A Trans Himalayan Wilderness Safari
Duration : 20 Night /21 Days
Day 01 New Delhi.
Arrive New Delhi. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Relax or visit Connaught Place to take in the sights and sounds.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 New Delhi
Full Day Sightseeing in Delhi & Shopping and evening back to Hotel
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 Delhi to Shimla
After an early breakfast, transfer to Shimla (2200 meters) in comfortable cars/coach (380 kms; 6 hrs). Arrive by breakfast at Shimla. Full day to relax, explore the old British summer capital and take
in the sights and sounds of India.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 Shimla to Sarahan
After breakfast drive jeeps and begin our Trans-Himalayan sojourn. The road climbs to Narkanda (2750 meters) before descending to the valley of the Sutlej, one of India's major rivers, with its source at the holy lake of Mansarovar. After a hearty lunch at Rampur (900 meters), we bifurcate off the main highway for an hours drive to Sarahan, famous for the Bhimakali temple which witnessed human sacrifices hundred's of years ago. Explore the temple in the evening.
Overnight camp/rest house.
Day 05 Leave Sarahan
after breakfast to descend to the Sutlej valley and drive along a beautiful rugged gorge to Kalpa (2800 meters), which offers breathtaking views of the Kinner Kailash range. After lunch we proceed to Jhangi (2600 meters), the first checkpoint for the inner line permits.
Camp overnight.
Day 06 Jhangi - Kanum - Moorang - Jhangi. Camp
Today, we visit the villages of Moorang (10kmsby car ; walk 30 mins to the monastery; 2500metres) and Kanum (17kms by car; 2750 meters) which are off the main circuit and return to Jhangi campsite by teatime.
Day 07 Jhangi - Nako - Chango. Camp.
We proceed to the confluence of the Sutlej river with the Spiti river at Khab. The road here is cut out of the mountainside here. We visit the old gompa and lake at village Nako (3625 meters), 7 kms off the highway before proceeding to Chango (3100 meters) to make camp for the night.
Day 08 Chango-Tabo (3280 meters) -Schichilling (3400 meters). Camp.
We continue to Tabo, a monastery 1004 years old. In 1996, the Tabo monastery celebrated its thousand years with a Kalachakra ceremony, which was presided by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We spend the day exploring the numerous temples at the monastery and the old mud caves which were used by monks to live in ancient times, before continuing to Schichilling village to make camp for the next two days.
Day 09 Schichilling-Dhankar (3700 meters)-Lalung (3680 meters) - Schichilling. Camp.
Dhankar used to be the erstwhile capital of Spiti where the king used to reside. Today, his palace is a nunnery. We also visit another gompa, Lalung which boasts of some very old "tankhas" and Buddhist artifacts. Return to base camp by teatime.
Day 10 Schichilling-Kungri (3700 meters) -Shego / Rangrik (3550 meters). Camp.
Today, we drive into the Pin valley, along the Pin river which is the largest tributary of the Spiti River, home to the snow leopard and the Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism at the Kungri gompa. Back in camp by teatime.
Day 11 Shego/Rangrik. Kaza visit and back to Shego/Rangrik. Camp.
Today, we visit the district headquarters of Spiti at Kaza, its market, environs and shops. A fairly relaxed day at camp.
Day 12 Shego/Rangrik-Langza (4300 meters) -Hikkim-(4360 meters) Komic (4400 meters) -Kaza -Shego/Rangrik. Camp.
Today, we drive upto Langza village and beyond to Hikkim and Comic. We return by foot (2-3 hrs) to Kaza from Comic village. This area is known for breeding the finest Spiti horses, which are traded for the valuable Pashmina wool with the Changpa nomads of Ladakh. At Kaza, we are met by the jeeps for the drive back to Camp.
Day 13 Shego/Rangrik - Kye (3750 ) - Kibber (4120 meters) -Shego/Rangrik. Camp.
Today, we visit the largest monastery in Spiti at Kye and travel beyond to Kibber village, the roadhead for the trek to Ladakh for the trade in Spiti horses. We spend a day watching local life at work before returning to Camp.
Day 14 Shego/Rangrik - Pangmo (3875 meters) - Losar (4079 meters) -Takcha. Camp.
We drive on up the Spiti valley to visit the nunnery at Pangmo and proceed to Losar village, the last village in Spiti. The drive is spectacular with mud towers rising hundreds of feet out of the valley floor. We make camp a few kilometers outside the village on a meadow at Takcha.
Day 15
Rest day at Takcha. Visit Losar. Camp.
Day 16 Takcha-Kunzum la (4507 meters)
Chattru. Camp. We climb upto the Kunzum pass, which offers great views of the Chandrabhaga range of mountains. We descend into the Lahaul valley and travel down the Chandra river valley to camp at Chattru. The road is mad out of the riverbed with lots of mountain streams flowing across the road.
Day 17 Chattru- Manali.
After breakfast, we begin the climb to the Rohtang pass and descend into the green Kullu valley till Manali town. Arrive by lunchtime at our hotel. Explore Manali town, its mall and the Hadimba temple. Overnight Manali.
Day 18 Drive Manali-Chandigarh (7 hrs).
Today, we drive down the valley of the Beas River past towns like Kullu, Mandi, and Bilaspur and the plains of Punjab to Chandigarh. Check into Hotel Mountview.
Day 19 Chandigarh - Delhi (4 hrs).
Quick drive back to the hotel at Delhi. Day free to relax and shop.
Day 20 Delhi to Agra
This morning we drive Agra and evening visit the Taj Mahal. and Overnight stay in Hotel
Day 21 Agra to Delhi
After breakfast Visit to Agra Fort, Sikandra Fort and back to Delhi, check in hotel, and some rest and cleaning and Evening transfer to the airport for the flight home.
