snow leopard expedition
in zanskar lungnak valley

On arrival at Delhi Indra Ghandi International airport our airport representative will receive you and transfer to hotel. Overnight in hotel with breakfast only.

All flights to Leh departs early morning. Board flight to Leh. An hour flight to Leh the - capital town of Ladakh. View from flight is amazing, witnessing thousands of high peaks, glaciers and valleys. From Leh airport you will be picked by your tour guide and take you to hotel in Leh. Drive will be not more then 10 minutes. On arrival at hotel your guide will brief you about the process acclimatization, getting use to high altitude terrain and itinerary in details. Day complete rest in hotel with all meals.

Wakeup at dawn for coffee or tea, later drive half an hour drive to Thiksey monastery to attend morning prayer ceremony. This will be best experience to witness monks morning activities, prayer, briefing and teaching small monks. Monastery founded in 1400 by Sherab Zangpo of the yellow hat order. With a stunning 12-story Tibetan Buddhist complex in Indus Valley, resembles Lhasa’s Potala Palace and is known as "Mini Potala" for its architecture, housing ancient murals, statues (like a giant Maitreya Buddha), and sculptures, vital to the Gelugpa order, offering serene views and spiritual experiences .

After two hours at the monastery, drive back to Leh with quick visit to Shey old cluster stupas on the way. Breakfast in hotel. After breakfast free time till lunch. After lunch guide will take you to explore old Leh town by walk to see daily life of locals. Walk back to hotel for overnight.

Early morning after breakfast we will drive through narrow George along the side of zanskar river. This dramatic transition into the heart of the Himalayas, beginning with the stunning Sangam river confluence where the jade-green Indus and azure-blue Zanskar rivers merge in a spectacular visual contrast. As you turn into the narrow Zanskar River gorge, the road becomes a photographer's dream, hugging the emerald waters and cutting through sheer, towering rock walls that create a "Grand Canyon of Ladakh" effect.

This offbeat route, often referred to as the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road, offers an intimate look at the raw, vertical landscape of the Lungnak Valley, where you may spot snow leopard, blue sheep  and Ibex clinging to the cliffs above. Reach Padum the administrative town of Zanskar. We will have lunch here. After lunch drive another hr or more to reach Purne village where we will stay five nights in a Lodge/ guesthouse.

The Lungnak Valley, a deep and narrow gorge in the remote Zanskar region, is a premier high-altitude habitat for the Snow leopard (Panthera uncia), locally known as "Rchan" or "Shan". Dotted with approximately 20 small villages and the iconic Phuktal Monastery perched on its cliffs, the valley offers exceptional wildlife sightings during the harsh winter months from January to March. As heavy snow covers the high peaks, snow leopard descend to lower elevations, following their primary prey—the Asiatic Ibex and Himalayan Blue sheep (bharal)—making them easier to track along ridge-lines and frozen riverbeds. This seasonal movement, combined with the lack of dense vegetation in the semi-arid landscape, provides clear visibility for spotting these "ghosts of the mountains". Beyond the snow leopard, the valley's biodiversity includes the Tibetan wolf, red fox, and Raptors like Golden eagle, griffin vultures and Lammergeier.

Early Morning (6.00 AM): Expert spotters go out at sunrise to look for wildlife, like wild sheep, on the mountain slopes using high-powered scopes and binoculars.

Morning (7:00 AM): Guests wake up to hot coffee and tea. Guides share the morning's tracking news.

If a Leopard is Found: You go straight to the spot to see it. LODGE staff will even bring your breakfast| lunch to you so you don't miss anything.

Afternoon: Depending on where the animals are, you will also visit famous monasteries and its activities and monk and nun life style, local villages. You can try traditional butter tea, hear local stories, and see how villagers protect their farm animals.

Evening: Return to guesthouse for drinks and a three-course dinner. You can relax and listen to stories about past expeditions under the stars.

After early breakfast we will drive back to Leh via same route. Reach Leh post lunch and checkin into hotel for overnight in Hotel with all meals.

After breakfast transfer lot airport for your flight back to Delhi. You will be pick by our airport representative and transfer to airport hotel. Overnight in hotel with breakfast only. As per your flight home we will pick you from hotel and transfer to international airport for your flight back home.