Sham Valley

This trek is a short route on which one visits several villages among the richest in Ladakh. This tour seldom goes above 4000m. For this reason avoid the hot part of the summer.

Day 1: Delhi - Leh

Fly into Leh. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure in the hotel to acclimatize. Overnight stay in hotel.

Day 2: Leh

After breakfast, visit Shey, Hemis, Thiksey monastery and Stok museum and Palace (The king of Ladakh still resides here sometimes). Thiksey is a monastery with largest no. of monks in residence in Ladakh. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 3: Leh - Likir to Yangthang (3,700M) - 5 hrs

In the morning drive to Likir and start the trek towards south through trail behind the monastery, amidst wheat elds. After a walk for 20 minutes, you come down to the rough Motorable road to Hemis Shukpachan. Ignore the road and walk through the trail down the road along with Stupas westward. The easy ascent starts, from here that leads you to the top of the small pass "Chagatse La" (3,700M). Again leave the road on your right and walk through the trail down and up to the road. From here you can have the view of a hamlet called Saspotse. Walk towards the village leaving the road on your right hand side. The village is reached after crossing a river. Take the trail behind the village through a small gorge which takes you to "Phobe la" pass (3,849M). You can have the view of Yangthang village from here. After a walk for 10 minutes through the road you arrive to the camping site. The campsite is near the river amidst poplar plantation.

Day 4: Yangthang - Rizong - Yangthang - 6 Hrs

Start the trek walking through village houses and along the river through the gorge with plantation of Apricot and Apple. After walk for an hour through the gorge, you reach on a rough Motorable road which enters into another gorge to your right hand side. It takes around 30 minutes before you will have the view of Rizong monastery. Rizong is the most isolated monastery of all the monastery of Ladakh. There is no entry fee in this monastery, you can o er whatever you can. After the visit of the monastery, you can also visit the monastery kitchen and have a cup of butter tea after the visit trek back to Yangthang. The way back to Yangthang is the same. There is a short way to go to Hemis Shukpachan from behind the monastery through a steep pass.

Day 5: Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan (3596 M) - 02 Hrs

Today is a shorter walk if you want to camp at Hemis Shukpachan village. You can also walk up to Temisgam or village of Ang before Temisgam which takes around 6-7 hrs. As soon as you cross the river, the climb of the phobe La (4,000 M) starts, which takes around 01 hour to reach the top of the pass. After another hour or half you reach Hemis Shukpachan. Overnight camp.

Day 6: Hemis Shukpachan to Temisgam 5-6 Hrs

After an easy walk for an hour you will start climbing Meptak La. After the pass you reach Ang village near the river. After crossing the river you can walk down to Temisgam village. The camp is near the road. We can visit the Temisgam Palace, monastery and Nunnery. Overnight camp.

Day 7: Temisgam to Khalse 2-3 hrs – drive to Leh

Walk towards Tia along the road for sometimes and then cross the river. After walking for a few minutes you will start climbing the Bongbong La. Then you reach the Leh-Kashmir highway. Walk up to Khalse along the road and drive back to Leh.

Day 8: Drive to the airport and fly back to Delhi

Drive to airport and y back to Delhi.