Conquer the Trails of Ladakh

  • Duration 4
  • Destination Nepal
  • Trip Grade Medium
  • Starts at Leh airport
  • Ends at Leh airport
  • Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner during the trek
  • Accommodation Comfortable Teahouse
  • Max. Altitude 2,750 Meters
  • Activity Trekking
  • Group Type private or Group
  • Group Size 01 to 15
  • Best Season Autumn and Spring

Conquer the Trails of Ladakh Overview

Trekking trails in India offer a meticulously planned tour that allows you to traverse spectacular Himalayan trails and enjoy camping at breathtaking sites. This India Trekking adventure takes you through some of the most extravagant landscapes in the world, including streams, mountains, remote villages, plateaus, rivers, and ancient monasteries. The best time to embark on this trek is from June to October.

During the trek, we will gradually ascend to one of the most beautiful walks in the snow-leopard area. We will explore the stunning Markha Valley and visit the salty Tsokar Lake. Additionally, we will enjoy camping at the base of Kang-Yutze Peak on the plains of Nimaling.

Aarohi Holiday is committed to making your India Trekking experience filled with memorable moments, immense joy, and complete satisfaction.

Conquer the Trails of Ladakh Route

Ladakh mountains with clear blue sky and colorful Buddhist prayer flags.
Majestic Ladakh landscape adorned with vibrant prayer flags and towering mountains.

Step into a high-altitude Himalayan haven where pristine valleys, ancient culture, and elusive wildlife await. “Conquer the Trails of Ladakh” is a trekking journey designed to take you deep into the heart of Ladakh’s most spectacular landscapes. This meticulously crafted route combines stunning trekking trails with snow-leopard territory, charming village homestays, and dramatic mountain passes.

Walk through the mystical Markha Valley, marvel at the serene Tsokar Lake, and camp beneath the towering Kang-Yutze Peak. Ideal from June to October, this trek blends wildlife encounters, rich local traditions, and unforgettable high-altitude trekking experiences.

Accommodation during Conquer the Trails of Ladakh

Your journey begins in Leh, where you will be welcomed with warm hospitality and comfortable accommodation in a well-appointed hotel, offering the perfect environment to acclimatize and enjoy a relaxing evening stroll through the vibrant Leh Bazaar. As the trek begins, the next two nights will be spent in traditional Ladakhi homestays in Rumbak village, where you’ll experience the authentic lifestyle of the locals. These cozy homes offer simple but hearty meals, clean bedding, and a chance to connect with the culture and people of Ladakh. After your descent from Stok La Pass, you’ll return to the comfort of your hotel in Leh for one final night, allowing you to unwind and reflect on your incredible trekking adventure before departure.

Required Permits for Conquer the Trails of Ladakh

The Government of India and the Union Territory of Ladakh require specific permits to ensure the safety of trekkers and the preservation of ecologically sensitive areas. If you’re planning to trek in regions like Hemis National Park, Rumbak, and Stok La, securing these permits beforehand is essential for a smooth and legal experience.

Inner Line Permit (ILP)

Cost: Approx. INR 600 per person (may vary)
This permit is mandatory for all foreign nationals visiting protected areas in Ladakh. The ILP ensures security in border regions and allows trekkers to explore remote villages and valleys like Rumbak and Stok. It can be obtained online via the Ladakh Tourism portal or from the District Commissioner’s office in Leh.

 

Hemis National Park Entry Permit

 Cost: Approx. INR 100–300 per person per day
This permit is required for both Indian and foreign trekkers entering Hemis National Park, which is home to endangered wildlife like the Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, and Blue Sheep. It helps support conservation efforts in the region. It can be arranged in Leh through the Wildlife Department or facilitated by Aarohi Holiday as part of your package.

All permits will be arranged in advance by Aarohi Holiday to ensure a seamless trekking experience across Ladakh’s pristine landscapes.

 

Important Notes for Conquer the Trails of Ladakh

  • Acclimatization is crucial: Ladakh lies at a high altitude, and travelers may experience symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It is recommended to rest for at least 24–48 hours in Leh before starting the trek.
  • Carry valid ID & permits: All trekkers must carry original photo ID (passport for foreigners, Aadhar/Driving License for Indians) and all required permits at all times during the trek.
  • Weather in Ladakh is unpredictable: While days may be sunny, nights can get extremely cold even during summer months. Be prepared with proper layered clothing and cold weather gear.
  • Home stays are basic: While comfortable and authentic, homestays in Rumbak offer simple facilities. Hot water and electricity may be limited. It’s part of the charm, but trekkers should come prepared.
  • Pack light but smart: A good pair of trekking boots, a down jacket, sun protection, reusable water bottles, and trekking poles are strongly recommended.
  • Wildlife etiquette: The region is a protected habitat. Respect local wildlife, do not feed animals, and avoid loud noises. Spotting a snow leopard is rare but possible—always maintain distance and follow the guide’s instructions.
  • No ATMs on the trail: Withdraw any necessary cash in Leh. Most rural villages do not accept cards or have banking services.
  • Stay hydrated: The dry air and altitude can dehydrate quickly. Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
  • Mobile connectivity is limited: Expect limited or no network coverage once you leave Leh. BSNL or Jio has the best chance of working in some areas.
  • Respect local customs: Ladakhi people are warm and hospitable. Dress modestly, ask before taking photos, and observe local traditions, especially when visiting monasteries or homes.

Physical Requirements for Conquer the Trails of Ladakh

Trekking in Ladakh demands a good level of physical fitness due to its high-altitude terrain, rocky paths, and steep ascents. Here’s what participants should keep in mind:

  • Good Cardiovascular Endurance
    Daily treks can last anywhere between 4 to 7 hours, often on uneven terrain. Regular cardio activities like jogging, swimming, cycling, or brisk walking for at least 4–6 weeks prior to the trek are highly recommended.
  • Altitude Adaptability
    The trek reaches altitudes over 4,900 meters (Stok La Pass), where oxygen levels are low. Trekkers must be able to adapt gradually to high altitudes and should consult their doctor if they have a history of altitude sickness or respiratory issues.
  • Strong Legs & Core
    Ascent and descent over rugged paths require strong leg muscles and balance. Squats, lunges, stair climbing, and core-strengthening exercises will prepare the body for these conditions.
  • Mental Preparedness
    Trekking in remote regions involves basic amenities, unexpected weather shifts, and limited communication. A positive mindset, patience, and flexibility go a long way in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.
  • No prior experience needed
    While prior trekking experience is helpful, this trek is suitable for beginners with moderate fitness and a willingness to train beforehand.
  • Medical Check-Up
    A pre-trek medical consultation is advisable to ensure there are no underlying health issues, especially for those over 45 years of age or with known conditions.

 

Day to Day Itinerary
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Upon arrival at Leh airport, pick-up and transfer to the hotel. After tea/coffee, rest at the hotel to acclimatize. In the evening, enjoy a walking tour of Leh bazaar. Overnight stay at the hotel.

  • Hotel
  • Breakfast

After breakfast, drive to Zingchen and start walking through Zingchen Gorge. There is a restaurant where one can stop for tea and snacks. As you continue trekking further, the gorge gets narrower and more rugged. On the way, you might see signs of snow leopards along the valley bottom or in the side valleys if you are trekking during winter or early spring/fall. As you approach Rumbak fields, the valley suddenly opens up with snowcapped mountains in the background. From the fields, the path turns left eastwards towards the Rumbak village. Overnight stay in a Home Stay.

  • Tea House or Lodge
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, proceed for a full day of wildlife viewing with a trained local guide. Wildlife viewing possibilities include Blue Sheep, the Great Tibetan Sheep or Argali, various mountain and migratory birds, high altitude flora, and occasionally a Tibetan Wolf or a Snow Leopard if luck favors. Ask your Home Stay operator for a local guide or village resource map to show directions for possible options. Overnight stay in a Home Stay.

  • Tea House or Lodge
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Make an early start for your trek up to the Stok La pass (4,900m) for 3 hours. Follow the path on the extreme left along the south-facing hillside. After one hour, the path gets steeper as you start climbing up to the pass. From the pass, you can get great views of the Indus valley. Descend all the way down to the village of Stok. Optional visit to Stok Palace Museum. Drive to Leh. Overnight stay at the hotel.

  • Tea House or Lodge
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early morning, on-time departure transfer to Leh airport to catch the flight to your onward destination.

  • Hotel
  • Breakfast

Our team guides, porters and accompanying staff are locals with a broad knowledge about each and every location that we travel through.

Cost Includes

  • Accommodation in Guest House ‘B’ class hotel in Leh, Manali, Keylong, Padum, and Hotel in Kargil with all meals.
  • All transportation by Toyota Qualis, Innova, or Scorpio.
  • Two men tent, Kitchen and dining tents.
  • Kitchen equipment and Toilet Tent.
  • Stool, Table, and mattresses.
  • Food veg and non-veg.
  • Cook, helper, and guide.
  • Horses for luggage.
  • Monument entrances, wildlife fees, and camping charges.
  • Climbing permit to Stok Khangri and Equipment.

Cost Excludes

  • Any arrangements in Delhi (Hotel booking, transportation, guide).
  • Any flight tickets (Domestic/international).
  • Sleeping bags, trekking shoes, and clothing.
  • Any kind of personal expenses or optional tours / extra meals ordered.
  • Anything not specifically mentioned under the head “Prices Included”.
  • Tips, insurance, laundry, phone calls.
  • Any kind of drinks (Alcoholic, mineral, aerated).
  • Cost incidental to any change in the itinerary/stay on account of flight cancellation due to bad weather, ill health, roadblocks, and/or any factors beyond control.
  • 13% Gov. service tax (GST).
Departure Dates

Useful Info

Physical Fitness

Many people have questions as to what level of physical fitness is required for visiting Nepal, and that is extremely reliant on what activity the visitor is engaging in. With that said, for a standard trek of moderate grading (Everest Base Camp Trek is an example of moderate) the daily activity will be 7-8 hours, and elevation will generally not exceed 5,500 meters. The day’s trekking is sustained and will involve both long steep climbs, and descents with a variety of terrain underfoot from well-trodden paths, to rocks covered with ice or snow. A typical day would include a number of climbs or descents of 500 meters or more, starting after breakfast, resting at lunch, then continuous trekking until arriving at the teahouse.

In preparation for the trek, it is important to begin a training requirement at least 4 months before departing for Nepal. Three to four hours of aerobic exercise like running, walking, swimming, cycling & some gym work per week is the minimum and most will find it beneficial to add some basic strength training to their physical fitness routine. One of the best ways to prepare is to take practice hikes with a daypack roughly the same weight as what you will be taking on the trek. Do this only after a baseline of fitness has been reached. Moving fast is not the end goal, rather endurance is the focus, and will provide a more enjoyable and safe adventure.

Trekking Seasons in Nepal

There are two main seasons in which Nepal sees the most amount of visitors. Fall (September through November) being the most popular, and spring (March to May) coming in close behind. The summer months of June, July and August are the monsoon season and as such the trails are mostly washed out, and roads can sometimes be impassible due to landslide activates. Not to mention the view is non-existent. Still, there are a few places that lie in rain shadow areas and see significantly less rain if any at all, and summer can be a good time to visit these places.

Winter in Nepal is dry, with very cold nights where temperatures can drop to -20°C at the highest altitudes, but the days are pleasant and sunny. Additionally, the trails are much less crowded during this time of year. In Kathmandu, maximum daytime temperatures reach around 20°C.

Fall is the most popular because it’s after the monsoons, and the air is dry, the days are sunny, and everything is green in the lower valleys from the excessive rains. Spring is a popular choice because some rain returns, but the weather is generally warm and dry, and flowers are in bloom in the lower elevations.

Trekking Day

A typical trekking day begins with a cup of tea at around 6 in the morning. It is advised to pack your trekking gears in a duffle bag and essential supplies in your day pack in these early hours. After having breakfast, we begin the trek and head along the trail at around 8 am. The morning walk is designed to be longer as we begin with refreshed bodies and enthusiasm. Following a good morning’s walk, we make stop for lunch at around 11.30 am. The lunch involves group meals enjoying the vicinity around the stop. You can explore the surrounding or use the time according to your own consent. After resting for about an hour or two, we resume our trek to reach teahouse or camp by 3-4 pm. The afternoon walk is relatively shorter and can involve games and side trips as organized by the trekking guides. You also can enjoy breaks during the trek to relax, read or stroll around the area. You can converse with the local people and observe their lifestyle. Dinner is served around 7 in the evening to round off the day.

Meals and Accommodations

During the length of the trek, the accommodation style is commonly referred to as teahouse. These are family-run basic lodges that fill the role of the restaurant, meeting place, and boarding house for tourists. Electricity can be found in the rooms, which means one light bulb, and one or two outlets for charging electronics. The common areas are also lit by electricity. Teahouses may use solar, hydroelectric, or have electrical lines running into the village, so the commonality and availability of electricity may vary.

Most teahouses have private rooms, though if the trek is in a more remote or high altitude place dormitories are the norm. Each room has 1 or 2 single beds with basic bedding, and the bathroom is shared. Expect a mix of western and squat style toilets in the bathrooms.

Breakfast and dinner are taken at the teahouse and these lodges have large family style dining rooms centered on a stove to provide heat. The menu will have Nepali style western foods such as pasta, pizza, pancakes, burgers, and fries. Also on the menu is the traditional Dal Bhat meal. This is a lentil soup with rice and vegetable or meat curry. Most menus will also offer a smattering of local cuisine.

Internal Flight Delays

Nepal is an incredible country of mountains and valleys, rivers and green rolling hills. With this incredible diversity of landscapes, road travel can be extremely time consuming and flights within Nepal to reach popular trekking destinations is a must. Along with this mountainous terrain also comes the possibility of in climate weather. Not to mention the incredibly high number of visitors during peak seasons makes internal flight delays a very real possibility. To manage this possibility, it may be helpful to have a few extras days on either end of your tour. If any cancellations or flight delays do occur (high chances of flight delays from around Kathmandu to Lukla, Everest region), we also provide services to arrange helicopter to help you to be on your schedule on the premises of Civil Aviation Rules in Nepal which state that helicopters can fly if the visibility is 1500m. The cost ranges from USD350 to USD650 according to the number of passengers. The payment can be made either to the helicopter company or to us directly and can be made either by cash or using a credit card. It will also be helpful to purchase and review your insurance as some of the alternative measures for travel may be covered. Flight insurance too may cover changing your international flight if necessary.

Travel Insurance

Many expeditions and tours require that travel insurance is purchased prior to arriving in Nepal, but other treks and tours may not. However, travel insurance is definitely an important consideration. There are a number of reasons to consider insurance. Firstly, it may be required, so check to see what is being asked for by the company. Second, Nepal is a landlocked country, and there are few direct flights. Travel in and out can encounter some disruptions and if purchasing insurance, make sure flight delays and cancellations are included. The next reason to choose insurance is that, though every safeguard is in place during your tour, there are always extenuating circumstances that may result in an accident. Read the fine print of insurance policies to ensure trekking or any other activity you are engaging in is covered, as some policies have stopped covering trekking in certain places. It is impossible to have a relaxing trip without the comfort of good insurance, so do the research and choose carefully.

Nepal Visa Entry Procedure

For entry into Nepal, there are visa requirements everyone (except Indian nationals) must complete before being allowed to pass through immigration. This is for air travel as well as overland transportation. Most visitors may obtain a visa to enter Nepal, however, there are exceptions.

Three options are available for entry

15-day single entry: US $30

30-day single entry: US $50

90-day multiple entries: US $125

Please have a passport valid for at least 6 months from the time of entry, and have cash ready, preferably in US dollars, though there are other currencies Nepal Immigration accepts. If you are entering via overland, you must have US cash and 3 passport photos. For arrival by air, the kiosks at the airport take your picture for you.

For the most up to date list of exceptions for visa on arrival or to obtain the most current visa information, visit the Nepal Department of Immigration website.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

Acute Mountain Sickness is usually seen in un-acclimatized people shortly after ascent to high altitudes. The condition occurs due to the thinning of air as the altitude increases. The condition, if not taken seriously and treated immediately, can be life-threatening and its symptoms can be seen generally above 3000 meters. Some of the symptoms of AMS are nausea, vomiting, tiredness, shortness of breath and cerebral pain. The treks are designed to properly acclimatize you to the change in high altitude climate and sufficient precautionary measures too are taken to take utmost caution. We also equip our staffs with cell phones and satellite phones in occurrence of any emergency cases. We are greatly driven to keep the safety and security of our clients as our foremost concern.

Drinking Water

Water is essential for life, and clean water is imperative while on holiday. When choosing to visit less developed countries it is a concern that all travelers should consider. A few options are available when trekking or traveling in Nepal that will mitigate any chances of drinking contaminated water which could cause disruption of an otherwise fun adventure. The first consideration to take into account is that tap water should not be ingested. That even means when brushing your teeth. Most will choose to buy bottled water and if doing so make sure the cap has not been opened previously. Plastic bottle refuse is a problem, and with that being said there are other options on the market to assist in making water drinkable. Your local outdoor store can help with choosing what option might be best to use in conjunction with a reusable bottle. Your guide can also steer you to water that has been filtered and purified so ask him or her what is available.

Arrival Instruction

Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our company representatives are stationed to welcome you to the country. We request you to carefully look for your name being held by our representatives following the events upon landing. The representatives are responsible to escort you to your hotel in Kathmandu. You will see men offering you to carry luggage and take you to your destination as you exit the airport. We request you pay no attention to these people and follow the designated representatives and follow their instructions. You will also need to keep an eye on your luggage and belongings to avoid any complications.

Equipment List

  • Base Layers (Thermal Top and Bottom)
  • Insulated Jacket
  • Fleece Jacket
  • Waterproof Jacket and Pants
  • Trekking Pants
  • Warm Trekking Socks
  • Trekking Boots
  • Camp Shoes or Sandals
  • Backpack (30-40L)
  • Sleeping Bag (Rated for Sub-Zero Temperatures)
  • Trekking Poles
  • Headlamp with Extra Batteries
  • Sunglasses (UV Protection)
  • Sunscreen (High SPF)
  • Lip Balm with SPF
  • Water Bottles or Hydration Bladder
  • Water Purification Tablets
  • Personal First Aid Kit
  • Toiletries (Biodegradable Soap, Wet Wipes)
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Energy Bars and Snacks
  • Beanie or Warm Hat
  • Gloves (Thermal and Waterproof)
  • Neck Gaiter or Scarf
  • Duffel Bag (Carried by Porters, if applicable)
  • Power Bank
  • Camera
  • Cash for Local Expenses
  • Rain Cover for Backpack
  • Gaiters (Optional, for Snowy Conditions).
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Conquer the Trails of Ladakh
Conquer the Trails of Ladakh
Difficulty: Medium 4 Days
Max. Height: 2,750 Meters

US $450