The valley of Sham in the lower
part of Ladakh, is celebrated for its beauty and richness during the
harvesting season. This trek follows the old caravan route to Lamayuru which
diverges from the Kargil-Leh road at the Phatu La. According to legend,
Lamayuru was once a lake, which miraculously disappeared by the hand of
Lotsawa Naropa.The monastery at Lamayuru built in the 10th century is one of
the oldest in Ladakh, and belongs to the Kargyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
This trek offers not only view of the many natural beauties of Ladakh, but
also some of its most famous monasteries and the traditional lifestyle of
the natives.
Tour Information The Journey
begins Now!!! Day 01 Arrive Delhi You
arrive in Delhi by International flight. After a traditional 'Swagat'
(Welcome) our representative would assist you at the airport and to your
hotel
Enjoy a sightseeing of Old Delhi in the morning.
(Including the Red
Fort, Jama Masjid and the bazaars of Chandni Chowk)
Old Delhi
Old Delhi pulses with the energy and colour, the hustle and bustle of
thronged bazaars and is laced by a maze of narrow lanes which twist and turn
between tall, leaning houses full of the sights, sounds and aromas of the
Indian sub-continent. In Old Delhi you will see the famous Red Fort
surrounded by shops, and bazaars (built by the Emperor Shah Jehan - the
builder of Taj Mahal), the Jama Masjid mosque with its tapering minarets and
wonderful marble domes, Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi's business nerve center),
the hustle-bustle of everyday Indian life all around you and chattering
voices.
Enjoy a sightseeing of New Delhi in the afternoon.
(Including the Qutub Minar, Humayun's tomb and Lutyen's buildings)
New Delhi New Delhi stands in formal splendour, like a lone sentry
guarding an outpost of a long-gone empire. It is a city of wide boulevards,
which offers ever-changing perspectives of Lutyen's landscaped city. It is a
city rich with formal parks and you will see the magnificent Parliament
Building and the Rashtrapati Bhawan (the official residence of the President
of India in the 330 acres of land and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens), once
the awe-inspiring residence of the British Viceroys and now the Presidential
Palace, India Gate (a majestic 42-mts high arch, built as a memorial to the
Indian Soldiers killed in World War I), Qutab Minar (the 72.5 mts high tower
dating back to 13th century and one of the greatest bequests of Islamic
Culture), Humayun's Tomb (built in the 16th century and architecturally the
fore runner of the Taj Mahal, has Mughal Architecture at its graceful best).
Day 02: Delhi - Leh (By 9W-609) Dep 0540hrs / Arr
0655hrs Early morning transfer to Domestic Airport to connect the
flight for Leh, The main Centre of Ladakh. With the inhabitants of 50,000,
Leh is located in small valley just the north of Indus valley. The tourists
are advised to take complete rest for the proper acclimatization to the high
altitude atmosphere.
Later in the afternoon a walk around Leh
town (3500mtr) includes a visit to Leh Market, Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa &
Leh Gompa - This walk shall help us in a getting acclimatize at this height.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03: Leh -
Lamayuru 3420m - Wanla (3250 m) (03 hrs) We will depart from leh
in the morning for Lamayuru following the Indus River through Sham Valley.
After visiting Lamayuru monastery we will pack our backpacks and set off for
our first day's adventure. We will follow a stream for a time, and gradually
climb up to the pass of Prinkti La (3750m). We will later pass through the
small village of Shilla (3700 m) before reaching our campsite at Wanla
(3250m), Where we will spend the afternoon either relaxing in the sun or
visiting the monastery.
Day 04: Wanla - Hinju
3720m (4-5 hrs) Following a dusty road we will reach the small
village of Phenjilla (3410 m) and the scattered village of Uri .We will then
walk through a narrow gorge until we reach a traditional Rangthak (flour
mill) at the far end of the village. The trail will then cut through the
village of Hinju (3720 m) roughly 2 km below our campsite in a yak herder 's
encampment.
Day 05: Hinju - Sumda Doksa 4430m
(5-6 hrs) From the encampment we will continue along the trail and
ascend the ridge below Kongskil La (4950m). If lucky we will get glimpses of
some wild life. We will then climb gradually until we reach Kongskil La
where we will be surrounded by dizzying views of the Karakoram and Stok
ranges. The descent down the trail is quite steep with loose moraine causing
the difficulty--so be careful! The trail then follows the left side of
valley floor, passing a yak herders ' hut (4500m), before we reach our
campsite. This valley is occupied mainly by the villagers of Sumda Chenmo.
Day 06: Sumda Doksa - Dung Dung Chan la base
4430m (4-5 hrs) After a short walk and a few river crossings, we
will reach the village of Sumda Chenmo. From there we head towards the true
left side of the valley, which provides a beautiful view of the village with
its lush greenery. Further on the trail cuts through the valley 's wild rose
bushes and leads us to another river crossing (this stream originates from
the high snow- capped peaks of Photoksar (5685m). Before making a steep
challenging ascent over Lanak, we will see Edelweiss and some of the other
rare wild flowers of Ladakh. From the campsite, there is a splendid view of
Konskila.
Day 07: Dung Dung Chan La base - Chilling 3550m (5 hrs) We will
begin the day with a straightforward climb to Dungdung Chan La (4820m),
which offers views of the beautiful vistas of the Stok Range in the east and
the Zanskar Range in the south. From the pass the trail gradually descends
down a ridge toward the valley continually tapering before reaching the
village of Chilling. Chilling is the only village in Ladakh that has
provided metalworks such as copper, bronze, tin, silver and iron to the Leh
market through the centuries. From Chilling we will drive for about 3 hours
along the Zanskar River .We will eventually reach its confluence with the
Indus and the easy road back to Leh.
Day 08: Leh
Today we proceed for an Indus Valley monastery tour. We start with
a visit to Shey, the ancient capital of Ladakh. The monastery here has a
huge gold-gilded statue of Buddha Sakyamuni with a large silver lamp burning
in front of the statue. Then we visit Thiksey Gompa, an impressive complex
rising tier upon tier on a hill above the village. The monastery has a
beautiful 30 m high gold-plate statue of Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the
future. Drive further to visit the famous Hemis Gompa, founded in the 1630's
by Stag-tsang-ras-pa under the royal patronage of Sengge Namgyall. Hemis is
one of the largest and richest gompas of Ladakh. The two-day festival of
monastic dance in June-July has raised the reputation of Hemis particularly
high. The festival is dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as
second Buddha and responsible for spreading Buddhism in the Tibetan world.
Later we visit the Stok Palace, the Royal residence of the King of Stok &
the Museum that has a rich collection of Ancient Ladakhi artifacts including
old Thangkas, precious stones, arms and armory, the Queen' s necklace and
the crown of the King of Ladakh among others. Overnight stay at the hotel in
Leh.
Day 09: Leh - Delhi (By 9W610) Dep 0735hrs
/Arr 0850hrs Transfer to the Airport to catch the flight for
Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi we assist you to check in at our Hotel.
Complete day at leisure to explore the destination on your own. Overnight
stay at the hotel
Day 10: Delhi - Agra - Delhi
(220 Kms.-04hrs - One way)- Optional Tour After an early breakfast,
we drive at 0730 hrs to Agra, the erstwhile capital of India under the great
Mughals and known for The Taj Mahal. It has always fascinate Indians and
foreigners alike. On the way we visit Sikandra (Tomb of Emperor Akbar). At
Agra after lunch (own lunch) We visit the incredible architectural
excellence of Taj Mahal, built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his
beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Next we visit Agra Fort. Built principally as a
military establishment by Akbar in 1565, the red sandstone Agra fort was
partially converted into a palace during Shah Jahan's time. Though the
principal structure was built by Akbar, many more additions were made by his
grandsons. This massive fort is 2.5 kms long and is considered as the
predecessor of the Delhi Red Fort. After visiting the fort we drive back to
Delhi at 1700 hrs. Upon arrival in Delhi we will have farewell Dinner and
later we transfer you to the International airport.
Our
Services end 
