Every friend group has that one trip that's been 'happening soon' for years. For Riyakshi Rajkhowa from Assam, this was it. Back in May 2026, that long-pending plan finally became a 3-day Zanskar adventure with two of her friends.
If you ask Riyakshi about her Zanskar Valley trip today, she probably won't start by talking about the itinerary. She'll talk about the snowfall that nearly changed everything. The people she met along the way. And of course, Gonbo Rangjon, the breathtaking mountain that became her favourite memory from the trip.
Like many travellers exploring alternatives to the usual Leh Ladakh trips, Riyakshi and her friends wanted a short, offbeat Ladakh trip that packed adventure, dramatic landscapes, and a chance to explore somewhere less explored.
That's what led them to WanderOn's 3D Zanskar Group Trip from Delhi.
How Did Riyakshi End Up Choosing Zanskar for a Trip?
Riyakshi and her friends had been wanting to travel together for a while, but between work schedules, nobody could get the kind of time off a full 7-10 day Ladakh trip usually needs, so a short Zanskar Valley tour package with WanderOn made more sense.
As Riyakshi said, “We wanted something unique but equally memorable that’s doable within 3-4 days easily, and Zanskar filled that spot instantly as we saw the itinerary. It has high-altitude Ladakh terrain, remote passes, and the feeling of being somewhere the map barely covers.”
And unlike Leh or Pangong, Zanskar Valley hasn't turned into a place everyone's already posted about. It's still one of the last corners of Ladakh that feels like you found it, not like you followed a crowd there.
Why Did She Choose WanderOn for Her Zanskar Trip?
When we asked her where she first heard about WanderOn, she said:
"I heard about WanderOn through one of my friends. They had already been on a trip with WanderOn and recommended them. So I trusted their word and decided to give it a shot, and it turned out to be a good decision."
At the time, it was simply a recommendation from someone she trusted. Looking back, she feels it was a decision that paid off.
In her own words: “Everything in the itinerary was covered smoothly, and even when the weather didn’t cooperate, the team handled it really well by making quick adjustments so we wouldn’t miss out on anything important.
A big shoutout to our trip captains, Hritik, Vaibhav, and Akshanshi, who were not only very welcoming but also made sure everyone felt comfortable and had a great time throughout.”
Zanskar is a remote region, and even in summer, the weather can be unpredictable and routes can shut down without warning. Looking back, she felt that travelling with an experienced team made a huge difference — a sentiment that shows up often across WanderOn group trip reviews, especially for a region where weather and road conditions can change quickly.
Read her full Zanskar trip WanderOn review.
This Is What Riyakshi’s 3D Zanskar Trip Looked Like
Day 0: Delhi → Manali
- Overnight journey from Delhi to Manali.
Day 1: Manali
- Jana Falls and some time exploring Old Manali.
Day 2: Manali → Jispa
- Drive through Atal Tunnel and Sissu before reaching Jispa for the night.
Day 3: Jispa → Shinku La → Gonbo Rangjon → Manali
- Cross Shinku La Pass and head towards the mighty Gonbo Rangjon, followed by the return journey to Manali.
Day 4: Manali → Delhi
- Overnight journey back to Delhi, bringing the 3D Zanskar adventure to an end.
If you'd like to see the complete day-wise plan and what’s included, you can explore the full 3D Zanskar Group Trip from Delhi itinerary.
The Moment Everything Could Have Gone Wrong
Before the group even reached Gonbo Rangjon, there was Shinku La or Shingo La Pass to cross first, sitting at over 16,500 ft, one of the most dramatic sections of the journey into Zanskar. The road turns wild here, the landscape gets more rugged with every bend, and for Riyakshi and her friends, this was the moment the trip really started to feel like an adventure.
Then the weather turned.
Heavy snowfall began affecting the route, forcing the group to pause and wait. What started as a short delay slowly turned into real uncertainty—for a while, it genuinely looked like they might have to turn back.
"It was hard to accept," Riyakshi said. "We had come all this way and were so close.
This is where the trip captains—Hritik, Vaibhav, and Akshanshi—stood out. They stayed patient, kept monitoring the situation, and explored every safe option before giving up on the plan, keeping the group informed and comfortable through the uncertainty.
Just in time, conditions improved enough for one last attempt. It paid off.”
The Mountain That Lived Up To Every Expectation: The Mighty Gonbo Rangjon
Everyone has that one place from a trip — the one photo they keep revisiting. For Riyakshi, that place was Gonbo Rangjon.
"There were so many interesting moments on the trip, it's hard to choose just one," she said. "But Gonbo Rangjon stands out. Its scale is mesmerising so you just stand there still and admire the views. It was a great sight, honestly the one I'd put over anything else."
Standing there, surrounded by the vast landscapes of Zanskar, the mountain somehow manages to capture your attention completely.
What was the Most Unexpected Part of the Trip?
The People.
One thing Riyakshi didn't expect from a short trip like this was how quickly the group came together. She had joined the trip with two friends, but by the end of the journey, the circle felt much bigger.
With around 15 travellers on the trip, conversations started naturally during long drives, meal breaks, and roadside stops. Somewhere between sharing travel stories, discussing future bucket-list destinations, and waiting for weather updates near Shinku La, strangers slowly became friends.
Looking back, she says. “What made the journey even more special were the amazing people we met and the genuine friendships we built along the way.”
It's surprising that such short weekend getaways from Delhi can make you connect with people or build real friendships like this.
Would She Want to Change Anything from The Trip?
Interestingly, when we asked if there was anything she would have changed about the trip, she paused for a moment and said:
"Honestly, no. Since it was a short trip and everything was managed well, we didn't really have any complaints. It was a really fun experience."
Sometimes, having nothing to complain about is the best compliment a trip can receive.
What Riyakshi Would Tell Anyone Planning Their First Zanskar Trip
Her advice for future travellers, in her own words:
"Be prepared for things to go a little off schedule," she said, because mountain weather can have its own plans. "Sometimes you just need a little patience because the situation can change again."
And finally, come with realistic expectations when it comes to food.
She said, "People sometimes complain about food, but honestly, I didn't see simple food as a problem because we're in one of the most remote places in the Himalayas."
For her, that was never a drawback. In fact, she felt it was part of the experience — when you're travelling through remote places in Leh Ladakh like Zanskar, the mountains tend to become the main attraction anyway.
Riyakshi summed up her trip with WanderOn like this
In her own review, she summed up the Zanskar valley trip with us like this:
"From coordination and stays to overall professionalism, everything was handled really well. I would definitely recommend WanderOn to anyone planning a trip, and I am already looking forward to travelling with them again."
For anyone considering Ladakh group trips, Riyakshi's experience is a reminder that some of the most memorable journeys aren't always the longest ones. For a trip that was meant to be a quick escape with friends, Zanskar ended up leaving behind far more than a few good photographs. And judging by how often Riyakshi still talks about it, that's probably the best review a trip can get.
If a few days in the mountains, good company, and the chance to experience one of the most remote Ladakh destinations sound like your kind of trip, Zanskar might just surprise you too.
Check out WanderOn's upcoming group trips to find your own version of this story.
