Zanskar Valley Discoverer: Aug 10th to 18th' 2024
Our journey to the remote and isolated Suru and Zanskar Valley is for the adventure lover and offbeat traveller, one who wants to experience the culture and topography of a far off himalayan region. Besides regular sightseeing of Leh – Kargil Highway, you will be witnessing a breathtaking glacier in touching distance, named Drang Drung Glacier while passing over the Penzi La Pass that connects Suru Valley with Zanskar Valley, visiting forts and monasteries, seeing the Nun and Kun peaks, crossing high altitude passes, visiting remote villages with friendly people, staying at village homestays and last but not the least experiencing the rugged and natural beauty of this rarely visited region. Our return will be through the newly opened Sinkula Pass – Darcha – Atal Tunnel – Manali route.
Essential Info
Cost: Rs 39000/-
Country: India
Start: Srinagar
End: Delhi
Start Date: 10th Aug’ 2024
End Date: 18th Aug’ 2024
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 through some of the most unexplored regions of India
– Cross the high passes of Zoji La, Penzi La, and Singku La
– Monastic tour around Zanskar Valley
– Experience the beauty of the landscape and culture of Zanskar
– Drive through the newly opened Darcha – Padum road and the Atal Tunnel.
– Stay with local Zanskari families in Padum and Rangdum
ITINERARY
Day 1: Aug 10th: 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 Dal and Nigeen lake and sample some delicious Kashmiri wazwan. Overnight at Houseboat at Nageen Lake.
Day 2: Aug 11th: Srinagar – Kargil
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: Aug 12th: Kargil – Rangdum
After breakfast we leave for Rangdum. We pass through the beautiful Suru Valley while driving along the Suru River. passing through the villages of Sankoo, Panikhar and Parkachik before reaching Rangdum. On the way we spend some time at the beautiful Panikhar village and enjoy the scenic beauty around, see the beautiful views of Nun ( 7135 m ) and Kun ( 7087 m ) peaks and the Purikutchey glacier, spend some time at the riverside and visit the rock carved Maitrey Buddha at Kartse Khar. Reach Rangdum by late afternoon and rest. Overnight camp/homestay at Rangdum.
Day 4: Aug 13th: Rangdum – Padum
After breakfast, we visit Rangdum Gompa before proceeding to Padum crossing the Penzi La and driving along the Stod River. On the way see and click some lovely pictures of Drang Drung Glacier, Stop by at Statso – Langtso Twin Lakes and visit the Tungri Gompa. Reach Padum by late afternoon and rest. Overnight at Padum.
Day 5: Aug 14th: Padum
Today is a day to rest and explore places around Padum. Explore the local sights in Padum including Sani, Stongdey and Karsha monasteries, Zang La Fort and Sheela Village waterfalls. Overnight in Padum.
Day 6: Aug 15th: Padum – Phuktal Monastery trek – Purne
Today we start early morning for the drive to Purne the starting point of the Phuktal Monastery trek. Phuktal Gompa is a Buddhist monastery located in the remote Lungnak Valley in south-eastern Zanskar. Perched on a cliff face its one of the most beautiful monasteries in India. Rich in history and legend, the architecture is ancient and rustic. Later back to Purne by evening. Overnight camping at Purne.
Day 7: Aug 16th: Purne – Manali
After breakfast drive to Manali through the new Atal tunnel and arrive in Manali by late afternoon. Free to explore Manali in the evening. Overnight at Manali.
Day 8: Aug 17th: Manali – O/N volvo to Delhi
Free day to explore Manali or relax. Late afternoon around 4 p.m. board the A/C volvo bus to Delhi.
Day 9: Aug 18th : Delhi – Departure
The bus drops you at the designated point. End of trip.
Trip Info
Sringar
Kargil
Rangdum
Padum
Sinkula Pass
Darcha
Manali
INCLUSIONS
– 1 night stay at Srinagar, 1 night stay at Kargil, 1 night stay at Rangdum, 2 nights stay at Padum, 1 night stay at Keylong, 1 night stay at Manali
– Breakfast on all days
– Volvo tickets from Manali to Delhi
– SUV for all tours and transfers
– Taxes and Service charges
EXCLUSIONS
– Flight Charges ( Your city to Srinagar and Delhi to your city )
– Any extra excursions and tours other than mentioned
– Entry tickets & Camera charges at sightseeing points ( wherever applicable and not mentioned above )
– 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 and local food is available at all places. Limited western food available.
- Breakfast ( Included ) will be Indian / western breakfast at most places
- Manali to Delhi A/C VOLVO bus tickets
- Private SUV for all travel as per itinerary
- Rs 2000/- Discount ( For our regular guests )
- Rs 1500/- Discount ( For 2 to 3 people booking together )
- Rs 3000/- Discount ( For 4 or more people booking together )
For this trip
This tour lets you get an overview of the landscape, culture, customs, and lifestyle of the remote Zanskar region. This trip is for the experience and adventure seekers and facilities would be basic to standard especially in Padum and Rangdum.
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
