Ladakh Explorer

This 11-day Ladakh India tour takes you high into the Himalayas in the far north of India near the Tibetan border to explore this remote and inaccessible region. Ladakh, (or 'Little Tibet' or 'Little Shangri La' as it is sometimes known), means 'land of high passes' in Tibetan, and this is a spectacular part of the country with the plateau surrounded by high mountains, beautiful lakes and meadows, Buddhist temples and friendly people. Due to the remote location and severe winters, the region is cut off by road for much of the year, limiting the main tourist season to the summer months. We start in Delhi with a tour of the old and new sides to the city before flying north to Leh which will be our base for much of the India tour. We take the first couple of days relatively easy to help acclimatise to the high altitude (Leh sits at 3,500m) and take day trips out to visit some of Ladakh's most important and impressive monasteries. The region is dominated by Tibetan Buddhism and we'll learn more about how this influences daily life here. Our first visits are to the monasteries and temples at Alchi and Likir, and the Sangam Point where the Indus and Zanskar rivers merge. We will also drink butter tea with a local family, learn how to make momos, and try some traditional Tibetan archery. Our next tour starts early so we can hear the morning chanting at Thiksey monastery and visit Hemis and Shey monasteries and the Stok Palace Museum. We then leave Leh for a few days and cross the Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in the world, to the Nubra Valley, also known as the Valley of the Flowers. There are sand dunes and opportunities for camel rides here as well as meadows and fruit orchards. We'll visit Turtuk village, close to the Line of Control with Pakistan and taste their famous apricots, while checking the horizon for views of K2. We cross back over Khardung La on our way back to Leh, with the option of cycling down if you wish. Our final day trip is then to the beautiful Pangong Tso lake, one of Asia's largest brackish lakes. The lake's crystal clear blue waters are framed by the barren mountains making for a spectacular setting. Finally we fly back to Delhi to finish the tour. A range of options are available to extend the tour if you wish. Mid-range hotels & Nubra Valley tented hotel