Magical Ladakh Tour

MAGICAL LADAKH TOUR

The beautiful Ladakh has never been a disappointment to anyone that visited this place. But with such minimum available facilities, visiting with a tour group that has everything arranged for you is always the best way to enjoy your trip to this gorgeous place. Once we arrive, we’ll first visit the Sankar Gompa & Village for the sister monastery of Spituk Gompa. As the day grows darker, we make our way to the Shanti Stupa and visit the peace symbol erected by a Japanese Monk in 1991. Then to the Leh Palace that was the former home of royalties with so many details still preserved to this day. We then head to Sham Valley on an excursion and attempt to drive up the Magnetic Hill – without turning the car on! Gurudwara Patthar Sahibp at 3,600km altitude has some of the most amazing view of this place and was built in memory of Guru Nanak. The Confluence of Zanskar and Indus Rivers next will blow your mind away with the view and has to be one of the best places to be amidst the Zanskar Range. Visit the Spituk Gompa while we’re here for the 11th century architecture that’s surely a sight to behold. The Hall of Fame is a sweet way to end the day as we’re reminded by the great things soldiers did to maintain peace within this area. Through the world’s highest drivable road in the world, Khardung La, we’ll visit Deskit Gompa of 14th century. The majestic Maitreya Buddha statue below it easily becomes a huge attraction, sitting at 33m tall. After a brief stop in Hunder Village, we’ll continue our ride to Pangong Lake while enjoying the view of the snow-capped mountains around you. It’ll be a long, beautiful ride as we pass by beautiful villages and just an overwhelmingly green and refreshing view of Agham & Shyok Valley to see the world’s highest saltwater lake. We make our way back to Leh slowly from Pangong Tso, via a different route: Changla Pass. Enjoy the ride through the former silk road as we make a stop at Shey Palace & Monastery, the renowned summer palace of Ladakh King in the 16th century. Not far is Thiksey Monastery, yet another gorgeous construction with incredible architecture that’s worth seeing. Don’t miss out visiting the famous 3 Idiots Racho’s School for some pictures to remember by for your trip in Leh!

Leh 3 nights, Nubra Valley 1 night and Pangong Lake 1 night

Daily Breakfast and Dinner

Leh Palace & Shey Palace

Excursion to Sham Valley and Confluence of Two Rivers

Nubra Valley excursion to Turtuk

Pangong Lake

Khardung La Pass

Hemis & Thiksey Gompa

3 Idiots Rancho’s School

All Toll Taxes, Parking Fee and Driver’s Bata included

Inner Line Permit - Wildlife and Environment Fees

ITINERARY

DAY 1:

Arrival In Leh And Transfer To Hotel

• Our representatives will be waiting for your arrival in the morning at Leh International Airport. Welcome to the largest city of Ladakh. We’ll transfer you to the hotel for check-in and drinks after a long flight here as you get acclimated to the altitude of 3,500m and rest.
• Prepare to leave at 3pm to visit the Sankar Gompa & Village of Leh, a modern monastery in which the late head priest Kushak Bakula used to reside. The Sankar Gompa is also believed to be a subsidiary of Spituk Monastery which shares the same Lama.
• Around late afternoon, we’ll drive to the city for an orientation walk, introducing you to the city and culture of Leh as we explore the local markets. We visit the Shanti Stupa, a gleaming white Stupa built by the Japanese monk Gyomyo Nakamura in 1991. It houses relics within the base which was enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama wishes to promote world peace and serves a symbol that ties Japan and India.
• Then we’ll visit the former royal palace of Leh, Leh Palace that’s also known as Lachen Palkar Palace. Abandoned for hundreds of years, this palace dates back to 1600s and was built by Sengge Namgyal. It was left behind during 1800s when Dogra forces invaded and the royal family had to move to another palace. Today, it serves as the administrative office of the Archaeological Conservation Organisation.
• We’ll take you out for dinner later before your overnight stay at the hotel in Leh
• (Dinner)

DAY 2:

Sham Valley Excursion (Magnetic Hill, Hill Of Fame, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib & Confluence Of Zanskar And Indus Rivers)

• Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before we go out for a ride. We head deep into the Himalayas for 4km and reach the gravity-defying Magnetic Hill at 30km mark from Leh. If you leave the ignition off and foot off the brakes, will the car roll downward or upward? We drive on to Gurudwara Patthar Sahibp which is located at 3,600m altitude and around 22km from Leh. It is a place of worship, one that was built in memory of Guru Nanak as it was believed this was where he stopped briefly to rest and meditate between 1515-1518.
• Leaving behind the law-defying hills and place of worship, we’ll reach the famous Confluence of Zanskar and Indus Rivers within the scenic Nimmu valley of Ladakh. It’s a breathtaking sight, one that’s truly out of this world the Zanskar River flows down from Zanskar Valley and meet Tibet’s Indus River. From the confluence, we continue to Spituk Gompa, the supposed sister monastery of Sankar Gompa. This ancient site is also known as Pethup Gompa and was built in the 11th century, founded by Od-de.
• It will be a 3-4 hour long scenic drive of breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and hills. We’ll first visit the Hall of Fame, a museum by and for the Indian Army that serves as a reminder of the sacrifices brave Indian soldiers made, particularly those who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pak wars. Floors are filled with weapons and ammunitions used at the war, as well as the kinds of apparel and amenities the army wore.
• We continue our drive back to Leh and take you out for dinner before our overnight stay at the hotel in Leh.
• (Breakfast and Dinner)

DAY 3:

Transfer From Leh To Nubra Valley Via Khardung La At 5,600m (120kms, 4-5 Hours)

• Enjoy your breakfast in Leh before we check-out tonight and head to Nubra Valley with a scenic drive. We’ll pass over the highest drivable road in the world, Khardung La at over 5,600m/18,390ft elevation around 39km from Leh and get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area, all the way over the Indus Valley in the south, the edge of Zanskar Range, and get a clear view of the Saser mountains.
• We’ll visit Deskit Gompa which is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in Diskit, found in 1420 by Lama Sherab Zangpo of Stod. It houses a Crowned Buddha statue in the prayer hall where several carved images of fierce guardian deities can also be found. Just below the monastery, is the giant Maitreya buddha statue that sits at 33m/108ft tall, facing the Shyok River and Nubra Valley. It is a majestic sight of a golden statue with vibrant embellishments, the scenic view of the valley serves as the background.
• The Nubra Valley is known as the valley of flowers nestled between the Karakoram and Ladakh ranges of Himalayas. The Nubra Valley is located at a lower altitude than Leh at 3000m/10,000ft that gives it a slightly warmer temperature and is blessed with fertile soil and is famous for the cold desert of Hunder Village. There are sand dunes on one side, a field of flowers on the other and just vast landscape of the valley and mountain ranges all around you.
• We’ll check-in at our campsite/hotel in Hunder and let you leave your luggage. Once you’re done unpacking, explore the surrounding area on your own and enjoy the stunning view and fresh air or look around the small villages and check out what they have here. Spend the night at the camp or hotel in Nubra Valley after.
• (Breakfast and Dinner)
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DAY 4:

Transfer From Nubra Valley To Pangong Lake (150km, 5 Hours)

• After an early breakfast, we will check-out from our camp/hotel in Nubra Valley and visit where they keep and raise double-humped camels that are perfect for riding through the cold desert. Hopped on these gorgeous creatures and go through the sand dunes with the snow-capped mountains sits in the horizon. We slowly make our way back and stop at Diskit on the way, which is the headquarter of Nubra Valley. Explore the bazaar that is filled with shops and locals making ends meet and doing their daily chores.
• We leave the valley and continue our ride southeast. The rough ride is worth it as you get to see slowly absorb and take in the beauty of Agham & Shyok Valley. We continue driving across the Agham & Shyok Valley to Pangong Lake, or Pangong Tso, the world’s highest saltwater lake at 4,350m. The road conditions can be pretty tough and depending on weather, challenging even. For five hours, we’ll past through several villages, including Durbuk and Tangtse which are about half an hour apart. After close to three hours of ride from Tangtse and several small villages of Changthang, you’ll suddenly be assaulted by an incredible view of Pangong Lake.
• It has such a deep blue color amidst the arid, dry mountains around it that’ll surely leave an impression on you. The lake is located in both India and China. At freezing temperature, attempts to swim in this lake that’s also considered holy is prohibited.
• Upon arrival, we’ll check-in at the camp/hotel near the lake before taking you out for dinner. Spend the night at Pangong Lake.
• (Breakfast and Dinner)

DAY 5:

Pangong Lake To Leh Via Changla (140km, 6 Hours)

• Wake up to the beautiful sight of Pangong Lake today before we check-out when the time comes. We’ll drive back to Leh via Changla Pass, located at over 5,300m elevation. As you pass through this road, think back on how Changla was part of the famous silk road and millenias before that, historic creatures of Jurassic period would also tread this pathway as ammonoids have been unearthed around here.
• Then to the Shey Palace & Monastery which originally was the summer palace of King of Ladakh until 16th century. The current Shey Palace was built in 1655 in memory of Sengge Namgyal by Deldan Namgyal. Shey started as a small village that became the old capital of Ladakh before the royal family fled to Stok during the annexation of Dogras. Today you can enjoy a luxurious view of your surrounding and be where the royalties used to spend their time at.
• We continue the ride for around 5km more to Thiksey Monastery, a monastery affiliated with the Gelug Order, the largest inside central Ladakh. The imposing construction of this monastery sees the complex built along the hillside above the village all the way to the top.
• Visit the “3 Idiots” Rancho’s School which is where the Aamir Khan movie was shot at. This Buddhist cultural school’s real name is the Druk Padma Karpo School. We keep driving until we reach Leh and be there in time for dinner. Check-in at the hotel before we spend the night in Leh.
• (Breakfast and Dinner)

DAY 6:

Depart Leh

• After breakfast, we’ll check-out and leave the hotel to transfer you to the domestic airport for your flight to your next destination out of Leh.
• (Breakfast)