Places to Visit in Ladakh: Monasteries, Lakes and High Valleys

The places to visit in Ladakh sort into four groups, and which group you choose decides how high you sleep rather than how far you drive. The Indus valley monasteries sit near Leh's own altitude and can be done while acclimatising, while Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri all involve a pass and a night considerably higher. Start low, work up, and let the altitude set the order rather than the map.

Almost everything here is reached on one of three roads out of Leh. The general guide to preparing for travelling in India covers the acclimatisation side of that.

Places to visit in Ladakh

Grouped by what they ask of you.

Near Leh. Thiksey, Shey, Spituk, Hemis, Stok. Doable on the acclimatising days.
West, along the Indus. Alchi, Likir, Lamayuru, the Sham valley.
North, over a pass. Nubra, Diskit, Turtuk.
East and high. Pangong, Tso Moriri, Hanle.
Remote. Zanskar.

Monasteries in the Indus valley

The densest cluster in Ladakh and the only group you can see while your body is still adjusting. Most sit within an hour or two of Leh.

Thiksey. The one most photographs show, tiered up a hill, with a large Maitreya figure inside.
Hemis. The wealthiest and largest, and the site of the summer festival that fills the courtyard.
Alchi. Different from all the others. It sits on flat ground rather than a hilltop and holds early wall paintings in an Indian rather than Tibetan idiom.
Lamayuru. Further west, above the eroded badlands people call the moonland.
Shey and Stok. Former palaces, Stok still the royal family's residence and holding a museum.
Spituk and Phyang. Close enough to Leh to fill a half day.

Morning prayers are the reason to arrive early and the reason not to arrive with a camera up.

Nubra and the road over Khardung La

North of Leh, over a pass most itineraries treat as the attraction. The valley itself is the better reason to go.

The pass. Khardung La, whose signposted height is contested and lower than the signs claim.
Diskit. The valley's main settlement and its oldest monastery, with the large Maitreya statue above the village.
Hunder. Sand dunes and the double-humped Bactrian camels, which are descendants of Silk Road caravan stock.
Turtuk. Near the far end, Balti rather than Ladakhi in language and culture, and only opened to visitors in 2010.
Sleeping height. Nubra is lower than Leh, which makes it a reasonable first trip out once you have acclimatised.

Pangong, Tso Moriri and the high lakes

The lakes are the highest nights most itineraries include and the ones to put late rather than early.

Pangong Tso. Long, narrow and mostly in Tibet. The crowds concentrate at one end and thin quickly along the shore.
Tso Moriri. Quieter, higher, further, and in a protected wetland. Fewer people and a longer drive.
Tso Kar. Smaller and saline, on the way between the two.
Hanle. Far east, with the observatory, and inside a dark sky reserve.
The rule for all four. They sit above Leh, so a night at any of them is a gain rather than a rest. Nothing here belongs on day two.

Zanskar and the western valleys

The part of Ladakh that asks for a separate trip rather than a day out of Leh.

Zanskar. Reached by a long road south from Kargil, or in winter across the frozen Zanskar river.
Padum. The main settlement, and the base for Phuktal and Karsha.
Kumik. Ladakh's first designated heritage village, and what that designation does not pay for.
The Sham valley. Lower, greener, and walkable between villages, which makes it the gentlest multi-day option in Ladakh.

Hemis National Park and the snow leopard valleys

The reason some people come in winter, when the roads are shut and the flights are the only way in.

The park. India's largest national park, in the valleys south of the Indus.
Rumbak and Shang. The villages most winter trips are based in, reached on foot.
How the watching actually works. Local spotters find the animal and visitors come to the spotter, which is the opposite of how a jeep safari works and the thing worth understanding before booking one.
Season. Deep winter, because that is when the cat comes lower.

Our ten-day journey through Ladakh is built to go up gradually rather than to cover the most ground. If the places have to fit a fixed set of dates, customised tours is where that gets settled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which monastery in Ladakh is worth visiting first?

Thiksey or Hemis if you want the large and famous ones, and both sit close enough to Leh for an acclimatising day. Alchi is the one that rewards a second look, because it stands on flat ground rather than a hilltop and its wall paintings follow an early Indian idiom rather than a Tibetan one.

Can you visit Pangong and Nubra on the same trip?

Yes, and the order matters more than the route. Nubra sits lower than Leh and makes a reasonable first trip out, while Pangong is higher and belongs later. Each wants its own day plus the driving, so a trip taking in both needs seven days at a minimum.

What is there to do in Ladakh in winter?

Fly in and go where the roads no longer reach. The snow leopard valleys in and around Hemis National Park are the main draw, the Zanskar river freezes hard enough to walk, and the monasteries are quiet. Expect far colder nights and a much shorter list of open places.

Is Turtuk worth the drive?

If you have the day, yes. It sits near the far end of Nubra, is Balti rather than Ladakhi in language and culture, and only opened to visitors in 2010. It is the one place on a standard Ladakh itinerary that feels like a different region rather than a further valley.

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