Photo tour to Ladakh - Zanskar Valley 2021

Overview of Zanskar Photography Tour

The Zanskar Valley photo tour is one of the most scenic tours in India but one of the less visited. The Suru Valley and Zanskar Valley is not as popular due to bad roads and poor infrastructure but one of the best tours in terms of photographic opportunities.  

Photographic Opportunities

If you are interested in Landscape Photography  (Mountains, Rivers) ,  Milky Way and Star Trails - Astrophotography, Beautiful Villages, and People Photography, Ladakhi festivals, this tour is for you. This is less popular compared to our Ladakh tour but no less in terms of beauty and photographic opportunities. And you will not find many tourists around. 

Why Join Us for the Photography Tour? 

We will make your DREAM COME TRUE - your dream to witness the great play of light and shadows and the amazing night skies and MILKY WAY and to capture them. We will also take some great portraits of the locals.

We will be going the right places at the right time. I will suggest you the right settings for taking pictures and will personally assist you so that you go back with some great shots. We also do post-processing and feedback/review sessions whenever possible, during the tour.

Saurabh has been visiting these regions for almost a decade and great knowledge about the place. 

You will also be in company of some great fellow travellers and will make friends for life.

A private 1:1 tour can be arranged on demand. 

Itinerary of Zanskar Photography Tour 2021 

Day 1 Arrive in Leh (3,524 metres / 11,562 ft), travel to Kargil  (2,676 metres / 8,780 feet) (Distance 217 kms)

We arrive in Leh by the morning flight and leave for Kargil from the airport. We will cover the Lamayuru monastery and Mulbekh monastery on the way.

We reach Kargil by evening, freshen up and walk down to the Kargil market. It’s a great place for street photography. The people are very friendly and it is easy to take portraits. These people have very distinct features and make some great pictures.

We come back to our hotel and go to the terrace to do long exposures. It's a great opportunity to get familiarised with settings and the equipment like the tripod and the intervalometer that we are going to use during the trip. 

Day 2 Kargil to Drang-Drung Glacier Campsite 150 km (3,657m /11,998 ft) (Distance 126 km)

We wake up early, have breakfast, and leave for Rangdum. This road is very scenic and untouched by commercialization. 

We pass by the beautiful Suru Valley. We shoot the people at Sankoo market. 

After some time, we get to see the mighty Nun - Kun peaks and the Parkachik glacier. 

After having lunch at Panikhar, we hurry to reach Rangdum monastery. After a quick visit, we hit the roads again and cross the Penzi la pass (4400m), the highest pass on this route. 

It’s amazing how along with the landscapes, the culture also changes. The Buddhist population starts here, beyond the Pensi La.

We see the mighty Drang-Drung Glacier and then retire at our tents in this remote location. It is very cold here. 

This is one of the best places to shoot the stars and Milky Way. Absolutely no light pollution, not a single light within kilometers!

Day 3 Drang-Drung Glacier to Padum 50kms (3,657 metres / 11,998 feet)

We get ready and pass by the plains leading to Padum. We stop at Sani Gompa, one of the oldest in the region. and Zongkhul gompa.  We reach Padum, have our lunch and go to the market in the evening. It is a nice stroll and a good opportunity to meet people and photograph them.

 

Day 4 Karsha Monastery, Bardhan Monastery, Zangla old Palace and Fort, Zangla nunnery, Stongdey Monastery

Today, we cover all the main monasteries of the region. We come across some amazing landscapes on the way.

 

Day 5 Village walk around Padum

Today, we explore the villages around Padum and do a small trek to a beautiful village nearby.

Day 6 Padum to Lingshed/ o/n Lingshed  (3800m / 12500ft)

We will travel to Lingshed and will stay there overnight. Lingshed is a beautiful village with a 1000-year-old monastery.

Day 7 Lingshed to Leh 

This is a beautiful drive with amazing landscapes. We reach Leh by evening and relax.

Day 9 Fly Out

Itinerary -