Srinagar to Leh

Arrive at Srinagar. Transfer to houseboat. Later take a short Shikara ride over the Dal lake. Overnight on board your houseboat in Srinagar.

After breakfast leave for the sightseeing tour of Srinagar which mainly consists of the Mughal gardens. Later return to your houseboat.

Located on the banks of the Dal Lake, with the Zaberwan Mountains as its backdrop, Nishat Bagh is a garden of bliss that commands a magnificent view of the lake beneath the snow capped Pir Panjal mountain range that  stands far away to the west of the valley. The Bagh was designed and built in 1633 by Asif Khan, brother of Mughal queen Noor Jehan.

The Shalimar Bagh is the celebrated royal garden of Kashmir. The Emperor Jahangir was so fascinated with the garden that he called it “one of the sights of Kashmir.” Shalimar Bagh is located on the northeast side of Lake Dal, approximately fifteen kilometers away from the center of Srinagar. It was laid out by Jahangir as Farah Baksh (“the delightful”) in 1619, while he was founding the city of Srinagar.

Cheshma Shahi (the royal spring), is one of the Mughal gardens built around a spring by Ali Mardan, a governor of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in 1632. The garden is located in the Zaberwan Range, near Rajbhawan (Governor’s house) overlooking Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir.

Drive from Srinagar to the Zoji-la Pass and onwards till you reach Mulbekh (250 km, 7 hours drive). Mulbekh is a small village, 45 km east of Kargil, which forms the cultural border of the state as Buddhism is predominant towards the east from here and Islam towards the west. Mulbekh Gompa (monastery) dominates the valley. The statue here is a very prominent and the rest of the building is beautifully decorated by frescoes.

After breakfast first drive to Lamayuru, one of the better known monasteries in Ladakh, perched on a steep cliff overlooking a strange and alien land formation called ‘moon landscape’. The first Lamayuru monastery was built at the end of the 10th century. At the time some 400 monks lived in this monastery but now there are only 30 to 40. From Lamayuru drive to Themisgaam, which has numerous apricots, apples and nuts orchards. The small beautiful village also has a monastery.

After breakfast drive to the famous 12th century Alchi Monastery. Alchi is a great religious treasure with its beautiful wall paintings and wood sculpture. the Alchi treasures were miraculously preserved for over nine centuries inside five tiny mud walled structures. Later continue to Leh with the dramatic backdrop of mountains, snow peaks and fortress-like monasteries.

Leh is the capital of Ladakh region. Its strategic location made it an important town on the caravan trade route between India and Central Asia. Leh is dominated by the nine-storey Palace, a building in the grand tradition of Tibetan architecture, said to have inspired the famous Potala in Lhasa, which was built half a century later.

Arrive and check in to the hotel. Rest of the time at leisure to acclimatize the high altitude here.

The best way to see Leh is on a walking tour. Along the main street the Buddhist women with their tall hats chatter freely as they sell vegetables. Narrow lanes veer up and wind their way through the old city. You pass old dwellings clustered together on the slope and finally end up at the 16th century Leh Khar Palace and its gompa, the Temple of the Guardian Deities perched on top of the hill. Though ruined and austere for ages, Leh Palace still makes an unforgettable backdrop to the mud city. A relatively new addition to the rocky skyline around Leh is the toothpaste white Shanti Stupa above Changspa village, 3km west of Leh’s bazaar. Inaugurated in 1983 by the Dalai Lama, the “Peace Pagoda”, whose sides are decorated with gilt panels depicting episodes from the life of the Buddha, is one of several such monuments erected around India by a “Peace Sect” of Japanese Buddhists.

Shey is the oldest of the three monasteries and is not in regular use. The monastery contains a two-story high statue of the Buddha seated in meditation. Up ahead is the twelve-story 800-year-old Thikse Gompa. This is a good place to witness religious ceremonies. It’s a magical moment when the monks say their prayers amidst mystical chanting, the ringing of bells, the clashing of cymbals, and the blowing of horns. The Hemis monastery is the biggest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. Colourful flags flutter in the breeze from the four pillars in the courtyard.

Your tour ends after breakfast.