Ladakh, Kinnaur and Spiti Tour | Individual Ladakh Travel | Pyala Travel - Travel Program
Travel to Kinnaur, Spiti and Ladakh in the Indian Himalaya. Great Adventure. Individual Tour, tailormade by Pyala Travel.
Kinnaur, Spiti en Ladakh tour
private tour
Upon old Tibetan trade routes to Ladakh
On this India roundtrip you will take an adventureous journey via Kinnaur and Spiti to Ladakh. Mainly you will take the old trade route from India to Tibet, Tibet-Hindustan road. Kinnaur is one of the least-known, but most beautiful one in the Himalaya.
from 1725,-
22 days
Tabs
Day 1 Arrival Delhi
You will arrive around midnight in New Delhi. You will be picked up from the airport and brought to your hotel.Day 2 Delhi
Time to get acclimatized in Delhi on your first day.You can explore the city on your own.
Delhi is composed of two parts: the old, walled city dating back to the glory days of emperor Shah Jahan (Old Delhi) and the modern city in the south (New Delhi).Old Delhi (the old Shahjahanabad) is a tangle of narrow streets and bazaars, with the colourful capital Chandni Chowk. You can literally buy everything here at the markets and in the small cozy shops. Thousands of people go for grocery shopping here and blend their selves in the dizzing crowd. A short walk in this exotic area will give you a good impression of the Indian life. Old Delhi also has some monuments worth visiting, like the Red Fortress and the biggest mosque of India: the Jama Masjid.New Delhi is characterized by majestic villas and colonial government buildings, which gives you a rich impression right away. Enormous grass fields and parks take care of the necessary nature relaxation spots. The most striking buildings in this part of Delhi are the India Gate (the famous 42-meters high triumph gate), the Rashtrapati Bhawan (the residence of the president) and the Sansad Bhawan (the parliaments building).
There are several transportation possibilities: buses, taxis, bicycle- and scooterrickshaws, horse carriages and even extended Harley Davidsons. However, it's not a good idea to see as many as possible in one day. Bear in mind that because of the crowd there are many traffic jams and some parts of the city are not accessible for rickshaws.
Day 3 Delhi - Shimla
Rise and shine early in the morning for a trainride to Shimla. The first part is with a modern fast train including airconditioning which will take you to Kalka. The second part is a six-hour trip with a slow train to Shimla. This trainride has started in 1903 by Lord Cuzon, the commander of British India. You will travel in a mountainious area at the foothills of the Himalaya and pass 969 bridges, 103 tunnels, 919 loops and 20 stations.Day 4 Shimla
The British Hill station Shimla (2206 meters) dates back from 1822, when the English started to built the first houses, because of the cool summer climate. India was being ruled from here in summer, which is why it's called the summer capital of India. Nowadays it's the biggest hill station of India with many colonial houses. Especially the Mall and The Ridge, where there are almost no cars allowed with its characteristic buildings, is definitely worth visiting.The St Micheal’s Cathedral has lovely windows and the Jakhu Hanuman temple, where you have to be careful for the many apes, are definitely worth visiting as well. The most impressive building dating back to the colonial times, is the Viceroy lodge, the residence of the governers. Shimla is surrounded by forests of pine trees, oak trees and flower bushes.
Day 5 Shimla - Sarahan via Rampur
You begin with a long journey through the Himalayas that will eventually bring you in Ladakh. You travel through a breathtaking landscape on a road that will take you higher and higher. En route to Sarahan visit Rampur (1005 meters) where you will visit the impressive Padam Palace, built in 1925 for the Maharajas of Bushahr. A beautiful building with lots of carvings, frills and a large garden if front of it. After several hours of driving, leave the main road and drive up to the village of Sarahan (1920 m). Here is one of the major sites in Himachal Pradesh: the temple of Bhimakali. The largely wooden temple is beautiful with the White Mountains in the background. The temple offers a typical mix for this region; Hindu temple with Buddhist influences and local deities. This is the region where Buddhism and Hinduism meet each other and easily merge. This creates a unique religious mix in Himachal Pradesh. This combined with the special construction and location of the temple and you will understand why this is an attraction. You can also go for a walk and enjoy the beautiful views.
Day 6 Sarahan - Sangla
You travel along the Sutlej river after four hours drive you arive at the the Sangla valley (also Baspa valley), one of the finest in Kinnaur. Overnight in the village of Sangla (2680 meters). In the afternoon, continue into the valley to the end, the Chitkul village at 3450 meters, an hour away. You can go for a walk in the valley, which is enclosed by imposing snow-capped mountains. The village itself is a wonderful, authentic Kinnauri village filled with wooden houses, small but special Hindu and Buddhist temples, cattle, women doing the laundry, chatting old men and playing children.
Day 7 Sangla- Kalpa
It's only an hour or two drive to the next destination, so you can take it easy today. At the village Repkong Peo you climb slowly up to Kalpa. Here you can enjoy one of the best views ever seen in the Himalayas. From your hotel in Kalpa you watch the sun set over the Kinner Kailash massif with its peaks over 6000 meters. An incredibly beautiful sight, the slow pink coloring peaks of one of the holiest mountains of the Himalayas.
Day 8 Kalpa / hiking Tibet - Hindustan route
Today you can walk along the Hindustan - Tibet Highway, which runs along the front of the hotel. The piece which you walk is a beautiful flat walk with breathtaking views. Amid beautiful pine trees you look up to 6000 meters high mountains, glaciers and down to a huge 1,000 meters deep gorge where the Sutlej roars. A simple, but beautiful walk takes you to the next village, Roghi. You can choose to walk the whole day or choose to spend the afternoon lounging around the hotel and enjoy the view.Day 9 Kalpa - Nako
You return to the Sutlej gorge and continue your drive through Kinnaur. You travel along the border with Tibet. At some point you reach a point where the Sutlej in Tibet continues to flow to the source at Mount Kailash and follow the Spiti river now. The landscape becomes drier and rougher. Eventually you arrive in Nako, one of the most beautiful villages on the route. Nako is an authentic Tibetan village, one you hardly find anymore in Tibet. Nako is located in a desolate area of snow-capped peaks and rugged mountains high above the wildly flowing river Spiti. In the village itself will lead you through a maze of streets and houses, everywhere stables for cows, sheep and goats, prayer stones everywhere, manimuren, prayer flags, stupas and a 900 year old monastery. Children play cricket between the stupas of the monastery. Behind Nako you can climb a hill where you have a beautiful view of the magnificent surroundings. On the hill some old stupas, of course, many prayer flags and a beautiful view of the 6000 meter high mountain Purgyal Leo, the natural border with Tibet. You are in the region that once formed part of the Tibetan kingdom of Guge, which across the border resulted inthe famous monasteries of Tholing and Tsaparang not far from the sacred Mount Kailash. The snowy peak of the mountain sparkles in the early morning light.
Day 10 Nako - Tabo
Leave Kinnaur and travel into Spiti. Spiti means House of Mani, at Om Mani Padme Hum. These words, a Buddhist mantra, you see everywhere chiseled in stone on walls, the so-called. Manimuren. Spiti is a living museum. The Buddhist valley lies between the 3350 and 4570 meters. The surrounding mountains of around 6,000 meters have no vegetation and erosion over thousands of years has given the landscape a moon-like appearance. The Spitirivier dissects the whole into a deep ravine. Small pieces of green in the landscape are the result of the hard work of the villagers who cultivate using irrigation vegetables and grain. Because of its centuries of isolation, the population has focused inward. A large number of unique monasteries is the result. Some of these monasteries are among the most remarkable monasteries across the Himalayas. The main one we will visit these days. After a few hours drive away in Tabo. In a small village is one of the most famous monasteries of Tibetan culture. On the outside the monastery is quite different from other Tibetan monasteries. Inside a large mud wall, are a number of simple mud buildings and clay stupas. An architecture somewhat reminiscent to earlier Mali, Yemen or the houses in the Tibetan region of Aba. Not something that looks directly as an impressive monastery. But the buildings house perhaps the most remarkable frescoes and sculptures of all Tibetan monasteries. The frescoes and statues are over 1,000 years old, it is never destroyed and therefore it is one of the few monasteries that still looks like 1000 years ago. In 996 the monastery was founded by Chen Ring Zangpo, one of the most famous scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and the holiest man who has produced Spiti. The monastery itself usually makes a little lively impression, more than a monastry it is a museum. And while the Dalai Lama has indicated to want to live here after his retirement (assuming he cannot enter Tibet). The buildings are mostly closed and you have to find a monk who can open the prayer spaces. In dark, dimly lit rooms you walk past large statues of boddhisatvasas. Behind the walls beautiful frescos of Buddhas, everywhere you look. One room is even more impressive than the other. Without doubt one of the most important collections of Buddhist art that reveals itself before your eyes. After visiting the monastery you can climb the hill on the outskirts of the village, where still some caves are situated, which are all bare inside. Quite a nice view over the valley and Tabo.
Day 11 Tabo - Kaza via Dhankar
Through the valley of Spiti traveling to Kaza. After about an hour's drive you reach Dhankar. This is one of the most spectacularly situated monasteries across the Himalayas. On jagged rock peaks at 4000 meters altitude a monastery was built in a place where it seems absolutely impossible to build anything. Once at the top the view is breathtaking. You look out over the valley where the Pin and Spiti rivers flow together. In the small monastery itself you can admire ancient thankas, some of them more than 1,000 years old. The monastery is in poor condition and looks like it could collapse at any moment. It is also one of the 100 most endangered major historical sites in the world. Shame if this edifice would collapse. You can continue climbing to the small village and the ancient fortress above Dhankar. From Dhankar it is still an hour drive to Kaza, the capital of Spiti, but still a village of about 2000 inhabitants (the average villages have 10-100 people).
Day 12 Kaza / visit and Ki Kibber
From Kaza you visit to Ki and Kibber. Just outside Kaza is the Ki monastery, also again spectacularly at 4100 meters altitude against a bare mountainside on a rock. From Ki ascend even higher to Kibber, reputedly the world's highest permanently inhabited village (4205 meters). Whether that is true we doubt, but at least it's a beautiful authentic village full of white houses in Tibetan style on a rugged plateau. The residents have all drawn faces of the harsh climate that prevails here.
Day 13 Kaza - Keylong
You leave Spiti and start climbing the Kunzum La pass. Passes are open only a few months per year (June - September) and partly the cause of the isolated nature of Spiti. The road is very bad, bumpy, dusty and there may be lots of snow. On top of the Kunzum La (4551 meters) you will find a number of stupas with the usual prayer flags. Then the descent begins until you arrive in Lahaul. The Lahaul valley, together with Spiti forms the administrative unit Lahaul and Spiti. Yet the Lahaulvallei has a completely different character. The landscape is much greener and the population is a mixture of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
Day 14 Keylong - Sarchu
Leaving Keylong you drive seven hours to Sarchu. You pass two high passes, including Baralachapas at 5000 meters altitude. At the top of the passesyou will find fluttering prayer flags on piles mani stones. You stop there for the wonderful view of the many mountain peaks and for the good journey you place a stone on top of the pile. You stay overnight in a tented camp in Sarchu at 4200 meters altitude.Day 15 Sarchu - Tso Kar
From Sarchu you travel to the beautiful salt lake Tso Kar. Along the way, you have a chance to meet nomads with their herds of yaks or you are so lucky to to see kyangs (Tibetan wild donkeys) come running past. You stay overnight in a tentedcamp.Day 16 Tso Kar - Leh
You travel to Leh, capital of Ladakh, six hours away. Leh is situated at 3500 meters altitude in the western Indian Himalayas. Ladakh is also known as "Little Tibet" because the nature, culture and language matches Tibet before the Chinese invaded it. Leh is a small place with many hotels, restaurants, shops and markets. The local women sell their vegetables on the sidewalk of the main street, with their distinctive high headgear they form a beautiful scene.
Day 17 Leh
Leh was once the center of trade routes from Central Asia and is now the capital of Ladakh, a busy place full of hotels, restaurants and shops. In the center of Leh there are three ancient stupas. On a hill in the middle of Leh you see the old palace in ruins, beyond these ruins you can find the royal Tsemo Gompa monastery which houses a beautiful two-story-Chamba image of Buddha. You can explore Leh on your own or go explore some monasteries in the valley. You can visit for example one of the following monasteries: Mathoklooster It is a small monastery of a small order, where each day a luncheon ceremony is held at 12 am that you can attent. This monastery from the sixteenth century is less well known and therefore less touristy. It belongs to the rare Sakyapa sect and the monks take the time to show you around. Stakna Gompa, means "the nose of the tiger 'and is Drukpa- order. There are many ancient prayer rooms and it has a special silver stupa. Stolk is a beautiful palace where the royal family nowadays live. It also features a nice museum.
Day 18 Leh / excursion Hemis and Tikse
Hemis is the wealthiest and largest monastery in Ladakh. The monastery is filled with golden statues and stupas, inlaid with semiprecious stones. This monastery was built four hundred years ago as an imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Also visit Thikse Monastery, situated on a hill. The monastery consists of twelve floors. It is eight hundred years old and has many ancient temples and is inhabited by sixty monks. The most famous Buddha image of Ladakh, the Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha of the Future) is here.
Day 19 Leh - Lamayuru
You leave to Lamayuru, this impressive monastery is situated against the rocks. It has a cave, where in the 10th century Buddhist teacher Naropa, teacher of Milarepa is said to have been meditating for years. The monastery is located in an impressive moonscape and the trip to the monastry also is breathtakingly beautiful. Along the way you also will visit the monastery of Rizong, a magnificent monastery from 1840, where the monks keep a conservative regime.Day 20 Lamayuru -Alchi
You travel to Alchi, the oldest monastery of Ladakh, dating from the eleventh century. The monastery is no longer in use as a monastery, nowadays it serves as a museum with beautiful colorful murals. Along with Taboklooster in Spiti is one of the most remarkable monasteries in this region. It has the same mix of Buddhist and Moghulstyle murals. In one of the six temples you can find three big beautiful colorful images of Vajrapani, Manjushri and Maitreya Buddha.Day 21 Alchi - Leh via Likir
Before returning to Leh you can also visit, given sufficient time, the monastery of Likir. The monks of this monastery also run Alchi. The clay sculptures and frescoes that are here in the temples, date back to the 13th century. Outside the monastery is a new modern Buddha. There is a school attached to the monastery, where boys get an education.Day 22 Leh - Delhi
You fly early in the morning to Delhi. The next days you can explore the city.Reis boeken?
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