Made of white marble and crowned by a gilded onion dome, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and shimmering pool inside it are places of great sanctity for Indian Sikhs, and offer the most atmospheric introduction possible to the Indian capital. The complex in its present form dates from the late-18^th century and was constructed at a place associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishnan. At a Langar, or ‘canteen’ in the temple, pilgrims are fed nourishing, free meals of chapatis and black dal by volunteers. If you’re lucky, you may see groups of Akalis, members of a Sikh warrior sect, dressed in traditional ceremonial garb.

Ladakh is India’s most physically remote region, and during your flight you’ll appreciate why. Vast, ice-encrusted Himalayan mountains separate the plains from the Indus Valley, where the airport and capital city, Leh, is located. As you land, you’ll catch your first glimpse of the white-washed Buddhist monasteries perched atop crags near the river, and of the pretty Ladakhi villages huddled around them, wrapped in stands of poplar trees and fields of vivid green or golden barley.

Your base for four nights will be a luxury camp or boutique hotel in one of these farming hamlets –perfect for acclimatizing to the altitude. Time and energy permitting, consider a gentle stroll around the local lanes in the late afternoon. Villagers will doubtless wave with the traditional Ladakhi greeting,  ‘Juley juley!’.

With a population of around 1,500 people, Stok is a typical Ladakhi village of large, traditional farmsteads and chortens (stupas) scattered across a patchwork of barley fields and fruit orchards at the mouth of the Stok Chu River. From a low outcrop overlooking the riverbank here rises an imposing 14^th-century monastery with multi-storey whitewashed walls and windows picked out in burgundy – the colour denoting holiness in Tibetan tradition. Aside from the palace where you’re staying and where the Ladakhi royal family relocated to in the early 19^th century, the village’s only other monument of note is a giant golden Buddha, inaugurated in 2016 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

With its gorgeous farmhouses and jaw-dropping backdrop of Himalayan peaks, Stok makes a perfect introduction to Ladakh.

For centuries, Leh served as an important stopover on the trade route connecting China with India. Caravans would arrive from the north, having crossed three of the highest passes in the Karakorums, bearing tea and silk, which they would exchange for fine Pashmina wool, produced on the Changtang Plateau to the east and woven into shawls by local Kashmiri artisans. The old core of the town, including the spectacular royal palace looming above it, dates from the 17^th when this commerce reached its peak.

With your guide you’ll explore the narrow alleyways twisting beneath crumbling chortens and once grand houses of Leh’s aristocrats and merchants, among them the mansion belonging the ‘Munshi’, or Chief Minster, which has been renovated and now serves as a cultural centre.

The market is a compelling mix of souvenir shops filled with Tibetan jewellery and handicrafts, and essential supplies for locals, including traditional Ladakhi clothing, prayer flags and incense.

Towards the end of the afternoon, as the shadows begin to lengthen, drive to the edge of Leh to visit the gleaming white Shanti Stupa, a modern chorten which you can climb for a superb sunset view extending to the distant Stok Kangri massif.

One of the largest and most spectacular Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayas, Thiksey rises in tiers up the flank of a sacred hill of pale grey rock and sand. Morning prayers are preceded by blasts of giant Tibetan trumpets from the roof terrace, where an astonishing view extends across the Indus Valley to the ice giants of the Stok Kangri massif. Attend prayers in the main assembly hall, under the watchful eyes of a 15-metre (49-ft) gold-faced Maitreya – a great treasure installed to commemorate the visit of HH the Dalai Lama in 1970.

Nearby Shey was the capital of Ladakh before the foundation of Leh in the 18^th century. It retains a ruined palace and another splendid monastery, famous for its antique murals. Your guide will also take you to a large assemblage of old ‘chortens’ (stupas), scattered across an area of desert below Shey and a great location for landscape photographers.

Opposite Thiksey, Matho receives far fewer visitors than most other monasteries hereabouts, and has a more traditional feel. Founded in the 15^th century, it’s the only one in Ladakh run by the Sakyapa order and is famous primarily for its Oracle Festival, held in early March each year, when two of the monks take part in a spirit-possession ritual accompanied by spectacular masked dances.

In the afternoon you’ll be free to explore the local area at your own pace, on foot or by bicycle. Optional activities (which may incur additional costs) include traditional archery sessions and white water rafting on the Indus.

Re-join your driver after breakfast for the 40-minute drive to Hemis monastery, which is hidden in a fold of mountains up a side valley above the Indus. Founded in the 11^th century, Hemis is among the oldest and most revered religious sites in Ladakh, and the venue for one of the summer’s major festivals, when large numbers of locals gather to watch masked dances and the unfurling of a giant ‘thangka’.

From here, your journey swings northwards, following the course of a photogenic side valley where, if desired, you may pause to visit two other monasteries (Chemrey and Thak Thok) en route to the Wari La pass 5,312m (17,427ft). Throughout, the views of the Ladakhi farming villages and surrounding snow peaks are wondrous.

Look out for marmots as you crest the pass, which forms a high, denuded saddle. From here on you’re in the Nubra region of Ladakh, where the scenery is a notch more dramatic and the valley flanks correspondingly wilder. Not until you approach the banks of the Shyok River will you see signs of human habitation.

Thanks to the mild climate and lower elevation of the Nubra Valley, locals grow crops of barley, summer wheat, peas, mustard, walnuts and apricots here, and you’ll even come across the odd almond orchard.

Spend the afternoon taking in the dramatic scenery and wild atmosphere of this extraordinary corner of the Himalayas, which once served as the final outpost of civilization for traders heading north across the Karakorums to Kashgar in Xinjiang – a route long since closed, even to Indians.

Overlooked by the remnants of a palace, fort and monastery, Hundar was in former times the region’s capital. The camels are a throwback to the bygone era when this was a waystage on a spur of the old Silk Route connecting Kashgar in Xinjiang Province and Leh. The camels live in a tract of dunes, grazing on seabuckthorn and taking tourist out on rides in the summer months – a great photo opportunity!

The main settlement in Nubra today is at Diskit, near the confluence of the Shyok and Nubra Rivers. It’s the site of a large, functioning monastery, clinging to a craggy hilltop above the village, which you’ll be invited to visit in the company of your guide.

Built in the 1970s to supply troops stationed on the disputed Siachen Glacier, the road to Kardung La reaches an impressive elevation of 5,359 m (17,582 ft) and yields superlative views over the Ladakhi peaks. It was across this pass that around 10,000 ponies used to plod annually en route to and from Kashgar, one of the pivotal markets on the Central Asia Silk Road, until disputes between India, Pakistan and China closed the trail.

Nimmu village occupies a bend in the Indus around 40 minutes’ drive from Leh. It offers a convenient base for explorations of points further west, including the ancient monastery complex at Alchi.

Once you’ve checked in, spend the remainder relaxing in the guest house garden, or enjoy one of the optional activities on offer here (additional charges may apply), such as river rafting, yoga and cookery classes (ask your consultant for more details).

Ladakh’s first contact with Buddhism came in the 10th century, when its rulers looked to Kashmir rather than Tibet for religious inspiration. Because most of them were destroyed by Muslim raiders in later eras, few monuments from this early, pre-Tibetan period survive. By far the finest and best preserved of them lies in a cluster of mud-walled buildings at Alchi, a 45-minute drive west of Nimmu.

Protected for more than nine-hundred years at an inconspicuous spot beside the Indus River is a wonderful collection of Kashmiri-style murals and wood sculptures, almost as fresh and vibrant today as when they were created in the time of Rinchen Zangpo, the “Great Translator”. Rich reds and blues dominate the intricate mandalas (sacred diagrams) and friezes adorning the interiors of the temples, whose pride and joy is a huge stucco statue of Maitreya, the Buddha to come, with attendant Bodhisattvas. Wonderfully fresh, detailed paintings decorate the robes of each, depicting episodes in the life of the Buddha, court scenes, yogic postures and portraits of scholars and monks.

The confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers traditionally marks the point of departure for those embarking on the perilous ice route through the Himalayas to Padum. Known as ‘Chaddar’, the walk through the frozen Zanskar Gorge may only be attempted for a few weeks in the depths of winter. Traditionally, Zanskaris undertook the journey in order to trade yak butter (highly prized for making Tibetan tea). Today, groups of school children also brave the sub-zero temperatures in order to spend time with their families and return to boarding school in Leh after the holidays. Trekkers sleep in caves and at ruined shepherds’ huts along the way, taking between three and six days to walk from the village of Chilling, near the confluence, to the Zanskar region.

A wealth of sightseeing options are on offer for the late afternoon and evening in Delhi, should you wish to venture into the city. Your consultant will be able to make suggestions according to your interests and location of your hotel. A popular option with our clients is a guided tour of the old tomb gardens in South Delhi – atmospheric oases of greenery and exquisite Islamic architecture away from the traffic.