Ladakh
High-altitude cold desert of monasteries
Ladakh is a high-altitude cold desert union territory in India's far north, separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, with its main town Leh sitting at around 3,500 metres in the rain shadow of the Himalaya. The region's Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, including Thiksey and Hemis, and its stark, treeless mountain landscapes have earned it comparisons to Tibet, which it borders, and the nickname Little Tibet.
Pangong Tso, a high-altitude lake stretching roughly 135 kilometres across the India-China border, and the Nubra Valley's sand dunes and double-humped Bactrian camels showcase Ladakh's unusual mix of desert and alpine terrain above 3,000 metres. Ladakh's short summer tourist season, its Khardung La and other high motorable passes, and its distinct Ladakhi Buddhist culture make it one of India's most physically demanding and visually striking regions to visit.
Leh
Capital
Ladakhi
Language
Indian Rupee (INR)
Currency
Asia/Kolkata
Time zone
+91
Dialling code
0.3 million
Population
59,146 km²
Area
Points of Interest
attraction
Pangong Lake
Pangong Tso is a long, brackish high-altitude lake in eastern Ladakh that shifts through shades of blue with the light.
attraction
Leh Palace
Leh Palace is the nine-storey 17th-century royal palace of the Namgyal kings, standing on a ridge above Leh old town.
attraction
Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley is a high cold-desert valley north of Leh, known for sand dunes, Bactrian camels and Diskit Monastery.
temple
Soma Gompa (Jokhang)
Soma Gompa, the Jokhang of Leh, is a Buddhist temple in the Main Bazaar dedicated to Jowo Rinpoche, the crowned Buddha.
museum
Hall of Fame, Leh
The Hall of Fame is the Indian Army's war memorial and museum near Leh, telling the story of soldiers in Ladakh's mountains.
temple
Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
Gurudwara Pathar Sahib is a Sikh shrine on the Leh to Kargil road, built around a boulder linked to Guru Nanak.
attraction
Magnetic Hill
Magnetic Hill is a stretch of the Leh to Kargil road where an optical illusion makes vehicles seem to roll uphill.
viewpoint
Sangam (Indus–Zanskar Confluence)
The Sangam near Nimmu is where the Zanskar river joins the Indus, the two flowing side by side in different colours.
viewpoint
Shanti Stupa
Shanti Stupa is a white-domed peace pagoda on a hilltop at Chanspa above Leh, the town's favourite sunset viewpoint.
temple
Thiksey Monastery
Thiksey Monastery is a Gelugpa monastery rising in tiers up a hill above the Indus, home to a 15-metre Maitreya Buddha.
attraction
Shey Palace and Monastery
Shey Palace is the former summer palace of Ladakh's kings above the Indus, with a giant copper-gilt Buddha.
temple
Hemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery is the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh, a Drukpa seat hidden in a side gorge and home to the Hemis festival.
viewpoint
Khardung La
Khardung La is a high mountain pass at about 5,359 metres on the road from Leh to the Nubra Valley.
temple
Diskit Monastery
Diskit Monastery is the oldest and largest monastery in the Nubra Valley, with a 32-metre Maitreya statue below it.
nature
Hunder Sand Dunes
The Hunder Sand Dunes are high-altitude cold-desert dunes in the Nubra Valley, known for rides on Bactrian camels.
viewpoint
Chang La
Chang La is a high mountain pass at about 5,360 metres on the road from Leh to Pangong Lake.
temple
Likir Monastery
Likir Monastery is an 11th-century Gelugpa monastery west of Leh, known for its 23-metre gilded Maitreya statue.
temple
Alchi Monastery
Alchi Monastery is a riverside temple complex west of Leh with some of the oldest Buddhist wall paintings in Ladakh.
other
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh (IXL)
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is Leh's airport, at about 3,256 metres one of the highest commercial airports in the world.
market
Leh Main Bazaar
Leh Main Bazaar is the pedestrian heart of Leh town, below Leh Palace, lined with shops, cafes and apricot sellers.
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