Zanskar Jeep Safari with Taj Mahal

Highlights

Zanskar lies between the principal chain of the Himalayas to the south and the Zanskar Range to the north. The most isolated of all the trans-Himalayan valleys, made inaccessible for nearly eight months a year due to heavy snowfall resulting in closure of all the access passes, Zanskar has the distinction of being the least interfered with microcosms of Ladakh, and thus one of the last few surviving cultural satellites of Tibet. This geographical isolation together with the esoteric nature of Buddhism practiced here has enabled its some ten thousand inhabitants to preserve and perpetuate their cultural identity. Our jeep tour brings you to Zanskar via Sham, the Lower Ladakh, and the magnificent Suru Valley under the shadows of the Nun – Kun massif. Continuing over the Pensi La (4400m), a picturesque pass adorned with two small alpine lakes, a western gateway to Zanskar, we marvel at the breathtaking views of the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas to the west and south. As the Zanskar road winds down the steep slopes of the watershed to the head of the Stod Valley, one of Zanskar's main tributary valleys, the majestic Drang-Drung glacier looms into full view. From here we descend into the geographical and cultural heartland of Zanskar where the streams and rivers of the region form the main Zanskar River. Here within the mountain ramparts of this lost Shangri-La stand a number of ancient and fascinating monastic establishments, most notably the monasteries of Karsha, Zangla, Stongde and Bardan, the highlight of our journey.