Ladakh Zanskar Kashmir Tour

Arrival and transfer to  the hotel, breakfast and rest until noon, to acclimatize the best during this first day. Meal, then a short jeep ride takes us to Namgyal Tsemo, a small monastery overlooking the city. Downhill walk, the path passes next to the former Royal Palace. Visit the old town and its typical bazaar before returning to the hotel.

• Transfer: 0h30
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meal: BLD
• Walking hours: 1h

First day of discovery of the high places around Leh. On the program, the monastery of Spituk , one of the most important in the region. Located south of the city, it offers beautiful views of the valley. Its rooms decorated with paintings and imposing statues allow an interesting approach to Himalayan Buddhism . After 30 minutes drive, we arrive at the Stok Palace , residence of the ancient kings of Ladakh. Transformed into a museum , the collections presented evoke a recent past where the royal family ruled over this valley. We leave this place on foot, and following the small road, we descend for 45 minutes in the countryside. Picnic in front of mani walls, in the middle of the fields of barley. Continuation to Stakna , monastery located on a promontory in the middle of the plain of the Indus and offering a magnificent panorama. Belonging to the Drukpa-kagyu School (the official school in Bhutan), this religious building dates back to the 16th century. He owns a beautiful statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. Return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.

• Transfer: 2h
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1h30

Continuation of the visit of the high valley of the Indus and its monasteries. It takes an hour driving up the course of the Indus to reach the Hemis monastery beautiful architectural ensemble, of the order Drukpa-Kagyu. Nestled in the valley floor, this monastery was built around 1602 by a Bhutanese monk invited by the king of the time.Lunch at Thiksay beautiful village. Thikse dominated by an imposing gelugpa monastery . This monastery majestically overlooks the valley, a magnificent ensemble of about 80 monks; discovery of the beautiful inner courtyard that distributes access to different temples. The most amazing is certainly the temple of Maitreya with its gigantic interior statuewhich covers all floors of the building. To join the next site, we will take the path of schoolchildren. Departure on foot from the monastery of Thikse following small roads that cross the fields. It is possible to find the vehicles after 45 minutes of walking … or to go to Shey , in this case to count 1:30 of easy walk. Shey, capital of Ladakh until the 15th century , is an interesting complex whose importance is still measured by the quality of the paintings and the astonishing quantity of chortens or other votive monuments that surround it. Return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.

• Transfer: 2.5 hours
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1 to 2 hours

The road follows the Indus Valley and branches north to Kharu. Road to Chang La Pass (5300 m) from where the view of the nearby mountains (including Kang Yatse at 6400 m) is impressive. Meal on the way. At the passage of Tangse , we take the time of a small detour to the monastery surprisingly suspended on the cliff. Another hour, along a beautiful valley, the road rises to cross a glacial lock and we discover the sumptuous lake Pangong , border with Tibet, whose colors change perpetually. Installation near Spangmik. Walk on the banks of the lake …

• Transfer: 6h
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1h30

Morning walk on the shores of the lake to enjoy this magical place! Back to Tangse, continue to the high spheres of Chang La, then descent to Sakti where we arrive for lunch. In the afternoon visit the monasteries of Chemre and Tak Tok . That of Chemre belongs to the sect Drugpa Kagyu and dates from 1664. We discover a beautiful statue of Padmasambhava and a collection of sacred texts with silver leaves with gold letters. We go down the valley to reach Tak Tok; Nyingmapa School Monastery, the oldest of Vajrayana Buddhism. Built around a cave, it also houses beautiful frescoes. Back to Sakti for the evening and the night.

• Transfer: 4h
• Accommodation: Guest house
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1h
• Altitude difference: +100 m
• Altitude difference: -100 m

Descent towards Karu, we cross the Indus then take full south by gorges, towards the Tsokar lake. Arriving in Latho, the landscape opens on the Changtang. The road climbs the Tanglang La (5300 m). At the pass, at the end of the Kang Yatse range, we almost touch the snow-capped peaks. Descent to a long plain, then by a small paved road we come to Lake Tsokar … Stop Gompa Tukjey small monastery containing a mystical cave (a lamp will be useful). The view of the lake from the terraces is exceptional, the opportunity for great pictures … Road to Lake Tsomoriri: down to Sumdo before going back to Kyagar Pass (5000 m), bypassing the small lake of the same name, to get to the northern tip of Tsomoriri. Splendid, the lake is stuck in a case of gray and ocher rocks, dominated by immaculate peaks rising to more than 6500 meters.

• Transfer: 5h
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of ride: 30 minutes

Wake up on the shores of Lake Tsomoriri, visit the monastery of (19th century), the only place of education for the young monks of the region. Round trip in the Nomad Valley. Then short transfer to the northern tip of the lake where the bird sanctuary is … Possibility of a walk on the heights to embrace the landscape and increase the chances of seeing kyangs (wild asses very elegant …). Back to camp.

• Transfer: 30mn
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 3h

The road goes up to Kiagar Pass before diving into the Indus Gorge. From Mahé , multicolored rocks overhang us over 1000 meters!Stop on the way at chumathang to Discover Hot spring water,and . we arrive at Leh in the afternoon. Installation at the hotel and free time until dinner.

• Transfer: 5h
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meal: BLD

Road to the fortress of Basgo , former capital of Ladakh between the 15th and 17th centuries, strategic site for the control of caravans between high and low Ladakh. Discovery of ruins and small temples still in state. Continue to Likir , monastery belonging to the order Gelupa, (11th) with beautiful statues and an interesting collection of thankas. Road to Alchi,one of the most interesting sites of Ladakh (eleventh and twelfth): finely chiseled paintings typical of Indo-Kashmiri art (provide a headlamp to enjoy the frescoes in the dim light), monumental statues, chortens, prayer wheels and Loungta. Peaceful evening in the village of Alchi, bordered by fields of barley, apricot orchards and mulberry trees, while the tourists left the place !!! Night in the heart of the village in a typical and comfortable guest-house.

• Transfer: 3h
• Accommodation: Guest House
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1

Two hours drive to reach Lamayuru , amazing promontory whose beauty contrasts with the aridity . Discovery of the village and the monastery. Road to Mulbek,stop in front of the Maitreya sculpture 7m high … Installation at the fixed camp. The Jeeps push us to the foot of the troglodyte monastery, (staged in the film Samsara, by Nalin Pan); the path climbs steeply on the end but the view and the atmosphere of the monastery, embedded in the rock, are at the height of the effort. Walk back to camp through the village of Shergol.

• Transfer: 4h
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 2h

Departure towards Kargil, then we leave full south on the banks of the river Suru. The road is in good condition until Sanku (about 100 km) then a sometimes chaotic track, sinks towards Nun and Kun that one discovers towards Panikar . The show is grand, with peaks over 7000 meters that block the horizon to the south. Arrival at the end of the day at Rangdum Gompa , where we visit the monastery founded in the 17th. Installation at the camp or Guest House located in the great plain at the foot of the monastery.

• Transfer: 8h
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• For information: in the Zanskar Valley (between Kargil and the Padum Valley), it is mandatory to use local taxis! Hence the frequent change of vehicles (for each valley or district areas …)! This particular local legislation generates high costs of transport, but we have no choice …

Head south to Pensi La La, culminating at 4400 m, then easterly down to the Doda Valley to the capital of Zanskar: Padum (3570 m), a large village that grew like a mushroom in recent years. Installation for three nights in a lodge, simple but clean, located at the foot of Karsha Monastery . First discovery of this sumptuous site of the Gelugpa school, founded in the 10th century. With about thirty buildings and about 150 monks, it is certainly the most important of Ladakh. The view of the valley at sunset is superb. Back to the Lodge.

• Transfer: 7h
• Accommodation: Lodge
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 2 / 3h
• Altitude difference: +300 m
• Altitude difference: -300 m

Road to the high Tsarap, the Jeep drops us (with the picnic) to Ichar bridge . Then, on foot we leave to visit the village, a beautiful oasis nestled on a rocky outcrop. Rich of about thirty houses this village was formerly fortified to protect itself from the invasions of the South. About 200 people live here year-round and fight against nature to preserve their crops of barley, peas, cabbage and potatoes. Despite a certain exodus since the arrival of the road, this authentic village still remains today a miracle of humanity in the heart of this desert altitude. On our way back we stop to visit the old and unknown monasteries of Mune and Bardan . Back to the lodge then visit the Pipiting Gompa and the famous Chortens who surround it and dating back to the Kanishka era (2nd century).

• Transfer: 2h
• Accommodation: Lodge
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 2h

Wake up early to attend the morning service at Karsha Monastery … We are back at the lodge around 9am for breakfast. We take the road to Zangla where we wander to the castle and the nunnery (picnic on site). Back to cars through the village of Zangla. Then we head for Tongde where we visit the monastery. Back to the lodge, for one last evening in the valley.

• Transfer: 3h
• Accommodation: Lodge
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk:

We leave for Rangdum. In Sani we take the time to visit the village and the Gompa. We continue to the Tungri bridge, the road then remains on the left bank of the Doda. Stop at Phey for a nice walk in the village and up to the nunnery. We take the jeeps that go back to the Pensi La and descend on Rangdum Gompa. Installation at the same fixed camp or (Guest House) as day 12.

• Transfer: 7h
• Accommodation: Fixed Camp
• Meal: BLD
• Hours of walk: 1h

Always under the benevolence of Nun and Kun, we take the road that joins Kashmir. We will be able to stop at the village of Parkachick , superbly situated facing the gigantic twin peaks of Nun and Kun. Parkachick is also the transition zone between the Buddhist world and the Muslim world … Arrival at the Kargil Hotel at the end of the day. After about 8 hours, depending on the state!

• Transfer: 7 / 8h
• Accommodation: Rustic hotel
• Meal: BLD

Last long day of road, very varied, with very different landscapes from the past days! The road runs along the river Suru then sinks into gorges. Stop at Drass (possibility to visit the Tiger Hill memorial) and continue in the heart of sumptuous landscapes to Zoji La at 3530 meters. Meal in Sonamarg in a setting reminiscent of Switzerland! Continue towards Armanath where the vegetation changes to become subtropical. Arriving on the shores of Lake Dal, we reach Lake Nagin, neighbor and more quiet. Quiet navigation by taxis to join our sumptuous houseboat. Installation on pretty comfortable boats, decorated in colonial style, with double rooms and mosquito nets, private bathrooms, dining room, lounge, terrace … real havens of peace!

• Transfer: 6 / 7h
• Accommodation: House boat
• Meal: BLD

Departure from houseboat at around 9am. Short transfer to the old city. Visit of the Great Mosque of Friday (Jama Masjid) built in 1394, and that of Shâh Hamdan, located at five minutes (built between 1373 and 1398)., Splendid, it is surmounted by a pyramidal roof, mixture of Buddhist and Hindu influences; its exterior walls are decorated with geometric patterns in painted papier mâché. A small walkof 15 mnt between Jama Masjid and Shahi Hamdan to discover old city of Kashmir, Lunch in town .after the lunch back to house Boat and evening, Shikara tour on lake. these traditional boats which are the ideal means of transport to admire life in the canals.

• Accommodation: House boat
• Meal: BLD

Note : The program in Srinagar will be adapted according to the days of the week. The visit of the mosque is for example not possible on Friday.

Cultural day! Breakfast and short transfer to visit the gardens of Pari Mahal (the 7 terraces) and those of Chasme Shahi . Lunch, and transfer to the airport. Flight between Srinagar and Delhi . At the arrival of this flight (usually late afternoon), we reach a hotel near the airport where we booked 1 room for 4 people so that everyone can shower. Last dinner in common then transfer to the airport at the end of the evening,and back to the destination with sweet memories. Thanks

• Accommodation :Day Hotel
• Meal: BLD