Northern India and Snow Leopard Expedition

Welcome to North India, home of the endangered Snow Leopard. This program will allow you to explore Dehli and the Northern region of India, although it is only offered in the winter time when the cat comes down for water and prey. Throughout our trek in the Northern India region, we will be accompanied by the locals from Rumbak. The journey will provide you with a balance of nature, history, and culture. Become one with the Northern Indian mountain people, who are gentle and cheerful through the Buddhism they practice. In addition to the trek, you will have time to visit some of their great monasteries and picturesque villages.

Hotels:

Delhi: The Leela Palace
Leh: Grand Dragon
Hozing Valley: Trekking Tents
Leh: Grand Dragon
Delhi: Radisson Blu

Included:

Meals:

11 Breakfasts
9 Lunches
9 Dinners

Activities:

Exclusive Rickshaw Ride in Old Delhi
Sightseeing Tour of New Delhi
Visit Thiksey, Hemis, & Shey Monastery
Trek in Rumbak Valley
Trek in Hozing Valley

Other Services:

Airport and Tour Transportation
English-speaking, knowledgeable wildlife guide during trekking and a cultural guide will be used for sightseeing in Leh and Delhi
Entrance fees as per the itinerary
All Trekking arrangements including: Dining tents with folding chairs, toilet tents, camp furniture, mattresses, camping charges, and kitchen equipment
All equipment of community-use nature and nature friendly including high altitude two-person client tents
Trek support team including cooks, helpers, pony owners with enough ponies to carry the provisions and client luggage during trekking
Separate vehicle to carry the trekking equipment and support team to/from trek starting/ending point
All applicable taxes, permits and fees

Not Included:

International airfare, taxes or fees
Porterage at airports and hotels
Expenses of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls, insurance, camera fees, excess baggage, emergency or medical costs
Any increase in costs beyond our control such as fuel and airfare increases, additional government levies and taxes, etc.
Camping/trekking equipment of personal nature such as clothing, trek shoes, kit bags, day packs, sleeping bags, down jackets and other special clothing etc.
Medical expenses (apart from first aid) and insurance of any kind
Tips, laundry, liquors, wines, mineral water, telephone charges and items of personal nature.
Any expenses arising out of unforeseen circumstances like flight delay/cancellation/increase in fare cost, strike or any other natural calamities or any emergency evacuation expenses
Any other items not mentioned in the included section
Tips to drivers and hotel staff
Travel Visa
Travel insurance

Notes:

International flights should arrive and depart out of Delhi International Airport
Roundtrip domestic flights from Delhi International Airport to Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport are required for flights on day 3 and day 12

Important Information

Duration of Trek: 6 days
Highest pass: No passes except while tracking. In Hozing and Rumbak you may have to climb uphill, depending on the movement
Grade: Moderate/strenuous (may have to climb a ridge)
Recommended time to travel: November – February

Guidelines to remember:

Bring warm and weatherproof clothing and avoid bright colors.
Perfumes, deodorants, aftershave lotions should be avoided
Carry good spotting scopes and binoculars and some reading material
Follow the instructions of the guide and experts to maximize spotting percentage

1007858

Day 1

Arrive Delhi

After you have cleared immigration and customs formalities, you will be met outside the arrival hall by our representative, who will escort you to your vehicle and assist you with transfer and check-in at your hotel.

Accommodation: The Leela Palace- Delhi

Day 2

Delhi

Enjoy breakfast and leisure time at the hotel where you have the morning to relax.

After lunch, prepare for sightseeing in New Delhi, which begins with a drive past India Gate, built in memory of Indian soldiers killed during the First World War. The tour will continue to Rashtrapati Bhawan, built in the early 20th century as the Imperial residence of the Viceroy, and today is known for being the official residence of the President of India. The tour will also visit Humayun’s Tomb, the first Mughal garden tomb, with four grand gateways, an octagonal base-plan, soaring niche-shaped arches, lofty double domes, and the symmetrical garden with a central canal.

The sightseeing tour of New Delhi will end with a visit to the 70-meter high Qutub Minar, which looms majestically across the wide plains of Delhi.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: The Leela Palace- Delhi

Day 3

Delhi – Leh

Early this morning, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Leh.

Upon arrival in Leh, you will be transferred to the hotel for check in and leisure time at the hotel. There will be no activity on your first day of arrival to enable each guest to get acclimated to the lower oxygen level in this high-altitude region, ensconced in the high Himalayan plateau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Dragon- Leh

Day 4

Explore Leh – A Tour of Thiksey, Hemis & Shey Monastery

Today, after an early tea or coffee, we will be driven to Thiksey Monastery, situated towards the East of Leh picturesquely on a hill-lock, which also houses a two-story stucco statue of Maitreya Buddha seated on a lotus. Upon arrival, we will witness the monks gathered in the assembly hall in the morning for a prayer ceremony, which will begin before sunrise at 6AM. You will be amazed by the chants and beats of the monks as they share their rituals.

We will continue our day with a guided visit to the other parts of the monastery before having breakfast at the Thiksey Monastery. After breakfast, you will drive to visit Hemis Monastery, known for being the largest and the wealthiest monastery in Ladakh.

The last stop of our day will conclude with a tour and visit of the Shey Monastery, the rest of the day will be spent at leisure or on an optional walk towards the market area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Dragon- Leh

Day 5

Leh - Hozing Valley

Today after breakfast, we will drive 2 hours from Leh to Zingchenand then trek 2 ½ hours to Hozing. Hozing is the epicenter of three prominent valleys well known for sightings of Snow Leopards, also known globally as “the world capital of Snow Leopard.” We'll make Hozing our base camp as we venture out for the next 5 days towards the many other valleys that branch off from the Hozing pastureland.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Hozing Valley

Day 6

Hozing Valley

Today a local expert will take you on an early morning excursion on the trails frequented by the ever elusive snow leopard. Before the excursion starts, you will be taught how to track the shy cat through local art and techniques of smelling rock sand, reading of pug marks, digging, stool, and rock-face rubbing. The expert will also share local traditional knowledge on how to identify the hunt patterns and kill spots of the snow leopard.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Hozing Valley

Day 7

Hozing Valley

Today we will again spend the entire day in and around Rumbak valley with hopes of possible sightings of the snow leopard or any other wild animal. Our guide will help to Identify “hot spots” (machans) and vantage points through mapping and tracking while offering techniques in gaining the confidence of the villagers so that they can alert and relay instant information of any signs and sightings of the snow leopard.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Hozing Valley

Day 8

Hozing Valley

Today we will explore along the snow leopard mapping grid while keeping our ears and eyes open. Our hiking will take place within the nearby valleys Ranjon, behind Hozing, and Rumbak. Throughout the trek, we will also visit the two other prominent valleys of Tarbung and Kharlung, where snow leopard sightings are frequent.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Hozing Valley

Day 9

Rumbak Valley

After breakfast, we will break camp and shift towards the upper Rumbak Valley towards a campsite locally known as “Rumbak Doh.” Rumbak Doh offers excellent vistas into the higher ridges where the snow leopards frequently hunt. This change of scenery is done to provide the group with a better chance of a snow leopard sighting.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Rumbak Valley

Day 10

Rumbak Valley

Today again we will spend the entire day in and around Rumbak valley trying to catch a glimpse of the snow leopard or any other wild animal.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Trekking Tents- Rumbak Valley

NOTE: Although our base is at Hozing, we are likely to change, keeping in view of the movement of the snow leopard. This is a tentative itinerary, as locations will change as per the findings and daily informational updates of the movement of the snow leopard in the local area.

Day 11

Rumbak – Zingchan - Leh

Today, after an early breakfast, we will depart the camp and walk 2 ½ hours to Zingchan Village. Before our departure, you will be given an optional visit to search for the elusive cat before arrival to the village. Our camp staff will begin the packing and then we will walk towards Zingchan village, where we will have our vehicles waiting to pick us up to return to Leh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Dragon- Leh

Day 12

Leh- Delhi

This morning, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi, you will be transferred to the hotel for check in and be given time to freshen up.

After lunch, we will depart for a tour of India’s capital. You will visit some of the most iconic areas of the city, such as Old Delhi, and drive past the Red Fort, built in 1648 during the reign of Shah Jehan, in red sandstone. After the tour, you will be given time to wander down Silver Street, which is always bustling with shops, stalls, and silversmiths' ateliers.

In the evening you will be transferred to the airport and leave with memories that will be with you for a lifetime.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 13

Departure

Depart for the Delhi International Airport and leave with memories that will be with you for a lifetime.

The activity Level for this tour is:

Demanding - Multiple high-altitude hikes or more strenuous activities throughout the program, but accessible to most healthy travelers. Some training and/or frequent exercise recommended prior to travel.