Day 1 |
Arrival to Leh (3500 m). Airport pick-up and transfer to a hotel. Free day for acclimatization. Afternoon visit to the Leh palace and Main Bazar by foot on your own. Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 2 |
Spituk and Phyang monasteries in the morning. Namgyal Tsemo gompa and Shanti Stupa in Leh (in the afternoon). Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 3 |
Upper Indus valley: Shey palace; Thiksey, Hemis and Chemrey monasteries. Back to Leh. Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 4 |
Spituk and Phyang monasteries; Basgo fortress and temples; Likir and Alchi monasteries. En route visit to confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. Overnight in a guesthouse in Alchi (3100 m). |
Day 5 |
Lamayuru monastery in the morning. Drive to Kargil along the Leh-Srinagar highway via Fotu La (4100 m) and Namika La (3810 m) passes. En route stop at the large Maitreya Buddha rock carving in Mulbekh. Overnight in a hotel in Kargil (2680 m). |
Day 6 |
Drive to Rangdum through the Suru valley and the villages of Sankoo, Panikhar and Parkachik (7-8 hrs). An option: drive to the Kartse village (side valley from Sankoo) to see the large Maitreya Buddha rock carving. In the evening, visit to the Rangdum monastery. Overnight in a delux camp in Rangdum (4020 m). |
Day 7 |
Drive to Padum via Pensi La pass (4485 m) with a magnificent view of Drang Drung glacier. En route visit to the Sani monastery housing the ancient Kanika Chorten. Overnight in a guesthouse in Padum (3570 m). |
Day 8 |
Karsha monastery (on the left bank of the Zanskar river) in the morning. After lunch, visit to the Bardan monastery at the bank of Tsarap river. Overnight in a guesthouse in Padum. |
Day 9 |
Stongdey monastery and Zangla palace (on the right bank of the Zanskar river). Return to Padum, en route visit to the Pibiting monastery. Overnight in a guesthouse in Padum. |
Day 10 |
Drive back to Rangdum. En route visit to the Dzongkhul monastery housing the meditating cave of Naropa. Overnight in a delux camp in Rangdum. |
Day 11 |
Drive back to Kargil. Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 12 |
Drive back to Leh. Overnight in a hotel. |
Day 13 |
Transfer to the airport. |