Markha valley trek is a popular trek in Ladakh that passes through beautiful villages in the deep valley surrounded by towering mountains. Markha Valley is a valley crammed between the Stok Kangri range to the north and the Zanskar peaks to the south. It is an amazing trip to get introduced to the magical and remote Buddhist kingdom of Ladakh. You can learn about the rich indigenous culture of the Indo- Tibetans. The authentic Markha trek begins from Spituk via Ganda La, Zingchen, and finally ends at Skiu, which is a small isolated village with houses of an old monastery and ruins of an old castle that was once a resting place for an ancient royal family. From Shiu, the way leads to Markha and hence to Shang Sumdo through Kongmaru La.
This is a place where you can expect accommodations in parachute tents or homestays in the nearby villages. You will encounter various villages throughout the trail, at least one village after every 2-4 hours. The shortest trek starts from Chilling village and ends at Shang Sumdo village. It is a reasonably straightforward trek with many villages on the way, different landscapes, and the odd tea house tents are the standout amongst the most mainstream treks in Markha Valley. If you are lucky enough, then you can even encounter a Himalayan snow leopard in the valley. You can witness other species of animals of the Himalayan belt like lynx, Ladakhi Urial (a type of goat), Arghali (great Tibetan sheep), blue sheep, Marmot, Dhole (wild dog), etc. You can discover various birds of the region as well.
