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Ladakh · 5 Days
Ladakh — Central Valley & Sham
The gentlest Ladakh trip — Leh, the Indus-valley monasteries and one night in the low Sham valley, with no high passes.
Day by Day
5 Days, In Full
The easiest way to see the heart of Ladakh. It stays low, with no pass over about 3,600 metres, so the altitude is manageable. Two days in Leh cover the old town, the palace, Shanti Stupa and the great monasteries of Thiksey and Hemis. Then a night down in the Sham valley for Alchi's wall paintings, Likir's giant Buddha and the ruined fort at Basgo. It skips Nubra and the lakes, which the longer trips include. Five days, no rough roads, a real introduction.
Leh
Arrive in Leh — Rest and Acclimatise
You fly into Leh in the early morning, over the main Himalayan range. The airport sits at 3,500 metres, so the first day is a rest day, and this is not optional. Your guide checks you in and asks you to do very little. Drink water, eat lightly, sleep if you can. A short, slow walk to Leh market in the afternoon is as much as you should do. Giving the body a full day here now prevents altitude sickness later.
Leh
Leh — Old Town, Palace and Shanti Stupa
A gentle first full day, still close to the hotel. The morning is Leh's old town: the bazaar, the mosque, and the nine-storey palace above it. The climb through the palace floors is slow but short. In the afternoon, drive up to Shanti Stupa for the view over the valley. Sankar Monastery, a working gompa a short way from the centre, fills any spare time. An early night before tomorrow's monastery run.
Leh
The Indus Valley Monasteries — Thiksey and Hemis
A full day among the great monasteries south-east of Leh. Start early at Thiksey, a twelve-storey monastery on a hill, for the dawn prayers if you are up to it. Then Hemis, the largest and richest in Ladakh, hidden in a side gorge. Shey, the old royal palace with its giant seated Buddha, and Stok are on the way back. It is a lot of driving, but the roads are good and the valley is beautiful. Back in Leh by evening.
Leh → Sham Valley
Leh to the Sham Valley — Basgo, Likir & Alchi
A drive west down the Indus, dropping in altitude the whole way, which helps. First stop is Basgo, a ruined mud-brick fort and its Maitreya temples on a wind-carved ridge. Then Likir, with its huge open-air gilded Buddha and, if you want it, a short turn at a village potter's wheel. The main visit is Alchi, the eleventh-century monastery on the river flats, with wall paintings found nowhere else in Ladakh. You reach your hotel at Nimmu or Nurla by late afternoon.
Sham Valley → Leh
The Sham Valley back to Leh — Magnetic Hill & the Hall of Fame
An easy drive back up the valley to Leh, with the classic Sham stops on the way. The Indus-Zanskar confluence, where the clear green river meets the grey one. Magnetic Hill, a quick stop where the road plays a trick on the eye. The Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, a Sikh shrine built around a boulder. Closer to town, the Hall of Fame, the army's museum of the region's mountain wars. You are back in Leh, at a higher but now familiar altitude, by early afternoon.
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Priced Packages On This Route
This route is already built into these packages — real inclusions and pricing on each one's own page.
luxury · 4 Nights
First-Timer's Ladakh — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 4 Nights
First-Timer's Ladakh — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
luxury · 4 Nights
Ladakh Central Valley & Sham — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 4 Nights
Ladakh Central Valley & Sham — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
Before you go
Planning Ladakh
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First-Time IndiaFood & CulturePlanning Guide
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