India All-Around: Himalaya Trekking in LADAKH

There are many different ways of travelling. One aspect that we highly value is the connection to local people. In the end these people are representatives of their culture and what would a culture be without its people, right? They are also the ones that know their culture best, that can show you around to places you would most likely never end up at if you went exploring on your own initiative.

When you plan your next trip and wish to be guided by an expert through the wild and the calm, the cities and the countryside, up the hills and along the lakes of India, consider a tailor-made journey with a sustainable approach and with a focus on the personal contact with the locals. We recommend a round trip and Himalaya Trekking in Ladakh!

15-Days Himalaya Trekking trip LADAKH

• from €1.499
   
• Homestay with the locals 
  
  
• Visit of the salt lake Pangong Tso
   
• Trip to the idyllic Nubra Valley
  
  

During this 15-day round trip you will hike through the breathtaking scenery of Ladakh and stay in cozy family hotels or at a local’s home. In this way you will get familiar with the humbling hospitality of the people from Ladakh. You will follow an old trade route to Tibet, which will lead you to the salt lake Pangong Tso close to Tibet. Two of the highest passes open to traffic are located along the way. During your Himalaya Trekking trip you will stay with a host family in a traditional village, which is a truly unique experience. You are trekking along the barely-traveled route to the idyllic a Nubra Valley with lush apricot trees, picturesque villages and monasteries. You also have the option to ride on a camel in the sand dunes.

The trip can be customised in any way you wish, we just want to give you an idea of what your trip could look like:

Route: Delhi – Leh  –  Likir – trek – Lamyuru – Alchi – Leh – Shyok – Pangong Lake – Nubra – Leh

Day 1 - Arrival in Delhi

At the airport in Delhi our partner will be waiting for you to take you to your guesthouse not far from the airport.

Day 2 - Flight Delhi - Leh (3500m)

In the early morning you will fly to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. This is a spectacular flight with stunning views of the diverse landscape: Bare, light mountains with no vegetation and small rivers strewn with green poplars and pastures. Due to the altitude it is important to take it easy the first few days and to drink a lot. Ladakh is known for its Buddhist, "Tibetan" culture. If a monastery festival takes place during your Himalaya trekking trip, this will be included in your schedule so that you can participate in a special celebration - The monastery festivals are a highlight!

Day 3 - Leh

Leh is a lively city with a relaxed atmosphere. It was always an important place for the various caravan routes. When you are here you can enjoy a beautiful hike in the fields around Ladakh and visit a small, picturesque Sankar monastery. There are many small shops in the streets of the city. At these shops, founded by Kashmiris and Tibetans, you can buy beautiful Tibetan artefacts, carpets and jewellery. In the cozy restaurants with roof terrace or garden you can eat delicious.

Day 4 - After Likir, beginning of the trek to Yangotang (4-5 hours)

After breakfast you will be taken to Likir by car. The two-hour drive leads through craggy landscapes, before you will visit the beautiful Buddhist Likir Monastery from the 15th century. The four-day hike is relatively easy: While most other tours in Ladakh take you very high, you will hardly go above 3800m here. They lead you from village to village, past colourful mountain slopes and beautiful views. Your luggage is transported by car. On the way you will sleep in simple guest-houses and with host families at home. This is a soft start to your Himalaya trekking experience.

Day 5 - Hike to Hemis Shukpachan (2-3 hours)

Even though you cross a pass in 3750m, today’s hike is easy. The village of Hemis Shukpachan is one of the most beautiful villages in Ladakh. There are several pastures and large barley fields, which offer a touch of green in the rocky mountain landscape. If you feel fit enough, you can make a trip to Ridzong Monastery.

Day 6 - Hike to Ang (3 hours)

Today you walk past two hills west of the village, past the Meptek Pass (3750m), where you can see many prayer flags. From this pass you move on to Ang, a pretty village with apricot gardens. Here you stay with a host family.

Day 7: Hike to Themis Gang (3 hours); By car to Lamayuru (2 hours)

Today is the last day of the tour. You go downhill to the village of Themis Gang, where the car is waiting for you. After lunch in Khaltse, a small market town, you will travel to Lamayuru. Here you will find one of Ladakh's oldest and most spectacularly situated Gönpa. From the monastery you have a view of the valley, which is surrounded by a landscape with mountains of sandstone and warps.

Day 8 - After Leh via Alchi and Phe (108 km / 4 hours)

On the way to Leh you will stop at Alchi, the oldest monastery of Ladakh. The monastery is about 1000 years old and despite rain and earthquakes it survived. Also visit the village of Phe and learn more about the work of local organisations.

Day 9 - Leh - Chang La - Shyok (125 km / 4.5 hours)

Today you will go over an old caravan route to Tibet, past the 5360 meter high Chang La, one of the highest passes open to traffic in the world. This pass is a highlight of your Himalaya trekking trip - literally! You will pass and visit several monasteries and temples during your hike. In the late afternoon you will reach a special lodge located by the river.

Day 10 - Shyok

In the early morning you will enjoy a great walk along an old part of the caravan route to Tibet and Yarkandistan. Your guide will tell you interesting stories about the mountains, vegetation and fauna. With a little luck you will see Ladakh's blue sheep and many colourful birds. After lunch, take a short walk through the fields. You will learn how barley and vegetables grow in this desert environment. In the monastery village monks will serve you tea and talk about their way of life.

Day 11 - Shyok - Pangong (4400m) - Shyok (125km / 4-5hours)

After breakfast take the jeep to Pangong Tso, a huge salt lake on the Tibetan border. You will be impressed by the sight as the deep blue lake is surrounded by rugged bright mountains. It is hard to imagine that people live here in winter. You will either have lunch in a traditional tent or have a picnic. As you return to the lodge you can decide for yourself what you want to do.

Day 12 - Shyok - Nubra (Deskit / Hunder)

After breakfast enjoy an exciting tour with the jeep along the river to the Nubra Valley. You follow the wide and wild valley of Shyok, past small hamlets of Ladakh's peasants. You will cross small rivers and travel along sand dunes that are reminiscent of the Taklamakan Desert on the other side of the Karakorum. In the evening you arrive in a small village called Hundar, where you eat and sleep in a comfortable guest house.

Day 13 - Nubra (Deskit / Hundar)

Today you can choose between two options: the Jeep to Turtuk, a city not far from the border of Pakistan or a camel safari. The jeep tour leads through the Nubra Valley. Many Muslims live here, while the people of Deskit and Hundar are predominantly Buddhist. If you choose the active program you can take a camel ride through the sand dunes in Hundar.

Day 14 - Nubra - Leh

After breakfast, visit one of the two Gönpa in Nubra, Gönpa in Sumur or Deskit. Then drive back to Leh with the jeep on a road that leads over the Khardung La (5450 m). This is probably the highest road open to traffic in the world. The view over the oasis of Leh is spectacular.

Day 15 - Flight Leh - Delhi

In the early morning you will fly back to Delhi, where your Himalaya trekking trip ends. In Delhi you can visit various attractions such as Old Delhi, Red Fort, Kutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, or Akshardam Temple.

You’re in love with this itinerary? Get in touch with Fairaway to book your unforgettable journey through India! Jan is the local expert, who can adjust your trip as you wish and make it as individual and unique as you imagine it: jan@fairaway.de.

© All photos via Fairaway