Snow Leopard and Himalayan Brown Bear

Arrival in Delhi

Welcome to Delhi airport and transfer to hotel.

Indus Valley

Options:

We will have time to stroll around Leh, acclimatize gently, in addition to visiting the temples of the surrounding valleys: Hemis, Tikshey and Chemre. We begin with a visit to the monastery of Tikshey, 17 km upstream from Leh, on the right bank of the Indus. This monumental complex covers the entire hill, and houses 4 temples. Even more than these temples, the visit of Tikshey marks the visitor by its geographical location plunging over the valley, but above all by the beauty of the architectural ensemble perfectly integrated into the landscape. Further on we visit the monastery of Hemis, 25 kilometers from that of Tikshey. Founded in 1602, this temple is now the most important temple in Ladakh. Nestled in a beautiful valley adjacent to the Indus, the Hemis Monastery houses, among other things, an interesting "old temple" on the upper floor. Finally, we continue our day with a visit to the monastery of Chemre, located on a tributary on the right bank of the Indus River, north of Hemis. This monastery perched on a hump that it covers almost entirely is also typical of Ladakh in its integration into the landscape. Back on Leh, we spend some time at the Office of the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Very visited during the summer, everything is quiet at this season. Meal and night at the guesthouse in Leh.

OR

Today you leave for an extraordinary road towards Taglang La and the villages of Gya Lhato and Meru. It is a fantastic road that takes you away from the Indus Valley and climbs a magnificent subsidiary valley. There are spectacular landscapes here and you have a chance to observe wild animals like the bharal, the golden eagles, the bearded vultures, to see the beautiful partridge of Hodgson and the most common Chukar partridge.

Drass

Two days dedicated to the brown bear. Departure at dawn to join the spotters of the village for a short 45-minute hike on the hill, stopping on the way to scan the surroundings in search of brown bears and other wild animals. Once at the top of the hill, settle into one of the many viewpoints and peer over the horizon for brown hairball movements. The top of the hill offers spectacular 360-degree views of the Drass Valley with snow-capped peaks nearby. The famous tiger hill peak is also visible. With a good population of Himalayan brown bears, the valley is also home to the Himalayan fox, bearded and tawny vulture, smaller birds and a wide variety of wildflowers depending on the year If you wish to stay at the spotting sites beyond lunchtime, a freshly prepared packed lunch can be transported to your destination. You can also choose to go back down to the village where a hot lunch can be served by the locals. The afternoon or evening can be spent exploring the Drass Kargil area on foot or by car, and of course looking for more ursids.

Ulley

Snow leopard watching in the Ulley and Rumbak valleys with the precious help of lookouts who crisscross the valley from morning to night. By spotting the snow leopard, the spotters tell us where to get quickly with the help of walkie-talkie. Sometimes you have to camp in order to increase the chances of meeting the "grey ghost". We have -20 degrees sleeping bags, hot water bottles and a great team (cook, camp aides) to make life at the camp more comfortable despite the extreme conditions.

Leh to Delhi

Early departure for Leh airport. Flight to Delhi. We leave the Himalayas for a whole new world: Delhi! The chaos is out of place, as is the heat. Depending on the group's desire, we will visit a few sites by tuk tuk, or on foot, the opportunity to visit the city's must-sees such as Humayun's tomb or Kutub Minar, to stroll through the teeming spice market of Old Delhi but also to enjoy a last Indian meal in one of the city's delicious restaurants. Night in a hotel.