude). Transfer to hotel. IMPORTANT: This is a mandatory rest day for acclimatisation. Do not exert yourself. Hydrate, rest, and take Diamox if prescribed. Light afternoon walk around the hotel. Doctor consultation if required. Overnight in Leh.
After a good night's rest, visit local monasteries within Leh Valley: Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery (modelled on Potala Palace), and Hemis Monastery - the richest in Ladakh. Evening walk to Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa for panoramic sunset views. Overnight in Leh.
Drive along the Indus River to visit Alchi Monastery (11th century). Stop at Magnetic Hill - where cars appear to roll uphill against gravity. Visit Gurudwara Patthar Sahib. Return to Leh via Sangam - the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers. Overnight in Leh.
Drive over Khardung La Pass (5,359m) - stop for photos and hot tea at the army cafe. Descend to the Nubra Valley. Check in to luxury camp at Hunder. Afternoon double-humped Bactrian camel ride on the dunes. Sunset over Karakoram Range. Overnight at luxury camp in Nubra.
Morning visit to Diskit Monastery with its 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue overlooking the valley. Local interaction with Nubra villagers - apricot orchards, traditional Ladakhi homes. Afternoon at leisure on the sand dunes. Stargazing programme at night with telescope. Overnight in Nubra.
Drive via Shyok Valley to Pangong Lake (4,350m altitude). The approach is spectacular - mountains shift colours from ochre to violet. First view of Pangong - the turquoise-blue lake stretching 134km to Tibet. Check in to premium camp on the lakeshore. Golden hour at the lake. Overnight at Pangong camp.
5:30 AM sunrise at the lake - when the sky turns pink and the water mirrors the mountains. Breakfast with lake views. Walk along the shore, spot bar-headed geese and Brahminy ducks. Afternoon at leisure. Sunset from lakeside. Last night at altitude. Overnight at Pangong.
Morning departure from Pangong. Drive over Chang La Pass (5,360m). Return to Leh. Evening free for last-minute shopping at Leh market - pashmina shawls, Ladakhi jewellery, and thangka paintings. Farewell dinner. Overnight in Leh.
Transfer to Leh Airport for early morning flight home. Journey ends, but Ladakh stays with you forever - in the silence, in the sky, in the memory of that first sight of Pangong.
