Photographers Dream
Duration: 11 nights / 12 Days
Route: Leh -Sham Valley - Aryan Valley - Nubra Valley - Turtuk - Pangong Lake - Leh
Our Photographers Dream tour is one of our most popular tours and we host photography groups from all over the world. Ladakh is an amazing place to take both portrait and landscape photography and we have designed the ultimate itinerary to ensure that even people who are still learning how to take great photos can get an amazing few shots to take home and proudly display from their trip.
Duration: 11 nights / 12 Days
Route: Leh -Sham Valley - Aryan Valley - Nubra Valley - Turtuk - Pangong Lake - Leh
Our Photographers Dream tour is one of our most popular tours and we host photography groups from all over the world. Ladakh is an amazing place to take both portrait and landscape photography and we have designed the ultimate itinerary to ensure that even people who are still learning how to take great photos can get an amazing few shots to take home and proudly display from their trip.
DAY ONE: Leh
An early morning arrival at Leh airport where you will be greeted by our company representative and transferred directly to your Leh based accommodation. After check-in spend a full day taking rest and adapting to the high altitude of Ladakh. Enjoy the surrounding mountain views and take in the local gardens before dinner and overnight stay in our preferred Leh based accommodation.
DAY TWO: Leh – Thiksey – Hemis – Chemrey - Matho - Chuchot (Approximately 4 hours driving)
An early morning start as you depart Leh at 6:30am in order to witness the mesmerising morning puja at Thiksey monastery. Famous for its striking resemblance to the ‘Potala Palace’ in Lhasa, Tibet… the Thiksey gompa is a great place to start your journey of Ladakh and you will surely find peace within the traditional rituals of the local monks and their ritual morning prayer. Next, proceed to Hemis Gompa which is the largest, richest and most populous monastery in all of Ladakh - boasting over 1000 active monks in its many branches. Next, make your way to Chemrey Gompa where you can explore the monastery and the adjacent village and hopefully get some great photos of the monastery which has been built into the mountain side. Make you way to Matho which is a pretty little village with lots of streams running through it. Our guide will assist you to walk through the village and try to get some authentic photos of people going about their daily work… and then you can make your way up to the beautiful monastery which overlooks the entire village and will surely make for some beautiful architectural (with mountain back drop) photographs. Your final stop will be at our luxury property in Chuchot where you can take a walk around the land and enjoy the views which have direct access to the magnificent Indus River. Enjoy the company, world class food, surrounding birdlife and night-time opportunities for star gazing (and astrophotography!) before overnight stay in the on-site luxury tents.
DAY THREE: Chuchot - Leh – Magnetic Hill - Sangham - Basgo - Dha Hanu (Approximately 6 hours driving)
After a warm breakfast and a final farewell to the western plains of Ladakh, you will make your way along the Srinagar highway to the famous ‘Aryan Villages’ which is famed as the only remaining place in the world with ‘pure bred’ Aryan descendants. The road is long – but the destination will be worth your while as few tourists venture into these places, and the Aryan people have very different facial features and cultural traditions then other places in Ladakh. The Aryan villages are also warmer than other places in Ladakh, and as such, this region is famous for various dried fruits and walnuts as well as wine – which is not typically found anywhere else. On arrival at our hotel, you will be made to feel like one of the family and you will surely have a great chance to learn about the unique differences of the Aryan tribe compared to other places in Ladakh. Overnight stay in Beema.
DAY FOUR: Full free day to explore the Aryan villages
Our driver and guide will escort you to Dha and Hanu villages where you walk around and see the the full life and culture of the local Drokpa community. As per your interest you can assist (or just take photos of!) all the daily life routine, washing dishes in the local stream, farm work, planting in the gardens and vegetable patches. Watch the local people milk cows, heard sheep - all the things the people do in their daily life you will see and experience for the next few days. You will have lots of free time to ask questions, walk around the village, meet people and learn about the society and way of life. Return to the resort as per your interest – with hopefully another chance for some star gazing and astrophotography.
DAY FIVE: Dha Hanu – Lamayuru (Approximately 4 hours driving)
Bid farewell to the Drokpa people and make your way with another scenic and adventurous drive to the fairy-tale like village of Lamayuru – an absolute favourite amongst many photographers. You can take photos of the amazing monastery which is set inside the side of the mountain, (sunset is really the best time to capture the monastary as the sun provide an amazing shadow over the surrounding mountains) and if you feel like a short walk you can also roam around the village etc. before enjoying overnight stay in our prearranged hotel accommodation.
DAY SIX: Lamayuru – Alchi - Leh (Approximately 4 hours driving)
Wake early and you can have a chance to see the student monks perform their morning prayer rituals at the Lamayuru monastery. The Lamayuru puja is often less touristy then the Thiksey puja – as the monks mostly children and not as ‘trained’ in their scriptures as the older monks. This can make for more ‘fun’ photographs, and it can be a better experience than Thiksey as there are often less tourists. Begin the return drive back to Leh with one final stop at Alchi village which is famed for it’s uniquely Kashmiri influenced architecture of the village gonpa. The village itself is a pretty place to stop for a bite to eat – and houses one of the only restaurants in all of Ladakh that serves authentic Ladakhi food – cooked by a mother and daughter team – and serving exclusive Ladakhi favourites. Return to Leh as per your interest for final time to explore the market, shop for any last minute souvenirs or just enjoy one final sunset over the Himalayas.
DAY SEVEN: Leh - Disket - Hundar (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Depart Leh after breakfast and head towards ‘Nubra Valley’ which is popularly known as the ‘valley of flowers’ because of the variety of wildflowers and medicinal plants grown all over the local area. Situated in the northern part of Ladakh (between the Karakoram and Ladakh Himalayan ranges), the journey between Leh and Nubra takes you over ‘Khardong-la-pass’ which is the worlds highest motor-able road (located 18390 feet above sea level)! The journey to Nubra is a half-day drive of breathtaking landscapes and spectacular scenery and the experience is sure to be once-in-a-lifetime and truly unforgettable. On arrival in the Valley, you can enjoy a stop at the Disket monastery where you can see views of the surrounding valley and mountain ranges and also marvel at the 100 foot tall Buddha statue. Next, check into our prearranged villa accommodation where you can relax and have a self guided walk through the village.
DAY EIGHT: Hunder – Turtuk (Approximately 3 hours driving)
Wake early and make your way to the predominantly Muslim occupied area of Turtuk. Enjoy the varied culture, food and ethnic dress and traditions of the local people as you walk through the quaint village… explore the distinct local architecture and also enjoy an optional visit to the Buddhist monastery which is a short walk through the village. As per your interest, make your way to our luxury camp accommodation for overnight stay.
DAY NINE: Turtuk - Hunder (Approximately 3 hours driving)
Wake as per your leisure and make your way back to Hunder for overnight stay. AS per your interest (sunset works best!), our driver will collect you from the villa and transfer you to the Hunder Valley sand dunes where you can enjoy an optional camel safari on the resident double humped camels (leftover from the silk route trading days) or just take photos of the camels riding off into the sunset. Overnight stay in Hunder villa.
DAY TEN: Hunder – Pangong Lake (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Sure to be a highlight of your tour, today you will endure an adventurous drive with a constantly scenic trip to the magnificent Pangong Lake. A must see destination for your time in Ladakh, Pangong Lake has been made famous by the 'Three Idiots' movie and more than half of the lake marks the separation border of India and China. The appearance of the water is said to change colour at every angle of the sun - which makes for some amazing photographs so don’t forget your camera (and spare batteries!) Overnight stay in Pangong camp.
DAY ELEVEN: Pangong - Leh (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Our driver will return you back to Leh where you can enjoy the remainder of the afternoon shopping for last minute souvenirs just perusing the market.
DAY TWELVE: Departure
Our driver will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to the airport in time for your morning departure flight.
An early morning arrival at Leh airport where you will be greeted by our company representative and transferred directly to your Leh based accommodation. After check-in spend a full day taking rest and adapting to the high altitude of Ladakh. Enjoy the surrounding mountain views and take in the local gardens before dinner and overnight stay in our preferred Leh based accommodation.
DAY TWO: Leh – Thiksey – Hemis – Chemrey - Matho - Chuchot (Approximately 4 hours driving)
An early morning start as you depart Leh at 6:30am in order to witness the mesmerising morning puja at Thiksey monastery. Famous for its striking resemblance to the ‘Potala Palace’ in Lhasa, Tibet… the Thiksey gompa is a great place to start your journey of Ladakh and you will surely find peace within the traditional rituals of the local monks and their ritual morning prayer. Next, proceed to Hemis Gompa which is the largest, richest and most populous monastery in all of Ladakh - boasting over 1000 active monks in its many branches. Next, make your way to Chemrey Gompa where you can explore the monastery and the adjacent village and hopefully get some great photos of the monastery which has been built into the mountain side. Make you way to Matho which is a pretty little village with lots of streams running through it. Our guide will assist you to walk through the village and try to get some authentic photos of people going about their daily work… and then you can make your way up to the beautiful monastery which overlooks the entire village and will surely make for some beautiful architectural (with mountain back drop) photographs. Your final stop will be at our luxury property in Chuchot where you can take a walk around the land and enjoy the views which have direct access to the magnificent Indus River. Enjoy the company, world class food, surrounding birdlife and night-time opportunities for star gazing (and astrophotography!) before overnight stay in the on-site luxury tents.
DAY THREE: Chuchot - Leh – Magnetic Hill - Sangham - Basgo - Dha Hanu (Approximately 6 hours driving)
After a warm breakfast and a final farewell to the western plains of Ladakh, you will make your way along the Srinagar highway to the famous ‘Aryan Villages’ which is famed as the only remaining place in the world with ‘pure bred’ Aryan descendants. The road is long – but the destination will be worth your while as few tourists venture into these places, and the Aryan people have very different facial features and cultural traditions then other places in Ladakh. The Aryan villages are also warmer than other places in Ladakh, and as such, this region is famous for various dried fruits and walnuts as well as wine – which is not typically found anywhere else. On arrival at our hotel, you will be made to feel like one of the family and you will surely have a great chance to learn about the unique differences of the Aryan tribe compared to other places in Ladakh. Overnight stay in Beema.
DAY FOUR: Full free day to explore the Aryan villages
Our driver and guide will escort you to Dha and Hanu villages where you walk around and see the the full life and culture of the local Drokpa community. As per your interest you can assist (or just take photos of!) all the daily life routine, washing dishes in the local stream, farm work, planting in the gardens and vegetable patches. Watch the local people milk cows, heard sheep - all the things the people do in their daily life you will see and experience for the next few days. You will have lots of free time to ask questions, walk around the village, meet people and learn about the society and way of life. Return to the resort as per your interest – with hopefully another chance for some star gazing and astrophotography.
DAY FIVE: Dha Hanu – Lamayuru (Approximately 4 hours driving)
Bid farewell to the Drokpa people and make your way with another scenic and adventurous drive to the fairy-tale like village of Lamayuru – an absolute favourite amongst many photographers. You can take photos of the amazing monastery which is set inside the side of the mountain, (sunset is really the best time to capture the monastary as the sun provide an amazing shadow over the surrounding mountains) and if you feel like a short walk you can also roam around the village etc. before enjoying overnight stay in our prearranged hotel accommodation.
DAY SIX: Lamayuru – Alchi - Leh (Approximately 4 hours driving)
Wake early and you can have a chance to see the student monks perform their morning prayer rituals at the Lamayuru monastery. The Lamayuru puja is often less touristy then the Thiksey puja – as the monks mostly children and not as ‘trained’ in their scriptures as the older monks. This can make for more ‘fun’ photographs, and it can be a better experience than Thiksey as there are often less tourists. Begin the return drive back to Leh with one final stop at Alchi village which is famed for it’s uniquely Kashmiri influenced architecture of the village gonpa. The village itself is a pretty place to stop for a bite to eat – and houses one of the only restaurants in all of Ladakh that serves authentic Ladakhi food – cooked by a mother and daughter team – and serving exclusive Ladakhi favourites. Return to Leh as per your interest for final time to explore the market, shop for any last minute souvenirs or just enjoy one final sunset over the Himalayas.
DAY SEVEN: Leh - Disket - Hundar (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Depart Leh after breakfast and head towards ‘Nubra Valley’ which is popularly known as the ‘valley of flowers’ because of the variety of wildflowers and medicinal plants grown all over the local area. Situated in the northern part of Ladakh (between the Karakoram and Ladakh Himalayan ranges), the journey between Leh and Nubra takes you over ‘Khardong-la-pass’ which is the worlds highest motor-able road (located 18390 feet above sea level)! The journey to Nubra is a half-day drive of breathtaking landscapes and spectacular scenery and the experience is sure to be once-in-a-lifetime and truly unforgettable. On arrival in the Valley, you can enjoy a stop at the Disket monastery where you can see views of the surrounding valley and mountain ranges and also marvel at the 100 foot tall Buddha statue. Next, check into our prearranged villa accommodation where you can relax and have a self guided walk through the village.
DAY EIGHT: Hunder – Turtuk (Approximately 3 hours driving)
Wake early and make your way to the predominantly Muslim occupied area of Turtuk. Enjoy the varied culture, food and ethnic dress and traditions of the local people as you walk through the quaint village… explore the distinct local architecture and also enjoy an optional visit to the Buddhist monastery which is a short walk through the village. As per your interest, make your way to our luxury camp accommodation for overnight stay.
DAY NINE: Turtuk - Hunder (Approximately 3 hours driving)
Wake as per your leisure and make your way back to Hunder for overnight stay. AS per your interest (sunset works best!), our driver will collect you from the villa and transfer you to the Hunder Valley sand dunes where you can enjoy an optional camel safari on the resident double humped camels (leftover from the silk route trading days) or just take photos of the camels riding off into the sunset. Overnight stay in Hunder villa.
DAY TEN: Hunder – Pangong Lake (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Sure to be a highlight of your tour, today you will endure an adventurous drive with a constantly scenic trip to the magnificent Pangong Lake. A must see destination for your time in Ladakh, Pangong Lake has been made famous by the 'Three Idiots' movie and more than half of the lake marks the separation border of India and China. The appearance of the water is said to change colour at every angle of the sun - which makes for some amazing photographs so don’t forget your camera (and spare batteries!) Overnight stay in Pangong camp.
DAY ELEVEN: Pangong - Leh (Approximately 5 hours driving)
Our driver will return you back to Leh where you can enjoy the remainder of the afternoon shopping for last minute souvenirs just perusing the market.
DAY TWELVE: Departure
Our driver will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to the airport in time for your morning departure flight.