Cross Khardung La and you arrive in a world with sand dunes and double-humped camels sitting beneath snow peaks. The strangest, most memorable corner of Ladakh.
Nubra is called the garden of Ladakh — a valley carved by the Shyok and Nubra rivers, sitting considerably lower than Leh (around 10,000 ft), which is why you find greenery, apricot trees and warmer weather here.
And then there are the sand dunes at Hunder — a stretch of desert in the shadow of 18,000-ft snow peaks. Bactrian camels, descendants of the old Silk Route caravans, still wander among them. There’s nowhere else quite like it.
One of the world’s highest motorable passes, and the way into Nubra. Stop for photos — but don’t linger, because of the altitude.
Sand dunes and snow peaks in the same frame. Evening light is best.
Double-humped camels, a relic of the Silk Route. Short rides are available, paid on site.
Above the valley, with its 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue and views across the whole of Nubra.
A Balti village that was part of Pakistan until 1971. It needs an extra day, but it’s a different world entirely.
Hot springs further up the valley.
🪪 Permit: Nubra also requires an Inner Line Permit (Indian nationals) or a Protected Area Permit (foreigners) — same as Pangong. We guide you through it.
🫁 Don’t linger at Khardung La: the air is thin at 17,582 ft. Take your photos, have a cup of tea, and move on — standing around up there is a common trigger for altitude sickness. Breathing gets easier down in Nubra at around 10,000 ft.
🚙 Vehicle: this is an inner circuit, so a Leh-registered vehicle is generally required under union rules. We arrange it through our local network.
📅 At least one night: Nubra isn’t a day trip. Stay overnight — otherwise you’ll have crossed Khardung La twice and seen almost nothing of the valley.
Kashmir se Ladakh — highway leg hamari vans, inner circuits local network se. Fixed quote 5 minute mein.