Itinerary | |
Day 01 | Arrive Leh by flight |
Best way to reach Leh-Ladakh is by flight from Delhi/Mumbai and all flights reach Leh before noon. Upon arrival at Leh, you are met and transfer to Hotel. Overnight stay: Leh. Meals: Lunch, Dinner. | |
Day 02 | Indus Valley Monastery tour (120 Kms round trip) |
Morning after breakfast, drive to Thiksey village, visit Thiksey monastery and drive to Shey Village to visit Shey Palace and Gompa. Thiksey Gompa: 19 Kms from Leh, spectacularly sited, Shey Palace And Gompa: Situated on a hillock 15 Kms upstream from Leh, it was once the residence of the royal family. According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kinds. A 7.5 mts high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold and the largest of its kind, is installed here. Continue your drive to Hemis monastery to visit one of the most famous monasteries of Ladakh. Later on the way back to Leh, Visit Stok Palace and Museum. Hemis Gompa: 40 Kms from Leh, it is the wealthiest, best known and biggest Gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held here in summer. Stok Palace & Museum: The palace of the banished royal family, Drive back to Leh in the evening and relax at the hotel. Overnight stay: Leh. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner. | |
Day 03 | Leh to Alchi/Uletokpo (75 Kms) |
Morning after breakfast drive to Alchi. Enroute visit Magnetic Hill, Confluence of Zanskar and Indus river. Magnetic Hill : Defying the Law of gravity. This place is close to the Gurdwara Shri Patthar Sahib. Confluence Of The Zanskar & Indus : On way to Sham Valley before Nimu village one can have this magnificent view of two rivers in wed-lock! Basgo Gompa: 40 Kms downstream from Leh, it was the seat of power of branch of a Namgyal family. It was here in 1680 that invading Mongol and Tibetan armies were held in check over a three year old siege. Original 16th Visit Alchi Monastery and drive back to Leh. Enroute visit Likir Monastery. Alchi Gompa: 70 Kms from Leh, on the banks of the Indus, is the Alchi Gompa dating a thousand years back. One of its walls features thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attractions. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the Liker monastery. This is the only monastery amongst 34 monasteries, which is not located on a hilltop. Likir Gompa: Founded in the 11th century Overnight stay: Alchi/Uletokpo. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner. | |
Day 04 | Alchi / Uletokpo - Lamayuru - Leh. |
Early morning drive to Lamayuru. Lamayuru is famous for its ancient monastery and the surrounding landscape which closely resembles the surface of moon. This is where Ladakh gets its name ‘The Moonland’. Lamayuru Gompa: The oldest holy site in Ladakh, it was a bon shrine prior to the advent of Buddhism. Also known as Yung Drung (Swastika) it is sited on a high promontory overlooking the village and valley. For sheer spectacle value no other Gompa can match Lamayuru. Later visit the Rizong monastery and Chulichan nunnery. Rizong gompa: Rizong is the most isolated monastery of all the monastery of Ladakh. Rizong Gompa is known as the paradise for Meditation. Guru Padma Sambhava is believed to meditate here for years. Chulichan: Chulichan, the nunneryis around one and half Kms. below the Rizong monastery; around 20 Nuns resides at Chulichan. They provide food and cloths to the monks and perform morning and evening prayers Drive back to Leh. Early morning proceed to Nubra Valley via the World Highest Motorable road (5602 Mts) Khardungla pass. Overnight stay: Leh. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner | |
Day 05 | Leh - Nubra Via Khardungla Pass (120 Kms / 6 hrs) |
Early morning proceed to Nubra Valley via the World Highest Motorable road Khardungla Pass: The road journey to Nubra valley leads through Khardung La pass (The highest Motorable road in the world) 18,390 ft. around 39 Kms. Away from Leh. There are two checkpoints on the both sides of the pass. Khardong is the first village of Nubra valley at higher altitude than Deskit and other villages. Arrive Nubra by noon and check in at Hotel/Camp. Evening at leisure. Overnight at the hotel/camp. Overnight stay: Nubra. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner. | |
Day 06 | Nubra |
Morning after breakfast proceed for a visit to the White Sand Dunes at Hunder. You can enjoy the camel ride (On Own). Visit Diskit monasteries and Hunder Deskit Village: Deskit is the main village of headquarter of Nubra valley, which has a small market consisting of a row of shops and about 500 years old Gompa on the hilltop. Spectacular view of the valley can be seen form the monastery. Deskit Gompa: Deskit Gompa was founded by Lama Sherab Zangpo Hundar Village: Hundar is a beautiful village to stay with lot
Evening trek to Samstaling Monestry. Samstanling Gompa: Samstanling Monastery was founded by Lama Tsultrim Nima and Monastic community was introduced as Rezong Gompa. About 50-60 monks are residing at this 132 years old monastery. The Gompa has some strict rules and regulations.
Overnight stay: Nubra. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner | |
Day 07 | Nubra – Leh (140 Kms) |
Morning after breakfast proceed for Leh, once again driving via Khardungla pass the World Highest Motorable road. Evening, explore Leh bazaar for souvenir, visit Leh Jokhang or Leh Mosque by foot. Jokhang: the Ladakh Buddhist Association in 1957 built the small Gonpa opposite to SBI and known as Jokhang in the main bazaar, which is open throughout the day for visitors. The Gonpa contains statue of Joyo Rinpoche (crowned Buddha). Leh Mosque: The Jama Masjid of Leh was built in 1666-67 AD under an agreement between Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and Ladakhi ruler Deldan Namgyal. Initialy, the architecture of the mosque bore Tibetan, Central Asian and Ladakhi style. In recent years it has been reconstructed and given a new look with minarets and domes. Overnight stay: Leh. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner. | |
Day08 | Excursion to Pangong Lake (280 Kms round trip) |
After breakfast drive to Pangong Lake on the Indo China border. Pangong Lake: This route takes the visitor past the picturesque villages of Evening back to hotel in Leh for dinner and overnight. Overnight stay: Leh. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner. | |
Day 9 | Depart Leh |
In time transfer to airport to connect flight Meals: Breakfast. | |
Tour Itinerary
Rest of the day free to acclimatize to the high altitude of Ladakh. In the evening, visit the Leh Market, Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa.
Thiksey is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive Gompas. There are several temples in this Gompas, containing images, stupas and wall paintings of Buddha, which are exquisite.
The festival is in honor of Guru Padma Sambhava’s birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh which is unfurled once in 12 years Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Singge Namgyal, an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal Dynasty for the royalty favored the Drugpa sect, which is managed the monastery. It is divided into two, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple on the left. The hall (Dukhang) is also used as “green room” by the dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes, among them the Buddhist “Wheel Of Life” (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters, besides the prayer wheel.
Stok has a museum which displays fabulous period costumes and jewelry of the royalty along with exquisite Thankas representing the life style of Shakya Muni. Interesting historical objects like coins, armor, weapons, precious jades and porcelain too can be seen here.
It has been noticed that when a vehicle is parked on neutral gear on this metallic road the vehicle slides up-hill that’s the Believe it or not of Ladakh!
In seasons they have different colors and flow and wildness.
century murals and other arts at Basgo are well worth a visit.
and rededicated to a different monastic order in the 15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The present Gompa dated back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen producing excellent Thankas, earthen pots and carved wooden folding stools, live here in the village. Majestically situated, Likir commands a spectacular view. A magnificent giant Jupiter tree, one of the few survivors of its species, stands in the courtyard.
One can still find the small caves where Lamas used to meditate for years cutting themselves from the rest of the world except for an one feet square outlet window from where they accept the one time meal of the day.
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(5602 Mts) Khardungla pass.
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of Stod in about 1420 AD during the reign of King Dragspa. About 100 monks are residing in the Gompa, which is a branch of Thikse Monastery. The monastic festival called Gustor takes place on 20th and 21st days of the 12th month of Tibetan calendar.
of trees and you will really enjoy your stay at Hundar. It has a small monastery and ruined fort above the village. The walk or Camel Safari (Double Hump Bactrian camels) from Hundar to Deskit, through sand dunes for two hours is wonderful (On Own).
Shey and Thiksey, and turns off the Indus valley by the side valley of Chemrey and Sakti. The Ladakh range is crossed by the Chang-la (18,000 feet / 5,475 M) which despite its great elevation is one of the easier passes, remaining open for much of the year even in winter, apart from periods of actual snowfall. Tangse, just beyond the foot of the pass, has an ancient temple. But the main attraction of this circuit is the Pangong Lake, situated at 14,000 feet (4,267 M). A long narrow basin of inland drainage, hardly six to seven kilometers at its widest point to which foreigners are permitted, is only some seven km along the southern shore from the head of the lake, but it affords spectacular views of the mountains of the Changchenmo range to the north, their reflection shimmering in the ever-changing blues and greens of the lakes brackish water. Above Spangmik are the glacier and snow-capped peaks of the
Pangong range.
for onward destination.