The Markha Valley Trek, Ladakh

The best short trek in Ladakh ~ Spectacular views from the Konmaru La ~ A stronghold of Tibetan Buddhism ~ Thikse and Hemis Monasteries

In the remote north-western corner of India, the Himalayan region of Ladakh is a truly inspirational destination. Following a beautiful high valley, this superb trek leads through a spectacular mountain world, coloured by green irrigated fields and the red of the monks' robes at the villages and monasteries en route. After acclimatising and sightseeing at the monasteries around the ancient regional capital of Leh, we trek across the Ganda La into the Markha Valley, where the way of life has changed little for centuries. Gradually gaining height on a riverside trail, our highest camp is at 4700 metres on the Nimaling Plain, in the realm of the snow leopard and impressive lammergeier. Returning to the Indus Valley via the Kongmaru La (5100m), we have excellent views of nearby Kang Yatze (6400m) and northwards to the peaks of the Tibetan border. This popular holiday offers a real taste of the magical landscapes of Ladakh.

Trip Guide
For almost all of the trek we follow good trails, which are the main routes between the villages. Crossing the 2 high passes on the trek, we will encounter zig-zag paths on scree. This is not a long or sustained trek and we have allowed 3 days and nights in Leh to help us get used to the altitude, before setting off. The trip is given the DEMANDING grade on account of the generally quite high altitude and the high pass crossings.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only package services begin with lunch after which there is an optional sightseeing tour of the city.

Day 2: Transfer to the domestic airport. We take the 1-hour flight northwards, across the Himalaya to Leh, where we transfer to the group hotel. Afternoon free.

Day 3: A full day's sightseeing tour. We visit some of the area's most important monasteries at Shey and Thikse, for example.

Day 4: Today, we drive up to the Khardung La (5380m / 17,650ft), one of the world's highest road passes. Great views of the Karakoram peaks, then return to the hotel in Leh.

Day 5: It is just a short drive via Spituk Monastery and the start of our trek at Lato. We have an easy first day via the Jingchan Gorge to our camp at Rumbak (3800m / 12,467ft).

Day 6: Another short day of trekking as we pass through the village of Yurutse to a camp at the foot of the Ganda La (4380m / 14,370ft).

Day 7: Today, we make the steep hike up to the Ganda La (4900m / 16,076ft) and a long descent to the village of Skiu in the Markha Valley.

Day 8: A long day of trekking beside the Markha River leads through several isolated hamlets to Markha Village (3800m / 12,476ft).

Day 9: Still following the river and crossing it on a couple of occasions, we trek to the highest village in the valley at Hangkar.

Day 10: We leave the last of the settlement behind today and trek up onto the Nimaling Plain, to a camp (4600m / 15,100ft) beneath the peak of Kang Yatze.

Day 11: Trekking on a zig-zag trail, we cross the Kongmaru La (5100m / 16,732ft) and descend through a rocky gorge to Chogdo.

Day 12: Descending the steep, rocky valley to Hemis, there is time to explore this important monastery before driving back to the hotel in Leh.

Day 13: A morning flight to Delhi, where we transfer to our hotel and some well earned relaxation.

Day 14: KE Land Only package services end after breakfast at the hotel. Complimentary airport transfers are provided on this day.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

On arrival the group will spend one night at our hotel in Delhi, before flying up to the Ladakhi capital of Leh. There are a total of 2 nights in a hotel in Delhi and 4 nights at a lodge in Leh.