Ladakh - The Colorful Extravagance of Hemis Festival

After your early morning breakfast, you will depart for another visit to the Hemis monastery to watch the festival activities for a few hours before heading to the Nubra valley via Sakti and crossing the spectacular Wari La pass (5,342 m), one of the world's highest mountain passes located northeast of the Ladakh valley.

From the pass, magnificent views offer you a panorama that stretches far south over the Indus valley to the seemingly endless peaks and ridges of the Zanskar range, and north to the giants of the Saser massif, the highest of which is Saser Kangri I at 7,672 meters (25,170 ft). Please be prepared, road conditions near the pass on both sides are quite poor, so be ready for a bumpy ride.

Coming down from the pass, you head towards the villages in the Nubra valley such as the villages of Tangyar and Agyam. Here, you will encounter the rare double-humped Bactrian camels, once the backbone of transportation along the ancient Silk Road. Weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to ride one of these camels amid the sand dunes of this enigmatic high-altitude desert with the glittering white backdrop of pristine snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Hundar was the capital of the ancient Nubra kingdom in the 17th century and is home to the Chamba Gompa ruins.

From Hundar, you cross the Shyok River and head further north to the Samstanling Gompa, in a peaceful setting with views of the lush fields of the village of Sumur. Some parts of the 19th century monastery have been recently restored and feature impressive artwork. Next comes the sacred Yarab Tso, which is popularly known as the hidden lake.

From the road, you take a short 15-minute walk to the lake shore. The lake is very beautiful and an ideal spot for a picnic. You continue to Panamik. It was a major stop on the caravan trade route, and is now well known for its medicinal hot springs.

An late afternoon walk through the village and surrounding greenery is a fascinating and relaxing experience.

After breakfast, begin a spectacular drive from Nubra to Leh and Alchi, road conditions are initially good before crossing the vertiginous and spectacular Khardong La (5,602 m), probably one of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world. From the pass, magnificent views offer you a panorama from the summit of Khardong La where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the peaks and ridges of the Zanskar mountain range, and to the north the giants of the Saser massif, the highest of which is Saser Kangri I at 7,672 meters (25,171 ft).

Descending from the pass, road conditions are quite poor, so prepare yourself for a bumpy ride. Head south towards Pulu and continue the road to Alchi, passing through the town of Leh.

Alchi, 70 km from Leh, is the famous 12th-century Alchi monastery. Alchi is a religious enclave that houses an extraordinary wealth of ancient murals and wooden sculptures. Barely a handful of monasteries founded at that time escaped the Muslim depredations of the 14th century, but the treasures of Alchi have been miraculously preserved for more than nine centuries within five tiny temples with mud walls.

The road from Leh to Srinagar negotiates high passes and fragile mountainsides. There are spectacular scenic and cultural changes as you progress from Buddhist and austere Ladakh to verdant and Muslim Kashmir. Still in Ladakh, you also travel as far west as Lamayuru, one of Ladakh's most famous and spectacular gompas, perched on a steep cliff overlooking a strange and otherworldly landform called the "lunar landscape". The first Lamayuru monastery was built in the late 10th century. At its peak, up to 400 monks lived in the monastery, but today only 20 to 30 remain.

You visit the recently renovated prayer hall and return east to Themisgaam, Ladakh's richest valley. Apricots, apples and walnuts are abundant here, and you will visit a beautiful village with its gompa.

Cooking demonstration with dinner in a local Ladakhi family

Treat yourself to an experience of making traditional Ladakhi dishes such as Ladakhi momos, local thuntuk with a local family enriched with traditions from the local village in Ladakh. Learn the art of indigenous Ladakhi cooking and discover new cooking techniques as we introduce you to our culinary experience where you will learn to cook Ladakhi specialties and deepen your knowledge while the family shares their experiences of life in Ladakh. And try on local traditional Ladakhi costumes.

This morning, you explore Themisham. You have a steep climb uphill towards a local convent overlooking the fertile valley. As you ascend, you reach the two monasteries of The-misgam, one belonging to the order of yellow hats and the other to the order of red hats of Tibetan Buddhism. One of the monasteries was the palace of the kings of Ladakh before they moved to Leh. This afternoon, you return to Leh.

This morning, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Delhi. End of services