Snow Leopard Expedition 2026

Delhi, Leh, Rumbak, Ulle

DAY 1: EUROPE — DELHI
Arrival at Delhi airport late in the evening or during the night.
Mode of transfer/transport : by plane
Accommodation : overnight stay on the plane

DAY 2: FLIGHT DELHI — LEH
Early transfer to Delhi's domestic airport and flight to Leh. Weather permitting, we'll have a beautiful view of the great Himalayan range. Arrive at the airport in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, at an altitude of 3,500 meters, located north of the Indus River. Transfer to the hotel, and the rest of the day is free to acclimatize to the altitude.
Mode of transfer/transport : by private vehicle with driver
Flight duration : approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
Final altitude : approximately 3500 m
Meals : breakfast (not included) – lunch – dinner
Accommodation : overnight stay at the hotel

DAY 3: LEH
Leh is the largest city in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Upon arrival, we are met by our local team and taken to our hotel. We rest after our long journey and have a meal. At the end of the day, our guide, who leads our team of trackers, presents us with a detailed plan for the next few days in search of snow leopards.
Final altitude : approximately 3500 m
Meals : breakfast – lunch at the hotel – dinner
Accommodation : overnight stay at the hotel

DAY 4: ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
This day in Leh is dedicated to rest and acclimatization to the altitude. We visit the Buddhist monastery of Thiksay, about twenty kilometers away and overlooking the Indus River Valley. On the way back, we stop to observe birds by the river. Then, once in town, we stroll through Leh's picturesque little market. We then return to our hotel for dinner.
Transfer/transportation duration : approximately 2 hours
Number of hours of walking : approximately 1 hour
Number of daily hours of activity : approximately 3 hours
Final altitude : approximately 3500 m
Meals : Breakfast at the hotel – Lunch at the restaurant – Dinner at the hotel
Accommodation : overnight stay at the hotel

DAY 5: HEMIS NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, we head to Hemis National Park. Our destination may be changed if another location is more conducive to spotting panthers at the time of our trip. The journey takes two to three hours, depending on the animals we see and wish to photograph along the way. With a bit of luck, we might spot the snow leopard's prey: greater bharal, ibex, and urial. We arrive in the mountains, the gateway to the snow leopard's high-altitude territory. Once at the camp, we set up our tents, and the local team serves us lunch. In the afternoon, we set off for a short walk around the camp to look for the first signs of the animal's presence. Then we return to the camp for dinner.
Transfer/transportation duration : approximately 3 hours
Number of hours of walking : approximately 1 hour
Final altitude : approximately 3800 m
Meals : breakfast at the hotel – lunch in a furnished camp – dinner in a furnished camp
Accommodation : night in a furnished camp

DAYS 6 TO 10: HIKES AND OBSERVATIONS IN HEMIS NATIONAL PARK
Hiking and observations.
During these days, we move around our camp, based on the information gathered by our team on the signs of the leopard. Each day, our trackers walk the steep trails from early morning until sunset, in an attempt to locate the animal for us. We may occasionally observe them from our camp, and if we are really lucky, while hunting or consuming one of their prey such as its favorite, the bharal or blue sheep. Hemis is the only place in the world to gather in the same place four species of ungulate: the greater bharal ( Pseudois nayaur ), the argali ( Ovis ammon ), the largest of the wild sheep, the yanghir ( Capra sibirica ) or Siberian ibex and the urial ( Ovis vignei ), a species of mouflon. We spend our days in the mountains, exploring the surrounding area in search of the one we covet and the many other species that frequent these mountains. We have a picnic lunch with a hot meal so as not to return to camp. The landscape is breathtaking and the search for leopards is constant. Our itineraries will be flexible depending on the indications of the presence of the animals. These days are an opportunity to understand the species' way of life in this inhospitable environment.
The walk, at a slow pace, is very often interrupted for periods of observation during which we scan the landscape in search of the panther and its prey. This gives us time to recover, but we must be well covered because the cold soon takes hold of us.
Number of daily hours of walking : approximately 5 hours
Meals : breakfasts in a furnished camp – lunches in a furnished camp – dinners in a furnished camp
Accommodation : nights in a furnished camp

DAYS 11 & 12: ULLEY
This morning we leave for the Ulley region, a hamlet of a few houses perched at an altitude of 4,000 meters. On the way, after a quick meal in the village of Nemmu, we look for the Mongolian wolf ( Canis lupus chanco ) or the Tibetan fox ( Vulpes ferrilata ) which frequent these mountains, but also for the snow leopards and the ungulates which make up its meals. We also look for traces of its presence in the middle of the afternoon, once we have settled in with the locals. We sleep in a room with an additional heater at bedtime. Breakfast and dinner are served in the homestay kitchen, at the locals' home, in the heated room.
We spend a full day exploring the surrounding area in search of snow leopards and the many other species that frequent these mountains.
The next day, we can alternate our time between searching for snow leopards and meeting villagers who live in close contact with carnivores. We can discuss their lifestyle, their knowledge and perception of the animal, and the potential conflicts they may experience with their livestock.
Mode of transfer/transport : by private vehicle
Transfer/transport duration : approximately 4.5 hours
Number of daily hours of walking : approximately 5 hours
Maximum altitude : approximately 4000 m
Meals : Breakfasts at home – Picnic lunches – Dinners at home
Accommodation : nights with locals

DAY 13: RETURN TO LEH
We spend the morning exploring the surrounding area in search of the panther and its prey.
Then we return for lunch, before taking the road back to Leh.
Mode of transfer/transport : private vehicle
Transfer/transportation duration : approximately 3 hours
Meals : Breakfast at the homestay – Lunch at the homestay – Dinner at the hotel
Accommodation : overnight stay at the hotel

DAY 14: LEH — DELHI
Flight from Leh to Delhi, weather permitting. The schedule remains flexible to accommodate any delays. Free time during these two days, with transit rooms available in Delhi on the last day, before transferring to the airport at the end of the day or evening for return flights to Europe.
NB: It is possible to do the Agra and Taj Mahal extension (see the extension section without adding a day to the program). Mode of transfer/transport : by private vehicle
Transfer/transportation duration : approximately 1 hour
Flight duration : approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
Final altitude : approximately 3500 m
Meals : breakfasts at the hotel – lunches at your leisure (not included) – dinners at your leisure (not included)
Accommodation : nights at the hotel

DAY 15: ARRIVAL IN EUROPE
Accommodation : free night (not included)

HIGHLIGHTS:-

Join a group of max 8 like-minded travellers on this set-departure journey

Privately guided and hosted by local specialists and skilled guides

Track the elusive snow leopard and learn more about its important conservation

Trek the Himalaya in search of other wildlife like the ibex and bharal