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12 Days from$2,700 p/p in USD -
DeparturesFeb, Mar
Destinations
India,
Tour Type
Guided, Small Group
Safari Standard
Budget
Tour Overview
The Snow Leopard, locally known as Shan, is one of the rarest large cat species found anywhere in the world. It is so difficult to see largely because of the tough and rugged terrain it is found in. A large cat species primarily found in the high mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, the snow leopard is an endangered species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Hemis National Park and Ule region in Ladakh are 2 of the finest places to see this elusive animal. The timing of this trip is crucial because in the bitter cold months of January, February and March, blue sheep, the primary prey of snow leopard, descend down to the lower valleys and the snow leopard follows it prey down. The lower valleys have human inhabitants as well and livestock is also easy prey for snow leopard at this time. Apart from this rare animal, Ladakh is also home to other lesser known species like the red fox, Tibetan wolf, Eurasian lynx, argali (great Tibetan sheep), bharal (blue sheep), shapu (Ladakhi urial), the ibex and several others that with a bit of luck could be seen on this trip.
General Information
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Safari types:Birding Safari, Guided, Mountain Safari, Wildlife Safari
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You will visit:Hemis National Park, Leh, Ulley
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Wildlife:Birds, Snow Leopard, Ibex, Red Fox, Wolf, Urial, Eurasian Lynx, Argali, Bharal
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Activities:Game Viewing, Trekking, Village Visit, Birding
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Getting around:Game Viewing Vehicle, Transfer Vehicle, 4x4 Vehicle
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Start/end:Start in New Delhi, end in New Delhi
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Minimum age:18 years
Price Per Person – INR
6-10 pax group per pax cost on a shared basis: INR 225,000 + 5% tax
Single room supplement: INR 80,000 + 5% tax
What's Included
- 4 nights accommodation in Grand Dragon Ladakh on twin/double sharing basis
- 5 night stay in homestay in Rumbak on twin/double sharing basis
- 2 night stay in homestay in Uley on twin/double sharing basis
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
- Service of an expert naturalist and spotter for the group
- Just Nature Expeditions tour leader
- Surface transfer as per plan
- Inner liner permits(if required), monastery fees and wildlife permits for entire trip
- 1 still camera fee per person for entire trip
What's Excluded
- Flights & visas
- Gratuities
- Insurance fee
- Any meal other than those specified in Includes
- Any expenditure of personal nature like bottled water, laundry, telephone calls, extra beverages
- Any sudden increase in price due to steep hike in park entry fee, steep hike in fuel cost or due to any unforeseen circumstance like extreme climate conditions, natural calamities, riots etc.
Disclaimer
- This itinerary is owned and delivered by ‘Just Nature Expeditions‘
- All prices are ‘From’ and may vary at the time of booking
- Display price is usually based on two people sharing
- ‘Just Nature Expeditions‘ reserves the right to change the content and price of the itinerary
- All itineraries are subject to availability
Snow Leopard Expedition
Take the early morning flight to Leh from New Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to the Grand Dragon Ladakh located near Leh market. Complete rest for the remainder of the day is highly recommended as it eases the process of acclimatization. Also sipping hot tea while stretching your legs in the lap of Himalayas is definitely not a bad way to start your trip. Alternatively you can also choose to visit the local market in the evening for a bit of last moment shopping required for the expedition.
Dinner and overnight stay in Leh
Post breakfast departure for full day drive to Gya and Lato area close to the town of Leh for some viewing of blue sheep and trans-Himalayan birds like bearded vulture, golden eagles, chukar partridge, Tibetan partridge, great rose finch and others. These areas lie in the same valley as Leh and in similar altitude giving guests a good chance of acclimatizing and seeing wildlife at the same time. We will stop and have a picnic lunch at a scenic spot in the valley. Post lunch we will make our way towards the Indus River and a walk around the river bank for some Himalayan birds like the rare ibis bill and solitary snip. In the evening guests will be taken back to the hotel for dinner, overnight in Leh.
Dinner and overnight stay in Leh
Early morning after breakfast we depart for Uley and reach by post lunch time. On route we will halt at Indus – Zanskar confluence & do short 30 minute walk on frozen river Zanskar, which is a 2 hours drive from Leh. After lunch and some rest we will depart for Uley which is one of the best places in the world to see snow leopard. On route to Uley keep a look out for urial, agrali, Tibetan antelope and wolf. Upon arrival in Uley we will reach a quaint home stay.
Dinner and overnight stay in Uley
After breakfast we shall explore more of Uley by walking and scanning the ridges for the snow leopard and Himalayan ibex. Hot lunch will arrive depending on where we are. Late evening we will make our way back to the home stay.
Dinner and overnight stay in Uley
After breakfast we will explore Uley a little more, this will help us increase our chances of seeing the snow leopard and some other wildlife in and around the area. We will make our way back to the home stay for lunch and post lunch depart to Leh. This drive will take us approximately 5 hours with the possibility of seeing some wildlife on the way.
Dinner and overnight in Leh
This is the part that we have been building up to. Post breakfast we make our way to the Hemis National Park. From Phey, bridge onward we start along-side Indus towards the Zingche Gorge. We continue up the Gorge and soon enough lay our eyes on the high altitude Hemis National Park the home of snow leopard. Keep your senses sharp and look out amidst the cliffs and at the base of rocks where they mark their turf. We spend our night in the Rumbak home stay and it is our 1st night in the stunning Hemis wilderness.
Dinner and overnight at Rumbak
Over the next 4 days we trek around Hemis National Park tracking the snow leopard and its wildlife prey. Hemis National Park is a home to blue sheep, Argali (a large horned sheep), numerous mountain and migratory birds as well as the occasional Tibetan wolf, one of the most prolific hunters of the region. You are likely to see sights of snow leopard as winter is the time that they descend to lower elevations. If lucky you see one perched high in the rocks or balanced on a vertical ridge. Usually we will have breakfast at the home stay and set out for the day in search for high altitude wildlife. Hot lunch will be served at the location where we are searching. After the day’s wildlife viewing we will return to our home stay and have dinner. Snow leopards naturally predate on wild bharal (blue sheep) or Himalayan ibex (mountain goats) but they are also known to kill domestic animals like yak and zho, this is the reason both Uley and Rumbak, although village areas, are one of the best places in the world to see the otherwise extremely elusive snow leopard.
Dinner and overnight at Rumbak
Today we will explore Urutse (13500ft) and Gandala pass base which is known for its ibex, Eurasian lynx and Tibetan wolf. We will trek up valley scanning the mountains for snow leopards with packed lunch. Expect to reach Urutse at lunch time. Post our arrival in Urutse we rest for a while, have lunch, scan for some wildlife on the high passes and then start making our way back to Rumbak. Due to the rugged terrain of the Himalayas most of the herbivores are related to the agile footed sheep.
Dinner and overnight at Rumbak
After an early breakfast we walk down the valley past familiar towards Zingchen, which is the entry point of Hemis National Park. This walk is mostly down-hill and we will take it slow and keep on our search for snow leopard and other Himalayan wildlife. As we arrive Zinchen we will have hot lunch at the entry point and the move towards Leh. After a much needed and deserved showers it is time to relax, grab a drink and enjoy the last of the gorgeous and peaceful Himalayan scenery.
Farewell dinner and overnight in Leh
After breakfast transfer to Leh airport for flight to Delhi.
