Leh

North India · Ladakh

Leh, Ladakh

Before you go

Ladakh's gompas are living Tibetan Buddhist monasteries -- dawn prayers at Thiksey and the Hemis festival are the highlights; acclimatise for a day or two at 3,500 m before touring.

About Leh

Mountains

Where it is

Leh is the main town of Ladakh, a union territory of India, set at about 3,500 m in the upper Indus valley between the Ladakh and Zanskar ranges, in the rain shadow of the Himalaya.

History

Leh became the capital of the Namgyal kings of Ladakh, and King Sengge Namgyal built its palace in the 17th century. For centuries it was a halt on caravan routes linking Tibet, Kashmir and Central Asia, trading salt, pashmina wool and silk; the Dogras annexed Ladakh in the 1830s, and in 2019 it became a separate union territory.

People

Leh's people are mostly Ladakhi, speaking Ladakhi, a Tibetic language, along with Hindi and Urdu, and Buddhist and Muslim communities have lived side by side here for centuries. Butter tea, thukpa and apricots are staples, and Losar and the monastery festivals with masked cham dances mark the year.

Known for

Leh Palace and the old town
Hemis, Thiksey and other gompas
The Hemis festival
Shanti Stupa
High mountain passes and treks

Did you know?

Leh Palace, built for King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century, rises nine storeys above the old town.

Shrines and sites

Hemis Monastery
Thiksey Monastery and its morning prayers
Shey Palace and Monastery
Alchi Monastery

Traditions

Buddhist