11-Day Little Tibet / Taste of Ladakh

On arrival at the airport in Delhi, you will be welcomed by our local representative and transferred to your hotel (rooms will be available at 2 pm).

Meals included: n/a
Mid-Range Accommodations: Jivitesh (Standard room)

In the early morning, we will transfer you to the airport to board the flight to Leh (flight to Leh not included.)  The crisp air of Leh, when you disembark from the airplane, welcomes you to this unpolluted Himalayan destination. We will welcome you and escort you to the hotel where we will give you a briefing for your upcoming time in and around Leh.  You will be at leisure for the rest of the day to acclimatize to the high altitude of Leh.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: The Kaal or similar (Standard room)

After breakfast, we will go out for a full day of sightseeing to Shey, plus the famous Thiksey and the Hemis monasteries.  Shey, situated on a hillock 15 km upstream from Leh, was once the residence of the royal family.   Shey was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kings.  A 7.5-meter high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold and the largest of its kind, is on view here.  Thiksey is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive gompas in the world. Several temples in the Thiksey gompa contain image stupas and finely-detailed wall paintings of Buddha.   Hemis is one of the largest and richest gompas in Ladakh.  The two-day festival of monastic dance in June-July has raised the reputation of Hemis particularly high.  The festival is dedicated to guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as the second Buddha and responsible for spreading Buddhism in the Tibetan world.  After our great day of sightseeing, we will return to Leh.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: The Kaal or similar (Standard room)

We will have another full day of sightseeing. We will begin by visiting the Phyang monastery. The site where the monastery now stands was once a part of a larger monastic complex, thriving during the reigns of Dharmaraja Jamyang Namgial to Chosje Damma Kunga. The monastic school founded here led to the first establishment of the Digung teachings in Ladakh. We will also visit the Spituk Monastery, which dates back to the 11th century. The Spituk Monastery, located on the top of a hill along the shores of the Indus River, is famous for its wide and varied collections of ancient masks, icons, antique arms, and numerous Thangka.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: The Kaal or similar (Standard room)

After breakfast, we will drive to the Likir Gompa, situated at a windy cliff-top overlooking the beautiful village of Likir. The Likir Gompa was founded in the 12th century, although the present construction dates back to the 18th century as the original one was destroyed by fire. Later in the morning, we will visit Basgo Gompa, the seat of power of a branch of the Namgyal family. In 1680 A.D., invading Mongol and Tibetan armies were held in check over a three-year long siege. Original 16th century murals and other arts of Basgo are well worth a visit. Then we will continue our drive and cross the river Indus and reach Alchi (approximately 61 km / 2 hours). On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel.

In the afternoon, we will visit Ladakh’s most loved monastery, Alchi Monastery, which is over 10 centuries old. Unlike other monasteries, which are usually on a cliff top or cling to a mountainside, Alchi is situated on the plains and nestled in the shade of a carefully tended garden.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Alchi Resort (Standard room)

Today, we will head out for a full day excursion to Lamayuru (the oldest monastery in the Central Ladakh region). On the way, you can view spectacular mountain ranges in this eerie moon-like landscape. The Lamayuru Monastery belongs to the Red-Hat sect of Buddhism and houses approximately 150 Buddhist monks. The monastery is made up of a number of shrines and also has a very rich collection of thankas and magnificent wall paintings. At the outset, the Lamayuru Monastery consisted of five buildings, out of which only the central one exists today. We will return, using the high road, to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Alchi Resort (Standard room)

This morning, we will drive back along a spectacular high-altitude road to Leh (approximately 105 kms /4 hours). On arrival, you will check-in at the hotel. In the afternoon, you are free to attend a festival or, on non-festival days, explore the market.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: The Kaal or similar (Standard room)

We will have a full day to witness the amazing rituals of a Ladakhi cham dance. The festivals in Ladakh are celebrated with great zeal and enjoyment where the followers dress in attractive traditional costumes and showcase masked dances.

On non-festival days, we will make an excursion to scenic Khardhungla Pass (17,600 feet).

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: The Kaal or similar (Standard room)

In the morning, we will transfer you to the Leh airport to board the flight to Delhi. On arrival, we will transfer you to the hotel for check-in. You will have the rest of the day free.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Jivitesh (Standard room)

After breakfast, we will spend the entire day sightseeing New and Old Delhi. The capital city of modern India, New Delhi, is a well laid-out main metropolitan area built by the British when they moved their capital here from Calcutta in 1911. New Delhi blends internationalism and tradition, with many interesting museums and art galleries here. We will drive past the President’s Palace and India Gate in the Lutyens’ Imperial City. You will visit Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb that pay homage to the mighty Afghan & Mughal Empires. We will also explore “Old Delhi” with its narrow dirt roads, its myriad people, and inexpensive and colorful bazaars that keep alive the traditional workmanship for which Delhi has always been famous. Our first stop will be Raj Ghat (the cremation ground of Mahatma Gandhi). Then, driving past the Red Fort, we will trade our motor vehicles for bicycle rickshaws, which will take us into the heart of Chandini Chowk (the silver square - so named because of the silver merchants). Negotiating alleyways, which seemingly get narrower and narrower, we will end up at the Jama Masjid, the largest Muslim mosque in India.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Jivitesh (Standard room)

Today, we will transfer you to the airport in time to connect with your departure flight. 

Meals included: Breakfast