The Best of Ladakh - Summer Journey
JOURNEY AVAILABILITY – MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER
Ladakh. In the 9th–10th century, after the breakup of the then-powerful Tibetan Empire, Ladakh became part of the western Tibetan world and began developing into one of the purest surviving expressions of old Tibetan Buddhist culture. That origin is a major part of what makes Ladakh so different from any place on our planet. As you explore the valleys, monasteries, and villages, you will also meet the simple, hardworking, and genuinely warm Ladakhi people, whose lives are still shaped by the mountains, the seasons, and their ancient spiritual traditions.
The landscape is the great attraction. Ladakh is a stark, high-altitude desert of immense valleys, bare mountains, distant snow peaks, and light that changes the color of the terrain throughout the day. As you drive through this dramatic countryside, the scenery often feels almost lunar, and then suddenly you arrive at a green oasis fed by glacial melt from the surrounding Himalayas. Villages, monasteries, barley fields, willow trees, and poplar groves appear in the middle of the wilderness, making the contrast even more surreal. Ladakh is otherworldly in the literal sense — a place where the terrain, the altitude, the silence, the people, and the ancient culture combine to create an experience unlike any other part of India.
Day 1: Delhi Arrival Greeting & Transfer to Hotel.
Full Fast Track Arrival Services at Delhi Airport. You are greeted as you enter the terminal and escorted through the complete arrival process, including immigration, baggage collection with porterage, and customs.
Most flights arrive either in the evening or at night, and we strongly recommend that our guests consider arriving at least a day earlier. You are driven the short distance to your luxury hotel, the Oberoi Gurgaon, and assisted with your check-in if it is 3 pm or later. The next day’s plans are briefly reviewed and you are at leisure.
(Overnight – Oberoi Gurgaon)
Day 2: Delhi – Leh – Thiksey Camp.
Flight to Leh. You are assisted with your checkout and driven to Delhi Airport in time to board your morning flight to the regional capital of Ladakh – Leh. This flight just may be something that you will remember for the rest of your life because of the incredible Himalayan vistas.
Arrival and Transfer to Camp. You are greeted at Leh Airport and transferred to your residence for the next few days, Chamba Camp, Thiksey. Ladakh does not have conventional luxury hotel infrastructure like India’s major cities and palace destinations, but Chamba Camp, Thiksey is the best true luxury lodging option in the Leh region. Set near the famous Thiksey Monastery, the camp offers luxurious tented accommodations in one of Ladakh’s most dramatic settings.
Traditional Welcome and Check-in. Soak in the serenity of the surroundings as you are accorded a traditional Ladakhi welcome. You are then accompanied to your well-appointed tent after your check-in formalities are completed.
Acclimatization. There will be no touring activity on your day of arrival as it is important that you relax and undergo minimal exertion to enable you to acclimatize to the rarefied oxygen levels at this high altitude. Your guide will discuss the itinerary for the days ahead and review the planned excursions and timing with you.
At Leisure. You may take a gentle stroll through the blessed hamlet of Thiksey, depending on how you are feeling, or simply relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of your camp.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Thiksey)
Day 3: Thiksey – Leh – The Little Tibet Experience
Leisurely Morning. Today brings a late start, leaving the morning free for you to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and walk around the camp site, taking in the sights and the peaceful milieu.
Optional Walk. You may take an easy walk in the vicinity of the camp through the farmlands of Nyerma, with insights into local agricultural practices, medicinal herbs, and monastic life in the surrounding area.
Lunch at Camp. Return to the camp for your lunch.
Leh City Visit. This afternoon following lunch, you will visit Leh City.
Leh Heritage Walk. Proceed on a gentle orientation tour of Leh. Your Leh City Heritage Walk takes you through the lanes of Leh under the gaze of the imposing 17th century Leh Palace. Your walk introduces you to this historic frontier town, where daily goods, locally spun woolen clothing, rugs, ritual items, pashmina shawls, Tibetan handicrafts, and traditional Ladakhi jewelry are all part of the bazaar experience.
Shanti Stupa. Your walk concludes near Chubi village, where your vehicle will pick you up and take you to Shanti Stupa, perched above Leh with sweeping views of the stone-strewn landscape and the surrounding mountains.
Optional. Séance with the Oracle: Drive to Choglamsar village for a séance session with the village Oracle. This optional excursion is subject to the Oracle being available and willing to give an audience.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Thiksey)
Day 4: Thiksey Camp – Two Paths to Nirvana
Thiksey Monastery at Sunrise. An early morning start with tea and coffee is followed by a visit to Thiksey Monastery, which stands about a kilometer from your camp. This beautiful monastery houses a two-storey statue of the Maitreya Buddha seated on a lotus and has spectacular views of the Leh Valley. At the monastery, you will have the privilege to observe the Buddhist morning prayer ceremony at sunrise.
Guided Monastery Tour. Continue on a guided tour of the monastery, visiting the beautiful prayer room which has many handwritten and painted books, as well as the temple dedicated to goddess Tara with her images placed in glass-covered wooden shelves. You will also see small shrines devoted to guardian divinities, including Cham-Sing, the protector deity of Thiksey.
Hemis Monastery. After a leisurely breakfast at camp, proceed to explore Hemis Monastery, the largest monastic institution in Ladakh. Situated about 23 kilometers from Thiksey, the monastery belongs to the Drukpa School, or the Dragon Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Explore the many facets of this institution, established under the patronage of King Senge Namgyal in the 17th century, where young lamas are taught literature, history, philosophy, yoga, and tantra. The monastery halls are adorned with statues and mural paintings.
Lunch and Leisure. Return to camp for lunch. The rest of the evening is at leisure, allowing you time to soak in the serenity of your beautiful camp location, or head out for local excursions with your guide and driver.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Thiksey)
Day 5: Thiksey – Drive to Nubra Valley
Drive to Nubra via Khardung La. Following breakfast this morning, your exciting journey continues through some of the region’s most awe-inspiring and dramatic landscapes, passing through Khardung La Pass. From the pass, depending on visibility and conditions, you begin to experience the transition toward Nubra Valley, where agricultural lands, poplar and willow trees, villages, and high mountain scenery create a very different Ladakhi landscape.
Following a packed lunch in the village of Khardung, continue onwards, driving past the famous sand dunes of Nubra and arriving at the village of Diskit.
Arrival at Camp. Your arrival at Chamba Camp, Diskit comes as a welcome oasis after your adventurous drive. Nubra Valley is one of Ladakh’s most unusual landscapes, with cold desert dunes, orchards, villages, and the Shyok and Nubra river region. Chamba Camp, Diskit is the best true luxury lodging option in Nubra, with luxury tents and private sit-outs set in the mountain landscape. You are at leisure after check-in. We recommend that you take in the magnificent surroundings and take walks with your guide.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Diskit)
Day 6: Diskit Camp – Sumur, Yarab Tso and Hunder
Drive to Sumur. After breakfast, drive to the picturesque village of Sumur, located across the Shyok and Nubra Rivers. This is one of the important village areas of Nubra, where orchards, fields, and Ladakhi homes give you a closer look at local life in the valley.
Optional Add-on. Depending on conditions and interest, you can also supplement this with rafting on the Shyok River.
Optional Excursion. You can also opt to drive toward the northern road on the Siachen Glacier route and then hike toward the hidden lake, Yarab Tso, one of the high-altitude sacred lakes in the Nubra Valley. It holds clear water, secluded within rocky terrain.
Women’s Alliance of Nubra. You then experience local life and learn about the special initiative by the Women’s Alliance of Nubra. These women work together in activities such as handicrafts, documentation of natural and oral history, and traditional performing arts.
Farm Lunch. A lovely drive through the farmlands of Sumur brings you to a traditional local farm for a homely lunch. Visit the house of the Kalon family, which allows you a glimpse into the history of this region.
Camel Safari. This evening, you proceed for a ride on the double-humped Bactrian camel on the sand dunes of the Hunder cold desert. These camels are part of the legacy of the old trade routes through this region, and the setting of dunes against mountain scenery makes this one of Nubra’s signature experiences.
Optional. Shyok River Rafting: The Shyok flows down from the Karakoram Range into the wide Nubra Valley. When conditions are suitable, rafting can be arranged.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Diskit)
Day 7: Diskit – Thiksey Camp – Nubra Sojourns and Return to Leh through Wari La
Diskit Gompa. After an early morning wake-up call, drive up toward Diskit Gompa. Perched on a hill in the village of Diskit and considered the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in Nubra Valley, it belongs to the Gelugpa, or Yellow Hat, sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a sub-gompa of Thiksey Monastery and has a statue of Cho Rinpoche, the crowned Buddha, in the prayer hall, a huge drum, and several images of fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the monastery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet.
Special Prayer. Start the day with a special prayer high up near the towering Maitreya Buddha.
Return Drive via Wari La. Return to the camp for a hearty breakfast and, after breakfast, get ready for your journey back to Leh Valley through picturesque landscape, traversing Wari La if conditions allow. En route, you may see shepherds grazing their pashmina goats, scattered villages, and yaks grazing in the meadows along the streams. This is one of the most scenic passes in Ladakh. You can prebook a spectacular downhill bike ride from the pass. With slightly adjusted timing, and after a safety briefing, you and your guide can cycle down toward the green oasis of Shakti village, depending on conditions.
Route Note. If Wari La is closed due to local conditions, the drive will be back through Khardung La.
Arrival and Leisure. On arrival into the Leh Valley, check into Chamba Camp, Thiksey. The rest of the evening is at leisure to relax and unwind in the surroundings of your camp.
(Overnight – Chamba Camp, Thiksey)
Day 8: Thiksey Camp – Leh
Departure from Camp. Today you bid farewell to the mountainous and rugged terrain of Ladakh. You are assisted with your check-out from your camp in the late morning and driven back to Leh, where you will check in to your spacious suite with great Himalayan views at Leh’s best upscale hotel, the Grand Dragon Ladakh.
Important Reminder. During your check-in, please remind the hotel staff of your flight departure timing the next morning. Easy Tours will already have informed them.
At Leisure in Leh. You will explore more of the unique town and its bazaars and unique attractions with your guide and vehicle. We recommend an early night due to your early morning departure.
(Overnight – Grand Dragon Ladakh)
Day 9: Leh – Delhi – International Flight
Bid Farewell to the Land of the Lamas & Flight to Delhi. Check-out from your hotel and you will be transferred to the airport in time to board your morning flight to Delhi. Arrive at Delhi Airport and your guide will assist in collecting your baggage.
Delhi Excursion. You will be guided out of the airport and then you will proceed to enjoy your choice of its sights, including the multiple UNESCO Sites. Your guide will make suggestions based on your preferences. This is a good time to do some shopping if you are so inclined. Your guide, personal vehicle and chauffeur are available to you until 8 pm for your Fast Track check-in at the airport. If your flight departs late, we can arrange lodging so you can rest.
Full Fast Track Departure Services at Delhi Airport. At the airport you are introduced to your Fast Track Rep who escorts you through the complete departure process, including baggage collection with porterage, check-in, immigration, and security.
Our services end at Delhi Airport.
