DELHI
‘Yeh dilli hai meri jaan’ Kickstart your day with an early morning cycling through the narrow and wide alleyways of Delhi and devour a hearty breakfast at Karim’s. They specialise in Mutton Nihari (smooth flour based stew with slow-cooked mutton in a myriad of spices) or an authentic Indian breakfast. Later in the day, we will take a half day city tour where you will see Qutub Minar – the tallest minaret, Lotus Temple – the notable flower-like shape and Iskon temple for its sheer stillness in the atmosphere.

LEH
Arrive at Leh and acclimatise at the camp: Fly into Leh valley with spectacular views of the Zanskar and Karakoram ranges en-route. We highly recommend that you web check-in and opt for a window seat as you will be ascending from 709 ft from New Delhi to 11480 ft to Leh. Complete rest and acclimatisation are utmost important.  

LEH
Again a leisure day at Camp to acclimatise. Sickness during Ladakh visit is a common occurrence when drives or flies to high-altitude areas directly. So, we suggest you better take rest and adjust to the decreased levels of oxygen in high-altitude locations. 

LEH
Start your day at Thikse monastery, as the sun rises behind the mountains. Mantras wrapped in juniper incense travel through the air, kindling an ethereal state that gives you a glimpse of a parallel, monastic world. Novice monks serve steaming cups of butter tea and have a personal chat with the Rimpoche (Head Monk). Walk through the countryside – white-washed chortens and mud-brick homes strewn across barley fields, while a winding road leads up to a medieval monastery, adorned by fluttering prayer flags wielded in the wind, carrying good-will and peace to all sentient beings. Partake in the seasonal farming activities like apricot picking and the making of Chang or rice-wine. Try your hand at archery, the local sport

LEH
Post breakfast we take you down memory lane to a time in Ladakh when there was no sign of motored vehicles and yet trader caravans arrived with precious goods from far off lands bringing spices, silk etc. As we walk through alleys of Oldtown, we reminiscence the erstwhile silk routes and the cultural amalgamation it brought in to Ladakh. We stop for a local meal at a restored house in old town followed by learning and understanding the local produce of the region. Shop hand weaved Ladakhi Pashmina, local teas, yak wool caps etc. In the evening we drive to Shanti Stupa or Stakna Monastery for Sunset.

LEH
Cycle along the rustic countryside, racing the Indus and halting on bridges, listening to the fluttering prayer flags wielded in the wind. Ribbon your way through the villages of Ladakh, with no destination in mind, tyres treading the jagged terrain. As you explore Ladakh through these raw tracks, the land will become a close acquaintance in no time, revealing to you the quiet tricks of a cold dessert. Early evening watch Horse Polo amongst the local teams end the evening with a cultural performance and some drinks. 

LEH – NUBRA VALLEY
This day we will be soaring the high passes. Post breakfast we head to the east of Leh driving through quaint villages of Sakti & Chemday to ascend the beautiful winding roads of Warila pass ( 5312 m/ 17427 ft) and descend into Tangyar village in Nubra Valley. We reach camp for a leisurely lunch before heading out to explore Khima village, a quiet little hamlet housing about fifteen families. If you are feeling up to it, we can take a small hike to the vast grazing pastures a little above Khima village or just have a long chat with the village elderly to get an insight into their lives. After the walk spends the evening at camp with a bonfire and drinks. 

LEH – NUBRA VALLEY
Take a short 3 hr hike to Diggar village that takes you back to the 9th century with ancient temples and stone carved Buddha Statues. We walk through a beautiful valley with streams unwinding through our paths, as we keep a watch out for high altitude birds and wildlife.  Then we walk to the 9th-century statue – a tall (4.1m in height), free-standing stela, bearing Bodhisattvas on its three sides. This is a little away from the village which is the evidence of Kashmiri art travelling to Ladakh. Interestingly, the space between the figures is filled with floral decoration and makaras, so far unique features for the Buddhist carvings of Ladakh. 

LEH – NUBRA VALLEY
After breakfast, we take a short hike to Tangyar village. The village is like a picturesque hamlet, set on mud crag, crowned with a monastery. The houses are built so close to each other that one could jump from the one roof to another. Its central feature is the monastery which was built in the 15th century, and subsequent years made it famous by the preservation of the body of Tibetan yogi called Panchen Nubrapa in one of the stupas inside the monastery. The bird’s eye view of the village from the monastery is breath-taking.

Post a leisurely breakfast at camp we cross over the Shyok River and drive towards Siachen glacier to reach the village of Kyagar where we are welcomed into an old heritage house by the family. Today we take a tour of an ancient Ladakhi home where we prepare and eat lunch along with the family.  Post lunch drive to visit Samstanling Monastery that was founded 140 years ago in 1841 by Lama Tsultim Nima. The monastery is to be found in the middle of pleasant scenic beauty and is surrounded by traditional hues of Gold, Red Ocher and white. A special evening is in store for you. Double hump Bactrian Camels pick us up for an evening of drinks in the much famed Hunder sand dunes.

LEH
As its our last day we step back in to the ethereal world of monks by starting the day with prayers at Diskit Monastery, followed by breakfast at camp before we hit the worlds highest motorable road (Khardung La at a height of 5,359 m/ 17,582 ft) and then descend back in to Leh valley for lunch and a bazaar stroll with some local shopping. The evening holds in store a surprise that you will hopefully remember for a lifetime.

Day 13 – Fly back home with great memories of this surreal world we call home.