Location
Zanskar, India
5.0
Explore Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley, where ancient monasteries, rugged mountains, and remote villages await you. This trek takes you through Tibetan culture, high mountain passes, and unique landscapes that few witness.
Zanskar, India
19 Days
Visit and trekking
Hotels and tents
All Included except in Delhi
Min 2 Pax.
Summer Season
5150m.
The Zanskar Valley Trek in Ladakh is a premier trekking adventure in India. It provides a blend of challenging trails and rich cultural experiences. The trek spans 19 days, and the journey begins with your arrival in Delhi and a scenic flight to Leh.
From there, you’ll explore the city of Leh and its monasteries. You will drive to iconic spots such as Lamayuru, Zangla, and the striking Phuktal Monastery. The trek takes you through diverse landscapes, including high mountain passes like Surichan La and Rotung La, lush valleys, and rugged gorges.
As you trek through the Zanskar Valley and Rupshu Changthang, you’ll engage in the traditional way of life in remote villages and visit ancient Tibetan monasteries perched on rocky cliffs. People in local villages are friendly and hospitable. The adventure also includes observing rare wildlife at Tso Kar Lake and enjoying panoramic views of the Himalayas.
The trek concludes with a drive back to Leh, where you’ll then catch a flight back to Delhi. Travelers must be in good physical fitness and mental flexibility. We recommend you to enjoy this demanding yet spectacular journey fully.
You will arrive in New Delhi at night. Depending on your flight schedule and transit time, you may stay at a hotel close to the airport for convenience. Rest and prepare for the day ahead.
Upon your arrival, our team will welcome you and transfer you to the national airport. From there, take a scenic flight to Leh over the majestic Himalayan barrier. Upon landing, transfer to your hotel where you can take some time to rest and acclimate to the high altitude. In the evening, take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Leh bazaar. Here, you can walk through the streets, interact with Ladakhi and Tibetan handicraft vendors, and even hone your bargaining skills. The acclimatization process commences gradually, as the city is located at an elevation of 3550 meters. We stay overnight in the hotel.
After breakfast, you’ll set out to explore the nearby monasteries. First, visit Hemis Monastery, the largest in Ladakh. Built in the 16th century by the great Lama Stag Tsang Raspa, it is renowned for its rich collection of thankas (Tibetan scroll paintings), ritual objects, murals, and statues. After the visit, we hike to the Gotsang hermitage. Follow the streams lined with rosebushes and numerous mani walls (stones engraved with sacred inscriptions) for a gradual ascent to the hermitage. Dozens of monks live and carry out a retreat of three years, three months, and three days in this place. Then we return to Leh via the monastery of Thikse, situated on the right bank of the Indus. It is remarkable for its imposing architecture, which reminds us of the Potala of Lhasa. We stay overnight in a hotel in Leh.
Begin your day early by driving to Lamayuru village and stopping at Alchi, a monastery renowned for its beautiful 11th-century paintings. We get to discover these splendid Kashmiri-Tibetan paintings in the five temples that compose the monastery. Then continue our journey to the monastery of Lamayuru, which belongs to the Drikung lineage of the Tibetan Kagyu Pa order (Red Caps) and is home to nearly 200 monks.
We start the day by driving on the newly opened road in the morning. Then descend to the valley until you reach the stupa on a small promontory. Take a final look at the Lamayuru monastery before entering a valley to reach the Prinkita La pass (3750 m). Then, enjoy a long descent through a beautiful gorge until you reach the Wanla village (3170 m). We have lunch in the Lingshed village after visiting the small monastery. We will cross two important passes: the Sirsir La (4750m) and the Singe La (4950m). The journey is fascinating due to the breathtaking landscapes. The mountains have diverse shapes and colors, and beautiful village oases are clinging to their sides.
Continue to drive to Zangla and enjoy a magnificent panorama of the mountains of North Zanskar. We then descend to the Zanskar River and ascend in a narrow valley that gradually opens up as you approach the Hanamur village and the old Zangla Village. Here you will spend the next couple of nights. Our overnight accommodation will be in tents, and today’s drive lasts approximately 8 hours.
On this day, we will explore the Zanskar valley by vehicle and take a short, gentle walk. We’ll visit Karsha (3635m), the largest Gelugpa monastery in Zanskar. The monastery is home to about 150 monks. You can get a panoramic view of the Zanskar plain from the monastery. Then we’ll head to Padum, the small capital of Zanskar with about a thousand inhabitants, where many merchants and farmers come to sell their products. It is also a special gathering place for the villagers, who come together for every occasion.
If we have enough time, we may visit the villages of Pidmo and Pishu to observe the villagers working in the fields and explore the last remnants of the Zangla kingdom. The villagers’ traditional, simple way of life, focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, has remained unchanged for centuries. We’ll end the day by returning to Zangla. Overnight stay in tents. The day involves about 4 hours of driving.
We begin our trek from Zangla to Zangla Sumdo. The route follows a narrow valley and involves multiple river crossings. You’ll traverse to the junction of two valleys and then ascend to the pastures of Zangla Doksa. This area is known for its high-altitude pastures and will serve as your campsite for the night. It involves 6 hours of trekking.
Today we start with a gradual ascent to the Pandang La Pass at 5150 meters by leaving the camp. Following that, we descend to the Niri Doksa pasture. Subsequently, we spend the next few days walking in the pastures of the Zanskarpas, where we will have the chance to interact with the shepherds. Depending on the time of year, we may have the opportunity to spend time with the shepherds who spend the summer months there with their yaks and pashmina goats. The trek will last for approximately 6 hours. Overnight stay will be in tents.
Today’s trek involves descent by following the river from Niri Doksa and gradual climbing to Lar La Pass at 4850 meters. You can see the beautiful views of the Zanskar mountain range. After reaching the pass, descend to Nyingri Doksa, where you will set up camp for the night. The trek was 6 hours long.
We begin our day by hiking up to the Rotung La Pass. It stands at an elevation of 5000 meters. After reaching the pass, we make our way down to Shade, a village known for being one of the most remote in the region. This shorter trekking day will allow us to fully experience and engage with the village. Today’s accommodation is overnight in tents. The trekking duration is about 4 hours.
We will descend into the valley to Tantak and continue following the Niri Chu until it meets the Tsarap Chu. After a little more walking, we will reach our camp in Yatah. We stayed in tents overnight, and the trek took approximately 6 hours.
Today’s trek led us to Phuktal (4000 m) by following the right bank of the Tsarap River and entering a splendid gorge. After crossing the river, you ascend a small plateau dotted with chortens and prayer flags. From the top, you’ll be greeted by a view of the Phuktal monastery, one of the most fabulous sites in the Zanskar Valley. This architectural jewel is located on a limestone cliff, with a large sacred hall dug into a huge cave. Visitors draw water from it for good luck. The monks’ residences are scattered at the bottom of the hill. I
Inside, you’ll find an inscription of Alexander Csoma de Körös (a Hungarian explorer, 1784-1842). He was one of the first Westerners to have visited the Zanskar region (in 1825). One of the temples also houses a beautiful collection of ancient thangkas (Tibetan paintings). After the monastery visit, you’ll cross to the other bank and descend to the village of Purne for an overnight stay in the camp. The entire trek will take approximately 7.5 hours.
After leaving Purne, we head into the Kargyak Valley following the course of the Kargyak Chu over the next few days. Along the way, we pass through several villages where we meet a few men who have gone to accompany the caravans, while the women work in the fields. It’s a nice experience to stop and enjoy a glass of Chhaang (fermented barley beer) with the locals. The trek to the Sking village, one of the most beautiful in the valley, takes a long day’s walk. It is surrounded by mountains and ancient religious monuments. On our way, we’ll pass through the villages of Table and Testa. You will stay in tents for the night and the trek will last 8 hours.
We differ from the traditional path and walk towards the Surichan La pass at 5000 meters. As we move, the landscape changes and local pastures use the place we cross for the shepherds. Here, we find the distinctive atmosphere of the remote Zanskar landscapes like gorges and rocky cliffs. They follow one another during numerous ascents and descents to reach the high-altitude plateau. We will set up camp there. The trek takes approximately 5 hours.
Today, we’ll cross the highest pass of our trek. The climb is tough, but the amazing view of the Lahaul peaks will make it worthwhile. After reaching the summit, we’ll begin a long descent through the scree, which will lead us down to the valley floor. The journey takes approximately 7 hours of trekking, and we will spend the night in tents at Chumik Marpho.
We wake up early in the morning and have breakfast in Chumik Marpho. Then head to cross the Lingti River while the water level is low before it gets too hot. We spend the whole day following the river, going around several bends and passing ancient mani walls until we reach the point where the Tsarap and Lingti rivers meet. The Khamerup pastures are used by Gaddhi nomads from Himachal Pradesh during the summer. Overnight stay in tents. It takes a 6-hour of trekking.
Today’s trek is a relatively easy one as we head towards Serchu. It is close to the road linking Manali to Leh via the Baralacha La pass. Before we hit the main road, we’ll need to cross a ford, which can be tricky if the water is high. You need to be patient and need to follow precautions. Our experienced team and guide are always ready to help you. Once we’re back on the road, we’ll join the Transhimalaya highway, the only route crossing the Himalayas from north to south.
We’ll then leave the local team and take a vehicle towards Tso Kar Lake in the Rupshu Valley, over 4400 meters above sea level. Known as the “white lake” for its salty shores, Tso Kar is a haven for rare birds like the barred geese and the great crested grebe, with the black-necked crane being the main highlight. After enjoying the sunset at the lake, we’ll camp for the night. It was about 2 hours of trekking and 3 hours of driving.
Today, we drive to Leh via the Transhimalaya highway, crossing the Tanglang La pass at 5,328 meters. It is the second-highest road pass in the world. The journey takes us through high-altitude landscapes, and we’ll arrive in Leh by mid-afternoon. Once there, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the lively streets of the city. We’ll spend the night in a comfortable hotel after the 6-hour drive.
Today marks the end of your trek and travel adventure at Leh. We will catch a flight from Leh to Delhi. After reaching Delhi proceed to your international destinations.
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