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Best months: Sep – Nov
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Markha Valley Standard

4.5(11 reviews)7 daysStart and end in
7 photos
Stonefoot Trails
Runs this trip
7 Days · 6 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Fully guided
A guide travels with the group for the whole trip.
Trekking
Seven days across Ladakh to a 5,150 m pass, sleeping in villages
High Intensity
Travelers can expect 6-8 hours of challenging high-altitude trekking
Group Size 1 - 22
1 guide per 15 ratio
Ages 14+ Welcome
The operator's minimum age for this trip is 14
5,150 m at the highest point

Where this operator goes

7 days · 15 stops

Itinerary

7 days, planned by Stonefoot Trails

Pickup point

Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026

Meet atLehLeh, Ladakh
Reporting time06:00 - 12:00
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What the price covers

Included in the price

You arrange yourself

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.

Leh Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Nights 1–2

Skiu Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 3

Markha Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 4

Nimaling Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 5

Shang Sumdo Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 6

What you'll eat

6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 6 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–6
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–7
  • LunchServed on days 3–6

16 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

One other operator runs this trailThe same trail, at their own price, group size and refund window.Kestrel High Routes₹27,499See all 2
BEFORE YOU GO · CAUTIONARY DETAILS
Break the boots in before you come
The single most common reason a trek stops being enjoyable. New boots on day one means blisters by day two and a descent on ruined feet by day four. Walk fifty kilometres in them at home first, on hills if you can find any.
Deal with a hot spot immediately
The moment something rubs, stop and tape it. Everyone on the trail will wait two minutes for that and nobody wants to wait an hour later while it is dressed properly.
The group moves at its slowest walker
That is not a courtesy, it is how groups stay together and how nobody ends up alone on a ridge in cloud. If that person is you on a given day, say so early rather than falling quietly behind.
Never leave the group to go ahead
Almost every serious incident on a marked Indian trail starts with somebody moving faster than the guide and taking a turning that looked obvious. Waiting at junctions is the whole discipline.
Treat your water
Streams above the villages look clean and mostly are; below them they are not, and giardia will ruin a week. Filter, boil, or use tablets — and drink more than you feel like.
Weather turns faster than you can descend
An afternoon build-up in the Himalaya arrives in under an hour. That is why days start early and why a guide who wants to turn back at eleven in the morning is not being cautious for the sake of it.
A stream is not the same in the afternoon
Snowmelt peaks with the day's heat, so a crossing that was ankle-deep at eight is thigh-deep at three. Cross early, unclip your waist belt, and face upstream.
Carry original photo ID
Forest and park entry in the Indian Himalaya is permitted through the district administration and checked at the gate against the permit your operator holds. A photocopy is not always accepted.
The medical certificate is not a formality
Several states now require a doctor-signed fitness certificate on higher and glacier-bound routes, and more ask for one over 55 or with a pre-existing condition. Get it early; it is a reason people are turned back at the road head.

Who runs this trip

Operated by

The same Himalayan routes in dorm tents and shared transport

Based in Rishikesh Running treks since 2016
Rating
4.5(11 reviews)
Response time

About Stonefoot Trails

The budget half of the same market. Dorm tents, shared jeeps and no porters unless you hire one — and the same leaders on the hill.

View Operator Profile
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before departure

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.5/5
Based on 11 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.2/5
Guide
4.2/5
Itinerary
4.4/5
Transport
3.7/5
Accommodation
4.4/5
Tour operator
4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
I
Ishita GhoshBengaluru2025-12-01 · Verified booking

Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Worth every rupee.

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5
E
Elena PetrovaSingapore2025-12-01 · Verified booking

Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves.

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5
A
Arjun PillaiDelhi2025-12-01 · Verified booking

Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Worth every rupee.

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4
H
Hannah LindqvistBerlin2025-12-01 · Verified booking

Did this over 7 days and it was the best walking I've done in years.

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4
A
Aditi RaoIndore2025-12-01 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Would book with them again.

Reply from Stonefoot Trails

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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4
T
Tom BergmanToronto2025-12-01 · Verified booking

Ladakh in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Solid operator.

Reply from Stonefoot Trails

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.

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2
N
Nikhil JoshiIndore2025-01-16 · Verified booking

Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard.

Reply from Stonefoot Trails

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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5
E
Elena PetrovaSingapore2025-01-16 · Verified booking

Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Solid operator.

Reply from Stonefoot Trails

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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Questions people ask

Knee to thigh deep on the Skiu–Markha day, and they rise through the afternoon as the glaciers melt. That day starts at 7:30 for exactly that reason. Carry sandals you can walk in.

One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →