It is important to arrive in Delhi the day before, as the flight to Leh leaves early in the morning.

Early flight from Delhi to Leh, one of the most spectacular landings in the world, between the peaks of the Himalaya.

We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Leh sits at 3,500 metres, so today is for resting.

The first 24 hours are key to acclimatising well for the rest of the trip.

Ginger tea, plenty of water and a short walk, nothing more.

Accommodation: Chospa Hotel, Leh.

A gentle day without leaving town, still acclimatising.

We will explore the bazaar and the old town, and climb up to Leh Palace, the nine-storey former royal residence that has overlooked the valley since the 17th century.

In the afternoon, our first photo session in the golden light: sunset from Shanti Stupa, with the whole town and the Indus Valley at our feet.

Accommodation: Chospa Hotel, Leh.

An early start following the Indus westwards.

First stop at Basgo, a mud-brick fortress on a hilltop that was once the capital of Ladakh and still holds temples with great statues of Maitreya.

We continue to the valley of the Brokpa (4–5 h in total), a community of Indo-Aryan origin with its own language, Brokskat.

The women wear unique headdresses adorned with flowers, silver coins and feathers.

An afternoon to explore the village and make our first portraits, always with respect and without hurry.

Accommodation: Aryan Valley Camp, Hanu

Morning light among the Brokpa apricot orchards, then on to Tingmosgang (about 3 h), a village crowned by an ancient palace-monastery.

In the afternoon we head up to Lamayuru (2 h round trip), one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh, set above the so-called "moonland": eroded clay formations that turn ochre and gold at sunset.

We will photograph the monastery silhouetted against them in the last light.

Accommodation: Namra Hotel, Tingmosgang

Today we enter Zanskar on the new road that follows the river canyon, a 5–6 hour drive between walls of rock and turquoise meanders.

Arrival in Padum, the capital of Zanskar, at around 3,600 metres and surrounded by mountains on every side.

Accommodation: The Zurfish Hotel, Padum

A day to discover life in the valley (3–4 h): whitewashed villages, barley fields, chortens and the people of Zanskar going about their daily lives.

The rest of the time is free to rest or edit.

Accommodation: The Zurfish Hotel, Padum

The great day of Zanskar.

We travel up the Lungnak Valley to Phugtal and finish on foot, with a walk of about 20 minutes.

Built in the early 12th century around a natural cave, the monastery hangs from the cliff like a honeycomb, at 3,850 metres, above the turquoise waters of the Tsarap River.

Its name means "cave of liberation", as the cave was a retreat for meditators long before its walls were built.

We will visit the monastery and its monks, and return to Padum in the afternoon (6–7 h in total).

Accommodation: The Zurfish Hotel, Padum

We leave Zanskar following the river (5–6 h).

On the way we stop in Chilling, a village famous for its metalworkers, who for centuries have handcrafted copper, brass and silver for homes and monasteries across the region.

Arrival in Shey, the former summer capital of the kings of Ladakh, in the heart of the Indus Valley.

Accommodation: The Driftwood, Shey

Before dawn we climb up to Thiksey Monastery for the morning puja: monks blowing long horns from the rooftops, incense, and light pouring into the prayer hall.

One of the most photogenic scenes in Ladakh.

Then we head south towards the Changthang (5–6 h).

Along the way we will stop at nomad camps and settlements.

Arrival in Korzok, on the shores of Tso Moriri.

Accommodation: Kailash House, Korzok

At 4,595 metres, Korzok is one of the highest permanent settlements in the world.

Below it lies Tso Moriri, a sacred lake of about 120 km², protected as a Ramsar wetland, where migratory birds such as the bar-headed goose nest.

A day for the lake at sunrise and sunset, Korzok Monastery (Drukpa lineage, around 300 years old) and the Changpa, semi-nomadic herders of yaks and pashmina goats.

And at night, if the sky allows, the Milky Way over the lake.

Accommodation: Kailash House, Korzok

Return to Leh (about 6 h) following the course of the Indus.

Free afternoon for last-minute shopping in the bazaar and farewell dinner.

Accommodation: Chospa Hotel, Leh

Transfer to Leh airport for the flight to Delhi, arriving around midday.

Book your international return flight for the evening (from 18:00 onwards), or better still, an overnight departure, as flights from Leh depend on the weather and can be delayed.