Ladakh, located on the roof of India at one of the highest places on earth, is defined by its dramatic landscape and unique culture. On this roller coaster tour to Ladakh, you will be laying eyes on the stark mountains resembling the moonscapes, drive through the challenging and one of the world’s highest motor-able road - Khardungla Pass at 17,852 feet, stay at a camp amid the breathtaking high-altitude azure Pangong Lake, take an adventurous ride on a double-humped camel exploring the sand dunes of Nubra Valley (an ancient trading route), and spend time at some of the spectacular monasteries with remarkable Buddhist art on display. Also part of the package; attend the popular Hemis festival - Ladakh’s grandest religious Buddhist festival featuring the colorful masked dance called Cham celebrated at the 17th century Hemis monastery. To sum it up, Ladakh is a destination that requires a good amount of time to be explored, and once you do, you will forget the rest of the world.
Upon arrival in Leh, you will be welcomed by GeTS Holidays representative who will help you with your transfer to the pre-booked hotel. Check-in at the hotel, relax and acclimatize. Spend rest of the day at leisure.
Note: Acclimatization is essential to get accustomed to such high elevations in Leh and Ladakh, which are located above the altitude of 10,000 feet. It is strongly advised because altitude sickness is a common condition for most tourists flying to Leh.
Have a great breakfast in the morning and then: After breakfast, get ready for Visit Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery, and Stok Palace Museum. Later, head to the Sangam (confluence of Indus & Zanskar Rivers), Magnetic Point, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Kali Mata (Temple of Guardians in Spituk monastery), and Hall of Fame.
In the evening, explore the local market.
After breakfast, check-out and leave for Nubra Valley. En route, you will cross the famous Khardungla Pass (17852 Ft), which lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. It is the world’s highest motorable pass. To most visitors, going across the Khardungla pass gives the satisfaction of having triumphed over the unconquerable. On arrival, check-in to the Hotel / camp and relax.
In the morning get ready for Diskit, Hunder and the sand dunes where you can enjoy a short camel safari using the double-humped Bactrian camel found here.
Later, drive back to Leh.
Today you will go for a full day excursion to Pangong Lake (approx. 300 km round trip, located on the Indo-China Border), en route crossing the Chang-la pass (alt: 17370 ft.). After sightseeing around the lake, drive back to Leh reaching in the late afternoon/evening.
After a leisurely breakfast, we will drive you to Hemis monastery (45 km/approx. 1.5 Hrs. drive from Leh) where you will experience Hemis Festival. The festival is dedicated to the birth of the spiritual leader Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rinpoche, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism as well as Tantric Buddhism. Watch and enjoy Cham, a sacred masked dance performed by the Lamas (monks), with the underlying theme of victory of good over evil. Hemis monastery is one of the oldest (built in the 17th century, but its earliest evidence dates back before the 11th century), largest and most popular monasteries in Ladakh. The beautiful Hemis Monastery is filled with the Ladakhis and the tourists to watch this spectacular festival.
Afterward, explore twelve-story Thiksey Monastery complex, which houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings, swords and has a huge statue of seated Maitreya Buddha (15m or 49ft) largest in Ladakh. Thiksey monastery also resembles with Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
After breakfast, check-out from the hotel and proceed to the Leh Airport to board a flight to Delhi. On arrival, take internal transit to reach international terminal to board your onward flight.
Duration | : | 6 Nights / 7 Days |
Starting price | : | 845 Per Person |
Route | : | Leh - Nubra Valley - Leh - Pangong Tso Lake - Leh (Hemis Festival) - Leh |