Ladakh (La-Dags – “land of high mountain passes”) is mainland India’s most remote and sparsely populated region, a high-altitude desert cradled by the Karakoram and Great Himalaya ranges and crisscrossed by myriad razor-sharp peaks and ridges. Described as “Little Tibet” or “the last Shangri-La”, and culturally and administratively separate from the rest of India, this area is one of the last enclaves of Mahayana. Buddhism, which has been its principal religion for nearly a thousand years, is most evident in Ladakh’s mediaeval monasteries: perched on rocky hilltops and clinging to sheer cliffs, these gompas are both repositories of ancient wisdom.
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Set in a sublime landscape and crammed with hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, this atmospheric little town, a staging post on the old Silk Route, is most visitors’ point of arrival, and an ideal base for side-trips.
North of Leh, across Khardung La, one of the highest driveable passes in the world, lies the valley of Nubra, where sand dunes carpet the valley floor.
It is also possible to visit the great wilderness around the lake of Tso Moriri in Rupshu, southeast of Leh, and to glimpse Tibet from the shores of Pangong Tso in the far east of Ladakh. For all these areas you will, however, need a permit.
West of Leh, beyond the windswept Fatu La and Namika La passes, Buddhist prayer flags peter out as you approach the predominantly Muslim district of Kargil.
Ladakh’s second largest town, at the mouth of the breathtakingly beautiful Suru Valley, is the jumping-off point for Zanskar, the vast wilderness in the far south of the state that forms the border with Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh.
Leh palace, India - Ladakh © Shutterstock
Three areas in particular are now firm favourites with travellers: the Nubra Valley bordering the Karakoram Range to the north of Leh; the area around Pangong Tso, the lake to the east of Leh; and the region of Rupshu with the lake of Tso Moriri, to the southeast of Leh.
In theory, permits are only issued to groups of at least two people accompanied by a guide. However, in practice travel agents are generally happy to issue permits to solo individuals travelling independently, though you’ll have an imaginary friend (usually somebody applying at the same time) listed on the permit to fulfil the official requirement. As long as your name and passport number are on the permit, the checkpoints are quite relaxed about how many of you there are.
You will need two photocopies of the relevant pages of your passport and visa. Provided you apply in the morning, permits are usually issued on the same day. Once you have your permit, which is valid for a maximum period of seven days and covers all restricted areas, make at least five copies before setting off because officers at checkpoints sometimes like to keep a copy when you report in. If you go on an organized trip, however, the driver takes care of all this and you may never even handle your permit.
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Kashimir carpet shops in the main shopping street in downtown of Leh City © Shutterstock
Eighty or so years ago, this bustling area was the busiest market between Yarkand and Kashmir – merchants from Srinagar and the Punjab would gather to barter for pashmina wool brought down by nomadic herdsmen from western Tibet, or for raw silk hauled across the Karakorams on Bactrian camels.
These days, though the pedestrianized streets are awash with kitsch curio shops and handicraft emporiums, it retains a distinctly Central Asian feel.
Even if you’re not shopping for trekking supplies, check out the surviving provision stores, where bright pink, turquoise, and wine-red silk cummerbunds hang in the windows; tourists stick to the pedestrianized roads, but the local action is in side-alleys to the north and east, which also feature a few little markets.
Since the Ladakhi royal family left in the 1940s, damage inflicted by nineteenth-century Kashmiri cannons has caused large chunks of it to collapse. Despite recent restoration work, there’s not much to see in the dark interior; most visitors spider up to the rooftop for lovely views out over Leh.
Two trails lead up to “the Peak of Victory”, whose twin peaks are connected by giant strings of multicoloured prayer flags: the first and most popular path zigzags across its south side from the palace road, while a second scales the more gentle northern slope via the north-Leh suburb of Chubi.
This is the route followed by the lama from Sankar gompa, who tends to the shrine each morning and evening. Alternatively, the place is accessible by road.
Namgyal Tsemo Gompa with prayer flags - Leh - Ladakh - Jammu and Kashmir - India © Shutterstock
It has a reasonable collection of artefacts, clothing and photographs that focus on the deep connections between Ladakh and the rest of Central Asia, forged through its position on the Silk Route.
Inaugurated in 1985 by the Dalai Lama, the “Peace Pagoda”, whose sides are decorated with gilt panels depicting episodes from the life of the Buddha, is one of several such monuments erected around India by a “Peace Sect” of Japanese Buddhists.
The monastery is the official residence of the Kushok Bakula, Ladakh’s head of the Gelug-pa sect. Above the Du-khang (main prayer hall) stands the gompa’s principal deity, Tara, in her triumphant, one-thousand-armed form as Dukkar, or “Lady of the White Parasol”, presiding over a light, airy shrine room whose walls are adorned with a Tibetan calendar and tableaux depicting “dos and don’ts” for monks – some of which are very arcane indeed.
Installed in 1633, the 12m icon allegedly contains a hoard of precious stones, mandalas and powerful charms. Entering from the second level, you come face to face with the massive Buddha, and a balcony allows you to survey the statue’s torso.
Preserved for centuries by thick soot from votary butter lamps, the gold-tinted murals coating the walls are among the finest in the valley.
The golden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha at Shey Palace Monastery, Ladakh, India © Shutterstock
The large central figure with hands held in the gesture of preaching (turning the wheel of dharma), is the Buddha Resplendent, Vairocana, whose image is central in many of the Alchi murals.
Thikse’s reincarnation as a major tourist attraction has brought it mixed blessings: its constant stream of summer visitors spoils the peace and quiet necessary for meditation, but the income generated has enabled the monks to invest in major refurbishments, among them the Maitreya temple immediately above the main courtyard.
Inaugurated in 1980 by the Dalai Lama, the shrine is built around a gigantic, gold-faced Buddhato-come, seated not on a throne as is normally the case, but in the lotus position. The bright murals on the wall behind, painted by monks from Lingshet gompa in Zanskar, depict scenes from Maitreya’s life.
Thikse © Shutterstock
Built early in the nineteenth century by the last ruler of independent Ladakh, it has been the official residence of the Ladakhi royal family since they were ousted from Leh and Shey two hundred years ago.
The present queen mother Deskit Wangmo still lives here during the summer, and has converted one wing of her 77-room palace into a small museum.
The fascinating collection comprises some of the royal family’s most precious heirlooms, including exquisite sixteenth-century thangkas illuminated with paint made from crushed rubies, emeralds and sapphires. The pièces de résistance, however, are the gyalmo’s peraks; still worn on important occasions, the ancient headdresses are encrusted with slabs of flawless turquoise, polished coral, lapis lazuli and nuggets of pure gold.
Founded in 1664 as a memorial to King Sengge Namgyal, the monastery is staffed by a dwindling community of around twenty Drugpa monks and their young novices. Its main Du-khang, off the courtyard on the lower level, boasts a fine silver chorten and a set of ancient Tibetan texts whose title pages are illuminated with gold-and-silver calligraphy.
Upstairs in the revamped Guru-La-khang sits a giant brass statue of Padmasambhava. The museum on the top floor houses statues, thangkas, scrolls and utensils.
Regardless, Khardung La is probably still the most dramatic of the lot, and it makes for an exciting journey. Most of the route north from Leh to Nubra is now good, metalled road, though there’s still around 7km of rough, bus-battering surface on either side of the pass; the ascent from Leh (1h 30min–2hr) is rapid, and on the way you may luck out and see planes landing at the airport, 20km away and a full 2km below – a wonderfully weird feeling.
Prayer flags at Khardungla Pass, the highest motorable pass in the world, ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India © Shutterstock
The routes are tame in comparison with Nepal’s, but floating downstream in a twelve-seater rubber inflatable is a hugely enjoyable way to experience the rugged and beautiful landscape.
Two different stretches of the River Indus are most commonly used: from Phey near Spitok to the Indus–Zanskar confluence at Nyemo (3hr), and from Nyemo to below the ancient temple complex at Alchi (2hr 30min).
Experienced rafters may also want to try the more challenging route between Alchi and Khalsi, which takes in the 1km-long series of rapids at Nurla.
Yet the low pagoda-roofed Choskhor, or “religious enclave”, at Alchi, 70km west of Leh, harbours an extraordinary wealth of ancient wall paintings and wood sculpture, miraculously preserved for more than nine centuries inside five tiny mud-walled temples.
The site’s earliest murals are regarded as the finest surviving examples of a style that flourished in Kashmir during the “Second Spreading”. Barely a handful of the monasteries founded during this era escaped the Muslim depredations of the fourteenth century; Alchi is both the least remote and most impressive of them all.
The region’s staggering remoteness, extreme climate and distance from the major Himalayan trade routes has meant that the successive winds of change that have blown through the Indus Valley to the north have had little impact here.
The annual influx of trekkers and a driveable road have certainly quickened the pace of development, but away from the main settlement of Padum, the Zanskaris’ way of life has altered little since the sage Padmasambhava passed through in the eighth century.
The nucleus of the region is a Y-shaped glacial valley system drained by three main rivers: the Stot (or Doda) and the Tsarap (or Lingit) join and flow north as the Zanskar. The valley sees a lot more snow than central Ladakh. Midwinter temperatures can drop to a bone-numbing -40°C.
Camping with spread tents along The frozen Zanskar river in Ladakh, India © Shutterstock
Most of the town’s cheaper guesthouses are in the leafy areas of Changspa to the west and Karzoo to the north. Rooms in Leh’s few mid-range and increasing number of upmarket hotels all come with piped hot water.
Browse the places to stay in Ladakh.
Chemrey Monastery, Ladakh, India © Shutterstock
If you have more time available, you can explore remote areas like Nubra Valley, which is known for its sand dunes and the famous Diskit Monastery. Additionally, you may consider including the scenic Zanskar Valley and the ancient monasteries of Alchi and Lamayuru in your itinerary.
It's worth noting that Ladakh is situated at high altitude, and it's essential to acclimatize properly to prevent altitude sickness. It is advisable to plan for additional rest days and take it easy during the first few days to allow your body to adjust to the altitude.
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Shanti Stupa also known as Peace Pagoda on hilltop of Chanspa, Leh city, Ladakh, India © Shutterstock
Although it is officially a high-altitude desert, recent years have seen increasing bouts of rain in July and August, sometimes making trekking difficult. From November onwards, temperatures drop fast, often plummeting to minus 40°C between December and February, when the only way in and out of Zanskar is along the frozen surface of the river. Note that nearly all hotels and guesthouses are closed from some time in October until April, while many garden restaurants only open in the peak summer months
Traditionally beyond the reach of the monsoons, Ladakh receives little snow, especially in the valleys, and even less rain (sometimes as little as 100 mm per year). Only the most frugal methods enable its inhabitants to farm the thin sandy soil, frozen solid for eight months of the year and scorched for much of the other four.
In recent years, however, climate change has meant even drier winters and less snow; the consequent loss of snowmelt has put pressure on traditional farming and irrigation, resulting in a real risk of drought, though this has been offset to some extent by increased rainfall during the summer months.
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Stok Palace on the way to Stok Kangri, 6000+ meters high peak © Shutterstock
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written by Andy Turner
updated 31.05.2023
