Group
This 7 days 6 nights Ladakh trip combines the region's classic high-altitude circuit with a rare cultural experience — two full days inside the Hemis Festival, one of Ladakh's largest monastery celebrations. For NCR travellers, it's a chance to see masked Cham dances and centuries-old Buddhist ritual alongside Khardung La, Nubra Valley, and Pangong Lake.
After an acclimatisation day in Leh, the trip covers the city's core landmarks — the Hall of Fame army museum, the Magnetic Hill optical illusion, and Sangam Point, where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet in two distinct colours. The route then climbs Khardung La into Nubra Valley, visiting Diskit Monastery's giant Maitreya Buddha and the Bactrian camels at Hunder Sand Dunes, before continuing via the Shyok river route to Pangong Lake for an overnight camp beside its shifting blue water. The return to Leh via Chang La Pass leads into the trip's centrepiece: two consecutive days at Hemis Monastery for the Hemis Festival, where monks in elaborate masks perform sacred Cham dances to drums and long horns, with a rare giant Thangka tapestry unveiled in select years.
The package includes 6 nights of accommodation across Leh, Nubra Valley, and a Pangong Lake camp, 12 meals through the trip, all road transfers within the Leh circuit, shared airport pickup and drop, Hemis Festival entry tickets for both days, a team captain throughout, and an emergency oxygen cylinder carried 24x7.
Pack & Go is a Gurugram-based travel agency specialising in planned cultural and high-altitude trips for NCR travellers. Our team times this departure to coincide with the exact Hemis Festival dates each year, which follow the Tibetan lunar calendar, so the logistics stay handled while the festival stays the focus.
This package suits travellers specifically interested in Ladakhi Buddhist culture alongside the standard high-altitude sightseeing. Note that Hemis Festival dates shift annually, so trip dates are scheduled to match. Reach out to our team to check current departure dates and availability.
Land at Leh Airport where our team greets you and escorts you to your hotel. The first afternoon is yours to rest and let your body adjust to the altitude — this is important at 3,500 metres. By evening, take a gentle stroll through Leh Market for Tibetan handicrafts and local snacks, or head up to Shanti Stupa for sweeping views over the town as the light fades.
Meals: Dinner
After breakfast, the day takes you through Leh's most compelling landmarks. Start with the Hall of Fame, the Indian Army museum that puts Ladakh's strategic history in sharp context. Next up is Magnetic Hill, where the optical illusion of vehicles rolling uphill still surprises everyone. At Sangam Point, the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet side by side in two completely different colours — it's worth a long stop. Round the day off with Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and the 17th-century Leh Palace before returning for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
An early start for one of the most dramatic drives in India. Khardung La Pass, at roughly 5,359 metres, sits well above the clouds and offers views across snow-dusted ridges that stretch in every direction. The descent into Nubra Valley is a complete landscape shift — suddenly you're in a wide cold desert with poplar trees and riverbeds. Visit Diskit Monastery with its giant Maitreya Buddha statue gazing over the valley, then head to Hunder Sand Dunes where you can spot (and optionally ride) the rare double-humped Bactrian camels against a backdrop of Himalayan peaks.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Post breakfast, the group heads towards Pangong Tso via the scenic Shyok river route — a long but rewarding drive through remote villages and broad valleys. The first glimpse of Pangong's impossibly blue water against bare brown mountains is the kind of moment you don't forget. The lake stretches 134 km with about one-third in India; its colour shifts from deep blue to turquoise to silvery grey as the day moves. Walk along the shore, watch reflections shift, and settle into camp as the altitude and silence do the rest.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Wake up to Pangong in the early morning light before heading back to Leh via Chang La Pass, another high-altitude crossing that rewards with panoramic mountain views. After freshening up in Leh, the group heads to Hemis Monastery for the first day of the Hemis Festival — one of the largest and most elaborate cultural events in Ladakh. Watch monks in ornate masks perform sacred Cham dances to the sound of drums and long horns, and browse the local stalls selling Ladakhi crafts and foods.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today is the main celebration day at Hemis Monastery and the highlight of this particular Ladakh trip. The monastery courtyard fills with pilgrims, monks, and visitors from across the region. Masked dance performances continue through the day, each one tied to specific Buddhist teachings and stories. In select years, the monastery unveils a rare giant Thangka — an embroidered tapestry that is displayed only once in several years. Whether or not the Thangka appears, the day's atmosphere is unlike anything else in Ladakh. Return to Leh in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Check out after breakfast and our team transfers you to Leh Airport for your onward journey. Seven days — passes, a cold desert, a high-altitude lake, and a monastery festival that runs on centuries of tradition. Take it all back with you.
Meals: Breakfast
Honestly didn't expect the Hemis Festival to be this intense — the masked dances go on for hours and the energy in the monastery courtyard is something else. The Pangong overnight camp was also a highlight, the sky at that altitude is insane. Well-organised trip overall.
Good trip, solid value for what's included. Crossing Khardung La was the moment I'll remember most — it's genuinely cold and dramatic up there. The team captain was helpful throughout. Would suggest carrying extra warm layers even if you're going in summer.
Did this trip as a solo traveller joining a group and it worked out really well. The Sangam point where the two rivers meet in different colours is one of those things you just have to see. Meals were decent, stays were comfortable, nothing felt rushed.