Ladakh Snow Leopard Safari Extension (7N/8D)
From $1,930£1,450€1,730A$2,770C$2,730
Prices are per person, twin share, private departure, and are rounded. They are estimates and vary with the accommodation you choose and the season. Contact us for a final price.
This extension can be added before or after any of our tiger journeys, and every element can be tailored. Speak to our safari specialists to adjust the length, lodges and pace, or to add extra days in the field for serious wildlife photography.
About This Snow Leopard Safari
High in the Himalaya, where the Indus cuts through a desert of rock and snow, lives the most elusive big cat on earth. Each winter, as snow pushes ibex and blue sheep down to lower slopes, snow leopards follow them into the valleys of Ladakh. This Ladakh snow leopard extension takes you to two of the finest places to find them: the high village of Ulley in the Sham valley, and the Rumbak valley of Hemis National Park.
Each day begins with the spotters. Local trackers who know every ridge and gully scan the slopes from first light, and when they find a cat, they guide you to a vantage point where high-quality scopes bring it into view. Between sightings, you return to warm, intimate lodges: Snow Leopard Lodge, dedicated entirely to wildlife, and House of Rumbak, six heated cottages with sweeping views of the peaks. Three nights in Leh, two at the start and one at the end, let you adjust gently to the altitude and rest before you fly south.
Snow leopard tourism in Ladakh is a conservation success story. By employing villagers as spotters, hosts and cooks, it gives mountain communities a lasting stake in protecting the cats. Your journey also contributes to TOFTigers, winner of a Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award in 2025. The best time to travel is January to March, and every departure is private and bespoke, curated around your dates and interests.
Destinations Covered
Leh (3 nights, Days 1, 2 and 7), Ulley in the Sham valley (2 nights) and Rumbak in Hemis National Park (2 nights), starting and ending in Delhi.
What You Will Experience
- Two of Ladakh's finest snow leopard landscapes: the high valleys around Ulley and the Rumbak valley of Hemis National Park.
- Expert local spotters who scan the ridges from first light and guide you to the best vantage points, with high-quality scopes.
- The wider cast of the mountains: Asiatic ibex, Ladakh urial, blue sheep, Tibetan wolves, golden eagles and bearded vultures.
- A gentle start in Leh, with two nights to acclimatise and dawn prayers at Thiksey Monastery.
- Warm, intimate lodges: Snow Leopard Lodge in Ulley and House of Rumbak Wildlife Lodge in Hemis National Park.
- Seamless connections from Delhi, making this a natural addition to any of our tiger journeys.
Design your journey with a safari specialist
Every journey is private, bespoke and curated around you: share a few details and one of our safari specialists will be in touch within 24 hours.
Thank you
Your enquiry is with our safari specialists, who will be in touch within 24 hours to begin shaping your bespoke, curated journey.
Ladakh Snow Leopard Safari Extension Itinerary: Day by Day
Time in the field included: five days with expert spotters and a naturalist: a first scan of the ridges at Ulley on the afternoon of Day 3, a full day at Ulley on Day 4, a final morning scan on Day 5, a full day in the Rumbak valley on Day 6 and a dawn scan on Day 7. If time allows during the day and permits are available, we can add further sessions in the field at an additional cost.
Day 1: New Delhi to Leh
Flight: about 1 hour 20 minutes
Flight: about 1 hour 20 minutes. A morning flight carries you over the Great Himalaya, one of the most spectacular flights in the world, to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. You are met on arrival and driven the short distance to your hotel. Leh sits at about 3,500 metres (11,500 feet), so today is for rest, warm drinks and an early night.
Day 2: Leh
Rise early for the short drive to Thiksey Monastery, where you can join the monks for their morning prayers as the sun reaches the Indus valley. The rest of the day is unhurried, with time to wander Leh's old town at a gentle pace. In the evening, your naturalist briefs you on the snow leopard, its prey and how the spotters work.
Day 3: Leh to Ulley
Drive: about 2 to 3 hours (90 km)
Drive: about 2 to 3 hours (90 km). After breakfast, your chauffeur follows the Indus west before climbing into the Sham valley to the village of Ulley, at almost 4,000 metres (13,000 feet). Snow Leopard Lodge is a small, centrally heated lodge dedicated entirely to wildlife, with wood stoves and hot water bottles to keep the mountain cold at bay. In the afternoon, join the spotters for your first scan of the surrounding ridges.
Day 4: Ulley
At first light, the spotters fan out across the ridges. When a cat is found, they guide you to a vantage point where scopes bring it into view, often resting on a sunlit ledge or moving along a ridgeline. Ulley is also one of the best places in Ladakh to see ibex, urial, wolves and Himalayan foxes, with golden eagles and bearded vultures overhead. Hot lunches and warm stoves await back at the lodge between excursions.
Day 5: Ulley to Rumbak, Hemis National Park
Drive: about 4 hours
Drive: about 4 hours. After a final morning scan, drive back past Leh and into Hemis National Park. From the end of the road, the track follows a frozen stream to House of Rumbak Wildlife Lodge, just below Rumbak village. Its six cottages are built in traditional Ladakhi style with underfloor heating and double-glazed windows, and they look out across a panorama of snow-dusted peaks.
Day 6: Rumbak, Hemis National Park
A full day in the Rumbak valley, with your spotters working the slopes where herds of blue sheep graze. Their nervous movements are often the first clue that a snow leopard is near. In the afternoon, you might walk to Rumbak village for butter tea with a local family. Dinner is served beside the wood-fired stove, with bread from the lodge's own bakery.
Day 7: Rumbak to Leh
Drive: about 1 hour
Drive: about 1 hour. Enjoy a final dawn scan of the valley, then return to Leh. The afternoon is yours to rest, browse the old town or watch the sunset over the Indus from the Shanti Stupa.
Day 8: Leh to New Delhi
Flight: about 1 hour 20 minutes
Flight: about 1 hour 20 minutes. A morning flight returns you to Delhi, in time to connect with your onward journey or to continue into one of our tiger safaris.
A note from our planners: Leh sits at about 3,500 metres and both lodges at close to 4,000 metres, so we build in two nights in Leh to acclimatise and recommend a medical check-up before you travel. Winter days are bright but bitterly cold, with nights often well below freezing, and we will send you a detailed packing list. Flights into Leh can be delayed by weather, so we leave a buffer before your onward connections. If you are arriving from overseas, we add a night in New Delhi before you fly north.
Where You Stay
Every hotel and lodge for this extension is listed below by destination, each with a label that describes its style. In Leh you may choose any hotel; few places stay open in Ladakh in winter, so in the mountains the lodges are the ones we trust. Our safari specialists will gladly arrange a stay that is not on this list. Every property is handpicked and has been used by us over many years.
Leh (Days 1, 2 and 7)
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Dolkhar Ladakh (Boutique · Michelin Key).
Seven villas built from local wood by regional artisans and furnished with handwoven wool rugs, set in an apple and apricot orchard close to Leh. Awarded one Michelin Key, “a very special stay”, it serves a seasonal menu drawn from its kitchen garden.
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The Grand Dragon Ladakh (Luxury).
A larger hotel in the heart of Leh that combines contemporary and traditional design, with Himalayan views and suites that overlook the Stok range. It has a spa and several restaurants, including a pan-Asian restaurant at 11,562 feet.
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Chospa Hotel (Boutique).
A family-run hotel on Old Leh Road, a short walk from the main market, built in the traditional Ladakhi manner with earth, stone and wood, including walls of compressed earth blocks made on site. Its restaurant has Ladakhi and Tibetan influences.
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The Postcard Willow Suites (Boutique).
An intimate hotel of just five suites in Leh, with a garden and a restaurant, and Stok Palace Museum close by.
Ulley (Days 3 and 4)
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Snow Leopard Lodge (Eco-Luxury).
The region's first dedicated wildlife lodge, in Ulley at 13,000 feet, once a homestay run by a renowned snow leopard tracker. Developed with the Snow Leopard Conservancy to support conservation and local communities, it offers heated rooms, hearty meals and a resident naturalist.
Rumbak (Days 5 and 6)
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House of Rumbak Wildlife Lodge (Eco-Luxury).
Six cottages built in traditional Ladakhi style, with underfloor heating and double-glazed windows, set just below Rumbak village at the edge of Hemis National Park. Dinner is served beside a wood-fired stove, with bread from the lodge's own bakery.
Prices
| Two guests sharing, per person | $1,930£1,450€1,730A$2,770C$2,730 |
|---|---|
| Two guests sharing, total for two | $3,860£2,900€3,460A$5,540C$5,460 |
| Solo traveller | $3,530£2,660€3,160A$5,070C$5,000 |
| Single supplement | $1,600£1,210€1,430A$2,300C$2,270 |
Estimated prices, per person, based on two guests sharing one room, one safari vehicle and one car. A solo traveller pays the per-person price plus the single supplement. Prices vary with the accommodation you choose and the season, and are rounded. Contact us for a final price. See what is included
Tailored Leisure & In-Lodge Experiences
- Dawn Prayers at Thiksey: join the monks of Thiksey Monastery for their morning prayers, with horns, drums and chanting as the sun rises over the Indus.
- A Ladakhi Kitchen: learn to make momos and skyu, a hearty local pasta stew, with a village family over cups of butter tea.
- High-Altitude Stargazing: clear, dry mountain air and no city lights make Ladakh's winter skies some of the most brilliant anywhere.
Something Else in Mind? Our safari specialists can arrange any activity you would like, depending on the destination and your accommodation, such as an extra day with the spotters, a session photographing ibex on the cliffs, or an evening talk on snow leopard conservation.
Popular Fauna
- Mammals: snow leopard, Asiatic ibex, Ladakh urial, bharal (blue sheep), Tibetan wolf and red fox
- Birds: golden eagle, bearded vulture (lammergeier) and Himalayan griffon
Sightings vary by season and are never guaranteed.
National Parks & Wildlife Reserves
- Hemis National Park: a vast high-altitude park in eastern Ladakh, stretching across the Zanskar range south of the Indus. Its Rumbak valley, a high world of scree slopes, frozen streams and ancient villages, is one of the most rewarding places on earth to search for the snow leopard, alongside blue sheep, wolves and golden eagles.
- Ulley and the Sham Valley: west of Leh and north of the Indus, the terraced fields and high pastures around Ulley are home to healthy numbers of snow leopards and are among the best places in Ladakh to see ibex, urial and wolves.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Seven nights of handpicked accommodation on full board
- Personal meet and greet on arrival in Leh
- Domestic flights: New Delhi to Leh and Leh to New Delhi
- All transfers in comfortable, chauffeur-driven private SUVs
- Five days in the field with an expert naturalist and a dedicated team of local snow leopard spotters, with high-quality spotting scopes
- Hemis National Park entry fees, wildlife permits and conservation levies
- Supplementary oxygen and a first-aid kit throughout
Not included: international flights, visa fees, travel insurance (high-altitude cover is essential), personal gratuities, premium alcoholic beverages, cold-weather clothing and additional field sessions beyond those listed (arranged on request, subject to permit availability).
Ladakh Snow Leopard Safari Extension FAQs
When is the best time to see snow leopards in Ladakh?
January to March. In the depths of winter, snow pushes ibex and blue sheep down to lower slopes, and the snow leopards follow them into the valleys where they are easier to find.
What are my chances of seeing a snow leopard?
Snow leopards are wild and famously elusive, so sightings can never be guaranteed. Experienced local spotters scanning the ridges from first light, and time in two of Ladakh's best areas, give you a strong chance.
Will the altitude be a problem?
Leh sits at about 3,500 metres and both lodges at close to 4,000 metres. Two nights in Leh to acclimatise are built into the itinerary, and we recommend a medical check-up before you travel.
How cold is it?
Winter days are bright and sunny but cold, and nights fall well below freezing. Both lodges are heated, and we send a detailed packing list well before you travel.
Can I combine this with a tiger safari?
Yes. This snow leopard extension begins and ends in Delhi, so it fits neatly before or after any of our tiger safaris.