Ladakh: Trails of Little Tibet

Discover Ladakh, where mighty mountains conceal a culture unlike any other in India

Remote, rugged Ladakh is making a name for itself as a paradise for adventurous walkers. The high-altitude desert region in northern India is flanked by the mighty peaks of the western Himalaya, Karakorum range and Tibetan Plateau and soaked with a history stretching back centuries. Our journey starts with a scenic flight from Delhi past the mighty Himalaya to the regional capital Leh, where we acclimatise and explore the town. We then set off on a fairly gentle trekking adventure, allowing us to marvel at jagged mountain ranges, explore Buddhist monasteries and find out why this culturally rich region has earned the nickname Little Tibet.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

There are many community projects in Ladakh that Exodus has set up or supported over the years. Some examples include helping to rebuild houses and schools and providing materials to build a flood barrier following devastating flooding in 2007 and setting up a flood relief appeal following mudslides in 2010. In 2021, we launched our Covid Emergency Relief Appeal to raise funds to provide support to our trekking staff in Ladakh.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food, and supporting other local enterprises.
• The hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff, this helps to benefit the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by.
• This tour uses a mix of camping and homestays, which provides income for local families and is a wonderful opportunity for our guests to interact with local people and share aspects of their culture and traditions.
• The Exodus Covid Emergency Relief appeal was launched in 2021 and provided food and health essentials for guides, cooks, pony men and other trekking staff for several months.
• Our Himalayan Community Project is undertaking a wide range of initiatives to support local development.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling in a small group led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for reusable bottles.
• Paper bags are used as an alternative to single-use plastics whenever possible on this trip.
• Through the Exodus Kickstart Project funding, fruit trees are being planted in villages in Ladakh to provide income and protect biodiversity.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• This trip favours locally owned and run accommodation.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided in Leh at the hotel. On trek, safe boiled water will be provided.

Cultural respect

• Sometimes local people may object to being photographed, so please ask first.
• It’s polite to use only your right hand when eating something without cutlery and when handing money and small objects to someone else.
• Dress modestly to be polite and avoid stares. Do not wear tight or sheer clothing and it is preferable to have shoulders covered and skirts or shorts below the knee.
• When visiting a sacred site, sleeveless tops and shorts are not acceptable for women or men and you need to remove your shoes. You are permitted to wear socks in most places of worship. Take your hat off before entering temples.
• Religious etiquette also includes not touching anyone on the head or directing the soles of your feet at a person, religious shrine, or deity. You should also not touch a carving of a deity.
• It is common practice to remove your shoes before entering someone’s home and you should tuck feet under if sitting on the floor.
• Making the effort to fit in is invariably appreciated so being aware of these aspects of cultural respect will assist you during your travels in Ladakh.

Is this trip for you?

This tour is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

It includes a fairly gentle five-day trek (including four days of point-to-point walking plus one optional daywalk). It reaches a maximum altitude of 13,382ft (4,082m) and an average of 11,483ft (3,500m). The trip should be within the capabilities of those who are active and enjoy regular trail/hill walks.

This adventure is a mixture of sightseeing and walking; the short trek takes in the best of the contrasting scenery that the Indian Himalaya offers. The trails are generally well made and we walk for four to six hours each day with frequent stops. We tend to set off early each day to avoid the heat, and usually arrive at our accommodation around lunchtime. The luggage is transferred by vehicle and there will be a backup 4x4 in case you want to spend more time exploring the villages. It can be very hot in Ladakh during summer so we start walking quite early to avoid the heat of the day.

As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning within the Trip Notes. We spend three days in Leh (11,483ft/3,500m) before the trek to allow you to acclimatise.

Walking distances and hours stated within the itinerary are given as approximates only. Timings stated exclude lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.

Why Trek with Exodus?

• More than 30 years’ experience organising treks in Ladakh.
• Ask an expert by talking to Exodus office staff who have done the treks themselves.
• Experienced English-speaking local leaders who are qualified in first aid and trained in recognising and dealing with altitude sickness.
• All staff (leaders, guides and porters) are fully insured and paid a fair wage.
• Carefully planned ascent rates and itineraries with built-in acclimatisation and contingency days.
• Staff carry oxygen and first-aid kit.
• Self-assessment acute mountain sickness (AMS) cards used to monitor every client at altitude.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

India

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some travellers. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Additionally, dengue, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes, is a known risk in India. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.

Visa

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

Please note: If your trip visits Ladakh, in the very north of India, or Sikkim in the northeast, do not mention this on your Indian visa application. This can sometimes slow down or even cause the embassy to reject your visa.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, five lunches and six dinners are included.

Indian food is highly regarded and there is ample chance to try traditional Ladakhi cuisine, which was influenced by Silk Road traders from Tibet and China. Don’t miss the delicious and popular snacks momos (dumplings) or yak cheese. Also try thukpa, a clear vegetable soup with noodles and often mutton, chicken or yak meat; tingmo (pronounced tee-mo), steamed bread eaten with dal; and a favourite found in most restaurants, chutagi, a thick soup of local vegetables and bow tie-shaped pieces of dough cooked in the broth (also served with meat).

Allow at least 1,600-2,000 rupees (approximately US$20-US$25) per day for lunch and dinner (where not included). You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you go to the more expensive restaurants most of the time, you will spend more than the suggested amount. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. A (large) bottle of beer is approximately 300 rupees (approximately US$4).

While camping, the staff bring a hot drink (usually tea) to your tent each morning. When you reach camp in the afternoon, tea and biscuits are served. At breakfast, dinner and in the afternoons, there is a choice of hot drinks. Breakfasts typically include cereal, toast and jam, eggs and porridge. Lunch on trek is usually served as a picnic en route (except on shorter days when it is in camp). Lunch and dinner typically include soup to start, followed by a variety of hot dishes (both local and Western) such as potatoes/chips, vegetables, curry, pasta, rice, dal and paneer (cottage cheese). At dinner, a dessert such as tinned fruit and custard, fritters or cake is also served.

Please note, although some meals include meat, it is not as readily available while camping.

Drinking water

Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 100floz-135floz (3l-4l) per person per day.

We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Ladakh. In Leh, there is a shop called Dzomsa that sells safe drinking water. Your leader will show you where this is on your first day in Leh. The Leh hotel provides safe filtered drinking water.

During the trek, the cooks will collect and boil drinking water from the mountain streams and fill up your water bottles for you, but you may need to collect water during the day and may wish to use your own water purification treatment as well. We suggest you bring a reusable bottle with a wide opening (Nalgene or similar) with you and use a SteriPEN (a handheld UV water purifier) or purification tablets to treat any non-boiled water.

Weather

The weather is generally good in Ladakh during summer, with warm to very hot sunny days (up to 30C/86F and sometimes above 35C/95F) with cooler nights depending on the altitude. There is, however, the possibility of rain, and you should be prepared for this. The sun is very strong at these altitudes and some of the days on trek can be extremely hot.

Ladakh, though technically part of the Tibetan Plateau and classified as a high-altitude desert, occasionally experiences the effects of the Indian monsoon. Although the departures are timed to coincide when the weather is normally good, remember that in any mountain area the weather is never wholly predictable and you should be prepared and equipped to deal with any differences in weather beyond the conditions described above.

Summer in Delhi is very hot and humid.