11 Day Tour

A representative from our company will receive you at the Delhi International Airport and assist you in your transfer to the hotel. After checking into the hotel and some time to rest, we begin the Orientation Tour of Delhi. Driving past the famous monuments of this capital city, one can clearly see the different between the styles of architecture in Old Delhi that is home to Jama Masjid and Red Fort and New Delhi that houses magnificent constructions of British architect, Edwin Lutyen. We return to the hotel for the night.

This day starts early as we travel to the domestic airport to board flight IC445 to Leh, scheduled to depart at 0630 Hrs. Located between the world's greatest mountain ranges, Leh is a high altitude desert. The mountains around this town offer some of the most beautiful landscapes one will ever see and therefore, the town is also called Moonscape and The Last Shangri-La. Our representative will meet you at the airport and help you in your transfer to the hotel. Although, we will reach early, the rest of the day is left free so that you can acclimatize to the altitude before the burst of activities that will follow soon.

After a scrumptious breakfast, we begin our day with an uphill climb to Namgyal Hill to visit the Leh Palace. The Palace Roof offers a panoramic view of the town of Leh. However, the Palace lies in ruins today after it was abandoned by the Royal Family in the 16th century. Amongst the ruins are many small temples that are worth visiting even today. We then walk back to the market area, locally known as Leh Bazaar. Later in the afternoon, we will start for Shankar Spituk and Sankar Gompa, located 8 kms away from the town. Overlooking the Indus valley, the Shankar Spituk is a 15th century monastery that houses an image of Mahakali, an Indian goddess. The face of the deity is kept covered on all occasions, except during the festival that is held once in two years. Built in the 16th century, the Phyang Monastery was constructed by Tashi Namgyal, has many beautiful shrines and frescoes that can be dated back to the royal period. The 900 year old museum housed in the monastery is home to unique Kashmiri bronze idols that were made in the 14th century.

Today we shall visit the monasteries of Shey, Thiksay and Hemis and begin our cultural journey through historic Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh. Located just kilometres from Leh, Shey was the ancient capital of the Kingdom. The Shey Palace and the monastery within it were built in 1655. Although in ruins today, the Monastery is known for the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and the large number of 'chorten' or 'stupas' in its vicinity. We will then travel to the Thiksey Monastery that houses the impressive 15m statue of Maitreya Buddha, the largest statue in Ladakh. Resembling the Potala Palace in Tibet, the Thiksey Monastery is adorned with some of the most exquisite wall paintings and houses ten temples and a nunnery within its walls. Continuing our tour, we will then travel across the Indus to the Hemis Monastery dedicated to Lord Padmasabhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Every year, worshippers honour their Lord at this Monastery through a dance performance, commonly known as the Hemis Festival. The chams performance or the mystic mask dances at the Monastery are truly breath taking and add a whole new dimension to the experience of visiting Hemis.

It is not the destination, but the journey that has plenty in store for us today. We take the road to Uleytopko, which is about 90 kms away. On our way, we will first visit Likir. Located five kms, off the Srinagar - Leh highway, the Likir Monastery was first built in the 11th century. The monastery runs a school for Lamas. Amongst tourists, it is more famous for the 25-foot gold-covered statue of Buddha that is located here. We then travel to the banks of the Indus River to reach Alchi and one of the oldest monasteries in the region. The Monastery is home to five temples each decorated with statues of Buddha and some of the best pieces of intricate carvings one will ever see. The wall-paintings that embellish this monastery date back to the 11th century and follow the Indo-Himalayan style, unlike the Tibetan style that can be seen in most Gompas in the region and elsewhere, making Alchi, one of its kind and rightfully, the Jewel of the religious sites in Ladakh. We then reach Uleytopko where a tented resort is reserved for you to retire for the night.

After breakfast at the resort, we hit the road again, to travel to yet another beautiful monastery, Lamayuru. Once capable of housing 400 monks, this monastery is home to about 150 monks in its main hall. Twice a year, the monastery holds dance festivals where monks from neighbouring gompas take part in too. After visiting the oldest monastery of the region, we travel back to Leh for an overnight stay at the hotel.

After three days of visiting monasteries, we take a small break for some sight-seeing in this serene district of northern India. We set out for a three day trip of the Nubra Valley. We take the world's highest motor able road, the Khardungla Passto reach our lunch appointment in the Khardong village. After tasting the delectable local cuisine, we travel through picturesque views of the Shyok Valley and then travel further to the Nubra River Valley. On arrival in Tirith, you will check into a tented camp located right in the middle of a fruit orchard. The sound of water flowing down the stream through this orchard is undoubtedly the best way to relax. The camps are spacious enough to house two cots and a nearby small house serves as the dining area. Later in the afternoon, we take a trip to the Panamik Hot Springs that the locals claim have tremendous health benefits. We return to the camp for the night.

After a camp breakfast, we start for Deskit that is home to the Buddhist Monastery that sits neatly perched on a hilltop, overlooking the Nubra Valley. The monastery is over 500 years old and a magnificent 32 metre Buddha statue is the main tourist attraction here. We will also visit the Hunder and Sumur villages on our way back to the tent camps where we will spend the night.

We travel back through the Khardungla Pass to reach Leh and check into the hotel. The rest of the day is left free to shop or rest.

We will assist you in your transfer to the airport for the Delhi flight scheduled to depart at 1125 Hrs. Here, our representative will assist during you check-in at the hotel. The remainder of the day is also left free at leisure.

We will help you in your transfer to the Delhi International Airport and bid you adieu and wish you a pleasant and safe onward journey.