Leh & Ladakh

Ladakh is the trip most travellers save up for. Long empty highways, passes above 5,000 metres, and lakes that change colour through the day. It is also the one destination where travelling as a group is genuinely safer — help is far away, and a convoy of bikes or one shared cab makes a real difference.

Acclimatisation comes first

Give the group two full days in Leh before heading to Nubra or Pangong. Altitude sickness does not care how fit anyone is, and a rushed itinerary is the single most common reason Ladakh trips get cut short. Keep the first two days light: Leh market, Shanti Stupa, Thiksey and Hemis monasteries.

Bike or cab

Bike convoys are the classic way to do it, ideally with a backup vehicle carrying luggage and tired riders. Groups with mixed riding experience usually book Innovas or Xylos instead — the route is just as spectacular from a window seat, and a driver who knows the passes is worth the cost.

Permits and connectivity

Inner Line Permits are required for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and the Hanle side, and are easiest to arrange in Leh for the whole group at once. Only postpaid connections work in Ladakh and coverage disappears past Khardung La, so agree on meeting points and timings before leaving Leh.

A workable 9-day route

Two days in Leh, then Nubra via Khardung La with a night at Hunder, on to Turtuk if you have the day to spare, then Pangong via the Shyok road, back to Leh, and a final loop to Tso Moriri or the Sham valley depending on how the group is holding up.