Country(ies): India
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 12
Accommodation: Mid-range hotels & Nubra Valley tented hotel
Meals:
Transport: Car, minivan or minibus
Highlights: Old & New Delhi tours, Leh, Magnetic Hill, Hemis Monastery, Shey Palace, Nubra Valley, Turtuk village, Pangong Tso Lake
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.
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The tour can also be booked privately to travel anytime in the year though adjustments may be needed in winter (Oct-Apr). We can also customise the itinerary to fit your own requirements. Please contact us for details and prices.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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