For those seeking to quieten their minds and absorb the beauty of the Himalayas, Ladakh shall leave you spell-bounded. Ladakh takes you deep within Northern India within the mighty ranges offering an enthralling glimpse of one of the most pristine regions of India.
This iconic terrain called Ladakh means land of high passes and its cold stark beauty is complimented by glacial rivers, patches of green in spring and summer. Leh the capital welcomes you with its warm vibe, fluttering prayer flags and smiling locals, as you saunter inside some of the most picturesque Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries and the abandoned Leh Palace. We then take, off the beaten path to Nubra valley, that offer panoramic views from the gorgeous Diskit Gompa and a landscape out of dreams. Take in the compelling beauty of the azure blue Pangong Lake extending from India to China flanked by rustic brown mountains. Marvel at the dry barren landscape of Spituk and then move to the lush valley of Zinchen and meet the local community at Stok.
Ladakh bestows some of the most rewarding sights, sounds and stays with the most gracious hospitality coupled with some of the greatest mountain ranges in the world.
Welcome to New Delhi - the capital city of India, home to approximately 17 million inhabitants! The city is divided into two parts including Old Delhi, located near the River Yamuna, and New Delhi, home to the national government, the imperial city created by the British Raj. This city is a fusion of the ancient and the modern and paints perfect picture rich with culture, architecture, human diversity, deep in history, monuments, museums, galleries and gardens.
Upon arrival into Delhi, our representative will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel.
The remainder of the day is at leisure to allow you to settle into your new home away from home experience.
Fly to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The altitude of 11800 ft above sea level lends itself to beautiful and remote landscapes. We'll spend five days here in Leh so that we have an easy pace for our explorations. Begin our stay with a visit Shanti stupa built by Japanese monks. The views over Leh are superb and the sunset over the valley is magnificent!
Stroll around Leh on an orientation walk and visit some of the most spectacular monasteries. Visit the 17th century Hemis Gompa for morning prayers and gain insights into Buddhism and the various sects practiced here. At the Thiksey Gompa marvel at the 30m high gold-plated statue of Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the future. This is one of the finest examples of Ladakhi religious architecture. Explore Stok Palace, home to descendants of the Ladakhi royal family - the architecture recalls Lhasa's imposing Potala Palace with whitewashed walls and colourful window frames. Spend time in the bazaar, a pedestrian area bedecked with banners from the local mosque and colourful Buddhist prayer flags.
Continue exploring the area with a visit to Shey, a small rural village once the ancient capital of Ladakh. The original palace complex is now in evocative ruins; the current palace and monastery has a huge gold-gilded statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, beautiful wall painting, and a library with well-preserved manuscripts. At the Spituk Monastery, built during the 11th century, meet some of the over 100 monks who live here and learn more about why this area has become a centre of Tibetan culture.
A beautiful drive takes us to Lamayuru Village overshadowed by its mighty monastery, dating back to the 10th century. Home to more than 150 monks, the monastery houses a rich collection of artifacts, wall paintings, thangas, statues, carpets and an impressive 11-headed, 1000 eyed image of Chenzing. The area is known as 'Moon Land' where the normally harsh lines of the mountainsides come together and fall in soft waves - a photographer's dream!
After breakfast at hotel drive towards Nubra valley via Khardungla pass (18350 feet) by surface passing thru Horzey & Gangles Village. On arrival in Nubra Valley, drive to diskit, visit Deskit, the HQ town of Nubra Valley. Driving for 30 Kms takes to Khalsar Bridge. Visit Deskit monastry. Further drive from Deskit to Hunder, you may see a few Double Humped, Hairy and Bactrian Camels.
Full day hike at hunder dok trek Easy walk through meadows along the Hunder stream till you come to the village of Hunder Dok and trek is about 6-7 Hours both ways.
After breakfast transfer from Nubra to Pangong .The name Pangong is derived from the Tibetan word Banggong Co meaning long, narrow, enchanted lake.There is a narrow ramp-like formation of land that runs into the lake which is a favorite among tourists and photographers.Due to the saltiness in the water of the lake, there is very less micro-vegetation. There are no fish or other aquatic life in the lake, except for some small crustaceans. However, numerous ducks and gulls over and on the lake surface can be spotted in plenty. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake.
After breakfast leave for walk at Pangong Lake, a highest salt water lake in the World, Shared by two countries India (25%) & China (75%), enjoy the beauty of lake on banks of the lake while appreciating the changing colours of fascinating high altitude lake. Drive back to Leh via changla pass.
Morning drive to Spituk Gompa with Pack Lunch which was built 500 years ago. Spituk Monastery perched on a hill overlooking the Indus River. The monastery houses a vast collection of Buddhist artifacts. Spituk also famous in the world for its Spituk festival. The trek begins at Spituk by crossing the bridge on foot and west of the Indus River. We follow the path of 3 hours until Indus River enters a narrow gorge at its confluence with the Zingchen. From here, it is a gradual ascent through the Zinchen Valley, before reaching the small village of Zingchen. Zinchen a beautiful village located on the slopes of Stok the range and the village serves as an entrance to the Hemis National Park.
Soft trek to Mankarmo. Today is a fairly easy trek along a river. We will cross water streams a couple of times. The real beauty of Ladakh will start showing today. Mankarmo has a big Parachute café.
After breakfast transfer from Hotel to airport to catch the flight for your onward journey.
