India - Kashmir & Zanskar Tour - full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival in Delhi
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport. There will be a pre-tour meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm.

Day 2:
Delhi — Srinagar
Depending on our flight schedule, we have breakfast either packed or at the hotel, then leave for the airport en route to Srinagar, the capital of India’s northernmost state, Jammu & Kashmir. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan once called Kashmir the paradise on earth, and Srinagar is the heart of that paradise.

With its serene lakes and beautiful gardens ringed by the majestic Himalayas, it is a picture-perfect destination to begin our tour. Upon arrival, we will be escorted to our houseboat. Later we will go for a ride on a Shikara, a gondola-type light rowing boat, gliding past wonderful vegetable gardens and the aquatic life in the lake. We stay overnight on the houseboat.

Day 3:
Srinagar
At dawn, we leave the houseboat and row to visit one of the most beautiful vegetable markets of India, which takes place in the lake itself. Each day, the farmers sell their vegetables to the wholesalers, who then take the vegetables to the retailers in the Srinagar bazaar. After a well-spent morning, we head back to the houseboat for breakfast.

Later, we leave and take a heritage walk in the old city starting from the grand shrine of Shah Hamdan, a medieval wonder in terms of Kashmir architecture. We cross the river via the modern bridge of Bohri Kadal, then arrive at the majestic building known as Patthar Masjid (the stone mosque), which has been standing in this part of the world for more than 400 years.

Back on the road, we cross yet another bridge and continue on foot to explore the spice market, full of aromatic spices from the far corners of Kashmir. Rounding the corner, we see the Jama Masjid (we can only use our phone cameras here but it’s worth a visit). This is a colossal building built into a rectangular courtyard and surrounded by a medieval-styled bazaar.

In the afternoon, we enjoy a wazwaan lunch, a multi-cuisine traditional Kashmiri platter. Later in the day, we visit one of the famous Shalimars, the Mughal Garden, which is set on the shores of the pristine Dal Lake. This is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Srinagar - encircled by tall chinar trees and colourful flowers, it boasts a beautifully-designed canal that runs through the centre of the garden. We stay overnight on the houseboat.

Day 4:
Srinagar — Peer Ki Gali
Today we embark on a road journey in search of the nomadic tribes who travel every year from Jammu to Srinagar valley (a distance of roughly 500km). Jammu is a hot region and a winter home for the nomads and their cattle, whereas the Kashmir valley is their summer paradise.

Our tour is timed to coincide with their travelling in the lower regions where they camp from place to place along the roadside. We hope to encounter several camps where the nomads are generally friendly and happy to be photographed. We take a packed lunch and return back for another overnight stay on the houseboat.

Day 5:
Srinagar — Sonamarg
Today, we drive to explore a beautiful secluded mountain resort around 70km north of the valley. Driving through the villages with a mesmerising backdrop of the Himalayan range, the route takes us to the green valley of Sonamarg - known as the golden meadow.

On arrival, we check into our hotel which is located in a small hamlet-like village. We have lunch here and later walk around the village, giving us ample opportunities to take pictures of the young children playing around. Later we have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 6:
Sonamarg — Naranag Dumail — Sonamarg
Early this morning, we head out again in search of the nomads - they change locations every day so we have scouts looking out for them. The morning is a beautiful time to take pictures as they start their day, making chai on stone ovens, rolling bread and so forth.

We return to the hotel for breakfast, then we drive to visit the temple ruins in the valley of Naranag. The temple dates from the 5th century BC, and makes a perfect postcard picture. It’s surrounded by a small village where we can go into the houses to take pictures of the local people. Later, we enjoy a picnic lunch, after which we will take more photographs of the local people, then drive back to the hotel.

Day 7:
Sonamarg — Kargil
Today, we make an early start for Kargil. On the way, we cross the picturesque Zojila Pass to Zero Point, where there are no further civilian roads. We make a couple of stops on the way to take pictures of the Sonamarg Valley. When we reach Kargil, we check into our hotel followed by a well-deserved lunch. In the evening, we take a walk around the Kargil bazaar, then enjoy dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 8:
Kargil — Padum
Today, we drive to Padum, the main town and administrative centre of the Zanskar Valley which is among the remote regions in Ladakh. Soon after Kargil, we enter the beautiful Suru Valley where the Suru River flows through, keeping it fertile and green, even at an altitude of more than 3000 metres.

We drive along the river bank with the Nun Kun peaks towering over us and continue on to reach Rangdum, a tiny village with only a handful of houses, and the midpoint of our journey. Soon we pass Rangdum Monastery and climb the Pensi La (mountain pass). From here we can see the Drang Drung Glacier which is about 35kms long - on a clear day we can get some beautiful images here. We continue our drive and arrive in Padum, where we stay overnight.

Day 9:
Padum  
After breakfast, we explore Padum, starting with the Sani Monastery followed by a walk around the Padum bazaar. Here, it seems as if time has stood still, and it feels like the old Leh town in Ladakh. After lunch, we drive on and visit one of the largest monasteries of Zanskar, known as the Karsha Monastery, which houses more the 150 monks and a Buddhist school.

Day 10:
Padum — Purne — Padum
After breakfast, we drive for about two hours to Purne, a small village in Zanskar valley. On arrival, we can explore the village and if we’re feeling fit we can hike up to Phuktal (Cave) Monastery. The walk is very scenic and remote, and the contrast of the blue brackish Sarap River, with the barren backdrop is heaven for landscape photographers. The hike takes us about 90 minutes each way, and after exploring the monastery we head back to Purne and try to engage with the villagers, before heading back to stay the night in Padum.

Day 11:
Padum — Leh
Today, we start very early on a long journey to Lamayuru and onto Leh. En route, we stop at the Stongdey Monastery, a flourishing Buddhist monastery located 18 km north of Padum. We then cross Sirsir La, another high-altitude pass, on our way to Leh, making impromptu stops on the way mostly to photograph the stunning landscapes, before arriving in Leh late in the evening.

Day 12:
Leh
Today we embark on a sightseeing tour of Leh. First, we visit Thiksey Monastery for morning prayer. Noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet, the monastery is the largest gompas in Ladakh. One of the main attractions is the Maitreya Temple which was installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to the monastery in 1970.

We head back to our hotel for breakfast, after which we visit the bread bakers in Leh town. You then have some free time to explore the bazaar on your own. In the evening we visit the Tsemo gompa, set on a hill from where we get a fabulous view of the town of Leh below.

Day 13:
Depart for Delhi:
After breakfast, we leave for the airport to catch our flight to Delhi. On arrival, you will be dropped at the International Airport for your flight back home, or else we can arrange an additional hotel night in Delhi, depending on your flight time.

We hope that you will have had a memorable adventure!