Things To Do In Leh

Things to do in Leh

Leh, the capital of Ladakh, sits at about 3,500 metres in a high desert valley among the Himalayas, a Tibetan Buddhist landscape of monasteries, prayer flags and stupas.

Rest for at least two days on arrival to acclimatise before doing anything strenuous. Then climb to Leh Palace, a nine-storey palace modelled on Lhasa's Potala, and Shanti Stupa, a white peace pagoda, at sunset.

The monasteries of the Indus valley are among the finest in the Himalayas: Thiksey, built like a small Potala on a hill, where morning prayers are held at dawn; Hemis, the largest, with a famous masked dance festival in summer; and Alchi, with eleventh-century murals.

The high passes lead to Ladakh's great sights. Khardung La, one of the world's highest motorable passes, leads to the Nubra Valley, with sand dunes and double-humped Bactrian camels. Pangong Tso, a turquoise lake stretching into Tibet, is about five hours away, and Tso Moriri is even more remote.

Trekking, from short walks to multi-day treks such as the Markha Valley, is excellent in summer. In September 2025, protests over Ladakh's political status turned violent in Leh and a curfew was imposed; check the current situation before you travel.