An ancient Silk Route
to the Nubra Valley
This trek follows an ancient trade route that connected the Indus Valley to the Nubra Valley — part of the old Silk Route network that once stretched from India to Central Asia. The route crosses Lasermo La at 5,438m, covered in ice and snow even in midsummer, with a panoramic view of the Karakoram range from the top. The trek ends in Hunder in the Nubra Valley, where the sand dunes and Bactrian camels feel like a different world from where you started.
Drive from Leh to Phyang village, home to the 15th-century Phyang Monastery perched above the Indus Valley. Begin trekking from the village and ascend through a dry, rugged landscape toward the first camp. Overnight camp.
Gain altitude steadily as the terrain shifts from dry scrub to rocky moraine. The landscape becomes increasingly dramatic as you approach the base of Lasermo La. Camp at high altitude in preparation for the pass crossing. Overnight high camp.
The highlight of the trek. An early start for the final push to Lasermo La — even in July, the pass is covered in ice and snow. From the top, an extraordinary panorama of the Karakoram range opens up. This is the border between the Indus watershed and the Nubra Valley. Descend toward the Nubra side and camp.
Continue the descent through remote terrain into the Nubra Valley. The landscape transforms — dunes appear, the air is warmer, apricot trees line the villages. Arrive in Hunder, one of the main villages of the Nubra Valley. Overnight guesthouse or camp.
Morning in Nubra Valley. Ride a double-humped Bactrian camel on the sand dunes at Hunder — one of the strangest and most memorable experiences in Ladakh. Visit Diskit Monastery and see the 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue looking out over the valley. Drive back to Leh over Khardung La (5,359m). Trek ends.