Ladakh and Zanskar in Sep 2019

Dear Members,

I want do Zanskar and Ladakh trip in September 2019. we are a group of 22 people and need your advice on below rough plan i have created

Day 1: Mumbai – Leh by flight

Day 2: Leh local site seeing and permits

Day 3: Leh to Turtuk

Day 4: Turtuk – Hunder

Day 5: Hunder – Pangong via Agham Shyok road

Day 6: Pangong – Tso moriri

Day 7: Tso Moriri – Hanle

Day 8: Hanle – Leh

Day 9: Leh – Kargil

Day 10: Kargil – Padum

Day 11: Padum

Day 12: Padum – Kargil

Day 13: Kargil – Sonmarg

Day 14: Sonmarg– Gulmarg -Srinagar

Day 15: Srinagar – Mumbai

Queries
Is the above plan doable?
We have 3 kids with us youngest being 3 yrs, any AMS dificulties?
Is tempo traveler available on all the above routes we would need 2 vehicles?
Is stay available for large group in all the above places mentioned?

Thanking in advance

Your schedule looks like too much time trapped in vehicles for my taste. Children won't enjoy being trapped in vehicles for 6-12 hours every day as in your current tour (I don't think most adults will either, but children will definitely go insane with that much time trapped in small spaces).

I would suggest you cut out a couple of locations (maybe Tsomoriri and Hanle or else Padum) and instead schedule two nights in at least two locations so that you have some days with no road travel. For example in Hundar if you have two nights with no road travel, or with an optional day trip within Nubra, then the kids can have a day rolling in the sand dunes and riding camels and maybe walking in tiny Diskit Market and then up to the huge Buddha statue above Diskit.

Also with 22 people, it is inevitable that some of them will feel carsick on the winding passes or because of the height of the high passes and plateaus, so if you cut out some destinations and have two nights in some places, those people will at least have those few days during the trip when they don't vomit (or sleep all day in the car due to carsickness medicine).

Better book with a travel agent for the whole trip to make sure you have smooth access to transport and hotels in each place. http://www.ladakhtravelco.com/ has good experience organising such groups. Last year I saw them handle a group of 100 Indian tourists (Jains) travelling from Srinagar to Leh, Nubra, Pangong and back to Srinagar, and I didn't think it could be done, but they did it well.

If you don't book through a travel agent, June is peak season in Ladakh and very crowded with tourists, so you very likely will reach some places where it is impossible to accommodate 22 people in one hotel, or your booked transport may suddenly disappear because the driver got a better offer.

Thanks but I have now rescheduled the trip to September. I really want to do zanskar and need help

Also would like to book it myself as it becomes cost effective. I am doing it for 7 years for my group and would like to continue in ladakh. Please help me in modifying my plan accordingly

I agree with the comment above mentioning too much travel in this itinerary. You are on the move every single day - that's a lot of packing and unpacking - especially with such a large group. I would have dropped Padum for another time.

Also, your Day 5 is based on the assumption that Shayok route [or Wari La] is open that time. If that is not the case, you may need to come back to Leh and then leave for Pangong on the next day. You'll need to keep a reserve day in your itinerary for such events, I think. Speak to drivers there and check if the plan is feasible with them.

Insist to the group the importance of resting on the first two days and minimizing physical exertion. One unwell person can jeopardize the entire plan.

Two aspects are important for travel to Ladakh. Acclimatization and keeping at least a spare day considering the eventualities of the road travel.

Considering you would like to visit Zanskar also, may I suggest to go to Leh from Srinagar and return from Leh. Your planning may be as follows. I have omitted Gulmarg, since it's impractical to travel Gulmarg and Sonemarg in a day.

Day 1: Mumbai - Srinagar – sonemarg (considering arrival at Srinagar by late morning)
Day 2: Sonemarg - Kargil
Day 3: Kargil - Padum
Day 4: Padum
Day 5: Padum – Kargil
Day 6: Kargil - Leh
Day 7: Leh Site seeing
Day 8: Leh to Turtuk
Day 9: Turtuk – Hunder
Day 10: Hunder – Pangong via Agham Shyok road
Day 11: Pangong – Hanle
Day 12: Hanle - Tso Moriri
Day 13: Tso Moriri – Leh
Day 14: Reserve day
Day 15: Leh – Mumbai

Hope this helps

Thanks everyone for your inputs. Will come back with a modified plan. Also can you suggest tempo traveller drivers for ladakh and zanskar region