Local guides in Leh-Ladakh

Ladakh is the one destination in India where the itinerary is decided by physiology. Leh sits at about 3,500 metres and the first thirty-six hours should be spent doing very little — every year people fly in, drive straight to Pangong, and spend the trip ill. A Localite who lives here will plan around that; a package will not.

The season is short. Roughly June to September for the passes, and the Manali and Srinagar highways open and close on their own schedule. Outside that window most of what people come for is inaccessible.

Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri all require inner-line permits, which are routine but not instant. This is the destination where local knowledge is least optional.