09 DEC 2026
Ladakhi Losar
Ladakh's new year falls on 9 December 2026, with prayers in the monasteries, lamps on the rooftops and Metho fire processions in Leh.
Losar is the Ladakhi new year, celebrated on the first day of the 11th month of the Tibetan calendar, about two months earlier than Tibetan Losar. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday 9 December, a public holiday across Ladakh.
Celebrations run for around two weeks. Families clean and decorate their homes, prepare special foods and make offerings at the gompas, while lamps are lit on rooftops and in monasteries. On the eve of Losar, people carry flaming torches through the streets in the Metho procession to drive away bad luck, and masked dances and folk performances take place in Leh and nearby villages.
This is the depth of the Ladakhi winter, with night temperatures well below freezing, so pack heavy layers and book a heated room. Flights to Leh run through the winter, but road routes through Zoji La and the Manali highway are usually closed, and you should allow a day or two in Leh to acclimatise to the altitude.
Losar is the Ladakhi new year, celebrated on the first day of the 11th month of the Tibetan calendar, about two months earlier than Tibetan Losar. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday 9 December, a public holiday across Ladakh.
Celebrations run for around two weeks. Families clean and decorate their homes, prepare special foods and make offerings at the gompas, while lamps are lit on rooftops and in monasteries. On the eve of Losar, people carry flaming torches through the streets in the Metho procession to drive away bad luck, and masked dances and folk performances take place in Leh and nearby villages.
This is the depth of the Ladakhi winter, with night temperatures well below freezing, so pack heavy layers and book a heated room. Flights to Leh run through the winter, but road routes through Zoji La and the Manali highway are usually closed, and you should allow a day or two in Leh to acclimatise to the altitude.
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