Ladakh: Nubra Valley Trek

Walk the remote Nubra Valley, where rare camels roam a virtually uninhabited landscape

Concealed by the Ladakh and Karakorum mountains, the Nubra Valley in northern India remains unseen and untouched by mass tourism. Here, rare double-humped Bactrian camels share a near-unspoiled terrain with traditional shepherd camps and elusive snow leopards. To reach it, we must take a spectacular flight over the Himalaya to Leh, the largest city in the Ladakh region, before crossing the Khardung La, one of the highest drivable passes in the world and a one-time route for Silk Road traders. It’s then into the wilderness, exploring the virtually uninhabited Nubra Valley on foot while gazing at unnamed peaks and camping wild as we go.

Some departures are led by Valerie Parkinson, winner of Best Tour Leader in the prestigious annual Wanderlust World Guide Awards in 2021. See Dates & Prices.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is graded Activity Level 5 (Challenging). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us. 

Trek essentials: This is a reasonably strenuous trek with eight days of walking at high altitude. Most days involve four to seven hours of walking, with one long day over the pass. It is designed for those willing to put in the necessary fitness preparations; however, it is a fully supported camping trek with full porterage (mules and ponies) throughout − you need only carry your daypack.

• Maximum altitude: 17,715ft (5,400m)
• Average: 12,795ft (3,900m)

Terrain: Most of the trails are well made on sandy and rocky paths and there might be a few river crossings. There is one high mountain pass to cross, the Lasermo La (17,715ft/5,400m).

Altitude: As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning under the ‘Practical Information’ section within the Trip Notes. We spend two days in Leh (11,480ft/3,500m) before the trek to allow you to acclimatise.

Climate: Daytime temperatures can be very hot, especially in the middle of the day as the sun is very strong at these altitudes. Nights will be cooler and cold at the highest altitudes.

Timings: Walking distances and hours stated within the itinerary are given as approximates only. Timings stated include rest and photo stops but not a longer lunch break and will vary depending on the pace of your group.

Connecting to the internet: Ladakh is ideal if you want to be present and enjoy a digital detox, as there is no coverage across the region. Therefore, we do not recommend that you purchase e-sims or local sims for use during the trek.

Why trek with Exodus?

• We have more than 30 years’ experience organising treks in Ladakh
• You can talk to Exodus office staff who have done the treks themselves
• We have experienced English-speaking local leaders who are qualified in first aid and trained in recognising and dealing with altitude sickness
• All staff (leaders, guides and porters) are fully insured and paid a fair wage
• We carefully plan ascent rates and itineraries with built-in acclimatisation and contingency days
• Staff carry oxygen and first-aid essentials
• We use self-assessment AMS cards to monitor every client at altitude

Vaccinations and Health

India

You require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some visitors. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

You may also want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in India. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.

Visa

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information

Please note: If your trip visits Ladakh, in the very north of India, or Sikkim in the northeast, do not mention this on your Indian visa application. This can sometimes slow down or even cause the embassy to reject your visa.

New Digital Arrival Card

Travellers from the UK, US, EU and Canada must also complete a Digital Arrival Card. This can be filled online up to 72 hours before arrival via the official Indian visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/. This is separate from the Indian e-visa process and this remains the same.

Food & Drink

Indian food is highly regarded and there is ample chance to try various Ladakhi favourites, which is influenced by Silk Road traders from Tibet and China. Don’t miss the delicious and popular snacks – momos (dumplings). Also try: thukpa, a clear vegetable soup with noodles and often mutton or chicken; tingmo (pronounced tee-mo), steamed bread eaten with dal; and a favourite found in most restaurants, chutagi, a thick soup of local vegetables and bow tie-shaped pieces of dough cooked in the broth (also served with meat).

Allow at least 1,600-2,000 rupees (approximately US$20-US$25) per day for lunch and dinner (where not included). You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you go to the more expensive restaurants most of the time, you will spend more than the suggested amount. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. A (large) bottle of beer is approximately 300 rupees (approximately US$4).

While camping, the staff will bring a hot drink (usually tea) to your tent each morning. When you reach camp in the afternoon, tea and biscuits are served. At breakfast, dinner and in the afternoons, there is a choice of hot drinks. Breakfasts typically include cereal, toast and jam, eggs and porridge. Lunch on trek is usually served as a picnic en route (except on shorter days when it is in camp). Lunch and dinner typically include soup to start, followed by a variety of hot dishes (both local and Western) such as potatoes/chips, vegetables, curry, pasta, rice, dal and paneer (cottage cheese). At dinner, a dessert such as tinned fruit and custard, fritters or cake is also served.

Please note, although some meals include meat, it is not as readily available while camping.

Drinking water

Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 3-4 litres per person per day.

We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Ladakh. In Leh, there is a shop called Dzomsa that sells safe drinking water. Your leader will show you where this is on your first day in Leh. The Leh hotel provides safe filtered drinking water.

During the trek, the cooks will collect and boil drinking water from the mountain streams and fill up your water bottles for you, but you may need to collect water during the day and may wish to use your own water purification treatment as well.

We recommend you bring a reusable bottle/water bladder/Camelpak (ideally two) and use an effective form of water treatment. There are a wide range of products available including Steripens or purification tablets or drops, which are the quickest and easiest options to use on trek – we recommend talking to an outdoor retailer for the latest advice as technologies are improving all the time. Make sure to check the product’s performance in cold/freezing conditions and consider battery life (lithium batteries are best in cold conditions).

Weather

Generally, the weather is good in Ladakh during summer, with warm to very hot sunny days (up to 30C/86F and sometimes above 35C/95F) with cooler nights depending on the altitude. There is, however, the possibility of rain, and you should be prepared for this. The sun is very strong at these altitudes and some of the days on trek can be extremely hot.

Ladakh, though technically part of the Tibetan plateau and classified as a high-altitude desert, can and does occasionally experience the effects of the Indian monsoon. Although the departures are timed to coincide when the weather is normally good, you should remember that in any mountain area the weather is never wholly predictable and you should be prepared and equipped to deal with any differences in weather beyond the conditions described above.

Summer in Delhi is very hot and humid.