Mystic Peaks: Leh Ladakh Adventure

Mystic Peaks: Leh Ladakh Adventure

Embark on an exhilarating adventure through the rugged terrain of Leh Ladakh, where ancient monasteries cling to sheer cliffs and snow-capped peaks tower overhead. Your journey begins in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, where you'll acclimatize to the high altitude and explore the bustling bazaars and winding lanes of the old town.

Visit the historic Shey Palace, once the summer capital of Ladakh's royalty, and the stunning Thiksay Monastery, perched on a hilltop with panoramic views of the Indus Valley. Explore the ancient Hemis Monastery, one of the largest and wealthiest monasteries in Ladakh, known for its vibrant festivals and exquisite thangka paintings.Trek through the picturesque villages of Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachen, surrounded by verdant barley fields and apricot orchards. Discover the remote villages of Ang and Skindiyang, where traditional Ladakhi culture thrives amid breathtaking scenery.Visit the ancient Alchi Monastery, renowned for its stunning frescoes and intricate wood carvings. Explore the lesser-known monasteries of Stakna, Matho, and Stok, each offering a unique glimpse into Ladakh's rich religious heritage.

Admire the panoramic views of Leh from the Shanti Stupa, a white-domed stupa built to promote world peace. Conclude your journey with a visit to Agra, home to the magnificent Taj Mahal, a testament to timeless love and architectural perfection.

Day 1

Indulge in the enchanting allure of India's rich traditions with a floral greeting, setting the stage for the extraordinary holiday experience that lies ahead. You are welcomed by our representative who ensures smooth transportation and check-in at the hotel. After a short stay at the hotel, the journey takes you to Old Delhi, founded as Shahjahanabad, the capital of the Mughal dynasty. You will visit Jama Masjid, also known as the Friday Mosque, Chandni Chowk, also known as "Silver Street," pass by The Red Fort (closed on Mondays) –Afternoon the journey continues to New Delhi, where we begin with a tour past Raisina Hill, Viceroy's House (Rashtrapati Bhavan – the residence of the Indian President), Parliament House, and India Gate – the famous war memorial followed by visit to Qutab Minar. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2

Morning transfer to Delhi Airport to board flight to Leh Kushok Bakula airport. Our representative will meet & greet you and transfer to the Hotel. This flight is one of the most sensational flights in the world. On a clear day from one side of the aircraft can be seen in the distance the peaks of K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum and on the other side of the aircraft, so close that you feel you could reach out and touch it, is the Nun Kun massif. You would take a little time to settle in and acclimatize since you have gone from a relatively low elevation in New Delhi to over (Altitude 11,000 feet). Day at leisure for acclimatization later in the afternoon walk to the market, Overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 3

Morning After Breakfast, Drive To Indus Valley To Visit SHEY PALACE AND GOMPA: Situated On A Hillock 15 Kms Upstream From Leh, It Was Once The Residence Of The Royal Family. According To Tradition, It Was The Seat Of Power Of The Pre-Tibetan Kinds. A 7.5 Mts High Copper Statue Of Buddha, Plated With Gold And The Largest Of Its Kind, Is Installed Here. THIKSEY GOMPA: 19 Kms From Leh, Spectacularly Sited, Thiksey Is One Of The Largest And Architecturally Most Impressive Gompas. There Are Several Temples In This Gompas, Containing Images, Stupas And Wall Paintings Of Buddha, Which Are Exquisite Also Called Mini Potala Palace. HEMIS GOMPA: 40 Kms From Leh, It Is The Wealthiest, Best Known And Biggest Gompa Of Ladakh. Its Popularity Stems From The Major Annual Festival Held Here In Summer. The Festival Is In Honor Of Guru Padma Sambhava’s Birth Anniversary. It Also Has The Largest Thanka In Ladakh Which Is Unfurled Once In 12 Years Hemis Was Built In 1630 During The Reign Of Singge Namgyal, An Illustrious Ruler Of Ladakh. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 4

Hemis is 46 km from Leh, morning drive to Hemis for the festival. The Hemis festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of "Dadmokarpo" or "Rygyalsras Rimpoche" is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship. The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship. Overnight in Leh.

Day 5

Morning after breakfast you will be driven by taxi to Likir which is just 58 kms away. Likir Village (3,560 mts.) is the starting point of our trek. Although the distance is short, the route is warm, without any shade or water and we need to traverse two passes. From Likir the route heads west up to Phobe La (3667m) and beyond this lies Sumdo village. The trail goes steadily upwards till you get to Chagatse La (3630m). Across the pass is the village of Yangthang (3530m) where we camp for the night, next to a stream. The Ridzong Monastery lies about an hour south of Yangthang. Overnight in the tent.

Day 6

Today you will trek in Ulle Nalla above Yangthang, following a stream called the Ulle Chhu.This is excellent ibex country and there are few more evocative sights than a magnificently horned male ibex standing vigil on some impossibly narrow ridge a few thousand feet over a plunging cliff. Arrive at Ulle village, the centre of three interlocking valleys that support approximately 12 snow leopards according to the last census, take time to acclimatize to the higher altitude of Ulle. The advantage of Ulley is that it is relatively free of tourism and from here you explore three valleys which apart from snow leopards are great for finding urial, ibex, wolf and Himalayan fox. Overnight in Camp.

Day 7

Today is an easy walk because trek descend to Hemis village. The village, named after the grove of cedars, is one of Ladakh’s prettiest. There are several sparkling streams surrounded by shady willows and large barley fields that provide a touch of green to the otherwise desolate, Rocky Mountains. Overnight in the tent.

Day 8

Again this is a fairly easy day. The trail goes upward between two hillocks west of the village upwards until it veers south and climbs steeply up to the Mebtak La (3750m) marked by prayer flags. From the pass we head down the gorge to Ang village, a charming village with apricot orchards, overnight in tent

Day 9

Early morning after the breakfast you will head towards the west, gentle go down in between the lush greenery. After almost one an half hour you will reach to Tinmosgang village, where you can visit one of the oldest Palace of Leh. It is a rather long day which begins with a gentle climb to the base of the Skindiyang Pass 4060 m. The pretty village of Tia and Charcha falls on the way as you follow a new jeep track. The trail then begins with ascent to a barren hillside to a col at 3,927m. From here a wonderful boulder-strewn landscape greets us. The wild landscape around here is home to Snow Leopards and Blue Sheep. You can see the pass ahead and an easy 45-minute walk will bring you to the top of the pass at 4,060m. The path down lands into a dry valley which you will follow to a set of chortens above the village. The last 30 minutes of the descent is a little steeper as you drop down to Skindiyang, a traditional Ladakhi village where you are going to spend last night in Tent.

Day 10

Morning after the breakfast at the camp you will drive to Leh on the way you will Rizdong and Alchi monastery. RIDZONG GOMPA: Rizong is the most isolated monastery of all the monastery of Ladakh. There is no entry fee in this monastery; you can offer whatever you can. Rizong Gompa is known as the paradise for Meditation. Guru Padma Sambhava is believed to meditate here for years. ALCHI MONASTERY is also known by the name of Alchi Choskhor. Though traditionally, the credit for the construction of the monastery goes to the great translator Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), the oldest monuments preserved here date back to the middle of the 12th century. Apart from these, other smaller structures of the monastery complex include The Temple of Manjushri, Lotsawa Lha-khang, Lha-khang Soma, after the visit drive to Leh, dinner and overnight at Hotel.

Day 11

Today you will so the sightseeing of Matho Gonpa, around 26km. south east of Leh is the only Gonpa, which belongs to the Saskya order and Lama Tungpa Dorjay founded it in the 16th century and the Gonpa was named Thupstan-Sharling Choskor. Stakna Monastery Stakna (Tiger's nose); 25km. south of Leh, is a small monastery comprising of few Dukhangs, which was founded during the reign of king Jamyang Namgyal, in 1580, by saint Chosje Jamyang Palkhar. STOK PALACE & MUSEUM: The palace of the banished royal family, Stok has a museum which displays fabulous period costumes and jewellery of the royalty. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 12

Morning after breakfast, transfer to airport board your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival Drive to Agra. our representative will meet you and drive you to Agra – the city of the Taj Mahal. Check-in at the hotel upon arrival. The afternoon is at your leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 13

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, you will visit one of the world's most beautiful structures – the famous Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays). On the way, you will transfer to a Battery Car that will drop you off at the entrance to the Taj Mahal. After visiting the Taj Mahal, you will proceed to Agra Fort, built by Emperor Akbar. Here, you will find a variety of fascinating structures, including the Pearl Mosque in marble, the public reception hall, and the private reception hall where the famous "Peacock Throne" was kept. Later Drive to Delhi and upon arrival transfer to Airport to connect homebound flight.

Embark on an exhilarating adventure through the rugged terrain of Leh Ladakh, where ancient monasteries cling to sheer cliffs and snow-capped peaks tower overhead. Your journey begins in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, where you'll acclimatize to the high altitude and explore the bustling bazaars and winding lanes of the old town.

Visit the historic Shey Palace, once the summer capital of Ladakh's royalty, and the stunning Thiksay Monastery, perched on a hilltop with panoramic views of the Indus Valley. Explore the ancient Hemis Monastery, one of the largest and wealthiest monasteries in Ladakh, known for its vibrant festivals and exquisite thangka paintings.Trek through the picturesque villages of Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachen, surrounded by verdant barley fields and apricot orchards. Discover the remote villages of Ang and Skindiyang, where traditional Ladakhi culture thrives amid breathtaking scenery.Visit the ancient Alchi Monastery, renowned for its stunning frescoes and intricate wood carvings. Explore the lesser-known monasteries of Stakna, Matho, and Stok, each offering a unique glimpse into Ladakh's rich religious heritage.

Admire the panoramic views of Leh from the Shanti Stupa, a white-domed stupa built to promote world peace. Conclude your journey with a visit to Agra, home to the magnificent Taj Mahal, a testament to timeless love and architectural perfection.

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