Leh Main Bazaar

Leh Main Bazaar is the pedestrian heart of Leh in Ladakh, a broad street lined with shops and cafes beneath Leh Palace on the ridge above. Leh Main Bazaar is where locals, monks, soldiers and travellers mingle, and where Ladakhi women sell fresh vegetables and dried apricots from baskets along the pavement.

Leh grew as a trading town on the caravan routes linking Kashmir, Tibet and Central Asia, and the Main Bazaar was built wide enough for pony and camel trains. It was repaved and made pedestrian around 2016, with stone paving and benches, and is now easy to stroll. Shops sell pashmina shawls, turquoise and silver jewellery, prayer flags, thangka paintings and warm woollens, and nearby Tibetan refugee markets have more crafts. At the head of the street stands the Jama Masjid, and Soma Gompa is just off the bazaar. The street is flat and easy, which makes it a good gentle outing on the first days in Leh.

What to see

• Ladakhi women selling vegetables and apricots along the pavement
• Pashmina, turquoise jewellery and thangka shops
• The Tibetan refugee markets nearby
• The Jama Masjid at the head of the street
• Views up to Leh Palace from the street

What to wear

There is no dress code in the bazaar, but modest clothing suits the town, and you should cover up if you enter the mosque or temple. Leh's sun is strong at 3,500 metres, so wear a hat and sunglasses, and carry a jacket for the evening chill. Shops here sell the goncha, the long woollen Ladakhi robe tied with a sash, and pashmina shawls that make warm souvenirs.

Local food to try

The bazaar is the best place in Leh to eat. Try thukpa noodle soup, skyu (a hearty stew of thumb-pressed wheat pasta and vegetables), momos, khambir flatbread with apricot jam, and salty butter tea. Bakeries sell apricot pastries and fresh Tibetan bread, and many cafes serve sea buckthorn juice. Vegetarian food is everywhere, and Muslim eateries near the Jama Masjid serve halal meat and fresh naan.

Good to know

• Best from May to September; evenings are liveliest
• Shops open daily, morning to evening; some close in winter
• Free to walk
• Allow 1 to 2 hours
• In the centre of Leh, about 4 to 5 km from the airport
• Bargain politely, and check pashmina carefully before buying

Nearby places

Leh Main Bazaar sits below Leh Palace, beside Soma Gompa, and about 3 km from Shanti Stupa.