DAY 01 Delhi:
Previous day or early morning, arrive in Delhi and transfer to hotel.
Sightseeing : QUTAB MINAR - HUMAYUN'S TOMB - RED FORT - RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN - INDIA GATE...

NEW DELHI : New Delhi is the capital of India and its third-largest city. In Old Delhi you will find many mosques, monuments and forts relating to India's Muslim history. The other Delhi in New Delhi, the imperial city created as the capital of India by the British. It is a spacious, open city and contains many embassies and government buildings.

DAY 02 DELHI - LEH (3500 m) Bicycle
Morning transfer to airport to catch the flight to Leh. Upon arrival in Leh, transfer to Hotel. Rest of the day free for acclimatization. Overnight at Hotel

DAY 03 LEH
LEH : India's link with the exotic past, when lengthening caravans piled the ancient silk route and lingered long at Leh to rest to buy to plan or just to visit . What Hong Kong is to the Far East . Leh was in the not so ancient times to Central Asia .

In the north lay the caravan route to Yarkand and Kashger both in Sinkiang in the east is Lhasa, the holy city in the west is Baltistan and Kashmir and to the south lay Himachal Pradesh. Traders from Afghanistan, Turkey and the Arabian kingdoms all congregated in the main square displayed their wares and in the evening played an invigorating game of polo. Situated at the apex of a triangular plateau formed by the Indus at an altitude of 3368 Mts. It is a small town of narrow intersecting lanes and one main street leading to the old palace of the raja of Ladakh.

SIGHTSEEING OF THE MONASTRIES
SHEY : Situated on a hillock 15km. upstream from Leh was once the residence of the royal family . According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kings. A 7.5 meter high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold, and the largest of its kind is installed here.

THIKSE : Spectacularly sighted, Thikse is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive Gompa. There are several temples in this Gompa, containing images stupas and wall paintings of Buddha which are exquisite.

HEMIS : It is the wealthiest , best known and biggest Gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held here in summer. The festival is in honor of Guru Padma Sambhav's birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh, which is unfurled once in 12 years ( next in 2004 ). Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Sengge Namgyal , an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal dynasty for the royalty favored for Drugkpa Sect, which managed the monastery. It is divided into two, the Assembly Hall on the right and the main temple on the left. The hall, Dukhang, is also used as a ' Green room ' by the dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes among them the Buddhist Wheel of Life ( Kalachakra ) and the Lord of the four quarters, besides rows of prayer wheels.

DAY 04 LEH - SARAI (4572 m) Bicycle
Cycle trek starts - all luggage, camp staff will go in a truck.Ladakh Cycle tour
SARAI : Starting from Leh at a height of 3368 Mts. ascend steadily along a bridle path for few kilometers to Sambog a height of 4500 Mts. From here the ascent is steep and though the snow ( till August ) rises 1030 Mts. Within 16 km. Is a two hour back breaking climb to reach the Khardong-la pass at 5602 Mts. Braving the ever present threat of avalanches the route is a steep descent goes down over rocky and slippery terrain to 4572 Mts. reaching the Sarai village enclosed in a cluster of willows.

DAY 05 SARAI - SUMUR (3500 m) Bicycle
SUMUR : The next stage is the most precarious negotiating a steep descent within 8 kilometers through narrow gorges down to the left bank of the Shyok river which leads to the village of Khalsar or Khartsar, 6 km. Away. After a 5 km. Stretch along the bank a suspension bridge crosses over to the otherside. Following the river bank for 18 km. Over s sandy maiden with thorny bushes one reaches extensively cultivated villages, Ran Kralzung and Sumur on the fringes of this valley.

DAY 06 SUMUR - PANAMIK (3000 m) Bicycle
PANAMIK : The last stop, Panamik is another 19 km. Away, after crossing a sandy and stony road and fording swiftly flowing side stream. The ascent from Leh, and descent from the pass to the Khardong valley, but once the ordeal is over the hardy soul is rewarded with a smiling valley and villages flowing with apples, apricots and mulberry trees amidst and amidst the patches of thick scrub jungle that dot the valley.

DAY 07 PANAMIK Bicycle
Free day to explore the area.

DAY 08 PANAMIK - TIGAR (3200 m) Bicycle
Mountain Biking from Panamik to Tiger & back to Panamik.

DAY 09 TIGAR - LEH Bicycle
Mountain biking to Leh

DAY 10 REST DAY IN LEH .
Day free to explore the surrounding area & last minute shopping

DAY 11 LEH - DELHI Plane.gif (132 bytes)
Transfer to Airport to catch the flight to Leh. Upon arrival in Delhi, transfer to Hotel. Later full day sightseeing tour of Old & New Delhi.

DAY 12 DELHI. Rest and shopping. Transfer to airport.