Manali to Leh Highway Adventure

Day-wise itinerary

1. Day1

   Day 1: Arrive Manali – settle in

   

   Arrive in Manali by your own transport or by the cab we arrange from Chandigarh or Delhi; most guests from Maharashtra take an overnight Volvo or fly to Chandigarh and drive up. Check into your hotel and rest.

   Manali sits at around 2,000 m, a useful first step towards the altitudes ahead. In the evening, walk down to the Mall Road or take a short stroll to the Hadimba temple among the deodar trees, and pick up anything you have forgotten: warm gloves, a woollen cap, sunscreen and a few snacks for the highway. We brief you on the road journey, the permits and what to expect in terms of stops and facilities. Dinner at the hotel.

   • Meals: Dinner
   • Overnight: Manali
2. Day2

   Day 2: Manali – Solang Valley and acclimatisation

   

   After breakfast drive to Solang Valley, around 14 km, at a slightly higher altitude than Manali, which is ideal for acclimatisation. Spend a few hours walking on the slopes, taking the ropeway or trying a short paraglide (all activities are paid locally and depend on weather).

   Return to Manali for lunch and an easy afternoon. Visit Vashisht village and its hot springs, or the Manu temple in Old Manali. Keep the day light, drink plenty of water and get an early night, as tomorrow you cross into Lahaul. Your driver will check the vehicle, the permits and the latest road report for the highway. Dinner at the hotel.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Manali
   • 30 km
   • half day
3. Day3

   Day 3: Manali to Jispa via the Atal Tunnel

   

   Leave Manali after breakfast and drive through the Atal Tunnel, which runs beneath the Rohtang range and brings you out at Sissu in the Lahaul valley. The landscape changes quickly, from green forests to bare rock and high waterfalls. A traffic permit may be needed for parts of this route; we handle it.

   Stop at Sissu for the waterfall and lake, then continue past Tandi, where the Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet, and Keylong, the district headquarters. Jispa is a small village beside the Bhaga river, around 140 km and roughly 5–6 hours from Manali. Arrive by afternoon, rest and take an easy riverside walk. Sleeping here, at around 3,300 m, prepares you well for tomorrow.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Jispa
   • 140 km
   • 5–6 hours
4. Day4

   Day 4: Jispa to Leh – Baralacha La, Sarchu and Tanglang La

   

   The longest and most spectacular day: around 330 km and roughly 10–12 hours. Leave at first light. You climb past Darcha and Zing Zing Bar to Baralacha La, then descend to the wide plains of Sarchu, on the Himachal–Ladakh border, for a tea break.

   Next come the 21 hairpins of the Gata Loops, then Nakee La and Lachulung La, the small settlement of Pang and the vast More Plains, flat and empty at well above 4,500 m. The last climb is Tanglang La, after which the road drops through Upshi and along the Indus to Leh. Stops are basic tented dhabas. Keep water, snacks and warm layers close. Arrive Leh in the evening, eat light and rest.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Leh
   • 330 km
   • 10–12 hours
5. Day5

   Day 5: Leh – rest and light sightseeing

   

   After yesterday, today is deliberately slow. Sleep in, have a late breakfast and rest until lunch. Even though you came up gradually by road, Leh and the passes ahead still need care, so drink water and avoid exertion.

   In the afternoon, a short drive to the Shanti Stupa for views over the town and the Stok range, and a look at Leh Palace from below. If you feel well, visit the Hall of Fame war museum on the airport road. End the day in the Leh market, where you can browse for pashmina, turquoise jewellery and apricot products. The driver collects the Inner Line Permits for Nubra and Pangong today. Dinner at the hotel.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Leh
   • 20 km
   • half day
6. Day6

   Day 6: Leh – Sham valley and the Sangam

   

   A moderate day west of Leh, with no high passes. Drive to Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and Magnetic Hill, then the Sangam viewpoint where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet in two clearly different colours.

   Continue to Basgo, with its ruined fort and temples on a ridge, and Likir monastery, known for its large golden Buddha. If time allows, go on to Alchi, a small village whose old temples hold some of the finest early murals in the Himalaya (photography is not permitted inside). Return to Leh by late afternoon and rest. Prepare a small overnight bag for Nubra and Pangong, and leave the rest of your luggage at the hotel.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Leh
   • 150 km
   • full day
7. Day7

   Day 7: Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardung La

   

   Drive over Khardung La, at well over 5,000 m, to Nubra Valley, around 120–150 km and roughly 5–6 hours. Keep the stop at the top short. If the pass is closed, we use the alternative road via Wari La where it is open.

   In Nubra, visit Diskit monastery and its large Maitreya Buddha statue overlooking the Shyok river. In the late afternoon head to the Hunder sand dunes, where double-humped Bactrian camels give short rides (extra) against a backdrop of snowy peaks. Overnight at a camp or guesthouse in Hunder, which is lower than Leh and usually more comfortable for sleeping.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Nubra Valley (Hunder)
   • 140 km
   • 5–6 hours
8. Day8

   Day 8: Nubra to Pangong Lake via the Shyok route

   

   An early start for Pangong Lake along the Shyok river road through Agham and Durbuk, roughly 6–7 hours. It is a remote, dramatic drive through wide gravel valleys, with occasional rough patches and stream crossings, so timings can vary.

   You reach Pangong in the afternoon. The lake runs far into the distance and changes colour through the day, from turquoise to deep blue. Check into a camp or cottage near Spangmik, walk along the shore and watch the sunset. Nights are very cold and facilities are basic, with limited power and weak mobile signal. Dinner at the camp.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Pangong Lake (camp)
   • 170 km
   • 6–7 hours
9. Day9

   Day 9: Pangong to Leh via Chang La and Thiksey

   

   Catch the sunrise over Pangong if you can, then after breakfast drive back to Leh via Tangtse and Chang La, roughly 5–6 hours. As always at the passes, keep the stop brief.

   On the way into Leh visit Thiksey monastery, rising in tiers on its hill, and the Shey palace ruins nearby. If time and energy allow, you can also add Hemis, the largest monastery in Ladakh. Reach Leh by late afternoon, collect your stored luggage and enjoy a farewell dinner. It is a good evening to look back over the route on a map: from Manali to here, you will have crossed some of the highest roads in the country.

   • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
   • Overnight: Leh
   • 160 km
   • 5–6 hours
10. Day10

    Day 10: Departure from Leh airport

    

    Flights out of Leh usually leave in the morning, so have an early breakfast and check out. Our driver drops you at Leh airport for your flight to Delhi and onward to Pune, Mumbai or your home city.

    Allow plenty of time for security, and check the baggage rules for your airline, as they are often strict on Leh flights. Weather can sometimes delay departures; our team will help if that happens. Keep a jacket and water in your hand luggage. We hope the memory of the highway stays with you for a long time.

    • Meals: Breakfast

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