Kashmir & Ladakh with Hemis Festival: June 28th to July 6th
Get a fascinating insight into the people, culture, cuisine, lifestyle, and topography of the Himalayan region of Kashmir and Ladakh in our “Kashmir and Ladakh Experience” tour. In Kashmir experience, Srinagar and the famed Dal and Nageen lake, take a shikara ride on the serene waters of the Dal lake and stay at a comfortable houseboat on the lake and visit one of the many beautiful gardens.The journey from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil is an experience in itself with the dramatic ever-changing landscape through the mountain passes of Zoji la and Futu la and the towns of Kargil, Sonamarg, Drass, Likir, and Lamayuru. In Ladakh visit cross the high mountain passes of Khardung La and Chang la and Baralacha la; sit by the serenity of crystal clear high mountain lake of Pangong Tso; feel the spirituality at centuries-old monasteries of Hemis, Tiksey and Alchi; drive through some of the most dramatic mountain landscape in the world passing through dry arid mountains of different hues of brown and grey shaped through centuries by wind and climate; visit Nubra Valley sand dunes for a ride on the double-humped camels and stay at some beautiful locations from lakeside tents to village home stays.
To make the tour more interesting we have coincided it with the Hemis festival. In the quaint Hemis Jangchub Choling Monastery, the colorful extravaganza of celebrating the birth of Lord Padmasambhava with dance, music, prayers, masked performances and a medley of colors will be seen.
Essential Info
Cost: Rs 39500/-
Country: India
Start: Srinagar
End: Leh
Start Date: 28th June’ 2025
End Date: 6th July’ 2025
Duration: 9 Days
Group Size : Min 5 / Max 15
Theme: Culture, Adventure, Experience
Highlights
– Stay at a Houseboat on the Nageen/Dal Lake
– Beautiful high altitude drives
– Cross the high passes of Zoji La, Fotu La, Chang La and Khardung La
– Monastic tour around Leh
– Ride a double-humped camel in the sand dunes of Hunder in Nubra Valley
– Be amazed at the mesmerizing beauty of Pangong Lake
– Unique experience of watching the masked dance performances at the Hemis Festival
ITINERARY
Day 1: June 28th : Srinagar
Arrive in Srinagar and go on a half day excursion visiting Mughal Gardens, Shalimar Gardens, Pari Mahal. Evening enjoy a shikara ride on the serene waters of the lake and sample some delicious Kashmiri wazwan. Overnight at Houseboat at Nageen Lake.
Day 2: June 29th : Srinagar – Kargil ( 200kms / 6 hrs )
After breakfast leave for Kargil. En route visit Hazratbal mosque, see the beauty of the meadows of Kashmir, visit Sonmarg and then cross the Zoji La pass to enter Kargil. Stop at the war memorial close to Drass and reach Kargil by evening. Overnight at Kargil.
Day 3: June 30th : Kargil – Leh (220 kms / 5.5 hrs )
After breakfast, we head towards Leh. Today we pass through some of the most scenic drives on our journey. On the way we stop at Lamayuru ( one of the most important monasteries in Ladakh ), Namika La and Fotula passes ( the highest point on the Leh – Srinagar route ) and the confluence of the Rivers Indus and Zanskar. Arrive in Leh by late afternoon. Overnight in Leh.
Day 4: July 1st : Leh – White Water Rafting/Free day
Free day to explore Leh town, markets and Leh Palace or take an optional white water rafting trip in the Indus or Zanskar River. Evening we could sample some local Tibetan and Kashmiri cuisines Overnight in Leh.
Day 5: July 2nd : Leh – Khardungla pass – Nubra Valley ( 120 kms / 4.5 hrs )
After breakfast, leave for Nubra Valley, driving across Khardong-la (alt: 18,380 ft), one of the highest motorable passes in the world. Along the Nubra or Shyok River lies the villages of Sumur, Hunder, Kyagar, Tirith, Panamik, and few others which make up the Nubra Valley. After we cross into the valley we stop at the sand dunes at Hunder and take a Camel Ride on a double-humped Bactrian ( Central Asian) Camel and visit the Diskit Monastery. Overnight at Nubra valley.
Day 6: July 3rd : Nubra Valley –Pangong Lake (170 kms / 5 hrs )
After breakfast, we leave for Pangong lake taking the isolated but very scenic Agam – Shyok route. Arrive at Durbuk around lunchtime and from there a short drive takes you to the western shore of the lake. One rarely feels so close to nature and the environment and the sceneries are unforgettable. See the views, take photos and explore around the Lake. Overnight in tents at Pangong Lake.
Day 7: July 4th : Pangong Lake – Leh ( 150 kms / 4.5 hrs )
After breakfast, we leave for Leh located at about 130 kms from Leh. We cross the Changla pass ( 5486 meters above sea level ) on the way which is the second-highest pass in our tour. While ascending Changla pass enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the villages and the summer pastureland of the yaks. Reach Leh by late afternoon. Overnight at Leh.
Day 8: July 5th : Hemis Festival
Today we drive about an hour at Hemis Monastery ( one of the most popular monasteries in Ladakh ) to see the yearly ” Hemis Teshu ” Monastery Festival. See the colorful extravaganza of dance, music, prayers and masked performances. This unique experience with thousands of photo ops is going to be one of the highlights of this tour. Later in the evening on the way back, we stop at Thiksey monastery. Evening back to Leh and indulge in some last-minute shopping. Overnight in Leh.
Day 9: July 6th – Departure
After breakfast drop to airport. End of trip.
Trip Info
Sringar
Drass
Kargil
Pangong Lake
Leh
Nubra Valley
INCLUSIONS
– 4 Nights stay at Leh, 1 Night stay at Kargil, 1 Night stay at Srinagar ( Houseboat ), 1 Night stay at Hunder ( Nubra Valley Homestay ), 1 Night stay at Pangong Lake ( Swiss tents )
– Breakfast on all days
– SUV for all tours and transfers
– Pangong and Nubra Valley Permits
– Taxes and Service charges
EXCLUSIONS
– Flight Charges ( Your city to Srinagar and Leh to your city )
– Any extra excursions and tours other than mentioned
– Entry tickets & Camera charges at sightseeing points ( wherever applicable )
– Camel Ride, ATV Ride etc.
– Dinner & Lunch
– Other than mentioned
- Stay will be in Standard category hotels and Bed n Breakfast places with good reviews on double/twin sharing basis.
- Indian food is available at all places. Western food available at Leh.
- Breakfast ( Included ) will be Indian / western breakfast at most places
- Private SUV for Airport transfers
- Private SUV for all travel within Ladakh
- Permits are required for Pangong Lake, Khardung La Pass and Pangong Lake. You should carry an identification with you to make the permits.
- Rs 2000/- Discount ( For our regular guests )
- Rs 1500/- Discount ( For 3 to 4 person booking together )
- Rs 3000/- Discount ( For 5 or more people booking together )
For this trip
This tour lets you get an overview of the landscape, culture, customs, and lifestyle of Kashmir and Ladakh. Also, you have the option of some rafting adventure and Monastery festival experience.
For all our trips
Our small group tours also allow enough time for yourself ( mostly in the evenings ) and the group leaders will assist you too if you need to do your own thing.
Stay and food is a big part of the travel and we make sure you are made comfortable and therefore we choose some of the best-reviewed places to stay and eat.
We try to incorporate more local experiences on our tours with the help of our experienced tour leader and local guides to make your experience even more memorable.
Our tours are not standard sightseeing package tours, it’s more experience-oriented so as to give a real travel value to the guests.
Who are we?
Exotic Expeditions is an experiential based travel company founded in 2010. We are based out of Bangalore and Mumbai and we create uniquely designed tours that have high travel value. We include activities, local interactions, and offbeat destinations so that the guests go back with experiences to remember for a long time.
What are all included in our tours?
A comprehensive list of inclusions and exclusions is mentioned on the respective trip page, but across all our trips, we have these in common: exclusive private transfers, breakfast on most days, good accommodation, unique experiences, expert guides and an experienced trip leader who’s there to assist you around the clock.
Are flights & visas included in your costs?
No.We don’t include flights and visa costs in our prices unless specified. We, however, will help you with booking flights and getting the visa done.
What is the typical group size?
We believe that a small group is can enjoy the journey better and have closer interactions with the group members, therefore, we restrict our group size to a maximum of 15. Group size typically between 5 and 15. Our travelers are friendly, open-minded, well traveled and we have a good gender mix on our tours.
Who can join this trip?
Anyone above 18 years of age can join our trips. Participants below the age of 18 must be accompanied by an elder.
Which cities do travelers come from?
Our travelers come from all over India. Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Calcutta are represented the most.
What are the payment options?
You can make payments through credit and debit cards, net-banking, cash or cheque. Installment options are also available.
Can solo travelers join one of the tours?
Yes. On most of our tours, we have a high turnout of solo travelers seeking a different travel experience. Many of them even end up becoming friends after the tour.
How safe is it to travel with you?
Your safety is our number one priority and we design our travel journeys keeping this in mind.
- You can contact us at contact@exoticexpeditions.org / exoticexpeditions@gmail.com
- Call / whatsapp us at 9986450370
- Bookings can be done by online bank transfer / cash/ cheque or credit / debit card
- Installment options are also available
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