Mystical Ladakh with Lamayuru Festival

We will receive you at the airport in Leh. The flights usually land by 11:30 am and you will drive straight to a beautiful local homestay. Spend the day acclimatising while you observe the simple life of Ladakhi folks in the midst of serene landscapes. In the evening you can explore the Leh market buzzing with life. Under the awe-inspiring eighth storey Leh palace, the market place gives a taste of cultural fusion. With the Kashmiri tradesmen coloring the streets with their exotic pashminas, the local Ladakhi women in traditional clothes selling organic greens, the modern cafes with finest cakes and the quiet alleys around the marketplace that tells a story woven over time. After dinner at a lovely garden restaurant, we will retire at the home-stay.

Note: Flights are not included but we are happy to assist you in booking your flights.

We begin the day with an hour-long introductory yoga session. After a healthy organic breakfast at the homestay, we leave for the Heritage walk in the old town. We will start by visiting the museum built by the Leh Old Town Restoration Initiative (LOTI) group, with locally available materials and infrastructure. The structure revolves around a skyscraper (Thokskar) on the top floor and has relics of Ladakh. From there you will enter the old town streets where the entire landscape is as it was in the Kings’ time, some of which have been restored by LOTI. The walk will take you through King Singay Namgyal’s palace. Post lunch we will visit the beautiful Sankar monastery. In the evening, enjoy a film screening for a deeper perspective on the ways of Ladakh followed by dinner.

Wake up to the crisp and pious air of Leh. After breakfast, we will start for the days drive to Nubra Valley across Khardongla pass, at 18315 feet it's the world’s highest motor able road in the world. We spend a while at the altitude, make the moment memorable with a picture and a cup of tea at the army run cafe. We will descend the pass into Nubra Valley with the first glimpse of the mountain ranges beyond scale and time. We will reach under by the evening Sun crossing the dunes and poplar orchards to our home for the next two nights, Hunder village. At Hunder we will be received warmly at the campsite with hot tea and snacks. Unwind yourself in the cosiness of a bonfire followed by dinner.

Enjoy the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the beautiful Nubra Valley. After breakfast, we will visit the 100ft Buddha and the adjoining Diskit Monastery. The platform on top of the hill overlooking the valley of Nubra is a spectacular for silent contemplation. We will visit Organic vegetable gardens, the sand dunes where you can ride the double hump Bactrian camels in the wild pastures or relish the land of Ladakh more deeply through the cultural programs, and archery. Come back to the warmth of a bonfire back at the campsite in the evening.

Today we will leave for Pangong Lake from Nubra valley through Shayok. On reaching Pangong Lake we will check in the campsite and spend the day enjoying the beauty of the lake. After evening tea and snacks, we will take a little walk by the vast emptiness of Pangong Tso Lake, hued in green and azure. Wrap up the day absorbing the silence of the place and dinner.

As the early sun dawns into the stillness of the Pangong Lake, one should make most of it. After breakfast, we will drive to the beautiful and rarely visited Mann village. We will take a silent walk by the serene lake and through the small alleys of the village, soaking in the divinity of the simple life of the locals and discover its many stories. Enjoy a scrumptious home-cooked lunch at one of the local homes of Mann village and prepare for the journey back to Leh.

After an early breakfast we leave for Tsomoriri lake through the Chumathang hot springs. Delight in the calmness of the magnificent fresh water lake also home to some of the rare bird species of the Himalayas as well as some migratory birds. Several Tibetan and Ladakhi nomadic families can be seen around the lake.

We bid farewell to Korzok and its nomads and start our drive back to Leh in the morning through Taglangla pass. On the way we will stop at the Puga hot springs and nomadic settlements through the route. As we approach Tsokar lake we can see the white of the Miniral salt deposits around the lake. Tsokar was the source of salt for many years in the region. Once we hit the leh Manali highway the drive is comfortable to Leh.

We will start our last day of the trip in Ladakh in Sham Vally driving through Gurudwara Pathar sahib, Magnetic hill (ride ATV’s optional), and the confluence of Indus and Zanskar river. Let the child come alive as you thrill yourself with a shot at white water rafting in heigh rapids of Zanskar River. After rafting we will drive ahead to lamayuru village and rest for the evening at the homestay and walking around the village.

Today is a day of celebration as the Lamayuru festival begins. The Yuru Kabgyat festival at Lamayuru is an ancient festival dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava (the second Buddha) and Yama (the lord of death) and is an essential event in Ladakh and for the Buddhist worldwide. Marvel at the sacred masked dances performed as an offering to the Buddhas and in the evening stroll through the Leh old bazaar collecting souvenirs and gifts.

Early morning leave for the airport in time for your flights to Delhi with blessings from the mountains and fond memories of the tour which will last the lifetime.