Special Ladakh Tours

Ladakh Special Tour

Day 05: Hemis - Pangong Lake - Tso Moriri Lake -Leh
This morning after breakfast visit the Hemis monastery.
Hemis Monastery: This is biggest and the most important monastery in Ladakh. It is situated 49 kms to south of Leh, a little off the main Leh-Manali road. It was built in the 17th century by Chapgon Gyalshas and ever since has enjoyed the patronage of the royal family. Hemis is the headquater of the Drukpa order and all the monasteries throughout Ladakh are administered by it. It also trains Lamas for the royal monasteries at Leh, Shey and Bazgo. In the 19th century it faced a siege by general Zorawar Singh. The Gompa was saved to the skillful handing of the situation by the head Lama. In 1956 the head Lama Hemis Gompa disappeared mysteriously never to be seen again. A 12 years old boy was brought from Dalhousie. In 1976 to be appointed as head Lama. He will assume authority after his training period is complete. The monastery contains quite a few gold statue and stupas decorated with precious stones. It has a superb collection of tankhas, including one which is supposed to be the largest in existence and is exhibited only once every 11 years. The monastery has annual festival which falls in June/ July and is a big tourist attraction. Masked dances are held on that day.

In the afternoon move towards the Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake.
Tso Moriri lake: It is situated in the middle of the elevated district of Rupso. It name is characteristic of its situation. Nestle in the midst of 20,000 feet, peals which completely shut the lake. A kilometres ahead is a picturesque village of Korzok consisting of about a hundred families. Visiting the monastery on the top of the village, belonging to the yellow sect and has about 35 resident monks. The night camp along the side of Lake.

Pangong Lake: The main attraction Changla region is the Pangong Lake situated at 14,500 feet (4,297 m) a long narrow basin of inland drainage, hardly six to seven kilometres at its widest point and over 130 kms long, it is bisected by international border between India and China. The farthest point to which foreigners are permitted, is only some seven kilometres along the southern shore from the head of the lake. Another attraction of this lake is sight os eastern cranes and other migratory black necked cranes birds.
Stay overnight in a camp at Tangtse village.
Overnight: Camp

Day 06: Leh
After breakfast drive to Leh. On the way back visit Thiksey and Shey palace.
Thiksey Gompa: En route to Hemis Gompa, the Thiksey monastery is a most imposing structure providing a panoramic view of the green Indus valley from its vantage atop a hill. It has chambers full of statues, stupas and tannkhas.
Shey Palace and Monastery: Also on the way to Hemis Gompa and 15 kms from Leh is the summer palace of the erstwhile, Raja of Leh, set upon a hill sitting Buddha wrought with copper and gold that leaves one lama before hand. Many chortens can be seen to the east of the monastery. After the Shey tourists reach to Leh, Main Centre of Ladakh. With the inhabitants of 50,000, Leh is located in small valley just the north of Indus valley. Check into your hotel for an overnight stay.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 07: Leh
Full day free to rest in the hotel.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 08: Leh
This morning after breakfast proceed to visit Leh Bazaar, Leh Palace and Sankar gompa. The women's vegetable market in the afternoon and some interesting place to visit. In the evening visiy the Sankar monastery, Leh Gompa, Phiyang, and Shanti Stupa. Later in the evening drive back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Sankar Gompa & Village : A relatively modern monastery, it is closely associated with the Spituk monastery and served as the residence of the late head priest-Kushak Bakula. A number of gold icons are to be found here.
Phiyang Gompa : 17 Kms from Leh on the Leh-Kargil road, it looks like a huge palace from afar, build by Tashi Namgyal in the later half of the 16th century AD, it belongs to the Red Cap sect of Buddhists. Hundreds of icon of Buddha and other gods are kept on wooden shelves.

Shanti Stupa (Japanese Peace Pagoda) : Shanti Stupa/Japanese peace pagoda is build by a Japanese religious organization headed by Head monk Nakamura with the help from the organization and local people. It is situated at a hill top in Cahngspa village providing a bird eye view of the Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks. Architecturally it has the Japanese touch with small clean rooms on the side for meditators and the main Japanese shrine at the entrance.

Overnight: Hotel

Day 09: Leh - Khardung La Top
This morning visit the Khardung-la. It takes you to the highest motorable road of in the world Khardongla (18,380 feet or 5,578 m). Nubra Valley lies in the north of Leh. Apart from unparalleled trekking opportunities, the valley has several Buddhists monasteries such as Sumor, Tigar and 350 years old Diskit monastery.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 10: Shopping and Cultural programme
After breakfast fullday shopping and to discover some interesting things about Ladakhi art and cultural by the visiting the Tibetan refugees camp Choklamsar, Library and Ecological Development etc.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 11: Leh-Lamayuru
Leh to Lamayuru, Likir and Alchi and night halt at Lamayuru. Whole day is dedicated for the local sight seeing.
Lamayuru: After exploring villages around the area, it comes as a surprise to find that Lamayuru is a scruffy little place. The gompa, is the completely overshadowed and most famous spectacular monastery in Ladakh. Alchi and Likir

Monasteries:
These two monasteries are located near Saspol on the Srinagar-Leh road. They house many gigantic clay statue of Buddha in various forms. The primary attraction of these monasteries is , however, their 1000-year old wall painting which make a visit more than worthwhile.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 12: Lamayuru - Kargil
The caravan move toward the Kargil and the Way Passing through Following Place Mulbekh: There are two gompas on the hillside above the village of Mulbekh. As in other villages, it is wise to Enquire if the gompa is before making the ascent. Just beyond Mulbekh is a huge Chamba statue, an image of a future Buddha, cutting to the rock face beside the road. It's one of the most interesting stops along the road to kargil.
Shergol:

Between Kargil and Shergol you cross the dividing line between the Muslim and Buddhist areas. The small village of Shergol has a tiny gompa perched halfway up the eastern slope of the mountain. In the afternoon tourists will reach to

Kargil.
Kargil:
The valleys of Suru, Drass Wakha and Bodkarbo lie midway between the alpine valleys of Kashmir, and the fertile reaches of the Indus valley and Ladakh. The region is politically part of India, ethnically part of Baltistan and geographically and integral part of Ladakh. Geographically, there is little doubt that one has crossed the Himalayan watershed. The steep barren hills now stretch to the snow line. As the snows melt, the waters flow freely down into the heavily irrigated valleys. Here Tibetan-style settlements thrive. Whitewashed mud and stone houses contrast with deep-green barley fields.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 13: Kargil - Srinagar
After breakfast drive to Srinagar, by passing the Zoji-la and picturesque Sonamarg, entering to the Kashmir valley. Drass 3230 metres, 60kms west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, are a small township lying in the centre of a valley of the same name. It has become famous as the second coldest inhabited place in the world by virtue of the intense cold that descends upon the valley along with repeated snowfall during winter. Winter temperature is sometimes known to plummet to less than 40 degree Celsius. During the spring and summer, however the valley around the township becomes very picturesque as the gently undulating hillsides turn into lush green pastures splashed with a variety of fragrant wild flowers. Its inhabitants are mainly of Darad stock, an Aryan race believed to have originally migrated to the high valleys of the Western Himalayas from the Central Asian steppes. They speak Shina which, unlike the Tibetan-originated Ladakhi dialects spoken elsewhere in Ladakh region, belong to the Indo-European linguistic family. Their ancestral sport, Horse Polo, which the Darads play with particular zeal, resembles our modern polo. The Drass vallley starts from the base of the Zojila pass, the Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its inhabitants are known to have negotiated this formidable pass even during the most risky period in the autumn or early spring, when the whole sector remains snowbound and is subject to frequent snow storms, to transport trader's merchandise across and the to help stranded travelers to traverse it. By virtue of their mastery over the pass they had established a monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of the Pan-Asian. A hardy people enduring with fortitude the harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of Drass can well be described as the guardians of Ladakh's gateway.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 14: Srinagar
This morning after breakfast we will proceed for Dal Lake:
Much of Dal Lake is maze of intricate waterways rather than a simple body of open water. The lake is divided into Gagribal, Lokut Dal and Bod Dal by a series of causeways. Dal Gate, at the city end of the lake, controls the flow of the lake water into the Jhelum River canal.

Hazratbal Mosque:
This shiny, modern mosque is on the north west shore of Dal Lake. The mosque enshrines hair of the prophet, but to nonbelievers it is most interesting for its stunningly beautiful setting on the shores of the lake with snow capped peaks as backdrop.
Shalimar Bagh:
Set some distance back from the lake but reached by a small canal, the Shalimar gardens were built for Nur Jahan, light of the world, by her husband Jehangir in1616. During the Mughal period the topmost of the four terraces was reserved for the emperor and the ladies of the court.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 15: Srinagar - Jammu
On the Srinagar to Jammu route are the hill resorts of Batote, Panitop and Kud, before Jammu region tourists will move through about 3 km long tunnel Jawarhar Tunnel. On the way tourists can visit the famous shrine of Vaishno Devi (optional tour) and night halt at Jammu city.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 16: Jammu - Delhi
Morning proceed on a city tour of Jammu.
Visit Mubarak Mandi Palace, Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary, Peer Khoh, Ranbireshwar Temple and Raghunath

Temple,Dogra Art Museum.
Later in the evening transfer to Jammu airport to catch flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi you will be met and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Overnight: Hotel