Summer treks and tours

Walk this way – summer treks and tours in the Himalayas

May is National Walking Month so it’s the ideal time to dust off your walking boots and get out and enjoy all those fabulous walks or to plan ahead for your next walking or trekking holiday. When you visit the Himalayas, there’s a wide choice of treks suitable for all ages and fitness levels, from short easy routes suitable for beginners, first time trekkers and young families to more challenging longer routes for experienced trekkers looking to challenge themselves or explore lesser visited off the beaten track regions.

Summer trekking in the Himalayas 

From May onwards in most of the Himalayan regions, temperatures are rising leading up to the summer monsoon (rainy) season. Whilst the rains mean it’s not an ideal time for many of the trekking routes in Nepal or Bhutan, the summer months are the perfect time to visit Tibet and to explore Ladakh in the Indian Himalaya which due to their altitude aren’t affected by the rains and offer ideal trekking and tour conditions from April to September. Tibet and Ladakh are both high altitude regions with plenty to enjoy, from stunning and unique landscapes to great trekking routes, ancient monasteries and temples, high altitude lakes, unique traditions, rich local culture and a few surprises too.

Trekking in Ladakh 

Ladakh in the western Himalayan region of India, is a fantastic summer trekking destination with a wide variety of exciting and beautiful trek routes, from just a few days to a few weeks.

The best time for trekking in Ladakh

The best time for trekking in Ladakh is from May to end of September/early October. There are a few routes that are only suitable from July, due to the snowfall on the high mountain passes and just a few that are possible in winter from January to March.

Summer treks in Ladakh

One of the most popular treks in Ladakh is the Markha Valley trek in the beautiful Hemis National Park. The trek itself takes around 8 days to complete, and you can expect stunning mountain scenery, rich local wildlife and traditional remote villages. You’ll cross high mountain passes, meet local people en route, have a chance to experience a homestay and learn more about traditional local life.

Another great trek in Ladakh is the Phyang to Hunder trek. This short trekking route takes around 5 days for the trek and connects the Indus valley and the Nubra Valley and follows part of the ancient Silk Road trade route. This is a more off the beaten track route and even in summer you can expect snow and ice at the high mountain pass of Lasermo La, from where you’ll have wonderful surrounding views of the Karakoram mountain range.

A great short trek suitable for families is the Sham Valley trek, with great views and relatively low altitudes for Ladakh, just under 4000m. This route takes you through small villages where you can experience traditional local culture and lifestyles.

Another trekking option is the Lamayuru to Alchi trek in western Ladakh. This region is famous for its ancient monasteries but also a great trekking destination. This is a more challenging short trek of around 5 days and crosses two high altitude passes but offers striking mountain views.

These are just a few summer trekking options for Ladakh. The treks themselves are fantastic but when in Ladakh, there are also plenty of other highlights to enjoy before and after your trek, including exploring the beautiful Nubra Valley, taking the opportunity of riding a Bactrian (double humped) camel at Hunder Sand Dunes and visiting ancient monasteries as well as spending time in Leh, the capital of Ladakh and we normally include those in your itinerary so you really experience the very best of Ladakh when you visit.

Trekking in Tibet

Tibet is another great summer destination and offers some interesting trekking options such as the Ganden to Samye trek and the Kailash Manasarovar trek where you’ll trek to some of the most important and revered pilgrimage sites in Asia.

The best time to visit Tibet

The best time to visit Tibet generally is from April to end of September and during these times you'll have the best conditions, clear views and comfortable temperatures.

Summer tours in the Himalayas 

You don’t need to trek to enjoy the Himalayas. A guided tour will ensure you visit key sites and get to explore and experience some of the lesser-known charms, with only some short easy walks, for example when exploring some of the monasteries, visiting markets and villages and historic sites.

Cultural tours in Ladakh 

A cultural tour in Ladakh will allow you to explore key sites such as the ancient monasteries of Hemis, Thiksey, Alchi and others. Travel the highest motorable road in the world, crossing the high Khardung La mountain pass. See gravity defied at Magnetic Hill – you have to be there to experience it! Follow the ancient Silk Route and visit beautiful Nubra Valley. Visit ancient monuments, see stunning works of art, explore holy lakes, beautiful deserts and traditional villages. A visit here means beautiful and unique landscapes of the Western Himalaya from beautiful deserts to lush valleys and stark unique mountain scapes. Take a look at our featured Hidden Treasures of Ladakh guided tour as an example or Contact Us and ask about a tailor-made itinerary.

Motorcycle tours

For something different, how about a motorcycle tour of Ladakh for an unforgettable journey? Travel through beautiful, varied and remote landscapes, cross 4 high altitude Himalayan mountain passe, ride to the top of the Khardung La (5604m), the highest motorable mountain pass in the world, travel on iconic Royal Enfield Himalayan motorbikes (bikes provided), visit key cultural and spiritual sites in Delhi and Ladakh, ride through the stunning Spiti Valley and enjoy amazing views across the Indus Valley and Zanskar range, including snow-capped Himalayan peaks, high altitude lakes, lofty glaciers, lush valleys, high altitude villages, mountain forts and ancient palaces and monasteries. Find out more about our Ladakh Trans Himalayn Motorcycle Tour here. 

Cultural tours in Tibet

Tibet is another fantastic summer destinations with great options for cultural tours such as our Forbidden Cities Journey to Lhasa Tour. From a few days in the capital Lhasa, visiting key sites such as the Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lamas as well as ancient Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar to longer tours to visit beautiful Namtso Lake or even travelling across the roof of the world to visit key cultural and spiritual sites such as Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, there are plenty of options to enjoy. Travel from Kathmandu in Nepal or from China, fly one way and travel overland on your return journey or vice versa.

Visit Everest Base Camp from Tibet

Everest from Tibet is one of our classic overland tours in Tibet. The Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal is one of the most popular treks in the world and a bucket list experience for many. But did you know you can also visit Everest Base Camp from Tibet and enjoy (dare we say it!) even better close up views, without the trek? On this overland tour you begin with a few days in Lhasa before travelling on into the heart of Tibet and across the roof of the world, stopping at key sites en route, to reach Everest Base Camp where you’ll have fantastic view of the north and east sides of the world’s highest peak.

The world’s highest train journey

For another unique experience and memorable start to your journey to Tibet, let the train take the strain. Travel on the highest train in the world to reach Lhasa. The full journey starts from Beijing in China (other start points in China are also available) and takes several days but a good option to shorten the journey and still enjoy the high altitude train experience is by flying from Beijing to Xining and boarding the train there to travel on across the Tibetan Plateau. Enjoy stunning and varied views and landcapes from the train before continuing your Tibet tour overland from Lhasa.

Find out more

If you’re interested in your own summer adventure in the Himalayas, take a look at some of our featured treks and tours in Ladakh (India) or our featured treks and tours in Tibet. All our featured treks and tours can be booked as featured or can be customised to more closely match your requirements and are run as either private trips (choose your own dates of travel) or small group trips (travel on published trip dates with a maximum of 12 per group).

Tailor Made Travel

All of our featured trips can be customised to more closely match your requirements and preferences or if you prefer something more bespoke, get in touch and ask about our tailor-made travel service and we’ll design a bespoke Himalayan trekking or Himalayan tour itinerary just for you, based on your interests, time and budget.

It’s easy to get in touch – find all the details here.