Discover India's Little Tibet and Nubra Valley

This ten-night tour with Explore Worldwide travels from Delhi’s historic streets to the altitude of Ladakh’s ‘Little Tibet’, where Tibetan Buddhism and Hindu culture intersect. After an early flight to Leh, you’ll have time to adjust before the Hemis Festival, one of the largest annual gatherings, with its masked dances echoing through Hemis Gompa.

The itinerary continues westward to monasteries like Thiksey with its towering gilded Buddha, and Alchi’s ancient Kashmiri Buddhist murals which feel surprisingly fresh despite their age. Along the way, traditional meals and quiet villages punctuate the rugged landscape, including a night in Stok village at a 200-year-old family home. The journey then climbs the Khardung La Pass—one of the highest motorable roads—to Nubra Valley’s sand dunes and the impressive statue of Maitreya Buddha at Diskit.

Returning by a less travelled route across the Shyok River and Wari La Pass brings a quieter contrast to the busy festival days and exposed scenery. The tour finishes back in Delhi with a city tour amid its colonial and Mughal monuments. It’s a steady paced, thoughtful introduction to a high-altitude corner of India few see beyond the fleeting traveller.

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, a first triangle, not the whole of India

4 min read

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.