Sham Valley Heritage Loop: A Handpicked Circuit of Homestays, Culture & Community Craft in Ladakh

Step into golden fields, walk between ancient stupas, share tea with grandmothers, and sleep under starlit skies—Sham Valley is where Ladakh truly feels like home.

The Sham Valley Heritage Loop is more than a scenic drive—it’s an invitation to slow down, stay with families, learn ancient skills, and walk village paths where heritage still breathes in everyday life.

Spanning Hemis Shukpachan, Yangthang, Uleytokpo, Tingmosgang, and Wanla, this circuit is ideal for first-time Ladakh visitors, families, cultural enthusiasts, and eco-tourists. Each stop offers carefully curated homestays, SHG-led craft and food workshops, and authentic engagement with Ladakh’s rural identity.

Overview: The Loop That Starts with a Smile

Leh → Likir → Yangthang → Hemis Shukpachan → Uleytokpo → Tingmosgang → Wanla → Basgo or back via Magnetic Hill

Ideal Duration: 3 to 4 days
Best Season: April to October
Best For: Families, couples, heritage tourists, light trekkers, women’s travel groups
Style: Offbeat, immersive, culturally rooted
Bonus: Trek connectors and SHG-run village trails

Where to Stay: Handpicked SHG-Linked Homestays

Each homestay in this loop is linked to local SHGs (Self Help Groups) or village federations—ensuring that tourism directly supports rural women entrepreneurs, young guides, and artisans.

Yangthang – Fields, Chants & Family Kitchens

Stay With: Yangthang SHG Homestays (3–5 units)
Highlights:
- Warm rooms with views of grazing fields
- Shared cooking of skyu, barley bread, and butter tea
- Visit to local monastery with youth guides

Hemis Shukpachan – The Herbal Hamlet

Stay With: Herbal Roots SHG
Highlights:
- Herbal tea making and foraging walks
- Prayer flag dyeing and tea blending sessions
- Shukpa (juniper) grove trails and storytelling

Uleytokpo – Canyon-side Calm & Earth Kitchen

Stay With: Eco-Food SHG homestays
Highlights:
- Stay in solar-powered cottages
- Learn canyon farming and composting

Make highland soups and solar-dried snacks

Hemis village

Uleytokpo Canyon

Tingmosgang – A Royal Past, A Rural Present

Stay With: Tingmosgang Heritage SHG Homestays
Highlights:
- Visit palace ruins and historic monastery
- Try barley beer (chang), ngampe, and walnut chutney
- Interact with elder SHG women in spinning and embroidery

Wanla – Woven Tales & Ancient Walls

Stay With: Wanla Looms SHG
Highlights:
- Loom demonstrations and sock-knitting workshops
- Visit 1000-year-old Wanla Gompa with trained youth storytellers

Night stay with wool-insulated rooms and home-cooked meals

Tingmosgang

7 Experiences 3 Homestays

Wanla

2 Experiences 4 Homestays

Things to Do Along the Loop (Craft + Culture Activities)

Experience	Village	Facilitator
Herbal Tea & Soap Making	Hemis Shukpachan	Herbal Roots SHG
Thangka Sketching & Prayer Flag Dyeing	Uleytokpo, Tingmosgang	Community Artists
Yarn Spinning & Wool Felting	Wanla	Wanla Looms SHG
Barley Roasting & Paba Cooking	Yangthang, Tingmosgang	Kitchen Collective SHGs
Farm Walks & Compost Demos	Uleytokpo	Eco-Food SHG
Cultural Storytelling Evenings	Every village	SHG youth & elders

Suggested 4-Day Sham Valley Homestay Itinerary

Day 1 – Leh → Likir → Yangthang

Lunch with SHG family
Monastery visit and evening storytelling session

Day 2 – Yangthang → Hemis Shukpachan

Morning hike (easy) between villages
Tea blending + foraging walk
Herbal dinner with juniper bath option (on request)

Day 3 – Hemis → Uleytokpo → Tingmosgang

Canyon cooking & composting session in Uleytokpo
Drive to Tingmosgang, cultural dinner in orchard

Day 4 – Tingmosgang → Wanla → return to Leh

Visit to Wanla Gompa and loom SHG
Optional detour to Magnetic Hill or Basgo before return

Likir village

1 Experience 5 Homestays

Leh

9 Experiences 27 Homestays 22 Tours

What to Buy Along the Trail

Herbal tea blends (thyme, seabuckthorn, tulsi)
Hand-knit socks and woollen mittens (Wanla, Tingmosgang)
Herbal soaps, dried chutneys, barley flour mixes
SHG-curated hampers for souvenirs (available in Uley, Hemis)

All products are handmade, ethically produced, and SHG verified.

Why Choose This Homestay Circuit?

Direct livelihood support to SHG women and youth
Clean, warm, welcoming homes with Ladakhi architecture
Interactive food, craft, and farm experiences
Walkable paths between villages for light trekking
Sustainability-led travel rooted in slow movement, cultural respect, and eco-awareness

Plan Your Sham Heritage Loop Now

We offer:

Homestay reservations with SHG families
Add-on craft & cooking workshop bookings
Guided walking itineraries & heritage maps
SHG shopping baskets & experience bundles for visitors

Let Sham Valley be your introduction to the real Ladakh—heartfelt, handmade, and homely.

Discover Homestays

Experience the heart of Leh by staying with local families.
Immerse yourself in Ladakhi culture, traditions, and warm hospitality.
Book your homestay and explore the region like never before.

Book Your Homestays

Discover Local Experiences

From pottery workshops to Ladakhi cooking sessions, uncover the authentic experiences that Leh offers. Dive into the local culture with hands-on activities that will leave lasting memories.

Discover Local Experiences

Discover Monasteries

Leh is home to some of the most stunning and serene monasteries in the world. Visit these sacred sites, learn about their rich history, and experience the spiritual calm of Ladakh.

Discover Monasteries