An 8-day Leh Ladakh tour during the Saka Dawa (Vesak) festival: Leh Palace, Nubra Valley, Turtuk and Pangong Lake, led by Pichet Wangpaporn.
Trip highlights
- Open the door to Leh Ladakh, where Buddhism and nature merge into one
- "Ladakh is not Tibet": visit a distant Buddhist land of unique diversity during the Vesak festival
- Visit Leh Palace, a historic landmark
- Go to Turtuk village and see the palace of "another Muslim country"
- Marvel at the dreamlike Hunder sand dunes
- Be amazed by Pangong Lake, crystal-clear water amid the mountains
Highlight places
Led by historiansEvery trip travels with an expert history lecturer who brings each site to life in plain language.
Off the beaten pathCentral Asia, the Middle East, the Himalayas — places most tour companies never go.
Private groups, no rushingRight-sized groups and unhurried time at the places that matter most.
Beyond ordinary travelEvery tour is designed by writers and professional travellers to create experiences that reflect who you are — for travellers who want more than an ordinary holiday.
About this tour
Leh Ladakh: Faiths of the Mountain is an 8-day, 7-night tour of Ladakh, in northern India, a crossroads between India, China, Tibet and Central Asia. Ladakh has been ruled by Tibetan, Muslim and Sikh powers, which gave it a culture of its own, and it is more than "western Tibet".
The 2025 departure ran 10-17 May and coincided with Saka Dawa, the Ladakhi Vesak festival. The route covers Delhi's Qutub Minar and Jahaz Mahal, then Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Spituk, Shey and Thiksey, the Nubra Valley with Diskit Gompa and the Hunder dunes, Turtuk village near the Pakistan border, and Pangong Lake.
The tour is led by Pichet Wangpaporn, a tour leader with 18 years of experience in over 60 countries. Oxygen cylinders for the 4 days of high-altitude travel and the Inner Line Permit fee are included.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Bangkok – Delhi
Meet at 05:30 at Suvarnabhumi Airport at the Air India counters. Fly AI333 at 08:40 and land in Delhi at 11:35 (India is 1 hour 30 minutes behind Thailand).
- Qutub Minar, a World Heritage minaret (1993) of red sandstone and marble, 73 m tall, begun in 1200; beside it stands the rust-free Iron Pillar
- Jahaz Mahal, the "Ship Palace" built by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khilji, blending Islamic and Hindu styles
- Chattarpur Temple, a Hindu temple built in 1974 and dedicated to Goddess Katyayani
Day 2Delhi – Leh – Leh Palace – Shanti Stupa
Leave the hotel at 04:00, fly AI445 at 06:40 and land at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh at 08:10.
- Leh Palace, home of the Namgyal dynasty, who ruled Leh for about 400 years (1460-1842); nine storeys, completed under Sengge Namgyal
- Shanti Stupa, a white stupa on Chanspa hill built 1983-1991 by Japanese monks
- Leh Main Bazaar and the Hall of Fame, the Indian Army museum
- Spituk Gompa, a centre of Gelug lamas in Leh
- A meeting with a Lha-mo or Lha-pa, a spirit healer practising rituals rooted in beliefs that predate Buddhism
Day 3Saka Dawa Festival – Gurudwara Pathar Sahib – Magnetic Hill
Join the Saka Dawa festival, Ladakh's Vesak, commemorating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing in Tibetan style, a rare chance to experience Vesak in a remote Buddhist land.
- Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, a Sikh temple commemorating Guru Nanak's visit in 1517, with the legend of the rock that turned soft as wax
- Magnetic Hill at 4,270 m, where cars in neutral appear to roll uphill
- The confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers, one blue and one green
Day 4Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley – Hunder Dunes
Travel 4-5 hours to the Nubra Valley over Khardung La pass.
- Diskit Gompa, one of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, of the Gelugpa school, with a large Maitreya Buddha
- Diskit Village at 3,140 m
- Hunder and its sand dunes of fine whitish-grey sand, with Bactrian (two-humped) camels recalling the Silk Road era; optional camel ride about 5 USD
Day 5Turtuk – Thang Village
Drive to Turtuk, a border village that belonged to Pakistan until 1971. Its Muslim residents speak Balti, close to old Tibetan.
- Balti Heritage House and Museum, the palace of the Yabgo king, heir to a dynasty with 2,000 years of history
- Thang, India's northernmost village on the Pakistan border, visited with an Inner Line Permit and army permission; visitors can see army bunkers and take photographs
Return to the Nubra Valley.
Day 6Shayok – Tangtse – Spangmik – Pangong Lake
Pass Shayok village, solar-powered and set on an old Silk Road caravan route, and stop at Tang Tse and Spangmik along the Shyok River, where you may spot marmots.
Arrive at Pangong Lake, one of the world's highest saltwater lakes, over 130 km long and shared by India and China. Its water changes colour with the light; it has no fish but is visited by waterbirds.
Day 7Pangong – Chang La – Shey Palace – Thiksey Monastery
Rise early for sunrise over Pangong Lake, then return to Leh over Chang La pass (4-5 hours).
- Shey Palace, the oldest palace in Ladakh, built in 1645, housing a 12-metre gilded copper Shakyamuni Buddha
- Thiksey Monastery, a 12-storey Gelugpa monastery nicknamed the "Little Potala of India"
Day 8Leh – Delhi – Bangkok
Depart Leh at 06:55 on AI478 and arrive in Delhi at 08:20. After a layover of 2 hours 40 minutes, take AI332 at 11:00 and land at Suvarnabhumi at 16:55.
Included
- International and domestic economy flights (BKK – DEL – IXL – DEL – BKK)
- Transport and sightseeing vehicle with an experienced driver
- Accommodation as per the program, two guests per room
- Entrance fees as per the program
- Meals as per the program
- Experienced local guide
- Experienced Thai lecturer and tour leader
- Inner Line Permit fee
- Travel accident insurance with coverage of 1,000,000 baht per person (subject to the policy)
- Oxygen cylinder for the 4 days of travel to and from Leh
Not included
- International business-class flights
- Single room supplement
- Personal expenses such as passport fees, phone, internet, laundry, minibar, special meals outside the program, extra drinks, excess baggage, seat reservations and medical costs for pre-existing conditions
- Tips for tour leader, local guide and driver (recommended 70 USD per person)
- Bactrian camel ride at the Hunder dunes, 5 USD per person
- Donations to the Lha-mo/Lha-pa (according to personal belief)
- 7% VAT, 3% withholding tax and other taxes
- Fuel surcharges and airport taxes if the airlines raise them
About this tour
Does the Leh Ladakh tour price include flights?
Do I need an Indian visa, and who arranges it?
How much is the deposit and when is the balance due?
What is the minimum group size?
How much extra for a single room or business class?
What level of hotels are used?
Who leads the Leh Ladakh tour?
Can I cancel?
India: Leh Ladakh – Faiths of the Mountain (Vesak Festival)
Interested? Message us on LINE — we reply fast
