Markha Valley Trek

Walking tour in Leh

Languages: English

Markha Valley Trek

Day 01  Arrive Delhi late night and transfer to domestic airport for early morning flight to Leh. Transfer to your hotel, rest day after a long flight and time to get acclimatize. Late afternoon walking tour of Leh bazaar. O/N in hotel.

Leh: the main town of the region, is dominated by Sengge Namgyal’s 9-story Palace, a building in the grand tradition of Tibetan architecture, said to have inspired the famous Potola in Lhasa. Down in the bazaar, the main sites to visit are the Jo-Khang, a modern ecumenical Buddhist temple, and the imposing Mosque dating from the late 17th century. For  locals and visitors alike a stroll along the main bazaar observing the varied crowd and peering into the curio shops is an entrancing experience.

Day 02 After breakfast morning tour with guide of Spituk and Phyang monasteries. Late afternoon tour of Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa & Samkar monastery. O/N in hotel.

Phyang: looks like a huge Palace from afar, built by Tashi Namgyal in the later half of the 16th century AD., it belongs to the Red Cap sect of Buddhists. Hundreds of icons of Buddha and other Gods are kept on  wooden shelves.

Spituk: Stands prominently on the top of a hillock commanding a panoramic view of the Indus valley for miles. Many icons of Buddha and fine thankas are to be found in this 15th century Gompa. The Gompa also houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms and an awe inspiring image of mahakal. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and is revealed only at the annual function in January.

Samkar Gompa: the seat of the yellow Hat Sect and one of the few Gompa built in the valley bottom, is a 3 km. Pleasant walk through fields. It houses the chief lama of Spituk and 20 others. The newer monks quarters are on three sides of the courtyard with steps leading up to the Du-Khang ( Assembly Hall ). There are a number of gold statues, numerous wall paintings and sculptures including a large one of the 11 headed, 1000-armed Avalokitesvara.

Shanti Stupa: There are good views from the top where a tea room is a welcoming sight after the climb. There is also a jeep able road.

Day 03  Fullday trip with guide to Alchi and Likir Monasteries. O/N in hotel in Leh.

Alchi: On the banks of the Indus is the Alchi Gompa, dating a thousand years back. One of its walls features thousands of miniature-sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attraction. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the  Likir monastery.

Likir: Founded in the 11th century and rededicated to a different monastic order in the 15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The present Gompa dates back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen producing excellent thankas, earthen pots and carved folding wooden tables. A magnificent giant juniper tree, one of the few survivors of its species stands in the courtyard.

Day 04 Start trek from Spituk to Zanchen. Trek time: 5 hours.

Day 05 Zinchen to Kanda-la pass base. Trek time : 5 hours.

Day 06  Kanda-la Pass base – Kanda-la pass ( 4800 mts. ) to Skiu. Trek time : 6 hours.

Day 07  Skiu to Sara. Trek time : 5 hours.

Day 08  Sara to Hankar. Trek time : 7 hours.

Day 09  Hankar to Nimaling. Trek time : 5 hours.

Day 10 Nimaling – Kangmaru-la pass ( 5100 mts. ) to Shang Sumdo. Trek time : 7 hours.

Day 11  Shang Sumdo to Hemis. Trek time : 4 hours.

Day 12 Hemis to Leh. Enroute visit Hemis, Thiksey & Shey monasteries. O/N in hotel at Leh.

Shey: The old summer Palace of the kings of Ladakh, Shey ( 15 km. From Leh towards Hemis ) was built more than 550 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the king of Ladakh. It stands next to the remains of a larger construction on the east side of a hill, which runs south-east towards the Indus. From the Palace you can see over the fertile Indus plain, north-east to the Thiksey Gompa and over the Indus to the Zanskar mountain range. Hundreds of Chortens of the most diverse from and size stand on the barren plains to the north, separated from the fertile riverbank along the Hemis road. The old palace Gompa has the largest golden Buddha statue in Ladakh.

Thiksey: The 500 year old Thiksey  monastery, perched on a hill high above the Indus. Has  about 100 yellow  cap  monks. On  the  right  of  the entrance  to the main  courtyard, a  new  chapel  houses  an  enormous  15  meter  high, seated Buddha  figure. The morning prayer can be witness around  6 AM, but  there  are also prayers closer to  noon, preceded by  long  mournful  sounds  from   the horns  on the roof. The monastery  mountain is best ascended  on  foot  although there is also a  new road up to the monastery. The temple of Zan-la  is beside the car parking  area   on  this   road.  On  the  walls of  the Gompa   courtyard   are  some  interesting  Tibetan  calendars. In  the  chapel  is a picture near the central Chamba  statue,  of  Tsung-Khapas,  the  founder of  the Tugend ( Gelupa ) sect.

Some  steps run  up to a  roof balcony from which there is access to the rooms of the head lama.

Hemis: 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  Sambhav’s birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh, which is unfurled once in 12 years ( next in 2004 ). Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Sengge Namgyal , an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal dynasty for the royalty favored for Drugkpa Sect, which 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 a ‘ 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 Lord of the four quarters, besides rows of prayer wheels.

Day 13 Rest day in Leh after the trek, or security day ( in case of flight cancellation ). O/N in hotel.

Day 14 Early  morning  flight Leh to Delhi, after arrival drive straight to Agra 200 km. 4 hours. O/N in hotel at Agra.

AGRA: At the  time of the  Moguls, in  the 16th  and  17th centuries,  Agra  was  the  capital  of  India,  and  its  superb monuments date from that era. Agra has a magnificent fort and the building  which many people come to India solely to  see-the  Taj Mahal.

Agra  became the capital of Sikandar Lodi in 1501, but  was  soon passed  on to the Moguls, and both Babur and Humayun  made  some early  Moghul  constructions here. It was under Akbar  that  Agra first aspired to its height of magnificence.

Day 15 Sightseeing of Taj Mahal, Red fort and Sikendra. Evening drive to International airport in delhi to catch your flight back home. Tour ends.

TAJ  MAHAL: If there's  a building which represent a  country  - like  the  Eiffel  Tower for France, the Sydney  Opera  House  for Australia - then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.

This most famous Moghul monument was constructed by Emperor  Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the `lady of the  Taj'. It has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, for the emperor was heartbroken when Mumtaz, to whom he had been married for 17 years, died in 1629 in childbirth, after producing 14 children.

Construction of the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed until 1653.  Workers  were recruited not only from all over  India  but also from central Asia, and in total 20,000 people worked on  the building. Experts were even brought from as far away as Europe  -  the  Frenchman  Austin  of Bordeaux and the  Italian  Veroneo  of Venice  had a hand in its decoration. The main architect was  Isa Khan, who came from Shiraz in Iran.

The  Taj  is  definitely worth more than a single  visit  as  its character  change with the differing lights during the day.

SIKENDRA: The tomb of Akbar lies in the center of a large peaceful garden. The building has three-story minarets at each corner and is built of red sandstone inlaid with white marble polygonal pattern. It is an interesting place to study the gradual evolution in design that culminated in the Taj Mahal.

AGRA  FORT: Construction of the massive Agra Fort  was begun  by Emperor Akbar in 1565, and additions were made up until the  time of  his grandson, Shah Jahan. While in Akbar's time the fort  was principally  a  military structure by Shah Jahan's  time  it  had become  partially a palace. There are many fascinating  buildings inside the massive walls which stretch for 2.30 km, surrounded by a  moat  over  10 meters wide. The fort is on the  banks  of  the Yamuna River.

Some of the importance buildings within the fort include:

Moti  Masjid,  Diwan-i-Khas, Octagonal Tower,  Jahngir's  Palace, Khas  Mahal,  Shish Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Delhi  Gate,  Hathi  Pol, Hauz-Jehangri, Itimad-ud-daulah.

Cost per person basis: ( minimum 2 pax )

Deluxe arrangements will be EURO  825/- perhead
Standard arrangements will be EURO 725/- perhead
Simple arrangements ( like tea house trek of Nepal ) will be EURO 625/- perhead.

Services Included in the above given cost

Hotel Accommodation on Bed and Breakfast basis.
All transfers and sightseeing in Ladakh by Jeeps as per the itinerary.
All transfer and sightseeing by cars ACC in Delhi and Agra.
Camp staff, cook and English speaking guide.
Two men tents, dining tent, toilet tent, mattresses and all cooking equipments.
Horses/mules/donkeys for clients and camping equipments.
Portage at hotels and airport.

Services excluded in the above cost

Alcoholic Beverages.
Photographic Charges.
Entrance to monastries and monuments.
Liabilities of loss, damage and loss of life.
Rescue operation by any means of transportation.
International airport tax, Tipping etc.
Air tickets.
Nature of personal expenses.
Telephone, fax and laundry bills.
Personal Travel Insurance.
If individual requires horse to carry them, then individual must pay personally.
Any extra expenses to any unavoidable circumstances such as road blockage, landslide, snow, political unrest, sickness or accidents.

Additional information