Travel to the India: Extended Journeys

The Indian Himalaya & Tibetan Plateau Extended Journeys
Our tours to the Indian Himalaya will take you from Delhi to Leh to explore the region known as Little Tibet, where Tibetan Buddhist culture weaves through some of the world’s most starkly beautiful terrain.

Ladakh (“Little Tibet”)
Surrounded by no less than four mighty mountain ranges—the Himalaya, Karakoram, Zanskar and Ladakh peaks—this region in northwest India is a world unto itself. Its inherent inaccessibility has left it perhaps the last bastion of pure Tibetan-style Buddhist culture in the world.

Use Leh as a base for day trips to the many impressive monasteries in the region. With a combination of 4WD tours and hiking you will find yourself in fabulously remote areas, surrounded by 7,000-meter Himalayan peaks or in the midst of valleys that feel like the ends of the Earth. Multi-day 4WD-based or pony-supported treks through the area can also be arranged, providing access to seldom-seen villages and monasteries.

If your dates allow, ask a trip coordinator about including a festival in your itinerary, particularly in September. The entire town of Leh comes alive in a burst of color, dance and pageantry. Women wear colorful woven dresses inlaid with beads, elaborate traditional headdresses heavy with turquoise, and jewelry wrought from stone, gold and silver. Masked dancers depict Buddhist legends and myths, schoolchildren march in parade, and polo and archery competitions are staged. These festivals provide entertaining and authentic cultural experiences during your India travel.

Please note that the Ladakh area is a rough-and-tumble region lacking the tourism infrastructure found in other parts of India. You won’t find the superb accommodations that characterize most of our other offerings. But the region’s great physical and cultural beauty is handsome compensation for the lack of creature comforts.

Zanskar
For the truly adventurous there is the Zanskar trek, considered one of the world’s finest. This tour de force involves 20 days of physically demanding hiking at altitude.   >>Extended Journeys: Southern India

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