Mountains & Monasteries of Northern India - Ladakh, Dharamsala and the Golden Temple

Experience a more remote, serene and spiritual India! See snowcapped Himalayan peaks as you traverse the world's highest pass. Visit the holy Sikh 'Golden Temple'. Savor the local culture of a home-stay in a beautiful Himalayan valley and feel enlightened as you encounter Tibetan Buddhist monks, culture, monasteries and chants that echo through the mountains and valleys.

We begin in Delhi, the capital of India, before taking a fast train to Amritsar where we visit the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple glitters with gold and marble and is one of the holiest Sikh shrines. Afterwards we drive up into the foothills of the Himalayas stopping at the 6th century town of Chamba. Experience a 3-night home-stay in the Panj-La Valley, our base of exploration and tranquility.

Set against the backdrop of mountains, we visit Dharamsala. Perched on the high slopes of the upper reaches of Kangra Valley, it is synonymous with the Tibetan government in exile and the home of Tibetan leader, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. We drive over a series of dramatic mountain passes stopping in the towns of Jispa and Serchu before arriving into Leh, the most important town in the Ladakh region. Nestled in a valley of the Indus River and surrounded by snow-covered fringes of the Himalayas, Leh has a distinct character that transports us back in time. A major trading point where caravans came in from the distant lands of Yarkand, Kashgar, Tibet, Kashmir and northern India, the market once bustled with activity. Today, Leh is a center of Tibeto-Buddhist culture and has only been open to travelers since 1974.

We travel over the spectacular Khardung La Pass at 18,274 ft (5,570 m) as we drive to Alchi to see the beautifully preserved 900-year-old paintings. We have plenty of time to explore the colorful temples and gompas of the area, which reflect the culture of Tibet and are home to many ancient manuscripts, images of Buddha, icons, thangkas and stupas. We fly back to Delhi for a last day of sightseeing or shopping in the old and new cities before concluding this truly great adventure.