Rendezvous Zanskar Valley Tour

Overview

To visit Zanskar from Manali via Manali – Leh road and further from Leh – Kargil – Padum almost more than 600 km. Manali – Leh highway crosses from four high mountain passes and remains closed for seven months in winter.
Now there is a new road opened that connects Manali – Padum via Shinkun La also known as Shingo La. After the Atal Rohtang tunnel, the Border road organization will construct a Shinkun La tunnel to make Manali – Padum – Leh all-weather road. Shinkun La is the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. This new road will take you from Manali to Zanskar in just a couple of days. The ancient Zanskari trails are still untouched by the road where we do until now long-distance treks. Darcha – Padum – Lamayuru trail remained one of the best trekking routes in Indian Himalaya for decades, now you can discover it in a just short period of time by road. Zanskar or Zangskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Padum the administrative center. Dominated mainly by Buddhists, together with the Ladakh, was once a part of the Guge kingdom in Western Tibet.

Setting off from Manali the first-day drive to Keylong via Atal Tunnel, a new gateway to Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, and Zanskar valleys. Passing through the beautiful Chandra valley with some spectacular views of peaks rising above 6000 m. At Tandi where Chandra & Bhaga meets to form a Chenab River, we enter Gahar valley and continue to Jispa at Stod valley. A night in Keylong or Jispa in Lahaul will ensure proper acclimatization.
Chikka and Rarik are the last villages in Lahaul before Shinkun la and Kurgiakh is the first village in Lungnak River valley of Zanskar. We cross Shinkun La (5,090 m) to get into Zanskar. Lakhong is a high pasture land where villager from Kurgiakh, Thangso village keep their domestic animals Yak, dzo, sheep, goat, horses for summer grazing. This is the upper slopes of Zanskar where meadows are covered with edelweiss and at the foot of Gumborunjom peak 5580 m, a Blue poppy can be found. Next is a series of beautiful villages along the route to Purney, which is located at the confluence of Kurgiakh chu and Tsarap River. Purney to Phugtal road is still under construction and 2:30 hrs of a walk to one of the most spectacular sights of Zanskar – The Phugtal gompa. Which is built under a huge cave. Continuing from Purney to Anmo village to Raru and finally to Karsha bypassing Mune, Bardan & Padum. Next couple of days to visit the sights in the heart of Zanskar before entering Ladakh at Lingshed. And crossing two passes namely Sengge La and Sirsir La to join the Srinagar – Leh road at Lamayuru. Exploring the Lamayuru and finally visiting Alchi and Likir, we drive to Leh. Where our trip ends.

ZANSKAR TOUR  ITINERARY
Day 1: Manali to Atal Tunnel Rohtang – Keylong (3100 m) – Jispa (3200 m).
Day 2: Jispa – Shinkun La (5090 m)  – Gonborangjum (4330 m) – Kurgiakh (4150 m) – Purney (3800 m).
Day 3: Purney – Phugtal (3900 m) – Purney – Raru (3800 m) – Padum (3600 m).
Day 4: Padum – Tungri – Phe – Hamiling – Abran – Aksho – Pensi La (4470 m) – Padum (3660m).
Day 5: Padum – Dzonkhul – Sani – Karsha (3750 m) – Padum.
Day 6: Padum  – Stongde (3800 m) – Zangla palace (3650 m) – Lingshed (3900 m).
Day 7: Lingshed – Sengge La (4940 m) – Photoksar (4150 m) – Sirsir La (4800 m) – Wanla – Lamayuru (3600 m) – Alchi (3100 m) – Likir – Leh (3600 m).

ITINERARY: MANALI – PADUM – RANGDUM – KARGIL – LEH.
Day 1: Manali to Atal Tunnel Rohtang – Keylong (3100 m) – Jispa (3200 m) Acclimatize.
Day 2: Jispa – Darcha – Shinkun La (5090 m)  – Gomborangjum (4330 m) – Kurgiakh (4150 m) – Purney (3800 m)
Day 3: Purney – Phugtal (3900 m) – Purney hike, Drive to Padum (3600 m).
Day 4: Karsha (3750 m) – Stongde (3800 m) – Zangla (3650 m) – Padum (3710 m).
Day 5: Padum – Dzonkhul (3870 m) – Pensi La (4470 m) – Rangdum (3660m).
Day 6: Rangdum – Suru (3300 m) – Kargil (2670 m) – Mulbekh (3300m) – Fotu La (4100 m) – Lamayuru (3500 m).
Day 7: Lamayuru – Alchi (3100 m) – Likir – Leh (3600 m).
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MANALI – ZANSKAR TOUR – MANALI: 5 NIGHTS 6 DAYS
Day 1: Manali to Atal Tunnel Rohtang – Keylong (3100 m) – Jispa (3200 m).
Day 2: Jispa – Shinkun La (5090 m)  – Gonborangjum (4330 m) – Kurgiakh (4150 m) – Purney (3800 m).
Day 3: Purney – Phugtal (3900 m) – Purney – Raru (3800 m) – Padum (3600 m).
Day 4: Padum – Tungri – Phe – Hamiling – Abran – Aksho – Pensi La (4470 m) – Padum (3660m).
Day 5: Padum – Dzonkhul – Sani – Karsha (3750 m) – Stongde (3800 m) – Zangla (3650 m) – Anmo (3870m).
Day 6: Anmo – Shinkun La – Atal Tunnel – Manali

ITINERARY
Day +: Arrive in Delhi and Drive to Manali (2050 m)
Arrive at Delhi Indira Gandhi international airport. Pickup by private car drive to Manali. Leaving Delhi drive a 4-5 hours journey to Chandigarh, watching the changing scenery roll by. Chandigarh is almost the end of the line, located at the point where the Indian plains meet the foothills of the Himalayas. You continue your journey into the mountains, following the Beas River to enter the Kulu Valley, one of the most picturesque valleys in the Indian Himalaya. The road winds its way past pine-clothed mountain slopes giving glimpses of snow-capped peaks and through small settlements with their fields of rice and maize and little walled orchards. Eventually, you reach the upper part of the Kulu Valley and arrive at the popular tourist resort of Manali. Manali is approximately 300km from Chandigarh and the journey will take us around 7 hours. We check into the hotel. To help with acclimatization before we start trekking you spend the day in Manali at just over 2000 meters. This is a very popular tourist town and you visit some of its famous sights while you are here. You can visit the colorful Hadimba Temple, the medieval wooden palace at Naggar with its own art museum, and enjoy a soak in the Vashisht hot springs. It is also fun to walk around the sprawling bazaar. a day for final preparation before leaving to Zanskar.