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Imagine spending the nights under glittering stars, next to a gently flowing stream that originates from glacial slopes. Think about looking up to see a shimmer of moonlight emerging behind the jagged edges of the mountains high in sky. As you go to sleep in a warm tent, dream about seeing and photographing the next morning’s golden rays warming up the peaks of snow-clad mountains that surround the valley. And next morning, when all that beauty unfolds outside the camp, relish the moment photographing the spectacle with a sense of satisfaction, and then walk back to the camp to enjoy a cup of steaming tea and a heavy breakfast waiting for you!
These are things that dreams are made of even for well-travelled photography enthusiasts. Here is a photography tour that makes such dreams unfold right in front of your eyes. And all this comes without having to do strenuous treks, but enjoying jeep-safaris and comfortable camping experience provided by our highly capable local staff in the mountains!
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Darter ‘HIMALAYAN EXPERIENCES’ are photography holidays in the picturesque Himalayan highlands with rich immersive experiences of landscapes and culture. -
Tour Dates
?? Aug 2025
Tour Price ₹ xx,950/-
(Double Occupancy)
Max group size: 8 only
Where is Zanskar? And other questions are answered here, later in this webpage.
Jump to ◆ Overview and itinerary ◆ Tour Highlights ◆ Is this tour for you? ◆ Tour Price ◆ Tour Mentor ◆ Detailed Itinerary ◆ Sign Up
Overview & Itinerary – Landscape Photography in Zanskar Himalayas
This tour is designed towards photographing some of the greatest spectacles that the Himalayas have to offer: starry nights, glacial streams, high mountains and every possible natural splendour of the Himalayas in Zanskar. This landscape photography focused tour will take you through some of the deepest regions in the Himalayas that can be accessed with motor vehicles.
This tour is a part of our highly commended Himalayan photography tours, designed by mentors with considerable know-how in travelling and photographing in the region. Join us today on this unforgettable and exclusive experience.
Here is the tour itinerary in brief. To understand more about the places we visit and the things we do, do not forget to see the detailed itinerary.
Tour dates: 01 to 09 Aug, 2024
The itinerary is designed with a keen focus on landscape photography and photographing the mountain regions, and not centred on seeing well-known sights/places. It allows us to be busy shooting during early morning, evening and early night hours with a lot of free time during the day.
Tour Highlights
Where is Zanskar Himalayas? And other questions answered
Where is Zanskar?
Zanskar is a remote mountain range, located south of Ladakh, north of Great Himalayan Ranges and to the east of Kashmir Valley. This is one of the colder, higher and rugged valleys in these mountain regions.
How do we get there? What is the mode of access?
Despite being one of the remotest locations you can imagine in the trans-Himalayan mountain ranges, Zanskar can still be accessed by roads. These mountain roads remain closed for six months a year and open only in the summers. The places we visit are reachable by road and doesn’t require us to go on long treks.
We begin the journey from Leh through spectacular mountain regions, stop for a night along the way and arrive on the road to Zanskar region the next day.
What kind of places do we visit? What about accommodation?
While we are in the region, we camp at at brilliant locations in Suru and Zanskar valleys. We camp out while we are in Zanskar to enable us to be in the perfect places for landscape photography during the evening, night and morning hours. We have identified a few places for camping such that you can just come out of your tent to some of the finest mountain views you can ever imagine! Trust us, you will totally love the experience.
FAQ and Is This Photography Tour For You?
This tour is for everyone who loves to explore and photograph the exotic and beautiful landscapes deep in the Himalayas. We will be travelling to places that are less visited by tourists, to see and photograph some unparalleled landscapes in the country.
The tour is designed to help participants learn the nuances of making beautiful photographs of the mountain landscapes. Note that the participants are not required to be experts in photography. Beginners and newbies as well as serious photographers benefit through our personalized attention to photography sessions and on field assistance. Non photographers interested in exploring Zanskar are welcome too.
Can I bring my non-photographer partner with me?
Yes, you can. We visit many beautiful places in Zanskar and having a good time during the trip is as much on the agenda as photography is. Your partner will enjoy the journey with the group. However, non-photographers should note that our itineraries are designed keeping photography in mind. We are generally slower than typical travel itineraries and don’t make a long sightseeing list. Please note that we do not offer a separate non-photographer pricing.
I am not a keen photographer. But I want to visit Zanskar with your group. Can I still join?
Yes. We visit many beautiful places in the region, and having a good time during the trip is as much on the agenda as photography is. However, non-photographers should note that our itineraries are designed keeping photography in mind. We are generally slower than typical travel itineraries and don’t make a long sightseeing list.
Is there a lot of walking/trekking involved?
No, this is primarily a driving trip. Most of the places we go to will be reached through vehicles. But we will be doing some short-duration walking at a few places. There are no long distance walks or full-day hikes. Nor do we have walking as a necessity to reach a destination, which means that you may opt out and rest instead of going on a walk if you feel tired. We believe that most people in reasonably good health should not have any problems with most of the activities through the tour. Speak to us if you have any doubts.
Also refer to our photography tours faq for more information.
Tour Price
Tour price: Rs.98,950 per person (all-inclusive on shared occupancy), Let us know if you are looking for a single supplement.
Booking deposit: Rs.35,000; balance payable 30 days before the trip.
The cost includes
The cost does not include
Accommodation
Accommodation will be in comfortable hotels when we are in Leh and Kargil. On all other days, we will be carrying camping equipment with us and camping out in the mountains.
Cancellation Policy:
– 20% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation at least 45 days before tour starts
– 50% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 44 to 21 days before tour starts
– 80% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 20 to 7 days before tour starts
– No refunds for cancellation within six days before the start of the tour
Note:
Please note that the itinerary is subject to favourable weather and road conditions. In case of bad weather and inaccessibility to a destination, we will do our best to make alternate plans. The cost of the tour or any part of it will not be refunded in the event of unfavourable conditions anytime during the tour days.
Photography Mentor: Manish Lakhani
Few people can boast of having travelled the high Himalayas like Manish has. For more than 15 years, he has explored these mountains extensively on foot, on bicycles and on two and four wheels, often making his own path. He is a versatile photographer with a history of creating brilliant images of culture, heritage and landscapes.
He is renowned for his unique portrayal of remote cultures and traditions. He has photographed the cultural heritage across all the four corners of India, including the Changpa shepherds of the Himalayan Highlands, the native tribes of Nagaland, the nomads of Kutch and the rich traditions of Kerala.
He is Sony Artisan (Ambassador) in India for mirrorless camera system and Skylum Global Brand Ambassador for Asia. His works have been regularly featured in magazines across the world. He contributes to Adobe, BBC, WWF, CNN, Lonely Planet and many others regularly.
An avid cyclist, he has done an incredible solo bicycling trip of 15,000 kilometers across India. He visited many states of India, meeting different people, experiencing the diverse cultures and making some incredible photographs along the journey. He has since led many expeditions in the high altitude regions of Ladakh.
He has been mentoring photography enthusiasts for several years now and is known for his exuberant personality, in-depth knowledge of the terrain, expedition organization skills and, of course, his keen eye for photography.
You can follow him on Instagram,Facebook and on his website.
Detailed Itinerary
The itinerary is designed with a keen focus on landscape photography and photographing the mountain regions, and not centered on seeing well-known sights/places. It allows us to be busy shooting during early morning, evening and early night hours with a lot of free time during the day.
Day 01. Arrival in Leh.
We will arrive at Leh this morning and check-in to our comfortable hotel. This is a day for rest and acclimatization and by an ice-breaker session in the evening.
Day 02. Drive to Kargil through scenic mountain landscapes.
We leave Leh early in the morning and drive up slowly towards the curious slopes of Lamayuru – one of the very interesting places along this journey. The slopes of Lamayuru are a curious yellow with fascinating shapes formed by a now drained glacial lake. After many stopovers along the way, we reach Kargil in the evening and check-in to our hotel.
Day 03. Kargil to the first camping location.
We move out of Leh-Srinagar highway today, heading towards Suru Valley in the direction of Zanskar. We are now on a path that has very little habitation. On the days ahead, we camp out in places with brilliant views, in places where you don’t need to go too far to make magnificent images of sunrise and sunset over the mountains. Today, we camp at a place where we get our first views of Nun and Kun peaks – two massifs about 20,000m high and permanently capped in snow. These are the landscapes we have come this far for.
Day 04 – 07. Drive to different campsites each day.
On day-4, We head deeper and higher into the mountains, and naturally, the landscapes become more dramatic. Our second camp, where we are staying today, is just about 15km from Nun-Kun peaks as the crow flies. This campsite is also close to a mountain village, in which we will have time to wander during the day time. Evening and a few hours of the night are, of course, dedicated to photographing the mighty landscapes around us.
On day-5, we drive to next camp-site near Rangdum. By now, you would have got accustomed to camping life and would have well-acclimatized to the high altitudes. It’s time to drive further and higher, in search of more amazing landscapes. It’s a day where we camp at another location after we drive towards Zanskar. Tonight, we are camping at a higher ground that has interesting views and plenty of photography opportunities. Day after day, you will enjoy the magnificent mountain scenery and the photography opportunities that come with it.
On the 6th day, our camping location is a beautiful place beyond Rangdum. Today, we would also have crossed Penzila Pass at 14,000 feet , leaving behind Suru Valley and entering the Zanskar Valley. It’s another day for more mountain scenery, snow-bound landscapes and glacial slopes. As you progress through the days in the mountains photographing the landscapes along the way, you will notice a remarkable ease with which you make better landscape images with the help of your mentor. As we end this day (and the night), before you retire to your tent, your memory-cards will be filled with brilliant mountain vistas and star-studded skies… something that will keep appearing in your dreams every night, long after you are back home!
On day-7, we begin the return journey by driving back to our first campsite near Kargil. They say, all good things must come to an end. But not so soon! Even as we retrace our path, we still go along those beautiful landscapes we have passed through earlier. And we have one more night of camping, which means another evening of photographing the mountain sunsets, another night of star-studded skies and another morning ahead that offers you an extraordinary sunrise!
Day 08. Drive to Leh with a smug expression originating from those beautiful images now stored in your camera!
We drive back towards Leh this morning. While you have enjoyed being in the middle of nowhere in amazing landscapes until now at campsites, you will again be relishing the luxury of creature comforts this evening.
By now the group would have bonded so well, if our experiences in the past trips are to go by, we would already be making next travel plans. We spend the evening hours sharing our experiences and pouring over an awesome collection of images over dinner.
Tour ends this morning.
Registration
Contact us at the email/numbers below to book the tour.
email: photography@darter.in
Tel: Shreeram (+91-9740083260) / Manish 9998866669
Alternatively, fill in the following form to get in touch with us regarding the tour.