Srinagar and Leh

Srinagar and Leh 24th Jun’16 Friday: Arrive Delhi Upon arrival in Delhi, an Eastbound representative holding a signboard in your name will meet you at the International Airport. You will then be escorted to your hotel and assisted with check in. Overnight at Hotel 25th Jun’16 Saturday: Delhi - Srinagar This morning you will be transferred to the airport to board your flight to Srinagar. On arrival, you will be assisted and transferred to your hotel. We will spend the rest of this day acclimatizing and walking around in the local markets. Overnight at Hotel 26th Jun’16 Sunday: In Srinagar Today we will start our day with photographing the beautiful mosques with great street scenes. The Hazratbal mosque is located on the banks of the Dal Lake. The special significance of this mosque is a relic, which is believed by many Muslims of Kashmir that this is hair of the prophet Muhammad. The shrine – mosque complex is situated on the western shore of the Dal Lake opposite Nishat Bagh and commands a grand view of the lake and the mountains. Atta Mohammed Khan constructed the Hari Parbath fort on Sharika hill in the 18th century. The original temple atop the Shankaracharya hill is believed to have been built by Ashoka’s son Jaluka around 200 BC, on the site of the Takht-i-Suleiman or the throne of Solomon. Overnight at Hotel 27th Jun’16 Monday: In Srinagar Early this morning, we will take a Shikara ride (a small gondola type boat) to visit Dal Lake’s floating fruit and vegetable markets. Every morning the farmers emerge from a maze of floating gardens and canals - their Shikaras laden with vegetables, fruit and flowers - to gather in an open waterway and trade from boat to boat. The ensuing scene, with haggling and paddling both on display, is a riot of noise and colour. In the afternoon, we will continue on to the Heritage Walk, starting at the Shah e Hamdan Sufi shrine in Old Srinagar. From here, explore the old city and walk through the narrow alleys, passing by local markets, historic buildings and everyday hustle and bustle. End up at the city’s Grand Mosque, famed for its 370 beautiful wooden pillars. Your next stop is the famous old wooden bridge that spans the River Jehlum. Traditional houses lie on both sides of the river, built by the city’s rich elite when the waterways were still the main method of transportation. This afternoon spend some time examining a selection of the handicrafts for which Kashmir is famed. Overnight at Hotel 28th Jun’16 Tuesday: In Srinagar This morning we will visit the Mughal gardens. Nishat, the Garden of Bliss built on Dal Lake by Empress Noor Jehan’s is laid over seven terraces and an architectural masterpiece. These gardens are perfect examples of the Mugal style with terraced lawns, evergreen cypress trees, flowering bushes and fruit trees. In the afternoon we will drive to Taelbal, which is 14 miles from Srinagar, we will photograph the villagers busy in their daily lives, planting rice and working the lush fields. Overnight at Hotel 29th Jun’16 Wednesday: Srinagar to Leh Today you will fly to Leh, the flight itself is spectacular, flying over the crest of the Himalayas, we will try to get you a window seat and make sure you have your camera ready, as the view of Leh as you come in to land is incredible. Situated in the far north of the sub-continent, over 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) up on the high plateau, Ladakh (often referred to as ‘little Tibet’) is geographically, anthropologically and culturally part of Tibet. Its remoteness and sheer inaccessibility, however, have meant that it was to have a very different history to the rest of the high plateau. Having been a part of British India, it was subsequently absorbed into independent India in 1947. Ladakh’s geography protected it from the ravages of the Chinese cultural revolution that have sadly changed the rest of Tibet beyond recognition and today it contains one of the most intact Tantric Buddhist societies left on earth. On arrival in Leh you will be met and transferred to your hotel - spend the remainder of today at leisure. Minimal exertion is recommended to enable acclimatisation to the rarefied oxygen levels in this high altitude region. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the Ladakh local market. Followed by a drive to the Shanti Stupa to catch the sunset view. Evening a Cultural dance & Music performed by the locals. (On Extra Cost) Overnight at Hotel 30th Jun’16 Thursday: Leh to Alchi Today after we will drive from Leh to Alchi which will take around 04 hrs. Enroute we will visit Alchi monastery and the beautiful village of Mangyu. ALCHI GOMPA : 70 Kms from Leh, on the banks of the Indus, is the Alchi Gompa dating a thousand years back. One of its walls features thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attractions. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the Liker monastery. This is the only monastery amongst 34 monasteries, which is not located on a hilltop. VILLAGE OF MANGYU : The most beautiful village of Ladakh lies off the Leh-Srinagar Highway into the mountains at an altitude of 13860 Ft. This petit village has few houses and nearest accommodation is at Uleytokpo and Alchi. The village is approachable by walk from the Mangyu bridge. Overnight at Hotel 01st Jul, Friday – Yuru Kabgyat, Lamayuru Monastery Alchi to Lamayuru Today we witness the celebrations of the Yuru Kabgyat, which commemorates the birth of Guru Padamasambhava, who is said to have brought Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet. Yuru Kabgyat is a two-day festival that takes place in the month of July in the Lamayuru monastery, which is around 125 kms away from Leh. During the festival, the monks perform mask dances, prayers and rituals in order to get away from any kind of disaster and for bringing in peace in the world. This is a pre-historic monastery, which is called Yuru Gonpa by the locals. This festival is dedicated to Yuru Kabgyat and his mythical connection. This Gompa owes its origin to the Drikungpa branch of the Kagyudpa sect of the Tibetan Buddhism. On the 01st July morning we will drive down to Lamayuru Monastery which will take around an hour and a half to reach. We will spend the day covering the festival and later we will drive back to our hotel. Overnight at Hotel 02nd Jul, Saturday – Yuru Kabgyat, Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru to Leh Today we will visit the Lamayuru monastery again to witness the second and the last day of the festival. Later today we will drive back to Leh. Overnight at Hotel 03rd Jul, Sunday: In Leh Today after early tea/coffee, we are 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 witness the monks gathered in the assembly hall for the Morning for a Prayer Ceremony, which begins before sunrise at 6AM, we hear the monks chant their prayers with the beats. After that you will be guided to visit the other parts of the monastery followed with a breakfast at the Thiksey monastery restaurant. After breakfast, you will be driven two kilometres ahead of Thiksey monastery for a photo halt along the banks of River Indus and then you will drive to visit Hemis monastery another 30 kilometres southwest of Thiksey; Hemis is the largest and the wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. Hemis festival is considered amongst the biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava. Every 12 years, the gompa's means a (monastery) greatest treasures, a huge Thangka, is ritually exhibited. After that, we will return to visit Shey monastery, Shey was the summer capital of Ladakh in the past. The palace, mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal, also known as Lhachen Palgyigon. It was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Ladakh. The Shey Monastery was also built in 1655 on the instructions of Deldan Namgyal, in the memory of his late father, Singay Namgyal, within the palace complex. The monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha is so named since Buddha was the sage (muni) of the Sakya people who resided in the Himalayan foothills and their capital was Kapilvastu. It is said to be the second largest such statue in Ladakh. Overnight at Hotel Overnight at Hotel 04th Jul, Monday: Leh to Delhi We will leave on time for Leh airport to board our flight to Delhi. Upon your arrival in Delhi, you will escort you to your hotel where rooms are booked till your departure. (Rooms booked till 05th Jul, 1200 noon) End of Services Leh with Yuru Kabgyat Lamayuru Monastery 24th Jun – 04th Jul 2016 Per Person Cost on Twin Sharing: In USD Pax Per Person Cost 06 - 08 Paying Pax + 1 FOC USD 4030 09 - 12 Paying Pax + 1 FOC USD 3595 Single Room Supplement USD 1230 Air Fare Supplement (Subject to Change) Sector Economy Class (Per Person) Delhi – Srinagar Srinagar – Leh USD 315 Leh – Delhi Airfare is subject to change at the time of Booking Supplement for additional activities (Per Person in USD) Activity 06 – 08 Pax 09 – 12 Pax Polo Match in Leh 142 95 Cultural Show in Leh 32 21 Archery Competition in Leh 80 53 Hotels Envisaged for 03 Nights at Ultimate Traveling Camps Dates City HOTELS ROOM CATEGORY NIGHTS 24 – 25 Jun 16 Delhi Holiday Inn Aero City Standard Room 01 25 – 29 Jun 16 Srinagar Taj Dal View Deluxe Delight 04 29 Jun – 04 Jul 16 Leh Grand Dragon Deluxe Room 05 04 – 05 Jul 16 Delhi Holiday Inn Aero City Standard Room 01 INCLUSIONS: Accommodation based on twin sharing rooms as per the itinerary for 11 nights.

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