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India

On the Trail of Snow Leopards

EXPERT-LED GROUP TOUR

Start date	End date	Days	Prices from ex. flights	Single Supplement	Tour Expert	Group Size	Status
02/19/23	03/03/23	13 days	$0 $6,714	$2,234	Jennifer Nandi	10 Max	AVAILABLE	Reserve place

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Our snow leopard group tour works with the Snow Leopard Conservancy Trust India in Ladakh and is accompanied by its team of expert trackers. Spend four full days exploring the Ulley Valley searching for ‘The Ghost of the Himalaya’.

Our tour starts in Delhi before flying on to Leh, a small town in the Indus Valley. Continue on to the Ulley Valley, located in the centre of three interlocking valleys, home to between eight and twelve snow leopards according to the last census.

An exceptional guide is the first essential component of a successful snow leopard holiday and in Jennifer Nandi, Steppes Travel is confident we have found just that. In conjunction with her local tracker, Jennifer has an intimate knowledge of the Ulley Valley and the movements of its snow leopard inhabitants. While a comprehensive understanding of snow leopard behaviour is critical, a good relationship with the local community is equally important.

Jennifer Nandi

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Jennifer Nandi has been a Naturalist, trekker and guide with extensive field experience in Ornithology for the past three decades. Her main work has been to conduct Nature Workshops Nationwide with the Public Schools of India that include field work with audio-visual aids on Natural History Subjects.

Over the past five years, Jennifer has led trips to Ladakh that include birdwatching and animal-watching. At home at this altitude and familiar with the environment, Jennifer takes pride in helping you to experience the best of Ladakh. Members of the groups that she has led have seen the snow leopards that live close to the village of Ulley, the wolves in the surrounding villages, the Tibetan Antelope, Argali, the local Urial and Ibex, to name but a few.

Key Highlights of this Itinerary

Orjan Johansson Image, Collared snow leopard, Altai Mountains, Mongolia

Snow Leopards

All of our clients travelling in 2019 had sightings of snow leopard.

Specialist trackers

Join Jennifer Nandi and trackers on the hunt for the snow leopard in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Two Siberian Ibex on the crest of a hillside in Ikh Nart in Mongolia.

Himalayan Wildlife

Track snow leopards, blue sheep, ibex and Ladakhi urial by 2WD and on foot.

Ladakhi culture and homestay

Home cooked meals and a comfortable bed in a Ladakhi homestay.

Why we like it

Ulley village is an area that is only recently being developed for snow leopard watching but is in the centre of three interlocking valleys supporting approximately 12 snow leopards. The big advantage of Ulley is that it is relatively free of tourism and the chaos that has enveloped the first snow leopard destination – Rumbak.

Explore our suggested itinerary

Map View List View

Day 1

Delhi
Day 2

Delhi - Leh
Days 3 - 4

Leh
Days 5 - 10

Ulley Valley
Day 11

Ulley - Leh
Day 12

Leh - Delhi
Day 13

Delhi

Day 1

Delhi

Arrive into Delhi and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore independently.

Day 2

Delhi - Leh

Fly from Delhi to Leh, once the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh.

Days 3 - 4

Leh

The next two days are at leisure to help you acclimatise, as you will now be at an altitude of 3,500 metres.

Days 5 - 10

Ulley Valley

Snow leopard on cliff side, Ladakh, India

Drive from Leh to the Ulley Valley. The next five days will follow a similar pattern, as you search Ulley and its surrounding mountains for Snow Leopards accompanied by expert trackers.

Day 11

Ulley - Leh

Return to Leh via Alchi monastery.

Day 12

Leh - Delhi

Depart Leh and fly back to Delhi. The remainder of the day at leisure to explore this bustling city or rest after your Snow Leopard adventure.

Day 13

Delhi

Depart Delhi for your onwards travel.

Snow Leopard Annex

The snow leopard lodge and annex is the only dedicated wildlife lodge in Ladakh. It began originally as a homestay owned by one of Ladakh’s top snow leopard trackers – Tchewang Norbu – under the auspices of a program initiated by the Snow Leopard Conservancy designed to use tourism as a conservation tool for the preservation of snow leopards and their ecosystem by putting tourism revenue directly into the local community.

Accommodation is fairly basic but comfortable and warm. Three twin bedrooms are en suite, while a further eight rooms share bathrooms. The lodge provides warm showers and also stores extra gas heaters on site. Hot water bottles are provided at night when the heaters are turned off. An assortment of Ladakhi, Indian and Continental cuisine is served in the communal dining room in the main house.

Group Tour FAQs

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Why travel with Steppes Travel to track Snow Leopards in India?

Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT) rackers have an intimate knowledge of Ulley Valley and the movements of its snow leopard inhabitants.

While a comprehensive understanding of snow leopard behaviour is critical, a good relationship with the local community is equally important. Local shepherds and farmers will know where snow leopards have been most recently spotted and so the chief tracker has developed a strong bond with the community of Ulley, taking full advantage of hundreds of local pairs of eyes and ears on the ground.

What happens on a typical day?

A typical day will start with hot tea/coffee, followed by a bowl of hot water for a refreshing wash. Our expert guides will already be on the search for snow leopards, either from the homestay or from a close-by lookout. Trackers may have gone out into the valley and are in constant communication with the team from the Snow Leopard Conservancy. After breakfast, the group will set out and drive into the valley before hiking on foot to search for snow leopards.

The trackers will be in constant communication with one another and keep the group informed of any information along the way. In the evenings, there will be opportunities to hear from the leaders during post-dinner presentations.

When is the best time to see Snow Leopards?

From the end of January to March, as the snow on the mountains starts to melt, this drives the snow leopards, and their prey (the blue sheep) to lower, almost snow-free elevations, this allows the guides and trackers much better access to look for them, and concentrating them in a smaller area.

How likely am I to see Snow Leopard?

To see a snow leopard requires luck but as with any safari, to some extent luck can be improved by patience, planning and professional guiding. It is no coincidence that the best guides are also the luckiest guides and on the most recent safaris clients have been rewarded by excellent snow leopard sightings. All our clients travelling in 2019 had sightings of snow leopard.

Do I need to be physically fit to enjoy this tour?

Whilst in the Ulley Valley out searching for snow leopards there will be some small hikes on rough terrain so it is vital that you have adequate hiking boots. However, the amount of hiking you choose to do is up to you. It is our aim to hike a few mile