Day 01 : Arrival Leh
You
will be met on arrival at the Leh airport and transferred to the hotel. Day
for acclimatization. Meals and overnight at Hotel.
Leh - Ladakh : Ladakh at an altitude of 11500 Ft. is a
land like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges,
the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two others, the Ladakh
range and the Zanskar range. Ladakh is also known as the land of passes
Day 02 : In Leh (Visit Stok, Leh palace & Market)
After breakfast visit Stok palace which houses a fine private museum. There
is a superb collection of thangkhas, said to be the best in the world. Some
of them have been worked in pure gold and paints made of crushed
semi-precious stones. The collection also includes artillery and animal
skins. Stok Gompa is a subsidiary of Spitok and both were founded by the
same lama, Nawang Lotus, during the reign of King Takpa Bumlde. Stok belongs
to the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism and currently has about 20 lamas living
there. The oldest parts of the gompa are some 550 years old though the
Dukhang or main assembly hall is only about 50 years old.
In the afternoon visit Leh, a fascinating labyrinth of winding streets and
quaint bazaars. The main street is open and airy, with rows of shops on
either side. On either side of the market are seen a long line of Ladakhi
women in traditional dress and colourful jewelry of coral and turquoise,
seated behind enormous baskets, selling vegetables. The spectacular
eight-storey Leh Palace looming above, overlooking the town, was built in
the 16th century, about the same time as the Potala in Lhasa which it
resembles. Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 03 : In Leh (Shey Thikse Hemis)
After early breakfast full Day sightseeing of Shey, Thicksey & Hemis.
Shey was the summer Palace of Ladakhi Kings and is where you can see the
36Ft. high statue of Buddha made of copper and covered with gold. Thicksey :
The twelve storied monastery of Thicksey is situated in the most prominent
of positions, lies on an island Mountain. Finally visit; Hemis : Farthest
away from Leh, this is the wealthiest Monastery in Ladakh belonging to the
Red Sect - it is here each summer that plays are held and Ladakhis from all
parts of the country will visit Hemis. Evening return to Leh. Meals and
overnight at Hotel
Day 04 : In Leh (Khardungla Pass)
After
breakfast half Day trip to Khardungla ( 18380 fts. ) the worlds highest
motorable road & gateway to Siachen Glacier . Afternoon free for
personal activities. Meals and overnight at Hotel. Evening visit to a
Ladakhi Family. Meals and overnight at Hotel in Leh.
Day 05 : In Leh (Spituk & Phyang)
After breakfast visit Spitok Gompa. It built about 550 years ago by Gyalpo
Bumlde, although one temple, dedicated to Mahakala was built about 900 years
ago. Spitok gompa contains both old temples and those built in the 1970s.
The name Spitok is probably derived from the Central Tibetan language and
means "Effective as an Example", Phyang Gompa. It is also known in
Ladakhi as the Gouon Gompa, meaning "blue peak", for it is
beautifully situated on a hilltop above the small village of Chhiwang, about
22 km west of Leh. The monastery was built by King Lkra-Shis-Namgyal,
founder of the Namgyal dynasty, in 1500 after defeating the last of the
Lha-Chen kings. Phyang is a monastery of the red-hat sect of Buddhism with
over 100 lamas.
Drive back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 06 : Departure Leh
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport to board flight for
onward destination.
