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TOUR DURATION: 04 Nights / 05 Days
HIGHLIGHTS: Monastery tour, prayer ceremony at thiksey monastery, village walk, jeep safari to world's highest motorable road - khardungla, lungtha (prayer flag) ceremony at khardungla top and interaction with students and teachers of village school.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: JUNE TO SEPTEMBER.
PLACES COVERED: LEH AND AROUND - INDUS VALLEY - KAHARDUNGLA PASS.

Day 01: Arrival Leh.
Arrival Leh, Wisdom representative will meet, greet, assist and transfer you to Hotel in Leh. Traditional welcome at the hotel with traditional 'Gurgur Tea" (Ladakhi Salt and butter tea) Post lunch visit Leh Palace and later visit Shanti Stupa for the spectacular sunset view over Leh Valley. Dinner and overnight at Hotel in Leh.
Shanti Stupa: Loated on the hilltop at Changspa. It can be reached quite easily from the Fort Road. The Stupa was constructed by a Japanese Buddhist organization, known as 'The Japanese for World Peace'. The aim behind the construction of the Stupa was to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and to promote World Peace. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in the year 1985. A magnificent white-domed structure, the Shanti Stupa of Leh Ladakh offers spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset. The Stupa looks best at night, when it is beautifully illuminated with glittering lights. A large number of tourists come to Ladakh every year to visit this amazing Stupa.
Leh Palace:The most captivating architectural ruins that attract the attention of the tourists almost immediately with its majestic setting at the edge of the Namgyal hill and overlooking the town. Built in the 17th century, it was built as the residential palace for the King Singge Namgyal. Much smaller but resembling the Potala in Lhasa, Leh Palace is now in ruins. It has nine storeys and has been deserted since the royal family shifted to the Stok Palace in 1830s. nine storey, but it is now dilapidated and deserted. It was the home of the royal family until they were exiled to Stok in the 1830s. The Victory Tower set above the palace was built to commemorate the victory of brave Ladakhi soldiers over the invading armies of Balti Kashmiris in the early 16th century. Today, Leh Palace serves as an office for the Indian Government's archaeological conservation organization.
Day 02: Monastery Tour with Prayer Ceremony and Village walk.
Early in the morning leave for Thiksey monastery for early morning prayers. After the Prayer ceremony have your packed breakfast near the monastery. Start the beautiful village walk till Shey village. Visit Shey Palace and Gompa. Picnic Lunch will be served in Shey village. Post lunch drive to Hemis monastery. After the visit, drive back to Leh. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Leh.
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.
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.
LADAKHI HOUSE: A typical Ladakhi house is made of mud bricks. The center of the room is the kitchen cum guest room. Sitting are like that of Japanese thus by using low tables and Tibetan carpets where one sits in a meditation posture crossed leg. Ground floor is used during the winters called "Goontsa" and the top floors are used during summer. A visit to a Ladakhi house gives chance to directly interect with local and inside into custom. You can try "Chang" the local bear or salt tea. You may like to dress and photographed in traditional Ladakhi dress.
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.
Day 03: Excursion to Khardungla with Lungtha Ceremony and walk to Khardung village.
After breakfast we drive to the world's highest motorable road at Khardungla Pass. At the pass perform 'Lungtha' (Prayer Flag) Ceremony There are two checkpoints on either side of the Pass. Khardong is the first and highest village of the Nubra Valley we will get down at this checkpoint and walk alongside the stream to reach Khardong village. Khardong has a primary school which we will visit to meet the students and local teachers. Packed lunch will be organized near the stream. After lunch we will drive back to Leh for dinner and overnight stay.
KHARDUNGLA PASS: The road journey to Nubra valley leads through Khardung La pass (The highest Motorable road in the world) 18,390 ft. around 39 Kms. Away from Leh. There are two checkpoints on the both sides of the pass. Khardong is the first village of Nubra valley at higher altitude than Deskit and other villages. Lung Ta prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas or mountain passes. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Buddhists believe the prayers and mantras will be blown upward as offerings to their deities and will bring benefits (such as happiness and good health) to all who hang them, as well as their families, loved ones, neighbors, and all people throughout the world including even enemies.
Day 04: Leh Sight seeing
Morning visit Sankar Gompa, Shanti Stupa and Leh Palace. Evening explore Leh bazaar for souvenir, visit Leh Jokhang or Leh Mosque by foot. Overnight at the hotel.
SANKAR GOMPA & VILLAGE: A relatively modern monastery, it is closely associated with the Spituk monastery and served as the residence of the late head priest-Kushak Bakula. A number of gold icons are to be found here.
SHANTI STUPA (Japanese Peace Pagoda): Shanti Stupa/Japanese peace pagoda is build by a Japanese religious organization headed by Head monk Nakamura with the help from the organization and local people. It is situated at a hill top in Cahngspa village providing a bird eye view of the Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks. Architecturally it has the Japanese touch with small clean rooms on the side for meditators and the main Japanese shrine at the entrance.
LEH PALACE:The Namgyal Tsemo (victory Peak) was build by King Tashi Namgyal after the reunification of upper and lower Ladakh and victory over Hor and their bodies are placed under an image of Mahakala, the guardian deities to stop further invasion of Hor. The Leh palace known as 'Lechen Palkhar' was built by Singay Namgyal around in the beginning of 17th Century A.D. The nine-storied palace is now deserted, and the ASI (Archeological Survey Of India) has taken up the renovation work.
Day 05: Depart Leh.
Leave on time for Leh airport to board your flight to Delhi.