Ladakh Hemis Festival

Fly from Delhi to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, which is situated among the hills on the north side of the Indus Valley. Upon arrival, you will be met by your expert local Buddhist guide and transferred to your eco- hotel to begin your adaptation to the high altitude. You will have an afternoon orientation with your guide.

Today  witness the spectacular Hemis Festival (and also visit Thikse and Shey, time permitting). The courtyard of Hemis — the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh — is the stage for the famous Hemis festival, which celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambahava, who is believed to have fought with demons for the safety of the local people. Every eight years, the gompa’s greatest treasure, a huge thangka — a religious icon painted or embroidered on cloth — is ritually exhibited. The next unveiling is due to take place in the year 2016. Splendid masked dances are performed to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns. A colorful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival. Overnight in Hemis at either homestay or camping.

Meals: Breakfast

Visit Thikse Monastery, the largest gompa in Ladakh that is situated on top of a craggy hill. Here you will find an important collection of Tibetan books and some excellent artwork. Afterwards, visit the palace at Shey, which sits in a strategic position on a ridge overhang out into the Indus Valley. Return to your hotel in Leh for your overnight.

Meals: Breakfast

Drive to Temisgam (4 hours), one of our favorite villages in Ladakh. You will find your simple, but comfortable camp set up in a beautiful apricot grove beneath an ancient palace and monastery with a cold rushing stream nearby. Off the main roads and trails, this village is seldom visited by Westerners and you will have several days to explore the extensive fields and villages. You may even be invited into several houses for tea or local beer called chang. The climb to the monastery and old palace, as well as the nights here at 10,000' elevation, will aid in your acclimatization. The trip continues to become more remarkable for the cultural experience that unfolds. You have the sense that your long journey to Asia, over the Himalayas and onto the Tibetan Plateau has taken you to a place so beautiful, remote and pure, that the effort has been worth it.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Make the exciting trip to the ancient Lamayuru Monastery and spend time exploring the extensive buildings of this ancient Buddhist sanctuary. This extraordinary gompa is perched on top of a beautifully eroded crag, complete with rock pinnacles and caves above the Indus. For some this is the most iconic and ancient Tibet fantasy experience of the trip.  Lamayuru set in a vast, horizon stretching panorama of snowy peaks and multi-hued cliffs commands an eerie, heavenly view of Ladakh. Return to Temisgam for your overnight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive to Hemishakpatchan,via Saspol Village. This is the home village of many of our staff and they will certainly invite you to visit their families and homes. There is a very interesting monastery and participants on JOURNEYS treks have started a public library at the monastery and built a nunnery as well. We also support other ongoing projects through our Earth Preservation Fund, such as the large water-driven prayer wheel restored through the contributions of previous JOURNEYS travelers. There are excellent views of snowy mountains and wild sheep can usually be seen grazing on a nearby slope. As home to your guides, you will have the great experience of visiting some of their relatives' homes. Overnight at the camp near the Hemis Library.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive to Ridzong Monastery, the favorite Buddhist site of many visitors to Ladakh. You go back in time to an era when Buddhist Canons ruled the affairs of men and religious scholarship was the most important task of society. Overnight camp will be at Chulican.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will drive along the Indus River to the famous monastery at Alchi. This monastery preserves some of the most spectacular Buddhist wall paintings ever created. Also visit Likkir Monastery, where the monks are of Gelukpa order and the kushok is the Dalai Lama's younger brother. Return to Leh for your overnight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Return to Delhi on an early morning flight where JOURNEYS services end. We can assist with accommodations and excursions in Delhi, including a visit to the infamous Taj Mahal in Agra.

Meals: Breakfast