Top things to see and do in Ladakh
Leh Palace. The nine-storey former royal palace towers over the old town, a 17th-century structure often compared to a smaller cousin of the Potala in Lhasa. Built of stone, mud-brick and timber, it is now a protected monument; the climb up through its bare chambers is modest but the views over Leh and the Indus Valley to the Stok range are superb, especially in late-afternoon light. There is a small entry fee; verify before visiting. Because it involves stairs at altitude, it is a good gentle test of how well you are acclimatising on day one or two.
Shanti Stupa. A gleaming white Buddhist stupa built on a hilltop above Leh, reached by a steep flight of steps (or a short drive), it enshrines relics and is decorated with reliefs of the Buddha's life. It is one of Leh's finest sunset and sunrise viewpoints, looking out over the town and the surrounding peaks. Entry is generally free; the walk up is short but the altitude makes it more taxing than it looks, so take it slowly.
Leh Market (Main Bazaar). The commercial and social heart of town — a pedestrianised main street lined with shops selling pashmina, Tibetan handicrafts, prayer wheels, thangka paintings, apricots and dried fruit, trekking gear and cafés. It is an easy, oxygen-friendly place to spend your acclimatisation days, and a good spot to arrange onward taxis and permits.
Thiksey Monastery. About 19 km southeast of Leh, Thiksey is one of the largest and most photogenic gompas in central Ladakh, a twelve-storey complex rising in tiers up a hill and strikingly reminiscent of the Potala Palace. Its highlight is a two-storey seated Maitreya (Future Buddha) statue. Arriving for the early-morning prayer ceremony, with its horns, drums and chanting, is a memorable experience. A small donation/entry fee applies; verify before visiting.
Hemis Monastery. Around 45 km from Leh, tucked in a side valley, Hemis is the wealthiest and one of the most important monasteries in Ladakh, seat of the Drukpa lineage. It is renowned for the annual Hemis Festival and its masked dances, and houses a museum of relics and thangkas, including one of the largest thangkas in Ladakh, unfurled only on special occasions. Entry/museum fees are modest; verify before visiting.
Diskit Monastery (Nubra Valley). The oldest and largest monastery in Nubra, Diskit is famous for its towering statue of Maitreya Buddha overlooking the valley and the Shyok river toward the Pakistan border. The setting — desert, dunes and snow peaks — is unforgettable. It sits within the protected Nubra region, so an Inner Line Permit is required to visit (see the culture and day-trips sections).
Lamayuru Monastery. About 115 km west of Leh on the Srinagar road, Lamayuru is one of the oldest gompas in Ladakh, set amid eroded, lunar-looking hills that give the area its nickname, the "Moonland." The dramatic geology alone is worth the drive, and the monastery holds its own annual masked-dance festival. A small fee applies; verify before visiting.
Alchi Monastery. In a village on the banks of the Indus about 70 km west of Leh, Alchi is prized for its exceptional early wall paintings and wood carvings, among the oldest surviving Buddhist art in Ladakh, blending Kashmiri and Tibetan styles. Unusually, it sits on flat ground rather than a hilltop. Photography inside is restricted to protect the murals; respect the signs.
Shey and Spituk. Shey, about 15 km from Leh, was the old summer capital, with a ruined palace and a monastery housing a large gilded-copper Shakyamuni Buddha. Spituk, perched on a hill near the airport, offers fine Indus Valley views and a striking winter festival. Both are easy, low-effort stops close to town, ideal for acclimatisation days.
Pangong Tso. The most photographed sight in Ladakh — a long, narrow, astonishingly blue lake at roughly 4,250 metres (about 14,270 ft) that stretches across the border into Tibet, its water shifting through turquoise, cobalt and deep blue as the light changes. It lies within a protected area, so an Inner Line Permit is required, and the drive crosses the high Chang La pass. Because of the altitude, many travellers now visit as a long day trip or a single careful overnight rather than sleeping high; either way, go only after you have acclimatised in Leh.
Nubra Valley. North of Leh across Khardung La, Nubra is a broad, fertile river valley famous for the Hunder sand dunes and the rare double-humped Bactrian camels that graze there, a legacy of the old Silk Road caravans. It combines desert, oasis villages, apricot orchards, Diskit's giant Buddha and, further out, the villages of Turtuk and Sumur. Nubra is a protected area requiring an Inner Line Permit.
Khardung La. The high pass on the road from Leh to Nubra, long promoted as one of the highest motorable passes in the world (a signboard claims about 18,380 ft / 5,602 m, though surveyed figures are lower and the "world's highest" title is now contested by newer roads such as Umling La). Whatever the exact number, it is very high, very cold and very thin on oxygen. Do not linger. The standard advice is to spend only a short time at the top, avoid exertion, and descend — this is not a place to eat a heavy meal or nap.
Tso Moriri. A serene, remote high-altitude lake on the Changthang plateau at around 4,500 metres, less visited than Pangong and all the more atmospheric for it, ringed by nomadic Changpa herders' camps and rich birdlife. The long drive and extreme altitude make it a destination for those with time and good acclimatisation; an Inner Line Permit is required.
Magnetic Hill. About 30 km from Leh on the Srinagar road, this is a well-known optical-illusion spot where the layout of the land makes a stationary vehicle appear to roll uphill. It is a fun, quick photo stop usually combined with the nearby confluence and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib.
Sangam — the Indus–Zanskar confluence. Near Nimmu, west of Leh, the muddy-green Zanskar river meets the clearer Indus, the two waters running side by side in visibly different colours before mixing. It is a classic stop on the Sham Valley/Srinagar-road circuit and a launch point for river rafting in season.