Discover India's Little Tibet (Hemis Festival)

Our tour starts in Amritsar. The city is at the spiritual heart of the Sikh religion with its magnificent Golden Temple. For those arriving in time, our tour leader will meet us in the hotel reception at 4.30pm for a welcome meeting followed by a visit to the Golden Temple. Before we enter, we'll have to remove our shoes, wash our feet and cover our heads - please bring a headscarf or you can buy one outside of the temple. The Golden Temple itself is a surprisingly small building surrounded almost entirely by tanks of holy water in which the Sikh pilgrims bathe. The atmosphere is one of incredible calm with devotees taking turns to pass through the main shrine where there is a continuous and melodic recital (known as the Akhand Path) from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book. We'll also visit the nearby Jalianwala Gardens, the site of the notorious massacre under General Dyer in 1919 which led to 379 Sikhs being shot from point-blank range by British troops. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (ATQ), around a 30-minute drive from our hotel. If you'd like to join today's city tour, you'll need to arrive at the hotel before 4.30pm. If you're arranging your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least one hour to clear the airport, plus 30 minutes to arrive at the hotel. The latest your flight can arrive is 3pm. If you miss the welcome meeting, our tour leader will catch you up as soon as possible. Stay: Hotel Ritz Plaza (Comfortable)

Today we'll drive out of Amritsar and cross the plains of the Punjab before making our way up to the old British hill station of Dharamsala. Until 1959 this was a quiet unassuming town, but that changed when the Dalai Lama settled here after fleeing Tibet at the time of the Chinese invasion in October of that year. McLeodganj is the upper part of the town situated 500m above Lower Dharamsala and is the area with the greatest Tibetan influence. It's also where we'll base ourselves for our visit. On arrival, we'll have an orientation walk which includes the Church of St John in the Wilderness, the Buddhist Namgyal Monastery known locally as Little Lhasa, and the Kalachakra Temple. Stay: Hotel Shiva Sanctuary (Comfortable) (B)

We'll spend this morning in McLeodganj. If the Dalai Lama is giving one of his occasional public audiences, we might be lucky enough to be granted permission to attend. This afternoon is free for you to explore the town more at your own leisure. Alternatively, you might want to walk out to one of the temples in the surrounding hills, the closest being the Bhagsunath Temple with its small pool, attractive waterfall and spectacular views. Stay: Hotel Shiva Sanctuary (Comfortable) (B)

Leaving Dharamsala today, we'll continue to Mandi. Once an important town on the salt route to Tibet, Mandi is now a small temple town held sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. On arrival, we'll walk to see some of the 81 temples in the town, many of which are huddled on the banks of the Beas River. Stay: Hotel Regent Palms (Comfortable) (B)

Today we'll follow the Beas River north through the lovely Kulu Valley. A slight detour will take us up to the medieval Naggar Castle which overlooks the valley. Our destination is the picturesque town of Manali, surrounded by forests and mountains. Stay: Hotel Utopia (Comfortable) (B)

The day is free to explore the town and the many picturesque villages nearby. Our tour leader will also organise an optional half-day walk to some of the traditional villages to the north of Manali. Alternatively, you can also visit the Hadimba Devi Temple or Vashisht village on the other side of the Beas River. Later on, you might want to bargain for a colourful souvenir or two in the local bazaar. Stay: Hotel Utopia (Comfortable) (B)

Today we'll climb higher still as we travel from Manali to the small mountain village of Jespa. Our route takes us through the Atal tunnel, a newly constructed road that allows easier access to the region. The journey will take around three hours and we'll stop to visit the villages of Sissu and Tandi along the way. When we reach Jespa we'll explore the village and then relax for the rest of the day, allowing ourselves time to adjust to the gain in altitude. Stay: Hotel Ibex - Jespa (Comfortable) (B)

Jespa is a small village, home to less than 1000 people, and we'll spend today strolling around and getting to meet the local community. Surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery and set on the banks of a river it's a great spot to relax and acclimatise a little more. Stay: Hotel Ibex - Jespa (Comfortable) (B/D)

Today, we'll gradually travel higher as we head for Sarchu. We'll climb to the top of the Baralacha La Pass (4891m) and then descend to our campsite for the night. The large pre-erected tents are set up each summer when the Leh to Manali highway is open. They're fully equipped with beds and bedding and have ensuite toilet facilities. Stay: Sarchu Fixed Camp (Simple) (B/D)

We'll set off for the long drive to Leh this morning, winding our way up through the Gata loops, an amazing series of 21 hair-pin bends, before crossing the Tanglang La Pass at 5328m - the highest point of our journey. Leh was once a staging post on the Silk Road from China and is a small, picturesque town of about 8,000 people. Sited at 3500m, the summer days are dry and sunny, but nights can be cold. The people of this harsh land are Tibetan and have maintained their strong sense of tradition. On arrival in Leh, we'll take it easy and have a short orientation walk through the town. Stay: Sera Courtyard () (B)

Today we'll spend the day at the Hemis Festival, an annual celebration dedicated to the Lord Padmasambhava. Hemis Gompa, situated 48km outside Leh, is the largest and most important monastery in Ladakh, a treasure house of golden statues, gem-studded stupas, rare books and fine paintings of the Buddha. The festival opens early in the morning with the sound of traditional long horns and drums beating from the monastery. A mural of Lord Padmasambhava is then displayed for people to worship throughout the festival. The highlight is the masked dances, known as chhams, performed by monks and depicting good overcoming evil. This is one of the biggest festivals in Ladakh and draws in thousands of pilgrims. It's also a great opportunity to spend time with locals. Stay: Sera Courtyard () (B/D)

The predominant faith of the residents here is the Lamaistic form of Buddhism in Tibet. This is seen clearly in the monastery (gompa) architecture and by the extraordinary number of gods and demons that give order to the daily life of the community. Today we'll have a full day of sightseeing to visit the gompas of Thiksey, Taktak and Hemis. Hemis Gompa, situated some 48km outside Leh, is the largest and most important monastery in Ladakh, a treasure house of golden statues, gem-studded stupas, rare books, and fine paintings of the Buddha. Stay: Sera Courtyard () (B/D)

This morning there's the option to do some white water rafting on the Indus River (if water levels permit). Lifejackets are provided but we recommend that you're able to swim a minimum of 25 metres unaided. In the afternoon, we'll visit historic Alchi Gompa. Alchi is renowned for its magnificent Kashmiri Buddhist artwork which dates from an earlier period and is quite different from the other frescos in Ladakh. Stay: Hotel Zimskang (Simple) (B/D)

Today there are a few optional walks planned. The first takes us back across the river to Saspol, then up to the nearby Saspol caves with views across the Indus Valley. This afternoon, we can take a slightly longer and very scenic route back down to the Indus Valley after a visit to Rizong Gompa and the nearby nunnery where we might see the nuns sorting and toasting barley depending on the season. Stay: Hotel Zimskang (Simple) (B/L/D)

This spectacular walk is the last of our optional walks in the area and takes us up to Likir Gompa, which houses some beautiful murals and is guarded by a 10-metre golden Buddha (note, some might find this walk strenuous). There's also a small museum of religious artefacts to explore. This afternoon, we'll drive back to Leh, with the remainder of the afternoon left free. You might opt to walk to the Shankar Gompa, a small monastery that's home to an impressive Dukar figure (Avalokiteshvara), complete with 1000 arms, each holding a weapon, and 11 heads. There might also be time to visit the ruined 17\super th\nosupersub -century Old Palace, which clings, tier by tier, to the hillside above the town. Stay: Sera Courtyard () (B)

Today we'll take an early morning flight to Delhi and transfer to our hotel. After checking in we'll begin a city tour of some of the main sights of New and Old Delhi. The Indian capital is something of a phoenix rising again and again out of its own ruins. New Delhi was the creation of the British Raj in the 1930s and our tour will take us to the President's Palace, Lok Sabha (Parliament), India Gate and the Rajpath. We'll then continue to Old Delhi and its energetic hub - the Chandni Chowk Bazaar, a jamboree of deafening barter. A short cycle rickshaw will take us to the Jama Masjid Mosque and we'll pass by the Red Fort en route. Stay: The Suncourt Hotel Yatri (Comfortable) (B)

Our tour ends at our hotel in Delhi. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight leaves later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like a hotel transfer, you'll need to depart from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). (B)