Leh – Phanjila via Lamayuru (5 hrs drive) We leave Leh in the morning  for Lamayuru by jeep. Along the way, we will come across some of the oldest and  most famous monasteries in Ladakh. The monasteries in Lamayuru, Likir and Alchi  are truly worth visiting for their age and history. After reaching Phanjila we  will camp overnight.

Photoksar – Base of Singe la (5- 6 hrs) After crossing the small  pass of Bumiktse la (4200), we enter into the broad and lush Photang valley. A  gentle trail leads us through this enjoyable landscape, where the villagers  keep their yaks and horses grassing. One of the most fascinating things about  the Zanskar trek is the ever-changing landscape. Every time you turn a corner  or cross a pass, a new world will appear in front of you: the deepest gorges,  the greenest fields, the majestic Zanskar River giving formations and life.  Slowly we ascend towards our camp at the base of Singe la (4600 m).

Base of Singe la – Gongma via Singe la (6-7  hrs) A gradual ascend will lead us to Singge la  (5090m), meaning the "Lion Pass." The last few hundred meters are steep, but  the top of the pass presents a rewarding view. From the pass a steep descend  for few hundred meters. We follow the trail high above the Zanskar River, the  mountains having taken a greener and gentler formation, before ascending  gradually to Kiupa la (4400 m). From the pass the trail down is steep zigzag to  the village of Gongma (3840m).

Gongma- Lanang via Lingshed (6- 7 hrs) From Gongma we climb up the  gentle trail to the Margum la (4400m) from where we can see Lingshed an hour or  so away. The monastery is founded by the Gelugpa order and gives home to around  60 monks. The village itself is spread out over a big area, enclosed in green  fields of barley. After visiting monastery of Lingshed we will continue towards  Lanang.

Lanang- Zingchen via Hanumur la (6-7 hrs) A steep and long ascent will  take us to the pass of Hanumur la (4950m). Once there, the views north to Singe  la and the snowcapped peaks of the Ladakh range are spectacular. From the pass  it is an easy descend for an hour before a steep descend down to Snertse. Just  above Snertse, there is a herders' camp, and sometimes fresh cheese, milk and  curd are available here. Down in the riverbed it's possible to go hunting for  fossils, and the locals sometimes show a nice collection of what they have  found. When the Indian plate slammed into the stationary mass of Asia some 50  millions years ago, the Great Himalayas were formed. The Zanskar range consists  of layers of sediments from the ocean floor while the Ladakh range consists of  granite, born in the immense heat generated by the friction between the two  plates. After resting for a while at Snertse we will continue towards Zingchen,  where we can take a bath in Oma Chhu river. 

Zingchen- Hanamur via Parfi la (4- 5 hrs) In the early morning we  head for our last pass before Padum, Parfi la (3950m), juniper covered trail  zigzagging up to the pass. This area is also home to the Himalayan brown bear,  as well as blue sheep. From the pass we descend down to the banks of the  Zanskar River and to the village of Hanamur (3380m), which will be our camp for  tonight

Hanamur- Pishu (4-5 hrs) This is a relatively level  stage along the Zanskar River. On the way we will pass Pidmo (3420m), a small  village with a few families. It is another 2-3 hours journey to Pishu, (3470m)  which is a scenic village located on the west side of the Zanskar River.  Hanamur, Pishu and Pidmo together with Tsazar and Honia on the other side of  the river, constituted the former kingdom of Zangla. The entrance to Pidmo is  marked by a long mani wall and chortens, from where we find our way to a grassy  campsite.

Pishu – Padum (6-7 hrs) We have another quite easy day  ahead of us along a dry, dusty jeep road. From Pishu the trail leads to Rinam  (3550 m), following the banks of the Zanskar River. Arriving at Karsha (3600m)  we can visit the famous monastery. Karsha monastery: Karsha monastery is one of  largest monasteries of the Gelukpa sect, founded around the 10th century A.D.  and with 140 resident monks. It is situated on a hillside with an impressive  view of the entire valley. After visiting the monastery we continue towards  Padum (3531m), the capital of Zanskar and a major trade center in the valley.

Raru- Pepula (5-6 hrs) From Raru the trail follows a  flat ground before descending steeply to the banks of the Tsarap River.  Thereafter the trail follows the river leading to our camp at Pepula (3850 m).

Pepula- Purne (5-6 hrs) From Pepula the trail can at  places be quite tricky for the horses. Along the trail there are many ups and  downs, and we will cross some small side rivers leading to the villages of  Surle and Char. We follow the valley to the confluence of the Tsarap and  Kargyak Rivers, and will then cross a bridge and climb up to the village of  Purne (3700m), where we will find our campsite.  

Dayhike to Phuktal Monastery 3850m (4 hrs) Phuktal monastery is the  most spectacular situated gompa in Ladakh, clinging to some limestone cliffs  with the main assembly hall carved out of a huge cave and with the monks' white  residences scattered down the hillside. The monastery belongs to the Gelukpa  order (yellow hat order) and is built around a sacred spring which flows all  year, even in the winter when other springs freeze. Inside the monastery there  is an inscription to Cosma de Koros (Hungarian historian), one of the first  Europeans to visit the Zanskar region and the first to translate the Buddhist  texts from Tibetan into English. After visiting the monastery we'll return to  Purne to spend the night.

Purne - Tetha (2 hrs) We recross the bridge  across the Kargyak River in the morning and follow the trail to the settlement  of Yal. A steep ascent then leads us to the huge, fertile plateau of the  whitewashed village of Tetha (3950), where we will find our campsite.

Tetha - Kargyak (5 hrs) It is a gentle walk today  and we enter soon the village of Karu, marked by chortens. Stone walls line the  track, protecting the fields from pack animals. Below the village of Tanze, we  cross the bridge, and from here it is another 5km to the village of Kargyak,  (4050m) the highest permanent settlement in the Zanskar region. Our campsite  tonight is by the riverbed.

Kargyak - Lakhang (4- 5 hrs) In the morning, we walk  across yak grazing pastures, with a thick blanket of edelweiss, towards the  impressive rock monolith known as the Gumburanjan. Further we will reach the  shepherds encampment of Lakang (4470m). Our campsite tonight has great, panoramic  views of the Himalaya Range!

Lakhang - Ramjak via Shinkul la (7-8 hrs) We start our day with a steep  climb, before the trail crosses an alpine tract leading to the base of the  Shinkul la. A river crossing over a torrent that flows from the glacier north  of the pass will most likely give us wet boots. From here the ascent to Sinkul  la (4980m) follows a trail across snowfields or scree, after season. Rock  cairns and prayer flags will greet us at the top of the pass and the view is  impressive with 6000m peaks defining both the Himalaya and the Baralacha  Ranges. From here there is a steep descent to the valley floor. After some time  we will reach our camp at Ramjak (4290m).

Ramjak- Palamo (4-5 hrs) Our trail today leads us  through boulder fields, across several streams and meager grazing pastures to  Palamo (3600m).

Zanskar Sumdo- Darcha We will cross a bridge high  above the Darcha River and continue down to the village of Rarig, and at last,  Darcha (3350m), our destination. The road is lined by many dhabas and a  campsite, and we will from here find our transportation onwards either to Leh  or Manali.