The wild Zanskar Valley Via Shingo La

€2100 per person

This 14-day trip departing from Manali in Himachal Pradesh, takes you to the breathtaking Zanskar Valley via the Shingo La pass. An adventurous journey for lovers of magnificent landscapes and Buddhist culture.

Sub-district of Kargil, the Zanskar region is a semi-arid desert of high altitude. Until recently, the Zanskar Valley was still little visited. However, the beauty of its wild landscapes brings more and more travelers on the winding roads of this part of Ladakh which was part during a brief period of the kingdom of Guge in Tibet.

Our first stop in Ladakh will be the Phuktal monastery. This gompa is built around a natural cave on the cliff itself. Then we will visit the monastery of Stongdey, one of the largest in Zanskar and Zangla which was once the capital of Zanskar.

We will continue our exploration of Zanskar with the monastery of Karsha, which is the largest gompa in the whole Zanskar valley and is home to a hundred monks affiliated with the Gelugpa order. We will also visit the Chuskit Ja convent in front of the gompa of Karsha which shelters fifteen nuns. On the way back to Padum, we will stop in the village of Sani and its sacred lake called Tuthot.

We will then leave for the Stakrimo Gompa whose prayer wheel is driven by a mini hydraulic turbine! Then, on the way back, we will admire five ancient statues carved in the rock representing the five dhyani Buddhas also called the five meditation Buddhas.

We will leave the Zanskar valley to reach Rangdum via the Pentse La pass and the Drang Drung glacier. Rangdum is known for its 18th century monastery situated at the top of a small hillock in the middle of the Suru riverbed. The panorama of the Rangdum valley from the gompa is breathtaking.

In the direction of Leh, we will visit the 11th century Lamayuru gompa, and that of Mulbeckh famous for its 9 m high effigy of the Maitreya Buddha carved in rock.

We also stop at Alchi gompa, a monastic gem considered one of the most important Buddhist centers in Ladakh. It includes five shrines with splendid murals from the 11th and 12th centuries and houses an impressive statue of the Manjushri Buddha (representing wisdom), painted with mineral colors. Then, about 50 km from Leh, we will make a second stop at the picturesque Likir gompa perched on a small hill near the Indus river.

We will stay two days in the capital of Ladakh and discover the Leh Palace and the Tsemo Fort which offer a panoramic view of the city. The second day, we will drive you to the 15th century Spituk gompa overlooking the beautiful Indus valley and then continue our route to the palace of Stok built by King Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825, which is still the residence of the kings of Ladakh.

CUSTOMIZE THIS TRIP

After breakfast, we leave for a short trek to Phuktal monastery. This gompa is built directly in the cliff around a natural cave. It is one of the few Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh that is only accessible on foot. It is also said that the 16 ‘arhats’, or mythical disciples of Lord Buddha, were among the first inhabitants of the cave. We will spend the night in this legendary monastery.

Day 4

Phuktal - Cha (trek 2-3h) / Cha - Padum (by car)

After a relaxing night at Phuktal monastery, we leave for a short 3-4 hour trek to the village of Cha, then, from Cha, we take the road to Padum. Overnight in Padum

Day 5

Padum - Stongdey - Zangla - Padum

Today, we'll be visiting the monastery of Stongdey perched at 5110m on a hill, the second most important Buddhist monastery in Zanskar after that of Karsha. We will then go to Zangla, which was once the capital of Zanskar. An old 11th century fortress built just at the entrance of the village bears witness to this era. We will also visit the Zangla convent inhabited by around thirty nuns that boasts rare statues of bodhisattvas, which are said to be over 300 years old. Back to Padum by the evening.

Day 6

Padum - Karsha & Chuskit Ja - Sani - Padum

We continue our exploration of Zanskar with a visit to the monastery of Karsha, which is the largest gompa in the whole Zanskar valley. Located on a hill at the top of the village, the gompa is inhabited by a hundred monks affiliated to the Gelugpa order. We will also visit the convent of Chuskit Ja in front of the gompa of Karsha, where around fifteen nuns live. On our way back to Padum, we will stop in the village of Sani that boasts a monastery and a sacred lake called Tuthot. Back to Padum by the end of the day. Overnight in Padum.

Day 7

Padum - Stakrimo - Gyal ba rig nga - Padum

We leave for the Gompa of Stakrimo whose prayer wheel is driven by a mini hydraulic turbine! Then, on the way back, we will go for a walk of about 20 minutes to admire five ancient statues carved in the rock representing the five dhyani Buddhas also called the five Buddhas of meditation or wisdom. Overnight in Padum.

Day 8

Padum - Rangdum

We leave the Zanskar valley to reach Rangdum via the Pentse La pass and the Drang Drung glacier. Rangdum is known for its 18th century monastery located at the top of a small hillock, in the middle of the Suru river bed. A bumpy road leads to the door of the monastery. The panorama on the Rangdum valley from the gompa is just breathtaking! Overnight in Rangdum.

Day 9

Rangdum - Kargil

We head to Kargil via the magnificent Suru valley, which with its green landscapes overhung by snow-capped peaks, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful postcards in Ladakh. Along the way, near Sankoo, we will visit Kartse Khar, where a 7th century statue of Maitreya Buddha is carved out of a rock. Arrival in Kargil by the end of the day. Overnight in Kargil.

Day 10

Kargil - Lamayuru via Mulbekh

After breakfast, we drive to Lamayuru. On the way we stop in Mulbeckh famous for his 9 m high effigy of the Maitreya Buddha carved in a rock. Buddhists believe that the fifth Buddha will be Maitreya among the thousand Buddhas who will visit the world. Overnight in Lamayuru.

Day 11

Lamayuru

Visit of the gompa of Lamayuru and free time. Dating back to the 11th century, this monastery was founded by Mahasiddhacharya Naropa and belongs to the 'red hats' branch of Buddhism. It is home to 150 monks and houses a rich collection of objects such as murals, thangkas, statues, carpets and an impressive idol with a thousand eyes. A relaxing day before hitting the road. Overnight in Lamayuru.

Day 12

Lamayuru - Leh via Alchi & Likir

We head to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Along the way, we stop at Alchi gompa, a monastic gem considered one of the most important Buddhist centers in Ladakh. It includes five shrines with splendid wall paintings from the 11th and 12th centuries and houses an impressive statue of the Manjushri Buddha (representing wisdom), painted with mineral colors. Then, about 50 km from Leh, we will make a second stop at the picturesque Likir gompa perched on a small hill near the Indus river. ‘Likir’ means ‘surrounded by snakes'. Legend has it that the monastery is guarded by two snake spirits, Nanda and Taksako. Arrival in Leh at the end of the day. Overnight in Leh.

Day 13

Leh, capital of Ladakh

Day dedicated to the visit of Leh: Leh Palace and Fort of Tsemo, which offer a panoramic view of the city and the monastery of Sankar and further away, the stupas of Shanti and Weaver. Overnight in Leh.

Day 14

Leh - Stok- Spituk - leh

Today we'll be visiting the surroundings of Leh. We will first go to the 15th century Spituk gompa overlooking the beautiful Indus Valley. It notably houses the Mahakal temple, containing a statue of Vajrabhairava (Kali) whose fierce face is only revealed during the annual festival of Gustor. We will then continue our road towards the palace of Stok built by king Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825, and which is still the residence of the kings of Ladakh. Parts of it were converted to a luxury hotel last summer. Overnight in Leh.

Day 15