Sixteen Day Cultural Discovery Tour Of The Himalaya In Northern India

Arrive Delhi and check into hotel. This afternoon we include a city tour of some of the main sights of New and Old Delhi. The Indian capital has long been a phoenix rising again and again out of its own ruins. New Delhi was the creation of the British Raj of the 30’s and our tour includes the President’s Palace, Lok Sabha (Parliament), India Gate and the Rajpath. We then continue to Old Delhi with its hub at Chandni Chowk Bazaar, a jamboree of deafening barter. A short cycle rickshaw takes us to the Jami Masjid Mosque and we pass by the Red Fort en route.

Overnight Standard Hotel

We leave Delhi and the Indian plains early in the morning to fly into the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh, and its old capital Leh, once a staging post on the Silk Road from China. Leh is a small, picturesque town of about 8,000 people. Sited at 3500m, the summer days are dry and sunny but nights can be cold. The people of this harsh land are Mongoloid/Tibetan and have maintained their strong sense of tradition. Our day is left free to allow you to acclimatise, with only a gentle orientation walk of the town planned.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The predominant faith of the local residents here is the Lamaistic form of Buddhism of Tibet. This is seen clearly in the monastery (gompa) architecture and by the extraordinary number of gods and demons that order the daily life of the community. Today we plan a full day of sightseeing to visit the gompas of Thiksey, Taktak and Hemis. Hemis Gompa, situated some 48km outside Leh, is the largest and most important monastery in Ladakh, a treasure house of golden statues, gem-studded stupas, rare books and fine paintings of the Buddha.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we have the opportunity to do some white water rafting (optional) on the Indus River, if water levels permit before driving on to Alchi village. Whilst lifejackets are provided we recommend you are able to swim a minimum of 25 metres unaided. In the afternoon we visit historic Alchi Gompa. Alchi is renowned for its magnificent Kashmiri Buddhist artwork which dates from an earlier period and is quite different from the other frescos in Ladakh.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we have a number of day walks planned. The first takes us back across the river to Saspol, then up to the nearby Saspol caves with glorious views across the Indus Valley. This afternoon we plan a slightly longer and very scenic walk (optional) back down to the Indus Valley after a visit to Rizong Gompa and nearby nunnery where we may see the nuns sorting and toasting barley (depending on the season).

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This spectacular walk is the last of the optional walks in this area and takes us up to Likir Gompa which contains some beautiful murals and is seemingly guarded by a 10 metre golden Buddha (please note: some may find this walk strenuous). There is also a small museum of religious artefacts here. This afternoon we drive back to Leh, with the remainder of the afternoon left free. You may opt to walk to the Shankar Gompa, a small but interesting monastery housing an impressive Dukar figure (Avalokiteshvara), complete with 1000 arms all holding weapons, and 11 heads. There may also be time to visit the ruined 17th century Old Palace, which hangs tier by tier on the hillside above the town.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We set off for the long all day drive to Sarchu which includes the Tanglang Pass at 5328m – the highest point of our journey. We descend onto the highest plateau on earth (4511m) and then go down the Gata loops, an amazing series of 21 hair-pin bends. The Leh to Manali highway is only open for several months each year. We spend the night at a tented camp erected each summer to cater for travellers. The large pre-erected tents are fully equipped with beds and bedding and have ensuite toilet facilities.

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Climbing to the Baralacha pass (4891m) we are once again treated to spellbinding views of the Himalayan range, before threading our way down the mountain side towards our nightstop at Jespa, a small settlement in an area known as Lahaul. The air starts to feel ‘thicker’ here as the oxygen content increases, with increased vegetation on the mountain slopes and small cultivated areas, marking a return to a more hospitable landscape.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Our full day's drive today takes us over the Rohtang Pass (3977m) today – the last of the high passes before descending down to the Kulu Valley and the picturesque town of Manali, surrounded by forests and mountains.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The day is free to explore the town and the many picturesque villages nearby. Your tour leader will organise an optional half day walk to some of the traditional villages to the north of Manili. Alternatively you can also visit the Hadimba Devi Temple or Vashisht village on the other side of the river Beas. Later perhaps you may bargain for colourful souvenirs in the local bazaar.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we follow the Beas River south through the lovely Kulu Valley. A slight detour takes us up to the quirky Naggar Castle which overlooks the valley. We then continue on to Mandi, once an important town on the salt route to Tibet, now a small temple town held sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. On arrival we walk to see some of the 81 temples in the town, many of which are huddled on the banks of the Beas River.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving Mandi, our all day drive takes us back into the mountains as we make our way up to the old British hill station of Dharamsala. Until 1959 this was a quiet unassuming town, but that all changed when the Dalai Lama settled here after fleeing Tibet at the time of the Chinese invasion in October of that year. McLeodganj is the upper part of the town situated 500m above Lower Dharamsala and is the area with the greatest Tibetan influence. It is also where we base ourselves for our visit to the area. On arrival an orientation walk is organised which will include the Church of St John in the Wilderness, the Buddhist Namgyal Monastery known locally as Little Lhasa, and the Kalachakra Temple.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We spend this morning in McLeodganj. If the Dalai Lama is giving one of his occasional public audiences we may be lucky enough to be granted permission to attend. This afternoon is left free for further personal exploration in the town. Alternatively you may wish to walk out to one of the temples in the surrounding hills, the closest being the Bhagsunath Temple with it’s small pool, attractive waterfall and spectacular views.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today’s drive sees us descending to the plains and crossing into the Punjab. We arrive in Amritsar, the Sikh’s holiest city, in time to visit their main shrine, the stunning Golden Temple. Shoes must be removed, feet washed and heads covered before we can enter (please bring a headscarf with you or buy one outside). The Golden Temple itself is a surprisingly small building surrounded almost entirely by tanks of holy water in which the Sikh pilgrims bathe. The atmosphere is one of incredible calm with devotees taking their turn to pass through the main shrine where there is a continuous and melodic recital (known as the Akhand Path) from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book. We also visit the nearby Jalianwala Gardens, site of the notorious massacre under General Dyer in 1919 which led to 379 Sikhs being shot from point blank range by British troops.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The land only tour ends after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast