8D/7NKashmir Great Lakes Trek
Srinagar → Sonamarg → Vishansar → Naranag · Jammu and Kashmir
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₹24,500/ person
4–11 Jul 20279 seats left
Manali to Leh Overland Expedition
Manali → Jispa → Sarchu → Pangong Tso
Overview
The Manali–Leh highway runs 428 km across Rohtang, Baralacha, Nakee, Lachulung and Tanglang La — the last at 5,328 m. Driven badly, it is a punishing two-day dash. Driven properly, it is one of the finest overland journeys anywhere.
We take four days on the road with nights at Jispa and Sarchu, then a full rest day in Leh before any further height. That extra day is the difference between enjoying Ladakh and spending it with a headache.
Vehicles are Innova Crysta or Tempo Traveller depending on group size, with an experienced mountain driver. Nights at Sarchu are in fixed camps at 4,290 m; guests who prefer not to sleep at that altitude can request the Jispa-extended variant at booking.
Runs in: June, July, August, September. Outside that window we do not sell the trip rather than run it badly.
Day by day
9 days, in the order you will walk or drive them.
1Arrive ManaliDay 1
Arrive and settle into the valley. Evening briefing covering altitude, hydration and the road ahead, followed by dinner in Old Manali.2Manali to Jispa (3,200 m)Day 2
Over the Atal Tunnel into Lahaul, then along the Bhaga river through Keylong to Jispa. Roughly six hours with stops at Sissu falls and Tandi, the last fuel for 365 km.3Jispa to Sarchu (4,290 m) via Baralacha LaDay 3
A short but serious day: Zing Zing Bar, then Baralacha La at 4,890 m and Suraj Tal below it. Arrive at the Sarchu camps by early afternoon so you have daylight to rest. No exertion this evening.4Sarchu to Leh via the Gata Loops and Tanglang LaDay 4
The big driving day: twenty-one hairpins of the Gata Loops, then Nakee La, Lachulung La, the More Plains and Tanglang La at 5,328 m. Descend along the Indus to Leh. Nine to ten hours.5Leh — rest and acclimatiseDay 5
A deliberately empty day. Slow morning, an optional walk to Leh Palace and Namgyal Tsemo, and time in the bazaar. Inner Line Permits are processed today.6Leh to Nubra via Khardung LaDay 6
North over Khardung La to the Shyok and Nubra confluence. Afternoon at the Hunder dunes and Diskit monastery. Night in Hunder.7Nubra to Pangong Tso via ShyokDay 7
The Shyok road east to Pangong, arriving mid-afternoon for the light on the water. Night in a lakeside camp at Spangmik.8Pangong to Leh via Chang LaDay 8
Back over Chang La, with stops at Thiksey monastery and the Shey palace on the Indus valley run into Leh. Final dinner in town.9Depart LehDay 9
Transfer to Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. Morning departures only — Leh flights are weather-dependent and cluster before noon.
Dates and prices
Seat counts are live. A date leaves sale the moment it fills — we do not overbook and sort it out later.
- Only 3 seats left
5–13 Oct 2026
Mon start · 9 days
₹42,000
Talk it through first
A planner calls you back, no obligation.
What is included
What the price covers
- Eight nights accommodation — hotels in Manali, Jispa and Leh, fixed camps at Sarchu, Hunder and Pangong
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Private vehicle with experienced mountain driver, all fuel, tolls and permits
- Inner Line Permits for Nubra and Pangong
- Oxygen cylinder in vehicle and a pulse oximeter carried by the tour lead
- Airport transfer in Leh
What it does not
- Flights and long-distance train fare to the start point
- Personal expenses, tips and anything of a personal nature
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended, we can arrange it)
- Meals not listed in the inclusions
- Costs arising from weather, roadblocks or events beyond our control
- Lunches on the road (we stop at dhabas — budget around ₹300 a day)
- Monastery camera fees
Questions about this trip
Answered from this departure's own numbers. Anything not here, the desk will tell you straight.
How hard is this trip, and who is it for?
We grade it Challenging, on a four-step scale of Easy, Moderate, Challenging and Strenuous. That single word is a summary, not the answer — the answer is the 9-day plan above, which says what each day actually asks of you. Read it before you book, and if you are unsure whether it suits you, call the desk and describe your last comparable trip rather than guessing.
How many people will be on it?
Between 4 and 14. 4 is the minimum for a departure to run and 14 is the hard cap — we do not add seats to a date that is selling well. The seat counts on the dates table are live and come straight from the booking system.
When does it run, and why not the rest of the year?
June, July, August and September, and the next date open for booking is 5 Oct 2026. Outside that window we do not sell the trip rather than run it badly — passes under snow, a monsoon crossing or a shut ferry are reasons to move your dates, not to take your money.
Can I hold seats before I pay?
Yes. Pick a date, enter who is travelling, and the seats come off the live count for 15 minutes while you decide. Nothing is charged during the hold, and if you walk away it releases itself and the seats go back on sale.
How do I pay, and what happens after?
Online at the end of the booking flow, or over the phone with the trips desk during working hours if you would rather not pay on the web. Either way you get a booking reference, and the joining pack for your departure follows from the desk.
What if I have to cancel?
There is no blanket policy printed here, because permits, mountain lodges and internal flights are paid forward at different points on different departures — and quoting a single number would be a promise we could not keep on every date. The terms that apply to your departure are in your joining pack, and the desk will put them in writing before you pay if you ask.
2 reviews
Each one is linked to a booking on one of the departures above.
Tenzin drove the Gata Loops and Tanglang La like it was a residential street and still stopped every time someone wanted a photo. Sarchu at 4,290 m is a hard night for some people — ask about the Jispa variant if you know altitude bothers you. Everything else was excellent.
SRSiddharth RaneVerified booking We had done Leh before on a two-day dash from Manali and spent it feeling terrible. Doing it with a night at Jispa and a proper rest day in Leh was a completely different trip. Pangong at four in the afternoon was worth the drive on its own.
KIKavya IyerVerified booking
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