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Ten winter nights in search of the snow leopard: three in a heated Leh hotel to acclimatise, four in Rumbak inside Hemis National Park and two at Ulley in the Sham valley, with expert local spotters and scopes. Sightings are likely on a trip of this length, never guaranteed.
Snow leopards spend most of the year high and out of sight, but in winter, as snow covers the upper slopes, they follow bharal and urial down into the valleys. Hemis National Park, across the Indus from Leh, has one of the highest known densities of the cats anywhere, and the hamlet of Ulley in the Sham valley is another fine site. From January to March, local spotters from these villages scan the ridges from dawn to dusk.
This journey is built for the best chance of a sighting with as much comfort as winter allows. Three nights in Leh at The Grand Dragon, which is heated and open all year, prepare you for the cold and the altitude. Then come six nights in the field, in warm village homestays and lodges, with a final night back in Leh. Expect −20 °C at night, long hours of patient watching and, with luck, the sight of a lifetime.
Highlights
Day by day
Your guide meets you at Leh airport, where the air will be around −10 °C on a winter morning. Transfer to The Grand Dragon Ladakh, heated throughout, and rest for the day. Cold makes acclimatisation harder, so drink plenty of warm water and tea and sleep in the afternoon. In the evening, your guide reviews your clothing and equipment for the field. Dinner is early. Keep warm layers close at hand.
A slow morning, then a short drive to Shey and Thiksey, quiet in winter, with prayers in a cold assembly hall lit by butter lamps. Lunch at the hotel and an afternoon rest. If you have brought photographic equipment, your guide can help test it in the cold; batteries drain quickly, so keep spares warm inside your jacket. Dress warmly for the cold halls. The afternoon is for rest and acclimatisation.
A visit to Spituk monastery above the frozen Indus, with its protector chapel. In the afternoon, a full briefing from the lead spotter on snow leopard behaviour, the valleys you will explore and the routine of a tracking day. Final checks on clothing and boots. An early night before the move to Rumbak. Spituk is a short drive from the hotel. Dinner is early. Pack a small bag for the field.
Drive past Spituk and Stok to Zingchen and the park entrance, then continue to the road head and walk the last stretch into Rumbak with porters carrying your bags. The walk takes about two hours on a frozen trail; it may be shorter if the road has been extended. Check current status before you travel. Settle into a warm homestay kitchen, and the spotters may already have news. Keep warm layers handy.
Up before dawn for tea, then a slow walk to a vantage point where the spotters set up scopes. The day is spent scanning ridges and side valleys for cats, kills and fresh tracks. When a leopard is spotted, often a kilometre or more away, you move quickly but carefully to a better viewpoint. Lunch is a hot picnic. Return at dusk to the homestay for dinner by the stove.
Another full day in the field, today exploring the Husing or Tarbung side valleys, depending on recent sightings. Bharal herds feed on the slopes, and golden eagles and lammergeiers circle overhead. Patience is the key: many hours pass with nothing, then a cat appears on a ridge. Your guide and spotters keep you warm, fed and informed. Hot lunch is served in the field. Bring spare batteries, kept warm. Dinner is by the stove.
The last full day in Rumbak, spent wherever the spotters think the chances are best. If you have already had good sightings, there is time to visit the village, learn about the conservation work that has helped the snow leopard here and talk with the families who host visitors. Evening by the stove with the team. Dinner is served by the stove, with tea and stories. Pack for tomorrow's move.
Walk out of Rumbak in the morning and drive back past Leh, then west along the frozen Indus and up a side valley to Ulley, a tiny hamlet at around 4,000 m. On the way, the spotters at Ulley will report on recent activity. Settle into the lodge or homestay, and if there is news, head out for the afternoon. The drive takes about three and a half hours. Dress warmly.
A full day with the Ulley spotters, who know the slopes and the movements of the local cats. The terrain here is more open, with good chances of urial, bharal, red fox and, in some winters, Tibetan wolves. Lunch in the field and a return at dusk for a farewell dinner with the team. Lunch is served in the field. Carry spare batteries, kept warm. Dress for −20 °C on the ridges.
A last dawn session at Ulley if you wish, then drive back to Leh, stopping at Likir monastery on the way. A hot shower, a heated room and a celebratory dinner at The Grand Dragon. The final night in Leh guards against winter road delays before your flight. The drive takes about two and a half hours on winter roads. Likir is quiet in winter, and its monks may offer tea.
Breakfast and transfer to Leh airport for your morning flight to Delhi. Winter flights can be delayed by weather, so we keep in touch with the airline and stay flexible. Your guide sees you through check-in. Keep warm layers and camera equipment in your hand luggage. If the flight is delayed, the hotel room is held until you leave. Back up your photographs before you leave. Your guide stays with you until boarding.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
The Grand Dragon is Leh's most complete hotel: central, centrally heated and open all year, with mountain-view rooms, several restaurants and a staff used to looking …
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Questions travellers ask
On a ten-night trip with six days in the field in February or March and experienced spotters, the chances are good, and most guests see at least one cat. Sightings are never guaranteed, and some trips see only tracks. Longer stays improve the odds.
February and early March are the best months, with cats lower in the valleys and the mating season bringing more activity. January is very good but colder. December and late March are possible but less reliable. We set dates once you tell us your window.
Very cold. Nights in Rumbak and Ulley fall to −20 °C or below, and daytime highs rarely rise above −5 °C. With the right clothing and warm homestay kitchens, guests manage well. We send a detailed clothing list when you book.
You need to walk several hours a day at 3,800–4,200 m on snow and ice, sometimes uphill quickly when a cat is spotted. Good fitness and hill-walking experience help. No technical skills are needed. Some days are spent mostly sitting still.
They are simple but warm, with a stove in the kitchen where you eat and gather. Rooms have thick bedding, and we bring extra sleeping bags. Bathrooms are basic and often shared. Comfort is secondary to the wildlife. Nights in Leh break the stay.
Hemis National Park charges entry and camping fees, which we include. No Protected Area Permit is needed for Rumbak or Ulley. Check current status before you travel. Park fees are collected by the Wildlife Department and included in the price, so there is nothing to pay on the trail.
A lens of 500 mm or more, a sturdy tripod, spare batteries kept warm and plenty of memory cards. Our spotters have telescopes for viewing, and some guests photograph through them with a phone adapter. Keep spare batteries warm. Bring several memory cards too.
From ₹3,75,000 per person, twin sharing, including stays, all field meals, a naturalist guide, spotters, porters and park fees. Flights and cold-weather clothing are extra. Specialist spotters and porters are included. Single travellers, festival dates and peak weeks in July and August cost more, and we confirm the exact price once your dates and rooms are fixed.
Yes, and many keen photographers do. Extra nights in Rumbak or Ulley improve the chances of a close or long sighting. We can extend the journey to twelve or more nights. Extra field days are priced per night. Tell us when you enquire.
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