The Ladakh Photo Tour with Robert van Koesveld and Behzad Larry – astonishing mountains, peaceful oasis villages, hardy nomadic herders, historic Silk Road caravanserai, fascinating Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, tranquil lakes and friendly locals.
A fantastic opportunity to experience this peaceful Buddhist region in the Trans-Himalayas of north India, along with just a few photographers, at a pace that enables thoughtful images of people, culture, and landscape.
Type: Car based overland journey
Physical difficulty: Moderate
September 16 – September 29, 2023
Ladakh, India
Duration: 14 Days
Group Size: 8
US $8,995 per person
Introduction to Ladakh Photo Tour with Robert van Koesveld
As your plane approaches Leh, you will marvel at the beauty below – green oasis villages by the Indus River, nestled below the stark multi-colored mountains of the western edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and along the horizon, the snow-capped peaks reach into blue sky. We will be driving through these raw mountainous lands of the Trans-Himalayan region and meeting the friendly resilient people who have made it their home.
The people: For the last seventy years they have officially been called ‘Indians,’ though individually they may think of themselves as Ladakhi, or perhaps as a member of a particular remote village, nomadic community, ethnicity, culture, or religion. Over the millennia they have witnessed tribal migrations, invading empires, Silk Road merchants and their caravans, and modern versions of the Great Game. Now this marvellous mixture of people warmly greets ‘visitors’ and their cameras.
The land: In Ladakh we are actually traveling across the extraordinary ongoing dance of one continent sliding under the other. Ancient ocean beds and rivers are being lifted, cracked, and turned. Rivers of scree flow down from high mountain ridges, until countless small rocks eventually join the glacial rivers. A tranquil oasis village with orchards and fields may surprise us around the mountain bend. These are awesome places, with a natural poetry and sacredness. We can begin to understand the original human settlers developing animist beliefs and practices in response to such power and beauty.
The expedition: This is an expedition for curious travellers who love to interact with places, people, and cultures along the way. As photographers we will look for opportunities to make thoughtful images about this special place and about the people who live there. We will sleep in comfortable hotels, tents and village homes, and have tea with nomads, villagers and monks. We travel in comfortable cars so that each guest has a window seat and each car has a guide/interpreter. There is usually flexibility to stop for something interesting. Generally, the roads are quite good, though some stretches are unpaved or off-road, so be prepared for some bumpy bits every now and then.
The photographers: Robert and Behzad are experienced professional photographers who will support and assist you to make the images you seek. We’ll talk with you about your goals and coach individually, as well as providing short presentations along the way. People photography is a special interest of both of us, so we will work to create opportunities for portraits, aiming to work in groups of 2-3, with enough interpreters so that we can engage and collaborate with our subjects. There will also be plenty of opportunity to photograph the extraordinary landscape and we will seek out dawn and dusk light where helpful to our image making. Ladakh offers us amazing experiences and opportunities for thoughtful and unusual images.
Robert van Koesveld
Robert is a full-time photographer whose work reflects his life-time interest in cultural travel. Since retiring early from his psychotherapy practice in Perth, he has concentrated on photography, and travels extensively each year. Together with his wife, Libby Lloyd, he co-authored a photo book ‘Bhutan Heartland: Travels in the Land of the Thunder Dragon’, (Fremantle Press, 2010). His book ‘Geiko and Maiko of Kyoto’ (2016), in advance form, won the Australian Professional Photography Awards category of best Photo Book for 2015. Robert is interested in capturing ‘spirit of place’ and ‘people with presence’ in a cultural context. He has led photo tours to Bhutan, India, China and Japan. He has travelled three times to Ladakh and has carefully designed and researched this trip together with Behzad and his team. For more of Robert’s images, go to instagram @robertvankoesveldphotography
Behzad J. Larry
Behzad is a professional photographer, historian, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He specializes in documenting the remote reaches of the world. Through his travel photography he covers portraiture and landscapes in the high Himalayas, Central Asia, and the Tibetan Plateau. His favorite subjects are remote and difficult to get to, often requiring 4x4s, pack animals, and hiking.
Behzad has been featured frequently in travel magazines and has done travel features for both print and web.
Photography Matters:
The trip is designed for photographers, who will get good use of all photography gear from iPhone to DSLR and beyond. Non-photographers may enjoy the trip as well, especially if they have a plan for activities while others are photographing, eg meeting locals, writing, sketching or really looking. We can advise you more about options after you join the tour. We will offer individual photography coaching and some structured talks during the tour. Please bring some examples of your images and examples of other images you are interested in, so we can be clear about your goals. If you bring a laptop we can work on post-processing your images together, when time permits.
This itinerary can also be done as a private tour.
Ladakh Photo Tour
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 1: September 16 : Leh
1.After the spectacular scenery from the plane, you will be further delighted by the multicultural friendliness of Leh. For centuries Leh was thronged with Silk Road traders and now it is the peaceful capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Upon arrival, you will be met by your Tour Leaders and transferred to your very pleasant hotel. You are on the mountainous western edge of the Tibetan Plateau, so at 3,400m, it is very important that you acclimatize by resting today (even if you arrived the previous day). The hotel library has many books about the region and its fascinating history as an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet and Kashmir and between India and China. The main goods carried were salt, grain, pashmina wool (aka cashmere), charas (aka hashish), indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.
Overnight at the Grand Dragon Hotel.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 2: September 17 : Leh
2.Walking tour of Leh. Stretch your legs and continue to acclimatize on today’s guided tour of the old town of Leh, the Leh Palace, and Namgyal Tsemo, the beautiful 16th century monument to victory that crowns the central peak in Leh. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Grand Dragon Hotel.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 3 : September 18 : Lamayuru
3.After an early breakfast, we gently drive south to Thiksey gompa (monastery) to attend morning prayers. This is a beautiful and calming experience steeped in the tradition of the Gelugpa (yellow hat) order of Tibetan Buddhism, headed by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. The monastery, begun in 1630, features Ladakh’s most gorgeous image, a huge (and surprisingly modern) gilded statue of the Maitreya (Future Buddha). Afterwards we drive along the beautiful valley and admire Stakna gompa, towering above the meandering Indus River since 1580.
Following lunch, we drive west, still alongside the Indus, to Lamayuru gompa of the Drikung Kagyu (red hat) order. It’s an impressive cluster of buildings begun in the 11th century and housing over 150 monks and novices. Perched on a rocky outcrop amidst stunning landscape, it is surrounded by geological formations often compared to moonscapes. If the light cooperates at dusk, there might be some great opportunities to make some interesting images.
Overnight at the Moonland Hotel.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 4 : September 19 : Leh
4.Before breakfast we will either admire (and photograph) the sunrise or attend (and photograph) morning prayers, depending on prayer schedules.
Then after breakfast at our hotel, we’ll pack and drive back towards Leh. On the way, we’ll stop at Ladakh’s most treasured gompa, Alchi, to see the extraordinary images of Buddha’s life and teaching, exquisitely painted by Kashmiri artists on temple walls and statues around the 10th and 11th century. We have lunch in Nimo village at Nimmu House, now a stylish heritage hotel, built a century ago as the home of an aristocrat. By evening we will return to Leh.
Overnight at the LUNGMĀR Remote Camp.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 5,6,7 : September 20, 21, 22 : Nubra Valley
5,6,7.After driving north, we cross the Khardung La, at 5359m one of the highest motorable passes on earth. Then we descend into the famed Nubra Valley (around 3000m), overlooking the Ladakh Range, the Saltoro Range, and the high Karakorum Range.
Nubra is a melting pot of many cultures that infuse daily life in Ladakh: the Central Asian culture of Xinjiang (just across the mountains in China), the Muslim influences of Baltistan (now mostly in Pakistan), and the Buddhist history of Tibet (now in China). It is the perfect blend of landscapes and portraits for the photographer.
Using the village of Sumur as a base, we will explore Ladakhi culture, Silk Road history, and some of the impressive local monasteries. Over three days in Nubra valley, we will visit some remote villages, including Hunder and Diskit, explore the high-altitude sand dunes and the wooly Bactrian camels, and be in awe of the towering mountains around us.
We will make portraits in an old caravanserai, a remnant of the days of the Silk Road traders and their camels. Sumur and Teggar were the last major villages that Silk Road caravans encountered before crossing the Karakorum pass into the region known as Yarkand, south of Xinjiang in China. The area still has some fascinating traditional houses that we will visit. This is also a lesser frequented part of Nubra valley, so we will be off the beaten path and closer to the feel and look of the glorious history of the Silk Road.
Overnight at The Kesar
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 8 : September 23 : Leh
8.Crossing Wari La (5,200m) we return to Leh.
Free evening in Leh
Overnight at the LUNGMĀR Remote Camp.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 9,10,11,12 : September 24, 25, 26, 27 : Tso Moriri Lake & Nomads
9-12.After a relaxed breakfast, we drive to the village of Korzok, at 4500m, perhaps the village at the highest altitude in the world that is inhabited year-round. Korzok is nestled beside the stunning Tso Moriri and is one of the regional headquarters of the Changpa nomads.
The glorious landscape is home to families of pastoral nomadic Changpa who have reared pashmina goats and livestock in the region for millennia. Pastoral nomadism has played an important role in shaping world history. The periodic interaction, cooperation, and conflict between Central Asian nomadic tribes and the sedentary peoples who shared their borders, has played a critical role in the development of trade routes, the transfer of ideas between East and West, and the spread of technology across the world.
The Changthang is a high-altitude plateau that stretches 1600 km from southeastern Ladakh in India to northwestern Tibet in China, with altitudes averaging 4500m. The nomadic peoples who call this harsh land their home are called the Changpa (northern people). Their name comes from the region, which itself actually means the ‘western plains’, a name referring to the area’s location from the perspective of the former rulers living in Lhasa. The snow-melt and spring-fed meadows of the Changthang are delicate ecosystems that rely on winters with heavy snow to provide the moisture to grow grass in the spring.
Nomadic life is often romanticized, usually with images and words that imply freedom, wanderlust, and being beyond society’s obligations. In reality, their lives are harsh, difficult and dangerous. They follow migration routes that are centuries old, moving in between pastures and meadows that have been divided and assigned to different families. They walk the paths of their ancestors, moving herds of pashmina goats, sheep, yaks, and horses in cyclical journeys, season after season. Losing animals to predators like snow leopards, wolves and lynxes is a sobering reality. They camp in stone-walled structures called rebos and spend cold winter nights in canvas tents.
We camp besides the lake for two nights in Voygr’s comfortable mobile camps: canvas bell tents furnished with carpets, cots, great food and a mobile bar. Then we’ll move camp to be near the nomads for two more nights, aiming to engage with more than one nomad group.
Overnight in comfortable mobile camps by the lake.
Ladakh Photo Tour
DAY 13 : September 28 : Return to Leh
13.Crossing Taglangla La, at 5328m, one of the highest passes in Ladakh open to civilian traffic, we descend into the Indus valley. It’s about a five-hour drive to Leh if road conditions are good.
You can spend a free afternoon in Leh. Maybe you’ll visit the Central Asian Museum, wander the lanes of the bread-makers with their Tandoori ovens, or buy the perfect pashmina scarf or shawl, perhaps to wear at our final group dinner tonight.
Overnight at the Grand Dragon Hotel.
Ladakh with Robert van Koesveld
DAY 14 : September 29 : Fly Out
14.Fly to New Delhi. Or as organized privately.
Note: This is an ‘expedition’, so this itinerary is the plan. The actual tour may vary slightly due to weather, road conditions or other things beyond our control, or if new opportunities present themselves. Either way, we will ensure you get the best photographic tour that we can provide, and you will come away with fantastic images and memories that will last a lifetime.
Images From Previous Ladakh Photo Tours
The Grand Dragon Hotel, Leh
We have a long running partnership with the Grand Dragon Hotel in Leh. One of the first luxury hotels in Ladakh, it is owned and operated by the Abdu family from Leh, with over 40 years of experience welcoming visitors to this stunning region. It is decorated magnificently with handmade paintings by Gulam Mustafa (Ladakh’s first modern artist) and tasteful locally inspired decor.
The hotel is centrally heated and solar powered, not only ensuring warmth but also ensuring that it is eco-friendly. The attention to detail offered by the staff, coupled with the magnificent views, will guarantee you take back home sweet memories.
The LUNGMĀR Remote Camp
Hemmed in by jagged ridge-lines and snowy peaks, the LUNGMĀR is an exclusive remote camp isolated from the tourist trail. The entire camp celebrates the glorious heritage of the Great Silk Road. Local materials, used all over the camp, give a deep sense of place. Richly hued red and green rocks from its valley blend perfectly with carved local wood beams and roofs. The textures connect you to the great mountains that surround it – the workmanship to its neighboring communities.
Hand-embroidered throw pillows, Afghan killims, and downy duvets are paired with spectacular paintings by Nicholas Roerich, the acclaimed 19th century Russian painter who traveled the Silk Road in the 20s.
We will be the only guests here.
The Kesar, Nubra
Located amidst idyllic rolling farmland in beautiful Nubra valley, the Kesar is a small boutique farm-stay in the heart of Sumur village with 360º views of the surrounding mountains. The Kesar is a rustic family farm upgraded to provide a comfortable setting for photographers. It has a one acre organic farm and the best restaurant in Nubra with authentic silk-route experiences around.
The property is located on the ancient Silk Route between Xinjiang and Leh.
Voygr's Remote Camp
The Changthang
Voygr’s fully mobile camps are set up in the remotest regions of Ladakh with no infrastructure, but stunning landscapes and incredible photo opportunities, especially with nomadic groups.
Fully furnished tents include heaters, cots, side-tables, and comfortable linens or sleeping bags. A large plush carpeted central tent acts as a lounge with a full bar, while there are facilities available for camp showers along with camp toilets. Fine hand-woven rugs from Afghanistan, and beautifully hand-painted tables add luxury to the expedition camp. Tents can comfortably house two guests.
2022 Dates and Prices
Ladakh Photo Tour with Robert van Koesveld
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required for all bookings.
Full payment for tours are due 120 days before date of travel.
We have flexible terms & conditions specially in place because of the COVID pandemic.
See full booking terms & conditions.
September 16 – September 29, 2021
Start City : Leh, Ladakh, India. Airport code : IXL
End City : Leh, Ladakh, India. Airport code : IXL
Nearest international airport : New Delhi, India. Airport Code: DEL.
Travelers booking this itinerary must book flights from their home city to New Delhi and then on-wards to Leh, where the tour commences.
An internal flight between New Delhi and Leh is not included in this itinerary.
A hotel in New Delhi is not included in this itinerary.
Single supplement USD 1,300
What's Included & Excluded
Ladakh Photo Tour with Robert van Koesveld
What’s Included
- Robert van Koesveld and Behzad Larry as your expedition leaders
- Accommodation in the Grand Dragon Hotel in Leh with all meals, on twin-sharing. (Single extra.)
- Accommodation in our spacious custom heated tents, full down sleeping bags/duvets, and full board while camping.
- Accommodation at the Kesar in Nubra with full board.
- Accommodation at the LUNGMĀR in Shang with full board.
- All road journeys and airport transfers
- Pre-trip advice and briefing
- Group medical kit and oxygen cylinders for emergencies.
- Access to a Gamow Bag for high-altitude emergencies.
- All journeys with a window seat for each traveler in our jeeps/ 4x4s or other cars.
What’s Excluded
- Any flights
- Visa for India. We recommend using visa company Vdash.
- Travel insurance (required). We recommend GlobalRescue.
- Personal expenses such as alcoholic drinks, beverages, gifts, calls, laundry, hot showers, snacks, battery charging etc.
- All tips and gratuities while with the group (for service, staff, drivers, etc.) All fees for models are covered.
Altitude on the Ladakh Photo Tour
This tour does not require the guests to hike or trek. There is a normal amount of walking – from our car to peoples homes, slow walks around the center of Leh’s small old town, and just the average amount of walking one might do looking for the right angle for a landscape.
No strenuous exercise is required. However, all of Ladakh is at high altitude. With the lowest valleys at around 2,800 meters / 9,000 ft. Leh is situated at 10,500 ft and the highest part of the itinerary, the Changthang, is at 4,000 meters, around 13,000 ft. The itinerary is built for acclimatization. With the first 2 days in Leh. Day is is total rest and day 2 is light.
We're Experts At Altitude
Voygr’s team are part photographers and part mountaineers – one of the finest expedition crews on the planet. You’re in the best hands.
Your Expedition Crew Chief & main fixer, Abdul Rashid, has two decades of experience leading summit attempts on the world’s tallest mountains. He has also led several search and rescue operations on the world’s highest glaciers for the Indian Army and commercial mountaineering operations.
Our itineraries are built with acclimatization in mind and our staff is well trained to always monitor guests’ well being. Together, your team is well equipped to handle any emergency that pops up.
Voygr’s guests always have access to oxygen (in the hotel in Leh, in camp, in the car), in case they should need it along with pulse oxymeters to easily measure their blood oxygen content. We are also one of the few operators to own Gamow Bags, portable hyperbaric chambers that are an emergency apparatus that a patient suffering from high altitude sickness can be put in. We’ve never had to use it due to our excellent planning, but our staff drills with it regularly and many on our team have used it during much more high-altitude (17,000ft+) mountaineering expeditions.
Book Your Ladakh Photo Tour with Robert van Koesveld
Please submit the information requested below and we’ll get back to you quickly.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to book this tour.
Your Photo Expedition Team
Robert van Koesveld
Robert is an award-winning full-time photographer whose work reflects his life-time interest in cultural travel. Since retiring early from his psycho-therapy practice in Perth, he has concentrated on photography, and travels extensively. Robert co-authored (with wife Libby Lloyd) the photo…
Behzad J. Larry, FRGS, FRAS
Behzad Larry is a professional photographer, historian, and adventurer. An avid explorer, Behzad specializes in documenting the remote reaches of the world. Through his travel photography he covers wildlife, portraiture, and landscapes in the high Himalayas, Central Asia, and the…
Abdul Rashid
Abdul Rashid is a snow leopard specialist, mountaineer, photographer, and Voygr’s Himalayan expert. Originally from a small village in Nubra Valley by the Indo-Chinese border, he speaks 8 languages. Rashid has successfully helped clients summit the tallest peaks in Ladakh…
Testimonials for the Ladakh Photo Tour
Exceptional journeys get exceptional reviews.
5/5 stars from every guest that’s ever reviewed us.
My son and I spent 12 days with Behzad and team in Ladakh in June-July 2019. I am an experienced hiker and climber, but this was my first trip with a top-class tour company - and the experience was simply,…continue reading →
My wife and I were privileged join Voygr Expeditions' 14-day Ladakh Photography Tour Sept 29-Oct 12, 2019 very ably lead by Behzad, Rashid and travel photographer Robert Van Koesveld. Behzad and Rashid's warm, friendly approach, impressive regional knowledge and genuine…continue reading →
What a wonderful place is Ladakh. And thanks to Behzad Larry, Rashid, and Australian cultural photographer, Robert van Koesveld, we have seen the very best of it. Voygr – you are unique. You offer it all. So knowledgeable: history, geography,…continue reading →
I arranged a customised photography tour with Voygr in April 2018. This was the second tour I arranged them and I went the specific goal of capturing some great portraits of the Ladakhi people. I had high expectations and specific…continue reading →
I arranged a return tour with Voygr with high expectations from my first trip and had a really fantastic time again. This was a customised photography tour focussing on my interest in people photography, and visiting some remote areas in…continue reading →
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