Winter & Spring

   Losar

   Winter Ladakh

DAY 1 ARRIVE DELHI

You will be assisted on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Morning is at leisure. In the afternoon drive to visit Humayun’s Tomb built in the Indo Persian style and a predecessor to The Taj Mahal in Agra; India Gate - A War Memorial Arch. Also drive past the President's House called Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, Government Secretariat buildings and Connaught Place - the heart of New Delhi and a busy shopping center. Overnight in a hotel.

DAY 2 DELHI - LEH (HT 3500 M)

BY FLIGHT 9W 609 - DEP AT 0630HRS / ARR AT 0745 HRS

After an early breakfast you are transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Ladakh. This must be one of the most sensational flights in the world. On a clear day from one side of the aircraft can be seen in the distance the peaks of K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum and on the other side of the aircraft, so close that you feel you could reach out and touch it, is the Nun Kun massif.

Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. You would take a little time to settle in and acclimatize since you have gone from a relatively low elevation in New Delhi to over 11,000 feet! During the afternoon, you can walk through the old town, beneath the Leh Palace, to allow you to get oriented to this fascinating city. Overnight in a hotel.

DAY 3 IN LEH Sightseeing

The morning is at leisure to acclimatize to the rarefied air. You may choose to stroll along the main bazaar - observing the varied crowds. Looking into curio shops is an engaging experience. A particularly attractive sight is the line of women from nearby villages sitting along the edge of the footpath with baskets of fresh vegetables brought for sale. Behind the main bazaar, Chang Gali is less bustling but has interesting little shops selling curios and jewelry. Further on are the labyrinthine alleyways and piled-up houses of the old town, clustering around the foot of the Palace Hill. In the other direction, down the bazaar, are the Tibetan markets where one can bargain for pearls, turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli and many other kinds of semi-precious stones and jewellery, as well as carved yak-horn boxes, quaint brass locks, china or metal bowls, or any of a whole array of curios. When tired of strolling, one can step into any of several restaurants, some of them located in gardens or on the sidewalks and serve local Tibetan, Indian and Continental cuisine.

In the afternoon you will drive to SABOO - 8 km from Leh, standing majestically on top of a hillock overlooking the Indus Valley. It is a less frequented gompa in Leh.

On your drive back to Leh, you visit SOS Village (Choglamsar). Choglamsar is an important center for the study of Tibetan Culture and History. There is the "Central Institute of Buddhist Studies", a Tibetan library, medical center, shops selling handicrafts, books and plenty of restaurants. It abounds in greenery with Poplar and Willow trees dotting the landscape. There is a golf course, horticulture nurseries and a polo ground as well.

DAY 4 IN LEH - WITNESS ONE OF THE FESTIVALS IN LADAKH AS PER YOUR DATES

Visit one of the gompas, if possible, we can customize your tour to coincide with one of Ladakh's monastic festivals (see schedule on Ladakh Home Page). The festivals are dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, attired in colorful robes and wearing masks, perform mimes symbolizing various aspects of the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good over evil. Local people flock from near and far to these events.

DAY 5 IN LEH - EXCURSION TO KHARDUNG LA (HT 5602 M)

KHARDUNG LA (‘La’ means Pass in the Tibetan Language) is the highest motorable road in the world at 5602 M / 18,390 Ft, and is around 39 km from Leh. From the pass, one can see all the way south over the Indus valley to seemingly endless peaks and ridges of the Zanskar range, and north to the giants of the Saser massif. The pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry essential supplies to the Siachen. Khardung La was also historically used as a caravan route to Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels took the route annually, and a small population of bacterian camels can still be seen in the Nubra Valley area stomping around in the sand dunes between Diskit and Hunder as witness to history. Later drive back to Leh arriving in the afternoon. Rest of the day is free to explore the local bazaar / independent activities. Overnight at your hotel.

DAY 6 LEH - RAFTING FROM PHEY TO NIMOO - ALCHI (HT 3250 M) - APPROX. 70 KM / 2 HRS - ULEYTOKPO (HT 3040 M) – APPROX 1 HR

After breakfast drive to the start point for RAFTING down the Indus River. Your rafting run will start at Phey (14 km from Leh) and culminate at Nimoo, the confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers. The rafting trip would provide a different perspective in your experience of the natural beauty of the spectacular landscape with deep gorges, towering snow capped peaks hilltop monasteries & hillside villages besides being an adrenalin boost. From Nimoo you drive to ALCHI. The complex of temples located within the village is the most celebrated of Ladakh’s monasteries and dates back to the 11th century. The complex consists of a group of five temples as well as a number of chortens scattered around the complex. The Dukhang and the three-tiered Sumstek are the most significant. It is the seat of the Ngri Rimpoche, an incarnation at present embodied in the younger brother of the Dalai Lama. Alchi Gompa is the only monastery, built on flat ground. It is very famous for its paintings and architecture, which has an Indian and Kashmiri influence in them. After lunch you will proceed to Ulleytokpo camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

DAY 7 ULLEYTOKPO - LAMAYURU (HT 3460 M) - APPROX 1 ½ HRS - LEH – APPROX 4 HRS

After breakfast you will drive to the 11th century LAMAYURU MONASTERY, which is spectacularly located along the valley plain and surrounded by mountains on all sides. According to legend, the arhat Madhyantika, a disciple of Buddha offered “torma’ (sacred food) and water to the spirits inhabiting the site to satisfy them. A handful of rain spilled on the soil which caused barley plants to sprout in the shape of Yung-drung (swastika), hence its name Yung-Drung. The great yogi Naropa meditated in a cave, which today forms part of the monastery. The monastery has gradually expanded over the years and newer structures have been built around a large courtyard. The antiquity of this site is evident from the large number of chortens, similar to those at Alchi.

After the visit you will be driving back to your hotel in Leh for an overnight stay.

DAY 8 LEH - DELHI

BY FLIGHT 9W 610 DEP AT 0735 / ARR AT 0850 HRS

In time transfer to the Leh airport to board your flight back to Delhi. You are met upon arrival at Delhi airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you have the option to relax after your stay in high altitude or pursue an independent activity. Overnight in your hotel.

DAY 9 LEAVE DELHI

In time transfer to the international airport to board your flight back home.

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