Leh

Town · Leh district, 🇮🇳 India

Population 30,870

Area 50 km²

Time zone Asia/Kolkata

Official website www.leh.nic.in

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Explore Leh

Leh Essentials

Leh serves as the gateway to Ladakh’s high-altitude desert and ancient Tibetan Buddhist heritage. This selection covers the city's 17th-century royal palace and the white-domed Shanti Stupa, alongside the massive Gelug-pa monastery at Thikse and the Drukpa lineage’s Hemis Gompa. Beyond the town, the list includes the 5,359-meter Khardung La pass, the brackish waters of Tso Kar, and the high-altitude Pangong Lake, which extends from India into Tibet.

12 places

Ladakh Essentials

This collection features high-altitude mountain passes and strategic viewpoints across the Ladakh region. It includes the 5,091-meter Shingo La, connecting Zanskar and Lahaul, and the Gandala Pass within Hemis National Park. These locations provide vistas of the Indus and Zanskar rivers, the salt flats of Tso Kar, and the high-altitude wetlands of Tso Moriri. Many of these sites serve as critical navigation points on established trekking routes like the Rumtse-Tso Moriri and Markha Valley circuits.

9 places

Ladakh's Buddhist Gompas

Ladakh’s spiritual landscape is defined by its ancient gompas, many perched on dramatic rocky outcrops overlooking the Indus Valley. This collection spans centuries of Buddhist heritage, featuring architectural marvels like the 12-story Thikse Monastery and the 17th-century Hemis Gompa, the region's wealthiest. Highlights include Alchi’s rare 11th-century Indo-Tibetan wall paintings and the white-domed Shanti Stupa. These sites represent various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, housing significant collections of ancient manuscripts, thangkas, and colossal statues of Maitreya Buddha.

10 places

Peaks & Mountain Passes

This collection features the highest motorable passes and strategic viewpoints across the Ladakh region. It includes the world-famous Khardung La and the record-breaking Umling La, situated at an elevation of over 19,000 feet. These locations provide essential transit routes to the Nubra, Zanskar, and Changthang valleys, while offering vantage points over high-altitude endorheic lakes and the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers.

10 places