ladakh photography expedition

Welcome to India. On arrival at Indra Ghandi International airport, our airport representative will receive you and take you to airport. Drive will take about 10 minutes. Checkin into hotel with breakfast.

All flights to Leh departs early morning. Board flight to Leh. An hr flight to Leh the - capital town of Ladakh. View from flight is amazing, witnessing thousands of high peaks, glaciers and valleys. I will pick you from Leh airport. Drive will be not more then 10 minutes. Day complete rest for acclimatisation. Overnight in hotel with all meals.

Since its your second day in Leh and you still under acclimatisation process, we will do light photography  sessions in and around Leh. Overnight in hotel with all meals.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, drive to Zanskar via the Nimmu-Chilling road. This route passes through one of Ladakh’s most beautiful and scenic narrow valleys, following the Zanskar River throughout the day. This mountain gorge is famous as the winter route for the people of Zanskar; when the river freezes, they walk across the ice for several days to reach their destination. Reach Karsha and overnight in guesthouse with all meals.

Early morning visit Nunnery situated on the cliffside of the Karsha monastery. Nuns are very friendly, hence we can chat and photograph them. Back to guesthouse for breakfast, later after breakfast visit Karsha monastery and village. We will spend good time in Karsh village meeting villagers and experience local homes. This is one of the best place for photography. Overnight in guesthouse.

Today after breakfast we will do Karsha and surrounding small villages including Zangla - former capital of Zanskar. It is home to the descendants of the royal family, who still reside in the village, with the current head of the family still being referred to as the King of Zangla they are known to occasionally welcome visitors for butter tea. We will Aim for early morning at the nunnery to capture nuns during their morning prayers or daily chores. Mid-morning is ideal for candid street portraits in the village when elderly residents are out with their prayer wheels. Overnight in guesthouse with all meals. 

Later drive back towards Karsha. On the way back we will visit Stongdey monastery on the hilltop. Overnight in guesthouse at Karsha.

Today drive is only 3hrs but we will be visiting villages on the way so it will take whole day for us to reach Purne. Overnight in Camp or guesthouse with all meals.

The Southern Zanskar road has recently opened, providing a direct link to Lahul Valley in Himachal Pradesh via the Shinku La pass. This route traverses the remote Lungnak Valley, home to isolated villages such as Bardan, Raru, Cha, Purne, Kargyak, and Tesla. The valley is also famous for its ancient spiritual sites, including the fortress-like Barden Monastery and the iconic Phuktal Monastery, which is uniquely built into a cliffside cave. We will visit these remote settlements to meet the local people, experience their traditional way of life, and capture the stunning landscape and people through photography.

The drive from Zanskar to Rangdum takes us towards northwest of Kargil through a stunning valley dotted with remote riverside villages. The route features the crossing of the Pensi La pass, offering spectacular views of the snow-covered mountains and the extensive Drang Drung Glacier. We will have our picnic lunch on the small lakeside nest to Drang Drung glacier. The journey concludes with an evening arrival and overnight stay in a guesthouse in the high-altitude hamlet of Rangdum.

Morning visit Rangdum monastery and village. After breakfast drive to Drass via Kargil. Leaving the serene heights of Rangdum- the journey toward Drass via the Suru valley is a visually dramatic transition from the stark, high-altitude desert to the "Green Jewel" of Ladakh. The approximately 130 km drive to Kargil follows the winding Suru River on NH 301, beautiful road that showcases the massive Parkachik Glacier as it spills down the slopes of the Nun-Kun massif. As you descend into the lower Suru Valley, the landscape transforms into a fertile basin of lush barley fields and apricot orchards, particularly around the village of Panikhar, which offers the most iconic, unobstructed views of the twin 7,000-meter peaks, Mt. Nun and Mt. Kun. Continuing north, photographers should stop at Kartse Khar to capture the colossal 7th-century Maitreya Buddha rock carving before reaching Sankoo, the valley's "green bowl". Upon reaching the historic crossroads of Kargil. Will have lunch in Kargil before the final 60 km leg to Dras shifts onto the Srinagar-Leh highway. Overnight in Hotel in Drass with all meals.

Bakarwals:- Along the (Minamarg) roadside near the Zojila Pass, we will encounter the Bakarwals, a resilient nomadic Muslim tribe of pastoralists who embody the ancient rhythm of transhumance. Each summer, they migrate hundreds of kilometres from the lowland plains of Jammu to the high-altitude alpine meadows of Drass and Ladakh to graze their massive herds of sheep and goats. For portrait photographers, the Bakarwal "kafilas" (caravans) offer striking subjects: men in traditional shalwar kameez and turban headgear (pagheri), and women adorned in vibrant, long gowns called jubos and ornate silver jewellery such as gani necklaces and bali earrings. You will often see them along the highway moving with their entire households—including young children and newborn lambs—strapped to the backs of hardy horses and mules, accompanied by their fierce Bakarwal guard dogs. Their temporary roadside camps of mud-and-stone "dhoks" or simple tarpaulin tents provide an intimate glimpse into a lifestyle that remains deeply intertwined with the harsh Himalayan environment, though it is increasingly threatened by climate change and modern development.

Today after breakfast drive to SAryan valley. This drive will take about 4 hrs to reach one of the Aryan village Garkhond. After lunch on the way we will spend most of our evening in this village. Later we will drive too Bema- another Arya village for overnight in camp or guesthouse.

The Aryan valley- primarily comprising the villages of Dah, Hanu, Garkone, and Darchik along the Indus River, is home to the Brokpa people, believed to be the last pure descendants of the Indo-Aryan race. The highlight is their strikingly distinct physical features—often tall with fair complexions and light-coloured eyes—and their elaborate traditional attire. The most iconic photographic element is the "Monthu Tho" or "Kho", a permanent floral headdress decorated with rows of orange flowers (Juniper and Marigold), silver ornaments, and coins, worn by both men and women to ward off evil.

Today after breakfast drive to Leh, drive will take about 5 hrs to reach Leh. Overnight in hotel in Leh with all meals.

After breakfast, will transfer you to airport for your flight back to Delhi. At Delhi our airport representative will receive you and take you to hotel close to airport. As per your flight home details we will transfer you to international airport for your flight back home.

Flight from Delhi to your onward destination. Tour concludes with unforgettable memories of Ladakh—its breathtaking landscapes.