As a historical crossroads for Silk Road merchants and traders, Ladakh, India, boasts a rich cultural heritage and vibrant art scene. The region's art is profoundly influenced by its Tibetan Buddhist culture, beautifully expressed in thangka paintings, monastery murals, and statues in sacred sites like Hemis, Thiksey, and Alchi. These works of devotion and artistry, alongside Ladakhi stupas and traditional weaving, reflect the region’s deep spirituality and cultural identity. Beyond religious art, Ladakh's textiles and handicrafts, like pashmina shawls and yak wool items, preserve its heritage amidst modern changes.
This immersive journey invites participants to explore Ladakh's artistic legacy while also creating their own art, inspired by stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Through visits to temples, palaces, and bustling bazaars, travelers will connect with local painters, weavers, and designers, gaining insights into this remarkable cultural heritage.
Ample time will be set aside for you to create your own art, inspired by this unique and enchanting landscape.
Celebrate the holidays and our 15th anniversary with a holiday season exclusive deal. Take $150 off if you book this trip by January 31, 2025, Enter discount code "15YearCelebration" at payment link.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS are below, click on ITINERARY to see all the details.
Through Global Family Travels' Learn, Serve & Immerse travel pillars, we have designed a journey of cultural experiences that dive deep into the invites participants to explore Ladakh's artistic legacy while also creating their own art, inspired by stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Through visits to temples, palaces, and bustling bazaars, travelers will connect with local painters, weavers, and designers, gaining insights into this remarkable cultural heritage.
LEARN
On this trip to Ladakh, you’ll delve deep into the region’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. From the historic Leh Palace to the Ladakh Arts and Media Organization (LAMO), you’ll explore the unique blend of Buddhist and Islamic influences that define the local culture. Through visits to sacred monasteries like Thiksey and Hemis, as well as the ancient rock art in Rong Valley, you’ll gain insights into Ladakh’s long-standing artistic traditions and the spiritual significance behind its sacred sites. Engaging with local artisans and attending a pashmina workshop will also offer an understanding of how art and craftsmanship play vital roles in the region’s economy and cultural identity.
SERVE
Through Global Family Travels’ commitment to support local community initiatives, you will have the opportunity to engage with Ladakhis and give back to local organizations doing some amazing work to support quality education and preserve Ladakhi cultural heritage. As part of our visit to the Siddhartha School, a unique educational institution that offers quality education to children regardless of their ability to pay, you will witness firsthand the impact of global citizenry in action. Furthermore, your engagement with the children of the Ngari Institute, which provides education and shelter to underprivileged youth, highlights how small acts of service contribute to empowering future generations. Your visits will not only support the preservation of Ladakh's culture and education for its youth, but also contribute to its sustainable development.
IMMERSE
Immersing yourself in Ladakh’s culture is central to this journey. You'll experience genuine Ladakhi hospitality through traditional meals, participate in local religious practices, and witness the tranquil rhythms of daily life. This experience goes beyond sightseeing — it’s about becoming part of the community, whether painting in Stok’s serene landscapes or joining the celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday. Through meaningful cultural activities and connections with local artists, you'll leave with cherished memories and a profound appreciation of Ladakh’s artistic, spiritual, and communal heritage.
Mona Pearl Treyball believes that connecting to art and culture elevates our consciousness and spiritual connections to this world. First coming to Ladakh as part of a spiritual journey and connection to Buddhist Mona Khensur Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan and his school for children of Ladakhi and Tibetan heritage, Mona then became a board member of the Siddhartha School Partnership (SSP).
Mona is also an artist in many mediums – watercolor, acrylics, photography, glass, beads, metals, and woods. She likes to explore the dimensions of color and light and find beauty in a moment. A life of service beyond self —Mom, Nurse, Veteran, and Artist, Mona is dedicated to co-creating our world to elevate understanding, reflection, compassion, and wisdom.
Laura Kozaitis is passionate about Himalayan art and heritage. Her passion for Himalayan art and heritage began in 1989 when she first traveled to the region to study with a master Ladakhi thangka painter. Four years later, she co-founded the Siddhartha School Project with her Smith College professor, Khensur Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan, a Ladakhi Buddhist monk. She is also a co-founder and advisory board member of the Siddhartha School Partnership. (SSP).
Laura is also he CEO of Silk Road Spaceship, the slow-fashion, a fair-trade-commerce website featuring hand-dyed silk accessories and gorgeous product collaborations with Himalayan designers.
In addition, Laura wrote Harvard’s Peabody Museum Guide to their collection of Himalayan objects while completing a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School in world religions with a focus on Tibetan art and religious history. She is thrilled to share Himalayan culture and the beauty of Ladakh with visitors.
She is thrilled to share Himalayan culture and the beauty of Ladakh with visitors and looks forward to taking this group to the region.
Much more than a traditional tour operator, Global Family Travels’ mission is to “Learn, Serve and Immerse” through community-based travel programs. In partnership non-profit organizations and schools, we offer family-friendly and sustainable travel experiences in support of education, gender equality, preservation of local cultures, conservation and economic growth, all of which foster cross-cultural understanding and global citizens.
Our trips include a unique mix of cultural and educational activities, homestays and participation in local service projects aimed at improving the lives of people in the communities we visit.
Expect to expand your family circle when you embark on a Global Family Travels trip! Visit our website for more information: Global Family Travels
Once at the crossroads of vital trade routes between China and the Middle East, Ladakh is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and became a new Union territory state of India in 2019. Also called the "Land of High Passes," Ladakh's region of high mountains, valleys, and plateaus is famous for its unrivaled splendor and infinite exploration points, offering plenty of cultural sightseeing and outdoor adventure opportunities.
Ladakh region is ecologically and culturally unique and has a topography that is very different from the rest of India and is home to enormous mineral reserves. The extremely fragile cold desert ecosystem of the region has meant that its inhabitants have a very adaptive lifestyle. The population of around 300,000 is spread sparsely over an area of about 60 thousand square kilometers. Its unique geographical location in one of the northernmost regions in India makes Ladakh rich with extraordinary trekking trails for all expertise levels (if you would like to extend your stay with a trek or visit other areas, we can arrange that for you).
Sidd has a long career in ecotourism and tourism management in India. Professionally, he set up two globally acknowledged Himalayan luxury products – Shakti Himalayan and Leti 360 ° as well as The Ultimate Travelling Camp in Ladakh. He is passionate about is documentation of oral history of the Himalayas and recently curated a Ladakh based experience last year “The Story of the Pashmina” which was globally acknowledged by Nat Geo, CNN Traveller and also awarded by Outlook Responsible Tourism Award.
Born in hills of Darjeeling and brought up in the shadows of the mighty Himalayan peaks of Mt. Kanchendzonga, Sidd led a very active school life in one of India’s premium Scottish missionary school- Dr.Graham’s Home’s - where he also earned a Bronze Award in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Sidd currently resides lives in Ladakh and is working as a Lead Resource Consultant for Project SECURE HIMALAYAS, which is a Community Development project for the frontier region through initiatives in Rural Tourism (SECURE= Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems), implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Sidd has a deep love for the outdoors and has had many experiences in running top rivers of India and Nepal. He also is a grade Alpha from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and leads Himalayan motorbiking tours.
He received a accreditation a Tourism: Management Development Program from India’s top tourism institution- Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management, New Delhi. Sidd then topped this by following a regimental course in “Sustainable Development: Eco-Tourism” from India’s lead engineering institute – Indian Institute of Technology , Kharagpur.
The main goal of the Ngari Institute is to empower and enrich monks and lay persons, especially the youth, by providing a balanced learning experience of both modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom, thus helping them to become efficient and productive citizens.
During our adventure, we will immerse with the monks of Ngari in their new temple and receive Buddhist dharma from them; and also enjoy some playtime and yoga engage with students who live there on Ngari’s campus.
Under the leadership of its current President, Geshe Tsewang Dorje, an eminent Buddhist scholar and practitioner, the Institute has experienced fast-pace growth in the enrollment of underprivileged children from the surrounding Ladakh region.
The Institute currently provides free education, food and shelter for 58 children, with promise to keep educating them until graduation from high school level. In addition to providing education and shelter to under privileged children of Ladakh, the Institute also sponsors programs in Buddhist philosophy for university-level students, who visit Ladakh for summer vacation. Looking to the future, the Institute is planning on providing higher Buddhist philosophical studies to monks and lay practitioners comprised of both local and foreign students.
The cost of this trip includes a donation to support the art and cultural programming of the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO), a public charitable trust established to articulate an alternative vision for the arts and media in Ladakh.
The organization set up the LAMO Centre in Leh, the main town of the region, to provide a space for the understanding and development of the arts. The complex on which the Centre is located comprises two historical houses below the 17th-century Lechen Pelkhar (Leh Palace). The houses were restored by LAMO and converted to an art space with galleries, offices, a library and reading room, a screening room, conference room, and an open-air performance site. The Centre is designed to conduct outreach programs, lectures, film screenings, research and documentation projects, workshops, and exhibitions that showcase Ladakh’s material and visual culture, performing arts, and literature. Visit LAMO's website and Instagram page to learn more.
LENA is a company co-founded by two Ladakhi women, Sonam Angmo and Stanzin Minglek who produce the finest pashmina products using sustainable methods and helps the local economy by employing local artisans, especially women. LENA has helped revive traditional methods of spinning, weaving, and using all-natural products to dye their fibers.
Alchi Kitchen offers authentic Ladakhi cuisine served by award-winning chef Nilza Wangmo. Learn how she is promoting women’s empowerment and introducing Ladakhi cuisine to visitors.
The Hemis Monastery is one the largest monasteries in Ladakh. Positioned inside a gorge, the monastery was built in the 17th century under the patronage of King Singey Namgyal, and it holds the distinction of being the biggest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. Belonging to the Drukpa Order (sometimes called either Drugpa or "Red Hat sect”), it stands on the western bank of the Indus River. The monastery also boasts a very rich collection of ancient relics.
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Carbon Removal: According to the State of Global Carbon Dioxide Removal Report by University of Oxford, natural methods of removing carbon from the atmosphere are not enough by themselves due to the amount of pollution currently in the atmosphere. Innovations in removing and permanently storing carbon emissions are needed to conserve nature and reverse the course toward further climate change.
Tomorrow’s Air: Global Family Travels is passionate about encouraging tourism that is not only sustainable but regenerative. To help with our mission, we seek to partner with like-minded brands such as Tomorrow’s Air, which operates within the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Tomorrow’s Air is a collective of carbon removal innovators that work to permanently remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. Travel is a large contributor to global emissions, and we feel it is important to educate and empower travelers to support efforts that combat climate change! Clients can opt-in for a $25 donation to Tomorrow’s Air through the payment page.
This is an optional pre-trip adventure to visit the iconic Taj Majal and to explore Agra two days prior to the Ladakh Art Trip.
The price of this is variable (please see chart below) and we will adjust the cost of this adventure based on how many travelers we have. Note: Arrival in Delhi is required by the evening of June 26, or early morning on June 27, 2025, as the trip to Agra begins on the morning of June 27.
The activities are as follows:
June 27 :
June 28:
Agra was once the capital of the Mughal Empire and is now home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other fascinating examples of Islamic architecture commissioned by Emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, including the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. It is an old city, and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana, a "forest that finds mention" in the epic. In more recent times, Agra came into prominence when Sikandar Lodi made it his capital city in 1501. The Lodi rule was to end very soon, and Agra passed into the possession of the Mughals. It was during the third emperor, the Great Mughal King Akbar, that Agra came into its own.
Emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb, at the Agra Fort in a room where he had a clear view of the building he had made in memory of his wife. Shah Jahan is said to have died in this room in the Agra Fort.
The Agra Fort is found in the Old City of Agra, dates to the 11th century, and was captured by several rulers before it was rebuilt by the Great Mughal King Akbar in the 16th century.
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PRICING FOR AGRA EXTENSION |
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CITY |
HOTEL |
ROOM CATEGORY |
NIGHTS |
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Delhi |
Crown Plaza Today, Okhla |
Deluxe |
02 |
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Agra |
Trident |
Deluxe Garden View |
01 |
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TOUR COSTS: |
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DETAILS |
COST |
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2- 4 people |
$700 per person |
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5- 7 people |
$575 per person |
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Single Room Supplement |
$185 for single room |
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