The Himalayan Brown Bear Odyssey

• No, the tiger is not India’s largest carnivore. Did you know that the high Himalayas of India are home to a very rare subspecies of the Brown Bear?

  Drass is the coldest inhabited place in India. As winter starts setting in, the Himalayan Brown Bears in the region start descending from the higher reaches of the mountains, making them easy to see and photograph. They are the only subspecies of Brown Bear in the Himalayas. They are thought to be endangered as the numbers seem to be decreasing throughout their range.

  This October, Darter Photography takes you on an incredible wildlife expedition in the high Himalayas to photograph the elusive Himalayan Brown Bear. With the help of experts, we’ll explore this incredibly beautiful region and photograph the hardy wildlife that is built to survive in the harsh conditions.

  Jump to ◆ Tour Highlights ◆ Itinerary ◆ FAQs ◆ Tour Price ◆ Tour Mentor ◆ Sign Up

• Tour Dates

  October 14-21, 2023

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  Introductory Price

  ₹1,05,000

  Max. Participants – 5

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  Join Now

Tour Highlights

• Explore the incredibly beautiful mountainous landscapes of Drass
• Potentially watch and photograph the elusive Himalayan Brown Bears – the largest carnivores in India
• Learn and explore wildlife photography in the mountains under the mentorship of Darter’s Wildlife Photography Expert
• Get your photographs reviewed periodically on the tour to understand your photography strengths and what you could improve upon
• Potentially see and photograph the rare wildlife of the region, including Tibetan Wolves, Red Foxes, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Vultures, Golden Eagles and much more

Dates & Itinerary

Day 01. Arrive in Leh and Acclimatize
Arrive in Leh. You’ll be transferred to the hotel from the airport. Today is reserved for acclimatization. You’ll relax all day in the hotel. In the evening, your photography mentor will give an orientation session on photography during the tour as well as guidelines that need to be followed. Overnight in Leh.

Day 02.Drive to Drass
After breakfast, we start driving from Leh towards Drass. The incredible landscapes along the way mean that we’ll take a few breaks during the drive. We’ll also stop to photograph any wildlife that we encounter along the way. After 6-7 hours, we reach Drass and check into our lodge/guest house.

Our local guides have been busy tracking the Brown Bear and other wildlife. In the evening, they’ll lead us on a trail to watch and photograph wildlife. Overnight in Drass.

Day 03 to Day 06. Tracking Brown Bears
Be prepared for long days of tracking wildlife in the region. Starting around 6:30AM, we’ll head out looking for wildlife, often spending the entire day in the field with packed breakfast and lunch. In addition to bears, we may have opportunities to photograph other wildlife like bharal (blue sheep), marmots, red foxes, Tibetan wolves and many species of birds. Overnight in Drass.

Day 07. Drive from Drass to Leh
After the morning session of wildlife tracking and breakfast, it is time to drive back to Leh. With lunch along the way, we’ll reach Leh by evening. Overnight in Leh.

Day 08.Tour Ends.
With our memory cards hopefully teeming with photographs, it’s time to say goodbye to the high Himalayas. We’ll drop you to the Leh airport for your flight back home.

Frequently Asked Questions

This tour is for wildlife photographers and wildlife enthusiasts who want to explore and photograph the wildlife of the high Himalayas. Note that the participants are not required to be experts in photography or carry professional equipment. Due to the small group size, beginners as well as serious photographers benefit through our personalized attention to photography sessions and on field assistance. Non-photographers, interested in exploring wildlife of the high Himayalas are welcome too.

What physical fitness levels are required for this tour?

We recommend good physical fitness for this tour. We will have vehicles to drive us to different places, but please expect some amount of walking in the mountains. In addition, if this is your first trip to the high Himalayas or if you haven’t traveled there in a long time, we recommend that you reach Leh a day before the actual tour starts.

I am not a keen photographer. But I want to watch Brown Bears. Can I still join?

Yes. If you are interested to explore the wildlife of the high Himalayas, you are welcome to join this tour. Please note that we do not offer a separate non-photographer pricing.

Can I bring my non-photographer partner with me?

Yes, you can. Your partner will enjoy the journey with the group. Please note that we do not offer a separate non-photographer pricing.

What photography equipment is needed for the tour?

We recommend telephoto lenses reaching up to at least 500mm focal length to photograph wildlife at a distance. And please carry a shorter focal length lens to photograph the landscapes of the high Himalayas. Please talk to us to decide on the photography equipment that you need to carry for the tour.

Also refer to our tours faq for more information.

Tour Price

Tour Price: ₹ 1,05,000 per person

The tour price includes

• Accommodation in a comfortable hotel in Leh on Day 1 and Day 7 (2 nights) and accommodation in a basic guest house/lodge in Drass on Days 2 to 7 (5 nights)
• All meals starting with Lunch on Day 1 and ending with Breakfast on Day 8
• Transportation during the tour
• All fees and entry permits
• Services of photography mentor and wildlife guide through the tour
• All applicable taxes

The tour price does not include

• Travel from your your location to Leh and back
• Travel Insurance
• Additional water bottles, food or beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic
• All expenses of personal nature (laundry, telephone calls, etc.)
• Tips and Gratuities

Cancellation Policy:

• 30% of tour fee is charged as cancellation fee for cancellation earlier than 45 days before start of tour,
• 60% of tour fee is charged as cancellation fee for cancellation between 44 days and 21 days before start of tour
• No refund for cancellation within 20 days of tour start date or for no-show

Please note:

• The itinerary mentioned in this page 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 tour price or any part of it will not be refunded in the event of unfavourable conditions anytime during the tour days.
• Wildlife sightings depend on various factors, including weather, availability of food and the animal showing up in our vicinity.
• No refunds will be made if a participant is unable to complete the tour owing to medical conditions or any other reasons, after starting the tour.
• All participants would have to sign a Release of Liability, Assumption of Risk & Arbitration Agreement before joining the tour.

Wildlife Photography Mentor – Shreeram M V

Shreeram is a professional wildlife photographer and passionate naturalist. He has photographed wildlife across India, as well as various parts of the world, including Africa, New Zealand, South America, the Arctic and Antarctica.

His approach to wildlife photography is to bring back photographs that tell stories – about the place and its habitats, the diversity of flora and fauna and human interactions with the wilderness. Composition and light are his favourite tools in crafting new perspectives of the natural world. He works on assignments with magazines and corporates that have been enriched by this approach.

His personalized style of mentorship, where he works with each participant’s individual interests and strengths, has been much appreciated over the years. View some of his photographs here – Shreeram M V Photography

Sign Up

Contact us at the email/numbers below to book the tour. This wildlife photography tour will have a maximum of 5 participants. We recommend booking early, which also helps you get cheaper flight tickets.

email: photography@darter.in

Tel/WhatsApp: +91-97400 83260 (Shreeram)
Alternately, fill in the following form to get in touch with us regarding the tour.