Duration
10 days
Ladakh keeps the Vajrayana as it was carried over the passes from Tibet — in whitewashed gompas clinging to ridgelines, where the abbots still teach and the masked cham dances still turn.
This is a mountain journey, and we treat the altitude with respect. The first days are held deliberately gentle in Leh at 3,500 metres so the body can settle before we climb. From there the circuit unfolds monastery by monastery — Thiksey at dawn, Hemis and its hidden thangka, Lamayuru's moonland, and over the Khardung La to the Nubra valley and Diskit's great Maitreya.
Long teachings, thin air, and the stillness that only mountains hold.
Group size is capped at ten. A Ladakhi-born scholar-guide, ordained young at Hemis, leads throughout, and we time the journey where possible to the summer monastery festivals.
Fly into Leh and do almost nothing. A short orientation, plenty of water, and an early night. The altitude asks for stillness on the first day.
A slow morning, then the Namgyal Tsemo gompa and the old town at an easy pace. Acclimatisation walking, nothing strenuous.
The Shey palace, Thiksey's twelve-storey complex above the Indus, and Hemis, the largest and wealthiest gompa in Ladakh, home to the giant thangka unveiled once every twelve years.
We return to Thiksey for the dawn puja — horns across the valley as the sun reaches the Maitreya — then begin moving west.
The oldest gompa in Ladakh, set above an eroded lunar landscape. Teachings with the resident lama and an afternoon of walking meditation among the chortens.
The 11th-century Alchi Chos-kor, its walls painted in a Kashmiri style found nowhere else, then back east along the Indus.
We cross one of the world's highest motorable passes at 5,300 metres — briefly — and descend into the Nubra valley's sand and apricot orchards.
The Diskit monastery and its towering Maitreya facing the old caravan route to Central Asia. An afternoon among the dunes at Hunder.
Return over the pass to Leh for a final afternoon teaching and a closing circumambulation of the Shanti Stupa at dusk.
An early transfer to Leh airport for the flight down to Delhi, descending in an hour through country it took the dharma centuries to cross.
One price, disclosed in full. No optional extras quoted at the temple gate.
It must be respected. We build in two acclimatisation days in Leh before any climbing and pace the whole circuit for safe adjustment. Reasonable fitness is required, and comprehensive insurance with evacuation cover is mandatory. We are glad to discuss any medical concerns before you book.
Moderately fit. Walks are short but the thin air makes everything slower. If you can walk comfortably for an hour at home, you will manage — the mountains set the pace, not us.
Hemis Tsechu falls in early summer and Ladakh's other festivals through the season. Where a departure aligns with one, we build it in; ask us and we will tell you which dates coincide.
Layers for a 20°C swing between noon and night, a warm jacket even in July, sun protection for high UV, and sturdy shoes. A full list follows in the pre-trip briefing.
Whether you are planning a private pilgrimage, a small group retreat, or a corporate dharma circuit — reach us directly. We answer every enquiry within two working days, in the order it arrives.
Speak to us · IST 09:00–19:00 +91 87970 59656 Click to call — or WhatsApp the same number.