Ladakh's Markha Valley

Day 1. Outbound

Fly to Delhi and transfer to your hotel.

Day 2. Delhi

The morning will be free to recover from your flight. In the afternoon you will be shown some of the sights of this bustling city on a guided tour.

Days 3 to 5. Leh

A pre-dawn start is needed to catch the early morning flight to Leh. This seventy-five minute flight takes you out of the monsoon area and over to the northern side of the Himalayas for a spectacular descent between snow-clad peaks to land at one of the world's highest airports. As the city is situated at 3500 metres, it is essential that time is spent taking it easy here to acclimatise to the altitude. There will be guided tours of the city, nearby monasteries and an excursion to the Khardung La, which, at 5602 metres, is the highest road in the world! There will also be time to explore the cafes and bazaars of Leh in your own time.

Days 6 to 9. Crossing the Ganda La

The start point of our trek is the village of Zingchan, reached by crossing to the south side of the Indus River at Spitok, and driving across the dry barren bahada (alluvial fan) to the village. From Zingchan the trek to the first major pass, the Ganda La at 4850 metres, is undertaken in short stages interspersed with acclimatisation walks. The Ganda La is crossed on Day 9, when you descend to camp at Skiu in the Markha Valley.

Days 10 to 13. Markha Valley

No more passes for a few days! The trail now ascends gently up the Markha valley, passing though many villages to reach the edge of the vast Nimaling plains (4730 metres). There are many camping places to choose from along the way, thus allowing flexibility in the itinerary. Two nights are spent at Nimaling from where a side trip is made to the base of Kangyaze, an impressive peak of 6394 metres. It is not unusual to see marmots and blue sheep in this area, and if you are lucky, signs of the elusive snow leopard.

Days 14 and 15. Kongmaru La

It is only a short ascent to the highest pass on the trek, the Kongmaru La, at 5150 metres. From here you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Indus Valley, the Ladakh range and the peak of Kangyaze. After an initially step descent, the trail continues through a gorge to reach the village of Sumdo (3730 metres), from where Shang Gompa can be visited. A short final morning's trek takes you to the end of the trek at Ladakh's most important gompa, Hemis. After visiting the gompa you return to Leh by road, visiting Thikse Gompa and Shey Gompa en- route.

Days 16 and 17. Homeward

A morning flight takes you back to Delhi, where there will be free time for further exploration of the city or relaxation in the hotel before transferring to the airport for the overnight flight back to the UK. Alternatively you may decide to opt for one of our highly recommended India extensions to Agra, Jaipur or Ranthambore.