HIGH PASSES AND LAKES OF LADAKH

Detailed Itinerary

Duration : 05 Nights / 06 Days
HIGHLIGHTS : Indus Valley Monastery tour, Sunset Point, Jeep Safari to Sham Valley and Jeep

Day 01 - Arrival Leh

Arrival Leh, Wisdom representative will meet, greet, assist and transfer you to Hotel in Leh. Rest of the day free to acclimatize to the high altitude of Ladakh. In the evening take a walk to the local bazaar in Leh. Overnight at Hotel in Leh.

Day 02 - Monastery tour and Leh sightseeing

Morning after breakfast, drive to Thiksey village, visit Thiksey monastery and drive to Shey Village to visit Shey Palace and Gompa. Later return to Leh for lunch. Post lunch visit Ladakh’s only donkey Sanctuary and Shanti Stupa for beautiful sunset view. Return to hotels for dinner and overnight stay.

THIKSEY GOMPA: 19 Kms from Leh, spectacularly sited, Thiksey is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive Gompas. There are several temples in this Gompas, containing images, stupas and wall paintings of Buddha, which are exquisite.

SHEY PALACE AND GOMPA: Situated on a hillock 15 Kms upstream from Leh, it was once the residence of the royal family. According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kinds. A 7.5 mts high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold and the largest of its kind, is installed here.

DONKEY SANCTUARY - The sanctuary is situated just off the road leading to Khardungla Pass. The public is encouraged to visit the sanctuary and friendly signs will direct you to the sanctuary from the center of Leh. Once at the sanctuary, the artistic surprise awaiting you is well worth the effort. It is open to the public throughout the day and donations and juicy carrots are most welcome and used exclusively for improving the lives and welfare of these wonderful animals.

SHANTI STUPA (Japanese Peace Pagoda) - Shanti Stupa/Japanese peace pagoda is build by a Japanese religious organization headed by Head monk Nakamura with the help from the organization and local people. It is situated at a hill top in Cahngspa village providing a bird eye view of the Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks. Architecturally it has the Japanese touch with small clean rooms on the side for meditators and the main Japanese shrine at the entrance.
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Day 03 - Leh to Likir (60 Kms / 1 ½ Hrs)

After breakfast at the hotel drive to Likir. Enroute visit Ladakh Hall of Fame, Gurudwara Shri Patthar Sahib, Magnetic Hill, Confluence of Zanskar and Indus River. Arrive Likir for lunch. In the evening take a walk in the serene and calm Likir village and visit Likir Gompa. Return to Hotel for dinner and overnight stay in Likir.

LADAKH HALL OF FAME - The Hall of Fame is a glorious museum constructed by the Indian Army. It is worth a visit for every citizen. You can see the memorabilia, eminent defense personalities with biographies, images and weapons used during the Kargil and other key strategic battles fought in Ladakh. And belongings of the enemy soldiers found at war site. All the martyr and the gallantry awards.

“Here’s something that you will be proud of our defense personnel who sacrificed themselves so that we could live in peace.”

GURDWARA SHRI PATTHAR SAHIB: The Shrine known as Gurdwara Patthar sahib is situated about 25 kms. Short of Leh town on the Leh-Srinagar road. Built in the everlasting memory of Shri Guru Nanak Deve Ji the great prophet who sanctified the place by his sacred visit during the year 1517 while on his second missionary tour (2nd Udassi 1515-1518). The Guru reached here via Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet Yarkand and Leh after having spiritual discourses with the sidhas at Mount Sumer (Central Himalayas). On the hill features across the road, there used to live a wicked demon that terrorized the people of the area. Their miseries multiplied day by day. As their miseries became unbearable they prayed for divine help.

It is said that the Great Guru heard their woes and came to their rescue. The Guru settled down on the bank of the river flowing nearby. The people sought for help and the Guru blessed the people and became very popular in the area. The locals called him as Nanak Lama. The Demon got enraged and started making plans to kill Guru Nanak. One morning, when the Guru was sitting in meditation, he rolled down a big boulder from the hilltop with the aim of killing the Guru. But on the very touch of Guru’s body, the solid rock melted like wax and Guru’s back got embedded on it like a cushion. The Guru kept on sitting in meditation undisturbed. Thinking that the Guru must have been killed, the demon came down but was taken aback on seeing the Guru in meditation, undisturbed. With a rage of anger he tried to push the rock with his right foot but the rock had already became like wax his foot also got embedded into it. On this , he realized his folly and powerlessness as compared to the spiritual power of the Great Guru.

He fell on the feet of Guru and humbly prayed to be pardoned. The Guru advised him to get rid of his wickedness and lead the life of a nobel person, in the service of humanity. This changed the life style of demon and he started serving the people. The Guru there after continued his Holy journey towards Srinagar and Kashmir via Kargil.The boulder having imprint of the Guru’s back is lying in the Gurdwara to this day.

MAGNETIC HILL - Defying the Law of gravity. This place is close to the Gurdwara Shri Patthar Sahib. It has been noticed that when a vehicle is parked on neutral gear on this metallic road the vehicle slides up-hill that’s the Believe it or not of Ladakh! CONFLENCE OF THE ZANSKAR & INDUS - On way to Sham Valley before Nimu village one can have this magnificent view of two rivers in wed-lock! In seasons they have different colors and flow and wildness.

LIKIR GOMPA: Founded in the 11th century and rededicated to a different monastic order in the 15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The present Gompa dated back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen producing excellent Thankas, earthen pots and carved wooden folding stools, live here in the village. Majestically situated, Likir commands a spectacular view. A magnificent giant Jupiter tree, one of the few survivors of its species, stands in the courtyard.

Day 04 - Drive to Leh via Alchi

After breakfast at the hotel drive to Alchi village to see 1000 years old Alchi Dhammchakra Centre. Later drive to Leh, enroute visiting Basgo Fort, Spituk monastery and Kali Mata Temple. Evening free to stroll around Leh market. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Leh.

ALCHI GOMPA: 70 Kms from Leh, on the banks of the Indus, is the Alchi Gompa dating a thousand years back. One of its walls features thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attractions. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the Liker monastery. This is the only monastery amongst 34 monasteries, which is not located on a hilltop.

BASGO GOMPA: 40 Kms downstream from Leh, it was the seat of power of branch of a Namgyal family. It was here in 1680 that invading Mongol and Tibetan armies were held in check over a three year old siege. Original 16th century murals and other arts at Basgo are well worth a visit.

SPITUK GOMPA: 8 Kms from Leh, it stands prominently on the top of hillock commanding a panoramic view of the Indus Valley for miles. Many icons of Buddha and fine Thankas are to be found in this 15th century Gompa. The Gompa also houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, and an awe-inspiring image of Mahakaal. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and is revealed only at the annual function at January every year.
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Day 05 - Excursion to Pangong Lake (280 Kms round trip)

Morning after breakfast drive to to Pangong Lake on the Indo China border. Evening back to hotel in Leh for dinner and overnight.

THE PANGONG LAKE - This route takes the visitor past the picturesque villages of Shey and Thiksey, and turns off the Indus valley by the side valley of Chemrey and Sakti. The Ladakh range is crossed by the Chang-la (18,000 feet / 5,475 M) which despite its great elevation is one of the easier passes, remaining open for much of the year even in winter, apart from periods of actual snowfall. Tangse, just beyond the foot of the pass, has an ancient temple. But the main attraction of this circuit is the Pangong Lake, situated at 14,000 feet (4,267 M). A long narrow basin of inland drainage, hardly six to seven kilometers at its widest point to which foreigners are permitted, is only some seven km along the southern shore from the head of the lake, but it affords spectacular views of the mountains of the Changchenmo range to the north, their reflection shimmering in the ever-changing blues and greens of the lakes brackish water. Above Spangmik are the glacier and snow-capped peaks of the Pangong range.