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Buddist Monk, Ladakh, India
Home Group Tours Frontiers and Faith - Ladakh with Sam Dalrymple

India

Frontiers and Faith - Ladakh with Sam Dalrymple

  • EXPERT-LED GROUP TOUR
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Start date End date Days
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ex. flights
Single Supplement Tour Expert Group Size Status
11/07/27 22/07/27 12 days £7,495 pp £1,850 Sam Dalrymple 13 Max AVAILABLE Reserve place
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Few places have stood at the meeting point of so many worlds as Ladakh. For centuries, traders, pilgrims and armies crossed these high mountain passes, carrying not only goods but ideas, beliefs and cultures between India, Tibet and Central Asia. Then, almost overnight, the borders drawn after Partition transformed these ancient connections forever.

Led by Sam Dalrymple, whose acclaimed book Shattered Lands explores the legacy of Partition across South Asia, this 12 day journey follows both stories. Travelling from the Indus Valley to the Balti villages of Nubra, discover monasteries, forts, former royal capitals and historic trade routes while meeting Buddhist scholars, conservators, artisans and descendants of Ladakh’s former rulers. It is a journey through remarkable landscapes, but equally through the people, ideas and histories that continue to shape them.

Introducing your expert

Sam Dalrymple

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Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-raised Scottish historian and filmmaker. He studied Persian and Sanskrit at Oxford, where he co-founded the Oxford University Silk Road Society. His work has been published in The New York Times and featured in TIME, The New Yorker, and The Economist. He is also a columnist for Architectural Digest.

In 2018, he co-founded Project Dastaan, a peace-building initiative that reconnects refugees displaced by the 1947 Partition of India. His debut book, Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia, was published by William Collins in 2025 and explores how the partitioning of Britain’s Indian Empire shaped modern South and Central Asia. As part of his research, he spent a month living in Nagaland.

Key Highlights of this Itinerary

Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh, India 1

Himalayan Strongholds

Explore monasteries, forts and palaces, from Alchi and Lamayuru to Hemis and Thiksey.

Khardung La, Ladakh, India 2

Mountain Frontiers

Cross Khardung La into the dramatic valleys of Nubra and Turtuk, where mountain landscapes meet Balti culture.

Views from the Kyagar hotel, Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India 3

Places with a Past

Stay in heritage homes and restored aristocratic residences, chosen for their location and connection to Ladakh’s history.

Sam Dalrymple in India 4

Beyond the Itinerary

Travel with Sam Dalrymple, whose research offers unique access to people, stories and perspectives across Ladakh.

Explore our suggested itinerary

Map View List View

  • Day 1

    Arrive Delhi (JW Marriot Aerocity)

  • Day 2

    Delhi to Leh and Nimmoo (Nimmu House)

  • Day 3

    Alchi and Basgo (Nimmu House)

  • Day 4

    Lamayuru and Chilling (Nimmu House)

  • Day 5

    Hemis and Shey to Leh (Dolkhar)

  • Day 6

    Leh (Dolkhar)

  • Day 7

    Leh to Turtuk (Virsa)

  • Day 8

    Turtuk to Nubra (Kyagar)

  • Day 9

    Explore Nubra (Kyagar)

  • Day 10

    Nubra to Matho (Matho Khar)

  • Day 11

    Leh to Delhi (JW Marriot Aerocity)

  • Day 12

    Depart Delhi

Day 1

Arrive Delhi (JW Marriot Aerocity)

Arrive in Delhi where you are met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax before tomorrow’s flight into the Himalaya.

Day 2

Delhi to Leh and Nimmoo (Nimmu House)

Fly to Leh before a one-hour drive to Nimm00 (3,140 metres) for a gentle introduction to altitude. Stay in a restored former aristocratic residence and choose between printing traditional prayer flags or meeting a Buddhist scholar.

Day 3

Alchi and Basgo (Nimmu House)

Explore Alchi’s remarkable Buddhist temples before continuing to the former royal capital of Basgo. Together they reveal how faith, trade and political power shaped the Indus Valley.

Day 4

Lamayuru and Chilling (Nimmu House)

Drive around 3.5 hours west through dramatic Himalayan scenery to Lamayuru Monastery before visiting Chilling, home to Ladakh’s hereditary metalworkers, whose craftsmanship supplied monasteries across the region.

Day 5

Hemis and Shey to Leh (Dolkhar)

Follow the Indus Valley to Leh (3,500 metres), visiting Hemis Monastery and Shey Palace en route. Together they tell the story of the close relationship between Ladakh’s rulers and Buddhism.

Day 6

Leh (Dolkhar)

Experience morning prayers at Thiksey Monastery before exploring Leh’s historic trading quarter. Visit museums, meet conservators preserving Himalayan art and discover Ladakh’s history through its distinctive cuisine.

Day 7

Leh to Turtuk (Virsa)

A full day drive today to cross the mighty Khardung La (5,359 metres) before descending into Nubra Valley and continuing to Turtuk (2,800 metres). Meet members of the historic Yabgo family and discover the unique Balti culture that spans today’s borders.

Day 8

Turtuk to Nubra (Kyagar)

Continue through the Nubra Valley, visiting Balti villages and Diskit Monastery before enjoying a sundowner among the Sumur sand dunes, once part of an important trade corridor.

Day 9

Explore Nubra (Kyagar)

Spend the day discovering Nubra’s quieter treasures, including the sacred lake of Yarab Tso, remote Ensa Monastery, ancient petroglyphs and the fortified settlement of Charasa.

Day 10

Nubra to Matho (Matho Khar)

Return across the mountains to the Indus Valley (around four hours), staying in the beautifully restored Matho Khar, where the group will gather for a farewell dinner.

Day 11

Leh to Delhi (JW Marriot Aerocity)

Return to Leh for your flight to Delhi. The afternoon is at leisure before a final overnight stay in the capital.

Day 12

Depart Delhi

Depart Delhi for your onwards travel.

Landscapes of the Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
Where Borders Changed Lives

Turtuk: A Village Between Worlds

Few places illustrate Ladakh’s recent history more powerfully than Turtuk. Set beyond the Nubra Valley, this Balti village formed part of Pakistan until 1971, when it became part of India following the Indo-Pakistani War. Today its language, architecture, food and traditions remain closely tied to Baltistan. During your visit, enjoy high tea with members of the historic Yabgo family, whose ancestors once ruled this corner of Baltistan and whose descendants Sam interviewed while researching Shattered Lands. Their family’s story offers a deeply personal insight into life before the borders changed.

Gonpa Monastery, Prayer wheels, Ladakh, India
Gonpa Monastery, Prayer wheels, Ladakh
Voices of Ladakh

Conversations in Leh

Leh has long been a meeting place of cultures, ideas and trade, and it remains one today. Throughout your stay, meet some of the people helping to preserve and reinterpret Ladakh’s heritage. Join a conversation with a Buddhist scholar to explore the spread of Buddhism across the Himalaya and its enduring influence on the region. Subject to availability, meet Noor Jahan at Shesrig, where centuries-old thangkas and Himalayan artworks are painstakingly conserved using traditional techniques. Then discover Ladakh’s history through an exclusive culinary experience with researcher Kunzes Angmo, whose curated menu traces the movement of ingredients, recipes and cultures across Tibet, Baltistan, Kashmir and Central Asia.

Includes / Excludes

Important Information

Activity Level
Low Activity
Single Supplement

Travelling on your own? Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places provides security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of a Tour expert.

Flexibility

To allow flexibility, our group tours do not include international flights as standard. We can arrange international flights on your behalf, please get in touch with our travel experts for a quote. All international flights from the UK are ATOL protected.

What is included

  • Accommodation throughout as detailed
  • Accompanied by Sam Dalrymple as tour expert throughout
  • Accompanied by a local English speaking guide
  • Domestic flights in economy class
  • Entrance to all sites mentioned
  • Group transfers throughout
  • Most meals
  • Immediate check in on arrival in Delhi
  • VIP Meet and Greet on arrival at Delhi International airport

What is excluded

  • Gratuities for local guides, drivers and porters
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Travel Insurance
  • Visas

Other available dates

For further information about any of these tours please call 01285 880 980

Start date End date Days
Prices from
ex. flights
Tour Expert Group Size Status
11/07/27 22/07/27 12 days £7,495 pp Sam Dalrymple 13 Max AVAILABLE Reserve place

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