Ladakh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh

Arrive in Delhi and transfer to our five-star hotel, located in the heart of New Delhi. The evening is free to relax and rest after our flights.

Visit the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s Tomb, the architecture of which was the first of its kind in India, setting a precedent for future Mughal royal mausolea, culminating in the Taj Mahal. Also explore Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of 12th-century Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya, with its adjacent red sandstone mosque and impressively deep 800-year-old baoli, or stepwell, whose waters are considered to have magical powers. Though a popular site for Sufi pilgrims, the complex is seldom visited by non-Sufi western travelers. Gather this evening for a festive welcome reception and dinner.

Fly to Leh, capital of the former Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and acclimatizing to the altitude. Early this evening, explore Leh’s Main Bazaar, where local farmers sell their produce, and the smaller Chang Gali, full of artisan stalls selling precious stones, carved yak-horn boxes and other crafts. Observe the city’s fascinating mix of ethnic cultures, Buddhist temples, mosques, and the crumbling Leh Palace.

Spend the day exploring sites in and around Leh. Drive to Hemis Gompa, Ladakh’s most important Buddhist religious center. This 17th-century monastery, located in a hidden gorge surrounded by dramatic mountains, contains a sacred thanka (Buddhist scroll painting) so large it is unfurled once only every 12 years. Visit the 15th-century Thiksey Gompa, built high atop a hill overlooking the Indus Valley and considered the most beautiful of all Ladakh’s monasteries. Stop at Shey Palace, the 500-year-old summer home of the old kings of Leh. This evening, enjoy a traditional Ladakhi dance performance at our hotel.

Drive along the Indus Valley, past the picturesque villages of Spitok and Nimo, admiring spectacular scenery en route to the remote village of Alchi, famous as the site of the oldest surviving monastery in the Himalayas. Visit the monastery with its splendid murals painted by Kashimri artists in the 10th and 11th centuries, and stroll through the colorful local bazaar.

Drive to Lamayuru Gompa, one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, with a population of 150 resident monks. With its scenic moonscape-like backdrop of windswept high desert, Lamayuru is a stunning testament to the endurance of its faithful builders and residents. Time permitting, also visit Chulichan (Chomoling) Nunnery.

Journey today from Alchi to Leh, stopping en route to visit Likir Gompa, an isolated 11th-century monastery situated in a beautiful setting on a small hill in a valley. Likir Gompa is the seat of the Ngari Rinpoche, the present incarnation of whom is the Dalai Lama’s younger brother.

Fly to Chandigarh, capital of the state of Punjab and ranked as the wealthiest, cleanest and happiest city in India. This afternoon, visit its extraordinary Rock Garden, a 40-acre sculpture garden created from recycled materials.

Spend today exploring Chandigarh, whose layout was planned by the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and is internationally renowned for its architecture and urban design. Enjoy a specially arranged walking tour of Le Corbusier’s Capitol Complex, declared a World Heritage site in 2016. This afternoon, explore the Government Museum and Art Gallery, whose unique collection of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts was housed in the Central Museum in Lahore (present-day Pakistan) until Partition in 1948.

Drive through the plains of Punjab, one of India’s most fertile regions and often referred to as its “breadbasket” for the proliferation of wheat that is cultivated there. Arrive in Amritsar late this afternoon and check in to our hotel. Tonight visit the stunning Sri Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple, the holiest gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) in the world. Attend the Palki Sahib ceremony, during which the holy scriptures are moved out of the temple for the night.

Today, we visit Pingalwara, an NGO that cares for individuals who have been abandoned by society. Attend a kirtan, (musical chant) by some of the differently abled children who are taken care of by Pingalawara’s orphanage, followed by a guest lecture on Sikhism by a local expert. Ride auto-rickshaws to Jallianwala Bagh, site of the 1919 massacre of nonviolent protestors and Sikh pilgrims at the hands of the British Indian Army, then visit the local bazar. This evening, attend a performance of Punjabi bhangra and giddha folk dances.

Drive through the Kangra Valley to the verdant hill station of Palampur in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Formerly a powerful capital, Palampur is today famous for its mountain scenery and picturesque tea gardens. Check in to our hotel, still in the hands of the royal family of Jammu and Kashmir.

Explore Upper Dharamsala, also known as McLeod Ganj or “Little Lhasa,” being that it’s the current home of the Dalai Lama and his thousands of Tibetan Buddhist followers who sought refuge here in 1960 after being exiled from Tibet. Visit a 19th-century church; Tsuglagkhang Complex, the official home of the 14th Dalai Lama; and the Tsechokling Monastery. Also visit the excellent Tibet Museum whose mission is to document and preserve Tibet’s history and culture.

Tour the offices of the Tibetan government-in-exile, including the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Also visit the Tibetan Children’s Village, an educational community for exiled Tibetan children. Continue to the Norbulingka Institute to learn about the center’s mission to preserve the artistic and cultural traditions of ancient Tibet. Enjoy a specially arranged visit to the Qusar Tibetan Healing Centre that is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Tibetan medicine. Stop at the Dolmaling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics before attending a special tara puja, or lamp-lighting, ceremony (pending availability).

Fly from Palampur to Delhi and check in to our airport hotel. Celebrate the culmination of our adventure with a farewell reception and dinner this evening.

Transfer to the airport for flights returning home.