Places to Visit in Leh

Top attractions and must-see spots in Leh

  • Must Visit

    Hemis Monastery

    The largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh, 45 km from Leh, famous for its annual Hemis Festival featuring masked Cham dances.

  • Must Visit

    Hemis National Park

    The largest national park in India and one of the best places in the world to spot the elusive snow leopard in its natural habitat.

  • Must Visit

    Khardung La Pass

    One of the highest motorable passes in India at 5,359 metres, the gateway to Nubra Valley with dramatic views of snow-capped ranges.

  • Must Visit

    Leh Palace

    A 17th-century nine-storey royal palace overlooking Leh town, built by King Sengge Namgyal and modelled on the Potala Palace of Lhasa.

  • Must Visit

    Magnetic Hill

    A famous gravity-defying stretch of road 30 km from Leh where vehicles appear to roll uphill on their own against the laws of physics.

  • Must Visit

    Shanti Stupa

    A gleaming white Buddhist peace pagoda on a hilltop above Leh, built in 1991 with relics of the Buddha enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama.

  • Must Visit

    Thikse Monastery

    A 12-storey hilltop monastery 19 km from Leh, often compared to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, housing a striking 15-metre Maitreya Buddha statue.

  • Alchi Monastery

    The oldest monastery complex in Ladakh, built in the 11th century on flat ground with extraordinary Kashmir-style murals and sculptures.

  • Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary

    A vast cold desert sanctuary on the Changthang plateau of eastern Ladakh, home to kiang, Tibetan argali, Pallas's cat and breeding black-necked cranes.

  • Hanle

    A remote village cluster in eastern Ladakh with India's first dark sky reserve, the Indian Astronomical Observatory, a 17th century monastery and Pallas's cats.

  • Leh Main Market

    The pedestrian heart of Leh, known for pashmina, handicrafts, dried fruit, and mountain views.

  • Moti Market

    A local market known for Tibetan style crockery, handicrafts, and winter wear at competitive prices.

  • Namgyal Tsemo Monastery

    A 15th-century hilltop monastery above Leh Palace with a three-storey golden Maitreya Buddha statue and commanding views over the Indus valley.

  • Rumbak Village

    A small village inside Hemis National Park and Ladakh's best known place to look for snow leopards in winter, with community homestays and local spotters.

  • Shang Sumdo (Shang Valley)

    A small village in the red rock Shang valley on the eastern side of Hemis National Park, one of the first areas of the official Ladakh Snow Leopard Safari.

  • Spituk Monastery

    A striking hilltop monastery 8 km from Leh near the Indus River, home to an annual winter festival featuring fierce masked dances.

  • Tso Kar Lake

    A salt-rimmed high-altitude lake in Changthang and a Ramsar wetland, one of India's most important breeding areas for the black-necked crane.

  • Tso Moriri Lake

    A vast high-altitude lake and Ramsar wetland in Changthang, where black-necked cranes and bar-headed geese breed and kiang graze the shores.

  • Ulley Village (Uley)

    A high village in the Sham region west of Leh, also spelt Uley, known for winter snow leopard tracking, Asiatic ibex and Ladakh urial.

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