Accommodation: Throughout the entire tour you will stay in the hotels where you can relax and enjoy quality services.
Transportation: Exclusive non AC vehicle will be provided for the entire tour.
Guide Service: A well experienced guide will be available to assist you during your tour.
Wonderful Memories: At the end of your tour you will take back a huge bundle of beautiful memories that you will cherish for lifetime.
There are numerous options to arrive in Leh, which is the administrative centre of the Ladakh region. You can come here all the way from New Delhi via road. Alternatively, you may also opt to take flights from New Delhi to Leh, or book trains to Jammu and complete the rest of the journey by road. On arrival in the town, find your lodging and rest for the night.
Day two is for you to continue gathering energy for the ensuing Stok Kangri trek, and acclimatise to the cold weather, high altitude and diminishing oxygen levels. You can also utilise your free time to stroll through the town, and learn about its culture. You may see the raw beauty of the Ladakh plateau, shop at local markets or pay visits to numerous Buddhist stupas and monasteries nearby. In the evening, return to your lodging for another overnight stay in the town.
In the morning, drive to the picturesque village of Stok. It is located south of Leh, and from the vehicle, you will get enchanting views of naked mountains and the lush green fields nestled amidst them. The road goes through the Himalayas, and is lined with birch trees, which provide a rich contrast to the otherwise barren slopes of the region.
Stok, located at an altitude of around 11800 feet, is among the oldest inhabited places in Ladakh. The village was the residence of the former Ladakhi royal family, and a museum here displays their belongings. The most prominent attraction here is the Stok Monastery, which was constructed somewhere in the 14th century. Your Stok Kangri expedition begins after you arrive in this picturesque and culturally rich village. In the first stage, you hike through the mountains to Chang Ma. Your tents here will be set-up on rocky and treeless slopes, giving you a unique experience. It might be a challenge for you to get in and out of them as they would not be on flat lands, and will definitely elevate your challenge further.
This day, you travel more through the mountains, and ascend to greater heights. You will hike through the Himalayas for roughly 3 hours on a relatively easier track. On the way you pass some pretty streams and scenic high-altitude Ladakhi mountain valleys. As you cross the first brook, the scenery will change altogether. Till here, the mountains would have seemed grey and lifeless, but beyond the river, the angle and amount of sunlight will be such that the hills will become purple.
Mankorma consists of flat and wide terrain with thorny bushes, typical of desert-type vegetation, scattered all around. A narrow stream flows below and makes for an ideal site to camp. On reaching Mankorma, stay overnight in tents. When it is pitch black, do not forget to look at the skies. You will see millions of twinkling stars in a white band, which is the Orion arm of the Milky Way – our galaxy. If you are a couple, this would be among the most romantic settings to camp anywhere in the world.
The following section of Stok Kangri trekking will take you to the base camp of the summit. It will be a difficult ascent as the continuous gain in altitude will result in lessening levels of Oxygen. All along the hike, you will wind along rocky and narrow mountainous trails. Though you will face difficulty in climbing and breathing, the divine scenery will compensate generously for it, and make it a wonderful excursion. After you cross a hissing river, the trail will become wider and smoother, but will keep ascending. Along the way, you will see numerous alpine lakes, and their tiny ripples and waves will seem white due to the sunlight falling on them and illuminating them. You will also travel across mountainous meadows, where you may be able to see sheep grazing on lush grass.
On reaching the base camp, enjoy lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure. The base camp is situated on a comparatively flatter land form. A narrow brook makes its way through here, and the slopes and ground have a nice green covering. In almost any season, you will be able to see some amount of snow at the topmost points of the mountains, which encircle the base camp. There are a few smaller peaks here, which you may climb as a means of preparing yourself for the toll-taking ascent, which you will encounter later in your expedition. Relish dinner in the evening, and then retire for the night in the tents provided to you.
Though it does not involve any hiking, this is one of the most important days of your excursion. The rest has been provided so that you are able to further acclimatise to the weather and topographical conditions, and also get the necessary information needed for scaling the summit. Your guide or team leader will brief you about the different challenges and hazards you might face during the climb. Make sure you have snow boots as the snow will be soft, and as a result, your feet will sink in it. Also ask your guide about the trekking plan, the terrain of the region, and what all you need to do or carry. Post the briefing, explore the area, click pictures, relax, and later enjoy another overnight stay here in tents.
The morning brings yet another phase of long and rigorous mountaineering. Considering the length of the journey, it will be divided into a number of smaller sections, and you will stop to rest after each one. Starting from here you will travel to a glacier. You will first encounter a sharp and lengthy ascent, after which the altitude gain will become lesser. The slopes and your ascent will be gentle till you arrive at the magnificent river of ice, which originates from the peak.
You reach the glacier after a gruelling hike of approximately three hours from the base camp. The real climb to the summit of Mount Stok Kangri begins here. To reach the top, you will climb for about two hours more along the southern face of the mountain. The gradient of the slope here is almost 75 degrees, and the path contains loads of small rocks and enormous boulders. Remember to climb carefully as one little mistake can be dangerous. Post negotiating the rocky path for about an hour, you will see that the climb has become gentle, and it is way easier to walk now than it was before.
From here, you will get a clear view of the summit and colourful Buddhist prayer flags decorating it. On reaching the top, look around and see the Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar Mountains in the south. Post enjoying your success and clicking photos, retrace the track back to the base camp. Coming down brings a different challenge as due to the force of gravity, you will end up descending too fast. You will need to keep a check on your velocity. On arriving at the base camp, relax and enjoy your overnight stay.
The last phase of your Stok Kangri trek will make you travel for 12 km till you reach the village of Stok. On arrival in the village, board a vehicle and drive back to Leh. After you reach the town, transfer to your lodging and rest for the night.
In the morning, travel to the airport to board your onward flight, or drive to New Delhi by road.
For travelling to Leh, tourists do not require any permit. However, registration is needed for all foreigners and international tourists, especially those travelling by road. Registration can be done at Drass, Rumtse and Sarchu. Those travelling by air should get their registration done at the airport.
Tourists are required to obtain a Protect Area Permit for visiting restricted areas including Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Pangong Tso Lake, Dhahanu and Nubra Valley. One can obtain these permits through registered travel agencies. While travelling, it’s advisable to multiple copies of valid ID and permits as these are required to be submitted at the checking points.
Altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness is common when you travel to Ladakh. It’s caused by exposure to lower percentage of oxygen at high latitudes. As a general rule, rest for a day or two after every climb of 2,000ft of climb above 8000ft. This will give your body plenty of time for acclimatization. You should avoid smoking and consuming alcohol. One should carry medicines for basic medical conditions like fever, stomach ache, headache and others.
If you have plans to visit some interior areas like Turtuk, Panamik, Khaltse, Pangong, Changthang, Hunder, TsoKar and TsoMoriri etc. in Ladakh City even Indian residents need to obtain innerline permits.
Overseas travelers (with the exception of residents of Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan) need to obtain Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit the above places. In case of foreigners, the permit is issued only for a group with four or more foreign tourists. For foreign tourists, it is also mandatory to go through a registered travel agent in order to obtain the Permit.
Avoid using plastic bags: Both locals and tourists have a responsibility towards maintaining the environment hence, do not litter around the place. Plastics are officially banned in Ladakh and hence it is better to avoid using polythene bags
Carry proper documents: Always carry all your travel documents, permits, licenses, identity cards etc. There are lots of passes like Changla Pass, Zojila Pass, Fatula Pass and Khardungla Pass where they have a huge military presence. Make sure to make copies of all the documents and IDs and keep them safely in your bag since you may never know when you will need them
Bikers need to carry their proper documents during the trip, as they have to present their documents at the check posts while entering highland passes such as Zojila Pass, Changla Pass, Khardungla Pass and Fatula Pass. The documents should consist of a permit, driving license, vehicle registration and bike insurance documents.
Flight
Hotels
Sightseeing
Meals
Transfers
Flight
Hotels
Sightseeing
Meals
Transfers
Flight
Hotels
Sightseeing
Meals
Transfers
Ladakh, large area of the northern and eastern Kashmir region is located in the northwestern Indian subcontinent. Ladakh covers about 45,000 square miles (117,000 square km) and contains the Ladakh Range, which is a southeastern extension of the Karakoram Range, and the upper Indus River valley. Ladakh is one of the highest regions of the world.
Monasteries: Belonging to the Tibetan Sect of Buddhism, the red hat Buddhist monks have built some of the most pristine monasteries in this harsh landscape that enthral people from the world over.
The confluence of Indus and Zanskar: Driving a few hours from Leh, you will find the point where the mighty Indus and Zanskar converge to flow into Pakistan as the Indus. Every season has the river in different hues and colours. The rivers run a deep emerald green and a bright blue that are contrasted against the stark brown mountain valleys through which they flow.
The highest motorable passes in the world: Some of the highest motorable passes in the world like the Khardung-La and the Chang-La passes that connect the pristine valleys of Nubra and Changthang to Ladakh.
Lakes of Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso: Visit Ladakh for spell binding views of surreal lakes at high altitudes.
April-June: From April, tourists start to migrate to Ladakh, as the cold fades and snow starts to melt gradually. The temperature during this time is still quite cold, around 5°C-7°C. By the second week of May, the very important Srinagar-Leh highway is made available again, thus opening the floodgate for the flurry of tourists to go to Ladakh.
September-October: Autumn in Ladakh is once again one of the best times to visit. Being washed by the rain over the monsoon season, the rugged surroundings turn to its freshest of colours. Moreover, the crowd from summer season thins out to quite an extent, which means Ladakh can be enjoyed bit more freely.
January to March: The famous Chadar Trek is on for adventure lovers at this time. One part of the trek involves walking over the frozen Zanskar River.
By Air: Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is the main airport of the area. This is the closest airport at Leh, which is all around associated with Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, and a few different urban areas in India.
By Road: If you are travelling from Srinagar then you will be covering a distance of 434 kms route via Srinagar – Sonmarg – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil – Mulbek – Lamayaru – Saspol – Leh. If you are taking the route of Manali to Leh then you will be covering a distance of 490km, while enjoying the beautiful vistas of the region like, Manali – Rohtang – Gramphu – Kokhsar – Keylong – Jispa – Darcha – Zingzingbar – Baralacha La – Bharatpur – Sarchu – Gata Loops – Nakee La – Lachulung La – Pang – Tanglang La – Gya – Upshi – Karu – Leh
There are several Banks in the city of Leh now including SBI, PNB, Axis, HDFC and J&k Bank and they all have ATM facilities so it is almost impossible that you have difficulty getting cash in Leh like it happened in my case. However there are no ATMs in Nubra and towards Pangong and Tso Moriri so you will have to carry cash when you head towards these areas.
The peak summer months from mid-June to September have a pleasant temperature and therefore single T-shirts or shirts can do. In winters (from November to February), one needs to carry heavy woolen clothes and warm jackets. However, in most parts of the Leh- Ladakh region, there is a drastic fluctuation in the daily temperature. Therefore, tourists should carry woolen clothes and sweaters while packing their bags for the trip.
Many arts and crafts, handlooms and cloth materials which are handmade and high quality are available in Ladakh. You can buy variety of souvenirs from Leh. The stunning Ladakhi jewellery makes a gorgeous addition to your collection. You can also shop for the Pashmina Shawls and the traditional warm robe ‘goncha’, made with wool or cotton. You can also buy dried or freshly harvested apricots grown locally in Ladakh and its neighboring areas. You can also find organic apricot jam and oil while shopping in Leh Ladakh, to make the most of the luscious fruit!
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