Visiting India had never been on my travel wish list – mostly on account of the noise, the huge population, and the sheer amount of effort just to get there. But then I thought back to a film I saw over a decade ago at the Best of Banff Film Festival on Zanskar. It alone was responsible for my overwhelming desire to go trekking in northern India.
The film showcased a teacher from the west living in a remote village in northern India’s Zanskar region, basically cut off from civilization, especially in the winter when traveling on the frozen Zanskar River was the only way to get around.
The mind-blowing mountain scenery stayed with me for over a decade. And then I found a company that did exactly the Zanskar trekking tour in northern India I was after.
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-1-20-of-1.jpg)
Trekking in northern India – planning the trek
A big birthday was the impetus for planning the trip to the Zanskar region. The images from the film came to mind and so I began my search for a tour company that offered a trek. There are a lot of companies that offer the Markha Valley trek, but I wanted something longer, especially if we were going to be traveling that far.
After a lot of research my husband and chose World Expeditions – largely because they run the most comprehensive tour in the area. We ended up on a trip that involved trekking for 16 days at altitudes up to 5,100 m (16,732 feet.)
The landscape that we trekked through from the turnoff on the main highway near the Lamayuru Monastery several hours west of Leh to the finale, a campsite at the end of Markha Valley, was nothing short of spectacular, even overworldly at times.
Read: Places to Visit in Leh if You Have 48 Hours
These 20 photos will merely give you a taste of what it’s like to go trekking in northern India.
![The unbelievable scenery on the first day of our Zanskar trek](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-1-2-of-1.jpg)
![Breathing again - on the backside of our first pass on day one in the Zanskar region](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-1-4-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to go Trekking in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-1-14-of-1.jpg)
![The only time we had any snow to deal with was on the second day out](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-2-6-of-1.jpg)
![Unbelievable afternoon of hiking in this untouched landscape](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-2-afteroon-2-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to go Trekking in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-3-2-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to go Trekking in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Lingshet-5-of-1.jpg)
![The village of Photaksar is improbably perched on the edge of the mountain](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-3-6-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Lingshet-12-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to go Trekking in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-after-Photaksar-16-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Lingshet-17-of-1.jpg)
![We had 15 horses and donkeys carrying our gear](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-6-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Zinchan-3-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Zinchan-9-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Zinchan-14-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Towards-Zinchan-17-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Cha-Cha-La-8-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/horseshs860.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-Day-1-16-of-1.jpg)
![20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Trek in Northern India](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Zanskar-last-day-2-of-1.jpg)
Would you do a trekking trip in Zanskar?
It was always beautiful, often dusty and very tough going at times because of the altitude, some long days of hiking and plenty of tent time.
You really need to go to prepared mentally and physically. A huge thank you to all the congenial, hardworking staff on the ground – including the three horseman, the three cooks/assistant cooks/do anything that needs doing fellows and to our two guides.
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
![Trekking in northern India in 20 awe-inspiring photos](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Trekking-in-India__1.jpg)