LADAKH AND UTTRANCHAL TREK ITINERARY 30th Sept: Arrive Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi at 23:30. You shall be out of the airport after one or one and half hours after Immigration and Luggage clearance. Met by our airport representative at the arrival lounge, representative will carry placard with your name. Transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel. 01st Oct: Full day sightseeing of Old and New Delhi. Before dinner you may pack your luggage for the early morning flight to Leh. Overnight hotel at Delhi. 02nd Oct: Early morning at 02:40 am depart for Domestic airport.(Reporting time at the airport is 02 hours in advance). Reach airport around 03:40 am. Fly Delhi Leh by Jet Airways flight 9W 609 at 05: 40 am. Arrive Leh at 06:55 am. On arrival met by airport representative and transfer to hotel. Day complete rest to acclimatize. Evening walk to Leh market on a slow pace. Overnight hotel Mogol International. 03rd Oct: Morning after breakfast leave hotel with picnic lunch. Full day guided sightseeing of Shey, Thiksey and Hemis monasteries. SHEY PALACE AND GOMPA: Situated on a hillock 15 Kms upstream from Leh, it was once the residence of the royal family. According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kinds. A 7.5 mts high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold and the largest of its kind, is installed here. THIKSEY GOMPA: 19 Kms from Leh, spectacularly sited, Thiksey is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive Gompas. There are several temples in this Gompas, containing images, stupas and wall paintings of Buddha, which are exquisite. HEMIS GOMPA: 40 Kms from Leh, it is the wealthiest, best known and biggest Gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held here in summer. The festival is in honor of Guru Padma Sambhava’s birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh which is unfurled once in 12 years (nest in 2004) Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Singge Namgyal, an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal Dynasty for the royalty favored the Drugpa sect, which is managed the monastery. It is divided into two, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple on the left. The hall (Dukhang) is also used as “green room” by the dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes, among them the Buddhist “Wheel Of Life” (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters, besides the prayer wheel. 04th Oct: Drive from Leh to Lamayuru enroute visit Spituk, Alchi and Liker monastery. On arrival if time permits visit the Lamayuru monastery otherwise visit next day before the trek. Overnight camp at Lamayuru village. SPITUK GOMPA: 8 Kms from Leh, it stands prominently on the top of hillock commanding a panoramic view of the Indus Valley for miles. Many icons of Buddha and fine Thankas are to be found in this 15th century Gompa. The Gompa also houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, and an awe-inspiring image of Mahakaal. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and is revealed only at the annual function at January every year. ALCHI GOMPA: 70 Kms from Leh, on the banks of the Indus, is the Alchi Gompa dating a thousand years back. One of its walls features thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attractions. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the Liker monastery. LIKIR GOMPA: Founded in the 11th century and rededicated to a different monastic order in the 15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The present Gompa dated back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen producing excellent Thankas, earthen pots and carved wooden folding stools, live here in the village. Majestically situated, Likir commands a spectacular view. A magnificent giant Jupiter tree, one of the few survivors of its species, stands in the courtyard. LAMAYURU GOMPA: The oldest holy site in Ladakh, it was a bon shrine prior to the advent of Buddhism. Also known as Yung Drung (Swastika) it is sited on a high promontory overlooking the village and valley. For sheer spectacle value no other Gompa can match Lamayuru. 05th Oct: Lamayuru to Wanla. After getting ready for the trek start trekking down towards the village, cross the stream, then gradually climbing across a mountainside reach a small valley which you follow as far as the Prinkiti – La (3200 mts.) Go down into a narrow gorge until reaching the village of Shi – La. Cross the river over a bridge, then take the Right Bank to reach Wanla. Trek times: 03 – 04 hrs. 06th Oct: Wanla – Urtsi. Go along the Yapola on the left bank to reach village of Penjila after crossing the river (bridge). From Penjila, go up a valley, which goes off at right angles (north – east). After one hour, leave the main valley and go straight north along a stream, which leads to Urtsi. Trek times: 05 – 06 hrs. 07th Oct: Urtsi – Base of Tar – La. From the camp, the path is well – marked but difficult until the Tar –La (5250 mts.) Pitch the camp at the base of Tar – La. 08th Oct: Base of Tar –La to Mangyu. Start climbing Tar –La to reach an altitude of 5250 mts. Climbing down can pose problem for the horses, difficult mass of fallen rocks. After the decent you reach Tar Village the path goes up along the mountainside to a new pass, then easy descent towards Mangyu. Attractive village and interesting monastery. Camp near the stream beneath the village. 09th Oct: Mangyu – Alchi (Via Gera). From Mangyu very good path into a beautiful narrow valley. After few hours reach the Indus Valley at the village of Gera. Follow the Indus upstream, pass Lardo, and continue along the hillside down to a road and finally Alchi.. Drive from Alchi to Leh. Overnight hotel at Leh. 10th Oct: On time departure transfer to Leh airport to Fly Leh- Delhi by Jet Airways flight 9W610 at 07:35. Arrive Delhi at 08:50 am. Met by representative at the airport and transfer to Hotel. 11th Oct: Delhi - Haridwar - Uttarkashi (170 kms, 5 hrs) Arrive Delhi. On arrival transfer to New Delhi railway station to connect train at 06:55 am for Haridwar. On arrival in Haridwar pickup and drive for Uttarkashi. Lunch enroute. On arrival check in Hotel Shivlinga. Overnight at hotel. 12th Oct: Uttarkashi - Gangotri (100 kms drive, Alt. 3048 mts) - Bhojbasa (18 kms trek, Alt. 3792 mts). Drive to Gangotri (3048 m). Gangotri is the place where the daughter Ganga from Heaven landed on Earth. There is a Temple of Goddess Gangotri. Visit the temple. Trek to Bhojbasa (3658 m) following the river Bhagirathi. From Bhojbasa you can have majestic view of Bhagirathi group of peaks. Overnight at tents. 13th Oct : Bhojbasa - Gaumukh (4 kms trek, Alt. 3892 mts) – Tapovan (3kms trek, Alt. 4463 mts). Trek to Tapovan (4400 m) via Gaumukh, the source of river Ganges Continue trekking to Tapovan. Tapovan is the base camp for climbing Mt Shivling and Mt Meru. Overnight at tents. 14th Oct: Tapovan - Bhojbasa (7 kms). Return trek to Bhojbasa. Overnight at tents. 15th Oct: Bhojbasa - Gangotri (18 kms trek) - Uttarkashi (100 kms drive). Trek down to Gangotri. On arrival drive to Uttarkashi. On arrival check in Hotel Shivlinga. Overnight at hotel. 16th Oct: Uttarkashi - Haridwar (170 kms, 5 hrs) - Delhi. Morning leave for Haridwar. Lunch enroute. Evening connect train for Delhi to reach by night. Overnight at hotel. 17th Oct: Your program. Departure transfer to International Airport.