ZANSKAR Location : 20 kilometers from Rangdum Known For : Beautiful Mountain Valley Encloses : Karsha, Pensi-La Pass, Drung-Durung Glacier and Zanaskar Gompas Mostly Visited For : Sightseeing, Trekking and Rafting

Getting There General Info

Leh and Ladakh

Kargil

Zanskar – A Slice of Heaven

In the present era hardly any place is considered as far away but the Zanskar region that remains cut off from the rest of world for eight months is not only far but remote as well. Enclosed by high mountains, severely cold, stark as the moon , this valley is threaded by a beautiful river and the campsites along it, known as religious land this place has highest concentration of Gompas in Ladakh, outside Indus valley. The magnetic attraction of this wildly beautiful valley is unforgiving and should not be under estimated. So, plan a holiday tour to this destination of wind, rock and silence.

Located at an altitude of 3, 500 to 7,000 meters above sea level, Zanskar covers an area of around 7,000 square kilometers. This valley is 20 kilometers away from the Rangdum in Ladakh. To reach this place you have to take a good three day journey from Leh. The beautiful Ladakh landscape and stunning scenery are the things you should look at, to make it a life time holiday.

Engrossing Tourist Attractions

Monasteries Ladakh Festivals

Pilgrimage

Monumental Heritage

Due to the continuous exploration of the travelers in this valley many place have been highlighted that had remained overshadowed by the popularity of the gomapas and adventure sports in this land. Even though being one of the coldest inhabited places, it never hindered the tourists to visit this valley even during winters when traveling to this place is considered virtually impossible. Many tourists have made their way to this valley by walking over the frozen Zanskar river to catch the glimpse of this paradise.

Visit this valley during June-September and you will be able to visit the picturesque spots like Pensi La Pass, where from you can have the view of Drung-Durung Glacier that feeds the Stod river, a tributary of Zanskar river. This pass is located at an altitude of 4,200 meters on the Zanskar range and its slopes are rich in flora and fauna. Offering a good camping site on the either side of the pass, most travelers make a halt at this place. Padum, the centre of the Zanskar valley has many villages located at an isolated places of river valley. To know the lifestyle and culture of the Zanaskari this place offers an excellent opportunity to interact with the local populace. Karsha, eight km from Padum has the largest community settlement where the inhabitants tends to self-sufficiency and has all the facilities from school, hospital, dispensary, market and post office. Visit this destination and most probably you will find it the only place with all the basic facilities inside the Zanskar region. The Gompa of Karsha is also important one, highly believed by the locals. If looking for wildlife you can find marmot, bear, wolf, snow leopard, bharal, alpine lbex and iammergeir in the slopes of Zanskar Valley

Adventure – Natures Thrills and Spills

Adventure Rafting Golfing

Trekking and Camping Skiing

Aerosports Wildlife

There is no competitor to adventure sports in Zanskar and river rafting is the most indulged activity in the area. Starting from the Remala, a pretty beach of sand with smooth flowing river starts the four day rafting tour that goes through the breathtakingly beautiful gorges. This river turns rough with every passing stretch and challenges the skills of rafters. After day's trekking, nights are spent on the campsites set up on the rocky river banks. If you are a first-time rafter and even non swimmer still you can join the rafting expedition and enjoy your holidays with a thrill. Trekking at this place also attracts many tourists to this destinations and many routes are world acclaimed that passes through the high mountain passes. If you are an ace trekker you can take long distance trek from Zanskar to Lamayuru, Padam to Lamayuru and Lamayuru to Leh. Chadar Ice Trek is the famous trek route in Zanskar valley.

The important thing to be noted is that nights in Zanskar are very cold and every traveler should pack heavy woolen clothes when visiting this valley.

How to Come to Zanskar

To reach Zanskar, the most easiest way is to fly from Delhi to Leh, arrange chartered bus for Zanskar that takes three days. On the first day, 10-12 hours drive from Leh takes you to Kargil via Lamayuru where you will stay overnight at hotel. One the second day you will reach to Rangdum where you have have to stay at the tented camp on the last day you will move towards Zanskar vis Pensi-La Pass and the return journey also takes the same time. Take a tour to Zanskar soak in the nature and enjoy the adventure sports like rafting and trekking and it will be a life time experience.