Location : Leh is located in the state of Jammu & Kashmir in the extreme north of India.
Tourist Attractions : Buddhist Monasteries, the Leh Palace.
Best Buys : Tibetan handicraft items.
Best Hangouts : The Monasteries
Best Activity : Trekking, Mountaineering, Camping, Water Rafting.
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Jammu, Leh, Kargil, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam.
When to Visit : June To End September

About Leh

Ladakh, a part of Jammu & Kashmir State in north of India consisting of two districts Leh and Kargil. At a distance of 434 kms from Srinagar and 474 kms from Manali, Leh is situated on the banks of the river Indus, at a height of 11,000 feet.

The land of majestic mountains, Leh is a complete beauty in itself. Leh has quite a few amazing places to offer its tourists. The most striking sight of Leh is the group of women, traditionally attired, selling fruits, vegetables and household articles, spinning and knitting, and exchanging gentle banter between themselves and with passers-by.

Leh airport is Ladakh's only link with the outside world for the seven months of the year. Leh is one most frequented destinations for the trekkers in India. Rumbak and Markha offer exciting treks, while Stok Kangri is the best for a climb. One can also go for boating and river running on the Indus.

Major Tourist Attractions in Leh

Leh Palace
Built in the mid of 16th century by King Singe Namgyal, this palace is a distinguished monument and a historical building and is still owned by the royal family. This palace has nine storeys. One part of the palace is occupied by the museum. It is an imposing structure, though in ruins now, situated on a hill and commands a grand view of the Leh town. The building in grand Tibetan architecture is said to have inspired the famous Potala of Lahasa, built half a century later.

The Tsemo Gompa
The Tsemo Gompa or Red Gompa is situated at the north of the city. The left side of its entrance has the portrait of Tashi Namgyal. It has a colossal 2-storey high image of Maitreya, flanked by Avalokitesvara and Manjusri figures.

Soma Gompa
The new Soma Gompa is a new monastery situated at old village. It was built in 1957 to commemorate the 2,500th birth-day of Buddha.

Hemis Gompa
Hemis Gompa is located at a distance of 40 km south of Leh, along a road crossing the Indus. Among the innumerable thankas (paintings on cloth), there is one which is supposed to be the biggest of its kind in existence. The exposition of this tankhas takes place once in eleven years. Every year, in June, a fair (' Mela of Hemis Gompa') takes place at Hemis which is a colourful occasion for the mask dances.

Tiksey
About 25km south of Leh, Tiksey is considered as one of the most imposing monastery in Ladakh. It is a 12-storey monastery painted in red and white and ochre. It has 10 temples surrounded by typical tapering walls. The complex contains numerous stupas, wall paintings, tankas, statues, large pillar engraved with Buddha teachings and swords. The interior of new temple dominated by a giant 15 meters high Buddha figure.

Getting There

Air : Leh - Leh is the main airport for this area. Direct flights link it to Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Jammu. Kargil, Suru and Zanskar valleys - Srinagar and Leh airports are both convenient.
Road : Leh - Srinagar-Leh road is the main route with an over night halt at Kargil. The road is open between mid June and November. Ordinary and deluxe buses of the J&K state road transport corporation regularly ply on this route. Taxis can also be hired at Srinagar for this trip. Leh-Manali-Leh is another road which remains open through out the year.

Accommodation

Leh offers a variety of accommodations to suit almost every pocket or preference. Most hotels are family- run establishments and, as such, the services are more personalised than professional. Hotels are classified into A, B, C and Economy category while Guest Houses fall under Upper, Medium and Economy class.
There are also some Government run Tourist Bungalows located mainly along the Srinagar-Leh road. These offer the best value in the medium range.

Ladakh, the largest of the ten provinces of Jammu and Kashmir is bordered by the Karakorm chain of mountains in the north and Himalayas in the south. Ladakh is the land of towering mountains and Buddhist simplicity. It's beautiful terrains and mountains beckons the adventurous tourist for trekking and mountaineering. The land of jagged peaks and barren landscapes, it is at once alluring and awe-inspiring. Hidden behind this harsh and forbidding facade is an ancient civilization with captivating people. The great Indus river flows right through Ladakh. The province is divided into Leh, the capital, Nubra, Zanskar, lower Ladakh and Rupshu.

Sightseeing at Ladakh

Leh : Leh, The capital of Ladakh since the 14th Century is situated at an altitude of 11000 ft. Leh is also a favourite hiking locale and is known for some of the best hikes in the country. The main attraction is the nine storey Leh Palace (Built by Sing ge Namgyal in 16th century) and Tsemo (Victory Peak) built by Tashi Namgyal. The other places of importance are the Sanskar Monastery, Shanti Stupa Zoravar Fort etc. It is also the main business centre of Ladakh. Leh can be subdivided into four main tourist circuits:

Dha-Hanu : It is at a distance of 150 - 170 kms from Leh and is situated at an altitude of 10000 ft. It is the Land of the "Drok-Pa"an Indo Aryan race. Only two villages Dha & Biama are open for tourists. Their cultural and religious practices are totally different from the rest of Ladakh. Bon-Chos believe in an ancient Pre-Buddhist animist religion known as "Bon-Chos".These people abstained from bathing all their lives saying that " If you wash your self,your luck goes away" but since the last few years this practise is beginning to fade away.It has much to offer to scholars in the field of Ethnology&Social Anthropology.

Central Ladakh :This area around river Indus extends from Upshi to Khaltse. This is a very beautiful area with lots of Monasteries and villages. The capital of Ladakh (Leh) also comes under this area. The major attractions are the nine storey Palace (Leh), the Palace Museum of Stok, Hemis, Thiksey, Chemrey, Phyang, Lamayuru, Spituk, Ridzong, Alchi Monasteries and villages of Basgo, Nimoo, Sanskar etc.

Nubra Valley :Popularly known as the "Ldomra" or the valley of flowers, it is situated at an altitude of about 10000 ft. The major attraction is the world's highest road ('Khardong la' at 18,380 ft). The capital of Nubra, Diskit is 118 km from Leh. It has a beautiful monastery(founded in 1420) on the hilltop just above the village. Seven kms. from Diskit is the village of Hunder which is very famous for double hump camels, found only in Central Asia and Nubra Valley. Other attractions are the villages of Trith, Sumur, Tegar (Samstangling Monastery ) and Panamik (hot springs). Eight kms from Panamik is Ensa Monastery which is 250 years old and accessible only after a trek of 3-4 hours.

Changthang Area :The land of nomad. These tribes are called the "Khampas" or "Chamgpas". There are two race of nomads, one is the 'Ladakhi Nomads' and the other 'Tibetan nomads'. Tibetain nomads wear yak skin and live in movable tents. They can be seen moving around with their herds of yaks, goats, sheep, and cows in search of pasture lands. The area is also famous for its wild life. You may see snow leopards, foxes, wolves wild asses, antelopes, marmots and even some endangered species of birds like the bar headed goose, crested grebe, brahimi ducks, etc.

Zanskar :The Land of Religion, it is noted for its high ranges, fine Gompas and hospitable people. It has the largest number of Gompas in Ladakh region outside the Indus Valley. The land was virtually untouched until recently. It is now a popular destination for adventurous treks. The famous peaks of Nun & Kun are in Zanskar. Padum is the the main habitation and subdivisional headquarter. Nearby are two famous Gompas of Stagrimo & Pibithing. A two hour trek from Padum takes one to Karsha Gompa (16th Century).This is the largest and the wealthiest Gompa of this region. Other interesting Gompas of this region are - Sani (6kms from Padum), Stongdey(18kms), Bardan(12kms) and the Phugtal Gompa.

Suru Valley : The Suru Valley one of the prettiest regions of Ladakh, stretches for 140 kms beyond Kargil to the Penzi La pass, the point of entering into the Zanskar valley. Its verdant hills are intensively cultivated. Enough snow and water during the year sustain two crops annually. The valleys are especially picturesque in spring when they are the Sankoo-Panikhar tract is magnificent. The open valley adorned with undulating alpine meadows strewn with wild flowers, groves of poplars and willows are set against the majestic backdrop of the Himalayan peaks dusted with snow.

Pangong Tso This high salt-water lake, considered to be the highest salt-water lake in the world (certainly in Ladakh!), is at 4300 mtrs in elevation, and is surrounded by mountain peaks over 6500 mtrs high. The lake is extremely long, about 150 km long, but is only a couple of miles (2 km or so) wide -- basically, shaped like a pencil.

Best Season to Visit : June to October.