India Snow Leopard Safari
A Customizable Trip to India — 15 Days / 14 Nights
Highlights
The Mountain Kingdom of the Snow Leopard
In the Himalayas, our safari will take place on the otherworldly Ladakh Plateau, and we will focus our efforts on the Snow Leopard, Pallas Cat and the Siberian Lynx. With some luck, we’ll also see other Himalayan specialities like the Tibetan Wolf, Blue Sheep, Ladakh Urial, Red Fox, Mountain Weasel, and Large-eared Pika.
About this Safari
This is a sample itinerary – for inspiration only
The actual trips are either full/or already been conducted
THE HIGH HIMALAYAS – INDIA’S INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE
We fly from Delhi to Leh, the ancient capital of the Ladakhi Kingdom, situated at a height of 3,500 m with a stunning 16th-century palace in the background. The drastic altitudinal gain from Delhi requires complete acclimatisation to adapt to the new height.
After acclimatising in Leh for two nights with limited activity, we set off eastward toward the village of Hanle, which serves as the base for exploring the marshlands and the expansive Tibetan plateau within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. The rugged rocky outcrops here offer ideal vantage points for spotting one of the world’s smallest wild cats, the elusive Pallas’s cat, along with a wide variety of bird and mammal species that inhabit this area.
Later, we drive to Hemis National Park in our quest for the Snow Leopard. Since Snow Leopards are generally found at elevations between 3 350 and 4,500 m, this epic adventure takes us through stunning Himalayan alpine and sub-alpine zones with sparse vegetation and extreme temperatures. Accompanying us are expert local guides whose expertise in this terrain and their innate training to detect the minutest evidence, such as pugmarks, scrapes, and scats, to track this elusive cat are unmatched. While we search for the cat, we will also explore these mountains for other unique mammals found here, including the Tibetan Wolf, Blue Sheep, Ladakh Urial, Red Fox, Siberian Lynx, Mountain Weasel, and Large-eared Pika. Birdlife is scarce in this harsh environment. The common raptors you can expect to see soaring in the sky are the Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, and Himalayan Griffon.
After our time in Hemis National Park, we return to Leh for a two-night stay, during which we make a day trip to Wari-La Pass in search of Lynx and other wildlife, a two-hour drive one way. Situated at 5312m, it is a high-altitude mountain pass connecting Leh to the renowned Nubra Valley. This is a fantastic Lynx habitat.
SANGEETA SAHAYA
Snow Leopards, Tigers, Red Pandas & More
You’ve heard that old adage “Once Bitten Twice Shy?” Well, that’s not our motto at all.
Anytime we get bitten (by the wildlife bug) that only makes us Twice As Curious, and ever more eager to explore our natural world.
This is the spirit in which we have designed this unique 3-pronged safari that will hopefully bring us into proximity with several of the most elusive animals of the Indian sub-continent.
Section 1: The Mountain Kingdom of the Snow Leopard In the Himalayas, our safari will take place on the other-worldly Ladakh Plateau, and we will focus our efforts on the Snow Leopard, Pallas Cat and the Siberian Lynx. With some luck, we’ll also see other Himalayan specialties like the Tibetan Wolf, Blue Sheep, Ladakh Urial, Red Fox, Mountain Weasel, and Large-eared Pika.
Section 2: The Jungle Kingdom of the Bengal Tiger In the dappled jungles of Central India, we’ll shift our focus onto the Royal Bengal Tiger, whilst also keeping a sharp eye out for the Sloth Bear, Indian Wild Dogs (dholes) and Leopards, Jungle Cat, Golden Jackal, Striped Hyena all manner of herbivores, including the majestic (and enormous) Indian Gaur.
Section 3: The Misty Mountains of the Red Panda & Sipping Tea in Darjeeling The last wildlife leg of this epic trip will take us on a Red Panda quest to the eastern part of the great Himalayan Range, where in addition to this unique Aluridae, we also hope to see yellow-throated marten, Blood Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, and on clear days, four of the world’s five highest peaks, including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kangchenjunga. This trip has been designed in such a way that you can join us for any of Sections 1, 2 and 3 – or do the whole trifecta, if you have the time. Each leg has been priced separately.
I can’t wait to go on this one myself! Join me if you can. – Sangeeta
Dates: February 17 to March 03, 2026
Price: The 15-day Snow Leopard Expedition on a twin-sharing room basis costs USD 8740 per person.
Rates
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 01: Arrive in Delhi
Arrive at IGI Delhi airport: complete customs and immigration formalities and exit to the…
Day 02: Fly Delhi to Leh
Arrive in Leh and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is spent leisurely…
Day 03: Leh
We start the day at the crack of dawn to attend the prayer ceremony at Thiksey Monastery. This is a…
Day 04: Leh to Hanle
The drive along the Indus River will offer stunning landscapes and wilderness. This is a significant travel day as you traverse the length of…
Day 05: Hanle
We will spend the full day in Hanle searching for Pallas’s Cat with our…
Day 06: Hanle to Rumbak
We drive to Rumbak (approximately 6-7 hours’ drive), crossing the Spituk Bridge to reach Zingchen Village. As we continue driving through the…
Day 07 to 11: Rumbak (Hemis National Park)
The next five days will be spent in the surrounding valleys of Husing, Tarbung, and the Rumbak area. During these days, we will…
Day 12: Rumbak to Leh
After breakfast, we bid farewell to our lodge staff and spotters for the drive back to Leh, scanning for signs of wildlife along the way…
Day 13: Leh (Wari-La Pass day trip)
After an early breakfast, we depart for Wari-La Pass, a scenic drive of approximately two hours. We spend the day exploring the…
Day 14: Fly Leh to Delhi
In time, transfer to the airport to board the flight back to Delhi. Fly Leh to Delhi by…
Day 15: Departure
Those participating in the Central India Tiger Safari extension will be transferred to…
This is a condensed overview of the journey.
Request the full itineraryInclusions & Notes
Details of Rates
Inclusions:
- Accommodation for 14 nights on Snow Leopard Expedition on twin sharing room basis: inclusive of all applicable taxes at the time of quoting
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary as B, L, D (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
- Airfare for Delhi/Leh/Delhi sectors in economy class with an extra 10 kilo luggage
- All transfers by private Toyota MUVs
- Accompanying WWI guide throughout the tour
- Service of an English-speaking local guides/ naturalist & trackers: inclusive of guiding fees and park entry fees payable
- All necessary permits and permissions
- Applicable camera fee
- Community Fee at Ladakh
- Assistance on arrival and departure at each destination
- Government service tax
Exclusions:
- Any expenses of personal nature such as laundry, aerated drinks etc.
- Personal clothing during the trek, emergency evacuation
- Meals are not included in the cost unless specified in the inclusions
- Tips/ gratuities paid to naturalists, drivers, and staff members accompanying you on the expedition
- Cost incurred in obtaining visa, insurance etc.
- Cost incurred in case of hospitalization, evacuation etc
Tour Accommodation
Map
Best Months to Visit
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Questions about the snow leopard expedition
Where in the Himalayas does the search for snow leopards take place?
On the Ladakh Plateau. After flying Delhi to Leh you head east to the village of Hanle, a base for the marshlands and Tibetan plateau within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, then on to Hemis National Park for the main snow leopard search. A later day trip from Leh takes you to Wari-La Pass, roughly two hours each way, which is good lynx habitat.
How does the itinerary handle the altitude?
Carefully, because the gain from Delhi is abrupt. Leh sits at 3,500 metres and the first two nights there are given over to acclimatisation with deliberately limited activity before you go higher. Snow leopards are generally found between 3,350 and 4,500 metres, and Wari-La Pass stands at 5,312 metres, so the pacing at the start matters.
What else might we see besides the snow leopard?
The trip also targets Pallas's cat, which the rocky outcrops around Hanle are well suited to, and Siberian lynx. With luck you may also find Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, Ladakh urial, red fox, mountain weasel and large-eared pika. Birdlife is sparse in this environment, though golden eagle, lammergeier and Himalayan griffon are the raptors most often seen overhead.
Can this be combined with the tiger and red panda trips?
It can. This is the first of three sections in a wider Indian wildlife journey, followed by Bengal tigers in central India and red pandas in the eastern Himalaya. Each leg is priced separately, so you can take one, two or all three depending on how much time you have. We are happy to sequence them for you.
Are the dates shown fixed?
The itinerary published here is a sample for inspiration, as those particular departures have either run already or are full. It is a fifteen-day, fourteen-night programme with February and March the prime months, from US$8,740 per person. Get in touch and we will work up dates and costs for a departure that suits you.