Day 01
Arrive Delhi, met upon arrival and transfer to your hotel
Hotel: The Lalit, New Delhi (Deluxe Room)
Meals: None
Day 02
Full day guided tour of Old & New Delhi
- Visit the grand mosque Jama Masjid, climb a minaret to get bird’s eye view of Old Delhi. Explore the Old Delhi streets on a bicycle rickshaw. Wander through the markets
- Visit Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi
- Visit India Gate, walk around the central boulevard and then drive past the Presidential Palace
In the afternoon, visit two of Delhi’s grandest monuments, the World Heritage sites of Qutab Minar and Humayun’s Tomb.
Hotel: The Lalit, New Delhi (Deluxe Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 03
Very early morning departure from Delhi airport, to Leh 6E 2003 (0540 hrs / 0700 hrs)
Arrive Leh and transfer to your hotel, rest for the remainder of the day for altitude acclimatisation
Hotel: Grand Dragon (Premier Heritage Room)
Meals: Dinner
Day 04
Further acclimatisation day in Leh (relax in your rooms or the hotel grounds)
Hotel: Grand Dragon (Premier Heritage Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 05
Leh city tour with your local English speaking guide
An afternoon tour of the nearby Shey and Thiksey monasteries and the Stok Palace.
Hotel: Grand Dragon (Premier Heritage Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 06
After an early breakfast drive along the Khardung La & reach Nubra Valley
Visit Diskit Monastery and Hunder
Hotel: Lachang Nang (Nomad King Cottage)
Meals: Breakfast in Leh & Dinner at Nubra
Day 07
Full day excursion to Turtuk village (on the Indian border) to see nomadic tribes and the scenic beauty of this remote village
Hotel: Lachang Nang (Nomad King Cottage)
Meals: Breakfast in your resort, lunch at a local restaurant in Turtuk village & dinner at Nubra
Day 08
After breakfast, return to Leh through the Khardung La again
Hotel: Grand Dragon (Premier Heritage Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 09
After an early breakfast drive to Drass (280 kms / 06-07 hours). The drive is very scenic and road conditions are excellent.
Stop en-route at Alchi and Lamayuru Monasteries (w/o guide)
Arrive in Drass later in the evening and check in at your hotel
Hotel: The Kargil (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 10
Seek the rare and elusive Himalayan Brown Bear in the wilds of Drass, on morning and afternoon safaris. These majestic bears are much larger than the sloth bear (Baloo of the Jungle Book fame), and are very similar to the Canadian Grizzly bears. You shall be accompanied by highly skilled and experienced local naturalists to ensure a good chance of sightings from positions of safety.
Hotel: The Kargil (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, lunch at a local restaurant & dinner at hotel
Day 11
One more session this morning session, looking for the Himalayan Brown Bear
In the afternoon, explore Drass and Kargil region (visit the nearby villages to see the traditional culture)
Hotel: The Kargil (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, lunch at a local restaurant & dinner at hotel
Day 12
In the morning explore Kargil and Drass with your cultural guide
In the afternoon drive to Sonmarg (124 kms / 3 hours), crossing the Mighty Zozi la Pass
Hotel: The Mountain Lodge by Rah Hotels (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13
Explore surroundings of Sonmarg (you can enjoy trekking or hiking to near local villages)
Hotel: The Mountain Lodge by Rah Hotels (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14
After breakfast drive to Srinagar (90 Kms / 02.5 hours)
Arrive Srinagar and check in at your hotel
Visit the Wildlife SOS bear rescue centre at Dachigam – Wildlife SOS is a charity we support, for its excellent work protecting India’s wild animals. Here, you can watch rescued animals including Himalayan Black bears being cared for.
Return to Srinagar and explore on foot with your local English speaking guide
Enjoy a short ride on the famed Shikara (traditional Kashmiri boat) at the Dal Lake (1hr)
Hotel: Rah Bagh (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 15
The Dachigam National Park is the last remaining habitat of the endangered Hangul, or Kashmir Stag, a subspecies of the European Red Deer. It was on the verge of extinction in 1970’s with less than 200 individuals left, but now there is a stable population in Dachigam. Explore the park in morning & afternoon safari sessions, where we will look at the wildlife here, including Hangul and Himalayan Black Bear.
The Himalayan Black Bear is a key species that very few people ever get the chance to see – with the efforts of our naturalists, you will have a good chance of spotting on here in Dachigam, in its prime natural habitat.
Hotel Rah Bagh (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 16
Explore the scenic region of Doodhpatri in the morning with your guide. Doodhpatri is situated about 60kms from Srinagar.
Srinagar is famous for the high quality of its Mughal gardens. The mighty Mughal emperors and noblemen often visited Srinagar in summers to escape the heart of the Indian plains in Delhi and Agra, and coincidentally, you are doing exactly the same on your holiday. This afternoon explore Nishat Garden known as ‘Garden of pleasure’ built in 16th century (1633) by Mughal nobleman Asif Khan. Follow this up by visiting Shalimar Garden known as ‘Garden of love’ built in 16th century (1619) by Mughal Emperor Jehangir for his beloved wife Noor Jehan.
Hotel Rah Bagh (Premium Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 17
This morning is spent at leisure. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Delhi
Flight to Delhi AI 2644 1345 hrs / 1535 hrs
Check in to your hotel close to the airport
Hotel: Vivanta by Taj @ Dwarka (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 18
Transfer to the airport for your return flight.
