To truly understand why India is a land of ‘varied culture and landscape’, come visit magical Ladakh, where every monastery, mountain and individual will show you a different facet of this unbelievably gorgeous country. Be it enjoying the cool, traveler vibe of the capital city of Leh or exploring the picturesque, high-altitude deserts and lakes of the region, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that cannot be missed!
Duration : 11 Days
Route : Leh → Lamayuru → Alchi → Nubra Valley → Shey → Thiksey → Hemis → Pangong Tso → Leh
Itinerary
Day 1 Leh
Take in Leh at a sedate place. Due to high altitude it is recommended to take complete rest so that you are able to acclimatize properly.
Day 2 Leh
Set against the Himalayas and overlooking the crumbling Old Town is Leh Palace. Take a tour of the old town to explore Leh Palace, Chamba & Chandazik Gompas, Munshi’s House and Tsemo Fort.
Day 3 Hemis, Thiksey & Shey
Take a day trip to visit the gorgeous buddhist monasteries of Hemis. Thiksey and Shey.
Shey is home to the biggest metal statue in Ladakh.
Thiksey Gompa, noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, is one of main monasteries of the Gelugpa sect.
Hemis is popular for its colorful festival which is held every year in July.
Days 4-5 Nubra Valley
Nubra is a high altitude desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along the river beds and on high slopes.
The only road access to the Nubra Valley is over Khardung La pass, which is the highest motorable road in the world.
Visit the quaint monastery at Hunder and then proceed for a short hike up to the Fort for amazing views of the valley. On the way back, take a ride on the Bactrian camels.
The next day visit Diskit Gompa and Panamik hot water springs before heading back to Leh.
Day 6 Lamayuru & Alchi
After an early breakfast head to Lamayuru, one of the largest and oldest gompas in Ladakh, with a population of around 150 resident monks.
Post lunch head to Alchi Monastery, known for its magnificent, and well-preserved 11th or 12th century wall paintings.
Day 7 Likir & Basgo
Head towards Leh via Likir and Basgo.
Likir is the seat of the Ngari Rinpoche, the present emanation of whom is the younger brother of the Dalai Lama.
Basgo is a mud-brick fortress, perched high on the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges.
Days 8-9 Pangong Tso
Pangong is an endorheic lake, situated at a height of about 4,350 m, which extends from India to Tibet. 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water.
Day 10 Leh
Explore the newer part of town. Enjoy the laid back vibe along Changs Pa, visit the Donkey sanctuary and catch the sunset at Shankar Gompa.
Day 11 Leh
Ramble through the markets before heading to the airport for your flight back.
If time permits, the road trip from Leh to Manali is highly recommended.
Comments are closed.