Solo Traveller Ladakh Small Group Tour

Route: Leh airport to hotel

The leader and a driver meet every guest at Leh airport. Every flight to Leh lands in the morning, because winds pick up later in the day at an airport about 3,250 m high, so guests arrive at different times and each is taken to the hotel as they land.

Leh is at 3,500 m, about 1,900 m higher than Delhi. The Ladakh tourism advisory asks new arrivals to rest on the first day and add no more than about 500 m of sleeping height a day after that. Today is for rest, water and an early night. Skip alcohol.

At 6 pm the leader holds a short briefing over tea in the hotel lobby. The leader introduces the group by first name, goes through the days listed, checks each guest's fitness form and answers questions. Attending is optional, and a guest who is asleep is briefed in the morning.

Experience of the Day

–  Met at Leh airport by the leader and a driver.

–  A full rest day at 3,500 m, as the Ladakh tourism advisory asks of new arrivals.

–  An optional 6 pm briefing over tea, with the group introduced by first name.

Food

Dinner at the hotel; breakfast and lunch depend on your arrival time.

Activities to Do

• Rest only. No sightseeing is planned on arrival day.

Route: Leh – Old Town – Leh Palace – Shanti Stupa – Leh

The morning starts with a walk through Leh's Old Town with LAMO, the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation. It takes two to three hours through narrow lanes, past craft workshops and wood-fired bakeries. In 2008 the Old Town was placed on the World Monuments Watch list as an endangered site.

Leh Palace was built around 1600 by Sengge Namgyal, in the style of the Potala Palace, with nine storeys. When Dogra forces took Ladakh in the mid-19th century, the royal family moved out and the palace was left to decay. The Archaeological Survey of India is restoring it today. From the roof you can see all of Leh.

In the evening the group drives up to Shanti Stupa, a white-domed Buddhist stupa built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist monks as a peace monument, for the sunset over the Indus valley. The welcome dinner follows at the hotel, with a table for the group.

Experience of the Day

–  A two-to-three-hour LAMO heritage walk through Leh's Old Town.

–  Leh Palace, built around 1600 by Sengge Namgyal.

–  Sunset over the Indus valley from Shanti Stupa, then the welcome dinner.

Food

Breakfast and lunch at the hotel or in town; the welcome dinner at the hotel with a table for the group.

Activities to Do

• Walking Leh's Old Town lanes and craft workshops; climbing Leh Palace's stairs to the roof.

Shopping

Leh's Old Town has small workshops selling Ladakhi crafts and woodwork, visited as part of the LAMO walk.

Route: Leh – Thiksey (19 km) – Shey (15 km) – Hemis (45 km) – Leh

Thiksey monastery stands at about 3,600 m and has twelve storeys. It was founded in the mid-15th century by Palden Zangpo and belongs to the Gelug order. A 15 m Maitreya statue, installed for the Dalai Lama's 1970 visit, fills the hall at the top. Morning prayers begin around 7 am, and the group sits at the back and listens to the monks chant in unison.

Shey was the summer capital of Ladakh. The present palace and monastery were built in 1655 by Deldan Namgyal in memory of his father, Sengge Namgyal. Inside is a 12 m copper Buddha, gilded with about 5 kg of gold, made by a Nepalese sculptor with copper from the Lingshet mines in Zanskar.

Hemis was re-established in 1672 by King Sengge Namgyal and follows the Drukpa lineage. Its courtyard shows paintings of the Eighty-Four Mahasiddhas from the 17th century, made with ground mineral pigments.

Experience of the Day

–  Morning prayers at Thiksey monastery, around 7 am.

–  Shey Palace and its 12 m gilded copper Buddha.

–  Hemis monastery's courtyard and its 17th-century Mahasiddha paintings.

Food

An early breakfast before departure; lunch on the road or at Hemis; dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• Sitting in on the Thiksey prayer session; a walk through Hemis's painted courtyard.

Route: Leh – Alchi (about 66 km) – Likir (about 52 km from Leh) – Leh

Alchi Choskor stands at about 3,100 m on the south bank of the Indus, about 66 km west of Leh by road, and is comfortably covered as a day trip. It has six temples from the 11th to 13th centuries. Local tradition names the translator Rinchen Zangpo as its founder; wall inscriptions point to a noble called Kaldan Sherab, and scholars still debate which is right.

Inside the Sumtsek, three painted bodhisattvas stand about four metres tall, with tiny painted scenes on their robes still visible after nine centuries. Photography is not allowed inside the temple buildings, because flash harms the old mineral pigments; the courtyard and village outside are fine to photograph.

Likir monastery was founded in 1065 at the order of King Lhachen Gyalpo, the fifth king of Ladakh, and belongs to the Gelug order today. A gilded Maitreya statue, 23 m tall and completed in 1999, is visible from the roof.

Experience of the Day

–  Alchi Choskor's Sumtsek temple and its eleventh-century painted bodhisattvas.

–  Lunch at Alchi Kitchen.

–  Likir monastery and its 23 m gilded Maitreya statue.

Food

Breakfast at the Leh hotel; lunch at Alchi Kitchen; dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk through Alchi's six temples; a short visit to Likir monastery on the drive back.

Shopping

A small handicraft stall near Alchi's temple complex sells shawls and prayer flags.

The Human Story: Alchi Kitchen

Lunch is at Alchi Kitchen. Nilza Wangmo, who grew up in Alchi, opened it in 2016 and trained young women from nearby villages to cook and serve. The menu is Ladakhi: skyu, a wheat-pasta stew; chutagi, bow-tie pasta in a local sauce; khambir, a fermented bread; and Tashi Tagye tea, an eight-ingredient blend.

Route: Leh – Karu – Chang La (5,360 m) – Sakti – Tangtse – Spangmik

The road runs south-east from Leh along the Indus to Karu, then climbs to Chang La, at about 5,360 m. The pass is a working crossing with a small army post and a roadside shrine, and the halt is about 15 minutes, because the air is thin and colder than expected, even in summer.

The descent runs through Sakti and Tangtse, where the group's permit is checked, and on to Pangong Tso. The lake is about 134 km long, with roughly 60 per cent of it across the border. The group reaches Spangmik, on the south bank, in the afternoon.

Spangmik is at about 4,250 m, 750 m above Leh. That is more than the advisory's 500 m a day and is the one step in the days listed that exceeds it. Four nights in Leh come first, the leader takes oximeter readings on arrival and again at bedtime, and oxygen is in the car. Do not drink alcohol tonight. If a guest's symptoms grow worse, the group drives back to Tangtse, which is lower.

Experience of the Day

–  Chang La at about 5,360 m, the first high pass.

–  First view of Pangong Tso from the road near Tangtse and on arrival.

–  Oximeter readings on arrival and at bedtime.

Food

Breakfast at the Leh hotel; lunch packed or at a roadside stop; dinner at the camp.

Activities to Do

• A short stop at the Chang La summit; an easy walk on the shore if you feel well.

Route: Spangmik – lakeshore – Man – Merak – Spangmik

A second night at the lake is the reason for the full day. Sunrise brings the light across the water in phases, starting from the far end. Breakfast is slow, and the leader walks the shore at Spangmik with anyone who wants to.

In the middle of the day the group drives east along the lake to the villages of Man and Merak, about 18 to 20 km from Spangmik, where fewer camps stand and the shore is quieter. A permit for foreign guests covers both. The group returns to Spangmik for the sunset, when the water moves from blue to green to near-black.

The afternoon is free. Some guests rest, some read, some stay on the shore until dark. The sky is dark enough at the lake for stars to show clearly on a clear night.

Experience of the Day

–  Sunrise light on Pangong Tso.

–  The villages of Man and Merak, east along the lake.

–  Sunset over the water, and a clear night sky.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp, on a simple fixed menu.

Activities to Do

• Walking the lakeshore at Spangmik; a drive to Man and Merak; stargazing after dinner.

Route: Spangmik – Tangtse – Durbuk – Shyok village – Agham – Khalsar – Sumur

The road runs back to Tangtse, then north through Durbuk and Shyok village, along the Shyok River, to Agham. Shyok village has a checkpoint around the middle of the day, and there is a bridge and a few roadside eateries at Agham. The group stops for lunch on the way.

The stretch near Agham can be rough, and the river sometimes spills onto the road in July and August. The leader and driver know the day's road state and adjust the timing if needed. Khalsar, where the road meets the Khardung La road, has a fuel station, and Sumur is about 24 km beyond.

Nubra is lower than Leh, at about 3,050 m, so tonight's sleeping height is 1,200 m below the night before. Check in, rest and walk through Sumur at dusk.

Experience of the Day

–  The Shyok Valley road, direct from Pangong to Nubra.

–  A descent of about 1,200 m in sleeping height.

–  An evening walk through Sumur village.

Food

Breakfast at the camp; lunch on the road; dinner at the Nubra hotel.

Activities to Do

• Photo stops along the Shyok River; an easy dusk walk at Sumur.

Route: Sumur – Samstanling – Khalsar – Diskit (about 44 km) – Hunder (8 km) – Sumur

The morning begins at Samstanling monastery in Sumur, built in the 19th century by Lama Tsultim Nima and home to more than 50 monks. It is a short visit, 1 to 2 hours, and the hall is quiet in the morning.

Diskit monastery was founded in the 14th century by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, and belongs to the Gelug order. On the ridge beside it stands a 32 m Maitreya statue; building began in April 2006, and the Dalai Lama consecrated it on 25 July 2010.

Hunder is 8 km beyond Diskit. Its cold-desert dunes stretch for about 7 km between the two villages, at around 3,050 m. The group comes in the late afternoon, when the light is soft and the wind has dropped.

Experience of the Day

–  Samstanling monastery in Sumur.

–  Diskit monastery's 32 m Maitreya statue, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2010.

–  The sand dunes at Hunder in the late-afternoon light, and an optional, brief Bactrian camel ride.

Food

Breakfast at the Nubra hotel; lunch at Diskit or Hunder; dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• Two monastery visits; an optional camel ride at Hunder, or watching from the dunes.

The Human Story: The Camels of Hunder

The double-humped camels here are not native to Ladakh. Silk Road traders brought them across the passes, and when the trade route closed in 1950, many were left behind in Nubra. A count in 2015 found 211 animals, including 21 calves. Hunder families began offering camel rides in 2003, and the income helped the herd recover. The picture is mixed, though: owners say nose reins can cause minor bleeding, and the valley has no dedicated vet service, so the ride is optional and brief, and you can watch from the dunes.

Route: Sumur – Khalsar – Khardung La (5,359 m) – Leh

The road climbs from Khalsar through Khardung village to Khardung La, which is 5,359 m by GPS survey. Signs at the top claim about 5,602 m. The group stays at the top for no more than 15 minutes.

The descent passes two military check posts, North Pullu and South Pullu, where the leader handles the paperwork and you carry your passport. The group reaches Leh by mid-afternoon. Leh is at 3,500 m, 450 m above Nubra, within the advisory's daily step.

The evening is free. Many guests walk Leh's main bazaar or sit down in a rooftop cafe.

Experience of the Day

–  Khardung La at about 5,359 m, the second high pass.

–  The descent past North Pullu and South Pullu to the Indus valley.

–  A free evening in Leh.

Food

Breakfast at the Nubra hotel; lunch on the road; dinner at the Leh hotel.

Activities to Do

• A short stop at the Khardung La summit; an evening walk in Leh's bazaar.

Shopping

Leh's main bazaar, for pashmina, Ladakhi jewellery and prayer flags, is a short walk from the hotel.

Route: Leh – Spituk – Hall of Fame – Pathar Sahib – Nimmu – Magnetic Hill – Leh

Today stays low, at about 3,500 m, and closes the monastery thread with Spituk, a hilltop monastery a short way from the airport. The Hall of Fame, a museum kept by the Indian Army, is on the way, and the group has an hour there.

The road continues west to Pathar Sahib, a gurdwara kept by the Army, about 25 km from Leh. Near Nimmu, about 35 km from Leh, the Zanskar River joins the Indus, and the colours of the two rivers can be seen side by side from the road. Magnetic Hill, about 30 km from Leh on the same road, is a stretch where the slope tricks the eye into seeing an uphill climb as a downhill.

The group is back in Leh by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free.

Experience of the Day

–  Spituk monastery on its hill.

–  The Hall of Fame museum.

–  Pathar Sahib, the Zanskar-Indus confluence near Nimmu and Magnetic Hill.

Food

Breakfast at the hotel; lunch on the road or in Leh; dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• An easy day of short stops from the car, with time for photographs.

Route: Leh (free day)

Day 11 is free. Guests who want to shop for pashmina, Ladakhi jewellery and prayer flags have the main bazaar a short walk away, and a Ladakhi cooking session or a visit to a village can be arranged on request and charged at cost. The day is also the spare day if weather delayed a flight or closed a road earlier in the days listed.

The group meets for a farewell dinner at the hotel. The leader shares the group's photographs by link and answers questions about onward travel.

Experience of the Day

–  A free day in Leh with the vehicle on call.

–  Time for shopping, rest or a cooking session arranged on request.

–  The farewell dinner with the group.

Food

Breakfast at the hotel; lunch as you choose; farewell dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• As you prefer. A Ladakhi cooking session or a village visit can be arranged on request and charged at cost.

Shopping

Leh's main bazaar is the place for pashmina, Ladakhi jewellery and prayer flags.

Route: Leh hotel to airport

The driver takes each guest to the airport for the morning flight to Delhi, which takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Flights are not included in the price, and guests flying home from Delhi book an international flight for the evening or later.

Experience of the Day

–  Transfer to Leh airport.

–  Morning flight out.

Food

Breakfast at the hotel; meals after that on your flight or in Delhi as you choose.

Activities to Do

• None scheduled. The day is kept free to flex around your flight time.