Which Snow Leopard Tracking Tour: India, Mongolia or Kyrgyzstan?

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Each of these countries has its own pros and cons. This article covers general snow leopard tracking tours. That is, where seeing a snow leopard is the main goal. If you are looking for specific information on a snow leopard photo tour, refer to our extensive article – Snow Leopard Photo Tour : Detailed Planning Information.

There is also information on types of tours run by other companies – at various price-points.

We believe that the right type of snow leopard tourism holds great power to positively transform remote communities. It can provide the snow leopard with a fighting chance at survival.

Whichever operator you choose, make sure they prioritize conservation and local employment. They should also strictly prohibit baiting snow leopards using domestic animals.

Continue reading to learn which destination is best for you. We discuss everything from altitude, to transport, to toilets and showers, to food.

This is the most extensive information on snow leopard tracking tours anywhere on the internet. If you have any questions – we’d love to answer them. Just send us an email.

Ladakh, in the northernmost part of India, is an achingly beautiful region dominated by vast mountain ranges. Geographically, it is hemmed in the East by the Tibetan plateau. By the towering Karakorum Range in the North and North-West. The Great Himalayan Range cuts it off from the rest of India in the South and South-West. Ladakh sits in prime high-altitude snow leopard habitat. The region has rich Tibetan Buddhist and Muslim heritage. Several stunning medieval Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are featured on both our Signature Snow Leopard Expedition to Ladakh and Classic Snow Leopard Tour to Ladakh itineraries. We will also have several wonderful engagements with local communities. The chances of seeing a snow leopard are extremely good.

Mongolia evokes images of the vast steppe and open grasslands. However, much of the country is superlative snow leopard habitat. Mongolia has the second highest population of snow leopards in the world. Our snow leopard tour to Mongolia is based in the Altai Mountains in the West where Mongolia, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan come together. This tour spends some time with the traditional Kazakh Eagle Hunters, as well as remote Mongolian nomads to give you an authentic understanding of life in Mongolia. The region of Khovd, where much of the tour is based, has 19 ethnic groups. Mongolia is lower in altitude. The chances of seeing a snow leopard are good, but not as good as Ladakh.

Kyrgyzstan, land-locked and in the heart of Central Asia, is dominated by perfect snow leopard landscapes. We will search for them in the Tien Shan Range. The phenomenal mountain landscapes and steppes of Kyrgyzstan lend themselves really well for nature focused travel in supremely beautiful areas. Kyrgyz hospitality, like its neighbors, is famed. Nomadic and semi-nomadic communities can be found in small settlements across the Tien Shan Range. On our snow leopard expedition to Kyrgyzstan, we will also get to engage with locals, including traditional communities that use Golden Eagles to help with hunting. Altitudes are between Ladakh and Mongolia, but closer to Ladakh. Chances of seeing a snow leopard are good but not as great as Ladakh.

Tajikistan, dominated by the High Pamir Range, is the heart of Asia. Mighty mountain ranges sweep away in all directions from this tangled core. Towards the east, the main Himalayas dip, swell, and burst into the Tibetan plateau, with the Kun Lun coming in from the north and the jagged spires of the Karakorum buried between. From the north-east, the Tian Shan, the Heavenly Mountains, rise white and glittering over the empty steppe and cold deserts. From the south-west, comes the formidable Hindu Kush.

This is ideal snow leopard landscape. Vast interconnected mountain systems, low human population densities, strong prey-bases, and incredibly hospitable remote communities make our Snow Leopard Trip to Tajikistan an incredible journey. This journey also plays an important conservation role. Voygr is working with communities in Tajikistan to develop environmentally friendly and ethically fair tourism that can replace trophy hunting. Every guest that travels on this trip is an ambassador for type of fair and regenerative tourism we want to support here. Your participation directly supports these efforts.

Here we compare various factors such as altitude, location, climate, mammalian species, accommodations, food, and facilities.

Our snow leopard trips are not the only ones in the market. There are actually several options available – these range vastly in comfort and price. So here’s a general understanding of what else is out there so you can make an informed decision. Our tour prices vary according to the expedition leader’s skill sets. They are the best value for money. This is because our camps are as comfortable as possible and we prioritize using the best trackers in the world.

These range anywhere from $4,000 to $7,000. Most of these end up being tours run by western companies that repackage budget tours with some value adds such as an English speaking naturalists, or Western tour guides, They add stays on either end in Delhi, and sometimes add domestic flights to the package. These tours invariably still end up using the same single eye-piece scopes and the same 1 or 2 spotters and stay at the same homestays, lodges, or camps as the budget tours. The hotel choice in Leh is generally nicer.

In Mongolia, the snow leopard tracking tour landscape is a bit different from Ladakh. Though staffed, operated, and run by Mongolian tour operators, the tours are primarily marketed by Western companies specializing in nature. Birding companies are specially active in this area as Mongolia has a lot of endemic species that are on many birders’ lists. British nature tour operators are dominant here. Pricing is usually between $6,000-$8,000 per person for two week trips. The snow leopard tracking industry is nascent in Mongolia. Most companies rely on entrepreneurial herders with keen eyesight to help track snow leopards and other wildlife. Shepherds and nomads are practiced in the art of searching for wildlife, primarily to protect their flocks. Especially predators. Our tours here are similarly priced, but differ in two major aspects from the rest of the operators. We supplement local trackers with our professional trackers from Ladakh and we provide local trackers with our own scopes. Swapping their outdated soviet binoculars with state of the art Swarovski scopes itself makes a huge difference.

We operate the only snow leopard trips in Tajikistan using full-time professional snow leopard spotters. We supplement local ranger teams that specialize in high mountain ungulates with our professional snow leopard spotters from Ladakh. The local rangers teams are well experienced in tracking and spotting, but their years of training are primarily focused on trophy hunting for ibex, markhor, and argali – not on snow leopards. We’re working on training programs to widen their skills through our professional spotters. Other tours generally ranges from $2,000 to $7,000.

We’re the only actual snow leopard tracking tour operator in Kyrgyzstan. All other tours in Kyrgyzstan that mention snow leopards have little chance of seeing them. They are science based expeditions that are led by researchers. Guests have great opportunities to participate in citizen science. They do surveys in the field, place camera traps to help with population counts. They are great experiences to see Kyrgyz nature and assist with research. There are no professional snow leopard trackers or spotters on these trips. Pricing varies widely from $2,000 to $7,000 per person.