GLIMPSE OF KASHMIR & LADAKH

On your arrival at Srinagar Airport, you’ll be received by our executive and transfer to the hotel Srinagar. based on the time of arrival at Srinagar we will have breakfast or lunch and then proceed towards Kargil by visiting Sonamarg, cross famous Zojila pass which is 10 km away from Sonamarg at and altitude 11,575 ft., Drass Village (2nd Coldest Inhabited place in the World), Enroute have a magnificent view of Kargil War Memorial & the famous peaks The Tiger Hill from Vijay war memorial hall site, reach Kargil by evening. Overnight stay at Kargil.

Sonamarg also known as Meadows of Gold. It is at 82Km from Srinagar takes about 2 hours to visit Thajiwas Glacier through horse ride. (Note: Vehicles outside of Sonamarg are not allowed for sightseeing and hence you must either hire a local taxi or take a horse ride. This cost is not included in the package).

Drass is a small town located adjacent to National highway 1D, it is the Gateway of Ladakh. It is the 2nd coldest inhabited place in the world. The Place is also known for 1999 Indo Pak war.

Kargil War Memorial, is a war memorial built by the Indian Army, located in Drass, in the foothills of Tiger Hill. It is located on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway 1D. The memorial is in the memory of the soldiers and officers of the Indian Army who lost their life in 1999 Indo Pak war. Kargil war Diwas is celebrated on 26July of every year.

Post breakfast we drive to Leh enroute visiting Mulbek – Giant Buddha on the Rock mountain and Lamayuru – where the oldest monastery of Ladakh is located. Then we drive and cross the River Indus and reach Alchi, Ladakh’s most loved monastery. Further we drive Sangam – Confluence of The Indus and Zanskar River just after 4 from Nimmu and further to Magnetic Hill which defies the law of gravity. It has been noticed that when a vehicle is parked on neutral gear on this metallic road the vehicle slides up and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib Nestled deep in the Himalayas, which was built by the Lamas of Leh in 1517 to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak Dev. Following this will be the Hall of fame museum maintained by the Indian army which tell you the detailed move of Indo Pak Kargil War of 1999.

Around 45 km east of Kargil town heading toward Leh, is the famous Chamba Statue in Mulbek village, a striking enormous figure carved into the rock face on the right-hand side of the road. It pictures a standing Maitreyan Buddha.

Alchi Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, known for its monastic complex of temples in Alchi village in the Leh District. It is located about 65Km away from Leh towards the Srinagar Leh Highway. It is located at the banks of Indus river and at an altitude of 10,170 feet. You can spin the wheels of fortune and make a wish happiness for everyone.

The Sangam is the confluence of the Indus and the Zanskar river which meet at this point. You can click some photos from the top to see the difference in the color of the water from each river. You may opt for rafting here at your own cost if not included already included in the package.

The Magnetic hill is located between Leh and Alchi on the Srinagar Leh Highway. It’s place where you can see the natural demonstration of gravity where the cars are pulled against the inclined road and appears to be rolling back a steep which we would call as an optical illusion. We suggest you carry a ball to see it by yourself.

Gurdwara Shri Pathar Sahib is situated on the Srinagar-Leh Road, 25kms before the Leh. It is very beautiful, and it was created after the famous incident occurred when the demon lived nearby planned to kill Guruji and throwed stone (Pathar) at him during his worship to almighty and the stone turned into a wax. This made the demon realize himself that almighty is the ultimate power.

Hall of fame gets closed by 6 PM evening and hence if not cover today then we will visit the place next day.
Upon arrival in Leh you will met by our representative and check in at our hotel for overnight stay

The morning is free after breakfast to get acclimatize to Leh altitude. Evening around 4:30 pm visit Shanti Stupa, Leh palace and local Market which offers the best things to buy from Leh town. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

The Shanthi Stupa as the name suggest it is dome-shaped building erected as a Buddhist shrine which is the “symbol of peace”. It is one of the forms of Peace Pagoda built in Ladakh. It is constructed at an altitude of approx. of 11800 ft (3608 mts), at 5 Km from the Leh town by a group of Japanese and Ladakhi Buddhist.

Leh Palace also referred as the ‘Lhachen Palkhar’ is a royal palace located in the picturesque Ladakhi Himalayan town of Leh. It was designed in line with the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The palace is a nine-storied architecture and was built for the Royal Family of Ladakh. The view of the Leh town from Leh palace is amazing during the evening.

On this day you will be asked to provide a photocopy of Indian Government issued Photo ID Proof (Aadhar card preferred) or Passport copy for foreign nationals of all individuals to get the inner Line Permits (ILP). The cost for this is already included in the package and no need to pay anything additional for the same.

The day is to explore the north-eastern part of Leh – the Nubra Valley. It is located at about 150Kms and an altitude of about 10000 ft. To visit the Nubra valley one must cross the worlds highest motorable road – the Khardung La Pass and one can expect the valley in about 6-7Hrs of time.

The Khardung La Pass is at an altitude of at an altitude of 18,379 ft (5,602m) and so far, the world’s highest motorable world. One should be careful not to stay at this place for more than 30 mins and it may lead to Acute mountain sickness.

The Diskit is the capital of Nubra Valley and host the Diskit Monastery. The monastery is at the edge of the mountain and hence have amazing valley views from the top.

Leh is an ultimate cold desert of the Himalayas and this can be defined by the dunes. It is also the only place in India where one can find double humped camel. Enjoy your camel ride before we proceed further.

Any trip to any destination is incomplete unless one enjoys the local culture and with Explarience Tours and travels we always offer the cultural show as complimentary. The show is usually in the evenings and each session would last for about 30 mins with 5 variants of the songs.

Check in to your camps and enjoy a pleasant dinner & overnight stay.

Since Nubra valley is at lower altitude we suggest you enjoy your bon Fire at Nubra Valley.

Early morning full day excursion & is the shorter of the two direct routes from Nubra valley to Pangong Tso. You will start the journey by crossing Panamik and take a deviation at the Khalar. Although the route done have much to see but one will not be disappointed as the landscape is as amazing any wallpaper you would have imagined.

The Pangong Tso Lake means a “High Grassland Lake” located in the Changthang region of Ladakh. The lake is situated at an altitude of 14,270 ft (4,350m). It is the highest salt-water lake in the world and the view, so the lakes are amazing. It is believed the lake changes its color 4 – 5 times a day.

One can visit Shooting Point (3 Idiots movie shoot) and View point (panoramic view of the lake) of the lake for some selfies before you check in at the camps for your overnight stay.

Wake up early in the morning to witness the mesmerizing beauty of Pangong Lake under the fresh morning rays. Post breakfast set off for a drive back Leh. You will reach Leh by the afternoon; you can spend the rest of the time in the local markets of the city.

Enroute the following are the places of interest.

The Druk White Lotus School of Leh is popularly know as 3 idiot school after the famous movie 3 Idiot was shoot here. The visitors can access the school only under the observation of the guide.

The Shey palace was built in 1655 on the hills of Shey village at an altitude of 11,204 ft (3415m). Shey village is located to the south of Leh. The Shey monastery was built within the palace complex on the instructions of Deldon Namgyal, in the memory of his late father, Singay Namgyal. Inside the Shey monastery reside the Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Thiksey monastery is largest monastery located in central Ladakh about 19Km away from Leh town and at 11,000 ft (3900m). it is also called as “Mini Potala”.

Early morning full day leave for Kargil. Kargil is located at a lower altitude than Leh and is at about 220km. It will be a complete day tour and one can explore a lot of sightseeing such as listed below if not seen earlier.

Early departure for Srinagar driving through Drass (famous as the second coldest inhabited place in the world) and crossing the Zojila Pass (11,500-ft. / 3,505 m) to reach hill station of Sonamarg from where it’s smooth driving through the beautiful Kashmir countryside to reach Srinagar. Overnight in hotel at Srinagar. We will visit the following if not visited earlier.

After breakfast on this day, proceed to Gulmarg. The 60 kms journey would be through interesting twists and turns with picturesque surprises at every corner; you would take about 2 to 3 hours to reach your destination. Perched at an average elevation of 2,690 m, Gulmarg is easily one of the premier hill resorts in the country. You could spend the day exploring the place on your own by visiting the following places.

In Gulmarg taking a Gondola ride is a must. Reckoned to be world’s second highest cable car project, Gulmarg Gondola is two-tiered ride. In the first phase, the visitors are taken to Kongdori, which is situated at a height of 2600m; and in the second phase, the visitors are taken to an elevation of 3747m at Aparwath Peak. The view from Gulmarg Gondola is truly commendable as on a clear sky day one can even witness the magnificent Nanga Parbat as well.

Now, skiing is one thing that you must try when you come to Gulmarg. Known for its excellent gradients, Gulmarg is the best place to ski in India. For beginners, there are three baby slopes available with expert ski instructors (you can hire ski instructors for a day, a week and even for a month). For veteran skiers the slopes of the Aparwath Peak are ideal, with the smooth and steep gradients making it a perfect place for powder skiing in India. Apart from skiing, you can try snowboarding and sledging as well.

The shrine of Baba Reshi is 500 years old and holds an important position as a religious place in Gulmarg. Dedicated to Baba Payamuddin (a Muslim scholar and the disciple of Baba Zainuddin Reshi), Baba Reshi shrine is a must visit for those who are childless (As it is believed that childless spouses pray here and their wishes get fulfilled). Not only this shrine is important as a religious place but has a very appealing architecture. The influence of Mughal and Persian architecture can be seen and the beautifully-crafted wooden artworks inside the shrine are the main attractions for the history buffs. The massive hall that can accommodate 1000 people at a time is also no less an attraction here.

Return back to Srinagar for your dinner and over night stay.

After your morning breakfast check out for the hotel and drop will be provided at the airport for your onward journey.