The Markha Valley trek starts from New Delhi and involves flying to Leh. Upon your arrival in New Delhi, our staff will meet you and welcome you with a garland before assisting you to the domestic airport for your flight to Leh. The one-hour mountain flight provides breathtaking views of the Himalayas. Upon arrival in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, you will be transferred to a Ladakhi-style hotel. We advise you to take a day of rest to acclimatize to the high altitude of Leh (3505 m). You can spend the day relaxing in the hotel gardens or exploring the lively bazaar. You will spend the night at the hotel.

After an early breakfast, start your day with a half-day trip to the 200-year-old Sankar Monastery. It is just a half-hour walk from Leh. The monastery is open only in the early morning and evening, so plan your visit accordingly. Inside, you’ll find impressive images, wall paintings, and sculptures, including a striking statue of Avalokiteśvara with a thousand arms and a thousand heads.

Next, we head to the Japanese-built Peace Pagoda, also known as Shanti Stupa. This major tourist attraction stands out with its unique architectural style, different from traditional Ladakhi structures. The winding road to the stupa presents enthralling views of the countryside, and the massive dome is reminiscent of the stupas at Nalanda and Rajgir.

In the afternoon, we visit Leh Palace, a historic landmark with great views. After exploring the palace, enjoy a leisurely walk to Namgyal Tsemo Monastery. Return to your hotel in the evening for an overnight stay.

We start our day with a hearty breakfast and head out for a full day of sightseeing. We begin with a visit to the Alchi and Spituk monasteries. Our journey takes us through Nimmu, where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet, forming a confluence that’s a visual delight. At Alchi, you can admire the enormous Buddha statues, intricate wood carvings, and the only Kashmiri-style wall paintings found in the region. The village is also adorned with charming chortens.
On our way back to Leh, we make a stop at Spituk Gompa. It is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Indus River. The main prayer hall, Gokhang, is approximately 1000 years old and provides spectacular views from its rooftop. In the evening, you will have free time to explore Leh’s lively Tibetan-like bazaar. Then return to the hotel for a restful night.

We will go on an early morning scenic drive to Nubra Valley, a journey that will take approximately 5 hours. Along the way, we will pass through the Khardung La Pass. It is one of the highest motorable roads in the world at 5840 meters. You can take in dazzling views of the Karakoram and Ladakh mountain ranges during the trip. Upon arrival in Nubra Valley, we will settle into a simple, basic camp for the night.

Today, we will explore Nubra Valley’s unique high-altitude desert. First, we visit Diskit Monastery. It is known for its large Buddha statue and peaceful atmosphere. The prayer hall, called Dukhang, has huge drums and beautiful images of Buddhist guardian deities. Next, we’ll head to Samstanling Monastery, which stands out with its red, gold, and white colors and is a popular tourist attraction. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a traditional camel ride on the double-humped Bactrian camels in the dunes of Hunder. We’ll return to the camp for the night.

After breakfast, we drive to Stok. The trip takes about 6 hours via Khardung La Pass. In Stok, you’ll move to a tent camp. The Stok village lies immediately south of Leh on the opposite side of the Indus valley. The village has a royal palace and a small museum with religious artifacts and ceremonial clothing. The Stok Palace is 200 years old and was home to the Namgyal Dynasty. Visit the palace and museum before setting up your camp just above the village. Enjoy dinner and spend the night in the tents.

Today, after having an early breakfast, we will head on a trek for about 6 to 7 hours. The trek involves a steep ascent to Stok-La at 4900 m. Since this is our first major trekking day and is quite strenuous, it’s advisable to maintain a steady pace to establish a consistent rhythm. After a challenging walk, you will be rewarded by the amazing rock formations on the way to the pass and by the views of the Indus Valley and distant mountain ranges from the top of Stok La. After reaching Stok La, we descend into the picturesque and agriculturally rich valley of Rumbak village. It is adorned with beautifully decorated houses, monasteries, and schools. We will camp overnight in tents.

We begin our 6-hour trek early to reach Shingo. The trail will take us through Yurutse and over the Ganda-La Pass, which stands at 4900 meters. You can admire spectacular views of the Zanskar and Karakoram ranges along the way. The descent to Shingo is long but relatively easy. We will camp for the night in Shingo, surrounded by natural beauty.

Today we will engage in a shorter trek taking 2 to 3 hours, You walk along a shaded gorge, and cross several streams. The trail crosses the stream multiple times before reaching Skiu. We will camp for the night in a beautiful spot on the banks of the river, with a view of a derelict fortress on the cliff. You’ll have the afternoon free to explore the village. We’ll be staying overnight in tents.

Today, we are preparing for a long trek that will take around 7 hours. The route lead us across the Markha Stream several times, and there are bridges at some of the more difficult crossing points. As we approach Markha Village at 3800 meters, we see the lush vegetation along the river, which contrasts with the barren slopes of the valley. We will set up camp for the night and enjoy the scenic surroundings.

Take a well-deserved rest day in Markha and explore the largest village in the valley, which consists of over 25 houses and an old monastery. There are many homestays available there. You can also visit a small gompa on a hill to the north, where the resident monk can show you ancient wall paintings and festival masks. Enjoy the tranquility and beautiful scenery.

After leaving Markha village, the trail continues eastwards into the Markha valley. It leads us to our campsite at Tchatchutse. Along the way, we come across several impressive monasteries, some of which are in ruins while others remain intact. This area is known for sightings of small herds of blue sheep (bharal) that often come down to the river to graze. We will spend the night in tents. Today’s trek took approximately 6 hours.

Today’s walk takes us to the head of the valley, where we enjoy excellent views of the prominent peak of Kang Yatze (6,400 m). After crossing the Markha stream on the final bridge, we begin a steeper ascent toward the high plains, known as Nimaling. In addition to blue sheep, golden marmots, and large hares, Nimaling is also home to an impressive variety of birds of prey, including lammergeiers (Bearded vultures) and golden eagles. This leg of the journey is expected to take about 6 hours.

Early in the morning, we head on a trek from Nimaling to Kongmaru-La, which takes about 7 hours to complete. We walk to Kongmaru-La at 5100 meters. The trail from the pass offers fabulous panoramic views to the north of the majestic hills of the eastern Karakoram range and extends to China. As we descend from the pass, we follow a trail that winds through a narrow gorge. By afternoon, we anticipate reaching the village of Shjang, where we conclude our day’s journey and find accommodation for the night.

As we continue our descent, we pass some of the highest-located small village houses in the valley and then descend into another section of rocky gorge. Along the way, we pass through the village of Martsylang before arriving in Hemis for lunchtime. Hemis is a village in a gorge and is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. After lunch and rest, we explore Hemis Monastery, the biggest and wealthiest in Ladakh. In the late afternoon, we return by vehicle to our hotel in Leh. On the way back, we will visit the beautiful Thiksey Monastery, which resembles the Potala Palace in Tibet.

We will take an early morning flight to Delhi from Leh. If you require a hotel near the airport or in the city, please inform us so we can make the necessary arrangements.