Ladakh is a special part of India. Ladakh is not about turbans and moustaches; it is not about sarees and henna tattoos, nor is it about palaces and forts, and it certainly is not about tigers and elephants. Ladakh is about mountains and rivers, Ladakh is about momos and Buddhist temples, about elegant snow leopards and kiangs. Same country, but a different world. Come and join this adventurous itinerary in the elevated kingdom of the Himalayas. This tour is categorized as challenging as it includes 5-7 hours of sustained physical activity and requires participants have a good fitness level.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Thikse: Blessings at Budhist Monastery and participate in Buddhist prayer ceremony
Nimoo: River rafting on Indus river
Hemis National Park:2 days hiking in Snow Leopard country
Likir: Bike through rugged terrain till you reach Leh
Tanglang la: Cross world’s second highest motorable pass
Tso Moriri: camping and interactition with Nomadic tribe of Changpa
Tso Kar: Visit the “White lake” and luckily spot some rare birds and black cranes
Leh: Visit REWA – Centre for differently abled children
Day 1: ARRIVAL DELHI
Upon your arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, your tour representative will meet and greet you before directing you to your transfer to your hotel for check-in. Delhi is a bustling metropolis where the past and the present merge, and where the old and the new cities define the capital’s cultural and architectural heritage. Spend the remainder of the day finding this out for yourself as you enjoy an afternoon at leisure, be that making the most of the services available at the hotel or by going out to explore this colourful city.
Overnight in Delhi
Day 2: DELHI – LEH (1.5 hrs flight)
Have an early breakfast followed by a transfer to Gandhi International Airport, where you’ll board a flight to Leh (not included). There you’ll be met by a tour representative and transferred to check into your new hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to spend at leisure, although we advise you to rest and take the day easy. Drink plenty of fluids and let your body get used to Leh’s high altitude of 3,500 metres above sea level. Later in the afternoon, you may take a stroll to the market area or enjoy a light walk around the hotel facilities. Top off the day with a welcome dinner in the hotel.
Overnight in Leh
Day 3: LEH
After breakfast begin your hike to Stok Nala. The trail goes through the village and, keeping to the left bank of the Stok Nala, climbs gradually for an hour, past fields of barley, enclosed gardens and a few apricot orchards, to the head of the alluvial plain, where it enters the gorge of the stream. The trail is well worn, used for the summer movement of cattle and sheep to the higher pastures and by donkey and dzo columns carrying food and other supplies between the camps and the villages. Return to the hotel for lunch. Later you will be taken to visit the Thiksey Monastery. This beautiful building houses a two-storey statue of the Maitreya Buddha seated on a lotus and boasts of a spectacular view of the valley. Then proceed on a gentle orientation tour of Leh and visit popular landmarks like the Leh Palace. Continue on a walking tour passing some enchanting old houses to the Ladakh Arts & Media Organization. You’ll join a cooking demonstration. Your heritage exploration continues through the old city and ends in the bazaar. The tour will end at the Shanti Stupa, perched upon a great vantage point over Leh, with spectacular views of the stone-strewn landscape.
Activity: 3 hrs Hike / Cooking demonstration / 3 hrs sightseeing tour
Overnight in Leh
Day 4: LEH – ALCHI (68 km – 2hrs)
Post breakfast check out from the hotel and depart to the starting point of river rafting on the Indus River. We get on the raft and drifting past stunning gorges and cliffs, we negotiate gentle low grade rapids till we reach the Indus - Zanskar confluence at Nimmu (3140m/10300ft). Here we get off from the raft and drive to today's destination which is Alchi. In the evening, you will have time to explore the village on your own.
Activity: 1 hrs Monastery Ceremony / 2 hrs Rafting / 1 hr Nimmu village walk
Overnight in Alchi
Day 5: ALCHI – ULE (48km – 2hrs)
This morning, hit the road after breakfast and make your first stop at the Alchi monastery, located near the small village of Saspol. It is one of the oldest monasteries built in Ladakh, dating from the 11th century. Then make another stop visit the 11th-century Lamayuru Monastery, one of the earliest seats of Lamaistic learning and the most picturesque monastery in Ladakh. Now mostly in ruins, only the main hall exists today. After the visit, you will be transferred to your hotel in Ule. Finish the day by enjoying an evening walk to the Rizong monastery and nunnery.
Activity: 1 hr Alchi Monastery visit
Overnight in Ule
Day 6: ULE – HIKE TO HEMIS SHUKPACHU
Today you will hike up to the village of Hemis-Shukpachu, which is an alternately upward and downhill hike that will take 4 to 5 hours, with many opportunities to see examples of local wildlife such as the bearded vultures, golden eagles, Tibetan hares, Himalayan marmots and Nayan sheep. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. Hemis-Shukpachu is a tranquil village with a small Gompa, green pastures and bubbling brook. It is an easy place in which to relax. Make sure to wander through its streets and have tea at one of the local houses with some easy conversation with the local people.
Activity: 4-5 hrs hike
Overnight in Hemis Shukpachu
Day 7: HEMIS SHUPACHU – TEMISGANG (64 km – 3hrs)
Wake up to the sounds and scents of Hemis Shupachu and enjoy breakfast. Put on your trekking boots and get ready for today's activity towards Temisgang. Today's hike will take about 5 hours and is slightly harder than that of the previous day. The highest point of the trek reaches the village of Saspochey, at an altitude of 3,700 metres. Cross a small stream and then hike uphill until you reach the first ridge. Take a minute to rest and enjoy the stunning views across the Ulley Valley. We’ll make a stop at a suitable location to enjoy a tasty picnic lunch. Afterwards, crossing over a pass you will trek down to our final destination, Temisgang, where you will spend the night.
Activity: 5 hrs hike
Overnight in Temisgang
Day 8: TEMISGANG – LIKIR – LEH CYCLING (48 km – 2hrs)
Eat up your breakfast at Temisgang before you hop onto your transfer and drive to Likir. From here, jump on your bike and start pedalling towards Leh. Ride through the surreal lunar landscapes that bestow this land with a desolated kind of beauty – it will take your breath away. Once you reach Leh, visit the REWA Ability Centre Ladakh, where we will have the opportunity to meet and interact with differently abled children. Children from all over the Leh Valley come to be treated here. End the day with a transfer back to the hotel in Leh.
Activity: 3 hrs cycling / 1 hr REWA visit
Overnight at Leh
Day 9: LEH – TSOMORIRI (218 kms – 8 hrs)
Today breakfast is followed by a full-day drive to Tsomoriri, stopping along the way at the towns of Gya, Meru and Lhato and crossing the very scenic and dizzying Tanglang La Pass, the world’s second-highest motorable pass to the Tso Kar wetlands. These are comprised of twin lakes separated by a fresh water stream, which gives the place the unique characteristic of having both a brackish water lake and a freshwater lake. The drive takes you through some key ecosystems and wildlife protection areas. The Tso Kar high-altitude wetlands are considered one of the most protected biomes in the country. Key species here include the Tibetan wolf, the Tibetan argali, the blue sheep, the red fox, the sand fox, the weasel, the wild ass and the marmot. We’ll have a lunch break in this area. From here it is an uphill drive to Tso Moriri, a place surrounded by snow-topped barren mountains. This unique habitat attracts many migratory water birds including Brahminy ducks, black-necked cranes, great crested grebes, ruddy shelducks, teals, sand plovers and the rare bar-headed geese, which cross the Himalayas to breed here during the summer around the inlets of the lakes.
Overnight in a tented Camp with attached toilet and basic facilities. Hot water bucket available for shower. All meals will be in the Dining Tent. The tents will have an electricity supply from 6 pm till 11 pm.
Day 10: TSOMORIRI – CHANGPA NOMADS
Spend the day hiking around the lake with its myriad colours and unique collection of mammal and birdlife. Visit the small but interesting Karzok monastery and explore this fascinating high-altitude desert, home to the Changpa nomads. Get to know first-hand about their ingenious way of life, attuned now to the unforgiving terrain they inhabit, as they abide by their millennia-old legacies and legends. Their yak wool tents, shearing of the Pashminas and stories of a thousand mountain spirits are all staples of their culture. (Changspa Tribes move to this place during a certain period, so it will be subject to availability. However, failing that you can still visit some of the Changspa Tribal tents on the way.
Activity: Full day to hike, birding, and interacting with local nomads (Walk at leisurely pace - 3 hrs morning / 3 hrs afternoon)
Overnight in Tsomoriri
Day 11: TSOMORIRI – LEH (220 km – 8 hrs )
Early morning drive back to Leh via Chumthang. You will be hosted by a local family in an en-route village. Have some light local ladakhi lunch followed by a visit to a local school of that particular village. Spend some time with the Children before proceeding towards Leh. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and rest of the time free to explore Leh market on your own.
Transfer: 8 hrs
Overnight in Leh
Day 12: DEPARTURE LEH
This morning you bid farewell to the enchanting and breathtaking mountainous region of Ladakh as you transfer back to the airport for your flight to Delhi (not included), where the tour comes to an end.
Comfortable and warm clothing is the most suitable for travelling. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting temples, religious or official buildings. Shoes should be removed before entering a temple or private house. Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.
