Nubra Valley travel guides
Nubra Valley Travel Guide: Dunes, Diskit, Turtuk and Khardung La 
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Nubra Valley Travel Guide: Dunes, Diskit, Turtuk and Khardung La
The Nubra Valley lies about 120 km north of Leh, across Khardung La and the Ladakh Range, with the Karakoram beyond. The places to visit in Nubra Valley are the Hunder sand dunes and their double-humped Bactrian camels, Diskit Monastery and its Maitreya statue, the Panamik hot spring and the village of Turtuk. Go only after 48 hours in Leh, with your permit or fee receipt.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you visit the Nubra Valley in a day from Leh?
It is about 120 km each way over Khardung La, so a day trip means crossing the pass twice in a day. Our tours stay a night instead, leaving the afternoon for the dunes and going on to Pangong the next day without returning to Leh.
Which state is the Nubra Valley in?
None: it is in the Union Territory of Ladakh, in Leh district, where Nubra is a sub-division. The valley lies north of Leh across the Ladakh Range, with the Karakoram Range beyond it.
Is the Nubra Valley worth the drive from Leh?
For most Ladakh trips, yes: one valley gives you the crossing of Khardung La, sand dunes with Bactrian camels, Diskit's monastery and the orchards that make the Leh district call Nubra the orchard of Ladakh. It needs at least one night, after your first 48 hours in Leh.
Is there a festival in the Nubra Valley?
Each September, according to the Leh district's calendar, Nubra holds a sports and adventure festival. Ladakh's bigger events are in Leh: the Ladakh Festival, also in September, and the masked dances at Hemis in late June or early July.
About Nubra Valley Tours & Experiences
The main things to do in Nubra Valley are the drive over Khardung La, an afternoon among the Hunder sand dunes and their double-humped Bactrian camels, and Diskit Monastery with its tall Maitreya statue. Panamik and Turtuk lie further on. Our eight-day and ten-day Ladakh tours give the valley a night between Leh and Pangong.
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 21 Oct 2026
Things to do in Nubra Valley
Cross Khardung La
From Leh it is about 40 km up to Khardung La, the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys in the Leh district's words, and about 120 km in all. The district warns of chilly winds at the top. Both our tours cross after two nights in Leh.
Spend the afternoon on the Hunder dunes
Hunder's sand dunes are the place for a safari on Nubra's double-humped Bactrian camels, as the Leh district notes. Both our tours give the arrival afternoon to the dunes; the ride itself is not among their inclusions.
Visit Diskit Monastery
Changsem Sherab Zangpo founded the monastery at Diskit, Nubra's main town, and the Dalai Lama unveiled its Maitreya statue, which stands more than 30 metres tall. Incredible India lists it as open 7am–1pm and 2–7pm. Our tours' day plans omit Diskit, so ask if you want time there.
Find the hot spring at Panamik
The Leh district lists the hot spring at Panamik among the valley's sights. Neither of our tours goes there.
Look into Turtuk
The Leh district notes that Turtuk, known for its buckwheat, was held by Pakistan until the 1971 war. The Leh permit portal's Nubra circuit for Indian visitors includes Turtuk; foreign travellers are limited to the places their permit names. Our tours do not go there.
Choosing between our tours
Both tours give Nubra one night between Leh and Pangong Lake. The Ladakh Tour — 8 days arrives on day three and later goes on to Tso Moriri; it suits fit, patient travellers. 10 Days Ladakh with Srinagar starts with Dal Lake and two days in Leh, so Nubra is its sixth day. The eight-day tour lists a camp or hotel among its inclusions and the ten-day tour names none, so check where you will sleep before you confirm. More on our Nubra Valley tour packages page and in the Nubra Valley travel guide.
When to go for these
Plan Nubra for summer: the eight-day tour gives late May to October as the season its roads are open. The valley floor sits lower than Leh, with Diskit at over 10,000 feet (above 3,000 metres) by Incredible India's figure, against Leh's 3,500, so the pass is the cold part.
Planning tips for Nubra Valley
At the check-posts, a foreign national shows a protected-area permit for the Khardung La and Nubra route and may have to hand over a photocopy, so carry several. Indian citizens carry proof of the environment fee, paid online through the Leh permit portal; pay it only there, since the administration has warned of fake slips from private agents.
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