Snow Leopards & Pallas Cats - Ladakh

Hemis National Park is renowned for its snow leopard sightings. After a successful decades long hunting ban, wildlife in the Park are much less fearful of humans than in other parts of the world. This means seeing wildlife like snow leopards and pallas cats is generally much higher. As high as a 95%.

Operators in Hemis National Park often work together to bring the best sightings to as many guests as possible, so you may share sightings with other groups. However, this drastically increases your chances of excellent sightings.

Sightings could be up to 1km away, but can be as close as 100m. This applies to other wildlife like pallas cats, wolves and Tibetan foxes.

If you're looking for more of an adventure and exploration whilst in search of the elusive snow leopard, take a look at our Kyrgyzstan expeditions. They are very remote and we are yet to share the Reserve with any other operators, giving our guests exclusive access to over 1,500km2 of wild, pristine wilderness.

Leh sits at around 3,500m, with our two main destinations in Ladakh sitting at around 4,000-4,500m. Acclimatisation is built into the itinerary to ensure guests have enough time to safely adapt to the conditions. On arrival in Leh, and the following day, you will have a 'reduced effort' itinerary which includes exploring the cultural sights of Leh and the surrounding areas for bird watching. This is a great way for guests to adapt to the altitude, as well as any travel fatigue. 

Most guests will experience a little bit of AMS, which may include headaches and tiredness, particularly when walking. However this is very normal. We encourage guests to drink plenty of water and get a good night's sleep. After a few days these symptoms generally subside. 

Our team is well practiced in dealing with altitude sickness and carry oxygen cylinders throughout the trip incase of emergency.

If you're concerned about the altitude, take a look at our Kyrgyzstan expedition which operates at lower altitudes.

You can take a look at the full expedition kit list here:

www.wildexpeditions.info/ladakh-kit-list

We’re always happy to provide further advice and recommendations.

This trip operates on a twin share basis. If you are a solo-traveller, you can either pay the single person supplement, or let us know that you’d be happy to share with another guest. We add single person supplement costs to your final invoice, so you don’t need to decide right away.

For our Leh trips, you’ll be able to check into your hotel by around 2pm on the first day. We’ll aim to have dinner as a team.

You can depart anytime after 11pm on the last day of the trip. However, a single night in a hotel is provided for you in Leh and most guests will travel by flight down to Delhi for onward travel. It is recommended to have a night in Delhi if you have booked your Leh→Delhi, Delhi→home flights with different airlines. Occasionally flights are disrupted in Leh due to adverse weather meaning you may miss your connecting flight.

You will be provided with all accommodation, food and transport from dinner on the first day of the trip, until dinner on day 12. Airport transfers to and from Leh Airport to your hotel are included.

Exclusions: visa costs, flights, personal expenses, tips for local staff, any costs outside the trip dates.

You will need to apply for a visa to enter India. You must check the requirements yourself before departure to ensure this is in place.

We recommend using a ‘visa broker’ to process your application on your behalf. While a little more expensive, the process is much more streamlined. We use ‘iVisa’, but there are other providers.

You are required to have travel insurance covering you for the duration of the trip and for all the activities you will be undertaking. This includes trekking/hiking up to 4,500m, as well as helicopter medical evacuation.

You will be asked to provide your insurance information closer to departure.

We strongly recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance as part of your cover as soon as you have booked one of our expeditions to protect against cancellations.

You don’t need to be super fit to join our expeditions!

You will need to be comfortable in transport for up to 6 hours at a time as some of our locations are very remote.

You do not need to be able to hike long distances at altitude. Walking is mostly optional, but it’s recommended to be able to walk 1-5km over uneven terrain to maximise your chances of sighting wildlife.

Our trips are remote so we need to make sure the trip is appropriate for you.

Upon booking, you will receive a medical form from us which needs to be completed fully and honestly. We review all medical forms thoroughly. Please ensure you're completely honest when completing the form. It doesn't necessarily follow that you cannot join us if you have a medical issue, but it may mean adapting elements of the trip, or ensuring we have appropriate medical supplies on site.

Tips for local staff are completely at your discretion. All our staff are paid fairly for their work. Tips are welcomed in either Indian Rupee or USD. Most guests will withdraw cash at ATMs in Leh before we depart for Hemis.

Giving tips at the end of your trip is a wonderful way of showing your gratitude for their hard work. If you plan to give tips, we can provide guidance on this, just get in touch.

We have a wealth of experience photographing and filming in our destinations. We’re currently developing a blog to give advice specific to snow leopards - check back here soon for more info!

Drone laws are complicated in India. At the time of writing (mid-2024), it is possible for tourists to bring drones weighing under 2kg into India without prior permissions or registration.

However, you are not allowed to fly above 50ft at any time. There are also military no fly zones throughout the Ladakh area given it's proximity to China. In addition, both Hanle and Hemis National Park are strict no fly zones to protect wildlife.

We therefore recommend that you do not bring a drone on your trip with us to Ladakh. There will be very few circumstances, if any, that flying will be possible.

More info can be found on DigitalSky, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

You will be offline for periods during the trip. You will have wifi in your hotel in Leh, but it may be slow. You can purchase a simcard at the airport, but coverage will be patchy, but should mostly serve in Hanle. In Hemis, there is access to the village wifi, although it is slow.