Ladakh Markha Valley Trek | India trip

Arrive in Delhi in the morning and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, your India travel experience begins with a half-day tour of 17th-century Old Delhi.

Visit the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, then walk through the lively bazaars of Chandni Chowk with stops at Sis Ganj Gurudwara, Sunehri Masjid, Fatehpuri Masjid, and the Digambara Jain Temple and Bird Hospital. The tour concludes at Raj Ghat and the Gandhi museums.

Fly early from Delhi to Leh. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where time is set aside to acclimatize. The rest of the day is free to relax or join a personalized briefing.

In the early evening, enjoy a gentle walk through Leh bazaar with a local guide, discovering everyday life, small stalls, and nearby monasteries while gathering practical tips for your trek into the Markha Valley.

Visit Sankar Gompa before driving up to the white-domed Shanti Stupa, built by a Japanese Buddhist organisation and inaugurated by the Dalai Lama. From its hilltop setting, take in wide views across Leh bazaar and the Stok Kangri Range.

End the day at the 17th-century Leh Palace on Namgyal Hill, where Ladakh’s royal past meets one of the best sunset viewpoints in town.

Today, take a short drive from Leh to Spituk, an early Gelugpa monastery set above the Indus Valley with wide, open views. A new road then crosses the river toward Zingchen, where you begin a pony trek into the narrow Zingchen Gorge at the foot of the Stok Mountains.

As the trail climbs, the landscape opens into broad pastures framed by snow-capped peaks. Prayer flags signal the junction with the path to Rumbak Village, where camp is set for a memorable night beneath the stars.

Set out in the morning along the main valley, passing a rustic watermill and crossing a small bridge. Beyond it, the trail climbs gently before splitting, where you take the right-hand path past Yurtse, a tiny one-house settlement set deep in the high-altitude landscape.

With its remote scenery and quiet encounters with local life, this stretch of the Markha Valley shows why Ladakh ranks among the best places to visit in India. Tonight, settle into a riverside camp beneath open skies.

After breakfast, climb the zigzag trail to the top of Ganda La, where sweeping Himalayan views and fluttering prayer flags mark the high pass.

A long but gentle descent follows, leading to Shingo and through a dramatic willow-lined gorge before reaching the Markha River at Skiu. Camp is set beside the stream for an authentic night under the stars.

Today’s walk leads through pastel-hued mountains to the monastic village of Markha, with expansive valley views and constantly shifting light. Lunch is taken in Sara before continuing past Chalak, marked by a line of chortens and a mound of goat horns placed to guard the valley.

A short climb over a low pass brings you down to the river, where a medieval fort appears on the hillside above. Camp on open grazing flats near Markha, a highlight of this India itinerary and a true taste of high-altitude village life.

Today’s walk leads from Markha into the quiet Chacham Valley to Umlung Gompa, dramatically perched on a cliff above the trail. Continue through Umlung Village to Hankar, where you explore the remains of an old fort and a small gompa.

From Hankar, follow the Nimaling stream upstream to Thachungtse, where the camp is set. Keep watch for wild sheep grazing on the high pastures, then settle in for a night beneath clear Himalayan skies.

Today you take a short but steady hike to Nimaling, climbing onto a broad plateau and reaching camp by lunchtime.

From the banks of Kang Yangtse, enjoy wide mountain views as flocks of sheep and goats graze the high pastures. Shepherds sheltering in stone huts may offer fresh yoghurt or local cheese.

In the afternoon, choose an optional walk toward Kang Yangtse, the highest peak of the Markha Valley.

Hike up to Kongmaru La via a long, steep zigzag, rewarded at the pass with sweeping views across the Stok Range and down into the Indus Valley. The descent crosses the high meadows of Chuskurmo and Chokdo before reaching the village of Shang Sumdo.

Keep your camera ready for elusive blue sheep, then settle in for an authentic camping night beneath vast high-altitude skies.

Today, your guide collects you for a visit to Hemis Monastery, once Ladakh’s largest and richest monastic complex. Explore its striking masks and statues, meet resident monks, and take in centuries of Himalayan culture on a guided cultural walk.

Afterwards, drive back to Leh and check into your hotel. Enjoy a relaxed lunch followed by free time for shopping or personalized sightseeing.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to Leh airport for a scenic flight over the Himalayas back to Delhi.

On arrival, you will be met and taken to your hotel, with the remainder of the day free to relax, explore independently, or add optional sightseeing.

After a final breakfast at camp and a last chance to revisit the highlights of your India trip, you will transfer to Delhi International Airport for your flight home or onward to your next destination.

Our team will be on hand to assist with check-in, logistics, and final arrangements, ensuring a smooth, unhurried departure.