The Pashmina Route | Manali to Zanskar to Kargil to Kashmir | 4 Locations, 1 Route | 8D7N Scheduled Departure | Drive on the best highway of India
- kanupriya raniwala
- Jul 29
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 31
#besthighwayofindia #bestdriveinindia #besthimalayandrive #silkrouteofindia #manalitokashmir #fixeddepatureladakh #ladakhfixeddeparture "This trip is more than just a Ladakh trip or a Kashmir trip!
It is about understanding India by physically travelling on one of the Silk Trade roads that shaped it." - Your Trip Curator & Leader - Kanupriya
If you've read The Pashmina Route — the story of the old wool trade that once stitched Manali, Zanskar, Kargil and Kashmir together — this is that road, made bookable. Same route the palace traders and caravan merchants once travelled, just with better stays.
Dates: 5 - 12 November 2026 | Connect for Private Tours
8D7N | Fly in - Manali Fly out - Srinagar
Experiential & Guided
Interaction with local Zanskari Women
Itinerary Overview
Gombo Ranjon & Shinku-La → Purne & Phuktal Monastery → Padum → Zangla Palace → Drang Drung Glacier, Pensi-La & Rangdum Monastery → Kargil (Hundarman Village, Drass War Memorial, Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum) → Sonamarg & Zoji La → Srinagar → Doodhpatri / Gulmarg
Why the Pashmina Road?
Trade shaped this country more than most wars did — and this route is proof you can still walk it. Did you know: the pulao on your plate, and a good part of what eventually became biryani, has Persian and Central Asian roots, carried into Mughal kitchens along caravan routes just like this one, and reworked over centuries into something entirely Indian. This road carried the same kind of wealth — wool moved through here under actual royal treaty, entire economies were built around it, and we think the best way to understand any of that is to stand on it, not read about it. So — let us take you through it, firsthand.
For the entire story behind this route, click here →
Day-by-Day
Day 1 — Arrive Manali & Acclimatize
Arrive at your stay in Manali — the gateway to the Trans-Himalayas.
Settle in, meet your trip leader and fellow travelers.
Rest through the day — no rushing on Day 1, you'll need it for what's ahead.
Evening: an acclimatization walk followed by early dinner.
O/N: Manali
Day 2 — Manali to Purne
via Solang, Atal Tunnel, Keylong, Shinku-La & Gombo Ranjon
Approx. 160 km | 5-7 hrs (estimate — road-dependent) | Road-trip · Glaciers · Pass · Lahaul to Zanskar
Post breakfast, depart Manali and begin the climb toward Zanskar's high altitudes.
Drive past Solang and through the Atal Tunnel, leaving the Kullu valley behind.
Stop for breakfast/tea around Keylong or Jispa, tracing a landscape once crossed on foot and by pack animal, not by road.
Climb the Shinku-La Pass (5,091 m) — the border between Himachal and Zanskar/Ladakh, glaciers visible most of the way up.
Descend into the Lunalak Valley and meet Gombo Ranjon, Zanskar's guardian peak and the valley's own "King of Mountains."
Continue past Padum to Purne, the base village for tomorrow's Phuktal hike.
Did you know: this stretch — Manali to Zanskar — carried wool, salt and grain traders for centuries before it carried a single tyre. The road itself is barely a generation old.
O/N: Purne — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 3 — Phuktal Monastery Hike & Drive to Padum
Hike: Purne to Phuktal, approx. 1–2 hrs each way
After breakfast, set out on foot from Purne toward Phuktal Monastery, built directly into a cliffside cave above the Lungnak river.
Phuk means cave, Tal means liberation — together, "the Cave of Liberation."
Explore the monastery's caves, murals and the sheer improbability of its location before hiking back down to Purne.
Drive on to Padum, Zanskar's main town.
Evening: an easy walk through Padum's bazaar — mud homes, monasteries and mosques standing side by side, a small living reminder of just how many cultures once traded through here.
O/N: Padum — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 4 — Zangla Palace → Drive to Kargil
via Drang Drung Glacier, Pensi-La & Rangdum Monastery
Approx. 260 km | 8–9 hrs (estimate — road-dependent; early start recommended)
Start with a short drive to Zangla Palace — the seat which was fought for by all 3 surrounding kingdoms, ofcourse because of its strategic location was finally absorbed into the Kingdom of Ladakh in the 17th century. Sweeping valley views from up here, along with a few good stories about Himalayan wars long past.
Leave Zanskar via the Drang Drung Glacier — roughly 23 km long, one of the region's largest, and the lifeline that feeds the Stod River and, with it, the whole valley's irrigation.
Cross Pensi-La (4,400 m) — the historic gateway between Zanskar and the Suru Valley, and once a working stretch of the trade route toward Kashmir.
Stop at Rangdum Monastery, perched like a fortress on a hilltop in the middle of a barren alpine plain. It's geographically part of the Suru Valley, but culturally still tied to Zanskar — a border marker for old-time travellers as much as a monastery.
Continue through the Suru Valley, one of the most scenic drives on this whole route, and arrive in Kargil by evening.
Evening: an easy walk through Kargil's bazaar before dinner.
O/N: Kargil — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 5 — Kargil Sightseeing
Road-trip · History · Museums You may know Kargil for the 1999 war victory and the martyrdom by our brave soldiers, but did you know that KAR-GIL meant 'A fort at the crossroads' ?. Kargil is where the actual noise happened in the Indian Subcontinent as it was the biggest and richest markets, where all cultural exchange happened!
Hundarman Village — a once-abandoned settlement of potters near the border, its homes built in a distinctive mud-and-stone style. Now preserved as a "Museum of Memories," holding both old trade-era artefacts and more recent history side by side.
Drass War Memorial — a solemn, moving tribute to the soldiers who fought and gave their lives in the Kargil War of 1999. A quiet, reflective stop.
Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum — housed in the actual Ek Sarai caravanserai, built in 1920 by a Kargil merchant of the same name. In its day, it could shelter 400–500 caravans at once — horses and camels stabled below, goods on the ground floor, traders sleeping above. Today it holds close to a thousand original trade artefacts, from Central Asian carpets to European soap tins. Easily one of the most underrated stops on this whole trip, and the clearest physical link to everything this itinerary is named after.
O/N: Kargil — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 6 — Kargil to Srinagar
via Sonamarg & Zoji La
Approx. 200–210 km | 6–7 hrs (estimate — road-dependent, seasonal pass closures possible) | Road-trip · Passes · Valley
After breakfast, leave Kargil and begin the descent out of the mountains and into the valley.
Cross Zoji La — historically the seasonal chokepoint of this entire trade corridor. Closed by snow for months every year, it's the reason caravans once planned their whole trading calendar around a single crossing.
Stop at Sonamarg ("Meadow of Gold") for a break amid alpine meadows and glacial streams — a good, easy midpoint before the final stretch into the city.
Did you know: this is also where our road's whole story ends. The raw pashm that a Ladakhi trader once bought in Tibet, carried through Zanskar, and housed overnight in Kargil's Ek Sarai, finished its journey here — reworked into a shawl in the workshops around Zaina Kadal and Maharaj Gunj, Srinagar's old trading quarters. It's fitting that the city's own name — Srinagar, from the Sanskrit for "city of wealth" — was exactly what the wool was worth by the time it got here. People flocked here from all over the world to buy the finest Pashmina till now!
Arrive Srinagar by evening and check into your stay.
Evening at leisure — a shikara ride at dusk is a gentle way to end a long drive.
O/N: Srinagar — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 7 — Day Trip: Doodhpatri / Gulmarg
Leisure · Meadows · Mountains
A full day out from Srinagar, to one of two very different meadows — your trip leader will make the call on the day, based on season and road conditions.
Doodhpatri ("Valley of Milk") — a quieter, less-visited alpine meadow ringed by pine forest, with a stream running through it. Fewer crowds, more silence.
Gulmarg ("Meadow of Flowers") — the better-known of the two, home to the Gondola cable car and, depending on season, some of the best panoramic mountain views in the valley.
Visit a shawl maker of Srinagar
Either way, expect a relaxed, scenic day after five days of driving and altitude — this one's built for slowing down.
Return to Srinagar by evening for an easy last dinner together.
O/N: Srinagar — Breakfast & Dinner at stay
Day 8 — Drop to Srinagar Airport
After breakfast, transfer to Srinagar Airport for your onward journey.
Eight days, four regions, one very old road — trip ends here, but we suspect it'll stay with you a while longer.
Trip Ends
Details
Cost Per Person (speacial price for first batch)
Package | Price Per Person |
DBL Occ | 52,000 +5% GST |
Single Occ | 62,000 +5% GST |
Self Drive (DBL Occ) | 37,000 +5% GST |
Self Drive (Single Occ) | 47,000 +5% GST |
Includes
3*/ handpicked homestay accommodation
Breakfast & dinner, Day 1 dinner to Day 8 breakfast
Same 4x4 SUV transport throughout (We would be travelling through 3 states but we will keep the same car throughout - Luxury isnt it?)
Inner Line Permit for the Zanskar/Ladakh stretch
Local guides & trip leader
Excludes
Airfare
Other meals
Sightseeing/adventure activity and personal expenses (laundry, calls, alcohol, camera fees, medical, gratuities)
Insurance
Force Majeure delays
Anything not listed above
Please note —
1. all stays are subject to availability. If unavailable, a similar accommodation will be provided.
2. Itinerary is subjected to change due to weather or unforseen conditions.
3. Any detour besides the itinerary due to weather or natural calamity, will be charged extra payable directly to team by participants.
Booking & Payment
50% of the trip cost + 5% GST as advance to confirm your seat, to the account below — Kanupriya Raniwala · S.B.I. Bank · Current A/c 32844391790 · Chavni Branch, Kota · IFSC SBIN0001534 · UPI travel.a.i.p@oksbi · Gpay 8172047843
Balance payment of 50% + 5% GST due 7 days before departure.
In case of Covid-state isolation only, your payment is retained as a credit note, usable within 1 year of the original trip date.
Cancellations: 50% refund 30+ days out · 25% refund 20–29 days out · 15% refund 7–19 days out · no refund within 7 days. Date changes must be requested at least 15 days out (not valid for scheduled departures).
Scheduled departures accept a substitute participant proposed by an already-confirmed guest, in lieu of a cancellation.
Booking is confirmed only on receipt of payment. No property is blocked until the advance is received, subject to availability at that time. Itinerary and cost may shift accordingly. Any rerouting due to weather is charged extra, in consent with the driver. Misconduct toward any team member, staff, or driver may end the tour immediately, without refund.
Do & Don'ts
Rest for 24 hours on arrival — you're at high altitude and need time to acclimatize.
Drink plenty of water or other liquids (except alcohol).
Ask a Lama's permission before any photo or video inside a Gompa.
Dress modestly when visiting Gompas.
For females: no open hair, short skirts, or short dresses at Gompas.
For males: no shorts or sleeveless clothing at Gompas.
Please follow Gompa rules while visiting.
Follow your trip leader's instructions for a smooth trip.
Carry a valid Government-approved ID card, to be submitted on arrival.
Inner Line Permits for the Zanskar/Ladakh stretch will be arranged by our team — please share ID proof in advance as requested.
Note: Please consult your family doctor before travelling to high-altitude regions, for any necessary medicines.
Recommended Medicines
Avomine – vomiting
D Cold – illness / Combiflam – body pain
Vicks Balm
Diamox (250mg) – for high altitude/high pressure
Saridon – headache
Personal medicines, if any
GlucoD / Electral powder & Camphor
Bandage, cotton, Dettol, Betadine, Burnol, Volini spray, crepe bandages, scissors
Dependal-M
Strepsils
Vicks inhaler
Essentials
T-shirts (preferably dry-fit)
Track lowers
Thermal inners (upper & lower)
Rain suit (upper & lower)
Sweatshirt
Shorts
Riding or rubber boots (avoid brand new!)
Sun cap & balaclava
Toiletries
Towel
Flashlight (preferably head torch)
Extra batteries
Sunscreen, minimum SPF 50
Sunglasses or riding glasses
Down jacket
Personal medication, if any
Backpack — large or saddle bags, plus a day pack
Pen knife
Socks (min. 5 pairs) — cotton & woollen
Riding gloves & gear
Regards, Team Travel AIP (Instagram @travel.a.i.p)
Sikkim | Spiti Valley & Himachal Pradesh | Zanskar | Ladakh | Kashmir | Rajasthan | Golden Triangle Circuit · 8172047843
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