Duration: 14
Days/13 Nights
Destinations Covered: New
Delhi -Leh-Markha Valley Trek
Ladakh:
The Land of Endless Discovery.Bounded by two of the world’s mightiest ranges,
the great Himalayas and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two others, the Ladhak
range and the Zanskar range.
The Hemis Festival
HEMIS MONASTERY. 40 km from Leh, it is the wealthiest, best-known and biggest
gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held
here in summer. The festival is in honour of Guru Padma Sambhav's birth anniversary.
It also has the largest Thangkha in Ladakh, which is unfurled, once in 12
years (next in 2004) Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Sengge Namgyal,
an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal dynasty for
the royalty favoured the Drugpa sect, which managed the monastery.
It is divided into two, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple
on the left. The hall Dukhang is also used as "green room" by the
dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The varandahs
have a surfeit of frescoes, among them the Buddhist 'wheel of life' (Kalachakra)
and the lords of the four quarters, besides the prayer wheel.
Splendid masked dances are performed to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums
& long horns. A colorful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts,
is the special highlight of the festival.
Cultural Activities:
Visits
to the major Buddhist monasteries, which constitute the fountainhead of Ladhak’s
Buddhist religion and culture and other cultural, or heritage sites are the
principle tourist attractions of central Ladakh and Zanskar. Most of the region’s
principal Gompas are open throughout the day and a caretaker lama is available
to show visitor around. Some of the less visited establishments have special
opening hours, as in the case of Namgyal Tsemo, Shey Palace and Stok Palace.
Adventure Activities:
Ladakh offers great scope for undertaking adventure activities amidst landscapes
of breathtaking, rugged beauty. The most popular and best established among
these are trekking, mountaineering and river rafting.
Day 01:New Delhi:
Arrival at the International airport. You will be received by our representative
and transferred to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Evening to enjoy the
sound & light show at the Red fort.
Day 02: New Delhi-Leh:
You will be transferred to the airport to board the flight fot Leh. Arrive Leh
and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day free for acclimatisation. Dinner
overnight hotel.
Day 03: In Leh:
Morning
excursion to Phyang Gompa. This Gompa is 20 kms from Leh on the right side of
Leh-Srinagar road. The beautiful statues and Thankas are worth seeing. Also
visit Spituk Gompa which lies on the right side of Srinagar-Leh road about 6
kms short of Leh Proper. Some very interesting Thankas are pride of this monastery.
Afternoon free.
Dinner overnight Hotel.
Day 04: Leh / Stok / Base of Stok-la:
Drive to Stok via Choglamsar and start trekking towards base of Stok-la. It
is a gradual walk with a few kms of ascending path, which will be covered in
about 4 hrs.Dinner overnight in tents at Stock-la base.
Day 05: Stok-la/ Rumbak:
Trek to Rumbak over Stok-la (4800 Mts.). The trek upto Stok-la of about 3
kms is of steep ascend then it is a deep descent upto Rumbak. The total distance
of 12 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs. Rumbak is a small shepherd village
with few houses.
Dinner overnight in tents at Rumbak.
Day 06: Rumbak / Ganda-la/Skiu (3380 Mts.):
Trek towards Skiu over Ganda-la (4930 Mts.). It is an ascending upto Ganda-la
top and then a descending path upto Shingo. A distance of 18 kms will be covered
in about 8 hrs. Dinner overnight in tents.
Day 07: Skiu / Markha:
Trek
to Markha via Hermoger and Sase: An easy walk of about 15 kms will be covered
in about 6 hrs. Markha is main village at the height of about 4500 Mts. And
has a school. Dinner overnight in tents.
Day 08: Markha / Hankar:
Trek upto Hankar via Omlung. A distance of about 12 kms of gradual walk will
be covered in about 6 hrs.
Dinner overnight in tents.
Day 09: Hankar / Nimaling:
Trek to Nimaling a gradual walk of about 12 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs.Dinner
overnight in tents at Nimaling.
Day 10: In Nimaling:
Full day free to explore the surroundings. One can trek upto glacier of Kangyatse
peak (6030 Mts.), one needs permit from IMF to climb this peak. Dinner overnight
in tents at Nimaling.
Day 11: Nimaling / Chugdo Over Kongmor-la:
Trek over Kongmor-la (5200 Mts.) to Chugdo. First four to five kms are quite
steep and then a descend right upto Chugdo. One feels fresh on reaching the
top of Kongmor-la after viewing the beautiful range of Mountain peaks and
forgets the tiredness of steep ascent.
Dinner overnight in tents.
Day 12: Chugdo / Hemis/Leh:
Trek
down to Hemis via Oza and Sumdo. A gradual walk of about 13 kms will be covered
in about 6 hrs. After visiting the Hemis monastery, drive back to Leh.Dinner
overnight hotel.
Day 13: Leh / Delhi:
Transfer to airport to catch flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi you will
be received and transferred to the hotel.
Day 14:Departure:
Morning at leisure. At an appropriate time you will be transferred to the
international airport to board the flight for your onward journey. The tour
ends.
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