Bound by two of the worlds highest mountain ranges: Himalaya to the south and Karakoram to the north, Ladakh sits on the western edge of the Tibetan Plateau, at an average altitude of 10,000 feet. The region's capital, Leh, to which we fly to begin all our tours of Ladakh, is 11,400 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the world.
Until the beginning of the 19th century Ladakh was an independent kingdom. In 1833 it was annexed as part of Kashmir, which today belongs to the Republic of India. Unlike neighboring Tibet, which saw the destruction of Tibetan monasteries and monastic art during the Cultural Revolution, India’s secular policy has allowed all religions to thrive here. Tibetan Buddhism has been practiced in Ladakh since before the time of the Great Fifth (the fifth Dalai Lama) and original artwork dating back to the 10th century can be seen in the palaces and monasteries that dot the landscape of this remote Himalayan region. No wonder travel writers have referred to Ladakh as “more Tibetan than Tibet.”
Explore Ladakh on these itineraries or call to plan your
private journey.
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The wheel of life
A Ladakhi boy
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