Rediscover Splendid Himalayas Tour

Welcome to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, where our representative will assist you and escort you by air-conditioned car to the pre-booked hotel. After check-in, all required documents related to your tour will be handed over, and your queries concerning the complete tour plan and services will be explained. If time permits, witness the Light and Sound Show at Red Fort, where selected episodes from the history of the 5,000-year-old city are brought to life through narration and special effects against the historic surroundings of the fort. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to the domestic airport to board the scheduled flight to Srinagar. On arrival, assistance will be provided at Srinagar airport before transferring to the pre-booked houseboat, where our representative will brief you about the tour plan. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and is known for its gardens, lakes, houseboats, traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dried fruits. In the evening, enjoy a 30-minute Shikara Ride on the lake, a traditional Kashmiri experience offering views of the surrounding waterways and houseboats. Dinner and overnight stay at the houseboat in Srinagar.

After breakfast, check out from the houseboat and drive towards Kargil, following the road opening timings. En route, visit Sonamarg, the “Meadow of Gold”, situated at 2,740 metres in the Sindh Valley and known for its mountain scenery. Continue towards Zojila Pass, at 3,527 metres and regarded as the gateway to Ladakh. The route then passes through Drass, one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. Continue for another two and a half hours to Kargil, which gained importance after Ladakh was opened to tourists in 1974. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Kargil.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive towards Zanskar along a partially paved road. The route is generally open from the middle of July to early November and passes through vast mountainous terrain spread across around 5,000 sq. km between the Zanskar and Great Himalayan Ranges, home to a Buddhist population of around 14,000. Proceed to the campsite at Rangdum, situated at around 3,657 metres, with colourful hills, rocky mountains, glaciers and views towards the Nun and Kun massifs. The valley also leads towards Pensi La, the gateway to Zanskar. Dinner and overnight stay at Rangdum.

After breakfast, drive over Penzi La at 4,450 metres, where you can enjoy views of the Drang Drung Glacier, before continuing towards Padum, the administrative capital and only town of Zanskar. The Zanskar River flows through the valley, originating near the Drang Drung Glacier before joining the Lungnak River near Pibiting village. Padum is traditionally associated with the name Padmasambhava and serves as the road head for this remote Himalayan region. Continue to Padum and transfer to the accommodation on arrival. Dinner and overnight stay in Padum.

After breakfast, enjoy a full-day excursion around Padum, visiting Karsha Monastery, one of the largest and most important monastic complexes in Zanskar, dramatically situated above the valley. Continue to Stonghey Monastery, associated with the Buddhist heritage of the region and surrounded by the traditional settlements and rugged landscape of Zanskar. Visit Zangla Nunnery, where you can experience the continuing Buddhist traditions and monastic life of the region. Continue to the historic Zangla Fort, exploring its remains and the surrounding landscape of this remote part of Zanskar. The excursion provides an opportunity to experience the Buddhist heritage, traditional settlements and cultural character of the valley beyond Padum itself. Return to Padum after the day's sightseeing. Dinner and overnight stay in Padum.

After breakfast, drive back towards Rangdum. En route, stop at a Nomadic Camp, where you can experience the local pastoral way of life and enjoy fresh yoghurt, cheese and milk. During summer, Zanskar's domestic animals are taken to higher pastures where they can feed on the seasonal grass. The journey back through the remote mountain landscape provides another opportunity to observe the traditional relationship between the communities and their livestock. Continue to Rangdum and settle into the accommodation. Dinner and overnight stay at Rangdum.

After breakfast, visit the historic Rangdum Monastery, an important Buddhist monastery associated with this isolated Himalayan valley. Spend time at the monastery and receive blessings before beginning the drive back towards Kargil. The return journey follows the remote mountain landscape of the Suru Valley, with its combination of rocky peaks, glaciers, meadows and traditional settlements. Continue to Kargil and transfer to the hotel on arrival. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Kargil.

After an early breakfast, leave Kargil and drive over Hamboting La towards the pristine Batalick Sector. Continue along the Indus River to reach the Drokpa villages of Dha-Hanu around 11:00 hrs. Dha and Hanu lie in the Dhahanu Valley, home to the Drokpa people, an Indo-Aryan community whose traditions, appearance and way of life differ from the predominant Tibeto-Mongol culture of Ladakh. Spend time observing their distinctive lifestyle, traditional customs and village surroundings. The community is traditionally associated with its own pantheon of gods while also being nominally Buddhist. Dinner and overnight stay in Dha-Hanu.

After breakfast, enjoy a Hike Around Dha Hanu Village to explore the local settlement and meet its people. Walk through the village while observing the distinctive lifestyle, traditions and everyday environment of the Drokpa community. The hike offers a closer look at a part of Ladakh that is culturally different from the better-known Buddhist centres and tourist towns of the region. Spend time interacting with local people and experiencing the village surroundings before returning to Dha. Later return to the accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, follow the Indus River uphill through its narrow valley towards the Khaltse Check Point, before continuing towards Lamayuru. The route passes through the changing mountain landscapes of Ladakh as the valley gradually opens towards the distinctive terrain surrounding Lamayuru. Known for its historic Buddhist monastery and unusual eroded landscape, Lamayuru is one of the region's important cultural destinations. The journey also provides views of traditional settlements and the contrasting agricultural and arid landscapes of Ladakh. On arrival, transfer to the accommodation and settle in for the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at Lamayuru.

After breakfast, explore Lamayuru Monastery, one of the oldest and most important Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, known for its historic religious traditions and distinctive setting amid the region's eroded mountain landscape. Spend time exploring the monastery and then enjoy a Hike Around the Monastery and Village, following the surrounding trails and observing the traditional settlement and mountain landscape. The hike offers a slower way to experience Lamayuru beyond the main monastery complex, with opportunities to appreciate the area's geological character and local way of life. Later return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, drive through Sham Valley, one of the more fertile areas of Ladakh, where cultivated fields and traditional settlements contrast with the surrounding arid mountains. En route, visit Temisgang Monastery before continuing towards Alchi Choskhor Monastery. Alchi is particularly known for its 11th-century wall paintings, which distinguish its artistic heritage from many of the region's later Buddhist monasteries. The journey combines the agricultural landscape of Sham Valley with Ladakh's historic Buddhist heritage and traditional settlements. On arrival in Alchi, transfer to the guest house. Dinner and overnight stay at the guest house.

After breakfast, drive to Likir Monastery, where you will see the statue of Maitreya Buddha and explore the monastery. Continue towards Leh, stopping en route for photographs at the Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers, where the two rivers meet amid the surrounding Himalayan landscape. Continue to Leh and transfer to the hotel on arrival. Leh, the headquarters of Leh District and the largest town in Ladakh, is situated north of the Indus River at an altitude of around 11,500 ft. After relaxation, visit Sankar Monastery, belonging to the Gelukpa School of Tibetan Buddhism and a branch of Spituk Monastery, followed by hilltop Shanti Stupa, built by a Japanese Buddhist order for world peace and inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1985. Later visit Leh Palace, the nine-storey palace built by King Singey Namgyal at the beginning of the 17th century. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast, drive 45 kms from Leh to Hemis Monastery, founded in the 1630s by Stag-tsang-ras-pa under the royal patronage of Sengge Namgyal and regarded as one of the largest and richest Gompas of Ladakh. Return by the same route to visit Thiksey Monastery, located on a hillock overlooking the Indus Valley. The monastery is especially known for its gigantic seated Maitreya statue and its Dukhang assembly hall containing hundreds of rectangular prayer books stacked between wooden covers and bound in silk. Continue through a series of chortens to Shey Palace, the former summer palace of the King of Ladakh, known for its hilltop setting and Buddhist heritage. Continue to Sindhu Darshan, a cultural and religious site on the banks of the Indus River where the river is celebrated as an important part of India's civilizational and cultural heritage. Thereafter enjoy sightseeing and a photo shoot at Leh Palace, followed by Shanti Stupa for panoramic views of Leh city and the Indus River. Spend time here to catch the sunset before returning to Leh. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive to the airport to board the scheduled flight to Delhi. On arrival, assistance will be provided and you will be transferred to the hotel. After refreshment, the day is free for leisure or an optional sightseeing tour of Old and New Delhi. Explore Old Delhi, also known as Shahajahanabad, with the majestic Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and landmark of Mughal architecture built in red sandstone, and Jama Masjid, one of India's largest and most prominent mosques. Continue to Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, where he was cremated. In New Delhi, see President House, India Gate, built as a war memorial to Indian soldiers who died during the First World War and the Afghan Wars, Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple), Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important Mughal garden-tomb, the lotus-shaped Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, built by Qutub-ud-din Aibek of the Slave Dynasty, and Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, generally known as the ISKCON Delhi Temple. In the evening, you can opt for a cycle rickshaw ride through the lively and colourful market of Chandni Chowk. Afterwards return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to the international airport to board the scheduled flight for your hometown/onwards journey. The tour concludes with happy memories of your journey through the Himalayas.