Day 02: Leh
Day spent in and around Leh. As it is still wise to avoid exertion we shall only make short walks in and around Leh. You will get our first taste of the colorful and fascinating Tibetan Buddhism on a visit to the small but picturesque gompa (monastery) of Sankar. Dinner and overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 03 - 12 (long version: 03 - 20): Ice trek)
After breakfast jeeps will take us to the beginning of the trek. After arranging our luggage by our porters we’ll start off on the ice.

On the short trek we’ll walk to the isolated area of Zanskar over the ice, resting a day in a small village and then walk back. The route back will be largely same as the way up. On the long version we traverse Zanskar from south to north along a unique route, most of the time following rivers and walking on the ice. So there is no back-tracking. We cover much more area, and we reach even more isolated Zanskari hamlets, where one can encounter the track of snow leopards and wolves.
It takes two days in jeeps to get to the starting point. Accompanied by the Zanskari porters we walk, slide, slip and shuffle through a wintry wonderland till we get off the ice again, 16 days later when we reach a road head close to the Indus Valley in Ladakh. In between there are several hidden monasteries and small villages. We plan two resting days on the rek, which also serve as a buffer in case we get behind on schedule.
On the jeep trip and the trek we will camp, on the resting days it is possible to stay with a Zanskari family.

Day 13 (21): Leh
A full day in Leh at the guesthouse, to buy souvenirs or make an excursion by jeep to nearby Buddhist monasteries.
Please note: if dates coincide you will be able to visit a Buddhist monastery festival, known for their so-called cham dances. Monks dress up as demons, gods and mythical figures – notably Guru Rimpoche, the great apostle who spread Mahayana Buddhism through the Himalayas in the eight century. For the locals it’s something to look forward to during the long, monotonous winter days.
Dinner and overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 14 (22): Flight Leh – Delhi)
After breakfast transfer to the airport to board the flight to Delhi, where the tour ends.

Extension of program
It is very well possible to extend your stay in Ladakh with a number of days, for instance in order to witness one of the colourful monastery festivals that happen in the winter. Also, if you want to do sight seeing in Delhi we can arrange that. Apart from regular car-based sight seeings we can also arrange bicycle tours through Old Delhi, a delightful and safe way to explore the buzzing maze of alleys of this ancient place. Trips further afield, for instance to Jaipur or Agra, site of the famous Taj Mahal, can be arranged as well. Please contact the JTI office: info@jungletravelsindia.com.