• July 3. Arrival / Meet at Delhi and gather near the designated Bus pick up point. We take an overnight Bus (6 PM) from Delhi to Manali, that arrives in Manali the next morning.
• July 4. Arrival at Manali, check in to the hotel. After lunch, explore the Vashistha area to photograph the hot springs and people around Manali’s holy area. We do last minute shopping at the extremely popular Manali Market and Overnight at our lodge in Manali.
• July 5. An early morning departure towards Rohtang pass, (13051 ft) - we spend ample time setting our expectations of the trip with respect to Landscape photography on this day. We have the flexibility to stop at any good location we find on the way to Jispa, where we spend our second night at 10890 ft.
• July 6. We start early to catch up with the piercing sun rays against glaciers and snow capped mountains. On the way we stop at Sarchu, to photograph the moon-scapes. This is the day where we can spot some Blue Sheep on the way to Tanglangla in the mountains. We might spot our first few himalayan marmots on this stretch as well. After a light lunch at Pang, we climb the Tanglangla Pass (17582 ft) the world’s second highest motorable road. After a quick break here at the top, we descend towards Ladakh, and reach Leh - also known as little tibet after a long days‘ photography and travel.
• July 7. Because of the gradual ascent towards the high altitude terrain, we should have got acclimatized. How ever, it is very important for us to test our bodies on this day by staying around near Leh, while we do short visits to Monasteries like Hemis, Thikse, Stok Palace. On this day - we understand the culture and heritage of leh while we spend time photographing strategic destinations and exploring opportunities. People photography and architecture of ladakhi culture is our prime subject on this day.
• July 8. While we are at the Indus Valley, it is needless to say we should experience the adrenaline rush that can occur while rafting over the legendary river. We take a small break from photography, while we wear our adventurous hat spending a few hours rafting on the rapids of river Indus. After a very tiring morning, we gather at the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers for lunch and then spend the rest of the evening in at the beatiful Shanti Stupa to catch the sunset from an elevation. If time permits, we would surely visit the Hall of Fame Museum by the Indian Army, understanding the heroics of our Army during the Kargil war.
• July 9. Early morning before the Army convoy ascends the hills, we reach the worlds highest motorable road at Khardung-la. At 18380 feet above sea level, one is on the top of world literally over here. We spend a few minutes on top relishing the feeling while we descend the mountain towards the Nubra Valley. The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and the Karakoram Ranges. Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th century, and is home to the Chamba Gompa. Between Hundar and Diskit lie several kilometres of sand dunes, and (two-humped) bactrian camels graze in the neighbouring "forests" of seabuckthorn. We spend the night at Hundar.
• July 10. After a morning photography session at the sanddunes and the Diskit monastery, we head back towards Khardung-la and reach Leh by lunch time. We have a free afternoon which can be utitlized for shopping at the famous Leh market, which is also a good spot for people photography and street photography.
• July 11. Trip to Pangong: We need to start early on this day in order to pass the Chang-la the third highest motorable road on earth. On the way to Pangong, we are sure to spot numerous landscape photo opportunities along with our share of the high altitude wildlife like Marmots and pika. If we are lucky we might spot the Woolly Hare and extremely lucky tourists have spotted extremely rare wildlife like the Lynx over here. We would be greeted with a lot of bird life like the Brown-headed gulls and if lucky the Black-necked Cranes. Pangong (14270 ft) is a huge lake, which is shared between India and China and is considered to one of the most picturesque locations. We learn to shoot panorama photographs of the lake here and also explore interesting subjects in landscape photography before we return to the little town of thikse.
• July 12. Tso-Moriri Our next journey is the legendary Tso-Moriri which is at an altitude of 15,075 ft. We reach Tso-Moriri by lunch time and spend the rest of the evening exploring photo opportunities while the sun sets the scenario ablaze. Tso-Moriri is a great place to learn interesting techniques of shooting stars and the trails. This is also a destination where abundant wildlife is present and we shall explore every possibility of getting close to the himalayan wildlife around here. This is the first destination where we are spending a night in such a high altitude.
• July 13. Tso-Kar - Leh: After a relaxing morning at Tso-Moriri and some photo opportunities of the first rays falling on the snow clad peaks, we travel towards Pang and then proceed towards Tso-Kar to spot numerous birds and wildlife around the lake. Tso-Kar is a tiny lake shrinking fast but abundant with a lot of bird life and one can also spot the red fox and himalayan wild ass around here. We repeat the journey from Tanglang la towards Leh and stay in Leh this night.
• July 14. Leh - Delhi flight, Trip ends.
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many participants are expected on this group tour?
  Most of our photography tours are engineered to provide ample attention to the participants. So lesser the number, easier for us to attend to every participant's requirement. You can expect a group of approximately 12 participants on this tour.
• How many participants are expected to share a car?
  We know the amount of equipment each participant can bring along. Hence, every transport car accommodates a maximum of 4 participants providing ample space for equipments and viewing.
• Why are your tours priced higher?
  We believe in quality over quantity. Firstly we do not accommodate a crowd of 30-40 people on our tours, and also our pricing is based on just two participants in a room (unless mentioned) and each transport/safari cars accommodating a maximum of 4 participants. You are accompanied by the best in class photographers and guides at high class hotels and lodges not compromising on the over all quality of your experience. We do believe you will forget the slight increase in expenditure very soon, what you will not forget is your experience with toehold.
• How different are tours and photo tours?
  Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places some times they havent even experienced themselves, Photo Tours are innovative ways to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. Most of our photo tours are fun with a lot of learning and knowledge sharing. More over, your group consisits of photography enthusiasts only making your experience more focused.
• Refund/Cancellation Policy:
  • 1. 15% : between 30-45 days from date of departure
  • 2. 50% : between 7-30 days from date of departures
  • 3. 90% : between 2-7 days from the date of departure
  • 4. No Refund within 48 hours from date of departure
• Terms & conditions
  
  • 1. Participation confirmation given only on submission of Fitness/Medical Certificate
  • 2. Please consult your doctor about personalised medication for high altitude terrains
  • 3. Participants who have a medical history of Blood Pressure, Heart related problems or Asthma are advised to seek medical advice before enrolling for this eco-tour.
  • 4. Fitness to complete the safari and eco-tour is the only criterion for participation.
  • 5. We reserve the right to take photographs or videos during the operation of any expedition or part thereof and to use the resulting photography for promotional purposes. By booking a reservation with Toehold Travel & Photography Pvt. Ltd, tour members agree to allow their images to be used in such photography. Travelers who prefer that their image not be used are asked to identify themselves to their tour leader at the commencement of their trip.
  • 6. Toehold Travel & Photography Pvt Ltd. shall not be responsible for injuries, damages, or losses caused to any traveler in connection with terrorist activities, social or labor unrest, mechanical or construction failures or difficulties, diseases, local laws, climatic conditions, abnormal conditions or developments, or any other actions, omissions, or conditions outside the travel agent's control.
  • 7. All clients traveling with Toehold Travel & Photography Pvt Ltd. must complete and sign a reservation form and the "Release of Liability, Assumption of Risk & Arbitration Agreement" form.