Samrat Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.

Day by Day Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival in Delhi, flight to Leh.

Day 02: Tour of Leh city, including the seventeenth century Palace and Gompa.

Day 03: Tour of Spitok and Phyang gompas.

Day 04: Tour of Shey and Matho gompas and Stok palace, the home of Ladakhi royalty.

Day 05: Tour of Tikse and Hemis gompas, two the wealthiest and most influential institutions in Ladakh. Camp at Hemis.

Day 06: Trek from Hemis to the village of Chogdo.

Day 07: Trek to Kongmaru La base camp.

Day 08: Rest day for acclimatization.

Day 09: Trek over Kongmaru La (5150 metres) to the plain of Nimaling, a vast high altitude pasture.

Day 10: Trek through the tiny settlements of Hankar and Umlung to the valley's largest village, Markha.

Day 11: Trek to the lovely oasis at Tunespa.

Day 12: Trek to the village of Skiu, with its medireview gompa.

Day 13: Trek to Zanskar river. Take the pulley bridge across before boarding the rafts on the Zanskar river. Ride the river to its confluence with the Indus at Nimu, then board jeeps for the trip to Alchi. Overnight at Alchi village.

Day 14: In Alchi, we tour the remarkably well preserved 11th -century gompa and the famed frescoes within. In the afternoon, we return by jeep to Leh.

Day 15: Rest day in Leh.

Day 16: Morning flight to Delhi. Check into hotel there. Stay overnight at Hotel.

Day 17: Transfer to Airport for flight to onwards journey

Cost: Ask for Quotation
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What is Includes in the price?

• Accommodation on twin sharing basis for the duration of the tour in the itinerary.
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Coach transfers from First day meeting point of the group to the last day of the dropping point of the group of the tour.
• All entrance fees of the sightseeing places mentioned in the itinerary.
• Services of the Tour Manager from the first day of meeting point to the last day dropping point of the tour.
• Guide Tips, Driver tips & Restaurant Tips.
• A complimentary travel bag and cap.
• Cost of any internal airfare if specified in the itinerary.

What is Excludes in the price?

• Cost of Rail or Airfare to and from the meeting and dropping place of the tour except Airport to Airport Tours / specifically mentioned in the tour itinerary.
• Cost of any individual Airport / Railway station transfer
• Any Increase in the Airfare / Hotel tariff charges.
• Any Increase in the fuel surcharge or any kind of taxes levied by the respective government or statutory bodies.
• Porterage (Coolie charges), laundry, wines & alcoholic beverages, mineral water (unless specified), telephone charges, shopping, all items of personal nature and also food and drinks not forming the part of the group menus.
• Cost of Insurance
• Extra stay pre/post tour.
• Any extra expenses incurred for changing the route due to any unforeseen circumstances, forced majuire instances, natural calamities, political disturbances, strikes etc.
• Extra cost incurred due to illness, accident, hospitalization or any Individual unforeseen cost incurring incidence.
• Any private transfers taken to move from one place to another instead of coach
• Additional extra topping if taken
• If any activity/sightseeing done twice
• Any add-on sightseeing/activities along with transfers if done other than mentioned in the tour program.
• Fur coats/Jackets to visit snow point or any special attire required to visit any particular sightseeing place.
• Premium seat charges
• Medicines required if any.
• Service or Government taxes as applicable.

Ladakh Information

Ladakh, the land of many passes, snow clad mountains and arid land is among the highest of the world's inhabited plateaus. It lies at altitudes ranging from about 2,750 meters at Kargil to 7,672 meters at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. The summer temperatures exceed up to 35 ° C, while in winter they may drop to -40 ° C in some high altitude areas. Ladakh has been the described as 'Moon Land', 'Magic Land', and 'Mysterious Land' for its unique landscape and exquisite culture.

Geographical:
Ladakh is sandwiched between two vast mountain systems, the Karakoram to the north and the Himalaya to the south. Covering an area of about 60,000 sq km and ranging in elevation from 2600m to 7070 m, it is the largest and highest district in India. The Indus valley is the Ladakhi heartland, with the highest population density, and large amounts of agricultural land. Running parallel, roughly north-east south-west with it are a series of valleys and mountain ranges. North of the Indus valley is the Ladakh range, on the other side of which is the Shayok, and Nubra valleys.

Climate:
Ladakh is country's coldest, highest and the driest zone. Ladakh has a cool and generally dry mountain climate. Much of Ladakh is above 11,000 feet (3,350 M). Therefore, you can expect warm to hot days in the summer and cool nights. In winter the temp may drop as low as

-35*C. There is occasional snowfall in winter caused by "Western Disturbances". Summer days are generally warm, 25-30*C. Annual rainfall does not normally exceed 10cm/3.5 in though over the past decade or so there have been occasional spells of unusually heavy rainfall.

Historical Outline:
Information on Ladakh before the birth of the kingdom (10th century) is scarce. Ladakh can hardly be considered a separate political entity before the establishment of the kingdom about 950 CE, after the collapse of the early Tibetan Empire and the border regions became independent kingdoms under independent rulers, most of who came from branches of the Tibetan royal family.

Earliest History:
The earliest layer in the population of Ladakh was probably composed of the Dardi.Herodotus mentions twice a people called Dadikai, first along with the Gandarioi, and again in the catalogue of king Xerxes's army invading Greece. Herodotus also mentions the gold-digging ants of Central Asia, which is also later mentioned in connection with the Dardi people by Nearchus, the admiral of Alexander, and Megasthenes

Ladakhi Language:
The language of Ladakh is Ladakhi, a Tibetan dialect with written Ladakhi being the same as Tibetan. Tibetans can learn Ladakhi easily but Tibetan is difficult to speak for Ladakhis. Spoken Ladakhi is closer to the Tibetan spoken in Western Tibet. Ladakhi language is a shared culture platform which brings the Muslims and Buddhists together as one people of this Himalayan region. Ladakhis usually know Hindi and often English.

Ladakhi food:
Ladakhi food has much in common with Tibetan food, the most prominent foods being: Thukpa, noodle soup; and Tsumpa, known in Ladakhi as Ngampe, roasted barley flour, eatable without cooking it makes useful, if dull trekking food.
A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is   skyu , a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables.

Flora & Fauna of Ladakh
Ladakh's flora and fauna are more similar to those of Tibet than to the main Himalaya and are a product of the dry climate, cold winters and short growing season. The animals of Ladakh have much in common with the animals of Central Asia generally, and especially those of the Tibetan Plateau.

Famous Destinations:

• Zanskar (also Zangskar ) is a region in   Ladakh north west   India . It is famous for its stunning scenery and Tibetan-style Buddhist monasteries. It borders on   Ladakh   to which it is almost identical from an outsider's point of view, only being more remote and less densely populated, with less infrastructure.
• Nubra valley, north of Leh, located between the Ladakh Range and the Lofty eastern Karakoram mountains , lies Nubra, a region part green, part rocky and barren and part , rather surprisingly Desert and camels too. A region very unique in itself!
• Pangong Lake, this vast lake, 150km long and 4 km wide, stretches from the north -east of Ladakh across the border of Tibet.There are some interesting birds around the lake shore including a few pairs of the very rare endangered black -necked crane.
• Tsomoriri Lake, this high altitude lake is situated in the Rupshu region of eastern Ladakh near the border with Tibet. The mountains to the east of the Lake are crowned by two of Ladakh's highest summits, the Lungser Kangri (6666m/21,870 ft) and to its north, Chamser Kangri (6622m/21,712 ft).
• Dha hanu, downstream from Khaltse along the lower Indus , live a group of people known as Brokpas, an isolated people of the purest Aryan stock who are racially , and in some ways culturally , very different from most Ladakhis. They are the only ones to have preserved their unique form of Buddhism which is mixed with the pre Bhuddist animistic religion, Bon.

Monasteries of Ladakh  

1. Lamayuru Gompa
   Location 125 Km from Leh
   Founded in 11th century by Mahasiddhacharya Naropa  
2. Alchi Gompa
   Location 67 Km from Leh
   Founded in 1000 AD by Rinchen Zangpo1000 AD  
3. Likir Gompa
   Location 60 Km from Leh
   Founded in 9th century by Lama Duwang Chusje  
4. Rhizong
   Location 70 Km from Leh
   Founded in 1831 AD by Lama Tsultim Nima  
5. Phyang Monastery
   Location 26 Km from Leh
   Founded in1515 by Chosje Damma Kunga  
6. Spituk Monastery  
   Location 7 Km from Leh
   Founded by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od in 11th century
7. Namgyal Tsemo  
   Location in Leh town Just above the leh Palace on a Hill  
   Founded by King Tashi Namgyal in 1430 AD  
8. Sankar Gompa  
   Location 1 Km north of Leh  
9. Shanti Stupa  
   Situated in Leh Town near Changspa  
   Founded by a Japaneese Monk in 1984
10. Chemrey Gompa  
    Location: 45 Km
    Founded in 17th century by Lama Tagsang Raschen
11. Hemis Monastery  
    Location: 46 Km
    Founded in 1630 by First incarnation of Stagsang Raspa Nawang Gyatso  
12. Stakna Monastery  
    Location 25 Kms from Leh
    Founded by Chosje Jamyang Palkar in 16th century.  
13. Thiksey Gompa
    Location Thicksey Village 20 Kms from Leh
    Founnded in 1430 AD. By Spon Paldan Sherab, nephew of Sherab Zangpo
14. Shey Palace & Gompa  
    Location : 14 Kms from Leh
    Founded by King Deldan Namgyal in 17th century  
15. Stok Gompa  
    Location 14 kms from Leh
    Lama Lhawang Lotus in 14th Century  
16. Diskit Gompa  
    Location: Nubra valley 130 Kms from Leh
    Founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo in 14th century.