Remote Zangskar
Duration: 10 nights / 11 Days
Route: Srinagar - Kargil - Padum - Zangskar region - Purne - Lamayuru - Alchi - Likir - Leh
Our 'Remote Zangskar' tour takes you into the unexplored region of Zangskar where life seemingly stands still. This tour is for anyone who doesn't mind stepping away from their comfort zone.
Duration: 10 nights / 11 Days
Route: Srinagar - Kargil - Padum - Zangskar region - Purne - Lamayuru - Alchi - Likir - Leh
Our 'Remote Zangskar' tour takes you into the unexplored region of Zangskar where life seemingly stands still. This tour is for anyone who doesn't mind stepping away from their comfort zone.
DAY ONE: Srinagar
As per your flight arrival time, our transfer representative will collect you from Srinagar airport and transfer you to our prearranged houseboat where you can enjoy a taditional shikara boat ride to reach our prearranged houseboat accommodation.
DAY TWO: Srinagar
After breakfast, catch the Shikara to the road where our driver will be waiting to escort you on full day of Srinagar based sight-seeing starting at the famous Mughal gardens. First, you can see Nishat Bagh (the garden of pleasure) which has an impressive plantation of Chinar trees and buly in a symmetrical plan of waterways and fountains which divide a series of gardened terraces. Next, visit the Shalimar Bagh (abode of love) garden before finding yourself at the famous Shankaracharya temple. Finish the day with a walk around the ‘old town’ where you can see the historic wooden mosques or you can shop for local Kashmiri style handicrafts including dried fruits, quality pashminas or the intricately designed wooden boxes. Return to our prearrangedhouseboat in time for a traditional Kashmiri dinner and overnight stay.
DAY THREE: Srinagar – Sonamarg – Drass – Kargil
Depart Srinagar and transfer to Kargil via ‘Sonamarg’ hill-station crossing over the world famous Zoji La pass. Along the way, visit Drass Village (popularly known as the second coldest inhabited place in the world) where you can enjoy magnificent views of the famous Kargil War peaks ‘Tiger Hill’ and ‘Tololing’. Stop for a quick tea break at ‘Vijay Smarak’ where you can pay tribute to all the soldiers who laid their lives in the 1999 Kargil War before your overnight stay in Kargil.
DAY FOUR: Kargil – Sankoo – Panikhar – Parkachik – Rangdum – Penzi La – Padum
Our driver will collect you from the hotel in Kargil and transfer you to Padum village where you can enjoy the long but scenic drive through the dramatic Suru Valley. Cross over the Pensi-la pass which sits at 4400 meters above sea level and on a very clear day, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the ‘Nun’ and ‘Kun’ mountain peaks (each over 7000m). Even if you don’t, you won’t be disappointed as the alternate scenery along the way makes the long and arduous journey well worth the effort! Overnight stay in hotel.
DAY FIVE: Padum - Zangla – Stongde - Stakrimo – Pipiting - Padum
After breakfast, you will embark on a full day of Zangskar regional sightseeing starting with a 35km drive along the Zanskar River to Zangla village. Check in to Stongde which is home to the second largest Geluk pa monasatary in all of Zangskar and then make your way to Zangla where you can visit both the old and new palaces of the Zangla king. Next, make your way to the nearby nunnery and then through Stakrimo and Pipiting villages where you can view another great monastery before returning to Padum for overnight stay. Overnight stay in hotel.
DAY SIX: Padum – Muney - Bardan - Phuktal monastery – Purne
Wake as per your leisure and drive through Bardan and Muney villages which are home to small monasteries and beautiful villages before reaching to Admoo village where you will depart the car and start your trek which will take around 5 hours to the famous Phuktal monastery. Enjoy a refreshing drink at one of the nearby tea stalls before walking another 2 hours to Purne village for overnight stay in one of the two houses within the small but friendly village.
DAY SEVEN: Purne – Admoo - Padum
Wake with the birds and walk approximately 2 hours back to Admoo on the opposite side of TseRa river to reach Admoo where our car will be waiting to collect you to transfer you back to Padum for a hot shower and overnight stay.
DAY EIGHT: Padum – Kargil
Make the return journey back to Kargil via the same route. Overnight in Kargil hotel.
DAY NINE: Kargil - Mulbeck - Lamayuru
Depart the hotel as per your leisure and enjoy the relatively short drive to Lamayuru. Along the way you can stop in at Mulbeck where you can visit the giant Buddha sculpture on Rock Mountain and then arrive to Lamayuru village which looks like something out of a fairytale! You will enjoy some great sunset views from our hotel, or you can tak a short walk outside of the village to get some amazing pictures of the sun setting behind the mountains with the monastery in the foregroung. Overnight stay in Lamayuru.
DAY TEN: Lamayuru - Alchi - Likir - Magnetic Hill - Sangham - Leh
Wake early and make your way to the Lamayuru monastery for the early morning ‘puja’ with the resident monks. Watch them perform the daily rituals, marvel at the chanting and then proceed to Alchi monastery via the famous ‘moonland territory’ - so-called because of its crater-like landscape which some people say resembles the environment of the moon. On your arrival at Alchi monastery, you can enjoy the unique Kashmiri influenced architecture before one last holy sight for the day - the Likir gompa which is famous for its tall Buddha statue. Follow the highway past the intersection of the Zangskar and Indus rivers at Sangham where you can stop for some typically touristy photos of the colourful waters. Before making your way to the main town of Leh where you will have free time to roam around the bazaar and peruse the local handicrafts. Overnight stay in Leh.
DAY ELEVEN: Departure
Our driver will collect you from your Leh based hotel accommodation and transfer you directly to the airport in time for your morning flight.
** You can extend this tour by adding a Ladakh based itinerary to the end of this given program. Contact us for more information or suggestions.
As per your flight arrival time, our transfer representative will collect you from Srinagar airport and transfer you to our prearranged houseboat where you can enjoy a taditional shikara boat ride to reach our prearranged houseboat accommodation.
DAY TWO: Srinagar
After breakfast, catch the Shikara to the road where our driver will be waiting to escort you on full day of Srinagar based sight-seeing starting at the famous Mughal gardens. First, you can see Nishat Bagh (the garden of pleasure) which has an impressive plantation of Chinar trees and buly in a symmetrical plan of waterways and fountains which divide a series of gardened terraces. Next, visit the Shalimar Bagh (abode of love) garden before finding yourself at the famous Shankaracharya temple. Finish the day with a walk around the ‘old town’ where you can see the historic wooden mosques or you can shop for local Kashmiri style handicrafts including dried fruits, quality pashminas or the intricately designed wooden boxes. Return to our prearrangedhouseboat in time for a traditional Kashmiri dinner and overnight stay.
DAY THREE: Srinagar – Sonamarg – Drass – Kargil
Depart Srinagar and transfer to Kargil via ‘Sonamarg’ hill-station crossing over the world famous Zoji La pass. Along the way, visit Drass Village (popularly known as the second coldest inhabited place in the world) where you can enjoy magnificent views of the famous Kargil War peaks ‘Tiger Hill’ and ‘Tololing’. Stop for a quick tea break at ‘Vijay Smarak’ where you can pay tribute to all the soldiers who laid their lives in the 1999 Kargil War before your overnight stay in Kargil.
DAY FOUR: Kargil – Sankoo – Panikhar – Parkachik – Rangdum – Penzi La – Padum
Our driver will collect you from the hotel in Kargil and transfer you to Padum village where you can enjoy the long but scenic drive through the dramatic Suru Valley. Cross over the Pensi-la pass which sits at 4400 meters above sea level and on a very clear day, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the ‘Nun’ and ‘Kun’ mountain peaks (each over 7000m). Even if you don’t, you won’t be disappointed as the alternate scenery along the way makes the long and arduous journey well worth the effort! Overnight stay in hotel.
DAY FIVE: Padum - Zangla – Stongde - Stakrimo – Pipiting - Padum
After breakfast, you will embark on a full day of Zangskar regional sightseeing starting with a 35km drive along the Zanskar River to Zangla village. Check in to Stongde which is home to the second largest Geluk pa monasatary in all of Zangskar and then make your way to Zangla where you can visit both the old and new palaces of the Zangla king. Next, make your way to the nearby nunnery and then through Stakrimo and Pipiting villages where you can view another great monastery before returning to Padum for overnight stay. Overnight stay in hotel.
DAY SIX: Padum – Muney - Bardan - Phuktal monastery – Purne
Wake as per your leisure and drive through Bardan and Muney villages which are home to small monasteries and beautiful villages before reaching to Admoo village where you will depart the car and start your trek which will take around 5 hours to the famous Phuktal monastery. Enjoy a refreshing drink at one of the nearby tea stalls before walking another 2 hours to Purne village for overnight stay in one of the two houses within the small but friendly village.
DAY SEVEN: Purne – Admoo - Padum
Wake with the birds and walk approximately 2 hours back to Admoo on the opposite side of TseRa river to reach Admoo where our car will be waiting to collect you to transfer you back to Padum for a hot shower and overnight stay.
DAY EIGHT: Padum – Kargil
Make the return journey back to Kargil via the same route. Overnight in Kargil hotel.
DAY NINE: Kargil - Mulbeck - Lamayuru
Depart the hotel as per your leisure and enjoy the relatively short drive to Lamayuru. Along the way you can stop in at Mulbeck where you can visit the giant Buddha sculpture on Rock Mountain and then arrive to Lamayuru village which looks like something out of a fairytale! You will enjoy some great sunset views from our hotel, or you can tak a short walk outside of the village to get some amazing pictures of the sun setting behind the mountains with the monastery in the foregroung. Overnight stay in Lamayuru.
DAY TEN: Lamayuru - Alchi - Likir - Magnetic Hill - Sangham - Leh
Wake early and make your way to the Lamayuru monastery for the early morning ‘puja’ with the resident monks. Watch them perform the daily rituals, marvel at the chanting and then proceed to Alchi monastery via the famous ‘moonland territory’ - so-called because of its crater-like landscape which some people say resembles the environment of the moon. On your arrival at Alchi monastery, you can enjoy the unique Kashmiri influenced architecture before one last holy sight for the day - the Likir gompa which is famous for its tall Buddha statue. Follow the highway past the intersection of the Zangskar and Indus rivers at Sangham where you can stop for some typically touristy photos of the colourful waters. Before making your way to the main town of Leh where you will have free time to roam around the bazaar and peruse the local handicrafts. Overnight stay in Leh.
DAY ELEVEN: Departure
Our driver will collect you from your Leh based hotel accommodation and transfer you directly to the airport in time for your morning flight.
** You can extend this tour by adding a Ladakh based itinerary to the end of this given program. Contact us for more information or suggestions.