{"id":5188,"date":"2021-08-04T11:14:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T11:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shikhar.com\/blog\/?p=5188"},"modified":"2021-08-09T09:37:21","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T09:37:21","slug":"ladakh-tour-packages-ladakh-the-land-of-high-passes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shikhar.com\/blog\/ladakh-tour-packages-ladakh-the-land-of-high-passes\/","title":{"rendered":"Ladakh \u2013 The Land of High Passes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A beautiful\narea surrounded by the sky-piercing peaks of the snow-capped Himalayas, Zanskar\nand Karakoram ranges, which is further golden by the crystal waters of the\nShyok, Zanskar and Indus rivers. Leh is the main city of Ladakh. Also, it is\nthe coldest desert in the world. It is at an altitude of 11,000 feet above sea\nlevel. Leh city is a paradise for adventure sports. Its rugged terrain and\nrivers are great for mountaineering (trekking), river rafting in a river that\nflows through the mountains (camping) and moire-cycling. As the winter season\nis near. In such a situation, the city is covered in a sheet of snow. In this\nway, it has become a wonderful place for sports played in cold weather. The\nfamous journey Chadar Trek starts from a very cold village. This village is at\n66 kms from the city. This yatra covers most of the area of \u200b\u200bthe snow-frozen\nriver Zanskar. During this journey, travellers also pass through many such\nplaces where the layer of ice is very thin. In such a situation, there is also\na possibility of drowning in the icy river. Apart from this, travellers also\nspend the night in icy caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Leh is\nsurrounded by three very high and beautiful lakes Tso Moriri, Tso Kar and\nPangong Tso. These lakes look as if sapphires are studded on the ground. The\nnatural wonder that leaves travellers stunned is the magnetic hill. This hill\nis located outside the city. It is said that it negates gravity and pulls the\nvehicles up. Leh is a major centre of Buddhism and has many important\nmonasteries. Travelers can visit several monasteries and get acquainted with\nthe ancient culture of the area. There are old-time paintings on the walls, in\nwhich meditation, therapeutic and spiritual activities have been mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city of\nLeh was earlier the capital of the state of Ladakh. That is why the rich\nhistory of Ladakh is seen here. The Leh Palace has been built in the heart of\nthe city since the 17th century. It is a wonderful specimen of medieval Tibetan\narchitecture. If you want to enjoy Ladakhi culture, then the best way is to\nstay in the house of a local person there. They will leave no stone unturned to\nintroduce you to the Ladakhi culture. Another way to get to know the region is\nto enjoy its fruits. Apricots, apples and other fruits and vegetables found in\nits orchards and markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to\nReach <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Road: <\/strong>Leh is not easily accessible by road,\nthere are only two ways to reach Ladakh one is Delhi \u2013 Manali \u2013 Leh and second\none is Delhi \u2013 Jammu \u2013 Shrinagar road, due to heavy snowfall these roads are\nonly accessible in summers. There is only one bus of Himachal Road Transport\nCorporation which is directly operating from Delhi. You can take a shared taxi\nfrom Srinagar & Manali. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Train:<\/strong> Train is not available in Ladakh\nregion, the nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi, which is 700 km away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Air:<\/strong> Kushok\nBakula Rimpochee Airport is situated in Leh town, there are frequently flights from\nDelhi & Mumbai till 11:00 am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourist\nAttraction <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shanti Stupa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\ufeffShanti
Shanti Stupa<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Situated\namidst zig-zag hills, the ancient building of Shanti Stupa is a splendid piece\nof art. Beautiful Buddhist murals and golden artwork adorned with lavish\nartwork make this stupa an attractive tourist destination. To bask in the peace\nand beauty of the surroundings, travellers can take a walk around the stupa\nwhile reciting mantras, which are believed to bring immense peace to the mind.\nTourists can go to the balcony of the tower of the stupa and take in the\nbeautiful views of the surroundings. It is believed that the stupa was built\nbetween 1983 and 1991 by Japanese monks to mark the completion of 2,500 years\nof Buddhism. The purpose of its creation was to promote the idea of \u200b\u200bworld\npeace. To reach the stupa, you must take a 15-minute walk from Jangspa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leh\nPalace <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leh
Leh Palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Popularly\nknown as Lehen Palkhar, the Leh Palace was built by King Sengge Namgyal during\nthe 15th century. The work of this palace was completed by the 17th century.\nIts facade resembles that of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.\nThe terrace of Leh Palace offers amazing views of the Ladakh region and Stok\nKangri. With huge walls and wooden balconies, it is a great example of medieval\nTibetan architecture. This palace is of 9 floors. The entrance to the palace is\ndecorated with carved wooden sculptures. The upper floors were used to house\nthe royals, while the lower floors were used as storerooms and stables. Some of\nthe interesting features of the palace include the Namgyal Stupa, the Chandajik\nGompa full of frescoes and the medieval murals present in the Chamba Lakhang\ntemple. The museum inside the palace houses artifacts that are more than 450\nyears old. The Archaeological Survey of India is currently working to preserve\nthe heritage of Leh Palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stok Palace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Stoke\nPalace, situated on the banks of the Indus River on the outskirts of the city,\nis still a unique symbol of royal heritage. This three-storeyed Stoke Palace,\nwhich holds its memories, remains the summer home of the royal family of\nLadakh. Of its 80 rooms, 12 rooms are still decorated with attractive\nfurnishings. This Stoke Palace, which holds the heritage, is worth seeing. This\npalace is a must visit as there are many fascinating things to see here, royal Thanka\npaintings, king’s crowns, ancient royal clothes, coins, turquoise and lapis\nlazuli jewellery. Here the queen’s ancient turquoise jewellery and gold head\njewellery, Juboor, attracts visitors. Apart from this, this palace has a good\ncollection of many religious items. The palace also houses an Afghan sword from\nthe 16th century. There is a cafe in the palace grounds, which offers beautiful\nviews. A short distance from the palace is a Buddhist monastery, which was\nbuilt by Lama Laving Lotus. Every year, a special dance is performed here on\nthe 9th and 10th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. The specialty\nof this dance is that the face of the dancer is covered with a mask. This\npalace was built in 1820 by Raja Tspal Namgyal, the ruler of Ladakh. When the\nDogra army attacked his Leh Palace, the Raja and his family moved to this Stoke\nPalace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pangong\nLake<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ancient\nPangong Lake with blue coloured water is present at an altitude of 14,270 feet\nabove sea level. It is said to be the largest saltwater lake in the world. It\nis almost present on the India-China border. One part of it is in India and the\nother part is in China. This lake is so beautiful that a scene of the Bollywood\nfilm 3 Idiots was filmed here. Apart from this, there is also 3 Idiots Point\nwhere the yellow coloured scooter used in the climax of the film is standing.\nThis lake is 5 kilometres wide at its widest area. Also, its length is 134\nkilometres. There are a variety of campsites along the lake which have all\nkinds of facilities. This area is about 220 km from Leh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tso\nMoriri Lake<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tso
Tso Moriri Lake<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like a\nsapphire amidst harsh snowy scenery, the majestic Tso Moriri Lake is one of the\nmost beautiful places in the Ladakh region. Nestled in the Changthang Valley,\nthis 28.km long ancient water body is also called Mountain Lake. Because it is\nsurrounded by many high peaks. At any time of the day, you can see the birds\nfluttering. This lake has now been named as Wetland Reserve. Some of the\npopular avifauna you can see are the bare-headed goose, the great. Crested\ngrebe, the brahmin duck, and the brown-headed rooster. Tourists can also see\nsome varieties such as Bharal or blue sheep, marmot, Tibetan sheep, red fox and\nQiang or Tibetan donkey. Most Himalayan rabbits are found near this lake. Tso\nMoriri is the best place for those who have come to enjoy biking in the\nmountains. Ladakhis consider it a holy lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tso Kar\nLake<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tso Kar\nLake, the smallest of the three high-altitude lakes in Ladakh, is about 50 km\nfrom Tso Moriri. Situated at an altitude of 15,280 feet, it is surrounded by\nhigh mountains which are home to the unsuspecting snow leopard. It is also\ncalled the White Lake due to the white salt content in the water deposits on\nits banks, it attracts tourists with its beauty. The area around the lake is\nfull of wildlife and flora and is also an important point for bird watchers.\nBird watchers are seen here especially during the migration season. During this\ntime many species come here to lay their eggs, including the black-necked\ncrane. Nomadic settlements of Thugje and Gursen guard the lake and its surrounding\narea. The best time to visit this lake is between the months of May and August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nubra\nValley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nubra Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nestled in\nthe middle of the brown shade of mighty mountains, the lush green Nubra Valley\nis a miracle of nature. This deep valley of Ladakh is given the status of an\noasis in the middle of the desert. The natural beauty here is amazing. With\nvast stretches of dry sand dunes, ancient ruins and serene Buddhist\nmonasteries, the Nubra Valley is a very attractive tourist destination. Located\nat about 150 km from Leh city, this valley is situated on the doab of local\nrivers Rio Shyok and Siachen. The waving icy sand dunes here represent the\nidentity of the cold desert. Two humped camels can be seen here. This Nubra\nValley is also famous as the home of the famous Pashmina goat. Panamik Village\nlocated close to the world famous Siachen Glacier, is a very good place to\nstay. There are other places to visit like Dixit Buddhist Monastery, Yarab Tso\nLake, Maitreya Buddhist Monastery, Samstanling Buddhist Monastery and Khardung\nLa Marg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suru\nValley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Suru
Suru Valley<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you go on\na trip to Ladakh, do not forget to see the Suru Valley to see the most\ndifferent view of nature. Surrounded by snow-capped hills, pristine rivers, the\npicturesque Suru Valley is the most beautiful valley in Ladakh. The most\nstriking feature of this valley is a group of verandah-shaped compartmented\nvalleys. Situated in the Kargil district, this valley boasts a blend of Turkish\nand Tibetan architecture, which is reflected in the quaint houses here. The\nmost attractive here is Kartse Khar, in which a 7th century statue of Lord\nBuddha is installed. This statue is situated at a height of about 7 feet.\nTourists can also visit Rangdoom from here, which has a beautiful monastery and\ntwo small settlements. Panikhar is the base here for those wishing to go\nmountaineering or on excursions. Jangala Math is also located nearby in this\nvalley. This beautiful monastery is worth visiting. Must visit here. The\ncultivation of hills of Suru valley is the highest in Ladakh. Also for the\nadventurous nature lovers seeking pleasure from the risk, the alpine slopes and\nattractive peaks are visible from a distance apart from the peak of Nan Kun\nMountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamayuru\nMonastery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lamayuru monastery Ladakh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamayuru\nMonastery is located about 127 km west of Leh. It is believed to be the place\nwhere Mahasiddhi Naropaye, an Indian Buddhist, came to live in the 11th\ncentury. The cave where he stayed still exists today. Due to the teachings of\nRinchen Zangpo, the Kadampa School here emerged as a brilliant school. Every\nyear, on the 17th and 18th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar, the\nmonastic festival of Yuru Kabayd is celebrated with great pomp. The dancer\ndance is performed during the festival days. During these auspicious days, all\nthe temples and thanaks of the matha are opened for the devotees to see and\nworship. This monastery is located on the Srinagar-Leh highway and is often\nreferred to as Yuru Math. The Lamayuru region is also the starting point of many\ntreks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diskit\nMonastery <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Diskit is\nthe administrative center of the Nubra Valley and is popular for its ancient\nmonasteries. This 14th-century monastery is the largest and oldest monastery in\nthe Nubra Valley. Also known as Diskom Gompa, the most prominent attraction of\nthe monastery is the huge Maitreya Buddha statue in its top. It was inaugurated\nby HH Dalai Lama. A magnificent panoramic view of the Nubra Valley can be seen\nfrom the base of the statue. The monastery was founded in the 14th century by\nChangzhen Tserb Zangpo and is situated on a hill above the plain of the Shyok\nRiver. One must also visit the monastery to see the display of frescoes. Be\nsure to visit the monastery to attend the Dosoche festival, especially that is\nheld here in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alchi\nMonastery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alchi\nMonastery is one of the most famous sites in the region. It was built by\nRinchen Zangpo. This is the biggest gompa built by him. Rinchen was a\ntranslator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Tourists can pay obeisance\nat various temples and shrines. Prominent among these are Buddha Vairochana\nLhakhang, Lotswa Lhakhang, Jamyang Lhakhang (Manjushree Temple) and Sutsang\nLhakhang. The main statue is of Vairochana Buddha, however, there are other\nsmaller statues depicting Lord Buddha. A unique aspect of this monastery is\nthat the paintings here are not in the Thongka style. Rather, they represent an\nIndian style of art. To build this monastery, Rinchen Zangpo brought in\npainters, carvers and sculptures from the Kashmir Valley. Located on the\noutskirts of the city, the monastery is said to have been built around 1000 AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markha\nValley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Markha Valley Trek Day 5, Nimaling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The best\nseason for trekking to Markha Valley is from June to September. It is at an\naltitude of about 3,700 meters above sea level and takes about eight days to\ncomplete. There are scenic spots along the route, which you can experience.\nTrekking along the banks of the Markha river, you will reach the village of\nNimling, where you can see the high peak of Kangytse. Other peaks that can be\nseen along the route include Cesar Kangri, Stok Kangri and Nan Kun. The most\nbeautiful part of this trekking route is found when you pass through the middle\nof Hemis National Park. This place is different from any other park. Here you\nwill find animals like snow leopard, ibex and blue sheep. People who are fond\nof watching animals on this trek must go. Before embarking on this adventurous\njourney, it is very important to acclimatize yourself to the environment there.\nIf you are going on a trek in a bunch of people and have a guide at the same time,\nthen nothing can be better than this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hemis\nNational Park <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A horse grazes along the Indus River near Stok Village and Chuchok Yakma, Ladakh, India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This area is\nfamous as Hemis Monastery. Hence the huge wildlife sanctuary built in this area\nis called Hemis Wildlife Sanctuary. Spread over an area of \u200b\u200b600 km between the\nMarkha, Rumbak and Sumdah nallahs on the western bank of the Indus river, this\nsanctuary is spreading its natural splendour. The specialty of this sanctuary\nis the rugged valleys, rocks and boulders, which offer a natural sight. Apart\nfrom this, the grasslands of this sanctuary and many forests of shrubs and\ntrees add to the beauty. The sanctuary is identified as Snow Leopard Reserve.\nThis sanctuary is famous for rare animals. Rare fauna Shapua Bharata wolf,\nPolas’ cat, Ibex, Tibetan agarli wild sheep and Ladakh’s long legged and\npointed horned sheep Urial are also found in this sanctuary. Since bharals and\nurials are found in large numbers here, they are easy to spot. More than 30\nspecies of avifauna birds can be seen here, most notably the Himalayan Snow\nCock and the Chukar Pheasant. The pheasant’s legs are red, it looks like a\ncommon chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopping\nin Ladakh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can\nenjoy shopping for curios and souvenirs at the markets and markets of Leh in\nLadakh on your time touring. Popular items with tourists are pashmina shawls,\nstoles and other pashmina wool garments. Locally handmade wool socks, gloves,\nhats and sweaters are a favourite of tourists in Ladakh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tibetan\nhandicraft items, including prayer wheels, Buddhist masks and thangka paintings\ncan be bought in Ladakh. Traditional Ladakhi jewellery along with Tibetan\nsilver jewellery and turquoise are also popular with tourists. Apricots that\ngrow abundantly in Ladakh are another popular gift that you can take back to\nLadakh as a delicious souvenir of your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Handwoven rugs, rugs, and shawls are available in a range of prices in the Ladakh market. Carpets have floral or geometric designs or dragon motifs on them and can also be cut as decorative wall hangings. Woven in wool from Ladakhi goats gathered, and dyed with natural dyes, and Ladakhi Carpet Rugs are thick, long-lasting and items of utility and beauty, which you can buy while shopping in Ladakh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n