Ladakh and Kashmir
Other Suggested Itineraries: Maharajas, Mountains and Monks | South by Southwest | Treasures of India's Northwest | South India - Tamil Nadu
Ladakh and Kashmir
India’s northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir, stretches across six mountain ranges, including the mighty Himalayas, and borders Pakistan in the west and Tibet in the east. Ladakh, a sparsely populated high-altitude desert region, comprises two-thirds of the vast state, and its arid, mountainous terrain offers exhilarating trekking opportunities, including trails that follow ancient trading routes to Central Asia. Ladakh also has been a major center of Buddhism over the centuries, with monasteries renowned for their art and architecture, such as Alchi and Thikse, dotting the Indus River Valley, and many are still active places of worship. Travel by foot, river raft and car to remote areas and experience an authentic Himalayan way of life unchanged for centuries.
Day 1 - Leh
Fly from Delhi to Leh (90 minutes). Leh is situated at an altitude of nearly 11,500 feet, so Remote Lands advises travelers to allow a day to acclimatize before beginning any strenuous trekking.
Leh is the main town in Ladakh, and for hundreds of years beginning in the 1600s was a hub for caravan trades from Punjab west into Central Asia and from Kashmir east to Tibet.
Take the day to explore Leh at a leisurely pace, including the maze of alleys in the Old Town, the stalls of the city’s Main Bazaar, a reminder of Leh’s trading past, and the nine-storey Leh Palace, which almost appears to be an outgrowth of its surrounding hills. The palace dates to the 1630s and shares architectural similarities with Lhasa’s Potala Palace, which it predates by nearly half a century.
Day 2 - Leh
With your private guide, drive along the Indus River from Leh 10 miles east to Thikse Monastery, a 15th-century jewel perched on the crest of a hill and one of the finest examples of Ladakhi architecture. Belonging to the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism – that of the Dalai Lama – Thikse has been consecrated by His Holiness and is an active monastery home to about 80 monks. The 12-storey monastery contains numerous stupas (funerary mounds), thankas (silk paintings) statues, wall paintings, and a large pillar engraved with the Buddha’s teachings.
If traveling in October, your visit may coincide with the Thikse Festival, whose precise dates vary and are dependent on the Tibetan lunar calendar. The festival features sacred mask dances and lively market where villagers trade and barter crafts, and artists create sand mandalas.
On the way to Thikse stop at Shey (about 9 miles from Leh), the ancient capital of Ladakh. Once the royal residence, it is now home to an abandoned palace. Shey is home to a 57-foot tall statute of the Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha yet to come), the largest in
Ladakh. Your guide will also take you below the palace to explore the “five Buddhas of meditation,” giant rock carvings from the 11thcentury.
Drive from Thikse south across the Indus River to Hemis Monastery, the largest and grandest of the monasteries in central Ladakh. Like Leh Palace, it was founded in the 1630s, and today is most known for its spectacular annual summer festival, as well as the unveiling – once every 12 years – of its 30-foot tall thangka, or silk painting (with embroidery and jewels) of Guru Rinpoche, the sage credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8thcentury.
Day 3 - Leh
From Leh, drive approximately one hour to the village of Stok, located across the Indus, and set out on a trek along the Stok Nala glacier runoff. Arrive at the ruins of the 14th-century Staklang Khar fort and rest in the shade of a grove of willow trees, enjoying a gourmet lunch packed for you by Remote Lands.
Returning to the village of Stok, meet an expert in Ladakh’s history for a privately guided tour of the Stok Palace and Musuem, which chronicles the Namgyal Dynasty that ruled Ladakh for centuries until 1843. Included in the museum’s collection is a group of 35 thangkas from the 16th century depicting the life of Buddha, along with religious and royal artifacts of exquisite craftsmanship.
Day 4 - Srinagar
Fly from Leh to Srinagar, connecting through Delhi (4.5 hours including layover). If it is a Saturday, fly direct from Leh to Srinagar. Srinagar is located in western Jammu and Kashmir, about 30 miles from the Pakistan border. Alternatively, you may make the two-day drive between cities, traversing Ladakh’s rugged landscape and overnighting in Kargil.
Situated in the heart of the Kashmir Valley – called “Paradise on Earth” by India’s 16th and 17th-century Mughal Emperors – Srinagar is the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and is renowned for its lakes and waterways and picturesque wooden architecture.
The evening of your arrival, take a private sunset cruise on a shikara, or Kashmiri skiff, on Dal Lake, which is connected by a system of backwaters to Nagin Lake. From your shikara, you will glimpse the famous gardens of the Mughal emperors, which you will explore further the following day.
Stay on a deluxe houseboat on Dal Lake, which features intricate woodcarving, embroidery, and carpets from Kashmir. Houseboats have become iconic of Srinagar, yet were introduced to the area incidentally. When the Maharaja of Kashmir did not allow Britishciviland military officers to buy land, they fashioned houseboats instead, and today there are more than 500 on the city’s waterways.
Day 5 - Srinagar
Rise at dawn this morning for a visit to Srinagar’s fascinating floating vegetable market on Dal Lake. Drift on your shikara alongside the scores of vegetable vendors engaged with customers and join the friendly bargaining over the vibrantly colored veggies if you’d like.
Srinagar straddles the Jhelum River and is linked by eight bridges crossing the waterway. Have a privately guided tour of the 14th-century Mosque of Shah Hamadan in the old city, which symbolizes the city’s Muslim heritage, compared to Ladakh’s Buddhist tradition. The mosque is built entirely of wood and yet no nails or screws were used in its construction. It has richly carved windows and doorways and is known for its intricately painted papier-mâché ceilings and walls.
Visit the Hazratbal Mosque, constructed of shimmering marble and home to Kashmir’s most revered relic, an enshrined hair of the beard of the Prophet Muhammad. The mosque stands on the western shore of Dal Lake, with the mountains as a magnificent backdrop.
Explore the few surviving gardens of the Mughal Emperors in the Kashmir Valley, situated on the eastern bank of Dal Lake. The elegant gardens are distinguished by terraced hills, fountains, and water channels diverted from natural springs. Designed in 1633, Nishat Bagh, or the “Garden of Pleasure,” is the largest of the gardens. Its 12 terraces, studded with cypresses and cedars, represent the signs of the Zodiac and feature the remains of Mughal buildings, including a two-storey pavilion. Shalimar Bagh, the “Garden of Love,” was built by the Mughal emperor Jehangir for his beloved, Queen Noor Jehan, in 1619. Its central stone channel carries water through a series of cascades and pools, with white marble pavilions on three successive terraces and a black marble pavilion – reserved for the emperor and ladies of the court – on the fourth.
Have dinner tonight at the LaLit Grand Palace Srinagar, a luxury property ringed by the Himalayas and overlooking Dal Lake.
Day 6 - Gulmarg
Drive from Srinagar to Gulmarg, located 36 miles west of Srinagar, about one hour by car.
Gulmarg, meaning “meadow of flowers,” is a small hill station founded by the British during the time of the Raj. Since the 2003 cease-fire between India and Pakistan in the region, Gulmarg has become one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most popular destinations for visitors. It has no permanent residents, only tourism-industry employees and the visitors they serve. Gulmarg is one of India’s few skiing destinations in the winter months and also offers excellent hiking and trekking experiences during milder parts of the year.
From Gulmarg, embark on a day trek passing through the highland meadow of Khilanmarg Valley (2.5 miles away), which offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. Proceed toward the peak of Apharwat mountain, continuing to enjoy dramatic views of the surrounding countryside, and then make a moderate uphill climb to Alpather Lake, an alpine lake that remains frozen well into each June.
Stay at the Highland Park Hotel in Gulmarg, a heritage property built in 1966 and spread over eight acres of pine-covered hills. Currently managed by the third-generation of the Nedou family, the Highland Park has hosted officials of state and celebrities alike over its near half century in operation.
Day 7 - Gulmarg
Embark on another day of trekking in the meadows and mountains of Gulmarg. Hike the seven-mile circuit through pine forests around the town, a route that offers stirring views of Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain on Earth at a height of 26,660 feet.
Take a break from your trekking and board Asia’s longest and highest cable car, the Gulmarg Gondola, which takes you over pine forests to the upland meadows of Mount Kongdoori, a shoulder of Apharwat, and offers breathtaking vistas along the ride.
Day 8 - Departure
Drive one hour from Gulmarg to Srinagar and fly to Delhi (90 minutes) for further touring or your connecting flight.